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The Rune Tithe #3
An Elixir for Wanderlust
Having once escaped the dark waters that cursed him, a young witch returns home to face the evil targeting his loved ones—whatever the consequences.
After almost a decade away, Taliesin Ashborne has come home to attend his grandfather’s funeral. While past tensions still linger between him and his family, a stiff drink and a steamy encounter with Kessian, the gorgeous man who approaches him at the wake, really takes the edge off.
But the old magic of Shearwater Spring has left more scars on Tal than he realized. Nine years ago, twenty-four townspeople, including Tal and his father, mysteriously walked into a deep river one night—and only Tal returned.
To this day, something dangerous lurks in Shearwater’s black waters. It’s hunting down everyone Tal loves, and after it got his twin, he couldn’t stand to lose anyone else. Hoping to rid him of this curse once and for all, his sibling Fae urges him to see the town’s new healer . . . who just so happens to be Kessian.
Trying to keep his emotions in check—for not only his own benefit but also Kessian’s safety—will be anything but easy for Tal after nine years of isolation. Now, with a wraith hot on his trail, he must uncover what corrupted the ancient magic of the river so he can finally come home for good.
Praise for A Spell for Heartsickness
“Reeves’s remarkably assured debut delivers a queer, witchy romp with deep feelings.” —Publishers Weekly
“As comfy and satisfying as ‘the taste of hot stew on a rainy night.’” —Kirkus Reviews
After almost a decade away, Taliesin Ashborne has come home to attend his grandfather’s funeral. While past tensions still linger between him and his family, a stiff drink and a steamy encounter with Kessian, the gorgeous man who approaches him at the wake, really takes the edge off.
But the old magic of Shearwater Spring has left more scars on Tal than he realized. Nine years ago, twenty-four townspeople, including Tal and his father, mysteriously walked into a deep river one night—and only Tal returned.
To this day, something dangerous lurks in Shearwater’s black waters. It’s hunting down everyone Tal loves, and after it got his twin, he couldn’t stand to lose anyone else. Hoping to rid him of this curse once and for all, his sibling Fae urges him to see the town’s new healer . . . who just so happens to be Kessian.
Trying to keep his emotions in check—for not only his own benefit but also Kessian’s safety—will be anything but easy for Tal after nine years of isolation. Now, with a wraith hot on his trail, he must uncover what corrupted the ancient magic of the river so he can finally come home for good.
Praise for A Spell for Heartsickness
“Reeves’s remarkably assured debut delivers a queer, witchy romp with deep feelings.” —Publishers Weekly
“As comfy and satisfying as ‘the taste of hot stew on a rainy night.’” —Kirkus Reviews
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2026
About the author
Alistair Reeves
4 books101 followersAlistair Reeves (he/him) writes romantasy about messy queers and morally grey characters. Born in Canada, he moved to England to indulge his addiction to hot caffeinated beverages. His influences range from video games to Chinese danmei. When not writing, he can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons or tending to his frankly absurd collection of succulents.
In 2019 he won a Watty Award for his queer science fiction, Static Crush, and was a 2022 Pitch Wars mentee. A SPELL FOR HEARTSICKNESS is his debut novel, releasing with Podium in Fall 2024.
He graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelors in Animation, but he mostly uses his artistic skills to draw his OC’s kissing.
In 2019 he won a Watty Award for his queer science fiction, Static Crush, and was a 2022 Pitch Wars mentee. A SPELL FOR HEARTSICKNESS is his debut novel, releasing with Podium in Fall 2024.
He graduated from Sheridan College with a Bachelors in Animation, but he mostly uses his artistic skills to draw his OC’s kissing.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
April 16, 2026
u know what .....just throw me into that river too.......
14/04: PUBLICATION DAY YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH
i'm seated. the publishers are scared and asking me to leave because it 'isn't even published yet' but i'm simply too seated.
14/04: PUBLICATION DAY YEAHHHHHHHHHHHH
i'm seated. the publishers are scared and asking me to leave because it 'isn't even published yet' but i'm simply too seated.
Want to Read
August 11, 2025Autistic MC
September 17, 2025
I was lucky enough to get my hands on an early copy of this book, and it just blew me away. But first, take a moment to gander at that glorious cover. It is truly everything.
When Taliesen returns home to attend the funeral of his grandfather, he fears the inky creepy wraith-like creature haunting him will harm his family, so he's in a hurry to get out of Dodge in his caravan (who is also his familiar.) This evil dates back to his youth when he nearly died in the same spring that has taken the lives of other townsfolk, including his sister and father. He's urged to meet with a healer, Kessian, the confident, sexy man who's new to town but already has a strong, magical connection with the spring. Together they search for a solution to Tal's menacing foe, building a rapport that begins to blossom into more.
An Elixir For Wanderlust is the third installment in The Rune Tithe series. While it can be read as a standalone, there are some old friends along the way that will be more appreciated after reading the first two lovely books. Each of these books is squarely romantasy with a smidgeon of horror at the edges, but this one has another dimension of depth and atmosphere and .... I want to say calculus(?) due to the mastery of some complex timey wimey wibbly wobbly intricacies Alistair handles with precision. Also, did I mention the familiar is a caravan? This whole book is bursting with creativity and wild imagination. My gob was smacked.
Mark this as a must read for 2026!
When Taliesen returns home to attend the funeral of his grandfather, he fears the inky creepy wraith-like creature haunting him will harm his family, so he's in a hurry to get out of Dodge in his caravan (who is also his familiar.) This evil dates back to his youth when he nearly died in the same spring that has taken the lives of other townsfolk, including his sister and father. He's urged to meet with a healer, Kessian, the confident, sexy man who's new to town but already has a strong, magical connection with the spring. Together they search for a solution to Tal's menacing foe, building a rapport that begins to blossom into more.
An Elixir For Wanderlust is the third installment in The Rune Tithe series. While it can be read as a standalone, there are some old friends along the way that will be more appreciated after reading the first two lovely books. Each of these books is squarely romantasy with a smidgeon of horror at the edges, but this one has another dimension of depth and atmosphere and .... I want to say calculus(?) due to the mastery of some complex timey wimey wibbly wobbly intricacies Alistair handles with precision. Also, did I mention the familiar is a caravan? This whole book is bursting with creativity and wild imagination. My gob was smacked.
Mark this as a must read for 2026!
April 17, 2026
Home at last!
Loved this story - so sweet and full of emotional twisty turns. An easy 4.5 stars. I loved the question of where home is, whether it is a place or a person or both. I also loved the resolution theme, but I don’t want to add a spoiler here, as it’s a powerful and enduring idea for all of us.
The spice is gentle, believable, and unique - something which seems increasingly rare in the MM Romance world.
Absolutely loved the sentient campervan/motorhome, despite it being inaccurately referred to as a caravan - which is a very different beast. Nevertheless, when I get a motorhome, this is the kind I want - one with a dial that can lead you to infinite rooms of possibility, that puts the kettle on for you, and fluffs up the cushions! Yes please!
It was so lovely to see our other couples briefly getting involved, and getting a brief glimpse into the ongoing HEAs they are living. I often read reviews which talk about readers kicking their feet in delight - I think I get it now!
Just a few inconsistencies in familial relationships between cousins/siblings, mother/aunt, dad/ uncle. My suspicion is that the characters of Fae and Amelia went through some evolutionary developments along the way, maybe even splitting from one person into two, and these are minor artefacts left from those changes. Also, towards the end, a Volvo suddenly becomes a Golf!
But none of this detracts from a brilliant, well-written story.
Highly recommend - read the Spell for Heartsickness, then Hex for Hunger before reading this one.
Loved this story - so sweet and full of emotional twisty turns. An easy 4.5 stars. I loved the question of where home is, whether it is a place or a person or both. I also loved the resolution theme, but I don’t want to add a spoiler here, as it’s a powerful and enduring idea for all of us.
The spice is gentle, believable, and unique - something which seems increasingly rare in the MM Romance world.
Absolutely loved the sentient campervan/motorhome, despite it being inaccurately referred to as a caravan - which is a very different beast. Nevertheless, when I get a motorhome, this is the kind I want - one with a dial that can lead you to infinite rooms of possibility, that puts the kettle on for you, and fluffs up the cushions! Yes please!
It was so lovely to see our other couples briefly getting involved, and getting a brief glimpse into the ongoing HEAs they are living. I often read reviews which talk about readers kicking their feet in delight - I think I get it now!
Just a few inconsistencies in familial relationships between cousins/siblings, mother/aunt, dad/ uncle. My suspicion is that the characters of Fae and Amelia went through some evolutionary developments along the way, maybe even splitting from one person into two, and these are minor artefacts left from those changes. Also, towards the end, a Volvo suddenly becomes a Golf!
But none of this detracts from a brilliant, well-written story.
Highly recommend - read the Spell for Heartsickness, then Hex for Hunger before reading this one.
April 17, 2026
THIS BOOK! An Elixir for Wanderlust was such a joy to read and an absolute page turner. I finished it in about 24 hours and loved every second of it.
I very rarely tab or save quotes but I was highlighting and tabbing all throughout this book, so many amazing lines that ranged from extremely relatable, heart warming or laugh out loud funny.
One thing I love about Alistair Reeves' books is that they each feel so fresh and original! They don't follow a cookie cutter plot line. They are all unique stories and plots that leave me on the edge of my seat the whole time trying to figure out how it will end and this book was no exception.
As a wanderer and traveler myself who has a complex relationship with my hometown, this story was so relatable and beautiful to read.
More detailed review to come when I've had time to process but until then, just all the love to An Elixir for Wanderlust and Tal and Kessian, I love them so much!
I very rarely tab or save quotes but I was highlighting and tabbing all throughout this book, so many amazing lines that ranged from extremely relatable, heart warming or laugh out loud funny.
One thing I love about Alistair Reeves' books is that they each feel so fresh and original! They don't follow a cookie cutter plot line. They are all unique stories and plots that leave me on the edge of my seat the whole time trying to figure out how it will end and this book was no exception.
As a wanderer and traveler myself who has a complex relationship with my hometown, this story was so relatable and beautiful to read.
More detailed review to come when I've had time to process but until then, just all the love to An Elixir for Wanderlust and Tal and Kessian, I love them so much!
April 18, 2026
So good! I preordered this immediately after reading A Spell For Heartsickness because I knew I would want to read it as soon as it came out - I can’t exactly say I enjoyed it as much as ASFH but that’s a very high bar lol. Both main characters are very likable and easy to get attached to. I LOVED being in Tal’s brain; his thought process and internal dialogue felt very similar to my own. Kessian is adorable and I do think he had much more agency in this book than Rowan did in ASFH, which I really enjoyed. Really my only criticism is that the writing felt very on the nose at times, like it was leading me to conclusions I could have gotten to on my own, but that was greatly overshadowed by how much fun I was having lol.
Very much worth the read!! I hope we get to see more from this series 🥰 I could read ten more of these little standalones lol
Very much worth the read!! I hope we get to see more from this series 🥰 I could read ten more of these little standalones lol
April 16, 2026
4.75/5. While it didn’t feel like the previous two, it was still really good. I miss the vibes from the others, though, and I was happy to see the characters having their cameo moments. I wonder if there’s a next one where it’ll go and how it’ll tie in.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews