Magic, like music, does not always need to be explained. It is enough that it exists.
Table of Contents
Preamble
Every once in a while I start reading a book and start wondering, “is this the author’s first book?”. I had that feeling with this book. The initial thought I had upon reading this was that the writing felt stiff in a way that indicated a debut author and while it does get better as the book goes on, I think the writing maintains a sense of discomfort with its own existence.
Sorcery and Small Magics is a romantasy (ugh) title with the romance itself using the fairly common enemies-to-lovers trope with a side of forced proximity. I’ll note here before I talk about this book more specifically that while I like romantasy and those specific tropes, this book isn’t the best example of either. I think The Phoenix Keeper by S.A MacLean does both of those things much better.
Let’s get into it.
The Review
As a fiction liker the thing about fiction I enjoy the most is characters and their interactions. This book has the classic problem where I don’t particularly find myself caring about or getting invested in the main characters’ narrative until the very end. I found some of the side characters like Agnes and the witch in the tower to be far more interesting than the main characters and our primary romantic interests – Leo and Grimm.
The romance itself was…fine. I did not dislike it but at no point did it have my heart jumping in anticipation or yearning. In fact, there seems to be very little yearning in this particular romance which doesn’t create a sense of investment in the romance for me. In a recent video by lexi aka newlynova, she talks about yearning being one of the key factors that makes a romance enjoyable for her and I strongly agree with that.
As far as fantasy elements go, this book’s fantasy elements are fairly light. The magic system with its “scriver” and “sorcerer” role differentiation is mildly interesting I don’t think the author explores the magic system and its intricacies to a depth where it becomes more than the structural framework of the romance plot. So along those lines this book is more romance than it is fantasy.
Concluding Thoughts
I really would like the author to give some of the side characters more shine and I’d love more magic university drama as opposed to gallivanting in the magical forest. I think the series should really lean into the romance and the drama as opposed to the magical elements.
To conclude, I think that this book overall is fine. It isn’t doing anything particularly novel, its characters and its magic system aren’t all that interesting and the writing feels a little rough around the edges. However the series and the author has a lot of promise and I am curious as to how the rest of the trilogy plays out.
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