I am THRILLED to be on the Turn the Page Tours tour for F.T Lukens new book, SPELLBOUND! This has to be my favorite of theirs!
F.T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels So This Is Ever After, In Deeper Waters, and the forthcoming Spell Bound as well as other science-fiction and fantasy works. Their contemporary fantasy novel The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic was a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction, the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner for YA fiction and won the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.
TITLE: Spell Bound
AUTHOR: FT Lukens
PUBLISHER: Simon & Schuster
RELEASE DATE: April 4, 2023
GENRES: YA Fantasy, magic, LGBTQ+ BUY LINKS:
Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.
Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.
Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, Rook minds less and less.
But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.
I feel like I've been put on this earth to rave about F.T Lukens' books. In Deeper Waters was great. So This is Ever After was amazing. Spell Bound was amazing. I don't think they could ever write a bad book.
THE PLOT:
After the death of his grandmother, Edison Rooker decides he wants to apprentice for sorceress Antonia Hex at her hex/jinx/curse-breaking business, so when he walks into her office he quickly charms her over. He wants badly to be part of the magical world despite having no magic himself. While working on an app that detects ley lines (the source of magic) he risks it all by confiding in Antonia who does NOT have a soft spot for the Consortium their magical government. When he meets Sun, the apprentice of Antonia's rival Fable, he quickly falls for the introverted brooding boy. But when the Consortium gets wind of the Spell Binder app, Rook quickly finds himself teaming up with Sun to rescue Antonia and Fable.
THE CHARACTERS:
I loved how fully realized Rook felt. He's determined, clever, and not one to shy away from flirting with a cute boy. Sun is a moody, anti-social grump who is the perfect balance for Rook. I did wish we got a longer glimpse into Sun's world.
Antonia is a hot mess and that's probably why I loved her so much. Her rivalry with Fable is entertaining, but both sorceresses bring so much to the table.
THE PLOT:
Wholly original. We have a world of magic that is not fully explained and doesn't have to be. This is a character-driven book in a Miyazaki-type world where magic is accepted, regulated and part of normal life. The story was fun, exciting, funny, and heart-wrenching all at once. I'm in awe of the way authors like Lukens can write entire stand-alone books that hit all the beats and all the marks and still not feel rushed.
Overall, I flew through this book. I couldn't wait for bedtime because I got to pour my veggie chips into a bowl and sink into my blankets with my kindle. I'm a forever fan and cannot wait until I get to hold this book in my hands.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
