The Sorceress Transcendent

by Casey Blair

Once mortal enemies on the battlefield, what can they become supporting each other instead?

When Varius, the greatest general of the Aurelian Empire, is forced to flee his homeland, there's only one person he can turn to.

A powerful sorceress and once his most deadly enemy, Theira is the only combatant who's ever escaped the war between their peoples. But with the memories of how they kept each other going from opposite sides of a battlefield, when a bleeding Varius knocks on her door, she lets him in, even knowing what will follow.

Theira may have gotten away, but as long as the war goes on, she'll never really be free. Now with both their peoples actively hunting them, the two most dangerous fighters in a never-ending war will have to join forces to do the end it once and for all, on their terms.

And if they can dare to dream boldly enough, maybe find happiness for themselves, too.

The Sorceress Transcendent is a stand-alone enemies-to-lovers epic fantasy romance novella about badasses who enjoy a cozy cup of tea after a long day wreaking epic destruction, because why choose? This story is for everyone who knows what's coming when your former mortal enemy and best rival knocks on the door in the middle of the night and says, "I had nowhere else to go."

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Novella, Magic, Romantasy

140 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 6, 2023

About the author

Casey Blair is a bestselling author of hopeful fantasy novels about ambitious women who dare, including the Tea Princess Chronicles, Sundered Realms, and Diamond Universe: Sierra Walker series. Her own adventures have included teaching English in rural Japan, taking a train to Tibet, rappelling down waterfalls in Costa Rica, and practicing capoeira. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest and can be found dancing spontaneously, exploring forests around the world, or trapped under a cat.

For more information visit her website caseyblair.com or follow her on Instagram @CaseyLBlair.

Reviews

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen the writing prompt for a while that poses the scenario of a hero being injured and going to the villain's door but I hadn't read anything similar to this premise until now and it was amazing. Sorceress Transcendent throws you right into the story with Varius (H) having been betrayed by his kingdom and stumbling through a forest trying to get to his old enemy for possible safety. Theira (h) is a powerful sorceress who fought on the other side of their two kingdoms' years-long war, but she escaped her kingdom. I really enjoyed how their background was shared and the hesitancy of whether each was truly right in their opinions and thoughts about the other. Because they both had slyly not killed the other in battle and there was an almost flirty/mischievous quality to some of the interactions in their memories, which I dug. Still, they were enemies for years and both understand each other tactically more than anyone else so theoretically could be very dangerous to the other. But Theira does welcome Varius into her home and there's a cozy, vulnerable, sweet start to their non-battling relationship with slice of life moments and some emotional ones. Then danger follows. Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither appeared to be a virgin (no history given that I can recall).

This is a fade to black romance, let me make sure that's clear. There's great tension and flirtiness and chemistry and I really wanted at least one scene that was open door. This is my first book by this author so I imagine she doesn't write explicit romance and that's ok, I just don't read many fade to black romances and in this book specifically, I would have loved some on page heat. That aside, their relationship was so fun and interesting, I loved it. There was tiptoeing around each other to start and being unsure about what this could be and how to interact but they meshed so well and the book felt so intimate for a novella. Which again, that physical intimacy would have just given me another layer (and I'm done with harping on that).

The danger does come from both of their kingdoms and the political/military aspects of each are introduced for the world building. It wasn't clear why the war started between their peoples and the layout of the world wasn't clearly defined. There were lots of details about the magic aspect of being a sorceress for Theira and her background. Varius got to shine in his capacity as a strategist and former general, but his background beyond that wasn't shared. Still, this was a novella and did include quite a bit of world building and background for the shortness of it.

The final conflict and climax was fantastic and I loved Theira's mind as well as Varius' support. The book does end with them able to be together safely and to get their HEA. I always want an epilogue, it's a weakness of mine, but I was ok with not having one here given the ending and all the earlier cozy and cute moments of them together in her home that gave me a clear picture of how they'd spend their future time together. This was a fun read that made me fall in love with these two main characters very quickly and then left me happy for their future life together.

[Sherwood Smith]

While I (no surprise here) fully embrace the doorstep epic with intricate worldbuilding, a cast of thousands, and multiple braided arcs in a bricolage of emotional intensity, once in a while it's kind of a relief to get a short version of same. This novella is the "good parts" version of said epic fantasy--straightforward romance between two very powerful ex-enemies as they open a can of whoop-ass on the deserving. Ah-h-h-h!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really lovely romantic fantasy novella. For years, Varius (a brilliant general) has fought against the powerful sorceress Theira as the reluctant leaders of their respective armies in a war that seems endless and unstoppable by anyone. But when Varius finds himself betrayed by his own ruler, he realizes there's no one he trusts or wants more than his former best enemy. Together, in a secluded cottage with an enchanted garden, they both finally get to explore the relationship they should have been able to have from the beginning - and realize that now they're finally on the same side, they have the opportunity to change their whole world.

It's all deeply romantic, I loved both of them as characters - and I really loved the coziness and humor throughout. I was so glad to get to read an e-ARC of this one!

And here's one of my favorite snippets: "The fastest way to a sorceress's heart was slaughtering the enemies she didn't care to deal with herself." ;)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful story! This is a novella that is a perfect bite. A whole series could be written about this war and their relationship. But we get to skip to the good part and just enjoy them finally getting together and succeeding over their enemies. It was so good!

[Jamedi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally on JamReads

The Sorceress Transcendent is a standalone romantic fantasy novella, written by Casey Blair; a delicious self-contained story featuring an enemy-to-lovers romance in a more epic context of a war between two nations. Varius, former general of the Aurelian Empire, is forced to flee after a treason, and the only place where he can hide is the cottage of the witch that was her enemy during years.

Together, in that secluded cottage, Theira and Varius get to explore the relationship that was forbidden, as both were the reluctant leaders of their armies in a war they were not convinced of. It will become a really passionate love between both, while at the same time, we will see Theira opening more to Varius, leading to a plan that might put a end to this pointless war.

Being a short length book, Blair takes the opportunity to write a really intense relationship, fulfilling most of the expectations that romance readers might have from this book. Even with this in mind, we also get a taste of a more epic scope, a conflict that is threatening to destroy both nations.

The Sorceress Transcendent is the perfect definition of a self-contained romantic novella, using the words wisely to tell a great story, showing the talent of Casey Blair as storyteller.

Disclaimer: This novella has been read as part of the SFINCS. This review/rating only represents my personal opinion and it might differ with what the team decides

[Nils Ödlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's a general of the Aurelian empire. She's a first-tier combat sorceress of Korossia. They are lifelong enemies, but when first one, and then the other finally escape the war, they only have each other to turn to.

I'm not sure you can get more on target for the Enemies to Lovers trope than this.

Varius finds himself betrayed by the Empire he's served for so long, and the only one he can turn to for help is the sorceress he's been fighting across battlefields for so many years.

The writing is top notch, but it feels like the story is too large to fit within a novella. There are a lot of interesting ideas that could all have worked had they been given enough space to grow. The concept of two enemies who've fought for so long they know each other better than they know their own allies is just one of them. It could have filled an enitre book and more on its own.

A retired fighter setting up a secluded retreat to welcome others who want to escape the war, only to have no one show up, is another intriguing idea, and I found myself wishing the story had all been about that.

The interplay between Varius and Theira is great, but the knowledge that they've been lifelong mortal enemies, makes it all feel a bit rushed and implausible. Given time, people like that might grow to love and trust each other, but I imagine it'd be a much longer and more difficult journey.

Similarly, I felt like the last third of the book went by a little too quickly and easily. Sure, there's danger and excitement, but it's not given enough space to have the weight it deserves, and things fall into place a little too easily.

My favorite part of the story would be the writing, and the little moments as Varius and Theira observe and consider each other. The romance is a charming mix of cozy and sensual, without being steamy.
The Sorceress Transcendent is a swift, easy read, but the story is held back by trying to do too much.

Disclaimer: I read this book as part of the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship where I’m part of Team Jamreads. This review contains my own thoughts and may not reflect the opinion or final rating of the team.

[Josie Jaffrey]

A romantic cosy fantasy novella. Despite the action-packed finale, the story itself is quiet and restful. Perfect if you need a little break from reality.

[Trudie Skies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was reviewed as part of the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship, or SFINCS, which I am judging as part of Team Jamreads. This review contains my honest thoughts and does not represent the opinion or final rating of the team.

The Sorceress Transcendent wears its tropes proudly on its sleeves by exploring an enemies-to-lovers romance while also answering the question of what would happen if your sworn enemy came calling for help. I was pleased to see this was a self-contained standalone story that also hit some cozy vibes.

Characters
The story is split between two third-person POVs, both on opposite sides of a great war. We start with Varius, a Roman soldier-inspired warrior who fought long and hard for his empire, only to realize that his leaders don’t particularly care for the people. Then we have Theira, an all powerful and famous sorceress on the opposing side of the war. Gifted with incredible magic and the talent to use it, Theira fights as a battle mage, and the two have clashed repeatedly through history, earning a grudging respect for one another. So when a wounded Varius is forced to flee the empire and seek shelter with a retired Theira, he knows he’s bringing the war back to her door.

I found both characters instantly likable. Both are smart, capable individuals with their own skill sets, and as they begin a tentative relationship, they both bloom and find new ways to respect each other, which I found quite sweet. I personally love reading about power couples that not only respect each other’s abilities, but also encourage them, and I especially liked that Varius wasn’t scared of or threatened by Theira’s magical abilities. As the story goes on, we see them both pushed to their limit and showing off exactly what each can do.

My only criticism of their relationship is that, while they were technically rivals on the battlefield, I’d hesitate to describe it as an enemies-to-lovers. They’re more like rivals-to-lovers. So if you’re looking specifically for an enemies-to-lovers dynamic, I don’t think this would satisfy you. While Varius and Theira’s relationship moved quickly, which I’ll forgive for a novella, I was disappointed by it culminating in a fade-to-black scene. I really hoped for more there!

Setting
Most of the story takes place in Theira’s cottage which is described in loving detail. The scenes here border on cozy fantasy, with descriptions of domestic life between two warriors who are really quite tired of war. The world itself seems to be Roman inspired. We don’t get to explore much of it, except for a main city, but the tidbits of world-building throughout paint a nice picture of what life is like on either side of the war. I would have liked more details on the sorcerer’s side, as their school and training sounded more intriguing!

Plot
The plot is effectively split into two halves. We begin with Varius seeking shelter with Theira and adjusting to life in her cottage as he heals from his injuries and navigates his relationship with Theira in a domestic setting away from a battlefield. These scenes I would describe as quite cozy, but I found them enjoyable and well paced. The second half focuses on the war, as Varius and Theira train together in order to end the war between their people for good. I didn’t find the training scenes or battle after all that interesting, which may be my own changing taste. Again, the cozy aspect of the story left me feeling that the battle scenes didn’t have much tension or stakes to them.

If anything, I would say that this book fits a standard romantasy story, but cuts out most of the kingdom fighting parts to focus on the important aspects – romance!

Writing
I enjoyed the writing style, which switched smoothly between the two POV characters.

Enjoyment
The Sorceress Transcendent was a nice bite-sized morsel of a romantasy adventure squeezed down into tasty bits. Throughout this competition, I’ve appreciated novellas which are standalone, self-contained stories more than prequel novellas, as prequels often require some knowledge of the series to fully appreciate or enjoy. However, I sometimes found myself thinking that this book was written almost as an epilogue sequel to a series that already existed. There’s a lot of history and background between the two POV’s that are explained, but to me, it gave the impression that I was missing something – a whole series, perhaps. There was a lot of detail missing from the book as a result that I felt I wanted to or was expected to know, and yet it didn’t exist!

So while I did enjoy The Sorceress Transcendent, I did think it was missing a few aspects. However, Casey Blair is now firmly on my radar and I will be checking out the authors’ other books!

Cover Art and Formatting
I really love the cover! It’s one of my favourites from Team Jamreads.

[DancingMarshmallow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall: 2.5 stars.

This was fine.

This novella had a super interesting premise and hints of very cool world-building, but it was too short to really explore those ideas as I’d have liked. And while I liked the idea of two enemies in a forced proximity situation becoming friends and lovers, most of this character development happened off-page before the story started and was just summed up here. If this were an erotic novella, it would at least make a little more sense, but since this has fade-to-black sex, we’re just left with kind of odd pacing.

In short: cool idea, meh execution

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading this one, I couldn’t help but compare it to Wooing the Witch Queen and Never the Roses. The “strong female magic worker who just wants to be left alone but oh no here comes her mortal male enemy” vibes are strong in my reading lately. I don’t know if it was because of the length (short), but this one may have been my favorite of the three. There wasn’t any page space to get bogged down in excessive details. I liked both main characters and I liked how it wrapped up. A fun one.

[Fatiha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this novella! It had one of my favourite tropes "I didn't know who else to turn to" and it was done gloriously well.

[S.M.]

This may be a romantacy, but it's also hopepunk. Lots of "dream bigger, we're going to end a war" and I am here for it.

[Lastblossom]

tl;dr
What would happen if the leads in an epic fantasy decided they'd rather be a cozy romance? This. This would happen.

Thoughts
I'm currently working my way through a couple really thick tomes, so having a novella to read quickly was a welcome change of pace. Although it has an enemies-to-lovers setup, we're dropped into the story long after the enemies portion, and the leads have pretty clearly been flirting with each other for some time. We get some fun banter and some tasty pining, but don't expect any all-out fights between them. The story is centered around healing, with some serious cottage core vibes for the most part, making this surprisingly cozy despite the fact that also there are armies and sorcerers all killing each other in the background. And while there are definitely some big set pieces and big battles at play, the core of the story is about two people learning to find love and healing together. A pleasant quick read for anyone looking for a cozy romance with a touch of magic.

Thanks to NetGalley and Casey Blair for the review copy! All thoughts in this review are my own.

[Snigdha Prakash · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun short read. Pretty much to the point and you hit the ground running. Had fun.

[Tracy O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you deliver an epic fantasy enemies-to-lovers romance in under a hundred pages? Absolutely not. What Casey Blair has brought us instead is a tender story about two retired all-star soldiers clawing out space for themselves in the shadow of a war they no longer want any part of.

Varius, a decorated general, has been fighting a war against the sorceresses of Korossia for years. When he finds himself in dire need of aid and can’t trust his own people, he turns to Theria, the only Krossian sorceress to have ever successfully retired and Varius’s favorite enemy.

The two have obvious and instant chemistry, and make a really excellent pair. Varius is used to commanding a legion and finds himself alone for the very first time; Theria has never had an ally who didn’t also have a knife at her throat, metaphorically or otherwise. They’re wary with each other but both have such obvious need for connection that it doesn’t take them long to shed their inhibitions and start to hatch a plan to end the war that has hurt them both so much. They cajole and tease each other in ways that are both really fun to read and demonstrate the depth of understanding they have for one another.

They’re both incredibly easy to root for as characters and as a couple!

I really enjoyed this romance. It’s short, sweet, and to the point. While it lacks the tension of an enemies-to-lovers arc or the complexity of an epic fantasy, it still delivers a surprising punch in a tiny package.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Casey Blair for the eARC, provided in exchange for an honest review

[Unicrux · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to Casey Blair and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not what I would consider an enemies to lovers romance. The leads used to be enemies and are now retired. Both never actually trying to kill each other because... the other was pretty? I don't really know. Throughout the entire story, there's no hint that they spent their lives as "mortal enemies" or really any kind of enemies. We're just told that.

This book is very poorly written. I read about 65% and realized I had no idea what was going on, and was too distracted by the poor writing to try to go back and understand. I constantly had to read sentences multiple times in order to understand what was being said.

Some examples:

"Varius, very recently Legatus of the Aurelian Empire - so recently he was still bleeding from his sudden departure - reminded himself of that firmly, as breathing grew increasingly difficult, as blood pooled in his armor and dripped down his lims, as he stumbled through the dark, ominous forest."

"And if it wasn't, he was going to show up already injured with nothing to offer her but problems she'd managed the impossible to leave behind."

"He had to believe he'd make it. He had no other choice now, his chances of surviving this reunion - if you could call it that when they'd never been on the same side of the war - merely astronimically bad instead of the definintely catastrophic future promised if he'd remained in the empire."

There's some dialogue that just doesn't fit the theme of the story either. A world of magic and wars, it's odd to hear relatively modern lingo.

"Firing the most successful legatus?"

"You're on my turf."

"It'll help you heal faster to get back in the game."

I'm sorry to say that I would not recommend this book at all.

[Erika | ErikasLiteraryLabryinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve received this book as an arc through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

I’ve never read any book by this author before, and was mainly drawn by the description of the book and the title. I didn’t realize it was a novella, and 75 pages long at that. However what was fit into those 75 pages thrilled me. I loved every minute of it and it felt like a more of a complete book than a book with 400 pages.

The actual plot of the story is a exiled Sorceress of one side of a war helps an army general of the other, after those in power turned against him and the people he fought to serve. From there it’s a slow burn (as much as it can be in 75 pages) romance between the two as they prepare to stop the war that is tearing the two countries apart.

The magic system, different systems of political power and the dynamics between two people who war has changed them forever choose to heal each other. I look forward to reading more from this author!

[FloraPrimavera · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars.
What a lovely novella. It was really endearing to watch these two strong characters show their vulnerabilities. I liked both their fragility and the respect they had toward each other. I’m a sucker for a “Roman soldier” type so I would like to thank Casey Blair for creating Varius. Just wish we could have watched more of their earlier interactions… the slow burn of observing, learning each other… 🩷

[Elliana (The Real Count of St. Germain) · Rating 2 out of 5]

allow me to explain…
or not.

ahaha just kidding. I'm back baby & we're starting 2024 off mid.

I wanted to love this. I read the summary and multiple reviews and thought, This sounds like the book for me.

I mean, c'mon. An enemies-to-lovers romance in which the hero shows up injured on the villain's doorstep? That should be everything I love.

Instead, it was everything I have no definite feelings about.



And that's partially my fault. For one thing, I thought this was a novel. Come to find out it's a novella with five chapters and only 100 pages. Still, that didn't stop the story from feeling rushed as [insert Christian swear word of your choice here]. There was this huge war going on, but as far as I remember, we never really learned why (and if we did, I was too bored with anything but the romance to remember it). They stopped the war... somehow. It didn't really make sense. And by the fifth (last) chapter, I was ready to put it down without finishing.

"Painting. I can be as messy as I want and still make something, even if it isn’t beautiful. My standards are low.”
“No, they aren’t,” Varius said with a thread of amusement, “but it’s not something it matters to be good at. Just that you have the freedom to do."

Even the romance felt rushed and... I don't even know what word to use. And I really don't care to find one.



I only finished this for two reasons:
1. Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. This book is 100 pages long and honestly if I can't finish that then I just have no self-control and I need to go talk to God about that. (And I do not want to add that to my list of things to work on right now.)
2. This book did have some beautiful aspects to it. At its core, this novella is about two people who've only ever known how to destroy, learning how to build and create. I think that's an awesome thing to write about. I just think it was done... mediocrely here.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to build something rather than break it."

Some lines were really quotable. And some of those quotable lines did resonate with me. But overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this novella to anyone. It just wasn't for me. Oops.

"Some of us need to practice being imperfect."
(^^See? what a great line. Shame the rest of the book wasn't so good.)

[Emmalita · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love well done enemies to lovers romance. Bonus points if it’s scifi or fantasy. The Sorceress Transcendent is fantasy. It’s a quick read, with a nice blend of action and domestic comfort.

Varius and Theira have fought on opposite sides of an ever lasting war for years. Varius was a general and Theira a sorceress, second only in power to the autocratic Sorcerer Ascendant. They have studied each other on the battlefield, almost flirting through tactics. Now, pushed too far by the empire he served, Varius has deserted and is looking for shelter with Theira. He is almost certain that she has saved his life before and that they have something between them, but she might kill him.

Theira is living alone in a house in the woods. She maneuvered the Sorcerer Ascendant into allowing her to retire. When Varius shows up, bleeding on her doorstep, they have an opportunity to get to know each other without soldiers and a tactics between them. Both war-weary, they make choices to trust each other.

Casey Blair has been on my radar for more than a year, but even though I own three of the books in her Tea Princess Chronicles, I haven’t actually read her books. A novella in a new fantasy world seemed like a great entry point, and I was correct. She packs a lot into a hundred pages. While I would have happily spent 400 pages with Varius and Theira making soup and liberating cities, I didn’t feel like anything was missing. I don’t know if this is a stand alone or the start of something new, but I really liked it.

CW: injuries, discussions of past battles, poisoning in past, magical and non-magical battles, military attacking own civilians, on page murder.

I received this as an advance reader copy from the author through NetGalley. My opinions are my own, freely and honestly given.

[EntroArchives · Rating 4 out of 5]

Varius, general of the Aurelian army, stumbles up to a cabin in the forest, bloodied and broken from his betrayal. The cabin door opens to the owner of the land, Theira, Sorceress Transcendant of the Korossian Empire, his enemy. With unspoken feelings in their eyes, Theira opens the cabin to Varius, and the romantic fantasy ensues. The Sorceress Transcendent is my first novella, and I’m so glad it was. The short story, the prose, the characters, everything about it was heartwarming in the brief few hours I read it. The romance between Theira and Varius is at the forefront of the story and I loved the way they both knew what was going one in each other’s mind as they both teased the other. The romance is simple, yet still induced the giddy feeling you get when you read something adorable. There was none of the childish naïveté found in other romance novels where both parties feign ignorance of the other's feelings. The magic and fantasy aspect was perfect for me. Just the right amount to make me feel as if I was in another world, even if for a short amount of time, without overly describing everything as fantasy books tend to do. As this is my first novella, I rate it 4 stars out of 5. It’s a story I’d recommend to anyone who has the time to sit on a Sunday morning and read for a few hours. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early! Check out this novella when it drops June 6th!!

[Kay H · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely delightful romantic fantasy! It definitely fits within the cozy fantasy realm - stakes high enough to be gripping but not so high that you're feeling anxiety, romance but no spice, a nod to the cozy aspects of the home - a well-tended garden, books in every room, handcrafted goods, welcoming to visitors. This book won my heart when a broken mug was more meaningful than just a broken piece of kitchenware. It was a well-loved mug, no longer the same as before, representing a larger meaning. I just really love my mugs, okay?

I would highly recommend this short and sweet novella to anyone needing a palette cleanser after heavier or darker stories, someone who needs a little shot of serotonin after a long day, or someone just dipping their toes into the romance fantasy genre.

We are thrown directly into the first scene with no backstory, which caused me a bit of confusion at first (is this a sequel? did I miss a chapter?), but just settle in and go along for the ride. The world-building is minimal but will be enough for what you need to be invested in the characters and the plot.

Big thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc of this book, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short novella that I quickly fell in love with. This is a cozy fantasy enemies to lovers - two things which on the surface shouldn't work, but in execution worked more perfectly than 90% of books I've ever read. When people generally think of any cozy genre I think they assume it will also be the softest characters, and this is a perfect example of why that's not true - it can be cozy, but all the characters still have teeth. It reminds me of that quote about hope not being delicate but having dirt on their face, blood on their knuckles and is ready to go another round.

The main characters were well written, rich in detail and fully developed, and placed in a world that was well developed and whole unique. The story is well paced and despite being a novella I didn't feel like there was much missing (although I will always want any book by Casey Blair to be longer) or that it moved to quickly.

My only complaint is that I want more - I never want a Casey Blair book to be over and this is no exception. A beautifully written story always ends too soon. I will be waiting with bated breath for more from this talented author.

This book is a warm hug of a book that also has the main characters slaughtering enemies and causing epic destruction.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Varius and Theira are enemies. But injured and fleeing betrayal, he had nowhere else to go.

Sorceress Transcendent is an enemies to lovers novella with cozy vibes and cool magic. Varius and Theira were key combatants on opposite sides of an interminable war. They both wanted escape and to end the war that was brutalizing their people.
I loved the two main characters in this novella and how their relationship developed - rooted in the connection that was created by being longtime honorable adversaries, but together for the first time. There was great banter with a clear connection and heat between them (although it’s not steamy, more fade to black). I especially enjoyed Varius' interior monologue and the loving care he had for Theira. And did I mention the cool magic?

I would have liked the book to be longer because I so enjoyed spending time with the characters, but really the story was perfect just as it is.

I also loved Blair's cozy fantasy series the Tea Princess Chronicles - baby tea dragon, political maneuvering, and tea magic!

Thank you to NetGalley and Casey Blair for the eARC. I am providing an honest and unbiased review.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sorceress Transcendent is a fantastic enemies to lovers story. Mortal enemies Theira and Varius have been fighting each other for years. Even though they are on opposite sides of an ongoing war the admire each other’s skills and even have a bit of romantic longing for each other. When the situation becomes untenable in each of their kingdoms they defect. By the time warrior Varius leaves the Aurelian Empire sorceress Theira has set up a home and new life for herself. When Varius is attacked and dying he turns to her. As their relationship grows they work together to perfect the skills they need to fight their former kingdoms. The development of the romance is not the focus of the book but that does not mean it gets short changed. The intimate scenes are closed door. For those preferring more explicit love scenes, there is an extra scene on the author’s website that apparently has that covered. I have not read it yet. This book is billed as a standalone, but I would love more stories about this couple. I enjoyed the world Casey Blair created and would love to read more. I highly recommend this book.

[Ju Transcendancing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the cookie filling off-epic fantasy that I didn't know I needed. I love a good epic fantasy to sink my teeth into, and sometimes that's exactly what I want. But sometimes I want to indulge in the deeper moments, or focus on when something important occurs without having to walk the 1000 miles to get there. Done well it's extremely satisfying and indulgent. Casey Blair nails this. I loved this. I loved Theira and Varius and I thought our introduction to them was smart because while it's obvious they know each other from *before*, it's clear this is also a kind of brand new clean slate meeting. The characters are smart and humerous, and confident and respectful - it's delightful and frankly refreshing. It's easy to fall in love with them as they indulge their feelings for one another. This isn't insta-love, it layers the backstory efficiently and believably so that you are delighted for them getting to have a happy-ever-after together.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great novella, I liked how it started with the wounded Varius making his way towards his enemy's home for refuge. There was no need for endless backstory, the story got straight to the point which was perfect. I loved that Theira had many facets to her character and was not one dimensional, and through Varius's eyes, you can see how she is seeking a world outside of destruction and war, whilst being one of the most powerful sorceress in this world. Her strength and ability to fight was still a strong part of her. I loved the instant chemistry between the two and the light flirting even while Varius is maintaining some civility at first. Love the 'do they, don't they' feeling from both as they suss each other out. I think that because it is a novella, the internal politics and Varius's gift in tactical warfare was skipped over which is quite unfortunate as I would have loved to read more into it. Super fun book which I finished quite quickly. The fight scenes from Theira was so fun and rewarding - I love a bloodthirsty OP FMC!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

thank you to netgalley for an arc of this!

3.75 stars!
Varius, a heroic general of the Aurelian Empire, and his greatest enemy Sorceress Transcendent Theira have fought each other across battlefields for years. When Varius is forced to flee from his own army, after being betrayed by his own king, he finds himself facing Theira yet again but across her doorstep instead. Varius and Theira know how to fight each other, now they'll have to learn how to fight along side each other to hopefully bring an end to this war. All while fighting their attraction for each other along the way
an easy read and cute enemies to lovers novella. my only nitpick is it seems like something is missing. like things/their pasts encounters are alluded to and I would have at least like to have gone more in depth with that or actually read some of Varius and Theira's battles.

but still a good novella! i'd read more from this universe!

[Raj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theira is one of the most powerful sorceresses of her generation, but has managed to find a way to get out of the war. Varius is one of the Empire's greatest generals, but is disgraced when he refuses to attack his own people. Injured and forced out, Varius turns to Theira, once his greatest enemy, for help.

This is an enemies to lovers story, but without the enemies. Varius and Theira may have been enemies on the battlefield, but they've respected each other on the battlefield, and have had the hots for each other forever and there's very little of the sparks that you'd expect from two enemies forced together. It's a delightful little novella, and surprisingly gruesome at times for this author. My favourite death is probably the one who's bashed repeatedly against a wall by a giant golem like a rag doll.

Definitely fun, and with a nice bit of world building for a fairly short novella.

[Rikke's Reading Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this novella as part of @farofeb Christmas Advent calendar. Btw sign up to their newsletter and events if you want to explore indie authors!

I had not read the blurb and went in blind, which is entirely my own fault because I feel this is a novella where the blurb would help explain what to expect.

For the first 5 pages I was truly lost because it referred to a lot of Roman terms like legatus, legions etc but then he was in a forest and there were magic users. But as I tuned into the fantasy aspect and we met the FMC, it all made perfect sense.

I don't know how Casey did it but she managed to essentially condense an 800 page epic story into less than 100 pages without losing much in the process 🤯 It was a great novella, and I loved the magic system a lot. Maybe one day, she will write the full epic story 🤞

I also just signed up to her newsletter and will make it a priority to read a full length novel if her's this year!