In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.
Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.
When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…
Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?
Burgis' newest fantasy romance novel is a lot of wholesome fun with a very cute main couple. However, I had a few issues with the plot that partially hindered my overall enjoyment.
First of all, Wooing the Witch Queen is cosy and creative. Much of the book is dedicated to library scenes, delicious food, and a hodge-podge found family in a magnificent castle. These warm, vibrant scenes were written very well with a wonderfully rich atmosphere. I enjoyed that even with high stakes of capture and war, Burgis pauses to make time for developing the romance and the cast of characters.
The romance itself is also wonderfully unconventional. Saskia portrays qualities mostly found in male protagonists such as brashness, assertiveness, and a dislike for social etiquette or diplomacy. Felix, on the other hand, portrays more traditionally feminine qualities with his gentle, polite nature and love for libraries and ink pens. Together, they have palpable chemistry.
Unfortunately, there were a couple of plot points that I found implausible or silly. For instance, Felix must pretend to be a sorcerer for the majority of the novel, yet he has no magic of his own and never attempts to show Queen Saskia or her staff any semblance of magical ability. Therefore, I was surprised that Saskia never started to question Felix's fake identity.
I also found Saskia's inability to listen to her advisor, Mirjana, very concerning. While the book seemed to champion Saskia sticking to her own wants and desires, I found Mirjana's advice logical and necessary; Mirjana wanted Saskia's people to feel safe and listened to, whereas Saskia wished to be isolated, absent, and intimidating. Moreover, three rulers in this novel (Saskia included) are called 'The Queens of Villainy' which is a very entertaining moniker but I found it hard to take seriously.
The novel's conclusion is quite satisfying and I was quickly turning the pages to see how everything turned out. I was pleased and surprised by one of the plot twists, and I really enjoyed Felix's character growth. While this novel is part of a planned series featuring different characters, Wooing the Witch Queen can be read as a stand-alone novel.
Despite my little nitpicks, I did enjoy this novel and would recommend this to anyone looking for a cute fantasy romance who is willing to overlook some weaknesses in the plot. I really loved the pairing of Felix and Saskia, and I savoured the cosy castle scenes.
*I received an e-ARC for free in exchange for an honest review*
Publication Date: February 20th, 2025
No comments:
Post a Comment