Beautifully swoon-worthy and bursting with whimsy, Wooing The Witch Queen was such a cosy, humorous read that I’m glad to say, I loved every magically chaotic second of!

The setting itself was wonderfully vivid and wove a quirky, fairy tale inspired backdrop that reminded me a little of (at least in vibes if not in plot) The 10th Kingdom— which, given how much I was obsessed with that show as a kid made me very happy. 

But where Stephanie Burgis truly shines, is in her characters, most of whom were brilliantly well written and soo compelling. Be it the found family dynamics between Mrs. Haglitz, Morlokk and Queen Saskia, to the delicious theatrics of the Queens of Villainy (who enthusiastically take Saskia under their wing) I was completely hooked! 

Our protagonists, Saskia and Felix, were utterly amazing too! Both born into power that was taken from them; for Saskia that was the brutal murder of her family and imprisonment by her uncle (before finding freedom, and leading a rebellion that restored her to her rightful position.) 

And for Felix, it was his father’s manipulative advisor, who used Felix as a political pawn since his parents died fifteen years prior. Yet, the way in which they both navigate these situations were quite fascinating, and really highlighted the very different but complimentary demeanours that I found soo wonderfully complex.

Saskia, in upholding her fearsome Witch Queen reputation (which she uses to protect her people from tyranny) sacrifices the chance to make actual emotional connections with people, which clearly affects her more than she lets on. So I loved that, in getting to know Felix, she began to see the positives in opening up emotionally. And to believe in herself the same way everyone around her already does. 

Likewise, I loved seeing Felix (even if in disguise as a dark wizard due to a misunderstanding) finally getting the chance to choose his own path and make his own decisions for the first time. His gentle, cinnamon roll nature didn’t just win over me and our protagonist, Saskia either, as we see several characters (animal companion, Oskar the crow) fall for his compassionate (and adorably genuine) disposition too. 

And I loved just how swoon-worthy and sweet the romance between them was! Their dynamics did have a hint of Beauty and The Beast about it (Felix being more like the bookish Belle and Saskia’s temperament aligning more with Beast) and their scenes together were incredible—I can’t imagine anyone NOT rooting for them!  

Overall, this was a satisfying, (character driven) read that’s perfect for anyone craving the cosy vibes of Legends & Lattes, but with more politics and mistaken identity based romance. I literally cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel!

Also, thanks to BookBreak and Bramble/Pan Macmillan for the stunning proof.