Spell Bound

F.T Lukens is back with another YA queer fantasy/romance novel that IMO is their best work since 2019's [b:Monster of the Week 51034376 Monster of the Week (The Rules, #2) F.T. Lukens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1562393906l/51034376.SX50_SY75.jpg 67985740]. In a society where only people who can see ley lines have magical powers, the bureaucratic Consortium tightly controls the flow of information about magic and certifies the level of magic each sorcerer can cast. Rook is just an ordinary human, but after the death of his beloved magical grandmother, he yearns to to be magic-adjacent. He talks himself into a job as the assistant to Antonia Hex, a once-powerful sorcerer who has been reduced to low-level curse breaking after too many run-ins with the Consortium. Rook keeps crossing paths with her frenemy Fable Page, and their prickly apprentice Sun. Antonia enjoys flouting the Consortium rules as often as she can, while Fable is more cautious. But when both witches end up on the wrong side of the Consortium ire, it's up to Rook and Sun to rescue them. And perhaps change the rules so that magic is more readily available to everyone. I liked this book soooo much more than Lukens' 2022 release [b:So This Is Ever After 55545191 So This Is Ever After F.T. Lukens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1624819095l/55545191.SX50.jpg 86618059], primarily because the romance is a sweet, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine pairing (instead of the annoying “in love with my best friend but can't tell him until almost the last page” trope in Ever After). It's easy to identify with Rook, who is looking for a sense of belonging that is forbidden by the Consortium. His enthusiasm and intelligence help him out of tight situations where his lack of magic could be a liability. And magic-sensitive Sun is antisocial, taciturn, and touch-averse but of course, they secretly like Rook and have their own unique way of showing affection. Best of all, their relationship development is a squee-worthy blend of tenderness, snark, humor, and just a bit of kissing.The world building is fine, not extraordinary, and the plot could be a lot tighter, but if you're in it for a swoony relationship you will not be disappointed. Extra stars for the special gray cat who makes an appearance at a critical point of the story. ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.