Sorcery and Small Magics

Starred review from September 1, 2024

DEBUT Flippant Leovander Loveage adores poking at dour Sebastian Grimm, his dedicated and respectable classmate, between visits to the pub and gambling dens. In a cozy fantasy novel, this means that Leo and Grimm will fall in love, but their path is anything but straightforward. It begins with a magical mishap that curses Leo, binding him to Grimm. Though neither feels anything but horror at the situation, they'll journey together past the borders of their homeland, into the magical wilds, in search of a sorceress from a storybook. They'll brave nightmarish creatures, violent library thieves, and Leo's own warped magic as the curse tightens its grip. But they'll also discover the charm lurking within the horrors--and hidden behind the walls they've built around their own hearts. Leo's narration is delightfully meandering, but though he's the prankster, he believes he's the butt of the jokes that matter. This gives readers a peek at the pain he conceals--and that may just change Grimm's poor opinion of him. VERDICT This Ghibli-esque slow-burn fantasy delivers on every promise it offers when it drops Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle inside Patricia A. McKillip's The Forgotten Beasts of Eld.--Matthew Galloway

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2024
A curse gone awry puts two magical rivals on a quest to break it in Doocy's debut. Leovander ""Leo"" Loveage is a privileged scriver who would rather get drunk and play his violin than try to impress the likes of the Coterie, an elite group of sorcerers in Miendor. Sebastian Grimm is a caster of humble stock who wants nothing more than to become part of the Coterie. Leo and Sebastian have always been at odds during their time at the Fount, the training school for sorcerers, and are fine with keeping it that way. But when they're paired up in class and Sebastian accidentally curses Leo with an illegal spell, they must work together to break it or risk their futures. As their journey brings them closer, they both begin to wonder if their enmity could become something more. Sorcery and Small Magics, the first in the Wildersongs series, is a queer cozy fantasy filled with shenanigans and compelling enemies-to-something that will have readers eagerly awaiting book two.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Starred review from October 15, 2024
Two rival classmates set off on a dangerous mission to undo a curse that has magically bound them in the opening book of the Wildersongs Trilogy. Leovander Loveage and Sebastian Grimm are students at the Fount--a training school for sorcerers--who have nothing in common beyond a knack for getting on each other's nerves. Leo is a scriver, one who imbues the words of a spell with magic. But while he's a master of frivolous charms like turning someone's hair pink, he's so far been unable to write any powerful Grandmagic spells without them going horribly wrong. Grimm, on the other hand, is a brilliant caster, serious, studious, and driven. Early in the semester, Leo accidentally collides with a student who's on his way to file spells in the school's library, and while helping him pick up the scattered pages, unknowingly adds one of these incantations to his own folder. Later, Leo and Grimm are forced together as partners in their Duality class, where Grimm casts the errant spell, thinking it one of Leo's ineffective charms. It's not until Grimm tells Leo to "go jump in a lake" during an argument--and Leo does it--that they realize Leo is under a dangerous, and forbidden, control spell. Though Grimm is careful not to give Leo any commands afterward, the effects of the spell soon worsen: The magic compels Leo to stay near Grimm, and he can't stray from his side without experiencing life-threatening symptoms. Desperate, Leo asks Grimm to travel with him into the Unquiet Wood in search of a mythical sorceress who is known for her unrivaled ability to reverse spells gone wrong. As the journey slowly unravels the truth behind the curse, the depths of their magic--and their feelings for one another--will be tested. The author doesn't waste any time jumping into the action, creating a propulsive atmosphere that leans on page-turning plot. With vibrant characters, delicious slow-burn tension, and a fascinating magic system, this is a compelling start to the trilogy. Adults yearning for the enchantment of their childhood favorites will be spellbound by this modern magical adventure.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 2, 2024
Doocy’s enchanting debut brings readers into a world where magic is divided between those who can write spells and those who can cast them. The disreputable and chaos-prone Leovander Loveage falls into the former category. When he’s paired with the grumpy, prim-and-proper spellcaster Sebastian Grimm in one of their classes at the Fount, a school for magic users, both men strain at the partnership. A collision on the way to class mixes Leo’s spells with more advanced materials from the Fount library and results in Sebastian performing an unknown spell on Leo. The effect is that Leo must obey Sebastian’s every command. Both men are desperate to break the enchantment, especially as Leo’s symptoms get worse. The deviously worded curse proves difficult to counter, and the pair goes to great—and dangerous—lengths to return Leo to normal. Along the way, their relationship shifts, but how much of their newfound understanding is just because of the spell? The subtle chemistry between Leo and Sebastian is addictive and the fantasy setting, while somewhat familiar, is rendered in lush prose. Fans of Legends & Lattes and the works of TJ Klune will want to snap this up. Agent: Allegra Martschenko, Ladderbird Literary.