This was a fun enough story, with plot that was believable with just slight suspension of disbelief. It did feel like we only got to know the characters on surface levels and any of the flaws of the FMC and MMC were more to do with what other people did/thought of them and how that impacted them than anything else. It was a good introduction to the world and what seems like it will be a trilogy.

I have to say though, major kudos for having the FMC be the more dominant one when time came for them to uh, celebrate their union ;) It's rare enough!

Queen Saskia is basically the "evil" sorceress everyone's terrified of, but really she's just trying to keep her people safe while juggling magical experiments and the world's most chaotic spell library. Enter "Fabian"—sweet, nerdy, asks weird questions like "what's a fountain pen?"—who she hires as her librarian because he's actually getting stuff done. Plot twist: her adorable bookworm is actually an Imperial archduke with zero magical training who's basically cosplaying as a wizard. Oops! But the flirty poetry and innocent touches that make her skin singe? Yeah, those feelings are very real.

This book has everything—gaslamp fantasy vibes, hags and ogres lurking in pine forests, political intrigue, and the coziest enemies-to-lovers setup ever. The stakes feel real but not world-ending, and the romance tension is *chef's kiss* perfect. It's exactly the kind of cozy fantasy romance that makes you want to curl up with hot cocoa and read until 3am. Sometimes you just need a wicked queen and her fake-wizard librarian falling in love while the world gently burns around them!

Wooing the Witch Queen is a spellbinding blend of sharp banter, slow-burn romance, and rich fantasy worldbuilding. The chemistry between the leads crackles with every page, and the heroine? Absolutely iconic. A fierce, funny, and heart-filled read that had me hooked from the first chapter. Highly recommend for fans of magic, wit, and powerful women who don’t need saving — but might just let themselves be loved.

Wooing the Witch Queen is a wryly funny romantasy, within the enemies-to-lovers trope. I enjoyed this book- it was fun, easy to read, and well paced. It reminded me of Long Live Evil, in the presentation of the desperately-trying-to-be-wicked-but-is-really-nowhere-near-it lead. I loved the peripheral characters as well, Morlokk, Mrs Haglitz and Kraak lived vividly in my imagination, and I sincerely hope we learn more about them in a future book - although I suspect the trilogy will probably focus on each of the 'Queens of Villainy' in turn.
Where it lost a star for me was the awkward not-so-spicy scenes. I'm not a prude, I don't mind a bit of spice, but these felt half-hearted and tick-box-y; it didn't feel like the author really wanted to include them, and in my opinion it would have been better to leave them out altogether. They dragged me out of what was otherwise a pretty well-written and immersive story.

I received access to a free e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me this opportunity.

I loved reading 'Wooing the Witch Queen' and can't wait to read more by Stephanie Burgis! She has such a great writing style.

I loved the dynamic between the two main characters, particularly the flipping of the usual roles. Saskia being the headstrong, powerful one and Fabian being the quiet, overlooked and far more vulnerable one. While their attraction is instant, Burgis slows it all down sufficiently for each of them to get to know each other and appreciate their best points, even as their passion smoulders ever more urgently. Done well, this is always a successful dynamic within romance stories – and this time around it’s done well.

The library setting is a joy – as is the crow companion. I was pleased to see that despite the crow adopting Fabian, it doesn’t transform the bird into anything remotely cosy – quite right, too. And the dynamic around the new fountain pen is suitably cute and memorable for me to thoroughly enjoy it.

This book was a lot of fun & I loved the characters so much. I especially loved their arcs in learning to accept who they are and that this is enough. That they can take back their own power and stand up for themselves.
The romance was nice but it felt a little insta love which i’m not a fan of but i am still interested to read the next book especially with how things ended!

I loved the dynamic between the two main characters, particularly the flipping of the usual roles. Saskia being the headstrong, powerful one and Fabian being the quiet, overlooked and far more vulnerable one. While their attraction is instant, Burgis slows it all down sufficiently for each of them to get to know each other and appreciate their best points, even as their passion smoulders ever more urgently. Done well, this is always a successful dynamic within romance stories – and this time around it’s done well.

The library setting is a joy – as is the crow companion. I was pleased to see that despite the crow adopting Fabian, it doesn’t transform the bird into anything remotely cosy – quite right, too. And the dynamic around the new fountain pen is suitably cute and memorable for me to thoroughly enjoy it.

However, there is a but… I didn’t bond with Saskia as much as I wanted to. For someone who believes themselves to be monstrous, she does tend to dither inwardly an awful lot and I was a tad dismayed to find that I was a lot more intrigued by one of the other queens when she made her flamboyant entrance. That’s okay – each to her own, no one says I have to love every protagonist, but it did dim my enjoyment of the book, somewhat. Though it wasn’t a dealbreaker, as you can see by the score. While I obtained an arc of Wooing the Witch Queen from the publisher via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
8/10

Wooing the Witch Queen is a cosy Romantasy that just fell a little flat for me. Queen Saskia is supposed to be this "evil sorceress" but she is in fact the complete opposite. She is a caring character who wants equal rights for all and goes hard for any of her staff. Everything was all very pleasant with an even more cinnamon roll of a MMC also, who is not intimidated by the fact Saskia was the most powerful witch around. It was definitely nice to see him being nothing but supportive for her.

I also just feel that considering Saskia was supposed to be this intellectual woman, she missed the glaringly obvious fact of who "Fabian" the dark wizard she had hired really was.

The biggest problem I had with this book was the sex scene, while it wasn't ethically not okay, it did leave me feeling a little icky.

Overall, this was mostly inoffensive, it was just an okay read & I won't be carrying on in the series.

Wooing the Witch Queen is an enjoyable romp through magical queens and repressed royalty. Two heirs to separate kingdoms, orphaned and mistreated by their regents, meet as adults when Felix finally escapes and flees, to offer himself as a hostage to Saskia, the witch queen of a neighboring country. The developing relationship, as well as personal growth, leads to a beautifully satisfying climax. I think I need to read it again!

I absolutely adored this book and read it in under 12 hours! I couldn't stop reading and turning those pages. I really loved how this one still had a plot and stakes to it even though it was a cosy fantasy. There was plenty of humour and plenty of romance. I loved how she had to learn to love and trust those around her -- her sisters but also her friends. And he was such a cinnamon roll simp for her that I could not help but ship the couple together. The soft dom/sub dynamic really worked for me, and the world building was just right -- just enough for the story, but not flooding us so it felt like it couldn't be a cosy fantasy anymore. What a great read. Can't wait for the sequel!

What a wonderful read this was! Full of humour, love and magic. It felt like such a good time while also definitely having characters with stories that got you aching for them and the things they went through.

Such a perfect read for a good time, for a romance with a plot and a story you can't wait to continue.

I loved that the MMC loved fountain pens! That was so cute - as someone who also loves fountain pens, I enjoyed reading about that.
Wooing the Witch Queen was a delightful cozy read with lots of political intrigue.
A nice change from the typical romantasy dynamics!
Rated this 3.75 stars but rounded up to 4 stars

I couldn't find myself caring for the characters or the development of the plot. Nothing special/memorable about this book. I did enjoy her protectiveness of Felix. It was a pleasant change from all the possessive male characters in fantasy/ romance books.

I couldn't find myself caring for the characters or the development of the plot. Nothing special/memorable about this book. I did enjoy her protectiveness of Felix. It was a pleasant change from all the possessive male characters in fantasy/ romance books.

This was a lovely, charming and cosy romantasy!

<I>'She was the most dangerous, beautiful, astonishing creature he had ever met... and she was ready to kill to protect him.'</I>
We have our sweet puppet archduke of Estarion, Felix, who runs away from his kingdom once he realises his FIL is trying to kill him to take full control of his kingdom and, actually, he quite likes living. Feeling powerless Felix runs to the neighbouring rival kingdom, thinking that a life as a prisoner to the vicious Queen Saskia is better than no life at all. Only, the terrible and evil queen he has heard so much about doesn't seem that bad, and she mistakes him for the librarian she has been waiting for to sort her magical library! Despite his best efforts, the Queen is MUCH too busy to listen to him correct her opinion. After all, she has to protect her kingdom from her murderous Uncle and the cruel Archduke of Estarion who is set on taking her kingdom and killing the people she loves. And if the wizard she has hired seems unusually sweet, kind and tender well...she would just shove those thoughts and feelings deep within as she doesn't have time for that sort of thing!

I absolutely LOVED the world Stephanie has created here. We have castles, magic, magical creatures, politics, plots, alliances and science set as a wonderful back drop to a love story between an uncertain and gentle archduke and the fiery and powerful queen he finds himself falling for. There is also a wonderful cast of side characters and I can't wait to carry on with the Queens of villainy series!

I am a sucker for truly soft, adoring, devoted male love interests. I am even more of a sucker for women with tremendous power getting to keep it all. Which is to say, this was absolutely my cup of tea.

Felix, Archduke of Estarion, is not all he seems. More captive than royal, he is just trying to make it through each day after the death of his wife, and only friend. He knows it is only a matter of time before his father-in-law has him dealt with, permanently. When he learns that Kitvaria's Witch Queen has built an impassable barrier on her border, which blocks all those bearing weapons, he knows it is his only shot.

Queen Saskia is miserable. She didn't want to be Queen in the first place, all she wanted was to work on her experiments, keep her friends safe, and free her country from the sticky grasp of her horrible, murderous uncle. When a man in a dark cloak arrives, she assumes he is another Dark Wizard here to work on her library. If her new librarian is kinder, and softer, and brighter, and more entirely lovely than she had been expecting... well, she'll just have to ignore that!

When sparks begin to fly, both leads will have to face the darkness in their lives, and find the inner-strength not just to survive, but to allow themselves to love.

Romantic, compelling, humorous, and bursting with colourful characters Wooing the Witch Queen was Emily Henry meets Caitlin Rozakis, a sweeping, glorious, soft-boy romance perfect for fans romance and fantasy alike. Sometimes romance is weaker, writing wise, than it is plot wise, but that was not the case here. Burgis is an excellent writer, the narrative voices are strong, the world is well-conceived, the magic system, although not explained in depth, makes sense, and the bonds explored feel possible.

An utterly deserved 4.5 stars. I look forward to future books in the series!

This was fantastic, really engaging story and characters you really get to know and root for. Great fun read.

Thank you for an ARC of "Wooing the Witch Queen" by Stephanie Burgis. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed in this book. The book had a nice premise as a cozy fantasy romance, but it ended up being not what I expected. The plot is very predictable, and the characters lacked depth, making it difficult to become fully invested in their journey and romance. The sudden strong feelings the characters developed for each other just seemed so over the top. All of that, plus the superficial world-building feels that made little sense at times resulted in the story falling completely flat. Overall, the story is forgettable and fails to leave a lasting impression.

I have been a Stephanie Burgis fan since I first read and reviewed Scales and Sensibility in her Regency Dragons series ( a fabulous mix up of Regency and dragons!). So the chance to read and review this book, the first in a new series called the Queens of Villainy, was an opportunity I couldn't miss.
Our two protagonists are Saskia, Queen of Kitvaria and Witch of the East, and Archduke Felix von Estarion, leader of thee Kingdom of Estarion. Felix is in fact a figurehead being used and abused by his father in law Count von Hertzendorff, and when it becomes clear that his life is in danger Felix escapes to the one place that has resisted his father in law, Kitvaria and it's queen.
Saskia has gained the throne by overthrowing her evil uncle, who killed her parents, painted her as a monstrous power mad witch to the world. However Saskia's real passion is with her experiments, she is deeply loyal to her diverse staff and kingdom, and is attended by her flock of crows and bats.
Felix makes it unscathed to Kitvaria planning to throw himself on the mercy of Queen Saskia, however due to a misunderstanding Saskia believes Felix to be her new librarian Sinistro, a dark wizard. Felix becomes Fabian and so a journey of discovery and self-evaluation begins for both our characters. Felix/Fabian finds that what he thought was a useless education is in fact perfect for the organisation and cataloguing of a library and Saskia finds solace with this quiet, accepting man, who really isn't like any dark wizard she has encountered.
Other key characters are Mirjana, First Minister to Kitvaria and Saskia's first lover and key to her ascending to the throne. Next up are the Lorelei (Fae Queen) and Ailana (Queen of Ice) the remaining Queens of Villainy, keep Saskia on her toes and are her staunchest supporters against the encroaching Serafin Empire.
The key themes circle around being true to yourself, that bad experiences in life do not define who you are, equality and of course love. I would recommend this book and can't wait to see what is in store for Lorelei in the next book Enchanting the Fae Queen.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC, all views are my own.

Oooh, I really loved this book!

Archduke Felix Augustus Von Estarion is in trouble. A widower at twenty-three, he knows that his in-laws would like nothing more than to get rid of him, and his pesky claim to power. Fearing for his life, he flees to the border, to seek refuge and plea for sanctuary from the ‘wicked witch queen’ who rules there. When he arrives, they immediately peg him for another curious dark wizard, shrouded in his dark travelling cloak as he is, and don’t give him a chance to admit to who he is - while making it very clear how much disdain they hold for the Archduke over the border. So, with a new masquerade mask firmly in place, he sets to work organising the long dishevelled library, befriends the crows who live in the castle, and tries not to let his gaze linger for too long on the beautiful, powerful, Queen, who would probably smite him on the spot if she knew who he really was….

I was immediately drawn into this world. You know those books that you crack open and instantly sink into? That’s not always so easy with a fantasy book, where new worlds, titles ,and intriguing new magic systems are thrown at you a mile a minute - yet it all flowed so smoothly. Delightful.

The cast of characters is wonderful - both Felix and Saskia, the Witch Queen, were fleshed out so well - their tragic histories, their caring natures, and their budding infatuation and romance with each other. This extends to the rest of the characters - from the goblins, and trolls, who live and work in the castle, to Saskias fellow evil queens, who were all joys to read whenever they appeared on the page.

Despite the high levels of political chess moves, and the heartbreaking pasts of the main characters, this book is incredibly cosy. Mostly set in a castle high up in the mountains, with a library in disarray, and crows who actually make for adorable familiars (Oskar, I would die for you, truly), it was a joy to curl up with and get lost in. These characters have my heart, and I’m very much looking forward to the next instalment in the series.

Thank you to the publishers, and Netgalley, for the copy to review!