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Future of Magic #2
To Admire and To Adore
In this sequel to To Hive and To Hold, we check back in with Arthur and Jade, meet some new friends, make some new magic, and watch a new romance catch fire.
witch, apothecarist, tea-maker, and teacher. sorcerer, tattooist, and Arthur’s non-binary lover.Basil part fae, part human, and entirely overlooked by his sorcerer family. dragon, patron, and a man of exquisite taste.
Dragons have a bone to pick with the sorcerers, and both parties require impartial negotiators. Arthur and Jade agree to speak on the dragons' behalf, and Basil's father volunteers him to speak for the sorcerers.
Arthur gets new clients for tea, new vendors for magical plants and ingredients, and Basil gets a whole new world that appreciates him for who he is. Rixt gets more than he bargained for, Jade gets to see his former enemies get what they deserve, and our heroes get a whole lot of happily ever after.
low stakes, romance, m/m romance, genderqueer character, medium spicy, solarpunk, hopepunk, cozy magic, will make you hungry and crave tea, HEA and extended denouement, slice of lie
witch, apothecarist, tea-maker, and teacher. sorcerer, tattooist, and Arthur’s non-binary lover.Basil part fae, part human, and entirely overlooked by his sorcerer family. dragon, patron, and a man of exquisite taste.
Dragons have a bone to pick with the sorcerers, and both parties require impartial negotiators. Arthur and Jade agree to speak on the dragons' behalf, and Basil's father volunteers him to speak for the sorcerers.
Arthur gets new clients for tea, new vendors for magical plants and ingredients, and Basil gets a whole new world that appreciates him for who he is. Rixt gets more than he bargained for, Jade gets to see his former enemies get what they deserve, and our heroes get a whole lot of happily ever after.
low stakes, romance, m/m romance, genderqueer character, medium spicy, solarpunk, hopepunk, cozy magic, will make you hungry and crave tea, HEA and extended denouement, slice of lie
356 pages, Paperback
Published February 19, 2024
7 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
About the author
Amy Crook
23 books104 followersAmy Crook has passed straight from maiden to crone; her final form will be a cryptid that lurks in the liminal spaces, joining all the cats who reside there. They will become her feral army of spoilt, self-serving fluff beasts. Amy is aro/ace, uses she/they, and prefers textual communication. She has made friends with the house ghosts in upstate NY, and the old monster under the bed came along on the move and still holds hands with her at night.
She specializes in writing magical worlds, boys in love, delicious meals, adult communication, and happy endings. She also paints cats, crows, and other small, strange wonders. You can find more about Amy, her artwork, and her eight cats at her website.
She specializes in writing magical worlds, boys in love, delicious meals, adult communication, and happy endings. She also paints cats, crows, and other small, strange wonders. You can find more about Amy, her artwork, and her eight cats at her website.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 26, 2025
Sorry, but this one's not even close to being my cup of tea.
Basil especially was a difficult character to like or respect. I was disappointed after the complexity of Arthur's trade/barter system and his close chosen family. I also felt let down by a couple other strong characters we got to know in the first book. So sorry. I still believe the writer has great imagination and storytelling talent. This one was a miss for me.
Basil especially was a difficult character to like or respect. I was disappointed after the complexity of Arthur's trade/barter system and his close chosen family. I also felt let down by a couple other strong characters we got to know in the first book. So sorry. I still believe the writer has great imagination and storytelling talent. This one was a miss for me.
November 22, 2025
My reviews are my own. If you liked this book, I’m glad you enjoyed it. If not, I respect your opinion. This is merely my opinion, so let's keep it courteous. My review is honest and voluntary.
Same issue as every book by this author: insta-love/lust. No matter how long the books are, this author NEVER takes the time to develop a relationship BEFORE they get together. That is why I will never review one of their books as a 5-star. I also had an issue with the himbo mentality of the house-patner of the Dragon. Extremely tacky, crude, shallow, and vulgar. I disliked these characters and their exchange/relationship VERY much.
That said, the story has the same feeling as the first one. Cozy slice of life in a fantasy book if you skip the dragon chapters. It is a sweet, laid-back book when you need some peace and quiet from everyday stress. Love all the side characters, with the exception of the dragon and his himbo. Loved the food, it made me want to be there to taste it!
On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
Same issue as every book by this author: insta-love/lust. No matter how long the books are, this author NEVER takes the time to develop a relationship BEFORE they get together. That is why I will never review one of their books as a 5-star. I also had an issue with the himbo mentality of the house-patner of the Dragon. Extremely tacky, crude, shallow, and vulgar. I disliked these characters and their exchange/relationship VERY much.
That said, the story has the same feeling as the first one. Cozy slice of life in a fantasy book if you skip the dragon chapters. It is a sweet, laid-back book when you need some peace and quiet from everyday stress. Love all the side characters, with the exception of the dragon and his himbo. Loved the food, it made me want to be there to taste it!
On to my next adventure, Happy Readings!!!
November 4, 2025
Sigh - I am not supposed to buying more physical books and yet....
Another delightful read full of teas, bees, & found families! I found myself pulling out some fall favorites (Bonfire Toffee by Bird Blends) and brewing pots, instead of cups, to enjoy as I read.
A random character that pops in but never reappears - leaving a bit of an ominous note of potential conflict/doom.
A bit more character history shared, but still nothing of what caused the environmental shift that led to this version of London.
Maybe in book 3???
Now I may need to re-read TJ Klune's Under The Whispering Door - for a bit more tea infused found family storyline.
Another delightful read full of teas, bees, & found families! I found myself pulling out some fall favorites (Bonfire Toffee by Bird Blends) and brewing pots, instead of cups, to enjoy as I read.
A random character that pops in but never reappears - leaving a bit of an ominous note of potential conflict/doom.
A bit more character history shared, but still nothing of what caused the environmental shift that led to this version of London.
Maybe in book 3???
Now I may need to re-read TJ Klune's Under The Whispering Door - for a bit more tea infused found family storyline.
February 20, 2024
lovely read
Another lovely story from Amy. Really enjoyed being back in the lives of Arthur and Jade. Little to no angst and a sweet easy read. It was great to get introduced to a new character in Basil, such a sweetheart. Can’t wait to see where it goes next. If you like stories that show you around someone’s life without worrying about it being too heavy, and if you enjoy magic and magical beings, then this is for you.
Another lovely story from Amy. Really enjoyed being back in the lives of Arthur and Jade. Little to no angst and a sweet easy read. It was great to get introduced to a new character in Basil, such a sweetheart. Can’t wait to see where it goes next. If you like stories that show you around someone’s life without worrying about it being too heavy, and if you enjoy magic and magical beings, then this is for you.
June 24, 2024
Unlike the first book in this series, this one does have a bit of conflict, but it's so easily and quickly resolved that it barely registers. Somehow, though, even with the bit of conflict, less seems to happen in this book than in the first book. There is less tea and less forward movement for the characters. This time around, most of the characters don't change very much from where they are at the beginning of this book to the end.
March 16, 2024
storyline: ****
main characters: *****
side characters: ****
world building: *****
editing: ***
4.5
main characters: *****
side characters: ****
world building: *****
editing: ***
4.5
June 22, 2024
I'm so excited to see that she's writing a third book in the series!! I have no idea who it could be about, but I'm sure I'll love it!
August 8, 2024
Amy Crook has a unique writing style that's absolutely addictive. I love it!
September 2, 2024
Magical
Cannot recommend this author enough, whimsical, layered and so fun to visit. Eagerly awaiting the next installments of both series or whatever else they choose to make!
Cannot recommend this author enough, whimsical, layered and so fun to visit. Eagerly awaiting the next installments of both series or whatever else they choose to make!
March 1, 2024
DNF at 51%. It reads like a fan fic, and not the good kind.
I thought I could bear with it but it just got worse and worse until I looked at the beginning of the next chapter and just... did not care what happened because it was all so nonsensical and under-developed.
I'm doubly upset because (a) I loved the first one, and (b) Amazon wouldn't let me return the damn thing because I persevered too long.
I should have listened to myself when I hit a certain development towards the beginning and said, out loud, "I WILL RETURN THIS GODDAMN BOOK."
Teach ME to not follow my convictions.
I thought I could bear with it but it just got worse and worse until I looked at the beginning of the next chapter and just... did not care what happened because it was all so nonsensical and under-developed.
I'm doubly upset because (a) I loved the first one, and (b) Amazon wouldn't let me return the damn thing because I persevered too long.
I should have listened to myself when I hit a certain development towards the beginning and said, out loud, "I WILL RETURN THIS GODDAMN BOOK."
Teach ME to not follow my convictions.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews