The Hyacinth Labyrinth

by Jamie Pacton

A whimsical adventure full of magic, fantastical road trips, and a sapphic slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance—for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

All magic begins in stories. That’s what Fae princess Hyacinth has always been told. As the unmagical daughter of Queen Mab, Hyacinth has never fit in at her mother’s court. She hopes that if she learns about her father, who disappeared fifteen years ago, she can finally learn more about herself.

When Hyacinth and her friend Chloe—a human stablehand trapped in Fae—sneak off to a riverside night market, Hyacinth learns that her father was last seen heading to a library at the heart of a treacherous labyrinth. The problem: The labyrinth was built long ago by three goddesses, and no one has ever returned from it.

Still, Hyacinth has to try.

With the help of Chloe and a tiny dragon named Coffee, she defies Queen Mab and sets off into the wilds of the Moonshadow Kingdom. Along the way they face bandits, magical creatures, a centuries-old human who hosts an Endless Ball, and Hyacinth and Chloe’s growing feelings for each other. Meanwhile, an ancient power lies in wait at the center of the labyrinth, and it is eager to write the girls’ ending.

A lush, fairycore, sapphic YA fantasy that returns readers to the Fae world introduced in Jamie Pacton’s bestselling novel The Absinthe Underground!

Perfect for readers who love Sapphic Slow-Burn, Friends-to-Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, Princess/Lady Knight, Bodyguard Romance, Fae/Human Relationships, Only One Bed, and Stories Are Magic!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Lesbian, Queer, Fae, Cozy, Young Adult Fantasy

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 2, 2026

Reviews

[ava ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝘵𝘺𝘴𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 <3

ˋ°•*⁀➷ 4.5 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 .˚🪻𓍢˖˚🤍𓍢˖˚💌˚.

I loved this book so much!! it got me out of a reading slump, which definitely says something lol. cozy fantasy is literally the most underrated genre omg 🙂‍↕️ this was just such a fun, cute read, but still fast paced enough to be entertaining and very well written!

»[long story short - taylor swift] «
0:00 ─〇───── 4:00
⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 🦢

౨ৎ cozy fantasy
౨ৎ young adult
౨ৎ sapphic
౨ৎ friends to lovers
౨ৎ one bed

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

ೃ⁀➷ 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘯

Ages 13+

𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 🔮

౨ৎ Language- not much! A few uses of damn and possibly hell (idk for sure though lol)

౨ৎ Romance- non descriptive kissing, yearning/crushes

౨ৎ Violence- injuries, some violence but nothing too bad

౨ৎ Other- death of a parent (past, off page), characters drink wine


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔 🤍

⤷ Chloe- wait I actually loved her so much! she was literally just a great character lol

⤷ Hyacinth- also amazing 🙂‍↕️


.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.


𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 🪻

ok so first of all the setting as literally perfection. it felt so cozy and beautiful and just amazing in every way 🤭 the writing was just descriptive enough that I could picture it all easily in my head, which I always love in books

I also loved the romance! books with yearning may be my favorite thing ever. like they were literally SO CUTE together 🤭 I was giggling sm when they finally got together at the end

once I got to around 40% through I literally could not put it down. like I stayed up until 2am two nights in a row reading it because it was just that addictive. The plot twists were also amazing and it was seriously just so entertaining and fun!

it also literally had some of my favorite tropesss yayayay so like ofc I loved it!!

finally, I will literally just love any book with a tiny dragon. like for some reason it just makes everything 100x better idk why but it does

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 💌

It did start out a bit slow, which ofc is expected for the genre lol, but I did get a tiiiny bit bored at the beginning! it wasn’t bad at all though

I do also wish the characters had slightly more personality, but it’s not a huge complaint and was still a great book overall

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.


|🤍| post read |🪻|

omg this was so good!! it started out a bit slow but by the end I literally couldn’t put it down. I absolutely adored the romance and the setting and plot too! rtc


|🪻| pre~read |🤍|

yayy I got an arc of this! idk much about it but it looks like a fun read so I’m excited <3

[Emily Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Review of free/gifted ARC copy** 4.8 ⭐️ I had the time of my life with this.

I absolutely loved The Absinthe Underground but I think, for me, this surpassed that hugely. Whilst I am a sucker for a good adventure and fae realm, this novel was just so much fun.

The Hyacinth Labyrinth is fast paced, packed with mischief and magic, and has a romance plot that left me grinning from ear to ear. Think sapphic, fae realm mayhem…. And throw in a very cute dragon.

Rep// Sapphic Girl MC (17), Sapphic Girl MC (18), non-binary (they/them) SC. Central romance is sapphic / WLW.

(TWs I will add after publication.)

[MortyPie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ I loved it. It was much better than I thought it was going to be. I don’t usually read this type of fantasy. I have no idea how to describe it. I want to say cozy but there is too much action for that. It also has some high stakes too. It was just good.
The characters were great. Chloe and Hyacinth were complete opposites but they worked so well together. The secrets they kept were make or break for their relationship but how they dealt with the revelations were great. They both had different views and responses to what was essentially the same secret. (You would understand if you read it.) I loved Hyacinth’s character development through it all too! Chloe was more of a stagnant character. Oh and Coffee (a tiny dragon), I was not expecting him!

Tropes and things:
-LGBTQ+
-One bed
-Magic/potions
-magical creatures
-trials
-fae x human
-Opposites Attract

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[iris ☀︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange of "The Hyacinth Labyrinth" for an honest review!

3/5

Overall, I found this book to be just alright. I think the story was cute, and the characters were cute, but it left me unsatisfied at the end of it and there were definitely times where it felt like a drag and I wanted to be done with it. If you enjoy fae stories, then I would definitely recommend checking this out at least!

When it comes to the story, I do think it was generally a cute one! Hyacinth and Chloe go on a mission to find Hyacinth's father, and they run into many complications along the way that they always manage to get out of. The big conflict and the resolution to that did admittedly feel like it came out of nowhere and the stakes didn't feel nearly as high as they should have felt, which left me a bit disappointed, but it was a cute story in general.

I do think the trope-based marketing is a bit misleading (and something that I dislike as a whole, though it alone doesn't impact my rating), I wouldn't call Hyacinth and Chloe's relationship a slowburn, rather a Will They, Won't They situation. I also don't think I'd describe them as grumpy/sunshine or princess/lady knight (Chloe has a sword, but that's as close as she gets to being a knight), but that's just me...... Despite that, I think their relationship was alright! It got a bit annoying at times when they kept constantly talking about the time they kissed (because they've already kissed before the book began) and how much they like each other but can't let the other know. It just got to be a bit much at times. Their relationship and their dynamic as a whole were still cute though!

Individually, I do think they fell a little bit flat as characters and never really had anything beyond the single thing that was motivating each of them to undertake this journey. They just weren't the most interesting characters to follow, and I think that played into why it felt like such a drag.

I thought the world seemed super interesting, though I wish there was a little bit more of the worldbuilding within this book. I didn't know that this was part of a wider universe going into it and, while this is a standalone book, I felt like I was missing a lot of the worldbuilding aspect because the world had been done prior to this book. Despite that, it seems like a really well thought out world and setting, and it was definitely cool to see Hyacinth and Chloe go through the different areas on their journey!

Overall, I think this book is just okay. It's not bad by any means, I just don't think it's particularly for me. I do think we need to stop with the trope-based marketing though. Please.

Again, thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Amelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I genuinely didn’t think I could enjoy this as much as I enjoyed the previous book (The Absinthe Underground) because that book was GOOD, but this book? SO much better, the writing is better, the world building is clearer, you can just see the growth of the author in the writing, and that allows the story to just be better?
This is a princess and lady sort-of knight tale, and the real ones know they are my favorite, so I was DOWN for this book. I jumped at it, Leaped if you will. And then there was a teacup sized dragon added into the mix? WHAT ELSE CAN YOU WANT???
The storyline was beautiful, it was all about an incredibly underestimated princess, Hyacinth, wanting to find her long lost father, all she has is an old book of his and the name store it came from. She brings her ‘best friend’ Chloe along, because they are inseparable, but they are only friends of course because they have only kissed once, and obviously neither of them want to talk about it or happen again, obviously.
The author took inspiration from Emily Wildes Encyclopedia Of Faeries, which also stood out to me because I have been wanting a sapphic story similar to that series for a LONG time, and this was perfect, everything I have dreamed of, everything I asked for (in my head) and I am SO grateful and excited and emotional and all the feelings about this book.
I loved all the characters we met along the way, the adventure Princess Hyacinth and Chloe went on was a rollercoaster that took many turns and was very eventful, meaning we met many side characters along the way, who were all beautifully written, my ultimate favorites I can’t talk about too much without spoiling my favorite part of the book, but I LOVED the nightpine fairies, they were the light after the darkness, and exactly what the story needed at that moment, I also can’t talk at all about my second favorite because that would spoil two special reveals, but I loved who Chloe and Hyacinth met after the fairies too. I loved how this story was written, the light after the dark, but the dark was never forgotten, it stuck in Chloe and Hyacinths mind (particularly Chloe) and I liked that because it felt real. Too many times in these books do characters go through truly terrible things and then it’s just forgotten and the characters move on like nothing happened, but not in this book.
I loved how this felt like a true fairytale, similar to the first book, so much happened and it was so full of action but it still managed to be cozy and there was always the relaxed moments that were so beautiful. I am incredibly grateful for this book, and this series, THANK YOU 🤍

[The Bookish Chimera - Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

“All magic begins in starlight and stories.”

The Hyacinth Labyrinth is one of these books you thought would tick all the boxes before you read them, just for you to realize that it ticked even more of them after finishing the story. I knew I would love the world, as The Vermillion Emporium and The Absinthe Underground are very close to my heart and it didn’t disappoint at all, even though it makes me a bit sad to realize it was the last adventure in this universe.
But what an adventure it was. It brought me back to the aesthetics of my first encounters with fantasy, with the 80s/90s movies and Tolkien’s books, as much as with children's fairy tales. The story is a mix between a classic quest seasoned with challenges and something very cozy, almost like a road trip in fairy land, that allows the characters to really get to know each other —and themselves— and the reader to breathe. It’s a beautiful story about stories and how they define humanity, about the story that a parent (or the society) can tell themselves about their kid, making them feel they're not enough.
Hyacinth, in that regard, hit me hard (and the object of her quest too, for personal reasons). Contrary to the other fae of her rank, she doesn’t have magic and tries everything she can to cover that up. That felt very close to masking, and I loved seeing her discover that she could be herself and be enough anyway.
The love story with Chloe (beautiful, strong Chloe!) is omnipresent in their thoughts (but not so much in their actions), just like THAT kiss they don’t talk about but never stop thinking about. That creates a yearning that plays the role of a red line for the story, just like Coffee the teacup dragon adds a comic relief but also a lot of food for thoughts.
In the end, The Hyacinth Labyrinth is a story that will be loved by teens, but also by adults (the nostalgia!) as it gives all the feels and is an ode to (self)acceptance and diversity, full of sapphic yearning, cozyness and breathtaking adventures, and I know it will become one of my comfort books.

Thank you to the author for sending me an ARC of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.5 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Teen for the eARC and Jamie Pacton for the physical ARC in exchange for an honest review! The Hyacinth Library comes out June 2nd. It follows High Fae princess Hyacinth and her best friend and secretly human stablehand Chloe as they try to hunt down Hyacinth’s long-lost father and a portal for Chloe to return to the human world. Their whimsical adventure takes them across the realm, meeting various creatures, both friendly and fearsome, and magic of all kinds. Along the way, both girls can’t stop thinking about the kiss they shared and what it could mean for them.

This was beautifully written. Jamie Pacton’s descriptions are lush, the settings and characters detailed and as vivid as a movie. I loved the lore, the focus on the magic of storytelling, and Coffee the teacup-sized dragon.

The romance aspect, while well-done, is a relatively small part of this story in the grand scheme of things and I think the marketing focusing so much on it is a bit misleading. This does have a sweet sapphic love story but it’s hardly the main focus of the novel and I imagine some readers will pick it up thinking it plays a bigger role and be disappointed. I personally didn’t mind at all but it’s just something to keep in mind if you plan to read it!

Some things felt a little bit too convenient and there were a couple of choices Hyacinth and Chloe made that struck me as a little bit strange. It felt like they only happened so that Jamie Pacton could steer the story in a certain direction even though it didn’t make the most sense.

Still, I loved my time with The Hyacinth Labyrinth and I’ll definitely be picking up more by Jamie Pacton!

[Natalie Jadwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a whimsical adventure this book took me on!

Although this is the third installment within a world crafted by the author, I feel Jamie Pacton did a good job weaving in past stories and references to previous books to give context and understanding to the reader. I didn't read the previous books and I think as long as the reader understands that there were previous stories including our main heroines, they will have an easy time catching on to the ways of the world. Although, I do really wish I got to experience Hyacinth and Chloe's initial meeting and even their first kiss the night before the book starts.

The plotting kept me hooked into the story with the eerie Mountain King and his Endless Ball or the trials held within the Labyrinth. I love a Fae world with true lore and research behind it a la Holly Black's Elfhame stories.

I think this book would be a good jumping off point for someone graduating from middle grade fantasy and ready to step up into YA fantasy because of the way each part of the quest and item obtained along the way clearly were stepping stones into where they were going next (like Hyacinth's potion belt and her different magical items always saving the day).

[JessOfAwesome · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC from Netgalley
Book is a classic princess who has big plans for her kingdom but no one expects much because she's a women. She has knight/swordswomen best friend that is the love interest. However, it's not necessarily slow burn, just angst in the fact they are aware they like eachother but don't know how to discuss it or where they want their relationship to go from there. Also, they had bigger priorities then their love lives at the moment. However, it gives the a chance to mature and grow together before a relationship is officially formed.
Great fairy lore. Clearly inspired by Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries. Also some Legends and Lattes vibes in there in the whimsical cozy YA fantasy sense. A felt some Labyrinth but any book with a maze or labyrinth makes me think of The Labyrinth.
Writing and writing style is clear and easy to read. Nothing spectacular, but I got through it quickly.

[Julia Pika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley & Peachtree Publishers for the early copy in exchange for an honest review. Sadly, I DNF'ed at 20% of the way through.

The cover is absolutely STUNNING!

I'm sorry to say the story is chaotic and confusing. The maddingly misleading marketing (alliteration ftw) doesn't help either. This is NOT a slow burn--they've literally already kissed off screen before the book started. I couldn't get into characters nor their romance, so I didn't see the point in continuing any further.

The book is apparently a standalone part of a larger Fae series that I had no idea about. I wish the marketing mentioned that because I felt a bit lost, not knowing this book was already part of an established world.

I'm sorry I'm so salty, but I wish the publishers/marketing team would stop relying so much on tropes and actually describe what happens in the book instead of vague promises of tropes. Ridiculous.

[Michaela Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy through NetGalley for review.

Having not read the other books that include this world, or characters.
It was surprisingly easy to get into this kind of cozy feeling, yet dangerous adventure, between a High Fae Princess without magic, and a human glamoured to appear as a regular Fae.

Princess Hyacinth is the youngest daughter of the great Queen Mab, has no wings or magic, and he mother won't answer any of her questions regarding her missing father who disappeared or why her magic and wings have yet to appear on the anointed birthday when most High Fae come into their powers.
Chloe is a glamoured human, who is training as a knight and working as a stable hand for the queen's dragons. All she wants to do is figure out how to get back to her own world through a door to her twin sister Anya who managed to get out after they were brought into Fae at children.

Smitten with each other they go on a journey to try to figure out what happened to Hyacinth's missing father and try to find him. It's got a little romance, wild chases trying to avoid the Queen, a scary enchanted labyrinth, scary King with scarier powers, it's a light kind of cozy adventure fantasy. I did really enjoy it. It was a fun read.

[Cait · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Hyacinth Labyrinth feels like a warm hug while snuggled up in a blanket. I had read Jamie Pacton's previous instalment in this world, but I think this one is my favourite yet!

I really enjoyed the world-building and writing style, which reminded me of cozy RPGs and classic Barbie movies. Were there stakes? Yes. Did you know everything was going to turn out just fine? Also yes.

I loved the persistent yearning between Chloe and Hyacinth. Anyone who says that yearning is dead needs to read lesbian romance books, because my goodness!

Coffee the tiny (or not so tiny?) dragon was also an absolute highlight. There were so many parts of this world that I felt immersed in, from the night markets, to the Hyacinth cottage, the labyrinth and the mushroom city. This is a propet fairy story!

Thank you Peachtree and Netgalley for the eARC, and Jamie Pacton for the street team physical ARC! Receiving these has not biased my review.

4 5 stars rounded up ⭐️

[inquillery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! A fairy story in the truest sense, this is a delightfully whimsical light fantasy that skews on the younger side of YA. In a world of enemies-to-lovers and hate-to-love (don’t get me wrong I love those eternally, but) it was refreshing to read a sweet friends-to-lovers pairing. It’s not truly the slowburn as advertised, but it is entirely wholesome.

[Emily Beam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take the movie Labyrinth with David Bowie and throw in some of The Hobbit along with amazing Fae lore and some original magic, and you get The Hyacinth Labyrinth.

I loved Hyacinth and Chloe together. They make such a great team and I enjoyed the way their relationship slowly grew over the course of their adventure. Chloe in particular spoke to me as an older sibling who is usually the one who takes care of everything.

And of course I can't forget Coffee, the mini dragon. I would also love to have my own little dragon that chills in my pockets and on my shoulder all day every day.

[Chloe]

This is absolutely everything that I love about YA. Jamie is able to capture the sweetness and the angst that comes with being a teen, as well as the pure wonder of the Fae world. It was such a joy to read.

[Han · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this alleged slow-burn (the girls had already kissed by like the second page), we get this teenage angst thats wrapped into a whimsical ya adventure. Didn't love it, didn't hate it, just not what I had expected.

Big thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this!

[Annie Deo]

The blurb says slow-burn, but on page 2 the girls have already kissed, lmao. This probably could be good, but I prefer UST so moving on to find something ACTUALLY slow-burn.