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Steel & Spellfire
A devastatingly gifted mage with clandestine romantic connections to a Royal Guard joins the court social season in an attempt to undo past wrongs, only to fall under suspicion when a creature with powers shockingly like her own begins slaughtering her fellow debutantes.
Pandora Small has two ruling objectives: first, to keep the prodigious extent of her power secret, in a world where mages are feared and governed by suffocating laws. Second, to find her wealthy and noble-born patron, a shadowy figure bound to Pandora by magic, who stole her childhood and grew her power until she became a weapon rather than a girl. To that end, she’s posing as an Ingenue, a privileged and petted young woman of strictly limited abilities, who is allowed access to the royal court’s social season in order to find a husband and patron to control her magic.
But on Pandora’s arrival at court, Ellis Beacon, one of the most promising members of the Royal Guard, inadvertently learns the true scope of her power. Privately sympathetic towards mages and the difficulties they face, Beacon decides to keep Pandora’s secret. But when someone or something with powers terribly like Pandora’s own begins slaughtering her fellow Ingenues, Beacon’s resolve to keep what he knows about her private is put to the test.
Tasked with protecting all the girls in the palace, not just one, Beacon will have to decide whether Pandora is a suspect or an ally, while to win his trust, Pandora will have to let him know more of her still—the worst of who she is and what she’s done. Because only unity between them during the social whirlwind to come will enable Pan to find her patron and Beacon the killer, and ensure they both see justice meted out.
Pandora Small has two ruling objectives: first, to keep the prodigious extent of her power secret, in a world where mages are feared and governed by suffocating laws. Second, to find her wealthy and noble-born patron, a shadowy figure bound to Pandora by magic, who stole her childhood and grew her power until she became a weapon rather than a girl. To that end, she’s posing as an Ingenue, a privileged and petted young woman of strictly limited abilities, who is allowed access to the royal court’s social season in order to find a husband and patron to control her magic.
But on Pandora’s arrival at court, Ellis Beacon, one of the most promising members of the Royal Guard, inadvertently learns the true scope of her power. Privately sympathetic towards mages and the difficulties they face, Beacon decides to keep Pandora’s secret. But when someone or something with powers terribly like Pandora’s own begins slaughtering her fellow Ingenues, Beacon’s resolve to keep what he knows about her private is put to the test.
Tasked with protecting all the girls in the palace, not just one, Beacon will have to decide whether Pandora is a suspect or an ally, while to win his trust, Pandora will have to let him know more of her still—the worst of who she is and what she’s done. Because only unity between them during the social whirlwind to come will enable Pan to find her patron and Beacon the killer, and ensure they both see justice meted out.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published July 22, 2025
15 people are currently reading
3970 people want to read
About the author
Laura E. Weymouth
8 books697 followersLaura Weymouth is a Canadian living in America, and the sixth consecutive generation of her family to immigrate from one country to another. Born and raised in the Niagara region of Ontario, she now lives at the edge of the woods in western New York, along with her husband, three wild-hearted daughters, an unruly garden, and an ever-expanding menagerie of animal friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
July 31, 2025
જ⁀➴ 3.25 stars (rounded down to 3)
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura E. Weymouth, and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Steel & Spellfire is out now!
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I'm not sure what I expected from a book that was described as a Regency romantasy murder mystery, but this was quite the surprise!
Pandora Small is an Ingenue, a mage that's expected to enter society and be bound to a patron to keep their powers in check. Little does anyone know that Pandora actually holds a lot of power within her, but can't show it unless she wants to be arrested and executed. She escaped her patron, whom she's known for her entire life as someone hiding behind a mask, and trying to live under the radar. She meets Ellis Beacon, a member of the Royal Guard, who has the power of magesense- the ability to sense who has magic in them, who discovers the extent of her powers. When Pandora's fellow Ingenues start showing up dead, Pandora and Ellis have to work together to find out who's killing them and how to stop them before it's too late.
I loved the regency setting of the story! It gave me Bridgerton vibes with the Ingenues coming to the royal palace to present themselves and finding a patron to be bound to. There were plenty of balls, pretty gowns, and high society to give it the perfect vibes for a Regency-era book.
Now, I need to talk about Ellis Beacon, because holy crap, this man is down HORRENDOUS for Pandora Small. Literally anything Pandora asks him, he does. He's the kind of guy who'd be like, "You killed someone? Get my shovel and let's go hide the body together." (This isn't an actual scene from the book, by the way. That's just an example of the kind of guy he is.) It's so painfully obvious he loves Pandora. It's a little insta-lovey for me, and he's such a simp it was almost comical, but I love that I could tell that Pandora cares about him, too. It's not something I can say for a lot of characters/couples I've read about in recent history, and their chemistry was something I could feel radiating off my phone screen as I read the eARC.
The story was fast-paced, but I think that was its own weakness, which is the biggest issue I had with this book. I felt that there wasn't a whole ton of "filler" chapters/content, which is a good thing because it felt like every chapter and everything that happened had a bigger purpose and was significant and relevant to the plot. However, I felt that the plot was moving TOO fast. The pacing was fast, yes, but a lot of worldbuilding and character development was sacrificed in the process to make the romance shine. The concept of the wellspring, AKA the source of power that runs through Valora, was super cool to read about, but I wish that we got to learn more about it.
Additionally, I felt that not enough time was spent on character development, specifically Pandora's. We know right away (literally from the title of the first chapter) that she's literally not like other girls, considering she's probably the most powerful mage in Valora due to her patron. However, aside from that and her falling for Ellis Beacon, I couldn't tell you a single thing I liked about her. It's not that she's an unlikeable character. I think she's super badass, knowing she has all this power, and she's trying to get to the bottom of who her patron is so she can stop them from hurting more people. That's the only thing I can say about her, though, which is kind of sad considering I can tell you more about Imogen, and she's a side character and Pandora's enemy/rival from school.
(Also, is no one going to address the random use of SAT vocabulary all throughout the book? I had no problem reading it, but I thought that the random use of overly flowery language and words was somewhat unnecessary at times. Like, the last time I saw the word "ebullient" used in a sentence prior to reading this was in ninth grade when my English teacher made us take weekly SAT vocabulary quizzes to prepare us for the SAT...even though none of us actually took the exam until 3 years later.)
If you're looking for a unique magic system, royal court intrigue, all with the backdrop of a Regency setting, this might be the book for you! It personally wasn't the book for me, but I liked the premise, and I can see how other people can enjoy this more than I did!
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
Trigger/content warnings: murder/homicide, public executions, absent parents in childhood, alcohol consumption/alcoholism
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: This is another last-minute ARC approval I got for July! I'm still trying my best to beat this reading slump I've been in for July, but I'm so excited to read this. A Regency-era romantasy murder mystery with a girl with powers beyond her comprehension?! That's what that book sounds like to me, and I'm totally here for it!💙🤍 Like, can we just take a moment to appreciate the front cover and how badass our FMC, Pandora, looks? That just makes me want to read it more.
This is ARC 7/16 for my July 2025 ARC reading schedule, and eARC 1/3 for my deadline of July 22nd, 2025!
Thank you to NetGalley, Laura E. Weymouth, and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing/Margaret K. McElderry Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Steel & Spellfire is out now!
"Since the moment I first met you, you've been magic to me."
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
I'm not sure what I expected from a book that was described as a Regency romantasy murder mystery, but this was quite the surprise!
Pandora Small is an Ingenue, a mage that's expected to enter society and be bound to a patron to keep their powers in check. Little does anyone know that Pandora actually holds a lot of power within her, but can't show it unless she wants to be arrested and executed. She escaped her patron, whom she's known for her entire life as someone hiding behind a mask, and trying to live under the radar. She meets Ellis Beacon, a member of the Royal Guard, who has the power of magesense- the ability to sense who has magic in them, who discovers the extent of her powers. When Pandora's fellow Ingenues start showing up dead, Pandora and Ellis have to work together to find out who's killing them and how to stop them before it's too late.
I loved the regency setting of the story! It gave me Bridgerton vibes with the Ingenues coming to the royal palace to present themselves and finding a patron to be bound to. There were plenty of balls, pretty gowns, and high society to give it the perfect vibes for a Regency-era book.
Now, I need to talk about Ellis Beacon, because holy crap, this man is down HORRENDOUS for Pandora Small. Literally anything Pandora asks him, he does. He's the kind of guy who'd be like, "You killed someone? Get my shovel and let's go hide the body together." (This isn't an actual scene from the book, by the way. That's just an example of the kind of guy he is.) It's so painfully obvious he loves Pandora. It's a little insta-lovey for me, and he's such a simp it was almost comical, but I love that I could tell that Pandora cares about him, too. It's not something I can say for a lot of characters/couples I've read about in recent history, and their chemistry was something I could feel radiating off my phone screen as I read the eARC.
The story was fast-paced, but I think that was its own weakness, which is the biggest issue I had with this book. I felt that there wasn't a whole ton of "filler" chapters/content, which is a good thing because it felt like every chapter and everything that happened had a bigger purpose and was significant and relevant to the plot. However, I felt that the plot was moving TOO fast. The pacing was fast, yes, but a lot of worldbuilding and character development was sacrificed in the process to make the romance shine. The concept of the wellspring, AKA the source of power that runs through Valora, was super cool to read about, but I wish that we got to learn more about it.
Additionally, I felt that not enough time was spent on character development, specifically Pandora's. We know right away (literally from the title of the first chapter) that she's literally not like other girls, considering she's probably the most powerful mage in Valora due to her patron. However, aside from that and her falling for Ellis Beacon, I couldn't tell you a single thing I liked about her. It's not that she's an unlikeable character. I think she's super badass, knowing she has all this power, and she's trying to get to the bottom of who her patron is so she can stop them from hurting more people. That's the only thing I can say about her, though, which is kind of sad considering I can tell you more about Imogen, and she's a side character and Pandora's enemy/rival from school.
(Also, is no one going to address the random use of SAT vocabulary all throughout the book? I had no problem reading it, but I thought that the random use of overly flowery language and words was somewhat unnecessary at times. Like, the last time I saw the word "ebullient" used in a sentence prior to reading this was in ninth grade when my English teacher made us take weekly SAT vocabulary quizzes to prepare us for the SAT...even though none of us actually took the exam until 3 years later.)
If you're looking for a unique magic system, royal court intrigue, all with the backdrop of a Regency setting, this might be the book for you! It personally wasn't the book for me, but I liked the premise, and I can see how other people can enjoy this more than I did!
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
Trigger/content warnings: murder/homicide, public executions, absent parents in childhood, alcohol consumption/alcoholism
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹: This is another last-minute ARC approval I got for July! I'm still trying my best to beat this reading slump I've been in for July, but I'm so excited to read this. A Regency-era romantasy murder mystery with a girl with powers beyond her comprehension?! That's what that book sounds like to me, and I'm totally here for it!💙🤍 Like, can we just take a moment to appreciate the front cover and how badass our FMC, Pandora, looks? That just makes me want to read it more.
This is ARC 7/16 for my July 2025 ARC reading schedule, and eARC 1/3 for my deadline of July 22nd, 2025!
June 9, 2025
“Two truths existed within Beacon, at war with each other: Pandora was dangerous, and he wanted to be with her. Her power was anathema, yet he craved the sight and feel of it. There was nothing about Pandora Small he did not desire at this point, from the crown of her tidy head to the tips of her little feet; from the immaculately presented Ingenue exterior to the brutal magic burning at her heart.”
In a world where a rift of magic has opened, sending monsters into the world and imbuing young people with uncontrollable magic, Pandora is a Ingenue, a girl with magic seeking a titled patron to bind herself to. But Pandora has a secret—she already has a patron, and her magic is more than any Ingenue’s before. When her fellow girls start dying, she must team up with Beacon, a young guard, to find the murderer and her mysterious patron, who may be one and the same.
In this regency esque world where young girls with magic are deemed dangerous and either bound or killed, Weymouth has a lot to say about female agency and power and how women are framed as needing to be “controlled.” We also get a classic Weymouth male love interest, a guard who is ride or die for the protagonist, going so far as to kneel before her like a knight champion. SWOON. There are plenty of twists as secrets are revealed and power displayed.
STEEL & SPELLFIRE is a fascinating fantasy novel with a strong romantic through line, a great YA romp for anyone who likes a regency flavored fantasy with questions about power and women’s roles in the world.
4.5 stars! B
Heat level: just kissing
Thanks to the author for this arc—it comes out July 22nd!
In a world where a rift of magic has opened, sending monsters into the world and imbuing young people with uncontrollable magic, Pandora is a Ingenue, a girl with magic seeking a titled patron to bind herself to. But Pandora has a secret—she already has a patron, and her magic is more than any Ingenue’s before. When her fellow girls start dying, she must team up with Beacon, a young guard, to find the murderer and her mysterious patron, who may be one and the same.
In this regency esque world where young girls with magic are deemed dangerous and either bound or killed, Weymouth has a lot to say about female agency and power and how women are framed as needing to be “controlled.” We also get a classic Weymouth male love interest, a guard who is ride or die for the protagonist, going so far as to kneel before her like a knight champion. SWOON. There are plenty of twists as secrets are revealed and power displayed.
STEEL & SPELLFIRE is a fascinating fantasy novel with a strong romantic through line, a great YA romp for anyone who likes a regency flavored fantasy with questions about power and women’s roles in the world.
4.5 stars! B
Heat level: just kissing
Thanks to the author for this arc—it comes out July 22nd!
June 22, 2025
Steel & Spellfire is a charming, fast-paced, high-stakes adventure. I fell easily into his world, its characters, and its story.
Pandora Small is a mage in a world that fears and condemns those like her, and so she keeps the extent of her magic hidden as she secretly goes on the hunt to find out a mystery of her past. Ellis Beacon is a member of the Royal Guard and he too holds his own secrets, one of which is why he immediately can detect Pandora is a mage. Law and duty would order him to turn her in, instead he joins her mission and together they hunt for hellions and truths.
This story is one well shared by both Pandora and Beacon. Both have taken up roles in society while hiding their true selves. Beacon sees Pandora for who she really is and instead of reeling from it, instead of turning her in, instead of fearing what she is, he sees the beauty in all of her, in all her strength and vulnerability. Pandora has lived her life as a lie, she is desperate to find out who her patron–her captor— is, so she can be freed from that debilitating tie. Trust not only does not come easily, it does not come at all for Pandora. And yet she finds herself easily trusting in Beacon’s earnestness, in his sincerity. They come to make a formidable team. I only wish I could have believed as easily in their romance. I think had the book been longer it would have greatly benefited in this aspect. The narrative does a lovely job in welcoming readers into the essence of who Pandora and Beacon are, and I had hoped for the same welcoming development in the romance.
I always appreciate fantasy that gets things moving at an energetic pace that keeps the pages eagerly turning. And truly, I kept engaged in this work from beginning to ending, but sometimes it felt the pace went a bit too quickly at the cost of better character development. Principally in developing the central romance. And some moments were not given the ample time to truly breathe. For example, I thought a moment of forgiveness came too easily against a moment of betrayal. And while reasons are given for it, it never felt quite earned. Nevertheless, I still found myself engaging easily with the story, and I appreciated that never once did I feel left behind.
While I may not have been the ideal target audience for this one, I believe so many will appreciate and love this story. There’s plenty of charm, intrigue, and adventure to behold.
Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
Pandora Small is a mage in a world that fears and condemns those like her, and so she keeps the extent of her magic hidden as she secretly goes on the hunt to find out a mystery of her past. Ellis Beacon is a member of the Royal Guard and he too holds his own secrets, one of which is why he immediately can detect Pandora is a mage. Law and duty would order him to turn her in, instead he joins her mission and together they hunt for hellions and truths.
This story is one well shared by both Pandora and Beacon. Both have taken up roles in society while hiding their true selves. Beacon sees Pandora for who she really is and instead of reeling from it, instead of turning her in, instead of fearing what she is, he sees the beauty in all of her, in all her strength and vulnerability. Pandora has lived her life as a lie, she is desperate to find out who her patron–her captor— is, so she can be freed from that debilitating tie. Trust not only does not come easily, it does not come at all for Pandora. And yet she finds herself easily trusting in Beacon’s earnestness, in his sincerity. They come to make a formidable team. I only wish I could have believed as easily in their romance. I think had the book been longer it would have greatly benefited in this aspect. The narrative does a lovely job in welcoming readers into the essence of who Pandora and Beacon are, and I had hoped for the same welcoming development in the romance.
I always appreciate fantasy that gets things moving at an energetic pace that keeps the pages eagerly turning. And truly, I kept engaged in this work from beginning to ending, but sometimes it felt the pace went a bit too quickly at the cost of better character development. Principally in developing the central romance. And some moments were not given the ample time to truly breathe. For example, I thought a moment of forgiveness came too easily against a moment of betrayal. And while reasons are given for it, it never felt quite earned. Nevertheless, I still found myself engaging easily with the story, and I appreciated that never once did I feel left behind.
While I may not have been the ideal target audience for this one, I believe so many will appreciate and love this story. There’s plenty of charm, intrigue, and adventure to behold.
Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
June 24, 2025
Thanks to Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
I skimmed this book quickly because I wasn't able to connect with anything. It might be a good read for others. The writing style didn't work for me.
I skimmed this book quickly because I wasn't able to connect with anything. It might be a good read for others. The writing style didn't work for me.
October 15, 2025
[3.25 stars] This one started off so strong. I was immediately drawn in by the Regency setting. It gave me The Rose Bargain vibes, especially early on with the six Ingenues competing at the Palace for a patron. I also really appreciated that it’s a standalone YA fantasy.
The worldbuilding is one of the book’s biggest strengths. You can tell the author put a lot of thought into it. The spellfire magic system is quite interesting - young girls with this power are forced to bind themselves to a patron, often a wealthy man, or face execution. The magic that Ingenues use is referred to as ‘parlor magic’. The whole setup definitely poses some interesting questions about how society values (and exploits) young women with power. I also loved the details about the wellspring, as well as the magical monsters like Grims, Gaunts, and Hellions.
Pandora as a main character is quite loveable, but she HEAVILY suffers from ‘not like other girls syndrome’. Her backstory and how she was formed into a weapon made it really easy to root for her, though. I just wish she had some more character depth beyond how powerful she is and her search for her former patron.
Her romance with Ellis Beacon is very sweet but insta-lovey. Beacon immediately becomes quite obsessed with her and wants to protect her/help her find her patron. I usually hate insta-love but I wouldn’t say the romance is a focal point here, so I didn’t mind. I also liked that we get alternating POVs from both Beacon and Pandora.
While the plot is fast-paced and full of charm, I didn’t really feel the urge to pick the book back up once I set it down. It’s one of those books that I genuinely enjoyed while reading, but it didn’t completely grip me.
Still, I’d definitely recommend this if you’re after a regency-inspired YA fantasy with magic, court intrigue, and a murder mystery!
Thank you Simon Teen for the gifted review copy. All opinions my own.
The worldbuilding is one of the book’s biggest strengths. You can tell the author put a lot of thought into it. The spellfire magic system is quite interesting - young girls with this power are forced to bind themselves to a patron, often a wealthy man, or face execution. The magic that Ingenues use is referred to as ‘parlor magic’. The whole setup definitely poses some interesting questions about how society values (and exploits) young women with power. I also loved the details about the wellspring, as well as the magical monsters like Grims, Gaunts, and Hellions.
Pandora as a main character is quite loveable, but she HEAVILY suffers from ‘not like other girls syndrome’. Her backstory and how she was formed into a weapon made it really easy to root for her, though. I just wish she had some more character depth beyond how powerful she is and her search for her former patron.
Her romance with Ellis Beacon is very sweet but insta-lovey. Beacon immediately becomes quite obsessed with her and wants to protect her/help her find her patron. I usually hate insta-love but I wouldn’t say the romance is a focal point here, so I didn’t mind. I also liked that we get alternating POVs from both Beacon and Pandora.
While the plot is fast-paced and full of charm, I didn’t really feel the urge to pick the book back up once I set it down. It’s one of those books that I genuinely enjoyed while reading, but it didn’t completely grip me.
Still, I’d definitely recommend this if you’re after a regency-inspired YA fantasy with magic, court intrigue, and a murder mystery!
Thank you Simon Teen for the gifted review copy. All opinions my own.
January 9, 2025
Thank you to Simon & Schuster and Edelweiss for the DRC!
𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭 & 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 follows a talented young mage escaping persecution by posing as an Ingenue during court season. She's hoping to locate, and destroy, her magic-bound patron, but her mission becomes complicated as her fellow Ingenues are murdered and a handsome guard discovers her secret. This entertaining escape is full of mystery, intrigue, and forbidden romance.
When I saw 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 as a comp title, I knew I was going to need this book like I need air. It's a fun and bingeable YA fantasy with a sweet romantic subplot, which is exactly what I expect from Simon Teen titles. It's not anything groundbreaking, but it delivers to its target audience in a way it means to.
We have a society that fears the unknown and misunderstood - which results in hunting a population with magical gifts. We meet an orphan girl with a mysterious past and powerful magic, and we watch as she infiltrates high society and falls for a palace guard. It's a bit formulaic, but I think that's to be expected.
I wasn't expecting the love interest, Beacon, to be attracted to Pan so quickly, but it made some sense and was rather sweet in its protective nature. However, you may want to pass if you aren't looking for insta-love.
I would recommend this for fans of 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯.
𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭 & 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 follows a talented young mage escaping persecution by posing as an Ingenue during court season. She's hoping to locate, and destroy, her magic-bound patron, but her mission becomes complicated as her fellow Ingenues are murdered and a handsome guard discovers her secret. This entertaining escape is full of mystery, intrigue, and forbidden romance.
When I saw 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 as a comp title, I knew I was going to need this book like I need air. It's a fun and bingeable YA fantasy with a sweet romantic subplot, which is exactly what I expect from Simon Teen titles. It's not anything groundbreaking, but it delivers to its target audience in a way it means to.
We have a society that fears the unknown and misunderstood - which results in hunting a population with magical gifts. We meet an orphan girl with a mysterious past and powerful magic, and we watch as she infiltrates high society and falls for a palace guard. It's a bit formulaic, but I think that's to be expected.
I wasn't expecting the love interest, Beacon, to be attracted to Pan so quickly, but it made some sense and was rather sweet in its protective nature. However, you may want to pass if you aren't looking for insta-love.
I would recommend this for fans of 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯.
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July 19, 2025Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy
Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth is a third person dual-POV YA romantic fantasy with a Regency flair. Pandora Small is posing as a potential Ingenue who has one shot to join the court and find the patron who turned her power into a living weapon. Ellis Beacon is a guard who can sense magic through the touch and he realizes before anyone else that Pandora is a lot more dangerous than her appearance implies.
Pandora is determined to not get anyone, including Beacon, wrapped up in her cause. Even when she knows she's using someone, she still tries to make sure she isn't harming them and seems to feel genuinely guilty when someone is affected by her actions. I thought this was interesting because this makes Pandora a character who will set aside her own natural inclinations for the sake of goals but will still try to do the right thing when she can.
The magic system is a bit on the softer side. We know that there are patrons and bindings and the magic the Ingenues use is called ‘parlor magic’, but it's not a super hard magic system that only works in very specific ways. It has limitations and the laws create even more limitations which help give it some rhyme and reason besides ‘magic can do anything.’ We do know that it can be very destructive, though, as a mage five years ago tore the kingdom apart and released demonic creatures into the world.
Pandora and Beacon fit the Tol and Smol trope as Beacon is described as being a giant and Pandora is a few inches shorter than five feet. Early on, Beacon doesn’t see Pandora as anything special until he can feel her magic and then he slowly starts to see what makes her shine compared to the other Ingenues. It’s not love at first sight for either of them by any means but they do fall in love reasonably quickly.
I would recommend this to fans of YA romantic fantasy who want something that has a touch of the courts of Regency and Victorian, but don’t want to go full Regency romance and readers of YA fantasy who are interested in a mystery element in their fantasy.
Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth is a third person dual-POV YA romantic fantasy with a Regency flair. Pandora Small is posing as a potential Ingenue who has one shot to join the court and find the patron who turned her power into a living weapon. Ellis Beacon is a guard who can sense magic through the touch and he realizes before anyone else that Pandora is a lot more dangerous than her appearance implies.
Pandora is determined to not get anyone, including Beacon, wrapped up in her cause. Even when she knows she's using someone, she still tries to make sure she isn't harming them and seems to feel genuinely guilty when someone is affected by her actions. I thought this was interesting because this makes Pandora a character who will set aside her own natural inclinations for the sake of goals but will still try to do the right thing when she can.
The magic system is a bit on the softer side. We know that there are patrons and bindings and the magic the Ingenues use is called ‘parlor magic’, but it's not a super hard magic system that only works in very specific ways. It has limitations and the laws create even more limitations which help give it some rhyme and reason besides ‘magic can do anything.’ We do know that it can be very destructive, though, as a mage five years ago tore the kingdom apart and released demonic creatures into the world.
Pandora and Beacon fit the Tol and Smol trope as Beacon is described as being a giant and Pandora is a few inches shorter than five feet. Early on, Beacon doesn’t see Pandora as anything special until he can feel her magic and then he slowly starts to see what makes her shine compared to the other Ingenues. It’s not love at first sight for either of them by any means but they do fall in love reasonably quickly.
I would recommend this to fans of YA romantic fantasy who want something that has a touch of the courts of Regency and Victorian, but don’t want to go full Regency romance and readers of YA fantasy who are interested in a mystery element in their fantasy.
June 29, 2025
Read this if you love...
💙 regency-inspired fantasy
✨ unique magic systems
👑 royal intrigue
In a kingdom with strict mage laws, Pandora Small must keep the extent of her magical abilities secret while hunting for the shadowy patron who stole her childhood. Pandora poses as an Ingenue, a noble-born young woman with limited magic who enters the royal court each season with hopes of securing an advantageous match. To keep their powers contained, the law requires that each Ingenue bind their magic to a patron who will control them. Pandora's surprising connection with a royal guard is put to the test when her fellow Ingenues start dying under suspicious circumstances.
Wow! I devoured Steel & Spellfire in a weekend. While the worldbuilding confused me at times, the earnest characters ultimately won me over. Pandora and Beacon care deeply for one another and want to do the right thing. Their quest for justice in a society bent against them kept me engaged and hopeful. Beacon was down bad for her, but still wrestled with his obligations to the guard. Their motivations felt genuine rather than contrived as can often happen in YA. Honestly, they fit together well. I also enjoyed Pandora's relationships with Imogen and Theo.
Weymouth's plotting took me by surprise (in a good way!). I initially questioned the use of dual POV but found it worked best for the story. These flawed characters are unreliable narrators, which allows for some shocking reveals. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, something unexpected would come into play.
My only gripe is how often Beacon described Pandora as small, short, or "diminutive." If I was the drinking type and took a sip every time he mentioned her height, I'd probably be in the hospital.
On a lighter note, kudos to the author for bringing back humorous chapter titles. My personal favorites were "Panic! At the Ballroom" and "Bees!". I imagine her editor got a kick out of those.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
💙 regency-inspired fantasy
✨ unique magic systems
👑 royal intrigue
In a kingdom with strict mage laws, Pandora Small must keep the extent of her magical abilities secret while hunting for the shadowy patron who stole her childhood. Pandora poses as an Ingenue, a noble-born young woman with limited magic who enters the royal court each season with hopes of securing an advantageous match. To keep their powers contained, the law requires that each Ingenue bind their magic to a patron who will control them. Pandora's surprising connection with a royal guard is put to the test when her fellow Ingenues start dying under suspicious circumstances.
Wow! I devoured Steel & Spellfire in a weekend. While the worldbuilding confused me at times, the earnest characters ultimately won me over. Pandora and Beacon care deeply for one another and want to do the right thing. Their quest for justice in a society bent against them kept me engaged and hopeful. Beacon was down bad for her, but still wrestled with his obligations to the guard. Their motivations felt genuine rather than contrived as can often happen in YA. Honestly, they fit together well. I also enjoyed Pandora's relationships with Imogen and Theo.
Weymouth's plotting took me by surprise (in a good way!). I initially questioned the use of dual POV but found it worked best for the story. These flawed characters are unreliable narrators, which allows for some shocking reveals. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, something unexpected would come into play.
My only gripe is how often Beacon described Pandora as small, short, or "diminutive." If I was the drinking type and took a sip every time he mentioned her height, I'd probably be in the hospital.
On a lighter note, kudos to the author for bringing back humorous chapter titles. My personal favorites were "Panic! At the Ballroom" and "Bees!". I imagine her editor got a kick out of those.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 22, 2025
This is said to be like Divine Rivals meets The Witch Haven and I have not had the pleasure of reading either of those books so I couldn’t make the connection. I have, however, read Heartless Hunter/The Crimson Moth and this story reminded me a bit of it due to the premise.
Mages are feared and closely governed by the lay in the city of Valoria. Pandora Smalls, aka Pan, is a mage and not just any mage but, someone whose powers are bigger than her (no pun intended cause she is several inches below 5 ft as it is mentioned consistently). She enters the royal court social season as an Ingenue with plans to sever the bond that ties her to her guardian once and for all. But, the plan gets tricky when Beacon, a member of the royal guard, discovers her true powers.
I think the story at first was great and promising but, I did find myself skimming lines to get through chapters quicker. Which was feat in itself cause the pacing in this book was rather quick too. So, I couldn’t really get behind either one of our characters that much. Beacon was a kind, wears his heart on his sleeve, awkward MMC; which I appreciated. And then we had Pandora, who was a bit spunky and a strong FMC. To be honest, the romance was insta-lovey for me, he practically worshipped the ground she walked on after one interaction and that to me was a bit off putting.
However, the magic in this story was very interesting and loved how the use of parlor tricks was made into something even more grand when Pandora would weave it.
While, I don’t think I’m necessarily the target audience for this book. I do think there are others who are and if you love royal court intrigue, murder mystery, and YA fantasy then this is the book for you.
Thank you Simon Teen for sending me this eARC
Mages are feared and closely governed by the lay in the city of Valoria. Pandora Smalls, aka Pan, is a mage and not just any mage but, someone whose powers are bigger than her (no pun intended cause she is several inches below 5 ft as it is mentioned consistently). She enters the royal court social season as an Ingenue with plans to sever the bond that ties her to her guardian once and for all. But, the plan gets tricky when Beacon, a member of the royal guard, discovers her true powers.
I think the story at first was great and promising but, I did find myself skimming lines to get through chapters quicker. Which was feat in itself cause the pacing in this book was rather quick too. So, I couldn’t really get behind either one of our characters that much. Beacon was a kind, wears his heart on his sleeve, awkward MMC; which I appreciated. And then we had Pandora, who was a bit spunky and a strong FMC. To be honest, the romance was insta-lovey for me, he practically worshipped the ground she walked on after one interaction and that to me was a bit off putting.
However, the magic in this story was very interesting and loved how the use of parlor tricks was made into something even more grand when Pandora would weave it.
While, I don’t think I’m necessarily the target audience for this book. I do think there are others who are and if you love royal court intrigue, murder mystery, and YA fantasy then this is the book for you.
Thank you Simon Teen for sending me this eARC
August 11, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley & Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
This had a pretty strong start but fizzled halfway through. It's entertaining enough but I feel like the issue with the book is that it's trying to be a million things at once. It's a murder mystery, it's fantasy, it's romance, it's action....it never quite figures out what it wants to be.
I'm usually bad at solving the mystery but I solved it halfway through...not a good sign, ha. I feel like the whole "learn how to fit in society" magic school aspect was fast-forwarded through and I would've liked to read more on it.
There was a lot of worldbuilding jammed into this book and everything didn't get fully fleshed out. It was still entertaining though.
This had a pretty strong start but fizzled halfway through. It's entertaining enough but I feel like the issue with the book is that it's trying to be a million things at once. It's a murder mystery, it's fantasy, it's romance, it's action....it never quite figures out what it wants to be.
I'm usually bad at solving the mystery but I solved it halfway through...not a good sign, ha. I feel like the whole "learn how to fit in society" magic school aspect was fast-forwarded through and I would've liked to read more on it.
There was a lot of worldbuilding jammed into this book and everything didn't get fully fleshed out. It was still entertaining though.
July 1, 2025
Thanks for my early copy. All thoughts are my own.
This was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the magic system and I’m a sucker for Beacon. I do feel like the love was a little too slow burning for my liking but none the less Pan and Beacon are precious.
This book was fast pace, adventurous, and the characters were easily to love. I think if you’re looking for a quick high stakes fantasy to read, you should pick this up!
3.5 rounded to 4!
This was an interesting read. I really enjoyed the magic system and I’m a sucker for Beacon. I do feel like the love was a little too slow burning for my liking but none the less Pan and Beacon are precious.
This book was fast pace, adventurous, and the characters were easily to love. I think if you’re looking for a quick high stakes fantasy to read, you should pick this up!
3.5 rounded to 4!
Want to read
October 10, 2024"A devastatingly gifted mage with clandestine romantic connections to a Royal Guard joins the court social season in an attempt to undo past wrongs, only to fall under suspicion when a creature with powers shockingly like her own begins slaughtering her fellow debutantes.
"
can't wait for the newest weymouth!!!
"
can't wait for the newest weymouth!!!
July 24, 2025
Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook and Simon Teen for the ARC.
WELL.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK
I think this was trying to do too much in a standalone. Maybe spread out across a duology would have been better? The ideas and framework were interesting and I don’t think there was anything inherently wrong with the writing style. I just kept waiting for everything to truly come together or for me to feel invested, and I never got to that stage.
I liked the characters. It is young adult appropriate which I know can be hard to find, but with kisses only and no excess language I think a younger audience would like this.
And I did enjoy the regency-esque world. I love fantasy books with that dynamic. There’s some good scenes and I don’t think it was a BAD book, just not for me.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: mild – moderate
WELL.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM || TIKTOK
I think this was trying to do too much in a standalone. Maybe spread out across a duology would have been better? The ideas and framework were interesting and I don’t think there was anything inherently wrong with the writing style. I just kept waiting for everything to truly come together or for me to feel invested, and I never got to that stage.
I liked the characters. It is young adult appropriate which I know can be hard to find, but with kisses only and no excess language I think a younger audience would like this.
And I did enjoy the regency-esque world. I love fantasy books with that dynamic. There’s some good scenes and I don’t think it was a BAD book, just not for me.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: none
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: mild – moderate
November 1, 2025
Loved it!
dnf
November 22, 2025DNF 5% in. nothing wrong with it, just wasn’t vibing with it mainly because of the historical vibes I was getting from it
September 9, 2025
Oh my goodness, I LOVED this book! I fell into the lyrical prose the moment I started reading, and I couldn’t do anything else till I finished. I have to read more of this author’s books!
November 6, 2025
Pandora has down played her magic for years, attending a school to gain access to the royal courts in order to find her patron that bound her magic years ago as a child. Some romantic with Beacon, a member of the Royal Guard, some twists and turns along the way... Murder, mystery and magic make this book appealing but something about the story made me keep putting it down to do other things instead of want to read the whole book in a day.
Favorite quote: Beacon felt his whole heart moving toward her, and he did not care to stop its going.
Favorite quote: Beacon felt his whole heart moving toward her, and he did not care to stop its going.
August 22, 2025
*I received an e-arc via Netgalley from the publisher. Thank you for the opportunity to review. All thoughts are my own*
I have been reading Laura E. Weymouth’s books since her debut The Light Between Worlds, and she has not disappointed me yet! She has become an auto buy author for me, and I will continue to read whatever she writes. Steel & Spellfire has a unique magic system, murder, mystery, court intrigue and romance all in a Regency Esque setting. It totally gave off Bridgerton vibes and I was here for it!
Pandora Small has two objectives. First, she wants to keep the extent of her power secret, where mages are both feared and persecuted. Second, she wants to find her patron who stole her childhood from her and turned her power into a weapon. To meet her objectives, she is posing as an Ingenue to gain access to the royal court’s social season, where the girls are groomed to find a husband and patron to control their magic.
When Pandora arrives at court, Kit Beacon, a member of the royal guard, quickly discovers the magnitude of her powers. Beacon has sympathy for mages and the difficulties they face, so he decides to keep her power a secret. However, as someone begins murdering Ingenues, with a power that’s quite similar to Pandora’s, his trust is put to the test.
Beacon’s duty as a royal guard is to protect all the girls at the palace, so he will have to decide if Pandora is a suspect or an ally. To gain Beacon’s trust, Pandora must share more about herself, who she truly is and what she has done. The pair soon discover that they must work together to find Pan’s patron and Beacon’s murder suspect to ensure justice.
Pandora and Beacon were both very likable characters that I enjoyed getting to know. I found myself rooting for them as they raced to solve the mystery and find justice in a society that was oppressive to people with magic. I really enjoyed the magic system and the world in which these characters lived. The story was fast paced, and it wrapped up well for a standalone.
I definitely recommend to fans of Laura’s and to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy!
I have been reading Laura E. Weymouth’s books since her debut The Light Between Worlds, and she has not disappointed me yet! She has become an auto buy author for me, and I will continue to read whatever she writes. Steel & Spellfire has a unique magic system, murder, mystery, court intrigue and romance all in a Regency Esque setting. It totally gave off Bridgerton vibes and I was here for it!
Pandora Small has two objectives. First, she wants to keep the extent of her power secret, where mages are both feared and persecuted. Second, she wants to find her patron who stole her childhood from her and turned her power into a weapon. To meet her objectives, she is posing as an Ingenue to gain access to the royal court’s social season, where the girls are groomed to find a husband and patron to control their magic.
When Pandora arrives at court, Kit Beacon, a member of the royal guard, quickly discovers the magnitude of her powers. Beacon has sympathy for mages and the difficulties they face, so he decides to keep her power a secret. However, as someone begins murdering Ingenues, with a power that’s quite similar to Pandora’s, his trust is put to the test.
Beacon’s duty as a royal guard is to protect all the girls at the palace, so he will have to decide if Pandora is a suspect or an ally. To gain Beacon’s trust, Pandora must share more about herself, who she truly is and what she has done. The pair soon discover that they must work together to find Pan’s patron and Beacon’s murder suspect to ensure justice.
Pandora and Beacon were both very likable characters that I enjoyed getting to know. I found myself rooting for them as they raced to solve the mystery and find justice in a society that was oppressive to people with magic. I really enjoyed the magic system and the world in which these characters lived. The story was fast paced, and it wrapped up well for a standalone.
I definitely recommend to fans of Laura’s and to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy!
May 2, 2025
I think this is my third or fourth YA standalone book by Laura E. Weymouth so needless to say, I am a fan of her writing. This one took me a bit longer to really get into as you can see from my reading dates. To be totally fair to myself, I did have a baby in the middle of reading this one but I think there were reasons that I didn't finish it all in one sitting like I had with her previous books.
The pacing was a bit slower than I'd have liked for this book. Everything really ramped up in the last third to quarter but it took a while to get there and to keep my interest. I found that I was almost skimming some of the pages because I was craving more information and something to move the plot along at places.
The romance is very sweet and this is definitely something a younger YA reader could read without issue. I wasn't really missing more on that front. Perhaps more chapters with Beacon and Pandora's romance at the forefront would have been nice but I don't think they would have fixed the plot pacing.
Overall, the world is very interesting and it had a great premise. The ending and final chapters and reveals really brought this book back from a three start read to a solid four stars for me.
I'd absolutely keep reading Laura E. Weymouth's books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The pacing was a bit slower than I'd have liked for this book. Everything really ramped up in the last third to quarter but it took a while to get there and to keep my interest. I found that I was almost skimming some of the pages because I was craving more information and something to move the plot along at places.
The romance is very sweet and this is definitely something a younger YA reader could read without issue. I wasn't really missing more on that front. Perhaps more chapters with Beacon and Pandora's romance at the forefront would have been nice but I don't think they would have fixed the plot pacing.
Overall, the world is very interesting and it had a great premise. The ending and final chapters and reveals really brought this book back from a three start read to a solid four stars for me.
I'd absolutely keep reading Laura E. Weymouth's books.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 31, 2025
A Regency-esque magical murder-mystery with a dash of romance.
What's not to love?
Sporting an compelling premise, an interesting magic system, and charming characters, Steel & Spellfire is by turns exciting and sweet. The pacing can be a little slow at times, but this just serves to add to the air of mystery surrounding miss Pandora Small.
I have loved every book Laura Weymouth has written thus far and this one was no exception.
Thank you to Laura and Simon and Schuster for sending me an ARC.
What's not to love?
Sporting an compelling premise, an interesting magic system, and charming characters, Steel & Spellfire is by turns exciting and sweet. The pacing can be a little slow at times, but this just serves to add to the air of mystery surrounding miss Pandora Small.
I have loved every book Laura Weymouth has written thus far and this one was no exception.
Thank you to Laura and Simon and Schuster for sending me an ARC.
April 27, 2025
As a short person, I am begging authors to please stop making their characters 5 feet tall or shorter. Please. Not every ship needs a three-foot height difference.
Steel & Spellfire is a YA fantasy with elements of a murder mystery and court intrigue, and while I initially picked it up because of the Divine Rivals comp, I think it reminded me more of Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter or, weirdly enough, Holly Webb's Rose series. I definitely think this book is more fitting for the younger audience of YA (12-15 range), but I think older teens might enjoy it too. It's fairly trope-y, and there are some details or jokes that I found a bit cringey, but overall it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the story.
Pandora Small is perhaps the most powerful mage of her time, but she's been raised as a weapon by her mysterious patron. Determined to find whoever holds the key to her power, Pandora poses as an Ingenue - a young woman seeking patronage - to gain access to the royal court so she can find her secret patron. Once she arrives in court, the murder mystery aspect of the plot begins, as does the romance when Pandora meets Ellis Beacon, a young guard. The plot did feel a bit slower than I would've expected for a murder mystery, but that was because a lot of the scenes still focused on court intrigue. I also felt that there was a lack of tension/suspense in some parts because Pandora's magic feels a bit overpowering, in that the only thing that could probably hurt her is herself. There were a handful of action scenes and investigation scenes that I really enjoyed, and I did like watching the mystery play out, although I don't think it was too unpredictable. However, I also don't think the twist was foreshadowed too well, and I only sort of guessed it because I'm familiar with the shape of these kinds of stories and not the actual details of the story itself. Again, I think this will work for younger audiences, but older teens might not be as hooked by the story.
Additionally, I think some of the characters pulled me out of the story because they're even tropier than the plot. Pandora is your super tiny, super plain, super powerful protagonist who has a bit of a tragic backstory; also, the first chapter of the book is titled "Literally Not Like the Other Girls," which I think sets up the sense of humor this book tries to display. Pandora wasn't too bad as an FMC, she was just a bit bland. Beacon was also your typical YA love interest in that he practically worshiped the ground Pandora walked on, which meant the whole relationship was a bit insta-lovey on his side. He had his own POV, but he read more as a love interest than an actual main character. I didn't like Imogen at first, but I grew to like her by the end. Theo was enticing as a character from his introduction, and certain parts of his backstory somehow landed him a spot as one of my favorite characters in this book. Everyone except Pandora and Beacon was a bit flat, but I didn't mind it too much because they weren't in half the scenes.
Steel & Spellfire is a YA fantasy novel with elements of mystery, romance, and court intrigue that reminded me a lot of other popular books, including Sorcery of Thorns and Powerless.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
Steel & Spellfire is a YA fantasy with elements of a murder mystery and court intrigue, and while I initially picked it up because of the Divine Rivals comp, I think it reminded me more of Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter or, weirdly enough, Holly Webb's Rose series. I definitely think this book is more fitting for the younger audience of YA (12-15 range), but I think older teens might enjoy it too. It's fairly trope-y, and there are some details or jokes that I found a bit cringey, but overall it didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the story.
Pandora Small is perhaps the most powerful mage of her time, but she's been raised as a weapon by her mysterious patron. Determined to find whoever holds the key to her power, Pandora poses as an Ingenue - a young woman seeking patronage - to gain access to the royal court so she can find her secret patron. Once she arrives in court, the murder mystery aspect of the plot begins, as does the romance when Pandora meets Ellis Beacon, a young guard. The plot did feel a bit slower than I would've expected for a murder mystery, but that was because a lot of the scenes still focused on court intrigue. I also felt that there was a lack of tension/suspense in some parts because Pandora's magic feels a bit overpowering, in that the only thing that could probably hurt her is herself. There were a handful of action scenes and investigation scenes that I really enjoyed, and I did like watching the mystery play out, although I don't think it was too unpredictable. However, I also don't think the twist was foreshadowed too well, and I only sort of guessed it because I'm familiar with the shape of these kinds of stories and not the actual details of the story itself. Again, I think this will work for younger audiences, but older teens might not be as hooked by the story.
Additionally, I think some of the characters pulled me out of the story because they're even tropier than the plot. Pandora is your super tiny, super plain, super powerful protagonist who has a bit of a tragic backstory; also, the first chapter of the book is titled "Literally Not Like the Other Girls," which I think sets up the sense of humor this book tries to display. Pandora wasn't too bad as an FMC, she was just a bit bland. Beacon was also your typical YA love interest in that he practically worshiped the ground Pandora walked on, which meant the whole relationship was a bit insta-lovey on his side. He had his own POV, but he read more as a love interest than an actual main character. I didn't like Imogen at first, but I grew to like her by the end. Theo was enticing as a character from his introduction, and certain parts of his backstory somehow landed him a spot as one of my favorite characters in this book. Everyone except Pandora and Beacon was a bit flat, but I didn't mind it too much because they weren't in half the scenes.
Steel & Spellfire is a YA fantasy novel with elements of mystery, romance, and court intrigue that reminded me a lot of other popular books, including Sorcery of Thorns and Powerless.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!
3.5/5
July 15, 2025
Thank you so much Simon Teen and Laura Weymouth for giving me the opportunity of reviewing the ARC of Steel and Spellfire out July 22!
Pandora Smalls, a student at Belleweather School for Young Ladies, has just gotten an opportunity of a lifetime. She has been chosen along with 5 of her classmates to be part of the Valora Palace Court Social Season as an ingenue or magical debutante.
While the other girls are excited about going to Balls, teas, and finding husbands, Pandora is on a mission to find her mysterious childhood guardian who abused her magic and for years escaped.
On Castle Hill, Pandora meets Ellis Beacon, one of the most promising and handsome young members of the Royal Guard. Little known to others, Beacon has a special sensitivity to magic, and when testing Pandora, he discovers that unlike the other ingenues whose magic are merely parlor tricks, hers is off the chart, and she has the potential to be one of the most powerful mages. Pandora and Beacon then must work together since as the season starts, ingenues begin popping up dead. Does Pandora’s former guardian have to do with this? Will Beacon’s loyalty to the crown be swayed by his growing fondness and attraction to Pandora? Read Steel SpellFire to find out.
Over the past few years, I have not read too many new YA books, but I’m so glad this book was able to fall into my lap, since it reminds me how much I love YA fantasy. This book checked off my boxes for what I look for in YA fantasy: interesting world building/magic system, coming-of-age themes, and a love story full of yearning and tension.
If I were to compare it to my favorite YA fantasy works, I would say the world/magic and overall aesthetic remind me of Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series. While characters who are lovable yet flawed who must learn to control their powers remind me a bit of the heroines and heroes in Shannon Hale’s Books of Bayern series and Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted.
I would rate the book overall a 4/5. While the fast plot and charming characters kept me invested, I felt like the world building sometimes fell flat. For instance, I would have loved to learn more about the politics and history of Hesperid, and the social dynamics of people with and without magic. Also, at times I felt it hard to picture the Hellions and felt like they were more of a plot device to show Pandora’s powers rather than an actual element and threat of the world.
Pandora and Beacon were the heart and soul of this book and what I think will make readers keep reading. While their romance was sweet and filled with yearning and tension which anyone would want to root for. It was their individual struggles with magic, identity, purpose, and self-acceptance that made this book go from any other YA fantasy to a story that will stand out in my memories.
Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy/romance, Regency-era England, royal court intrigue and drama, demon hunters,
Pandora Smalls, a student at Belleweather School for Young Ladies, has just gotten an opportunity of a lifetime. She has been chosen along with 5 of her classmates to be part of the Valora Palace Court Social Season as an ingenue or magical debutante.
While the other girls are excited about going to Balls, teas, and finding husbands, Pandora is on a mission to find her mysterious childhood guardian who abused her magic and for years escaped.
On Castle Hill, Pandora meets Ellis Beacon, one of the most promising and handsome young members of the Royal Guard. Little known to others, Beacon has a special sensitivity to magic, and when testing Pandora, he discovers that unlike the other ingenues whose magic are merely parlor tricks, hers is off the chart, and she has the potential to be one of the most powerful mages. Pandora and Beacon then must work together since as the season starts, ingenues begin popping up dead. Does Pandora’s former guardian have to do with this? Will Beacon’s loyalty to the crown be swayed by his growing fondness and attraction to Pandora? Read Steel SpellFire to find out.
Over the past few years, I have not read too many new YA books, but I’m so glad this book was able to fall into my lap, since it reminds me how much I love YA fantasy. This book checked off my boxes for what I look for in YA fantasy: interesting world building/magic system, coming-of-age themes, and a love story full of yearning and tension.
If I were to compare it to my favorite YA fantasy works, I would say the world/magic and overall aesthetic remind me of Cassandra Clare’s Infernal Devices series. While characters who are lovable yet flawed who must learn to control their powers remind me a bit of the heroines and heroes in Shannon Hale’s Books of Bayern series and Gail Carson Levine’s Ella Enchanted.
I would rate the book overall a 4/5. While the fast plot and charming characters kept me invested, I felt like the world building sometimes fell flat. For instance, I would have loved to learn more about the politics and history of Hesperid, and the social dynamics of people with and without magic. Also, at times I felt it hard to picture the Hellions and felt like they were more of a plot device to show Pandora’s powers rather than an actual element and threat of the world.
Pandora and Beacon were the heart and soul of this book and what I think will make readers keep reading. While their romance was sweet and filled with yearning and tension which anyone would want to root for. It was their individual struggles with magic, identity, purpose, and self-acceptance that made this book go from any other YA fantasy to a story that will stand out in my memories.
Overall, I would recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy/romance, Regency-era England, royal court intrigue and drama, demon hunters,
May 31, 2025
The first chapter rubs it in your face how very not like other girls Pan is, thinking that because the character is aware of it that makes it less annoying. And maybe it would be, if it weren’t shoved in my face every other paragraph just how not like other girls Pan, who is not like other girls, is not like other girls. I am unclear if Pandora is a little person or not; she is said to be several inches under five feet, described as pocket sized, and her full name is — get this — Pandora Small.
Beacon, on the other hand, stands a full head taller than a crowd. However, their heights are never actually important, as there’s no indication there’s much of a height difference between them. All he has to do is lower his head a little to kiss her, and she never has any issues with furniture, getting into a cab, vaulting over walls. It’s just a sloppy description with no purpose other than to point out, yet again, how no like other girls Pandora Small, the smallest of all girls, is.
Other than being powerful, I have no idea who Pan is as a character. I know what she wants — to be free of the person who tortured her, forceably bonded her magic, and then began a swath of murders through the city — but I have no idea who she is as a person other than … well, generic NLOG girl. Beacon has a little more to him, being uncertain and nervous, afraid of causing harm, cautious around mages, but other than that he’s just a good guy. A little bland, maybe, but there’s more character to him.
The plot is where the book shines, the plot of a magical serial killer with Pan linked to him by the magic bond. The rivalry between Pan and the perfect Imogen is also very well done, and I enjoyed how all of that played out. The world building, with the magical monsters — Gaunts, Grims and Hellions — the magefire used by the women as an art, called parlor magic to lessen it and make it seem like nothing more than a toy as compared to a man’s actual magecraft … the way women are bonded, to control their magic, and killed if unbonded, is really fun. The author put a lot of thought into this world, how it works and how it doesn’t.
For me, personally, if there were more character work to balance out the excellent world building and plot, a little less emphasis at winking at the audience and a little more time spent to make Pan an actual character who — sure — happens to be NLOG, but is also at the same time a real girl, a real person, I would have easily given this book four stars or higher. As it is, I look forward to more works from this author because their plots and their worlds were so very well cone.
However, that’s just me. Other people may enjoy Pan as she is, and that’s fine. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
Beacon, on the other hand, stands a full head taller than a crowd. However, their heights are never actually important, as there’s no indication there’s much of a height difference between them. All he has to do is lower his head a little to kiss her, and she never has any issues with furniture, getting into a cab, vaulting over walls. It’s just a sloppy description with no purpose other than to point out, yet again, how no like other girls Pandora Small, the smallest of all girls, is.
Other than being powerful, I have no idea who Pan is as a character. I know what she wants — to be free of the person who tortured her, forceably bonded her magic, and then began a swath of murders through the city — but I have no idea who she is as a person other than … well, generic NLOG girl. Beacon has a little more to him, being uncertain and nervous, afraid of causing harm, cautious around mages, but other than that he’s just a good guy. A little bland, maybe, but there’s more character to him.
The plot is where the book shines, the plot of a magical serial killer with Pan linked to him by the magic bond. The rivalry between Pan and the perfect Imogen is also very well done, and I enjoyed how all of that played out. The world building, with the magical monsters — Gaunts, Grims and Hellions — the magefire used by the women as an art, called parlor magic to lessen it and make it seem like nothing more than a toy as compared to a man’s actual magecraft … the way women are bonded, to control their magic, and killed if unbonded, is really fun. The author put a lot of thought into this world, how it works and how it doesn’t.
For me, personally, if there were more character work to balance out the excellent world building and plot, a little less emphasis at winking at the audience and a little more time spent to make Pan an actual character who — sure — happens to be NLOG, but is also at the same time a real girl, a real person, I would have easily given this book four stars or higher. As it is, I look forward to more works from this author because their plots and their worlds were so very well cone.
However, that’s just me. Other people may enjoy Pan as she is, and that’s fine. Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!
August 4, 2025
I really really really wanted to love this book. But alas I’m giving it 2.5 stars (I rounded up cause I love the author though)
Pros:
- the setting is amazing and I love this time in history
- female friendships (I wish it was more on the page tho)
- kind MMC who has good morals
- unique fantasy
Cons: (I’m going to do my best not to spoil)
- the setting — it’s there but it’s also not on the page. Its briefed over and we barely see the world
- the romance… they just automatically trust and love each other super quickly despite all these constant reminders of how alone and struggling Pandora is
- pandora herself: we spend so so so so so so so so much page time brooding over how overwhelming her magic is and then never actually seeing it. She has no repercussions for any decision she makes. She spends so much page time telling us how she wants to stop her patron but when we reach that point in the book the way everything plays out is like oh yeah she does something she could’ve done at the beginning but DIDNT for some reason. I liked she had a little unreliable narrator twist later on but other than that she flip flopped between badass gonna do anything to get freedom to hiding and whimpering to actually I don’t care anymore. We get more mentions of how overwhelming her magic is and how short she is than anything about who she is and what she’s actually capable or not capable of
- the magic: I don’t understand it. There’s no real limitation to what spellfire is but we also never actually understand WHAT it is. One moment it’s like casting an average DnD spell the next it’s making holographic images the next it’s feelings? And it’s claimed to be sourced from something called a wellspring but people had magic before the wellspring opened and don’t actually source any power from it? The magesense makes no sense either. I couldn’t figure it out.
- the bindings; I was really excited initially at the themes of virginity and like female empowerment attached to a binding and how special it was for the girls and personal— but no in the end (minor spoiler sorry) ANYONE can bind to a mage and it can be multiple times and like mages suddenly can bind to each other even though we are told it’s impossible to do earlier on???!!!?? What happened to if your patron dies you die? It made the ending of the book break every rule we’d spend MOST of the book between snippets of plot reading about.
- the villain—- saw it a mile away unfortunately but also like belonged in an old school Disney movie who just wanted power *because*
Pros:
- the setting is amazing and I love this time in history
- female friendships (I wish it was more on the page tho)
- kind MMC who has good morals
- unique fantasy
Cons: (I’m going to do my best not to spoil)
- the setting — it’s there but it’s also not on the page. Its briefed over and we barely see the world
- the romance… they just automatically trust and love each other super quickly despite all these constant reminders of how alone and struggling Pandora is
- pandora herself: we spend so so so so so so so so much page time brooding over how overwhelming her magic is and then never actually seeing it. She has no repercussions for any decision she makes. She spends so much page time telling us how she wants to stop her patron but when we reach that point in the book the way everything plays out is like oh yeah she does something she could’ve done at the beginning but DIDNT for some reason. I liked she had a little unreliable narrator twist later on but other than that she flip flopped between badass gonna do anything to get freedom to hiding and whimpering to actually I don’t care anymore. We get more mentions of how overwhelming her magic is and how short she is than anything about who she is and what she’s actually capable or not capable of
- the magic: I don’t understand it. There’s no real limitation to what spellfire is but we also never actually understand WHAT it is. One moment it’s like casting an average DnD spell the next it’s making holographic images the next it’s feelings? And it’s claimed to be sourced from something called a wellspring but people had magic before the wellspring opened and don’t actually source any power from it? The magesense makes no sense either. I couldn’t figure it out.
- the bindings; I was really excited initially at the themes of virginity and like female empowerment attached to a binding and how special it was for the girls and personal— but no in the end (minor spoiler sorry) ANYONE can bind to a mage and it can be multiple times and like mages suddenly can bind to each other even though we are told it’s impossible to do earlier on???!!!?? What happened to if your patron dies you die? It made the ending of the book break every rule we’d spend MOST of the book between snippets of plot reading about.
- the villain—- saw it a mile away unfortunately but also like belonged in an old school Disney movie who just wanted power *because*
August 27, 2025
There was a lot to like about this book, including an interesting world and magic system, but it ultimately fell a little flat for me.
The pacing was a little slow, and it took me a while to get into the book. There were a lot of interesting ideas going on, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care about any of it until I was a little over halfway through. I considered DNF’ing the book multiple times. Once I did get into it, I really enjoyed it.
I think part of the reason I struggled to get into it was Pandora. It had strong “not like other girls” vibes from her that made it harder to care about her. The chapter is actually called that as if it’s supposed to be a fun nudge to the audience, but it was mostly annoying. She’s supposed to be the most powerful mage of her time, maybe ever, and is just so tiny and also not very pretty! Her name is just so on the nose (Small when she’s really short, get it?). The first several chapters are full of constant reminders of just how not like other girls she is. Also, sometimes we don’t have a good grasp of how powerful she really is. Apparently she can break all the rules in some ways because of her powers, but also she’s terrified of breaking them… I don’t know. I wish her characterization had been better rounded out. I’m not completely sure Beacon is so into her right from the start except for the fact that he’s the romantic interest.
I do like some of the character transformations we get. There are characters we might not like at the beginning that have interesting characterizations or behaviors later on. Unfortunately, some of the side characters have more development and depth than Pan and Beacon. I don’t know why they automatically trust each other, and neither of them has a lot of growth.
I also enjoyed a lot of the worldbuilding elements. The monsters and magic systems for the most part were vivid and interesting, although some things were hard to grasp. Overall, the plot had some exciting twists and turns, even if I thought it was ultimately predictable how things ended. I also was a little frustrated that when it comes to the ending, she could have done that all along and only at the very end decided to solve the issues.
Overall, I really enjoyed the second half and liked the regency-esque setting. I just wish the characters had been rounded out more and that the first part hadn’t been so slow.
The pacing was a little slow, and it took me a while to get into the book. There were a lot of interesting ideas going on, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care about any of it until I was a little over halfway through. I considered DNF’ing the book multiple times. Once I did get into it, I really enjoyed it.
I think part of the reason I struggled to get into it was Pandora. It had strong “not like other girls” vibes from her that made it harder to care about her. The chapter is actually called that as if it’s supposed to be a fun nudge to the audience, but it was mostly annoying. She’s supposed to be the most powerful mage of her time, maybe ever, and is just so tiny and also not very pretty! Her name is just so on the nose (Small when she’s really short, get it?). The first several chapters are full of constant reminders of just how not like other girls she is. Also, sometimes we don’t have a good grasp of how powerful she really is. Apparently she can break all the rules in some ways because of her powers, but also she’s terrified of breaking them… I don’t know. I wish her characterization had been better rounded out. I’m not completely sure Beacon is so into her right from the start except for the fact that he’s the romantic interest.
I do like some of the character transformations we get. There are characters we might not like at the beginning that have interesting characterizations or behaviors later on. Unfortunately, some of the side characters have more development and depth than Pan and Beacon. I don’t know why they automatically trust each other, and neither of them has a lot of growth.
I also enjoyed a lot of the worldbuilding elements. The monsters and magic systems for the most part were vivid and interesting, although some things were hard to grasp. Overall, the plot had some exciting twists and turns, even if I thought it was ultimately predictable how things ended. I also was a little frustrated that when it comes to the ending, she could have done that all along and only at the very end decided to solve the issues.
Overall, I really enjoyed the second half and liked the regency-esque setting. I just wish the characters had been rounded out more and that the first part hadn’t been so slow.
July 28, 2025
Thank you to Simon Teen for the ARC and finished copy of Steel & Spellfire by Laura E. Weymouth. All opinions are my own.
Steel & Spellfire is a unique young adult fantasy with royalty, dangerous magic, and a deadly mystery. It has an interesting plot, sweet characters, and danger lurking around every corner.
One of the first things I noticed and enjoyed about this book was the magic system. I can’t think of any other books I’ve read where the magic works quite like it does in this book. Magic, also known as spellfire, had many rules surrounding it put into place by those in power. It was the cause but also the solution to a lot of issues in this magical world.
I loved the main characters in this book and the bond that they formed through their secrets. Pandora was such a brave and kind protagonist, and I really felt for her because of all the things she endured when she was younger and the power of the spellfire she had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Beacon was such a tender and protective character. I loved how quickly he trusted Pandora and cared about her wellbeing. While I didn’t always agree with his choices, I admired that he was willing to apologize and make up for his shortcomings.
The romance, while not the focal point, was so sweet. I appreciated the vulnerability the characters showed, and I liked how they grew to really care for one another.
I thought the mystery plot was interesting, and I really had no idea who was behind all of the attacks throughout the book. I hadn’t guessed the culprit until they were revealed, so I thought that part of the plot was well done.
There were times I was a bit confused with how the magic in this world worked, and a few things seemed a bit convenient, but I overall had a great time reading this book and would be happy to read other books by this author.
Spice Content: none
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Steel & Spellfire is a unique young adult fantasy with royalty, dangerous magic, and a deadly mystery. It has an interesting plot, sweet characters, and danger lurking around every corner.
One of the first things I noticed and enjoyed about this book was the magic system. I can’t think of any other books I’ve read where the magic works quite like it does in this book. Magic, also known as spellfire, had many rules surrounding it put into place by those in power. It was the cause but also the solution to a lot of issues in this magical world.
I loved the main characters in this book and the bond that they formed through their secrets. Pandora was such a brave and kind protagonist, and I really felt for her because of all the things she endured when she was younger and the power of the spellfire she had to deal with on a day-to-day basis. Beacon was such a tender and protective character. I loved how quickly he trusted Pandora and cared about her wellbeing. While I didn’t always agree with his choices, I admired that he was willing to apologize and make up for his shortcomings.
The romance, while not the focal point, was so sweet. I appreciated the vulnerability the characters showed, and I liked how they grew to really care for one another.
I thought the mystery plot was interesting, and I really had no idea who was behind all of the attacks throughout the book. I hadn’t guessed the culprit until they were revealed, so I thought that part of the plot was well done.
There were times I was a bit confused with how the magic in this world worked, and a few things seemed a bit convenient, but I overall had a great time reading this book and would be happy to read other books by this author.
Spice Content: none
April 6, 2025
Follow Pandora Smalls, a mage unlike any other as she navigates the royal court in search of a patron, someone she can bind herself to in order to control her magic and avoid being out to death for breaking the Queen’s Mage Laws. There’s just one problem, Pan is already bound to a patron who has turned her into a weapon with more magic than any mage should be capable of. Only as the girls in her class start turning up dead, their magic drained, Pan must team up with Royal Guard Beacon to discover who is behind the murders and break her binding once and for all.
There were things I liked and disliked about the world built in this book. It’s pretty typical in the royal court fashion, nothing special in the schoolgirl rivalry and the romance. However the spellfire was a completely unique form of magic that was fun to read about. On the other hand, there is something profoundly disturbing about a world where girls are forced to bind themselves in service or as the spouse of someone else, especially at such a young age (13) or be put to death—especially disturbing when you take into account the boys with magic do not have to follow the same rules.
Pandora wasn’t a particularly interesting protagonist to me. She is constantly described as plain and small, a mouse, when she is supposed to be the most powerful magic user of all. I am sure this was in juxtaposition of the moment when she would reveal her magic and accept herself, but honestly it was rather annoying to have it reiterated so many times, and for her to have Beacon rescue her constantly.
I think this would be a good introductory book for someone trying to break into fantasy looking for a quick and easy read.
There were things I liked and disliked about the world built in this book. It’s pretty typical in the royal court fashion, nothing special in the schoolgirl rivalry and the romance. However the spellfire was a completely unique form of magic that was fun to read about. On the other hand, there is something profoundly disturbing about a world where girls are forced to bind themselves in service or as the spouse of someone else, especially at such a young age (13) or be put to death—especially disturbing when you take into account the boys with magic do not have to follow the same rules.
Pandora wasn’t a particularly interesting protagonist to me. She is constantly described as plain and small, a mouse, when she is supposed to be the most powerful magic user of all. I am sure this was in juxtaposition of the moment when she would reveal her magic and accept herself, but honestly it was rather annoying to have it reiterated so many times, and for her to have Beacon rescue her constantly.
I think this would be a good introductory book for someone trying to break into fantasy looking for a quick and easy read.
January 29, 2025
Thank you to Simon Teen for providing me this ARC!!
This is a 3.5/5 star read.
I just wanna start out by saying this book isn’t normally the type of thing I read. I go for more epic fantasies, usually something part of a series.
But reading Steel & Spellfire I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying it. There were a lot of aspects I liked, and some I didn’t. So here are the pros and cons!
Pros:
• The fantasy aspects of this book were really well done. The world felt very alive and I loved the magic system so much!
• The characters were relatable and layered, and they weren’t perfect, which was great!
• I liked the air of mystery/suspense in this book a lot. It kept me on edge and kept me wanting to confine reading.
Cons:
• I was really bored for the first hundred or so pages, which is not good at all. I understand it was a lot of buildup but I considered DNFing this book more than once.
• I wasn’t a fan of some of the characters names. For some reason, some of them just made me cringe (but I think that’s more of a me thing lol)
• I didn’t like how Pandora kept be described as small and fragile and little. I get that she was, but to keep saying it over and over got kind of annoying to me…also her last name being Small and then having her being described as a mouse, as petite, etc. Just wasn’t a fan of it!
Overall, I liked this book. It was easily digestible, nothing that stood out as phenomenal or life-changing, but a pleasant read. Definitely worth it if you enjoy Bridgerton mixed with fantasy!
This is a 3.5/5 star read.
I just wanna start out by saying this book isn’t normally the type of thing I read. I go for more epic fantasies, usually something part of a series.
But reading Steel & Spellfire I was pleasantly surprised when I found myself enjoying it. There were a lot of aspects I liked, and some I didn’t. So here are the pros and cons!
Pros:
• The fantasy aspects of this book were really well done. The world felt very alive and I loved the magic system so much!
• The characters were relatable and layered, and they weren’t perfect, which was great!
• I liked the air of mystery/suspense in this book a lot. It kept me on edge and kept me wanting to confine reading.
Cons:
• I was really bored for the first hundred or so pages, which is not good at all. I understand it was a lot of buildup but I considered DNFing this book more than once.
• I wasn’t a fan of some of the characters names. For some reason, some of them just made me cringe (but I think that’s more of a me thing lol)
• I didn’t like how Pandora kept be described as small and fragile and little. I get that she was, but to keep saying it over and over got kind of annoying to me…also her last name being Small and then having her being described as a mouse, as petite, etc. Just wasn’t a fan of it!
Overall, I liked this book. It was easily digestible, nothing that stood out as phenomenal or life-changing, but a pleasant read. Definitely worth it if you enjoy Bridgerton mixed with fantasy!
June 1, 2025
Steel & Shellfire is a book about a lot of things - about women traditionally having their power stolen away from them, about sisterhood, about trust and about true love. I have always been a bit lukewarm on Bridgerton, but I've been really excited how many fantasy romances have used its popularity to make pointed criticisms about the role of women in Georgian and regency London.
Pandora Hall is an Ingenue, an eligible young mage intended to offer up her magic (and her hand in marriage) to the highest bidder. When she meets Ellis Beacon, a young guard for the queen, it's love at first sight, and she quickly enlists Beacon to help her hide her magic and find her patron - someone who has been using her magic for their own ends.
There was a lot about this book I really enjoyed: I loved the relationship between Pandora and her fellow ingenues, and the sisterhood that they form (for better or worse). I loved that this was a really sweet romantic relationship, with both of them so enraptured with each other. I also wanted to hang out more with Pandora's rival Imogen, who was such a fun character.
I do think the world building was very complicated - by necessity, the book was still explaining essential elements of magic in the last third of the book, and I think that I might have missed some of the intricacies. The book also ends very abruptly, and I wish we had gotten to spend more time on the ending.
This is a fun book, especially for those who love Bridgerton or historical fantasy romance. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the early copy.
Pandora Hall is an Ingenue, an eligible young mage intended to offer up her magic (and her hand in marriage) to the highest bidder. When she meets Ellis Beacon, a young guard for the queen, it's love at first sight, and she quickly enlists Beacon to help her hide her magic and find her patron - someone who has been using her magic for their own ends.
There was a lot about this book I really enjoyed: I loved the relationship between Pandora and her fellow ingenues, and the sisterhood that they form (for better or worse). I loved that this was a really sweet romantic relationship, with both of them so enraptured with each other. I also wanted to hang out more with Pandora's rival Imogen, who was such a fun character.
I do think the world building was very complicated - by necessity, the book was still explaining essential elements of magic in the last third of the book, and I think that I might have missed some of the intricacies. The book also ends very abruptly, and I wish we had gotten to spend more time on the ending.
This is a fun book, especially for those who love Bridgerton or historical fantasy romance. Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the early copy.
May 21, 2025
Pandora is a seriously powerful mage who had her power bound to an evil mage as a young child. She was kept locked up for years, before finally breaking free as a teen. She has spent the last 5 years at a girls school, secretly learning to hide the true depth of her power, all while learning the skills to become an eventual wife of the upper court. But Pandora doesn't want access to the elite to find a husband, she is searching for the evil mage who trapped her as a child so she can break their bond once and for all.
Beacon is a guard who realizes Pandora has more power than is allowed and instead of turning her in to be killed, he decides to join the hunt for her former captor.
I liked the premise and was interested from the first page in Pandora's journey for freedom. What didn't hook me was Beacon and the romance that we were supposed to buy into. It's YA insta-love. I could not see why Pandora was interested in Beacon other than he was tall and looked good in a uniform. Beacon felt bland, underdeveloped and I could have done without Beacon in the book at all. Besides the romance subplot, I was there for the rest of the story. There are some twists, some predictable for the genre but some that caught me by surprise. Overall this is a good coming into your own story with a strong FMC and worth a read. Does lean toward the younger YA market.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC.
Beacon is a guard who realizes Pandora has more power than is allowed and instead of turning her in to be killed, he decides to join the hunt for her former captor.
I liked the premise and was interested from the first page in Pandora's journey for freedom. What didn't hook me was Beacon and the romance that we were supposed to buy into. It's YA insta-love. I could not see why Pandora was interested in Beacon other than he was tall and looked good in a uniform. Beacon felt bland, underdeveloped and I could have done without Beacon in the book at all. Besides the romance subplot, I was there for the rest of the story. There are some twists, some predictable for the genre but some that caught me by surprise. Overall this is a good coming into your own story with a strong FMC and worth a read. Does lean toward the younger YA market.
3.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the eARC.
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