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Sorcerer's Grimoire #1
A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents
Two new apprentices. One charming engineer. A potential battle with both sea serpents and evil sorcerers.
When Sorcerer Adrien Danvers takes on a job that leads him into the slums of England, he never imagined he’d end up with not one, but two apprentices. Despite his doubts in himself, he’s the only chance the two pre-teens have to escape their hellish life.
When Sir Hugh Quartermain contracts him to deal with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his home on the Isle of Man, Adrien finds the more time they spend together, the more his walls come down around the beguiling engineer–an unusual occurrence and a terrifying prospect.
But as it turns out, this case is about to take a turn–a battle with both beast and man, the ultimate test of Adrien’s willingness to accept help. When he does, Hugh proves to be a fierce protector and friend, more so than Adrien could’ve ever bargained for, and he finds himself longing for something he shouldn’t.
Falling for his new friend is not a complication Adrien needs. (His matchmaking apprentices disagree.)
Tags: Magical AU, Adrien’s way of dealing with bad days is to curse things, repeatedly, fortunately lots of targets keep presenting themselves, Hugh has precisely zero chill where Adrien is concerned, as people will learn the hard way, here we have Extremely Competent MCs because that is my jam, set after WWI, but no worries, I can’t write angst to save my life, curses, magic, bit of mystery, apprentices are acquired, something of a slow burn, Hugh’s a sweetie, right up until you endanger his boys, then he’s your worst nightmare, man’s a knight in multiple ways
When Sorcerer Adrien Danvers takes on a job that leads him into the slums of England, he never imagined he’d end up with not one, but two apprentices. Despite his doubts in himself, he’s the only chance the two pre-teens have to escape their hellish life.
When Sir Hugh Quartermain contracts him to deal with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his home on the Isle of Man, Adrien finds the more time they spend together, the more his walls come down around the beguiling engineer–an unusual occurrence and a terrifying prospect.
But as it turns out, this case is about to take a turn–a battle with both beast and man, the ultimate test of Adrien’s willingness to accept help. When he does, Hugh proves to be a fierce protector and friend, more so than Adrien could’ve ever bargained for, and he finds himself longing for something he shouldn’t.
Falling for his new friend is not a complication Adrien needs. (His matchmaking apprentices disagree.)
Tags: Magical AU, Adrien’s way of dealing with bad days is to curse things, repeatedly, fortunately lots of targets keep presenting themselves, Hugh has precisely zero chill where Adrien is concerned, as people will learn the hard way, here we have Extremely Competent MCs because that is my jam, set after WWI, but no worries, I can’t write angst to save my life, curses, magic, bit of mystery, apprentices are acquired, something of a slow burn, Hugh’s a sweetie, right up until you endanger his boys, then he’s your worst nightmare, man’s a knight in multiple ways
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2023
372 people are currently reading
1624 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Sherwood
81 books2,008 followersAJ Sherwood believes in happily ever afters, magic, dragons, good men, and dark chocolate. She often dreams at night of delectable men doing sexy things with each other. In between writing multiple books (often at the same time) she pets her cats, plays with her dogs, and attempts insane things like aerial yoga.
She currently resides in Tennessee with aforementioned cats, dogs, and her editor/best friend/sister/partner in crime.
She currently resides in Tennessee with aforementioned cats, dogs, and her editor/best friend/sister/partner in crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 269 reviews
October 4, 2023
I will not be reading more in this series.
I did finish reading this, stubbornly, but there was quite a lot of eye rolling and growling at the book. Why? Well, everything's said at least three times and then repeated at least once. Everything. It is so wordy that the pace is slowed way down, even during the climax. Worse, there's failure to take helpful steps, despite every opportunity. I should've stopped reading.
Did the author lose a critical editor?
Whatever happened, it's murdered my interest.
I did finish reading this, stubbornly, but there was quite a lot of eye rolling and growling at the book. Why? Well, everything's said at least three times and then repeated at least once. Everything. It is so wordy that the pace is slowed way down, even during the climax. Worse, there's failure to take helpful steps, despite every opportunity. I should've stopped reading.
Did the author lose a critical editor?
Whatever happened, it's murdered my interest.
February 7, 2024
I am genuinely surprised that I loved this book so much.
I was utterly intrigued by the blurb but wasn’t entirely convinced that it would be truly that great. I did have high hopes though — I mean, just look at the ratings.
Still, I was really just so surprised that I was into it the second I started reading it.
And don’t think I didn’t notice how long it took for Hugh to get into the picture. One hundred pages! But I didn’t mind one bit. The other characters kept me entertained all right. I loved every single one of them.
I truly was hooked from minute one and am really looking forward to the next book.
I was utterly intrigued by the blurb but wasn’t entirely convinced that it would be truly that great. I did have high hopes though — I mean, just look at the ratings.
Still, I was really just so surprised that I was into it the second I started reading it.
And don’t think I didn’t notice how long it took for Hugh to get into the picture. One hundred pages! But I didn’t mind one bit. The other characters kept me entertained all right. I loved every single one of them.
I truly was hooked from minute one and am really looking forward to the next book.
November 7, 2023
DNF. I got halfway through before dropping.
I was deeply disappointed by this book. The author should have hired a sensitivity reader prior to publication because much of the content made the main character out to be holier than thou for ‘rescuing the poor child prostitutes’.
“Trying to take two former teenage prostitutes and teach them how to be civilized human beings had proved to be more of a challenge than he’d initially assumed.”
Shocking. Also, that was a real quote in the book. I’m not even taking it out of context. He really called them uncivilized, and in another case, he insinuated that they are not innocents because of their profession. A child is innocent, no matter what they’ve gone through, and I resented the idea that they could not be considered as such because they’d been exploited and forced to grow up. Not to mention, the main character, Adrien, constantly tells his friends how he rescued the boys from their abusive environment, and it really felt like the author was working overtime to have us and other characters applaud him for his ‘charity’, but it just made him extremely unlikable, especially for airing out their dirty laundry to people that didn’t really need to know.
Ultimately, this book had too many shortcomings for me to read the rest without cringing. I hope that if the author continues this series, they’ll put more of an effort to approach these sensitive topics without the savior complex.
I was deeply disappointed by this book. The author should have hired a sensitivity reader prior to publication because much of the content made the main character out to be holier than thou for ‘rescuing the poor child prostitutes’.
“Trying to take two former teenage prostitutes and teach them how to be civilized human beings had proved to be more of a challenge than he’d initially assumed.”
Shocking. Also, that was a real quote in the book. I’m not even taking it out of context. He really called them uncivilized, and in another case, he insinuated that they are not innocents because of their profession. A child is innocent, no matter what they’ve gone through, and I resented the idea that they could not be considered as such because they’d been exploited and forced to grow up. Not to mention, the main character, Adrien, constantly tells his friends how he rescued the boys from their abusive environment, and it really felt like the author was working overtime to have us and other characters applaud him for his ‘charity’, but it just made him extremely unlikable, especially for airing out their dirty laundry to people that didn’t really need to know.
Ultimately, this book had too many shortcomings for me to read the rest without cringing. I hope that if the author continues this series, they’ll put more of an effort to approach these sensitive topics without the savior complex.
November 22, 2025
I love it when I get a book that feels so engrossing that I truly can't set it down. I love how cute MacMallin and Justin are. I love how Adrien and Hugh just feel meant to be.
I don't love having to wait, but for this story I shall.
Edit, reread as audio. I liked it a lot
I don't love having to wait, but for this story I shall.
Edit, reread as audio. I liked it a lot
January 31, 2024
tl;dr: flat, unrealistically fluffy writing considering the sensitive topics featured crossing into insensitive, meandering plot and unconvincing romance.
😬 I'm not really sure what the author's intention was with this one. The blurb states that they are not good at writing angst, so apparently they are aware, but yet they decide to kick off the story with the protagonist rescuing two traumatised child prostitutes.
It is apparent that the author makes at least a token attempt of depicting the two children as traumatised, but... it's not very good.
My main gripe is that the two children are very obviously just a plot device to include "fluffy hurt-comfort" and to extol the virtues of Adrien.
On one hand, abuse and fear of men is apparently ingrained into them, but then they also want to set up their mentor with the first available single man that comes along. They immediately see right through Adrien and know that he's so lonely inside and wants a partner because they are so good at reading people - but they're also preteens that have had no positive interactions with adults.
It seems to me that the two children are only ever as traumatised as the plot needs them to be and to give the reader the feeling of "oh, how sweet that these two poor sweeties are being taken care of!", which makes them feel more like idealised pets than fully realised characters with meaningful struggles. Considering the sensitive subject matter, I find that depiction rather cheap and tasteless.
It doesn't help my enjoyment of the book that the plot is meandering and not very interesting. The romance is also not convincing, as the main thing that the LI Hugh seems to adore about Adrien is "oh, he's so kind to his two apprentices. He must be a good guy despite the rumors!" whereas the thing that immediately attracted Adrien to Hugh was "oh, he's so nice to animals and to my two apprentices! He must truly be a kind soul!". How convenient that the two traumatised children exist, so both protagonists can show how kind and awesome they are!
Some say that it is a slow-burn, which is technically true considering they don't immediately jump into bed together, but consider that Hugh makes his first appearance at 36% into the book - which leaves less time for the romance to develop. In addition, they are immediately smitten with each other (due to reasons mentioned above), but are kept apart due to period-contingent homophobia and the dance of "is that person interested in me?" - which, imo, is also not portrayed very well, considering the time period. I don't mind not including homophobia as a theme in historical settings, but if an author does decide to include it, then it should be done properly and respectfully.
😬 I'm not really sure what the author's intention was with this one. The blurb states that they are not good at writing angst, so apparently they are aware, but yet they decide to kick off the story with the protagonist rescuing two traumatised child prostitutes.
It is apparent that the author makes at least a token attempt of depicting the two children as traumatised, but... it's not very good.
My main gripe is that the two children are very obviously just a plot device to include "fluffy hurt-comfort" and to extol the virtues of Adrien.
On one hand, abuse and fear of men is apparently ingrained into them, but then they also want to set up their mentor with the first available single man that comes along. They immediately see right through Adrien and know that he's so lonely inside and wants a partner because they are so good at reading people - but they're also preteens that have had no positive interactions with adults.
It seems to me that the two children are only ever as traumatised as the plot needs them to be and to give the reader the feeling of "oh, how sweet that these two poor sweeties are being taken care of!", which makes them feel more like idealised pets than fully realised characters with meaningful struggles. Considering the sensitive subject matter, I find that depiction rather cheap and tasteless.
It doesn't help my enjoyment of the book that the plot is meandering and not very interesting. The romance is also not convincing, as the main thing that the LI Hugh seems to adore about Adrien is "oh, he's so kind to his two apprentices. He must be a good guy despite the rumors!" whereas the thing that immediately attracted Adrien to Hugh was "oh, he's so nice to animals and to my two apprentices! He must truly be a kind soul!". How convenient that the two traumatised children exist, so both protagonists can show how kind and awesome they are!
Some say that it is a slow-burn, which is technically true considering they don't immediately jump into bed together, but consider that Hugh makes his first appearance at 36% into the book - which leaves less time for the romance to develop. In addition, they are immediately smitten with each other (due to reasons mentioned above), but are kept apart due to period-contingent homophobia and the dance of "is that person interested in me?" - which, imo, is also not portrayed very well, considering the time period. I don't mind not including homophobia as a theme in historical settings, but if an author does decide to include it, then it should be done properly and respectfully.
October 10, 2023
I really don't have anything negative to say. Was it a master piece? No, but I enjoyed it and that's really all that matters
October 16, 2023
I was in the mood for some found family with kids and I certainly didn't mind the addition of magic spiced up by historical fiction, so Sorcerer's Grimoire seemed to be the right choice. Was it? Hm, on the one hand it really is all about found family and because there are sorcerers in this AU we also get a lot of magic but on the other hand I have some issues with the historical scenario. I understood it's supposed to be the early 1930's but I couldn't help it and quite often imagined a more Victorian setup just with some amenities of the 30's. Of course both areas were quite homophobic, so that aspect defines a lot of the relationships here. It's why Adrien is only able to care about the boys by making them his apprentices, why he was estranged from his own family and why even at the end of the book his relation with Hugh is still in a state of mutual interest.
I can't say it wasn't interesting but I couldn't really warm up to the story. Maybe it was because I didn't understand neither the world building nor the magic concept or maybe it was the somehow formal and slightly distanced voice of the story but something was missing.
I can't say it wasn't interesting but I couldn't really warm up to the story. Maybe it was because I didn't understand neither the world building nor the magic concept or maybe it was the somehow formal and slightly distanced voice of the story but something was missing.
July 14, 2025
July 2025
I think I read this book already 5 times and listen to it nearly as much - I love it
First review
I was in a major book funk and unsure what to read... than I started this one, and it just fit
I absolutely adored how the story was paced, I loved Adrian and the boys. I loved that we get to see their story first before introducing a possible love interest.
I loved the found family aspect, I really liked the storyline
And as it just fits my mood perfectly, this is one of my favourite books this year.
But be aware that this is not action paced .. it has action in it, but the main part is story driven without action.
And I loved it!
I think I read this book already 5 times and listen to it nearly as much - I love it
First review
I was in a major book funk and unsure what to read... than I started this one, and it just fit
I absolutely adored how the story was paced, I loved Adrian and the boys. I loved that we get to see their story first before introducing a possible love interest.
I loved the found family aspect, I really liked the storyline
And as it just fits my mood perfectly, this is one of my favourite books this year.
But be aware that this is not action paced .. it has action in it, but the main part is story driven without action.
And I loved it!
July 7, 2025
I loved it! I was sucked in from the first page. This author never disappoints me. I loved all the characters and can't wait for more. I loved it so much I started a reread after I tried to start a new book.
September 22, 2023
A (Non) Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents
Whilst Adrien Danvers a powerful young sorcerer seeks out a powerful indication of a magical nature he discovers a young street boy, a 14 year old male prostitute, being severely abused by a client. Upon offering the boy Julien an apprenticeship as a sorcerer the boy agrees on the condition that he takes his brother Mac (MacMillan) a non-magical as well. Thus Adrien unofficially adopts both boys coming to care deeply for them. I should stress that his growing feelings them are in no way sexual despite them believing initially that men only wanted them for sexual purposes.
Adrien didn’t realise how lonely his existence was until the boys entered his life.
When some months later he is employed by Hugh Quartermain he finds himself increasingly drawn to the man. The story has HFN ending which will be developed in later books.
Set in 1931 when homosexuality was a serious crime this is a heartwarming tale of how trust, kindness and consideration can open up even the most closed off and cynical hearts.
As with almost every one, if not all, of AJ’s books I devoured this in one sitting and cannot wait to see how the story of the four main characters develops.
With rogue sorcerers, sea serpents and various other villainys this is an exciting start to what promises to be another delightful series from AJ Sherwood.
Whilst Adrien Danvers a powerful young sorcerer seeks out a powerful indication of a magical nature he discovers a young street boy, a 14 year old male prostitute, being severely abused by a client. Upon offering the boy Julien an apprenticeship as a sorcerer the boy agrees on the condition that he takes his brother Mac (MacMillan) a non-magical as well. Thus Adrien unofficially adopts both boys coming to care deeply for them. I should stress that his growing feelings them are in no way sexual despite them believing initially that men only wanted them for sexual purposes.
Adrien didn’t realise how lonely his existence was until the boys entered his life.
When some months later he is employed by Hugh Quartermain he finds himself increasingly drawn to the man. The story has HFN ending which will be developed in later books.
Set in 1931 when homosexuality was a serious crime this is a heartwarming tale of how trust, kindness and consideration can open up even the most closed off and cynical hearts.
As with almost every one, if not all, of AJ’s books I devoured this in one sitting and cannot wait to see how the story of the four main characters develops.
With rogue sorcerers, sea serpents and various other villainys this is an exciting start to what promises to be another delightful series from AJ Sherwood.
March 11, 2024
DNF ~13%
I've enjoyed books by this author before, but I just thought the writing quality here was awful. So much exposition and awkward/clunky set up.
I've enjoyed books by this author before, but I just thought the writing quality here was awful. So much exposition and awkward/clunky set up.
June 26, 2024
This is not a romance, despite the claims in the tags. It is at best romance-adjacent. This was disappointing. No interest in reading the 2nd one.
May 17, 2024
I loved this book this author never disappoints I loved the blend of historical and magic along with much heart with Adrien saving a couple of boys in the worst situation with him and them finding purpose and healing much along the way. I am also looking forward to the romance with Hugh going somewhere since he is just what he needs looking forward to reading about the wooing in the next book. The story was amazing it started with Adrien looking for a magical person he could sense and ended up finding a boy in the worst situation and helped both him and his friend he considered a brother after that there was much healing to be had on all sides. Many interesting things happened a start of a repair of a relationship and also a great love interest and a great relationship with the boys he helped. I also liked many of the side characters Adrien's friends and the many interesting characters that show up throughout the story. So overall I loved this book going to read the sequel real soon.
January 14, 2025
Absolutely loved this book.
November 28, 2025
4.5⭐️
Audio: 4.5⭐️
A [Non] Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents is full of the typical Sherwood charm and her love of game-breaking OP MCs, however with a lot more restraint and a bit quieter. I liked the more serious tone (well as serious as her story-telling vibes can be) and am just as fond of Adrien’s apprentices, Julian and MacMallin as he is. Sherwood takes her time building the relationship between Adrien’s wary, abused new apprentices and learning the ropes of being a parent and teacher before bringing the ridiculously brilliant and competent Hugh into play.
They are both taken with one another at first meeting, but Adrien has been shown by his birth family and previous lovers he isn’t worth the effort and can’t see when someone is expressing romantic interest. Besides, there is no time for romance as monsters and rogue sorcerers are on the loose so the story ends with friendship and a Hugh determined to romance the sh*t out of Adrien. Also per usual, Adrien’s found family is utterly delightful and loving to Adrien, the boys and each other. The warmth oozes from the page and gives all the feels.
David Lee Huynh is a new-to-me narrator, and I found his performance to be almost pitch perfect. His voice work, especially for Adrien, is a great fit and no character sounds miscast or like a struggle for him to voice. The only thing that bothered me is that he pauses at odd moments and for distractingly and unnecessarily long times. Some pauses are so long it almost feels like a scene/section break. It ruins the momentum and makes some scenes, especially the dialogue feel odd and disjointed. That being said, the story is very charming and Lee captures the tone and personalities well; I’m eagerly counting the days until the second installment next year.
Audio: 4.5⭐️
A [Non] Comprehensive Guide to Sea Serpents is full of the typical Sherwood charm and her love of game-breaking OP MCs, however with a lot more restraint and a bit quieter. I liked the more serious tone (well as serious as her story-telling vibes can be) and am just as fond of Adrien’s apprentices, Julian and MacMallin as he is. Sherwood takes her time building the relationship between Adrien’s wary, abused new apprentices and learning the ropes of being a parent and teacher before bringing the ridiculously brilliant and competent Hugh into play.
They are both taken with one another at first meeting, but Adrien has been shown by his birth family and previous lovers he isn’t worth the effort and can’t see when someone is expressing romantic interest. Besides, there is no time for romance as monsters and rogue sorcerers are on the loose so the story ends with friendship and a Hugh determined to romance the sh*t out of Adrien. Also per usual, Adrien’s found family is utterly delightful and loving to Adrien, the boys and each other. The warmth oozes from the page and gives all the feels.
David Lee Huynh is a new-to-me narrator, and I found his performance to be almost pitch perfect. His voice work, especially for Adrien, is a great fit and no character sounds miscast or like a struggle for him to voice. The only thing that bothered me is that he pauses at odd moments and for distractingly and unnecessarily long times. Some pauses are so long it almost feels like a scene/section break. It ruins the momentum and makes some scenes, especially the dialogue feel odd and disjointed. That being said, the story is very charming and Lee captures the tone and personalities well; I’m eagerly counting the days until the second installment next year.
February 26, 2024
she’s done it again
This latest book by AJ is another great read. It is yet another example of her taking characters who are damaged by families or life in general and bringing them together in a way that allows both to heal. She doesn’t use a heavy hand writing these characters and the change flows with you not even really seeing until suddenly others can see the change. I love the fact she uses humor and love to solve problems and bring both lovers and families together. She writes various levels of steamy and this one is more on the sweet side. There are things from the past alluded to but other than a rather sweet attempt at seducing the sorcerer by his apprentices love is demonstrated by word and actions but not getting down and dirty. In this book, with this MC it wouldn’t feel real unless the book was double the length at the very least.
I absolutely love this book.
This latest book by AJ is another great read. It is yet another example of her taking characters who are damaged by families or life in general and bringing them together in a way that allows both to heal. She doesn’t use a heavy hand writing these characters and the change flows with you not even really seeing until suddenly others can see the change. I love the fact she uses humor and love to solve problems and bring both lovers and families together. She writes various levels of steamy and this one is more on the sweet side. There are things from the past alluded to but other than a rather sweet attempt at seducing the sorcerer by his apprentices love is demonstrated by word and actions but not getting down and dirty. In this book, with this MC it wouldn’t feel real unless the book was double the length at the very least.
I absolutely love this book.
July 21, 2024
I loved this one! Adrien, Hugh, Julian, MacMallin, Anastasia and her twin are so interesting and fun.
I can’t wait for the next book.
Audiobook in May 2024. New to me narrator. May need to hear another one with him.
I can’t wait for the next book.
Audiobook in May 2024. New to me narrator. May need to hear another one with him.
February 19, 2025
I was very interested to read this book because of the tags in the blurb? Which I have.. never seen before outside of fanfiction.
So it doesn't really come as a surprise that this read very much like it was fanfiction. For the first few chapters basically nothing is happening. They go shopping, have breakfast, meet some friends, adopt a pet and the writing is fairly repetitive. Like, it's as if the author was trying to remind you of what happened last chapter because there was a delay between them... like in fanfiction. Overall there is just too much filler to keep me interested.
Then when we do get to the main plot, and meet the main love interest, it's basically insta love/attraction. And they are incredibly oblivious to anyone except themselves about it. It was genuinely hard to read at points and there was no emotional build-up to get invested in them getting together (which they did not). The entire plot was also crammed into like... 15-20% of the book. At most. It literally had no use outside of forcing the main couple to interact with each other.
The writing itself is also... not bad? But it reads very stilted. Like at multiple points I would stop and be like 'No one actually talks that way' which just gets enhanced by the repetitiveness. Some parts are also just... weird. Like the teens calling Adrien Master all the time even when he's not there, the focus on them being teenage prostitutes so much in the first half of the book. Just bad vibes.
Overall it was fine? If you like slice-of-life heavy stories this is probably a great read for you. I don't think I will be continuing the series though.
So it doesn't really come as a surprise that this read very much like it was fanfiction. For the first few chapters basically nothing is happening. They go shopping, have breakfast, meet some friends, adopt a pet and the writing is fairly repetitive. Like, it's as if the author was trying to remind you of what happened last chapter because there was a delay between them... like in fanfiction. Overall there is just too much filler to keep me interested.
Then when we do get to the main plot, and meet the main love interest, it's basically insta love/attraction. And they are incredibly oblivious to anyone except themselves about it. It was genuinely hard to read at points and there was no emotional build-up to get invested in them getting together (which they did not). The entire plot was also crammed into like... 15-20% of the book. At most. It literally had no use outside of forcing the main couple to interact with each other.
The writing itself is also... not bad? But it reads very stilted. Like at multiple points I would stop and be like 'No one actually talks that way' which just gets enhanced by the repetitiveness. Some parts are also just... weird. Like the teens calling Adrien Master all the time even when he's not there, the focus on them being teenage prostitutes so much in the first half of the book. Just bad vibes.
Overall it was fine? If you like slice-of-life heavy stories this is probably a great read for you. I don't think I will be continuing the series though.
May 3, 2024
Oh wow I just adored this! So fantastic and amazing. A.J. Sherwood is one of my favorite authors and this was just another lovely story. Adrien was just lovely. His grumbly acceptance of his two apprentices was sweet. He just can't turn his back on two kids in need. Julien's magic is clear and he's not going to take one brother without the other. This is a slow burn romance and I loved that the first half of this story is really establishing Adrien and his two apprentices as he gives those kids the first bit of stability they've ever had.
This story really has just a hint of the historical about it and it provides a lovely backdrop. I love the world here where magic and technology co-exist. This was just fun. Because this book takes it's time to establish these characters you really get a feel for the world as well. So by the time Quinn finally comes into the picture you're cheering for Adrien to find all that he is convinced will never he his. I loved Quinn and his interactions with the boys as they all dive into figuring out just what is going on in Quinn's caves. There's so much to enjoy here. This was cute and sweet and made me happy all the way through. I'm cheering for these two and am so excited there's more books to come in this series.
This story really has just a hint of the historical about it and it provides a lovely backdrop. I love the world here where magic and technology co-exist. This was just fun. Because this book takes it's time to establish these characters you really get a feel for the world as well. So by the time Quinn finally comes into the picture you're cheering for Adrien to find all that he is convinced will never he his. I loved Quinn and his interactions with the boys as they all dive into figuring out just what is going on in Quinn's caves. There's so much to enjoy here. This was cute and sweet and made me happy all the way through. I'm cheering for these two and am so excited there's more books to come in this series.
March 4, 2025
Look, the sea monster does nothing wrong. It’s just existing in its natural habitat when our ‘hero’ goes gunning for it. Bad sorceror. Also, his apprentices are two fourteen year old boys that act like kindergarteners, wanting to hold hands with their ‘master’ for security, needing bedtime stories, and giggling every four seconds. Then the sorceror meets an engineer who’s also a knight for no reason, and they cast longing looks at each other because it’s the 1930s and they’re both scared if they make the first move, they’ll end up in jail. Kind of a slow burn but with no actual burn.
good for fans of: bad for fans of:
historical romance animal welfare
found family
collies
Charles Dickens-style regional dialect
good for fans of: bad for fans of:
historical romance animal welfare
found family
collies
Charles Dickens-style regional dialect
December 5, 2023
loved it
Great start to a new series. Be warned, there is no contact between the MC’s. They are slowing feeling each other out as this is set in a time were their type of love can be detrimental. I loved both MC’s, the boys and the siblings. They make a great family. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
Great start to a new series. Be warned, there is no contact between the MC’s. They are slowing feeling each other out as this is set in a time were their type of love can be detrimental. I loved both MC’s, the boys and the siblings. They make a great family. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!
September 30, 2023
Cute but different
I was a little weary reading this book at first. I don’t usually like stories in the past and with the note that this wasn’t the usual AJ comedy included, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
The writing is brilliant as always. The characters are sweet and the family dynamic is wonderful.
It’s a bit slow paced but still a good read.
I was a little weary reading this book at first. I don’t usually like stories in the past and with the note that this wasn’t the usual AJ comedy included, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.
The writing is brilliant as always. The characters are sweet and the family dynamic is wonderful.
It’s a bit slow paced but still a good read.
March 1, 2024
💜💜💜💜💜+
This is a fantasy queer story, the first book in a series that must be read in order! I absolutely loved the writing on this one with fantastic characters, magic, and humor! I definitely enjoyed reading it and recommend it!
💜💜💜💜💜+
This is a fantasy queer story, the first book in a series that must be read in order! I absolutely loved the writing on this one with fantastic characters, magic, and humor! I definitely enjoyed reading it and recommend it!
💜💜💜💜💜+
May 6, 2024
This story was enjoyable and had many of my favorite tropes (found family, protective love interest, etc) but the pacing didn't keep me sucked into the story in the way I'd hoped it would. Nonetheless, I loved all of the characters and will continue reading the series at some point.
October 11, 2023
Amazing!
Absolutely loved everything about this story! I honestly didn't want it to end. Can't wait for Brazilian shenanigans! Can't recommend highly enough.
Absolutely loved everything about this story! I honestly didn't want it to end. Can't wait for Brazilian shenanigans! Can't recommend highly enough.
April 4, 2024
This world is just FUN! I'm really looking forward to more of Adrien and Hugh and (eventually!) Julian and Mac.
July 14, 2024
3.5 AJ suits my style of humour and this was a fun sweet read, will continue the series.
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October 9, 2024So soft and sweet, I adore found family and magic so this was such a fun read! 4 stars because some parts of the writing style weren't my favorite.
October 14, 2023
Just for that bit on pancit palabok, I give this author all the stars! :)
I read this in one sitting but do heed the author's notes that this is a slow burn.
The world was being set up so we get the backstory of each of the characters and there's nothing wrong with that. I can't wait to see what's next in Brazil! I am here for it!!
I read this in one sitting but do heed the author's notes that this is a slow burn.
The world was being set up so we get the backstory of each of the characters and there's nothing wrong with that. I can't wait to see what's next in Brazil! I am here for it!!
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