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Otherworldly
New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.
Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.
Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.
Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
343 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
369 people are currently reading
22006 people want to read
About the author
F.T. Lukens
13 books3,665 followersF.T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels Otherworldly, Spell Bound, So This Is Ever After (2023 ALA Rainbow Booklist; 2022 Goodreads Choice Awards nominee), In Deeper Waters (2022 ALA Rainbow Booklist; Junior Library Guild Selection), and the forthcoming Love at Second Sight (2025) as well as other science-fiction and fantasy works. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 995 reviews
July 27, 2024
There's a spark of magic in your eyes / Candyland appears each time you smile / Never thought that fairy tales came true / But they come true, when I'm near you (Betcha By Golly, Wow – The Stylistics).
Hey, I like this author now. That’s pretty cool, huh? I don’t know, I’m just happy at the moment because... I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really a big fan of F.T. Lukens’ first two books. I mean, yeah, I gave them quite a few stars, but my rating mostly reflected what I wanted out of those types of queer YA fantasy rather than a glowing recommendation of the work at hand. Besides, I'm usually a lot harsher in my head than what I actually end up putting down in these reviews, so my memory of So This is Ever After and the pirate one definitely isn’t as positive as a I might have outwardly come across as. Well, I was wrong to judge so soon! My rating for this book is as honest as I can possibly be. The most honest four stars out there! Both Otherworldly and the one before it, Spellbound, are legit masterpieces and I’ll be the first to say I’m sorry... because now I’m feeling sorry. There’s probably some kind of life lesson to be found here somewhere. Hm, let’s see if I could place it… one or two flops doesn’t mean you will remain a flop? Quick, somebody tell Katy Perry that it's not too late! Okay, enough shade, here's what I learned from this book: “find it in your heart to never be flopphobic.” Moving on though, Otherworldly is a really great book. F.T. Lukens might just have put every bit of magic you could possibly put into a novel, and it really felt like they've concocted a brew specifically catered to me! It was actually the tiniest bit annoying to the contrarian part of me that went into this with certain preconceived notions! But nope, this book really is just that good. They've got me! A few pages in and I was already like “Oh alright, this book is for me.” And that’s a feeling I usually don’t get anymore while reading YA! It's nice. Firstly, I loved how the book has a beautiful yet narratively oppressive setting with this whole “Land of Forever Winter” thing going on. I think winter is a good backdrop for a blooming relationship because it’s the season that can most easily be used to represent decay, impending doom, or stagnation (like in Game of Thrones or Beauty and the Beast), which helps to make the romance shine that much brighter. The one source of warmth in a land that’s constantly shivering. Speaking of romance, this book wouldn't have been as awesome as it is without the two charming romantic leads; a rebellious magical being, Knox, who just wants to “be a real boy” and the jaded, yet hopeful Ellery, whose trust issues make their relationship with faith a fraught one. They were both wonderful characters (which is saying something, because I’m the “complains-about-the-love-interest-guy), but I especially found myself relating to Ellery. From their predisposition towards suspicion to the way they’d go all “Demand me nothing; what you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word”- nonverbal at house parties, I can’t lie that I saw a lot of myself in them. And a mirror image, relatable, character is not always the most comfortable thing to confront in literature, but this time it was cool because their personality isn’t something that’s portrayed as something that needs to change. They could definitely lighten up a little, sure, but there’s nothing wrong with them, and I just think that that’s a good lesson to have in any book that has a lesson, let alone a YA book.
Though, I will say that if I were asked, I’d probably say that I slightly prefer Spellbound to this one. For one, this book had two too many annoying characters for my taste. And it didn’t help that they kept popping up whenever Ellery and Knox were having a moment! Go away, dude! Remember when I said that winter is a useful metaphor for stagnation and loneliness and blah blah (please refer to paragraph one of this two-paragraph review), well I also think these kinds of stories work best when the focus remains almost entirely on two characters only. It’s why All That’s Left in the World is perfect (and maybe why the sequel isn't? I don't know, I’m still reading it). It’s just two people getting to know each other at the end of the world. It never really needs to be about anything else. Now, I know that this book isn’t an apocalypse novel (maybe it should have been), but hey, neither is Before Sunrise and that has the similar vibe I'm looking for! I just think that Ellery's cousin and her girlfriend didn’t really do much other than offer comic relief. And the thing with comic relief characters is that you’re supposed to remove them from the story whenever some real shit is going down! Like, Ellery’s cousin and her girlfriend are literally always there, always along for the ride, but because they don’t really take part in the story in any meaningful way other than owning the apartment they all stay in, they're really just delegated to making quips and lessening the drama of the story. There’s this weird tonal shift whenever something beautiful is happening in the story and you've got these two chuckling dorks over in the corner cracking jokes and making light of anything resembling a serious situation. I had to check a couple times if I accidentally picked up a T.J. Klune book instead! Ellery and Knox will be getting their asses kicked by Ring Wraiths in some alleyway and the cousin and her girlfriend are just inside the club right next to them, only to later be like “Omg, what happened!?” when they find Ellery all bruised up. Or how about when some weird sketchy guy is trying to hook up with Ellery at the aforementioned house party (please refer to the first paragraph of this two-paragraph review) and nobody's looking out for them when they’re taken to a second location! And when they find Ellery, they’re all like… you guessed it, “Omg, what happened!?” Like, take a wild guess!! They’re the ones who convinced Ellery, a person who notoriously hates parties, to go to this thing and they completely abandon them the second they arrive?! Okay look, while I think this author is quickly becoming one of my favorites because they’ve mostly ditched the Marvel humor, there are obviously still a few remnants. It doesn’t help that a lot of the humor is Charley (the cousin, I just remembered her name) purposefully embarrassing Ellery in front of Knox. Maybe this is just me projecting, but after the fifth time, I just wanted to reach in the book and tell her to back off, for real. Anyway, tangent aside, this book was great! There are some stories that you just know are going to grip you by the throat emotionally, and when I learned that Knox would lose his memories upon returning to his magical realm, I just knew that this would be one of those ones! Yeah sure, it’s a little predictable how love will be the one thing that… (spoiler alert, but come on haha) helps him remember, but it was so sweet and beautifully written that I couldn’t find it in myself to eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind at all. Beautiful book. You might even say it’s out of this world! It’s almost like it’s otherwo-
“Make a wise choice, Knox, you may not like all the consequences.”
“No, I might love them instead.”
Hey, I like this author now. That’s pretty cool, huh? I don’t know, I’m just happy at the moment because... I’ll be honest, I wasn’t really a big fan of F.T. Lukens’ first two books. I mean, yeah, I gave them quite a few stars, but my rating mostly reflected what I wanted out of those types of queer YA fantasy rather than a glowing recommendation of the work at hand. Besides, I'm usually a lot harsher in my head than what I actually end up putting down in these reviews, so my memory of So This is Ever After and the pirate one definitely isn’t as positive as a I might have outwardly come across as. Well, I was wrong to judge so soon! My rating for this book is as honest as I can possibly be. The most honest four stars out there! Both Otherworldly and the one before it, Spellbound, are legit masterpieces and I’ll be the first to say I’m sorry... because now I’m feeling sorry. There’s probably some kind of life lesson to be found here somewhere. Hm, let’s see if I could place it… one or two flops doesn’t mean you will remain a flop? Quick, somebody tell Katy Perry that it's not too late! Okay, enough shade, here's what I learned from this book: “find it in your heart to never be flopphobic.” Moving on though, Otherworldly is a really great book. F.T. Lukens might just have put every bit of magic you could possibly put into a novel, and it really felt like they've concocted a brew specifically catered to me! It was actually the tiniest bit annoying to the contrarian part of me that went into this with certain preconceived notions! But nope, this book really is just that good. They've got me! A few pages in and I was already like “Oh alright, this book is for me.” And that’s a feeling I usually don’t get anymore while reading YA! It's nice. Firstly, I loved how the book has a beautiful yet narratively oppressive setting with this whole “Land of Forever Winter” thing going on. I think winter is a good backdrop for a blooming relationship because it’s the season that can most easily be used to represent decay, impending doom, or stagnation (like in Game of Thrones or Beauty and the Beast), which helps to make the romance shine that much brighter. The one source of warmth in a land that’s constantly shivering. Speaking of romance, this book wouldn't have been as awesome as it is without the two charming romantic leads; a rebellious magical being, Knox, who just wants to “be a real boy” and the jaded, yet hopeful Ellery, whose trust issues make their relationship with faith a fraught one. They were both wonderful characters (which is saying something, because I’m the “complains-about-the-love-interest-guy), but I especially found myself relating to Ellery. From their predisposition towards suspicion to the way they’d go all “Demand me nothing; what you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word”- nonverbal at house parties, I can’t lie that I saw a lot of myself in them. And a mirror image, relatable, character is not always the most comfortable thing to confront in literature, but this time it was cool because their personality isn’t something that’s portrayed as something that needs to change. They could definitely lighten up a little, sure, but there’s nothing wrong with them, and I just think that that’s a good lesson to have in any book that has a lesson, let alone a YA book.
Though, I will say that if I were asked, I’d probably say that I slightly prefer Spellbound to this one. For one, this book had two too many annoying characters for my taste. And it didn’t help that they kept popping up whenever Ellery and Knox were having a moment! Go away, dude! Remember when I said that winter is a useful metaphor for stagnation and loneliness and blah blah (please refer to paragraph one of this two-paragraph review), well I also think these kinds of stories work best when the focus remains almost entirely on two characters only. It’s why All That’s Left in the World is perfect (and maybe why the sequel isn't? I don't know, I’m still reading it). It’s just two people getting to know each other at the end of the world. It never really needs to be about anything else. Now, I know that this book isn’t an apocalypse novel (maybe it should have been), but hey, neither is Before Sunrise and that has the similar vibe I'm looking for! I just think that Ellery's cousin and her girlfriend didn’t really do much other than offer comic relief. And the thing with comic relief characters is that you’re supposed to remove them from the story whenever some real shit is going down! Like, Ellery’s cousin and her girlfriend are literally always there, always along for the ride, but because they don’t really take part in the story in any meaningful way other than owning the apartment they all stay in, they're really just delegated to making quips and lessening the drama of the story. There’s this weird tonal shift whenever something beautiful is happening in the story and you've got these two chuckling dorks over in the corner cracking jokes and making light of anything resembling a serious situation. I had to check a couple times if I accidentally picked up a T.J. Klune book instead! Ellery and Knox will be getting their asses kicked by Ring Wraiths in some alleyway and the cousin and her girlfriend are just inside the club right next to them, only to later be like “Omg, what happened!?” when they find Ellery all bruised up. Or how about when some weird sketchy guy is trying to hook up with Ellery at the aforementioned house party (please refer to the first paragraph of this two-paragraph review) and nobody's looking out for them when they’re taken to a second location! And when they find Ellery, they’re all like… you guessed it, “Omg, what happened!?” Like, take a wild guess!! They’re the ones who convinced Ellery, a person who notoriously hates parties, to go to this thing and they completely abandon them the second they arrive?! Okay look, while I think this author is quickly becoming one of my favorites because they’ve mostly ditched the Marvel humor, there are obviously still a few remnants. It doesn’t help that a lot of the humor is Charley (the cousin, I just remembered her name) purposefully embarrassing Ellery in front of Knox. Maybe this is just me projecting, but after the fifth time, I just wanted to reach in the book and tell her to back off, for real. Anyway, tangent aside, this book was great! There are some stories that you just know are going to grip you by the throat emotionally, and when I learned that Knox would lose his memories upon returning to his magical realm, I just knew that this would be one of those ones! Yeah sure, it’s a little predictable how love will be the one thing that… (spoiler alert, but come on haha) helps him remember, but it was so sweet and beautifully written that I couldn’t find it in myself to eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind at all. Beautiful book. You might even say it’s out of this world! It’s almost like it’s otherwo-
“Make a wise choice, Knox, you may not like all the consequences.”
“No, I might love them instead.”
March 27, 2024
I liked Spell Bound, F.T. Lukens previous novel a tiny bit more, but this one is definitely the most coziest.
I think Otherworldly is very similar in writing, characters and world building to Spell Bound. So, if you loved that one, I believe you will love this one too!
F.T. Lukens is a magician in pulling readers into a story without letting go until the end. It’s everything, their flashed-out characters, their blunt but warm writing, and despite their novels being fantasy, I liked Spell Bound, F.T. Lukens's previous novel, a tiny bit more, but this one is definitely the most coziest.
I think Otherworldly is very similar in writing, characters, and world-building to Spell Bound. So, if you loved that one, I believe you will love this one too!
F.T. Lukens is a magician who pulls readers into a story without letting go until the end. It’s everything, their flashed-out characters, their blunt but warm writing, and, despite their novels being fantasy, dealing with so many real-life teen issues. This all makes their stories easily readable, even for people like me who tend to lean towards contemporary.
Otherworldly is a bit of a grumpy/sunshine story, Ellery being the grumpy one and Knox the sunny one. I really liked Ellery, who was hilarious at times, and his protectiveness made me warm on the inside, but I fell head over heels in love with sweet and bright Knox. Such a cinnamon roll! Their romance was just so cute. My jaws hurt from smiling, especially in the second half of the story.
I know this one comes out in April, but I think since it’s set in winter, Otherworldly is a perfect story to read in front of a cozy hearth. Let’s hope for snow in April! Or not if you hate snow or cold weather. Just read it whenever you want to, and let the story and the romance lift you up!
Thank you so much, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley, for this awesome ARC!
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I think Otherworldly is very similar in writing, characters and world building to Spell Bound. So, if you loved that one, I believe you will love this one too!
F.T. Lukens is a magician in pulling readers into a story without letting go until the end. It’s everything, their flashed-out characters, their blunt but warm writing, and despite their novels being fantasy, I liked Spell Bound, F.T. Lukens's previous novel, a tiny bit more, but this one is definitely the most coziest.
I think Otherworldly is very similar in writing, characters, and world-building to Spell Bound. So, if you loved that one, I believe you will love this one too!
F.T. Lukens is a magician who pulls readers into a story without letting go until the end. It’s everything, their flashed-out characters, their blunt but warm writing, and, despite their novels being fantasy, dealing with so many real-life teen issues. This all makes their stories easily readable, even for people like me who tend to lean towards contemporary.
Otherworldly is a bit of a grumpy/sunshine story, Ellery being the grumpy one and Knox the sunny one. I really liked Ellery, who was hilarious at times, and his protectiveness made me warm on the inside, but I fell head over heels in love with sweet and bright Knox. Such a cinnamon roll! Their romance was just so cute. My jaws hurt from smiling, especially in the second half of the story.
I know this one comes out in April, but I think since it’s set in winter, Otherworldly is a perfect story to read in front of a cozy hearth. Let’s hope for snow in April! Or not if you hate snow or cold weather. Just read it whenever you want to, and let the story and the romance lift you up!
Thank you so much, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and NetGalley, for this awesome ARC!
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June 18, 2025
Pride Month 2025 #8
🍦 🍓 The Ripped Bodice's 9th Annual Summer Romance Bingo 🕶️ 🏄🏼
/ Pizza
You had me at hot weird guy. And held me in every second thereafter.
Ellery is a non-binary person living with their cousin and cousin's girlfriend in the city. They used to live on a farm with their parents, but a five year winter has made things difficult financially. A distant goddess has not heeded their prayers.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World. He is assigned to help humans in this world. When his assignments are over, he crosses back over to the Other World and forgets everything he learned in the human world.
Ellery and Knox meet. Sparks fly. It's cute. There's magic. And I haven't fallen quite so hard for a book in some time. And for once, the pretty cover has pretty insides. I'm smitten. I will be reading more FT Lukens.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books
🍦 🍓 The Ripped Bodice's 9th Annual Summer Romance Bingo 🕶️ 🏄🏼
/ Pizza
You had me at hot weird guy. And held me in every second thereafter.
Ellery is a non-binary person living with their cousin and cousin's girlfriend in the city. They used to live on a farm with their parents, but a five year winter has made things difficult financially. A distant goddess has not heeded their prayers.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World. He is assigned to help humans in this world. When his assignments are over, he crosses back over to the Other World and forgets everything he learned in the human world.
Ellery and Knox meet. Sparks fly. It's cute. There's magic. And I haven't fallen quite so hard for a book in some time. And for once, the pretty cover has pretty insides. I'm smitten. I will be reading more FT Lukens.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Margaret K. McElderry Books
February 13, 2024
OTHERWORLDLY has a lot of great things going for it - snowy settings, queer characters (including non-binary), magic and a budding romance between two unlikely leads. This book was so cute, especially when Knox was trying to live his best life in the real world. That sleepover scene made me audibly gush and I enjoyed Charley and Zada because they emphasized the importance of platonic and familial love as well as romantic love. Found family will always get me and I think a lot of the themes in this story were important and relatable.
That said, I was a little underwhelmed by the overall romance and fantasy elements. I found the story to be rather simple and felt that the ending was resolved too quickly. While I can forgive many things because it's YA, I've read enough good YA fantasy to know that the book could've gone further. That's not to say that this isn't enjoyable, because it is. I'd just consider this to be fluffy fantasy or light fantasy and that's perfectly fine because that cover is so darn gorgeous and I champion F.T. Luken because they always tell queer focused stories. Thanks to Simon and Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
That said, I was a little underwhelmed by the overall romance and fantasy elements. I found the story to be rather simple and felt that the ending was resolved too quickly. While I can forgive many things because it's YA, I've read enough good YA fantasy to know that the book could've gone further. That's not to say that this isn't enjoyable, because it is. I'd just consider this to be fluffy fantasy or light fantasy and that's perfectly fine because that cover is so darn gorgeous and I champion F.T. Luken because they always tell queer focused stories. Thanks to Simon and Schuster, Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
April 10, 2024
Dear GOD; GIMME NOWWW! Neeeeeed so hard! 😭😭😭 FT Lutkens delivering another fabulous blurb & stunning cover folks !
pick-up-again-later
March 26, 2025Pre-Read
Ok, I caved and blind-bought it... Can we talk about how fucking beautiful this cover is? 🤯
I feel much better now that I own this pretty thing. I hope it's as good on the inside as it is on the outside 🤔😂
________
I'm adding this because the cover is making me obsessed!
I saw the finish of the hardcover in a video and damn 😍 if the book itself shows promise of being quite as good inside as it is outside I'll definitely buy it 🤔✨😍
✨✨✨
If you have read this or heard good (or bad) things about it, your advice would be appreciated ❤️
✨✨✨
Ok, I caved and blind-bought it... Can we talk about how fucking beautiful this cover is? 🤯
I feel much better now that I own this pretty thing. I hope it's as good on the inside as it is on the outside 🤔😂
________
I'm adding this because the cover is making me obsessed!
I saw the finish of the hardcover in a video and damn 😍 if the book itself shows promise of being quite as good inside as it is outside I'll definitely buy it 🤔✨😍
✨✨✨
If you have read this or heard good (or bad) things about it, your advice would be appreciated ❤️
✨✨✨
May 5, 2024
This was definitely… a book… that I read… 😐
Unfortunately, I was mostly bored while reading this. The 1st half was too slow-paced for me. It took a third of the book for us to even get to the synopsis. The 2nd half definitely picked up, but at that point I was already too uninvested in the story to care.
PLOT:
What happens is the following: Knox is a familiar (a dude with some magical powers) on the run, so he makes a deal with a human (Ellery) so he can stay in the human realm instead of going back to his realm. Ellery accepts this deal because they think Knox can help figure out how to end the 5-year long Winter. What ensues is a (kinda short) period of time where Ellery and Knox go through a bucket list so Knox can experience human life (mostly based on teen dramas he liked to watch). The whole bucket list thing is quite cheesy and overdone, but I wouldn’t have minded it if it had been *fun*.
Sadly, though, this wasn’t really fun… 😕 The activities lasted anywhere between 1 paragraph to a couple of pages. At some point we breezed through like 10 different activities in like 3 paragraphs. Ellery and Knox sometimes talked and bonded during these moments, but tbh none of them were long enough to feel substantial, or to make me care about their relationship. They also ended up running into a plethora of supernatural creatures during this time, and these creatures often went into monologues explaining their lives and/or evil plans in a way that felt quite cheap. Overall, I didn’t care about this section of the book, and most moments felt underdeveloped.
At some point act Knox learns that I was pretty bored throughout the climax of the book, and none of the emotional moments made me feel… well… anything. 😐 But given that I didn’t care about the beginning or middle of this story, I’m not surprised I also didn’t care about the ending. It was a pretty sweet ending, though, and a simple story overall, so I can see why other people enjoyed it!
ROMANCE:
I wasn’t a fan of the romance. The moment they see each other, Knox and Ellery immediately start talking about how hot the other is. Turns out they both already developed a crush on the other before the book even began (just based on their physical appearance btw; they never spoke before)… 😐😐😐 Listen. I understand that people get crushes on strangers just by looking at them, but *I* personally prefer to actually see the romance develop from 0, instead of seeing 2 characters who already like each other (for superficial reasons only) before I even get to meet them.
Knox and Ellery then make their deal and spend time together going through Knox’s bucket list. As I already mentioned, these moments felt pretty unsubstantial, and weren’t enough for me to start caring about their relationship. It was STATED that they liked each other, but I couldn’t SEE a singular reason as to why. 😐
I also found it quite strange that Ellery mentioned rarely being interested in people, and never really having crushes. Yet they started liking Knox just based on their looks, and fell in love with him super fast! Mind you, they only know each other for a total of 3 weeks, and by the end of week 1 Ellery already liked Knox (like, more than just a crush)……
I will say that I actually kind of enjoyed their relationship when they finally got together. They were very shy and awkward, and constantly asked each other stuff like “Can you kiss me?”, “Do you like me?”, “Did you enjoy the kiss?”, etc. I appreciate the verbal consent, and I reeeeally liked their innocence. It was all super sweet!
Unfortunately, I couldn't fully enjoy their relationship because I don’t think it was well established. Like, yeah, they were sweet and pure, but also like… the basis of their romance was their physical attraction to each other, and after that they just spent some time together and were in love?? I just never bought it. I didn’t understand why they liked each other, I rolled my eyes when they showed jealousy, and I stared blankly at the page during their emotional moments. And since this story is kind of based on their love for each other, the fact that I didn’t buy their romance means that I also didn’t care about the resolution to the plot. 🫤🥲
Overall. This was… fine… for somebody else, perhaps. Not so much for me. But I can definitely see why other people would love this!
(review written on 05/05/2024)
------
(15/06/2023)
this cover alone is driving me INSANE!!! 😍
Unfortunately, I was mostly bored while reading this. The 1st half was too slow-paced for me. It took a third of the book for us to even get to the synopsis. The 2nd half definitely picked up, but at that point I was already too uninvested in the story to care.
PLOT:
What happens is the following: Knox is a familiar (a dude with some magical powers) on the run, so he makes a deal with a human (Ellery) so he can stay in the human realm instead of going back to his realm. Ellery accepts this deal because they think Knox can help figure out how to end the 5-year long Winter. What ensues is a (kinda short) period of time where Ellery and Knox go through a bucket list so Knox can experience human life (mostly based on teen dramas he liked to watch). The whole bucket list thing is quite cheesy and overdone, but I wouldn’t have minded it if it had been *fun*.
Sadly, though, this wasn’t really fun… 😕 The activities lasted anywhere between 1 paragraph to a couple of pages. At some point we breezed through like 10 different activities in like 3 paragraphs. Ellery and Knox sometimes talked and bonded during these moments, but tbh none of them were long enough to feel substantial, or to make me care about their relationship. They also ended up running into a plethora of supernatural creatures during this time, and these creatures often went into monologues explaining their lives and/or evil plans in a way that felt quite cheap. Overall, I didn’t care about this section of the book, and most moments felt underdeveloped.
At some point act Knox learns that I was pretty bored throughout the climax of the book, and none of the emotional moments made me feel… well… anything. 😐 But given that I didn’t care about the beginning or middle of this story, I’m not surprised I also didn’t care about the ending. It was a pretty sweet ending, though, and a simple story overall, so I can see why other people enjoyed it!
ROMANCE:
I wasn’t a fan of the romance. The moment they see each other, Knox and Ellery immediately start talking about how hot the other is. Turns out they both already developed a crush on the other before the book even began (just based on their physical appearance btw; they never spoke before)… 😐😐😐 Listen. I understand that people get crushes on strangers just by looking at them, but *I* personally prefer to actually see the romance develop from 0, instead of seeing 2 characters who already like each other (for superficial reasons only) before I even get to meet them.
Knox and Ellery then make their deal and spend time together going through Knox’s bucket list. As I already mentioned, these moments felt pretty unsubstantial, and weren’t enough for me to start caring about their relationship. It was STATED that they liked each other, but I couldn’t SEE a singular reason as to why. 😐
I also found it quite strange that Ellery mentioned rarely being interested in people, and never really having crushes. Yet they started liking Knox just based on their looks, and fell in love with him super fast! Mind you, they only know each other for a total of 3 weeks, and by the end of week 1 Ellery already liked Knox (like, more than just a crush)……
I will say that I actually kind of enjoyed their relationship when they finally got together. They were very shy and awkward, and constantly asked each other stuff like “Can you kiss me?”, “Do you like me?”, “Did you enjoy the kiss?”, etc. I appreciate the verbal consent, and I reeeeally liked their innocence. It was all super sweet!
Unfortunately, I couldn't fully enjoy their relationship because I don’t think it was well established. Like, yeah, they were sweet and pure, but also like… the basis of their romance was their physical attraction to each other, and after that they just spent some time together and were in love?? I just never bought it. I didn’t understand why they liked each other, I rolled my eyes when they showed jealousy, and I stared blankly at the page during their emotional moments. And since this story is kind of based on their love for each other, the fact that I didn’t buy their romance means that I also didn’t care about the resolution to the plot. 🫤🥲
Overall. This was… fine… for somebody else, perhaps. Not so much for me. But I can definitely see why other people would love this!
(review written on 05/05/2024)
------
(15/06/2023)
this cover alone is driving me INSANE!!! 😍
April 5, 2024
/the/ most stressed i’ve been reading an ft lukens book but i loved it all sooooo much
June 19, 2024
4.5 ⭐️
Another grumpy x sunshine pairing discovering first love together... the world is healing.
I typically love Lukens' books for their mildly angsty, mainly wholesome romances, and that didn't change with how sweet Ellery and Knox were with each other. Additionally—having read Lukens' last four releases—Otherworldly without a doubt features their strongest plot yet. I was genuinely intrigued by the mystery of the eternal winter plaguing Ellery's town, despite expecting to read for the romance and not much else. A lot of the plot twists in the latter half of the book genuinely surprised me, making this an altogether very entertaining read when paired alongside Ellery and Knox's compatibility as love interests.
Knox's chapters were the cutest. Because what do you mean, he's a familiar who forgets his memories of the human world after each of his bargains, yet he wants nothing more than to freely watch television shows and experience love like in his favourite teen dramas? I'm telling you he deserves everything good in the world.
And then there's Ellery. I sympathized so much with their strained family relationships, having to be the pragmatic one whilst their parents hung on to seemingly useless beliefs. It was nice to see Charley, Zada and Knox form a tight-knit found family with them, slowly cracking into their hard exterior and revealing that soft, caring inside. I loved reading about them trying to internally reconcile their growing crush on Knox, panicking about it while Knox kind of just bathes in the feeling of his growing affection for Ellery. The contrast was adorable, especially as they stumbled over their feelings with every mundane task on Knox's list of human experiences to try.
The world-building was also surprisingly good for a (short) standalone fantasy novel. The way the shades, the undead, witches, minor gods and goddesses were portrayed solidified an atmosphere of whimsy that I always crave from books like these. Magical realism is one of my favourite things to read, and despite Otherworldly featuring some magical beings directly, it sort of gave that magical realism vibe. It reminded me very faintly of my favourite series, The Raven Cycle. Really loved this book!
Another grumpy x sunshine pairing discovering first love together... the world is healing.
I typically love Lukens' books for their mildly angsty, mainly wholesome romances, and that didn't change with how sweet Ellery and Knox were with each other. Additionally—having read Lukens' last four releases—Otherworldly without a doubt features their strongest plot yet. I was genuinely intrigued by the mystery of the eternal winter plaguing Ellery's town, despite expecting to read for the romance and not much else. A lot of the plot twists in the latter half of the book genuinely surprised me, making this an altogether very entertaining read when paired alongside Ellery and Knox's compatibility as love interests.
Knox's chapters were the cutest. Because what do you mean, he's a familiar who forgets his memories of the human world after each of his bargains, yet he wants nothing more than to freely watch television shows and experience love like in his favourite teen dramas? I'm telling you he deserves everything good in the world.
And then there's Ellery. I sympathized so much with their strained family relationships, having to be the pragmatic one whilst their parents hung on to seemingly useless beliefs. It was nice to see Charley, Zada and Knox form a tight-knit found family with them, slowly cracking into their hard exterior and revealing that soft, caring inside. I loved reading about them trying to internally reconcile their growing crush on Knox, panicking about it while Knox kind of just bathes in the feeling of his growing affection for Ellery. The contrast was adorable, especially as they stumbled over their feelings with every mundane task on Knox's list of human experiences to try.
The world-building was also surprisingly good for a (short) standalone fantasy novel. The way the shades, the undead, witches, minor gods and goddesses were portrayed solidified an atmosphere of whimsy that I always crave from books like these. Magical realism is one of my favourite things to read, and despite Otherworldly featuring some magical beings directly, it sort of gave that magical realism vibe. It reminded me very faintly of my favourite series, The Raven Cycle. Really loved this book!
December 11, 2024
My second favourite book from F.T. Lukens, just behind So This Is Ever After.
June 11, 2024
Ellery vive en un pueblo abandonado por los dioses, en un invierno que ya ha durado 5 años. Dejo la granja de sus padres, donde vivía tranquilo con su familia, para poder ir a la ciudad a trabajar para ayudarlos. No cree en dioses, ni magia, ni ningún tipo de ser sobrenatural, pero todo eso cambia al momento en que Knox se cruza en su camino huyendo de unos horribles seres.
Así que ahora Ellery conoce a Knox, se abre a una cantidad de nuevas experiencias que nunca había tenido, y no solo acciones, sino también sentimientos. Pero Knox oculta un secreto, si Ellery lo averigua tal vez no quiera volver a estar con él, o si?
Es un bonito romance juvenil de fantasía, lleno de amor, familia, comprensión y fuerza de voluntad, muy propio del autor. Me gustaron mucho los secundarios, casi todos tenían algún rasgo de personalidad que puedes encontrar en cualquier persona conocida, y eso los hace mucho mas reales. La historia es si, es sencilla, un cuento de hadas donde al final todos son felices con su vida y sus decisiones.
En fin, este es uno de esos autores que puedes leer cada vez que quieres algo de confort y dulzura, además de algo de fantasía en tu vida. Muy recomendado.
Así que ahora Ellery conoce a Knox, se abre a una cantidad de nuevas experiencias que nunca había tenido, y no solo acciones, sino también sentimientos. Pero Knox oculta un secreto, si Ellery lo averigua tal vez no quiera volver a estar con él, o si?
Es un bonito romance juvenil de fantasía, lleno de amor, familia, comprensión y fuerza de voluntad, muy propio del autor. Me gustaron mucho los secundarios, casi todos tenían algún rasgo de personalidad que puedes encontrar en cualquier persona conocida, y eso los hace mucho mas reales. La historia es si, es sencilla, un cuento de hadas donde al final todos son felices con su vida y sus decisiones.
En fin, este es uno de esos autores que puedes leer cada vez que quieres algo de confort y dulzura, además de algo de fantasía en tu vida. Muy recomendado.
March 6, 2024
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher. This has not influenced my review.*
This author really knows how to write cute teen romances with a touch of magic that make me say awwwww 🥺
This was very sweet, and I did indeed say awwwww multiple times! I felt for both Knox and Ellery individually. Knox felt abandoned and alone and just wanted a chance to stay in our realm longer and experience human things. Ellery was a normal human with human problems, struggling with having to grow up faster because of circumstances but still trying to help their parents through the never-ending winter plaguing their part of the world. And together, Knox and Ellery had such cute moments and feelings.
There was also really sweet family and friendship in the story. Ellery lives with their cousin and cousin’s partner, both of whom are kind and supportive of Ellery, and of Knox once he came into the picture. There were a couple other characters who ended up helping as well, even if some did so a little more begrudgingly than the others. But I liked them all, even the one I was maybe not supposed to 😅
The queer rep was lovely! And so casual, never questioned or explained. Ellery uses they/them pronouns (potentially nonbinary, but no label is stated). Ellery’s cousin and partner are a f/f couple.
The supernatural elements of the story were fun with a mix of ideas from different magical things, afterlife beliefs, etc. that made it feel unique. A familiar, but not the kind you’re used to seeing; a liminal being who provides magical assistance and moves between worlds but forgets his time on Earth each time he goes back. Creepy shades who make deals at crossroads. An afterlife realm with lots of Greek myth inspiration, some scary creatures, and a queen. A few other supernaturals sprinkled throughout.
The story had some intense, action-filled moments, but overall it had a pretty light and chill vibe.
Also, I just have to mention what a gorgeous cover it has! Not only is the cover art beautiful, there are more characters on the back, the colors are so deep and vibrant (my photos don’t do it justice), and it’s shiny which looks so cool when the light hits it (the hardcover version).
Overall, this had supernaturals, some intense scenes but mostly chill vibes, and, most of all, cute friendship and romance that made me smile!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2024 // Format: ebook via TTS / hardcover*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes cute teen romance, equally cute friends and family, casual queer rep, pretty chill stories, and magical beings from other realms.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
This author really knows how to write cute teen romances with a touch of magic that make me say awwwww 🥺
This was very sweet, and I did indeed say awwwww multiple times! I felt for both Knox and Ellery individually. Knox felt abandoned and alone and just wanted a chance to stay in our realm longer and experience human things. Ellery was a normal human with human problems, struggling with having to grow up faster because of circumstances but still trying to help their parents through the never-ending winter plaguing their part of the world. And together, Knox and Ellery had such cute moments and feelings.
There was also really sweet family and friendship in the story. Ellery lives with their cousin and cousin’s partner, both of whom are kind and supportive of Ellery, and of Knox once he came into the picture. There were a couple other characters who ended up helping as well, even if some did so a little more begrudgingly than the others. But I liked them all, even the one I was maybe not supposed to 😅
The queer rep was lovely! And so casual, never questioned or explained. Ellery uses they/them pronouns (potentially nonbinary, but no label is stated). Ellery’s cousin and partner are a f/f couple.
The supernatural elements of the story were fun with a mix of ideas from different magical things, afterlife beliefs, etc. that made it feel unique. A familiar, but not the kind you’re used to seeing; a liminal being who provides magical assistance and moves between worlds but forgets his time on Earth each time he goes back. Creepy shades who make deals at crossroads. An afterlife realm with lots of Greek myth inspiration, some scary creatures, and a queen. A few other supernaturals sprinkled throughout.
The story had some intense, action-filled moments, but overall it had a pretty light and chill vibe.
Also, I just have to mention what a gorgeous cover it has! Not only is the cover art beautiful, there are more characters on the back, the colors are so deep and vibrant (my photos don’t do it justice), and it’s shiny which looks so cool when the light hits it (the hardcover version).
Overall, this had supernaturals, some intense scenes but mostly chill vibes, and, most of all, cute friendship and romance that made me smile!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2024 // Format: ebook via TTS / hardcover*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes cute teen romance, equally cute friends and family, casual queer rep, pretty chill stories, and magical beings from other realms.
Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight
did-not-finish
April 30, 2024Ellery is a young skeptic from a family of farmers. The family has been struggling ever since a brutal, unending winter descended upon their region. Out of concern for the family's wellbeing, Ellery has disobeyed their family's wishes and moved out to hold a restaurant job in a bigger city. They keep to themselves and keep their head down. They have a small crush on a handsome, mysterious guy who stops by the restaurant often - but they haven't done much about it, aside from admiring the guy from a distance.
Knox is a supernatural being who gets pulled into the world of the living to serve as a genie for a clever witch. He has an enormous amount of supernatural power, yet longs to have agency so he can make his own choices. He wants to explore the world outside his witch's living room, but he hasn't been given a chance to see very much besides the restaurant where Ellery works.
One evening, as Ellery heads home from work, they happen across a weird and apparently unfair fight. Before they realize what they're getting themselves into, they jump in to defend the guy who's being attacked.
It's a supernatural love story in a winter setting (my favorite season).
DNF at 25%. I might come back to finish the novel - it's just not interesting enough for me at this time, unfortunately.
I got this ARC from Netgalley.
Knox is a supernatural being who gets pulled into the world of the living to serve as a genie for a clever witch. He has an enormous amount of supernatural power, yet longs to have agency so he can make his own choices. He wants to explore the world outside his witch's living room, but he hasn't been given a chance to see very much besides the restaurant where Ellery works.
One evening, as Ellery heads home from work, they happen across a weird and apparently unfair fight. Before they realize what they're getting themselves into, they jump in to defend the guy who's being attacked.
It's a supernatural love story in a winter setting (my favorite season).
DNF at 25%. I might come back to finish the novel - it's just not interesting enough for me at this time, unfortunately.
I got this ARC from Netgalley.
July 23, 2024
2024: first read
actual rating: 3.5 stars
as it’s my case with this author, i’m oscillating between rounding down to 3 or up to 4 stars. there were some ✨choices✨ in the first quarter of the book that were truly questionable, and overall the book tried to do many things and didn’t take all of them all the way, and the characters this time didn’t really hit for me, but the found family (hence the quote i chose) and the last quarter of the book was actually really, really nice, enough to earn those extra .5 stars and the possibility of a higher rating in the future. for now i’m leaving it like this though.
actual rating: 3.5 stars
"Of course. He's our friend. There are several different types of love, kid. Even if your love for Knox differs from my love for him, it doesn't make mine any less valid."
as it’s my case with this author, i’m oscillating between rounding down to 3 or up to 4 stars. there were some ✨choices✨ in the first quarter of the book that were truly questionable, and overall the book tried to do many things and didn’t take all of them all the way, and the characters this time didn’t really hit for me, but the found family (hence the quote i chose) and the last quarter of the book was actually really, really nice, enough to earn those extra .5 stars and the possibility of a higher rating in the future. for now i’m leaving it like this though.
December 1, 2024
New fave F.T Lukens book???? I need to reread in deeper waters to see how the two compare, but man did i love this one. The found family was soooo sweet and cozy in this. I feel like this is the first ya book I've read in a while where there was conflict but the characters still got to be corny teenagers. This is my fave couple of the Ft. Lukens books for sure. I love me a himbo. Perfect for winter time.
November 20, 2023
4.5 ⭐
Wholesome AF
Wholesome AF
December 22, 2025
My last remaining unread F.T. Lukens book has now been read. Bittersweet, as they’re an auto-buy author for me.
The fantasy element always delivers in these books, it’s nothing too complex but still fun to read. Their romances almost get a little too cheesy for me but not all the time. This one, not really. Though the side couple was a bit much imo. There was a lot of adventure and I liked the bucket-list-ish element Knox had with Ellery. AND there was an Orpheus and Eurydice reference (the “don’t look back” part that lasted two lines) and I never miss those. Also Ellery is suspiciously similar to Sun from Spell Bound by the same author. Like in the way they dress and their hair etc. but oh well, if it ain’t broke!!
This is my least favorite out of all of their books I think but still a solid 4/5, so I’m not complaining.
The fantasy element always delivers in these books, it’s nothing too complex but still fun to read. Their romances almost get a little too cheesy for me but not all the time. This one, not really. Though the side couple was a bit much imo. There was a lot of adventure and I liked the bucket-list-ish element Knox had with Ellery. AND there was an Orpheus and Eurydice reference (the “don’t look back” part that lasted two lines) and I never miss those. Also Ellery is suspiciously similar to Sun from Spell Bound by the same author. Like in the way they dress and their hair etc. but oh well, if it ain’t broke!!
This is my least favorite out of all of their books I think but still a solid 4/5, so I’m not complaining.
Want to read
March 8, 2025Kevin R Free narrated this?! I'm soooo getting this. And the COVER IS BEAUTIFUL! If I liked this, I'd want a hardcover of this one.
May 13, 2024
Once, Ellery believed in the supernatural like everyone else, but when for the last five years, winter hasn’t left and their faith froze away.
Ellery's parents, unable to support them and their failing farm, send Ellery is currently working in a cafe in the city to send money home with their cousin and her girlfriend.
One day, Ellery rescues an incredibly hot customer running from would-be abductors. It turns out Knox is a familiar, a creation of the Goddess of Death.
The two strike a deal to learn more of each other’s worlds.
Pros:
- Skeptic, grumpy black cat Ellery and sunshine, bubbly, golden retriever Knox.
- Non-binary protagonist whose acceptance and identity is not a crisis of the plot.
- Casual representation.
- Funny hallmark romance movie moments.
Cons:
- Limited world-building, urban fantasy, info dumps (that prologue - WHAT?)
- Their ‘romance’ felt absent? Unestablished? Instant?
- Cringey hallmark romance movie moments.
This kind of reminded me of The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea.
Spellbound is still my favourite Lukens book <3
Bookstagram
Ellery's parents, unable to support them and their failing farm, send Ellery is currently working in a cafe in the city to send money home with their cousin and her girlfriend.
One day, Ellery rescues an incredibly hot customer running from would-be abductors. It turns out Knox is a familiar, a creation of the Goddess of Death.
The two strike a deal to learn more of each other’s worlds.
Pros:
- Skeptic, grumpy black cat Ellery and sunshine, bubbly, golden retriever Knox.
- Non-binary protagonist whose acceptance and identity is not a crisis of the plot.
- Casual representation.
- Funny hallmark romance movie moments.
Cons:
- Limited world-building, urban fantasy, info dumps (that prologue - WHAT?)
- Their ‘romance’ felt absent? Unestablished? Instant?
- Cringey hallmark romance movie moments.
This kind of reminded me of The Girl who Fell Beneath the Sea.
Spellbound is still my favourite Lukens book <3
Bookstagram
January 7, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this advanced copy.
FT Lukens back again, darling. In this book, just like another books by FT Lukens, the cozy feelings is all over the book. It is cute and sweet. And the characters are adorable, especially Knox. I love how he learn to be more selfish.
But, sometimes I feel the conflicts sweep away too fast and a bit anti-climatic.
I al looking forward to read all next books by FT Lukens.
FT Lukens back again, darling. In this book, just like another books by FT Lukens, the cozy feelings is all over the book. It is cute and sweet. And the characters are adorable, especially Knox. I love how he learn to be more selfish.
But, sometimes I feel the conflicts sweep away too fast and a bit anti-climatic.
I al looking forward to read all next books by FT Lukens.
March 14, 2024
FT Lukens has gotten a lot better!! I wasn’t a huge fan of So This Is Ever After, but Otherworldly pleasantly surprised me. It’s super cute, and it also feels like a genuinely teen book, which is refreshing to see since YA has been slowly aging up over the years.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
August 1, 2024
i'm conflicted.
on one hand, it was good. cute. fun(mostly). everything a ya should be. on the other hand, it wasn't up to my expectations. not really. i love ft lukens. their books are amazing, and most importantly have an intriguing setting, like so this is ever after, or spell bound, since the premise was what initially drew me to reading them. here, it's less fascinating and more predictable. supernatural meets normal and they have supernatural fights to fight. done. it's just a lil...underwhelming?
still, i love ellery and knox and charley and zada. ellery is realistic and brave and loyal(to a dude he's met for a few weeks). the plot comes together pretty well. and i do appreciate the thinking questions we get about blind faith and such. i do have questions for the ending aka
but yeah, this wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't an exceptionally good one either.
on one hand, it was good. cute. fun(mostly). everything a ya should be. on the other hand, it wasn't up to my expectations. not really. i love ft lukens. their books are amazing, and most importantly have an intriguing setting, like so this is ever after, or spell bound, since the premise was what initially drew me to reading them. here, it's less fascinating and more predictable. supernatural meets normal and they have supernatural fights to fight. done. it's just a lil...underwhelming?
still, i love ellery and knox and charley and zada. ellery is realistic and brave and loyal(to a dude he's met for a few weeks). the plot comes together pretty well. and i do appreciate the thinking questions we get about blind faith and such. i do have questions for the ending aka
but yeah, this wasn't a bad read, but it wasn't an exceptionally good one either.
May 30, 2024
This is by no means a bad book, and if you like books that are mostly just fluff, I would recommend it. I need a bit of substance to my fluff, and this did not have that at all. This felt like a lot of fanfiction tropes thrown together. Which, again, some people will absolutely love, and I can see why. But for me, this was lacking so much substance.
For one, the world building was extremely lack-luster and lazy. Maybe it's not important for some people, but the way it was handled meant I had a lot of questions. Ellery lives in a city that is stuck in endless winter, but it seems like it's contained to just that city. Okay. Where this gets confusing is how little this actually affects them. Ellery's family owns a farm outside of the city which is struggling because of the cold, which means there's no local produce. Which means they have to import all their produce. And if it's constantly winter, you'd think that would make it difficult for goods to be imported in. So they should be having shortages of food, and insane price gouging, too. Not to mention many other issues that would be had by an area that is stuck in winter. This should be a more severe threat. At most, it is a mild inconvenience that is remembered occasionally.
The other thing I don't understand is why it only happened to this one area. While it is sort of explained, the explanation is incredibly weak.
On top of that, I really dislike that the goddess and her siblings were not given names. It would maybe work if she was the only one, sort of how we call our god, God. But she has a sister. There is another goddess. So do people have to clarify which goddess they mean? Why don't they have names? This is probably because it's literally just Hades (combined with Persephone), Zeus, and Poseidon, seeing as the three deities are siblings, and gods of the dead, the sky, and the ocean. Because the world building in this is just really lazy rip-offs of Greek mythology.
The characters are fine. Ellery and Knox were kind of one note. It was just grump and sunshine and they didn't have a whole lot outside of being grump and sunshine. Their romance was fine. It wasn't bad, but it also didn't do too much for me. Charley was just the supportive, quirky cousin. I have completely blanked on her girlfriend's name. She was basically there to be the more grounded of the two, and the one who could drive. The other three characters who show up - Lorelai (Lorelei? I don't remember), Bram, and Hale - are all basically there as plot conveniences. Pretty much everything that happens is a plot convenience really.
One thing that really annoyed me was the absurd lack of communication between Ellery and Knox and how every single time they started to communicate they were interrupted in order to drag the plot along. Ellery assumes Knox is just using him for the bargain in order to stay in the human world. I do not remember if they actually talked about that or not. Knox thinks he's to blame for the winter And so when Knox finally tells Ellery, Ellery is upset because Knox had known days ago but didn't tell Ellery, even though Knox tried multiple times. But also that conflict doesn't last long (luckily) because they are, once again, interrupted by something!
The not remembering thing with Knox was also just there for angst potential and didn't actually make sense. He's "liminal" so he can go between the human world and the Other World, so for some reason that means he forgets what he does. Sort of. Sometimes. Not always. What makes it even more confusing is, he's not the only one who can go between the two worlds. The shades appear to do so as well. Bram does, too. He didn't like going to the Other World, but he did it. Sure, Bram is a god, so maybe that's different, but what about Hale? Hale came back from the Other World. Why does he get to remember? It doesn't make sense. This was just a fanfiction trope throw on at the end to add angst and it doesn't make sense.
The more I think about it, the more frustrated I get. Maybe if the fluff had been really good, I could have ignored the really weak world-building. But the fluff was just not for me, and everything else was just so weak. It is a very quick and easy read, but I really only read it this quickly because I had literally nothing else to do. I really don't have too much good to say about it other than a non-binary protagonist in a romance. I want to see more of those, please. But everything else about this was so weak. I think it would have worked better as a novella honestly; it felt way too long and dragged out.
For one, the world building was extremely lack-luster and lazy. Maybe it's not important for some people, but the way it was handled meant I had a lot of questions. Ellery lives in a city that is stuck in endless winter, but it seems like it's contained to just that city. Okay. Where this gets confusing is how little this actually affects them. Ellery's family owns a farm outside of the city which is struggling because of the cold, which means there's no local produce. Which means they have to import all their produce. And if it's constantly winter, you'd think that would make it difficult for goods to be imported in. So they should be having shortages of food, and insane price gouging, too. Not to mention many other issues that would be had by an area that is stuck in winter. This should be a more severe threat. At most, it is a mild inconvenience that is remembered occasionally.
The other thing I don't understand is why it only happened to this one area. While it is sort of explained, the explanation is incredibly weak.
On top of that, I really dislike that the goddess and her siblings were not given names. It would maybe work if she was the only one, sort of how we call our god, God. But she has a sister. There is another goddess. So do people have to clarify which goddess they mean? Why don't they have names? This is probably because it's literally just Hades (combined with Persephone), Zeus, and Poseidon, seeing as the three deities are siblings, and gods of the dead, the sky, and the ocean. Because the world building in this is just really lazy rip-offs of Greek mythology.
The characters are fine. Ellery and Knox were kind of one note. It was just grump and sunshine and they didn't have a whole lot outside of being grump and sunshine. Their romance was fine. It wasn't bad, but it also didn't do too much for me. Charley was just the supportive, quirky cousin. I have completely blanked on her girlfriend's name. She was basically there to be the more grounded of the two, and the one who could drive. The other three characters who show up - Lorelai (Lorelei? I don't remember), Bram, and Hale - are all basically there as plot conveniences. Pretty much everything that happens is a plot convenience really.
One thing that really annoyed me was the absurd lack of communication between Ellery and Knox and how every single time they started to communicate they were interrupted in order to drag the plot along. Ellery assumes Knox is just using him for the bargain in order to stay in the human world. I do not remember if they actually talked about that or not. Knox thinks he's to blame for the winter And so when Knox finally tells Ellery, Ellery is upset because Knox had known days ago but didn't tell Ellery, even though Knox tried multiple times. But also that conflict doesn't last long (luckily) because they are, once again, interrupted by something!
The not remembering thing with Knox was also just there for angst potential and didn't actually make sense. He's "liminal" so he can go between the human world and the Other World, so for some reason that means he forgets what he does. Sort of. Sometimes. Not always. What makes it even more confusing is, he's not the only one who can go between the two worlds. The shades appear to do so as well. Bram does, too. He didn't like going to the Other World, but he did it. Sure, Bram is a god, so maybe that's different, but what about Hale? Hale came back from the Other World. Why does he get to remember? It doesn't make sense. This was just a fanfiction trope throw on at the end to add angst and it doesn't make sense.
The more I think about it, the more frustrated I get. Maybe if the fluff had been really good, I could have ignored the really weak world-building. But the fluff was just not for me, and everything else was just so weak. It is a very quick and easy read, but I really only read it this quickly because I had literally nothing else to do. I really don't have too much good to say about it other than a non-binary protagonist in a romance. I want to see more of those, please. But everything else about this was so weak. I think it would have worked better as a novella honestly; it felt way too long and dragged out.
January 8, 2025
What I usually love about FT Lukens’ books is the magical atmosphere, the high-stakes adventures, and the dazzling chemistry between the main characters. Unfortunately, Otherworldly didn’t quite live up to those expectations for me.
Ellory and Knox’s relationship was hard to believe, and I didn’t feel the usual spark between them. The supporting characters also felt a bit flat, and the storyline didn’t feel as exciting or high-stakes as I hoped.
Still, there were some lovely moments. Ellory said so many relatable things, and their bond with their cousin was heartwarming. Plus, the Greek mythology reference at the end was a nice surprise. While not my favorite from Lukens, it still had some charm.
Ellory and Knox’s relationship was hard to believe, and I didn’t feel the usual spark between them. The supporting characters also felt a bit flat, and the storyline didn’t feel as exciting or high-stakes as I hoped.
Still, there were some lovely moments. Ellory said so many relatable things, and their bond with their cousin was heartwarming. Plus, the Greek mythology reference at the end was a nice surprise. While not my favorite from Lukens, it still had some charm.
December 7, 2024
‘i want to be with you. i want to kiss you. i want to watch horror movies with you and run around the city with you. i want to be able to love you. the way you deserve.’
first book of december, and this book got me crying for real 😭
i love the concept. and i'm glad how ellery uses they/them pronouns, so it's a plus for me. at the first chapters, i kinda hate them because ellery's a grumpy one, but after i read the rest of the chapters, ellery's character development is showing.
the problem is that the use of ‘oh my gods and goddesses’ as a shocking expression got me cringe a little bit. there's also that's why i lowered the rating.
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pre-read:
i know this book is not giving christmas vibes, but c'mon! look at that cover! it's giving christmas vibes to me! 😩
first book of december, and this book got me crying for real 😭
i love the concept. and i'm glad how ellery uses they/them pronouns, so it's a plus for me. at the first chapters, i kinda hate them because ellery's a grumpy one, but after i read the rest of the chapters, ellery's character development is showing.
the problem is that the use of ‘oh my gods and goddesses’ as a shocking expression got me cringe a little bit. there's also that's why i lowered the rating.
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pre-read:
i know this book is not giving christmas vibes, but c'mon! look at that cover! it's giving christmas vibes to me! 😩
January 7, 2025
So sweet and wholesome with the loveliest showcasing of found family, which is FT Lukens’ specialty! What a fantastic conclusion!
March 25, 2024
BOOK REVIEW - OTHERWORLDLY by F.T. Lukens
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨- Rounded Up - Available 2 April 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and F.T. Lukens for providing me with an eARC copy of Otherworldly to review.
I might be biased because this is the third novel by F.T. Lukens that I have read, and I haven't been disappointed yet. A friend from my book club expressed their appreciation for F.T. Lukens's universes, stating that it's refreshing to have non-binary characters coexist in a world without their non-binaryness being the center of the story. Otherworldly continues to deliver on this.
Ellery is my favorite character, the grumpy one in contrast to Knox's sunshine, the grouchy morning person to Knox's perpetual wakefulness, and the skeptic of Knox's existence.
The supporting characters in this story are exceptional. I would support any calls for a stand-alone novel about Charley and Zaba, as they are an absolute blast! But our team of ragtag gods is nicely done too.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Despite being extremely busy lately, it made me set aside time to read instead of letting other tasks interfere with my reading time.
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨- Rounded Up - Available 2 April 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, and F.T. Lukens for providing me with an eARC copy of Otherworldly to review.
I might be biased because this is the third novel by F.T. Lukens that I have read, and I haven't been disappointed yet. A friend from my book club expressed their appreciation for F.T. Lukens's universes, stating that it's refreshing to have non-binary characters coexist in a world without their non-binaryness being the center of the story. Otherworldly continues to deliver on this.
Ellery is my favorite character, the grumpy one in contrast to Knox's sunshine, the grouchy morning person to Knox's perpetual wakefulness, and the skeptic of Knox's existence.
The supporting characters in this story are exceptional. I would support any calls for a stand-alone novel about Charley and Zaba, as they are an absolute blast! But our team of ragtag gods is nicely done too.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Despite being extremely busy lately, it made me set aside time to read instead of letting other tasks interfere with my reading time.
January 5, 2025
love love love!
rating: 4.5 stars
read the full review on my blog!
Otherworldly was a book that spoke straight to my heart. With the cutest, most heartwarming relationships, and the coziest plot — the story was quirky, fun, and felt like a breath of fresh air. Reading this book transported me right back to my fairy-tale loving days with its mystical elements, wholesome romance, and found family. A story that’s bound to make you feel like you’re at home and tug at your heartstrings, Otherworldly was one of my favourite books of 2023, and I can’t wait for everyone else to be able to read and experience it soon!
rating: 4.5 stars
read the full review on my blog!
Otherworldly was a book that spoke straight to my heart. With the cutest, most heartwarming relationships, and the coziest plot — the story was quirky, fun, and felt like a breath of fresh air. Reading this book transported me right back to my fairy-tale loving days with its mystical elements, wholesome romance, and found family. A story that’s bound to make you feel like you’re at home and tug at your heartstrings, Otherworldly was one of my favourite books of 2023, and I can’t wait for everyone else to be able to read and experience it soon!
February 2, 2024
F.T. Lukens has a certain formula for building their books, and it works (for me) every time. I really liked this book, and this may be a minor detail, but I thought that it was nice that the nonbinary character was a person and not the supernatural being in the relationship. It’s fairly unimportant in the grand scheme of things (gender is incredibly not important in this story) but I appreciated it a lot as a nonbinary person
April 15, 2024
Beyond cute. I enjoyed every second of this audiobook. 11/10 would recommend.
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