I was utterly captivated by this book when I didn’t expect to be. Sorcery and Small Magics is a light read from a brand-new author, and while I do like a good enemies-to-lovers arc, I am also somewhat wary of novels described as such, as the need to fulfil that prophecy can interfere with actually writing a good story. 

This book doesn’t have that problem. Don’t pick this up thinking you will get instant gratification- instead, pick it up and enjoy the ride. Like a certain curse, it starts so slowly, you don’t even realize you are on a spinning ride instead of the Ferris wheel until it’s 1am and your headlamp runs out of batteries, and you stumble into the basement searching for more because you (obviously) can’t stop reading in the middle of a chapter. And because it’s 1am you also don’t consider just turning on the overhead lights. 

I finished this book in one day (when I clearly should have been doing other things) and have no regrets because it was utterly delightful. Maiga Doocy uses a potent blend of sarcasm and honesty to make you (and certain other people, too) fall in love with the main magician, Leo. Doocy’s writing is full of dry wit, and some passages were as spare as a sword thrust and hit just as deeply. My initial hesitancy was also misplaced; there are no fantasy tropes in this novel (well, ok, there is an enchanted forest, but there are no villains to vanquish) just two people stumbling through the woods and figuring out that stumbling together is better than doing so alone.

This book was similar to A Marvelous Light, in that the story is about an unlikely pair of male sorcerers, but is more akin to Uprooted and For the Wolf in overall tone, as it is both occasionally irreverent and deeply impactful. I would also recommend Sorcery and Small Magics to readers of Ilona Andrew’s Innkeeper series (another charming and clever set of books with a little of the cozy vibe). 

I was so excited when I reached the end of Sorcery and Small Magics and discovered that this is part of a trilogy- there will be more! Which is great, because I can tell that this is only the beginning (or the middle, maybe?) of the story of Leo and Grimm, and I want to read more. I am buckled in for wherever this ride ends up. 5 stars.

Sorcery and Small Magics is due for release 17th October. You can pre-order your copy on Bookshop.org