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A review by reading_historical_romance
A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
This poignant fantasy romance casts a tender spell!
Wherever you fall on the Bridgerton love/hate scale, please do not pay attention to comments about comparisons! I am a Bridgerton fan, and this book does not have a Bridgerton vibe. It doesn’t share similar settings, time period, or themes. There is one plotline involving an anonymous society columnist. But Lady Whistledown and the mysterious Lovelace of this book do not have the same motivations for their actions. In sum, this novel really deserves to be read and reviewed without being tied into whatever expectations that have been set by Bridgerton and/or be lumped into the Regency romance renaissance.
The novel is set in the make believe kingdom of Avaland, which is undergoing societal unrest due to economic inequality. Jack, the prince regent of Avaland, has arranged a politically advantageous marriage between his younger brother, Kit (Christopher), and the Princess Rosa of Castilia, in an effort to restore stability. As part of the wedding preparations, Jack hires Niamh (an Irish name that is pronounced Neee-v in English) to design and sew Kit’s wardrobe, and Rosa’s wedding gown. What makes this world unique is the existence of magic. Magical abilities run in powerful families, to include members of the royal families. Less commonly, rank and file citizens, like Niamh, have inherited magical blood.
There are truly so many things to love about this novel. Niamh’s magical ability is to weave memories and emotions into the fabric she embroiders. The person who wears the fabric will then experience those emotions through their own memories evoked by Niamh's enchantments. This was a completely original plot for me so I really enjoyed reading about how Niamh uses her powers and how the enchantments work. The novel’s minor characters were incredibly well written. The author’s prose is absolutely lovely. The HEAs were satisfying, even if predictable. There is LGBTQ representation in the characters and plotlines.
The aspect that took this novel from a 5-star to a 3.5 to 4-star read for me was the romance arc between Kit and Niamh. It would be best characterized as a “grumpy/sunshine” pairing, which I typically like, but in this story our sweet, earnest Niamh did 100% of the work. By the end I was convinced that Kit did not deserve her whatsoever. It’s not that he didn’t meet her halfway. He was unwilling to do so much as meet her out on the front porch. At one point in the 3rd act, one of the characters outright asks Niamh: “You truly care for Kit this much? I don’t mean to offend you, but surely you could have chosen more wisely. You have unfortunate taste in men.” And I CHEERED because YES finally someone said it!
The biggest cringe (and disturbing) part of the story for me was the final declaration scene itself, when Kit asks Niamh: “Don’t you get it by now, you fool? Are you really going to make me say it? Fine. Fine. Now listen carefully, because I’m not going to repeat myself. I love you.” Niamh answers: “What?” And Kit's response is: “I said I wasn’t going to repeat myself.” Honestly? That’s not grumpy. That’s straight-up a**h***e. In that moment I was not squeeing. I was inwardly screaming RUN, Niamh. RUN.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.
Wherever you fall on the Bridgerton love/hate scale, please do not pay attention to comments about comparisons! I am a Bridgerton fan, and this book does not have a Bridgerton vibe. It doesn’t share similar settings, time period, or themes. There is one plotline involving an anonymous society columnist. But Lady Whistledown and the mysterious Lovelace of this book do not have the same motivations for their actions. In sum, this novel really deserves to be read and reviewed without being tied into whatever expectations that have been set by Bridgerton and/or be lumped into the Regency romance renaissance.
The novel is set in the make believe kingdom of Avaland, which is undergoing societal unrest due to economic inequality. Jack, the prince regent of Avaland, has arranged a politically advantageous marriage between his younger brother, Kit (Christopher), and the Princess Rosa of Castilia, in an effort to restore stability. As part of the wedding preparations, Jack hires Niamh (an Irish name that is pronounced Neee-v in English) to design and sew Kit’s wardrobe, and Rosa’s wedding gown. What makes this world unique is the existence of magic. Magical abilities run in powerful families, to include members of the royal families. Less commonly, rank and file citizens, like Niamh, have inherited magical blood.
There are truly so many things to love about this novel. Niamh’s magical ability is to weave memories and emotions into the fabric she embroiders. The person who wears the fabric will then experience those emotions through their own memories evoked by Niamh's enchantments. This was a completely original plot for me so I really enjoyed reading about how Niamh uses her powers and how the enchantments work. The novel’s minor characters were incredibly well written. The author’s prose is absolutely lovely. The HEAs were satisfying, even if predictable. There is LGBTQ representation in the characters and plotlines.
The aspect that took this novel from a 5-star to a 3.5 to 4-star read for me was the romance arc between Kit and Niamh. It would be best characterized as a “grumpy/sunshine” pairing, which I typically like, but in this story our sweet, earnest Niamh did 100% of the work. By the end I was convinced that Kit did not deserve her whatsoever. It’s not that he didn’t meet her halfway. He was unwilling to do so much as meet her out on the front porch. At one point in the 3rd act, one of the characters outright asks Niamh: “You truly care for Kit this much? I don’t mean to offend you, but surely you could have chosen more wisely. You have unfortunate taste in men.” And I CHEERED because YES finally someone said it!
The biggest cringe (and disturbing) part of the story for me was the final declaration scene itself, when Kit asks Niamh: “Don’t you get it by now, you fool? Are you really going to make me say it? Fine. Fine. Now listen carefully, because I’m not going to repeat myself. I love you.” Niamh answers: “What?” And Kit's response is: “I said I wasn’t going to repeat myself.” Honestly? That’s not grumpy. That’s straight-up a**h***e. In that moment I was not squeeing. I was inwardly screaming RUN, Niamh. RUN.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.