What do you think?
Rate this book
The Feywild Job
Sparks fly when bitter exes are forced to team up for an elaborate Feywild heist, in this cozy fantasy romance by the bestselling author of the Kingston Cycle and Even Though I Knew the End.
Saeldian has sworn never to fall in love. That oath isn’t just a personal promise, but rather a magical pact, granting them powerful abilities. The only catch? They must never give their heart away—a deal that Saeldian is perfectly content with. They’ve seen firsthand how messy love can get.
Saeldian prefers their no-strings-attached life as a con artist, pulling off heists and leaving a trail of broken hearts behind them. But when a grift goes horribly wrong, they catch the eye of a mysterious patron with a job offer they can’t refuse.
The mission? Steal a gem called “The Kiss of Enduring Love” and return it to the Feywild. Simple enough, until Saeldian discovers their ex-partner, Kell—a charming bard—is part of the team.
The last time Saeldian saw Kell, things hardly ended on good terms. A kiss became a betrayal, leaving Kell hurt and confused for almost a decade. But Kell can’t just walk away—not when this job might finally be his ticket back to the Feywild.
Forced to work together again, their adventure takes them from high-society parties to Feywild couple’s therapy. But as Saeldian and Kell rekindle their chemistry, they realize the gem is much more than a fey bauble, and their simple heist has summoned powerful enemies. . . .
Saeldian has sworn never to fall in love. That oath isn’t just a personal promise, but rather a magical pact, granting them powerful abilities. The only catch? They must never give their heart away—a deal that Saeldian is perfectly content with. They’ve seen firsthand how messy love can get.
Saeldian prefers their no-strings-attached life as a con artist, pulling off heists and leaving a trail of broken hearts behind them. But when a grift goes horribly wrong, they catch the eye of a mysterious patron with a job offer they can’t refuse.
The mission? Steal a gem called “The Kiss of Enduring Love” and return it to the Feywild. Simple enough, until Saeldian discovers their ex-partner, Kell—a charming bard—is part of the team.
The last time Saeldian saw Kell, things hardly ended on good terms. A kiss became a betrayal, leaving Kell hurt and confused for almost a decade. But Kell can’t just walk away—not when this job might finally be his ticket back to the Feywild.
Forced to work together again, their adventure takes them from high-society parties to Feywild couple’s therapy. But as Saeldian and Kell rekindle their chemistry, they realize the gem is much more than a fey bauble, and their simple heist has summoned powerful enemies. . . .
339 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 30, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 12, 2026DNF 24%! so bummed about this one. i love the idea of a cozy, magical heist romance, so i thought i’d love this, but this is not clicking. not the characters, the plot, the writing, or even the dialogue.
i’ve picked this up at least five different times this month trying to force myself to get into it, and nothing is hooking my interest. and i’d love to tell you ‘oh this is what’s wrong with it’ but there isn’t anything specifically wrong with it, i just don’t like it
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
i’ve picked this up at least five different times this month trying to force myself to get into it, and nothing is hooking my interest. and i’d love to tell you ‘oh this is what’s wrong with it’ but there isn’t anything specifically wrong with it, i just don’t like it
⬫ ⬪ ⬫
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🍃✨ The Feywild Job ✨🍃
Oh I’m so sad to not have loved this book. I was so excited to get approved for this ARC. But I really struggled with it.
The romance was the biggest let down, and I just had a hard time connecting to either character.
💫 What to Expect
• Exes to lovers
• Heist plot
• Feywild setting
• Con artist MC
• Magical pact
• Cozy fantasy
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
Oh I’m so sad to not have loved this book. I was so excited to get approved for this ARC. But I really struggled with it.
The romance was the biggest let down, and I just had a hard time connecting to either character.
💫 What to Expect
• Exes to lovers
• Heist plot
• Feywild setting
• Con artist MC
• Magical pact
• Cozy fantasy
_ _ _ _
📅 Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.
June 30, 2026
3.5
Let me preface this by saying I think I am the problem in this case, if you loved Emily Wilde and Bromantasy you will probably like this book, I'm just usually not a fan of this style of book.
The feywild job is a crazy fantasy set in a queer normative world where our nonbinary mc embarks in a heist with their ex best friend(and possibly more). It's fast paced and there's a lot of action and the side characters are great. There's a lot of banter between the main characters and it's a pretty funny book at times.
For me, it was just a little boring, something that seems to be a problem with most cozy fantasies but that I recognize is the genre and a lot of people like these books for that sole reason. It just wasn't for me.
Let me preface this by saying I think I am the problem in this case, if you loved Emily Wilde and Bromantasy you will probably like this book, I'm just usually not a fan of this style of book.
The feywild job is a crazy fantasy set in a queer normative world where our nonbinary mc embarks in a heist with their ex best friend(and possibly more). It's fast paced and there's a lot of action and the side characters are great. There's a lot of banter between the main characters and it's a pretty funny book at times.
For me, it was just a little boring, something that seems to be a problem with most cozy fantasies but that I recognize is the genre and a lot of people like these books for that sole reason. It just wasn't for me.
remind-me-once-out
March 28, 2026This sounds right up my ally
Read
May 1, 2026I fear I need to stop reading tie-in novelizations, because I have literally never read one that really worked for me. But the Feywild Job just sounded like such a sure bet! I may not be a big D&D fan, but I love whimsical fantasy, heists, and queer romance.
The whimsical fantasy vibes were admittedly excellent, and definitely carried the book for me. Every setting felt so vibrant and beautiful and alive - C. L. Polk has a real talent for lovely descriptions and scene-setting.
The actual heist plot felt much flimsier to me. It somehow managed to be hand-wavey and convoluted at the same time; there would be paragraphs and paragraphs overexplaining some mechanic or other, and then something would just miraculously work out in favor of our characters. I really struggled with the convenience and the breakneck pacing of events.
And, devastatingly, the romance was actually my least favorite part of this book. All of the characters and their relationships felt a bit juvenile, and I lost patience with the characters’ animosity quickly. Kell drove me up a wall. I think I actually kind of hate Kell.
Saeldian was a wonderful protagonist, though, and had a really fully realized character arc. So I do recommend this if you’re looking for fantasy books with really interesting, complex trans main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
The whimsical fantasy vibes were admittedly excellent, and definitely carried the book for me. Every setting felt so vibrant and beautiful and alive - C. L. Polk has a real talent for lovely descriptions and scene-setting.
The actual heist plot felt much flimsier to me. It somehow managed to be hand-wavey and convoluted at the same time; there would be paragraphs and paragraphs overexplaining some mechanic or other, and then something would just miraculously work out in favor of our characters. I really struggled with the convenience and the breakneck pacing of events.
And, devastatingly, the romance was actually my least favorite part of this book. All of the characters and their relationships felt a bit juvenile, and I lost patience with the characters’ animosity quickly. Kell drove me up a wall. I think I actually kind of hate Kell.
Saeldian was a wonderful protagonist, though, and had a really fully realized character arc. So I do recommend this if you’re looking for fantasy books with really interesting, complex trans main characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Read
March 29, 2026Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
THE FEYWILD JOB was a tropey, fun, romantic romp of a cozy D&D campaign.
Polk brilliantly represented the Dungeons and Dragons franchise in this story. Tonally, it scratched the exact itch of the D&D movie, which I adore; and I found it incredibly impressive to translate that tone between mediums and even slightly pivoting genres (this was a bit more romantasy than the adventure quest of the movie).
And I think the D&D of it all really solved most of my issues with cozy fantasy. I find that cozy fantasy stories often either struggle to cobble a plot around a cozy aesthetic, or they have a flimsy plot that gets trampled to death by shoehorned-in conversations full of therapy speak. But as this took on the form of a D&D campaign, the cozy bits felt like organic parts of the story, as they would for real players. There are moments of necessary rest, there are characters whose job it is is to be the reflective emotional healers, etc. And like a DM curating a D&D campaign, the plot is also built around the character’s backstories and necessary developments. And though it at times seemed a little goofily on the nose, it made the story feel a lot more cohesive and the moments of character development and healing feel natural and earned.
The romance was also just so fun and tropey, which is exactly what I was yearning for when reading this. Nothing brings me more joy than a tropey queer romantasy, and this did the trick. I was giggling and kicking my feet so hard I actually had to stand up to read a whole chapter. And the tropeyness was so silly and tongue-in-cheek and self-aware, which made it all the better.
Again, like the D&D movie, and like any good D&D campaign, it wasn’t taking itself too seriously.
I think my only critique of this is that reading the end felt like walking into a spiderweb of plot points that I couldn’t really detangle or get a good understanding of. And maybe this was a me problem (maybe not paying enough attention) but also maybe it just was confusing.
This was not a ground-breaking book by any means, but it really was so fun, and is one of the only cozy fantasy books I’ve read that does a good job of integrating the coziness into the world! (Also one of the only cozy fantasy books that doesn’t do a fantasy prejudice or a botched-metaphor-that-becomes-problematic, which is unfortunately impressive, especially considering this is in an IP that famously deals with fantasy racism!)
CW: violence, injury detail, child abuse, abusive parent
THE FEYWILD JOB was a tropey, fun, romantic romp of a cozy D&D campaign.
Polk brilliantly represented the Dungeons and Dragons franchise in this story. Tonally, it scratched the exact itch of the D&D movie, which I adore; and I found it incredibly impressive to translate that tone between mediums and even slightly pivoting genres (this was a bit more romantasy than the adventure quest of the movie).
And I think the D&D of it all really solved most of my issues with cozy fantasy. I find that cozy fantasy stories often either struggle to cobble a plot around a cozy aesthetic, or they have a flimsy plot that gets trampled to death by shoehorned-in conversations full of therapy speak. But as this took on the form of a D&D campaign, the cozy bits felt like organic parts of the story, as they would for real players. There are moments of necessary rest, there are characters whose job it is is to be the reflective emotional healers, etc. And like a DM curating a D&D campaign, the plot is also built around the character’s backstories and necessary developments. And though it at times seemed a little goofily on the nose, it made the story feel a lot more cohesive and the moments of character development and healing feel natural and earned.
The romance was also just so fun and tropey, which is exactly what I was yearning for when reading this. Nothing brings me more joy than a tropey queer romantasy, and this did the trick. I was giggling and kicking my feet so hard I actually had to stand up to read a whole chapter. And the tropeyness was so silly and tongue-in-cheek and self-aware, which made it all the better.
Again, like the D&D movie, and like any good D&D campaign, it wasn’t taking itself too seriously.
I think my only critique of this is that reading the end felt like walking into a spiderweb of plot points that I couldn’t really detangle or get a good understanding of. And maybe this was a me problem (maybe not paying enough attention) but also maybe it just was confusing.
This was not a ground-breaking book by any means, but it really was so fun, and is one of the only cozy fantasy books I’ve read that does a good job of integrating the coziness into the world! (Also one of the only cozy fantasy books that doesn’t do a fantasy prejudice or a botched-metaphor-that-becomes-problematic, which is unfortunately impressive, especially considering this is in an IP that famously deals with fantasy racism!)
CW: violence, injury detail, child abuse, abusive parent
![Profile Image for laurel [the suspected bibliophile].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645808644i/7494844._UX200_CR0,6,200,200_.jpg)
July 1, 2026
It was fun and enjoyable, but I'm just not a D&D fan, so missed a lot of the nuance and storyline and callbacks.
Plus, to me, it dragged on a little bit too long.
I did enjoy it though, even if it was far from being a favorite.
I received an ARC from the publisher
Plus, to me, it dragged on a little bit too long.
I did enjoy it though, even if it was far from being a favorite.
I received an ARC from the publisher
May 3, 2026
In this story we follow Saeldian and Kell, two exes who get put in the same heist to try and recover the “kiss of enduring love”. Will they be able to put the past aside and make it work? Will the truth behind their breakup come out?
I enjoyed this book, however the pacing didn’t convince me 100%. I also didn’t really connect with the two MCs, I was more interested in the two side characters. I did appreciate the representation and I did love Saeldian’s storyline. However something just didn’t click for me. I also don’t know much about d&d lore to talk on the references that might be here. Overall it was a cute heist story and I’d still recommend it if you’re looking for a cozy story with a bit of adventure.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book, however the pacing didn’t convince me 100%. I also didn’t really connect with the two MCs, I was more interested in the two side characters. I did appreciate the representation and I did love Saeldian’s storyline. However something just didn’t click for me. I also don’t know much about d&d lore to talk on the references that might be here. Overall it was a cute heist story and I’d still recommend it if you’re looking for a cozy story with a bit of adventure.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2026
2,5 ⭐
I had a fun time but oh how I wish characterization had been stronger. Much, much stronger. And less going around in circular arguments. This could have been so good.
I had a fun time but oh how I wish characterization had been stronger. Much, much stronger. And less going around in circular arguments. This could have been so good.
April 9, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this ebook in exchange for a review!
This is the sort of book that I started talking about and recommending from only a chapter in. The Feywild Job is exactly what I would hope for in a DnD novel - fun and irreverent, fast-paced and tense, and in every page evoking the feeling of playing a campaign. I'm not an old hand at DnD and can't speak to some of the older tie ins, but if you enjoyed the Honour Among Thieves movie or Baldur's Gate 3, I think you will find plenty to love here.
Saeldian is a character who gripped me from the start- in fact, one of my few complaints is that the book strays from their POV- and had my heart aching throughout. Seeing them wrestle with their pact and their devotion to their patron, against the bonds they formed with the world was hard to read at times, evoking patterns of isolation in abusing relationships. I also enjoyed the largely subtle way their gender played but also didn't play into the story- Saeldian's struggle is more with self-perception than their gender identity, though not entirely divorced from it, as feels fitting for a queer-normative world.
In many ways, this book felt exactly like a heist movie in structure, and that worked well, though I found sometimes that the exact twists were a little tricky to follow or not able to be picked up by the reader, even when the twist had been revealed. I found myself rereading passages to try to see what I had missed the first time and not finding it on a few occasions, which is largely why I'm not going for a full 5⭐️ on this review. This is to some extent a limitation of the medium and I'm sure that it would make for a very fun movie, but I wished there had been a bit more to catch on the reread. That being said, the turn! turn! turn! of it all in the ending was very satisfying and had me grinning as each twist was revealed.
Loved the lore cameos throughout- I won't spoil any, but if you're familiar with your DnD lore then you'll enjoy the various call outs.
The romance felt sweet and earned, and I really enjoyed how long we spent with Kell and Saeldian as bitter exes before the dynamic shifted- this isn't a long book and I worried this would be rushed but it felt just right.
Overall, a really enjoyable read and one I'll be picking up physically once it's out- the cover art is gorgeous, come on!- because I'd love to pick this up later for a cosy summer evening read.
4⭐️
This is the sort of book that I started talking about and recommending from only a chapter in. The Feywild Job is exactly what I would hope for in a DnD novel - fun and irreverent, fast-paced and tense, and in every page evoking the feeling of playing a campaign. I'm not an old hand at DnD and can't speak to some of the older tie ins, but if you enjoyed the Honour Among Thieves movie or Baldur's Gate 3, I think you will find plenty to love here.
Saeldian is a character who gripped me from the start- in fact, one of my few complaints is that the book strays from their POV- and had my heart aching throughout. Seeing them wrestle with their pact and their devotion to their patron, against the bonds they formed with the world was hard to read at times, evoking patterns of isolation in abusing relationships. I also enjoyed the largely subtle way their gender played but also didn't play into the story- Saeldian's struggle is more with self-perception than their gender identity, though not entirely divorced from it, as feels fitting for a queer-normative world.
In many ways, this book felt exactly like a heist movie in structure, and that worked well, though I found sometimes that the exact twists were a little tricky to follow or not able to be picked up by the reader, even when the twist had been revealed. I found myself rereading passages to try to see what I had missed the first time and not finding it on a few occasions, which is largely why I'm not going for a full 5⭐️ on this review. This is to some extent a limitation of the medium and I'm sure that it would make for a very fun movie, but I wished there had been a bit more to catch on the reread. That being said, the turn! turn! turn! of it all in the ending was very satisfying and had me grinning as each twist was revealed.
Loved the lore cameos throughout- I won't spoil any, but if you're familiar with your DnD lore then you'll enjoy the various call outs.
The romance felt sweet and earned, and I really enjoyed how long we spent with Kell and Saeldian as bitter exes before the dynamic shifted- this isn't a long book and I worried this would be rushed but it felt just right.
Overall, a really enjoyable read and one I'll be picking up physically once it's out- the cover art is gorgeous, come on!- because I'd love to pick this up later for a cosy summer evening read.
4⭐️
June 27, 2026
3.75 ⭐️ | 1 🌶️
"We all win, or nobody does."
The Feywild Job turned out to be a very different reading experience than I expected. While I struggled to connect with the story during the first half, the second half won me over and delivered an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
One of the book's strengths is its worldbuilding. The Feywild itself is intriguing and atmospheric, filled with magic, fae bargains, different fantasy races, and mysterious locations such as Hearthaven's Repose. Once the story fully enters the Feywild, the atmosphere truly comes alive, and the plot becomes more interesting.
I also really appreciated the found family dynamic between Saeldian, Kell, Jubilee, and Lorzok. Their loyalty to one another became one of my favorite aspects of the novel.
However, I found the first half difficult to get into. The pacing felt uneven, and I often had to reread passages to fully understand what was happening. Because readers are thrown directly into the story, it took me some time to fully grasp the world and become emotionally invested in the characters and their journey. The writing style sometimes felt unclear, which made it harder to stay immersed in the story.
What saved the book for me was the relationship between Kell and Saeldian. Their shared history, past heartbreak, and the revelation surrounding Saeldian's bargain gradually revealed a much more emotional story than I initially expected. I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness, healing, second chances, and reclaiming one's own heart. The romance remains subtle throughout much of the novel, making this feel more like a fantasy with romantic elements rather than a traditional romantasy. Readers looking for a romance-heavy story may not fully connect with this one.
The final portion of the book delivered several satisfying twists, tied together many earlier details, and offered a heartfelt and hopeful ending that left me genuinely happy for the characters.
Overall, while I struggled with the pacing and writing style, I am glad I stayed with this story. The emotional payoff, found family, and the Feywild made the journey worthwhile.
My ratings: overall 3.75 ⭐️
Emotional impact: 4
Character connection: 3.75
Worldbuilding: 4
Plot: 3.75
Writing: 3.5
Romance: 4
I received an advance review copy from Penguin Random House Worlds / Del Rey through NetGalley, and I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
"We all win, or nobody does."
The Feywild Job turned out to be a very different reading experience than I expected. While I struggled to connect with the story during the first half, the second half won me over and delivered an emotionally satisfying conclusion.
One of the book's strengths is its worldbuilding. The Feywild itself is intriguing and atmospheric, filled with magic, fae bargains, different fantasy races, and mysterious locations such as Hearthaven's Repose. Once the story fully enters the Feywild, the atmosphere truly comes alive, and the plot becomes more interesting.
I also really appreciated the found family dynamic between Saeldian, Kell, Jubilee, and Lorzok. Their loyalty to one another became one of my favorite aspects of the novel.
However, I found the first half difficult to get into. The pacing felt uneven, and I often had to reread passages to fully understand what was happening. Because readers are thrown directly into the story, it took me some time to fully grasp the world and become emotionally invested in the characters and their journey. The writing style sometimes felt unclear, which made it harder to stay immersed in the story.
What saved the book for me was the relationship between Kell and Saeldian. Their shared history, past heartbreak, and the revelation surrounding Saeldian's bargain gradually revealed a much more emotional story than I initially expected. I enjoyed the themes of forgiveness, healing, second chances, and reclaiming one's own heart. The romance remains subtle throughout much of the novel, making this feel more like a fantasy with romantic elements rather than a traditional romantasy. Readers looking for a romance-heavy story may not fully connect with this one.
The final portion of the book delivered several satisfying twists, tied together many earlier details, and offered a heartfelt and hopeful ending that left me genuinely happy for the characters.
Overall, while I struggled with the pacing and writing style, I am glad I stayed with this story. The emotional payoff, found family, and the Feywild made the journey worthwhile.
My ratings: overall 3.75 ⭐️
Emotional impact: 4
Character connection: 3.75
Worldbuilding: 4
Plot: 3.75
Writing: 3.5
Romance: 4
I received an advance review copy from Penguin Random House Worlds / Del Rey through NetGalley, and I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
May 16, 2026
I was all there for the romantic plot - exes with a big grudge who are forced to work together… and for the fairy heist!
But then the dynamic between the two MC was way too much bickering. Luckily the side characters were great and that saved the found family.
But what I struggled the most with was the narrative - it was so confusing. You know when you have to read ten times the last few lines because you just don’t get it?… just for it to be explained 2 lines later..? Well that happened a lot in this book and that got me very frustrated.
But then the dynamic between the two MC was way too much bickering. Luckily the side characters were great and that saved the found family.
But what I struggled the most with was the narrative - it was so confusing. You know when you have to read ten times the last few lines because you just don’t get it?… just for it to be explained 2 lines later..? Well that happened a lot in this book and that got me very frustrated.
Did Not Finish
June 27, 2026Today is #review day!
Unfortunately, The Feywild Job by C.L.Polk is a #dnf for me. 🥲
First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a honest review!
General info: a cozyish fantasy romance set into the Forgotten Realms campaign from Dungeons & Dragons; an action-packed adventure in a queer normative world with a central enemies to lovers story; a heist with a romantic twist perfect for fans of the game that also appreciate trans rep in their #books.
CW: mentions of child/domestic abuse (these might be incomplete due to me not finishing the story!)
BOOK THOUGHTS
As I said…this was a dnf 😖…I managed to #read until 40%, when my complains became way too many for me to comfortably review this despite not knowing anything about the game lore it's so obviously inspired by.🥹
So, please don't shove this one into the 'books not worth reading' pile because it doesn't belong there!
As a story, it was perfectly fine if you are a DnD fan…but anyone else will need to access DnD beyond to know what race everyone is, what abilities they have and how they work, where are we, and how stuff generally works in this place.😅
I really did try to ignore these things and focus on the characters, but getting more info on the number of steps for a dance over how our characters look became too much.🫠
So yeah…those of you loving a good ol' world building will be disappointed.😅
On the flip side…I think those already knowing all these would be perfectly at home🤷♀️…the narrative simply name drops places/races and treats them like common knowledge…there's no handholding here!😅
As a little bit of extra info👀…I noticed that some characters have a specific way of talking and thinking…that might also be a part of DnD 🤷♀️…it did make me a little intrigued ( especially the Harengon and the Druid), so I decided to mention it here.
Plot: the story is a little bit strange in this department 😅…I've always perceived this to be high paced, but some scenes are dropped directly from a cozy fantasy 🙁. I think they fit the narrative somewhat as they present extra info on our protagonists and add to the atmosphere, but they felt a little weird 🤔…I can't explain this better : it's like our MCs needed to do or say specific things before the heist, and this was the only way.😕
About the heist…at 40% I said: no more! This was my biggest issue…we are presented with a very difficult task and really, REALLY high risks…only to end up solving the problem in THAT way 🫠…I don't care if your character had the ability all along because game stuff… I DIDN'T KNOW!😩
And yeah…I think I know where everything is going plotwise… but I honestly don't care to see it through 😔.
Anyways…that's for this part😅.
Characters : I think the cast is well done. I really liked Saeldian and Lorzok. Our MC is full of secrets and remorse, but VERY prideful and closed off👀. His strange relationship with Osalor had me hooked until that faithful moment in the heist.😆 I believe many will like them!🤭 Lorzok, on the other hand, is just wholesome for how little we get from him 🥹.
Kell, our love interest and second POV…is very angry…spiteful even!... and more than hurt and betrayed 😖…it's like he cannot control his actions sometimes!😩 He's very petty, and really childish in some moments, although he realizes that's not OK.🤷♀️
Sooo…if you like a drama queen that's somewhat entitled to his actions…he's your guy.🤭
As for Jubilee…she was just there 😅…I liked her family more than herself 🫣…not to mention I think they had a bigger impact on our protagonists than her.😖
I think this is all that I wanted to say 🧐…the story will definitely work well for those readers wanting characters over world building, especially those liking a messy love interest that needs a shaking.👀🤭..and, once again, those into DnD.😆
I really hope this book will find its audience, because I'm sure many will love it!☺️
Unfortunately, The Feywild Job by C.L.Polk is a #dnf for me. 🥲
First of all, I want to thank NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for a honest review!
General info: a cozyish fantasy romance set into the Forgotten Realms campaign from Dungeons & Dragons; an action-packed adventure in a queer normative world with a central enemies to lovers story; a heist with a romantic twist perfect for fans of the game that also appreciate trans rep in their #books.
CW: mentions of child/domestic abuse (these might be incomplete due to me not finishing the story!)
BOOK THOUGHTS
As I said…this was a dnf 😖…I managed to #read until 40%, when my complains became way too many for me to comfortably review this despite not knowing anything about the game lore it's so obviously inspired by.🥹
So, please don't shove this one into the 'books not worth reading' pile because it doesn't belong there!
As a story, it was perfectly fine if you are a DnD fan…but anyone else will need to access DnD beyond to know what race everyone is, what abilities they have and how they work, where are we, and how stuff generally works in this place.😅
I really did try to ignore these things and focus on the characters, but getting more info on the number of steps for a dance over how our characters look became too much.🫠
So yeah…those of you loving a good ol' world building will be disappointed.😅
On the flip side…I think those already knowing all these would be perfectly at home🤷♀️…the narrative simply name drops places/races and treats them like common knowledge…there's no handholding here!😅
As a little bit of extra info👀…I noticed that some characters have a specific way of talking and thinking…that might also be a part of DnD 🤷♀️…it did make me a little intrigued ( especially the Harengon and the Druid), so I decided to mention it here.
Plot: the story is a little bit strange in this department 😅…I've always perceived this to be high paced, but some scenes are dropped directly from a cozy fantasy 🙁. I think they fit the narrative somewhat as they present extra info on our protagonists and add to the atmosphere, but they felt a little weird 🤔…I can't explain this better : it's like our MCs needed to do or say specific things before the heist, and this was the only way.😕
About the heist…at 40% I said: no more! This was my biggest issue…we are presented with a very difficult task and really, REALLY high risks…only to end up solving the problem in THAT way 🫠…I don't care if your character had the ability all along because game stuff… I DIDN'T KNOW!😩
And yeah…I think I know where everything is going plotwise… but I honestly don't care to see it through 😔.
Anyways…that's for this part😅.
Characters : I think the cast is well done. I really liked Saeldian and Lorzok. Our MC is full of secrets and remorse, but VERY prideful and closed off👀. His strange relationship with Osalor had me hooked until that faithful moment in the heist.😆 I believe many will like them!🤭 Lorzok, on the other hand, is just wholesome for how little we get from him 🥹.
Kell, our love interest and second POV…is very angry…spiteful even!... and more than hurt and betrayed 😖…it's like he cannot control his actions sometimes!😩 He's very petty, and really childish in some moments, although he realizes that's not OK.🤷♀️
Sooo…if you like a drama queen that's somewhat entitled to his actions…he's your guy.🤭
As for Jubilee…she was just there 😅…I liked her family more than herself 🫣…not to mention I think they had a bigger impact on our protagonists than her.😖
I think this is all that I wanted to say 🧐…the story will definitely work well for those readers wanting characters over world building, especially those liking a messy love interest that needs a shaking.👀🤭..and, once again, those into DnD.😆
I really hope this book will find its audience, because I'm sure many will love it!☺️
July 5, 2026
I've never played Dungeons and Dragons and do not know the universe at all, so perhaps that would have helped me have more nostalgia for this book, and I've been in too dark of a mood to truly enjoy the escape that cozy fantasy offers, so perhaps this one is on me. But I loved C.L. Polk's Witchmark books so I thought I'd give this one a try.
Saeldian and Kell, bitter enemies after Saeldian abandoned and betrayed Kell after a con job gone wrong, are thrown together once again on a heist into the realms of the fey. Their assignment is to swap a fake Kiss of Enduring Love gemstone with the real one, and they must work together without animosity to reach this realm. The problem being Saeldian has made a pact with his fey mentor to give him his magical powers, an impossible pact that means trading something he didn't think he'd miss when he was young, but dooms any hope for Kell and Saeldian.
I do think this author's writing style is very descriptive, which is one reason I usually love their books, and I loved Saeldian's nonbinary representation. Many parts were cute and made me smile. However this missed the mark for me because I felt the romance had no chemistry.
These two spent most of the book engaged in bickering that was hateful, childish and petty, and it made it hard for me to like either of them together. Then it seems like a switch is flipped, they have sex in a dream, and now they're in love. I didn't really buy that they truly cared about each other. There were some acts of care but almost too little, too late. The sexual tension was missing the sexual energy entirely and was just miserable tension. It felt like being in a room with a bitter old married straight couple who should have divorced years ago. I liked the two of them as characters, just not together as a couple.
The quests were fun though, and they had just enough stakes to keep me interested, but the romance in this just wasn't for me. C.L. Polk is still one of my favorite authors, though, and I'll read anything they write.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Saeldian and Kell, bitter enemies after Saeldian abandoned and betrayed Kell after a con job gone wrong, are thrown together once again on a heist into the realms of the fey. Their assignment is to swap a fake Kiss of Enduring Love gemstone with the real one, and they must work together without animosity to reach this realm. The problem being Saeldian has made a pact with his fey mentor to give him his magical powers, an impossible pact that means trading something he didn't think he'd miss when he was young, but dooms any hope for Kell and Saeldian.
I do think this author's writing style is very descriptive, which is one reason I usually love their books, and I loved Saeldian's nonbinary representation. Many parts were cute and made me smile. However this missed the mark for me because I felt the romance had no chemistry.
These two spent most of the book engaged in bickering that was hateful, childish and petty, and it made it hard for me to like either of them together. Then it seems like a switch is flipped, they have sex in a dream, and now they're in love. I didn't really buy that they truly cared about each other. There were some acts of care but almost too little, too late. The sexual tension was missing the sexual energy entirely and was just miserable tension. It felt like being in a room with a bitter old married straight couple who should have divorced years ago. I liked the two of them as characters, just not together as a couple.
The quests were fun though, and they had just enough stakes to keep me interested, but the romance in this just wasn't for me. C.L. Polk is still one of my favorite authors, though, and I'll read anything they write.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 30, 2026
Thank you Random House Worlds via NetGalley and PRH Audio for the gifted copies.
I’m sad to say this book didn’t hit the way I was hoping it would. I love D&D, and I was so excited to be approved for this ARC because a romance set in the Feywild sounded like exactly my kind of book. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite land for me.
The pacing was really slow, and at times it felt more like reading someone’s campaign notes than a fully immersive story. The frequent mentions of cantrips and other game mechanics pulled me out of the narrative instead of making the world feel richer.
The romance had some enjoyable moments, but for an enemies-to-lovers story, I just didn't feel the tension as much as I wanted to. Their history had potential, but I wanted more emotional push-and-pull before they found their way back to each other.
🎧 I started with the audiobook but found myself struggling to connect, so I switched over to the print edition. In the end, I think it was more the story than Vico Ortiz's narration that wasn't clicking for me.
I’m sad to say this book didn’t hit the way I was hoping it would. I love D&D, and I was so excited to be approved for this ARC because a romance set in the Feywild sounded like exactly my kind of book. Unfortunately, it just didn’t quite land for me.
The pacing was really slow, and at times it felt more like reading someone’s campaign notes than a fully immersive story. The frequent mentions of cantrips and other game mechanics pulled me out of the narrative instead of making the world feel richer.
The romance had some enjoyable moments, but for an enemies-to-lovers story, I just didn't feel the tension as much as I wanted to. Their history had potential, but I wanted more emotional push-and-pull before they found their way back to each other.
🎧 I started with the audiobook but found myself struggling to connect, so I switched over to the print edition. In the end, I think it was more the story than Vico Ortiz's narration that wasn't clicking for me.
July 1, 2026
I received a free copy from Random House Worlds via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Release date June 30th, 2026.
I’ve read a few of the author’s fantasy romances, and I was excited to get a copy of their latest novel. In The Feywild Job, Saeldian has traded their heart in exchange for powerful illusion magic. When a con goes wrong, Saeldian is tricked into a job to retrieve a stolen jewel—only to find that they’re working with Kell, the ex-partner they dumped on bad terms years ago.
This is a light, fun heist romance centered around Saeldian and Kell slowly revealing their respective version of what happened ten years ago. The central relationship was a bit more contentious than I prefer—Kell resents Saeldian deeply and holds them responsible for ending up in jail after Saeldian left in the middle of the heist. In consequence, they spend the majority of the novel sniping at each other, which doesn’t do much to convince me that they were once friends. While the plot effectively revolves around a misunderstanding, Polk plays it well. Kell’s angry about ending up in jail, and Saeldian is understandably reluctant to admit to running away from an embarrassing crush while Kell is monologuing about how they’re a stone-cold evil mastermind. Even if the romance wasn’t a hundred percent to my taste, the jewel heist and fancy party infiltration and pulpy monster fights were entertaining.
I don’t think I realized when I first saw the premise that The Feywild Job is a Dungeons and Dragons tie-in novel, but it very much is a branded title with heavy Franchise References. Maybe I’m a snob, but I judge books that feel too much like “DnD” as a sign of sloppy worldbuilding. Polk is doing a tie-in novel, exactly as advertised, but I still winced a bit at the formulaic, game-based aspects of the plot. Long rests and spell slots look a bit odd wedged into a fantasy book. Not to mention the choice of treating a fey bargain as a “warlock patron pact.” Still, artificiality aside, The Feywild Job is a breath of fresh air compared to the beloved but fatally hackneyed Hickman and Weiss era of tie-in novels. Clark has an excellent touch with characterization—the characters may have classes, but they’re never reduced to to caricature. Honestly, I think that Polk writing fantasy novels in a predetermined franchise setting rather than in worldbuilding of their own invention is a bit of a waste.
A light and fun heist-based closed door romance. It went a bit heavier on the gory dungeons and dragons dice-flinging details for my taste, but the story still felt fresh and original without leaning too heavily on fantasy cliches.
I’ve read a few of the author’s fantasy romances, and I was excited to get a copy of their latest novel. In The Feywild Job, Saeldian has traded their heart in exchange for powerful illusion magic. When a con goes wrong, Saeldian is tricked into a job to retrieve a stolen jewel—only to find that they’re working with Kell, the ex-partner they dumped on bad terms years ago.
This is a light, fun heist romance centered around Saeldian and Kell slowly revealing their respective version of what happened ten years ago. The central relationship was a bit more contentious than I prefer—Kell resents Saeldian deeply and holds them responsible for ending up in jail after Saeldian left in the middle of the heist. In consequence, they spend the majority of the novel sniping at each other, which doesn’t do much to convince me that they were once friends. While the plot effectively revolves around a misunderstanding, Polk plays it well. Kell’s angry about ending up in jail, and Saeldian is understandably reluctant to admit to running away from an embarrassing crush while Kell is monologuing about how they’re a stone-cold evil mastermind. Even if the romance wasn’t a hundred percent to my taste, the jewel heist and fancy party infiltration and pulpy monster fights were entertaining.
I don’t think I realized when I first saw the premise that The Feywild Job is a Dungeons and Dragons tie-in novel, but it very much is a branded title with heavy Franchise References. Maybe I’m a snob, but I judge books that feel too much like “DnD” as a sign of sloppy worldbuilding. Polk is doing a tie-in novel, exactly as advertised, but I still winced a bit at the formulaic, game-based aspects of the plot. Long rests and spell slots look a bit odd wedged into a fantasy book. Not to mention the choice of treating a fey bargain as a “warlock patron pact.” Still, artificiality aside, The Feywild Job is a breath of fresh air compared to the beloved but fatally hackneyed Hickman and Weiss era of tie-in novels. Clark has an excellent touch with characterization—the characters may have classes, but they’re never reduced to to caricature. Honestly, I think that Polk writing fantasy novels in a predetermined franchise setting rather than in worldbuilding of their own invention is a bit of a waste.
A light and fun heist-based closed door romance. It went a bit heavier on the gory dungeons and dragons dice-flinging details for my taste, but the story still felt fresh and original without leaning too heavily on fantasy cliches.
Did Not Finish
March 23, 2026I really wanted to like this, I like Polk's other work. I couldn't quite get into the setting. I think this is more on me than it is Polk's writing. I'm not a huge fan of second chance romances where it starts out as enemies to lovers, but I was hoping the fantasy setting and the author would be enough to win me over. I might give it another try, but I bounced off of it four chapters in.
June 24, 2026
The Feywild Job is fun, flirty and a fast read. The cozy vibes held throughout on the elaborate heist as bitter exes are forced to team up and the banter was great. The adventure was fun, this isn’t a deep and meaningful book by any means but all the same I enjoyed the vibes. I loved the first chapter the most though as the fairy fantasy tale was immensely enjoyable. After that I didn’t connect to the characters as much but Saeldian did have a great storyline. Overall a fun read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.
Did Not Finish
June 26, 2026DNF at 41%
I tried so hard to stay invested, but I was just so uninterested. Nothing was really grabbing me and it was taking me so long to get through it.
*Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC via NetGalley
I tried so hard to stay invested, but I was just so uninterested. Nothing was really grabbing me and it was taking me so long to get through it.
*Thank you to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the eARC via NetGalley
July 5, 2026
ask me if I remember shit, that's how bad I found this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A promising D&D adventure ruined by one of the worst romances.
I like D&D and adventure fantasy, and the protagonists being a warlock and a bard promised a story with a lot of charm and silver tongue. Also, C.L. Polk has a reputation of an award-winning fantasy author. So even though I'm not a fan of second chance romance, I decided to give this book a try.
We're introduced to Saeldian, a non-binary half-elf warlock (called an elf-human here, because apparently WotC removed half-elves from the roster?) with a knack for illusions and altering their appearance (including presenting as different genders). From the prologue we know they made a pact with an archfey, giving their heart away. They're also magically bound to secrecy about the nature of this pact.
In the current timeline, they're roped into a heist job by mysterious crime lords. Saeldian, their friend Jubilee (a tiefling rogue), Saeldian's ex, Kell (a human bard), who Saeldian abandoned in the past after a heist, and Kell's friend, Lorzok (an orc druid) - they're all magically bound to fulfill this mission or suffer eternal pain if they refuse. So, off they go on a quest.
Until around 40%, where they have to retrieve the item they later have to bring to the titular Feywild, the story was quite interesting. But after that point, it fell apart.
First of all, Jubilee and Lorzok get progressively sidelined so the story can focus on the main couple and their romance. Especially Jubilee does seemingly nothing except being cheerful and once getting . Oh, and she flirts with some side character, that has zero influence on the main story. Only Kell and Saeldian need to enter, rest stays outside. The final destination? to emphasize how much of a third wheel they were.
This is not how you write a rag-tag team story. In my mind, I was comparing it to The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox that did a team of 4 brilliantly. Their interactions went all 4 ways, not just towards the main couple, and they made everything more interesting. They weren't decor or only there to pat the main couple on the backs. Alternatively, you want to focus on the romance? Cut the sidekicks and focus on the main duo. A good example to me was Green & Deadly Things. Having the sidekicks serve as decor or mascots is worst of both worlds.
Secondly, the plot devolved into random challenges pulled out of a hat with no rhyme or reason except to push the romance forward. Like the The characters roamed aimlessly until the next plot point was dropped on them.
Also the resolution was very much "ha ha, we crafted all this plan we're gonna explain to you now and you were just a pawn in it", basically lampshading how characters were ragdolled around and led on a string. Just because it's "intentional" doesn't make it good storytelling. It just made it look like plot happened to the characters. Also, I hate the "monologue at the climax to explain the whole plan", it's a lazy plot device.
Now, the worst part: the romance itself. Kell is literally the worst. Mean, condescending, spiteful, while also acting holier than thou. It's not even offset by typical romantasy shenanigans where the love interest is a jerk, but protects the mc and helps them. Kell, for most of the story, was useless, or only able to do something because Saeldian or Lorzok helped him do it. Saeldian was carrying this team most of the time. Lorzok had a couple of moments. Jubilee most of the time seemed forgotten. And Kell was like the guy who's always a deadweight in your group project, but has a ton of excuses.
For half the story, I suspected Kell is being grumpy and mean because he got separated from his adoptive family and worried they might be dead. Grief, loneliness, worry, survivor's guilt, all those can impact someone's mood drastically. But when he changes not a iota. Guess he's just an asshole then.
He also blames Saeldian for everything even when he's provided a sufficient explanation what happened and told the rest Saeldian is not allowed to speak about. This infuriated me as much as that time I played Baldur's Gate 3 and people kept accusing me of stuff because Mizora told them so. Guys! You live in this world! You know warlocks exist, and you know their patrons are usually evil, manipulative and cruel. You know warlocks cannot go against their patrons, and if that's too shady or risky, then don't work with a warlock in the first place.
But here it feels like the narrative takes Kell's side and paints Saeldian as halfway responsible. Um, no? And even after they meet Saeldian's patron, and see that Kell doesn't change his attitude.
When it was just verbal sniping, I felt uncomfortable, because I don't like one-sided bullying, and Saeldian was taking everything like a punching bag. But when Kell burnt Saeldian's breakfast on purpose, I wanted to metaphorically yeet the book out of the window. Metaphorically, because this is a digital arc. I only kept reading on because I kept wondering what kind of apology, grovel or grand gesture did the author plan for Kell to come back from this atrocious behavior?
Dear reader, I did not see either of that. Kell kept being an asshole. Even in the moments of supposed emotional vulnerability, he kept acting condescendingly and rudely, for example telling Saeldian: Are you kidding me? This is the moment of great tenderness between them? The making out scene that followed this exchange made me very uncomfortable, because it read like Saeldian being lonely and desperate and throwing themselves at someone who treated them like crap.
What did I get? A mediocre male's display of entitlement. In the scene of The what? This is the level of explanation "he bullies you because he's into you". It's especially icky because this one reeked of "nice guy" behavior: you didn't give me what I felt entitled to, I will insult and bully you forever.
And let me remind: this is a second chance romance. This isn't a spurned lover's story who needs to learn to move on. By the end of the story, I had no idea what Saeldian saw in Kell and why Kell deserved a relationship after his childish, self-centered behavior that showed little improvement. It just all got swept under the rug and "let bygones be bygones", I guess?
And that's why I usually despise second chance romance: either the breakup was something unforgivable, and they should stay apart, or it was something forced by external circumstances, like here, but then someone will be unable to get over themselves and their ex for a decade and hold grudges like a Warhammer Dwarf, or option no. 3, it was all a silly miscommunication and making mountains out of molehills. It just never convinces me these people belong together and won't again stoop down to toxic behavior next time a conflict appears.
Also, I'm sick and tired of authors gaslighting me that settling for a mediocre entitled man is peak romance and I should imagine this is a "happily" ever after. Get lost. -1 star for that alone. These kind of stories put me off from romance for decades.
Even the climax was Saeldian's decision and Kell contributed next to nothing. This story would have been so much better without the romance, and with Lorzok and Jubilee actually having their moments to shine.
I received the ARC from Random House Worlds through Netgalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest opinion.
I like D&D and adventure fantasy, and the protagonists being a warlock and a bard promised a story with a lot of charm and silver tongue. Also, C.L. Polk has a reputation of an award-winning fantasy author. So even though I'm not a fan of second chance romance, I decided to give this book a try.
We're introduced to Saeldian, a non-binary half-elf warlock (called an elf-human here, because apparently WotC removed half-elves from the roster?) with a knack for illusions and altering their appearance (including presenting as different genders). From the prologue we know they made a pact with an archfey, giving their heart away. They're also magically bound to secrecy about the nature of this pact.
In the current timeline, they're roped into a heist job by mysterious crime lords. Saeldian, their friend Jubilee (a tiefling rogue), Saeldian's ex, Kell (a human bard), who Saeldian abandoned in the past after a heist, and Kell's friend, Lorzok (an orc druid) - they're all magically bound to fulfill this mission or suffer eternal pain if they refuse. So, off they go on a quest.
Until around 40%, where they have to retrieve the item they later have to bring to the titular Feywild, the story was quite interesting. But after that point, it fell apart.
First of all, Jubilee and Lorzok get progressively sidelined so the story can focus on the main couple and their romance. Especially Jubilee does seemingly nothing except being cheerful and once getting . Oh, and she flirts with some side character, that has zero influence on the main story. Only Kell and Saeldian need to enter, rest stays outside. The final destination? to emphasize how much of a third wheel they were.
This is not how you write a rag-tag team story. In my mind, I was comparing it to The Legend of the Nine-Tailed Fox that did a team of 4 brilliantly. Their interactions went all 4 ways, not just towards the main couple, and they made everything more interesting. They weren't decor or only there to pat the main couple on the backs. Alternatively, you want to focus on the romance? Cut the sidekicks and focus on the main duo. A good example to me was Green & Deadly Things. Having the sidekicks serve as decor or mascots is worst of both worlds.
Secondly, the plot devolved into random challenges pulled out of a hat with no rhyme or reason except to push the romance forward. Like the The characters roamed aimlessly until the next plot point was dropped on them.
Also the resolution was very much "ha ha, we crafted all this plan we're gonna explain to you now and you were just a pawn in it", basically lampshading how characters were ragdolled around and led on a string. Just because it's "intentional" doesn't make it good storytelling. It just made it look like plot happened to the characters. Also, I hate the "monologue at the climax to explain the whole plan", it's a lazy plot device.
Now, the worst part: the romance itself. Kell is literally the worst. Mean, condescending, spiteful, while also acting holier than thou. It's not even offset by typical romantasy shenanigans where the love interest is a jerk, but protects the mc and helps them. Kell, for most of the story, was useless, or only able to do something because Saeldian or Lorzok helped him do it. Saeldian was carrying this team most of the time. Lorzok had a couple of moments. Jubilee most of the time seemed forgotten. And Kell was like the guy who's always a deadweight in your group project, but has a ton of excuses.
For half the story, I suspected Kell is being grumpy and mean because he got separated from his adoptive family and worried they might be dead. Grief, loneliness, worry, survivor's guilt, all those can impact someone's mood drastically. But when he changes not a iota. Guess he's just an asshole then.
He also blames Saeldian for everything even when he's provided a sufficient explanation what happened and told the rest Saeldian is not allowed to speak about. This infuriated me as much as that time I played Baldur's Gate 3 and people kept accusing me of stuff because Mizora told them so. Guys! You live in this world! You know warlocks exist, and you know their patrons are usually evil, manipulative and cruel. You know warlocks cannot go against their patrons, and if that's too shady or risky, then don't work with a warlock in the first place.
But here it feels like the narrative takes Kell's side and paints Saeldian as halfway responsible. Um, no? And even after they meet Saeldian's patron, and see that Kell doesn't change his attitude.
When it was just verbal sniping, I felt uncomfortable, because I don't like one-sided bullying, and Saeldian was taking everything like a punching bag. But when Kell burnt Saeldian's breakfast on purpose, I wanted to metaphorically yeet the book out of the window. Metaphorically, because this is a digital arc. I only kept reading on because I kept wondering what kind of apology, grovel or grand gesture did the author plan for Kell to come back from this atrocious behavior?
Dear reader, I did not see either of that. Kell kept being an asshole. Even in the moments of supposed emotional vulnerability, he kept acting condescendingly and rudely, for example telling Saeldian: Are you kidding me? This is the moment of great tenderness between them? The making out scene that followed this exchange made me very uncomfortable, because it read like Saeldian being lonely and desperate and throwing themselves at someone who treated them like crap.
What did I get? A mediocre male's display of entitlement. In the scene of The what? This is the level of explanation "he bullies you because he's into you". It's especially icky because this one reeked of "nice guy" behavior: you didn't give me what I felt entitled to, I will insult and bully you forever.
And let me remind: this is a second chance romance. This isn't a spurned lover's story who needs to learn to move on. By the end of the story, I had no idea what Saeldian saw in Kell and why Kell deserved a relationship after his childish, self-centered behavior that showed little improvement. It just all got swept under the rug and "let bygones be bygones", I guess?
And that's why I usually despise second chance romance: either the breakup was something unforgivable, and they should stay apart, or it was something forced by external circumstances, like here, but then someone will be unable to get over themselves and their ex for a decade and hold grudges like a Warhammer Dwarf, or option no. 3, it was all a silly miscommunication and making mountains out of molehills. It just never convinces me these people belong together and won't again stoop down to toxic behavior next time a conflict appears.
Also, I'm sick and tired of authors gaslighting me that settling for a mediocre entitled man is peak romance and I should imagine this is a "happily" ever after. Get lost. -1 star for that alone. These kind of stories put me off from romance for decades.
Even the climax was Saeldian's decision and Kell contributed next to nothing. This story would have been so much better without the romance, and with Lorzok and Jubilee actually having their moments to shine.
I received the ARC from Random House Worlds through Netgalley. I am voluntarily providing my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received a free advance copy of this book from the Penguin Random House booth at Emerald City Comic Con. Thanks to PRH for being there and ECCC for having them.
I loved this book. It's set in the Dungeons and Dragons world, which I've always been interested in, but didn't really learn fully about until I played Baldur's Gate 3 (I'm sure I'm not the only one). BG3 gave me a lot of basic knowledge about Faerun and its various cities and neighboring realms that I didn't have to use context to understand the magic systems and locations in the book (although even if you have no familiarity with DND I think you'd be able to understand what's going on; it balances nicely and when you do get information about the world it doesn't feel like a lore dump)
I've enjoyed the author's work before, which helps a lot. And this is actually the second DND book I've gotten from ECCC, written by an author I already liked that I enjoyed. So, I give whoever is running their book department credit for hiring really good writers to write their spin off books.
But on to the book itself. I enjoyed the characters. It gave us two main characters who were complicated in ways that felt fully developed and had hang ups and past traumas that made their actions both in the past and present, make sense even if you wanted to shake them to make them sometimes. Saeldian in particular was someone who I fully understood. I got why they did what they did, why they felt the way they did, even when it was bad. And I was still rooting for them to get it together. This is a delicate balance to try to hit. Sometimes with characters who make questionable decisions, you end up disliking them so much you just want bad things to happen to them, but Saeldian... I just wanted them to accept a hug and let someone tell them they cared about them.
Kell is also great. Sometimes, when there is a character who holds a grudge against another to the point where they can't even consider being kind to them, it can be irritating because the grudge isn't set up well enough or seems too minor to inspire such a thing, but in this case it's totally understandable.
Their dynamic is at the center of the book, and it develops in ways that felt earned to me. The author didn't have them make up instantly, or with very little work. They didn't make the two of them just suddenly realize they needed to be nicer to one another. They made them go through some shit, and so the payoff to it all feels like the natural progression of events rather than the author just looking at their page count and going "ooh they need to be friends again" and making it happen.
One of my biggest gripes with a lot of books is that sometimes it just seems like things happen (whether it's falling in love, people making up, etc) because the author thinks it's time to happen and so they write it that way. They don't lay the groundwork or have the characters have to GO THROUGH anything to get there. I guess that's fine sometimes, because not everything has to be a huge ordeal, but sometimes, and especially in cases like this (Kell believes that Saeldian abandoned and betrayed him; Saeldian definitely did abandon him, but for reasons they can't speak out loud), it can't be handwaved. It has to be built up to, and the author does an excellent job of it (which doesn't surprise me, given the way their other work navigates complicated relationships tangled up with outside forces neither person has control over).
The two main supporting characters, Kell's traveling companion and friend Lorzok (an orc druid), and Saeldian's friend Jubilee (a tiefling rogue whose parents are former adventurers) are both fun as well. I especially liked Jubilee. In fact, all the other supporting characters are quite good as well, and Saeldian's patron especially is complicated and... well, he definitely gives you a lot of insight into how Saeldian is in the present.
On top of the relationship plot, is a heist. The thing that brings Kell and Saeldian together after ten years of not thinking they'd ever run into one another again (and not wanting to), is a job given by a group of smugglers to whom Kell owes a debt. I also love a good heist plot, and it drives all the action forward (they have to steal something from one place in Faerun, and then travel to the Feywild to replace it where it belongs, all without anyone catching them).
The job drives the plot forward at a good clip, and also allows time to advance the personal relationship plots without either one of them losing anything. There are some twists at the end that I thought were quite well done, set up with enough information to give you some suspicions, but not enough that the reveals don't surprise you. To me, nothing seemed to come completely out of nowhere, which is in my opinion the sign of a good solution.
The only real issue is that the ending didn't give us enough closure with Saeldian and Jubilee, and I would've liked to have seen one final scene with them. Although we know what is happening with them going forward, it would've just been good to see them talk things over.
In conclusion, this is a really good fantasy heist book even separate from the DND elements, but the DND elements just add more fun stuff for DND fans to enjoy. Come for the heist, stay for the emotional healing journey and working through of childhood trauma! (And romance I guess lol...).
I loved this book. It's set in the Dungeons and Dragons world, which I've always been interested in, but didn't really learn fully about until I played Baldur's Gate 3 (I'm sure I'm not the only one). BG3 gave me a lot of basic knowledge about Faerun and its various cities and neighboring realms that I didn't have to use context to understand the magic systems and locations in the book (although even if you have no familiarity with DND I think you'd be able to understand what's going on; it balances nicely and when you do get information about the world it doesn't feel like a lore dump)
I've enjoyed the author's work before, which helps a lot. And this is actually the second DND book I've gotten from ECCC, written by an author I already liked that I enjoyed. So, I give whoever is running their book department credit for hiring really good writers to write their spin off books.
But on to the book itself. I enjoyed the characters. It gave us two main characters who were complicated in ways that felt fully developed and had hang ups and past traumas that made their actions both in the past and present, make sense even if you wanted to shake them to make them sometimes. Saeldian in particular was someone who I fully understood. I got why they did what they did, why they felt the way they did, even when it was bad. And I was still rooting for them to get it together. This is a delicate balance to try to hit. Sometimes with characters who make questionable decisions, you end up disliking them so much you just want bad things to happen to them, but Saeldian... I just wanted them to accept a hug and let someone tell them they cared about them.
Kell is also great. Sometimes, when there is a character who holds a grudge against another to the point where they can't even consider being kind to them, it can be irritating because the grudge isn't set up well enough or seems too minor to inspire such a thing, but in this case it's totally understandable.
Their dynamic is at the center of the book, and it develops in ways that felt earned to me. The author didn't have them make up instantly, or with very little work. They didn't make the two of them just suddenly realize they needed to be nicer to one another. They made them go through some shit, and so the payoff to it all feels like the natural progression of events rather than the author just looking at their page count and going "ooh they need to be friends again" and making it happen.
One of my biggest gripes with a lot of books is that sometimes it just seems like things happen (whether it's falling in love, people making up, etc) because the author thinks it's time to happen and so they write it that way. They don't lay the groundwork or have the characters have to GO THROUGH anything to get there. I guess that's fine sometimes, because not everything has to be a huge ordeal, but sometimes, and especially in cases like this (Kell believes that Saeldian abandoned and betrayed him; Saeldian definitely did abandon him, but for reasons they can't speak out loud), it can't be handwaved. It has to be built up to, and the author does an excellent job of it (which doesn't surprise me, given the way their other work navigates complicated relationships tangled up with outside forces neither person has control over).
The two main supporting characters, Kell's traveling companion and friend Lorzok (an orc druid), and Saeldian's friend Jubilee (a tiefling rogue whose parents are former adventurers) are both fun as well. I especially liked Jubilee. In fact, all the other supporting characters are quite good as well, and Saeldian's patron especially is complicated and... well, he definitely gives you a lot of insight into how Saeldian is in the present.
On top of the relationship plot, is a heist. The thing that brings Kell and Saeldian together after ten years of not thinking they'd ever run into one another again (and not wanting to), is a job given by a group of smugglers to whom Kell owes a debt. I also love a good heist plot, and it drives all the action forward (they have to steal something from one place in Faerun, and then travel to the Feywild to replace it where it belongs, all without anyone catching them).
The job drives the plot forward at a good clip, and also allows time to advance the personal relationship plots without either one of them losing anything. There are some twists at the end that I thought were quite well done, set up with enough information to give you some suspicions, but not enough that the reveals don't surprise you. To me, nothing seemed to come completely out of nowhere, which is in my opinion the sign of a good solution.
The only real issue is that the ending didn't give us enough closure with Saeldian and Jubilee, and I would've liked to have seen one final scene with them. Although we know what is happening with them going forward, it would've just been good to see them talk things over.
In conclusion, this is a really good fantasy heist book even separate from the DND elements, but the DND elements just add more fun stuff for DND fans to enjoy. Come for the heist, stay for the emotional healing journey and working through of childhood trauma! (And romance I guess lol...).
interested
January 7, 2026What can I say? I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover.
(Del Rey shared it on their IG don't @ me)
(Del Rey shared it on their IG don't @ me)
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This isn't just better than most licensed fiction; it's better than most fiction I come across.
The thing with licensed fiction is that it's often just officially sanctioned fanfic, and while there is some excellent fanfic here and there, it's not common. Usually, you're going to see a better result from an author who has come up with an original world, situation, and characters, because if they can do that, they're probably talented enough to also tell a good story. (Lots of exceptions in all directions, of course, but that's the way to bet.)
But the thing with D&D licensed fiction is that, while the author is handed a detailed and complex world, they do generally come up with an original situation and characters, and that's what this book is.
A further advantage is that modern D&D is built for creating storytelling potential. Take the idea of a warlock. Here's someone who has made a deal with a powerful otherworldly being in order to get power for themselves. That's just bristling with possible stories. Firstly, it's a relationship that involves a power differential, so you know there's going to be some exploitation happening. Secondly, the warlock has to have had a reason they wanted that power and were prepared to trade for it; what part of them is broken that caused that to be true, and how will that continue to play out? And thirdly, they're now more powerful than the ordinary people around them; how are they going to abuse that?
The central character of this novel (and it deserves to be called a novel) is a warlock, Saeldian, who serves an archfey patron and has made a career out of con games. When Saeldian's old partner, the bard Kell, is forced into doing another job with Saeldian - who left Kell after their last big score in circumstances that looked like a horrible betrayal - we have motivated protagonists in a dynamic situation, and that's always an excellent story engine.
Alongside Saeldian and Kell we have the rogue Jubilee, who's Saeldian's new partner, and the druid Lorzok, who's Kell's new partner. Jubilee needs money to help her parents, former adventurers who have been "gifted" a dilapidated manor; Lorzok is seeking a place where he belongs. They're tasked with a heist, and told that the job is reclaiming a stolen gem with minor magical powers from someone who has bought it from a thief without knowing its provenance, and returning it to its rightful owner in the Feywild without them finding out.
The heist is tricky, but not, perhaps, as tricky as it ought to be; they're given no time to prepare, yet manage to pull off something that ought to be impossible. This eventually turns out to be down to complex machinations.
Along the way, though, the true story unfolds: the relationship between Kell and Saeldian. Is it retrievable? Can they ever be honest with one another? What really caused Saeldian to leave ten years ago? And this is where the book really shines. There's a gradual but completely believable unfolding of the truth and progression of the relationship, and it flows naturally out of the specifics of how the world works, which I always appreciate in a speculative fiction work.
The rich culture of the Forgotten Realms forms a great backdrop to the early part of the book, and the wonderful and terrifying, ever-shifting Feywild is an equally effective setting for the later part. The author does an excellent job of evoking these settings without ever making them the focus; that stays firmly on the characters and their relationships, plus the twisty and surprising plot. Also, you don't need to be familiar with these settings, or with D&D in general, in order to understand what's going on.
I knew C.L. Polk was a good writer, because I'd read The Midnight Bargain and rated it five stars. This book only confirms my opinion. Personally, I would use the past perfect tense more often than it's used here (that's a general trend I've noticed in the books I read), but otherwise I have little to complain of in the copy editing either.
Strongly recommended.
The thing with licensed fiction is that it's often just officially sanctioned fanfic, and while there is some excellent fanfic here and there, it's not common. Usually, you're going to see a better result from an author who has come up with an original world, situation, and characters, because if they can do that, they're probably talented enough to also tell a good story. (Lots of exceptions in all directions, of course, but that's the way to bet.)
But the thing with D&D licensed fiction is that, while the author is handed a detailed and complex world, they do generally come up with an original situation and characters, and that's what this book is.
A further advantage is that modern D&D is built for creating storytelling potential. Take the idea of a warlock. Here's someone who has made a deal with a powerful otherworldly being in order to get power for themselves. That's just bristling with possible stories. Firstly, it's a relationship that involves a power differential, so you know there's going to be some exploitation happening. Secondly, the warlock has to have had a reason they wanted that power and were prepared to trade for it; what part of them is broken that caused that to be true, and how will that continue to play out? And thirdly, they're now more powerful than the ordinary people around them; how are they going to abuse that?
The central character of this novel (and it deserves to be called a novel) is a warlock, Saeldian, who serves an archfey patron and has made a career out of con games. When Saeldian's old partner, the bard Kell, is forced into doing another job with Saeldian - who left Kell after their last big score in circumstances that looked like a horrible betrayal - we have motivated protagonists in a dynamic situation, and that's always an excellent story engine.
Alongside Saeldian and Kell we have the rogue Jubilee, who's Saeldian's new partner, and the druid Lorzok, who's Kell's new partner. Jubilee needs money to help her parents, former adventurers who have been "gifted" a dilapidated manor; Lorzok is seeking a place where he belongs. They're tasked with a heist, and told that the job is reclaiming a stolen gem with minor magical powers from someone who has bought it from a thief without knowing its provenance, and returning it to its rightful owner in the Feywild without them finding out.
The heist is tricky, but not, perhaps, as tricky as it ought to be; they're given no time to prepare, yet manage to pull off something that ought to be impossible. This eventually turns out to be down to complex machinations.
Along the way, though, the true story unfolds: the relationship between Kell and Saeldian. Is it retrievable? Can they ever be honest with one another? What really caused Saeldian to leave ten years ago? And this is where the book really shines. There's a gradual but completely believable unfolding of the truth and progression of the relationship, and it flows naturally out of the specifics of how the world works, which I always appreciate in a speculative fiction work.
The rich culture of the Forgotten Realms forms a great backdrop to the early part of the book, and the wonderful and terrifying, ever-shifting Feywild is an equally effective setting for the later part. The author does an excellent job of evoking these settings without ever making them the focus; that stays firmly on the characters and their relationships, plus the twisty and surprising plot. Also, you don't need to be familiar with these settings, or with D&D in general, in order to understand what's going on.
I knew C.L. Polk was a good writer, because I'd read The Midnight Bargain and rated it five stars. This book only confirms my opinion. Personally, I would use the past perfect tense more often than it's used here (that's a general trend I've noticed in the books I read), but otherwise I have little to complain of in the copy editing either.
Strongly recommended.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Feywild Job is a fun romp set in the Dungeons and Dragons universe: half heist, have romance, and altogether a pretty enjoyable queernormative adventure.
The book centers around two characters. The primary character is Saeldian, a half-elf warlock with a bad history of running from their past. When they and Jubilee, a close friend, are hired to steal back a stolen magic gem, they find out too late that their party includes Kell, a man who Saeldian left behind ten years ago after the pair got too close and put Saeldian’s oath in danger. Kell is the other main character, and is equally not thrilled to see Saeldian, as when they left ten years ago Kell ended up taking the fall for a shared crime. The story centers about what happens when the pair fall into each other’s orbits and have to sort through the painful way in which they parted, all while working on a plane-spanning heist.
First and foremost, I am quite certain that this book would fall flat for readers unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons. Hell, even as someone who knows a lot about D&D but is less familiar with Baldur’s Gate, I’m certain I missed a lot of references. I’m not sure I’d recommend this book to readers without at least a moderate understanding of the lore and magic systems of D&D.
As for my enjoyment of the book—it was pretty good. I enjoyed Saeldian as a main character; the way their oath and their relationship with their warlock patron influences the way they approach complex social situations was pretty fun. I found some of their chapters to be especially touching as they navigate the difficult emotions of seeing someone like you get the support you always needed. Overall, as a primary protagonist, I really did find them pretty fun. Kell I fought a bit less compelling overall; to some extent, I think this is influenced by getting to spend less time with them. I felt like I really understood how Saeldian’s life has changed since they left Kell, but I didn’t feel like I got nearly as much from Kell. I did generally enjoy the romance; I felt it did a good job of convincing me of the difficult emotions each character had to wrestle with over the course of the book. Watching the pair take as many steps back as they took forward was, at times, a tad frustrating, but I appreciated the complexity of the overall arc. I also thought the side characters were pretty fun, even if I felt some were a bit underdeveloped. My overall feeling on the plot and characters was that they were pretty good, occasionally great, but that was about it. I enjoyed the characters, but never really loved them. I was interested in the plot, but never quite intrigued.
The main challenge I faced with the book was, unfortunately, the writing style. On a line-by-line basis, I often found it a bit choppy, like the way certain sentences were phrased were awkward, or two sentences didn’t flow well together. At a scene-by-scene level, I found myself struggling to figure how scenes fit together, or the exact cause and effect between two ideas. It made it a bit frustrating to read when I found myself having to re-read pages or paragraphs just to try and figure out how we got from Point A to Point B. It wasn’t unreadable by any means, but I never felt that I entered a flow state, and as a result felt like I occasionally had to make myself keep reading. That writing style, paired with a plot that was good but just didn’t quite reach the level of great, left a book that I enjoyed well enough, would probably recommend to the right reader, but just isn’t quite what I hoped it could be.
All in all, I’m giving this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4. It’s fun, it’s a romp and a heist in the Feywild, it’s got some fun found family moments and a likable cast of characters, and I did feel that the romance played with some ideas that were pretty unique and quite effective. I did really enjoy that it’s such a queernormative book—it’s wonderful to see a book set in a big franchise so openly explore gender expression and depict queer joy. I’d recommend it to D&D fans looking for an enjoyable fantasy romance.
The book centers around two characters. The primary character is Saeldian, a half-elf warlock with a bad history of running from their past. When they and Jubilee, a close friend, are hired to steal back a stolen magic gem, they find out too late that their party includes Kell, a man who Saeldian left behind ten years ago after the pair got too close and put Saeldian’s oath in danger. Kell is the other main character, and is equally not thrilled to see Saeldian, as when they left ten years ago Kell ended up taking the fall for a shared crime. The story centers about what happens when the pair fall into each other’s orbits and have to sort through the painful way in which they parted, all while working on a plane-spanning heist.
First and foremost, I am quite certain that this book would fall flat for readers unfamiliar with Dungeons and Dragons. Hell, even as someone who knows a lot about D&D but is less familiar with Baldur’s Gate, I’m certain I missed a lot of references. I’m not sure I’d recommend this book to readers without at least a moderate understanding of the lore and magic systems of D&D.
As for my enjoyment of the book—it was pretty good. I enjoyed Saeldian as a main character; the way their oath and their relationship with their warlock patron influences the way they approach complex social situations was pretty fun. I found some of their chapters to be especially touching as they navigate the difficult emotions of seeing someone like you get the support you always needed. Overall, as a primary protagonist, I really did find them pretty fun. Kell I fought a bit less compelling overall; to some extent, I think this is influenced by getting to spend less time with them. I felt like I really understood how Saeldian’s life has changed since they left Kell, but I didn’t feel like I got nearly as much from Kell. I did generally enjoy the romance; I felt it did a good job of convincing me of the difficult emotions each character had to wrestle with over the course of the book. Watching the pair take as many steps back as they took forward was, at times, a tad frustrating, but I appreciated the complexity of the overall arc. I also thought the side characters were pretty fun, even if I felt some were a bit underdeveloped. My overall feeling on the plot and characters was that they were pretty good, occasionally great, but that was about it. I enjoyed the characters, but never really loved them. I was interested in the plot, but never quite intrigued.
The main challenge I faced with the book was, unfortunately, the writing style. On a line-by-line basis, I often found it a bit choppy, like the way certain sentences were phrased were awkward, or two sentences didn’t flow well together. At a scene-by-scene level, I found myself struggling to figure how scenes fit together, or the exact cause and effect between two ideas. It made it a bit frustrating to read when I found myself having to re-read pages or paragraphs just to try and figure out how we got from Point A to Point B. It wasn’t unreadable by any means, but I never felt that I entered a flow state, and as a result felt like I occasionally had to make myself keep reading. That writing style, paired with a plot that was good but just didn’t quite reach the level of great, left a book that I enjoyed well enough, would probably recommend to the right reader, but just isn’t quite what I hoped it could be.
All in all, I’m giving this book 3.5 stars, rounded up to a 4. It’s fun, it’s a romp and a heist in the Feywild, it’s got some fun found family moments and a likable cast of characters, and I did feel that the romance played with some ideas that were pretty unique and quite effective. I did really enjoy that it’s such a queernormative book—it’s wonderful to see a book set in a big franchise so openly explore gender expression and depict queer joy. I’d recommend it to D&D fans looking for an enjoyable fantasy romance.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
(Just to get this out of the way, I know it took me almost an entire month to finish The Feywild Job, but I would like to stress that this was not the book's fault, but really that my life was hectic. I barely read at all during this time. I wanted to read, and whenever I planned to read, I felt guilty for not doing the things I needed to do instead.)
Okay, I need everyone to understand that I was excited from the second I first learned about this book. I enjoy D&D, generally, though my group doesn't play currently (and when we do, we play poorly). I like the lore. I like the concept of it and everything. But I would not say I am a super fan; I am not a walking D&D encyclopedia who has read a bunch of the novels and played for years—I am trying to be, if that helps. However, I will say that of all the things I'm most in love with in D&D, specifically in the Forgotten Realms, it is the Feywild. And the Feywild doesn't get nearly enough attention. Suffice to say, when I saw The Feywild Job on NetGalley, I hit request immediately.
The TL;DR is that I am extremely happy with what C.L. Polk delivered. I'll discuss my main points below:
The Party:
The story is told in third-person, switching between two members of our party: half-elf warlock, Saeldian Charmhand, and human bard, Kell Redsong. They're also exes who ended things quite messily.
I found both Saeldian and Kell to be sympathetic leads, with both having very defined wants and goals. They're both justified in their reactions, and nothing they do seems out of character or plot-convenient. They also had good chemistry and worked through their history in a way that felt believable and not rushed—this is a gripe I often have with romantasy, where pairings feel forced or lazy. I liked Saeldian and Kell separately and together.
The other two members of the party were definitely supporting characters. However, Jubilee Righthoof, a tiefling rogue (I'm actually not sure if this was ever stated), was more fleshed out than Lorzok the Seeker, an orc druid. The latter was somewhat cartoonishly good at times, which works fine here, because this is D&D, but also an orc druid is subversive enough to be interesting. Regardless, one thing I would have changed was more Lorzok. I will accept more Lorzok in the future, but I also want more Jubilee. More of them both in the Feywild, thank you.
The Campaign:
I can't say much about this because I don't want to spoil anything, but I felt that overall the plot worked very well. I can't think of any noticeable plot holes. I'm usually one of those people who can predict plot twists or surprises, and while I did predict quite a few, there were still some that I didn't see coming that I liked. The pacing of the first half of the book felt a little slow at times. The events that occurred were important, but it did take a bit of time to get going. The second half was much better, and I really didn't want to put it down.
The World-Building:
There isn't really much about the Feywild in D&D 5e, so there was a lot of room to work with here. I'd say Polk managed to really build tangible, vivid parts into the world that fit seamlessly into pre-existing canon. I liked the Domains of Delight that were invented, their archfey, and the history that was created around them. It felt very well thought out, and I would love for Polk to revisit them in more novels.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Okay, I need everyone to understand that I was excited from the second I first learned about this book. I enjoy D&D, generally, though my group doesn't play currently (and when we do, we play poorly). I like the lore. I like the concept of it and everything. But I would not say I am a super fan; I am not a walking D&D encyclopedia who has read a bunch of the novels and played for years—I am trying to be, if that helps. However, I will say that of all the things I'm most in love with in D&D, specifically in the Forgotten Realms, it is the Feywild. And the Feywild doesn't get nearly enough attention. Suffice to say, when I saw The Feywild Job on NetGalley, I hit request immediately.
The TL;DR is that I am extremely happy with what C.L. Polk delivered. I'll discuss my main points below:
The Party:
The story is told in third-person, switching between two members of our party: half-elf warlock, Saeldian Charmhand, and human bard, Kell Redsong. They're also exes who ended things quite messily.
I found both Saeldian and Kell to be sympathetic leads, with both having very defined wants and goals. They're both justified in their reactions, and nothing they do seems out of character or plot-convenient. They also had good chemistry and worked through their history in a way that felt believable and not rushed—this is a gripe I often have with romantasy, where pairings feel forced or lazy. I liked Saeldian and Kell separately and together.
The other two members of the party were definitely supporting characters. However, Jubilee Righthoof, a tiefling rogue (I'm actually not sure if this was ever stated), was more fleshed out than Lorzok the Seeker, an orc druid. The latter was somewhat cartoonishly good at times, which works fine here, because this is D&D, but also an orc druid is subversive enough to be interesting. Regardless, one thing I would have changed was more Lorzok. I will accept more Lorzok in the future, but I also want more Jubilee. More of them both in the Feywild, thank you.
The Campaign:
I can't say much about this because I don't want to spoil anything, but I felt that overall the plot worked very well. I can't think of any noticeable plot holes. I'm usually one of those people who can predict plot twists or surprises, and while I did predict quite a few, there were still some that I didn't see coming that I liked. The pacing of the first half of the book felt a little slow at times. The events that occurred were important, but it did take a bit of time to get going. The second half was much better, and I really didn't want to put it down.
The World-Building:
There isn't really much about the Feywild in D&D 5e, so there was a lot of room to work with here. I'd say Polk managed to really build tangible, vivid parts into the world that fit seamlessly into pre-existing canon. I liked the Domains of Delight that were invented, their archfey, and the history that was created around them. It felt very well thought out, and I would love for Polk to revisit them in more novels.
Overall Rating: 4.5 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My rating: ★★★★☆ (4–4.25 stars)
fae heist 🤝 chaotic crew 🤝 "this is absolutely not going according to plan"
okay but...put the words "heist"and "fae"in the same sentence and i am already interested.
because how was i supposed to resist that???
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i loved was THE CONCEPT.
because this book is basically a magical heist with a crew of questionable decision makers with dangerous fae politics and a mission that gets increasingly complicated the more everyone learns which is exactly the kind of chaos i enjoy.
i mean...a job in the Feywild was never going to go smoothly and thankfully it doesn't.
watching the characters try to navigate shifting alliances, hidden agendas and fae nonsense was genuinely fun because nobody ever seems to have the full picture and every time i thought things were finally under control...they weren't.
the worldbuilding was also one of my favorite parts.
the Feywild feels strange, unpredictable and just a little dangerous which is exactly how i like my fae stories nothing feels entirely trustworthy, every deal feels like a trap and every conversation feels like there might be three different meanings hidden underneath it.
honestly?
that's peak fae behavior.
and THE CREW.
listen, i am a simple reader give me a group of people forced to work together while collectively making terrible decisions and i will become attached.
the relationships were probably what kept me turning pages the most, their banter the teamwork and the occasional disaster all of it worked for me.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
BUT...
okay, the heist itself wasn't always as clever as i wanted it to be.
there were moments where i expected more twists, more surprises or more "oh that's brilliant" reveals instead, some parts felt a little straightforward. i also occasionally struggled to keep track of everything going on.
between the characters, the politics, the magical elements and the heist mechanics, there were times when i had to stop and remind myself who was doing what and while i enjoyed the characters, i didn't become completely obsessed with any single one of them.
i liked them i rooted for them but i wasn't ready to adopt them all the way some fantasy books make me want to.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this felt like stumbling into a magical crime operation and realizing far too late that everyone involved is somehow both competent and a disaster.
it's fun, it's clever it's full of fae trickery and magical chaos and honestly? that's exactly what i wanted.
so if you like fantasy heists, found family crews, dangerous fae bargains and characters who are constantly one bad decision away from disaster...you'll probably have a great time with this.
My final thoughts;
i came for the fae heist...
i stayed because apparently "this plan is falling apart in real time" is one of my favorite genres 🫠✨🍃
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher House for this ARC!
fae heist 🤝 chaotic crew 🤝 "this is absolutely not going according to plan"
okay but...put the words "heist"and "fae"in the same sentence and i am already interested.
because how was i supposed to resist that???
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
what i loved was THE CONCEPT.
because this book is basically a magical heist with a crew of questionable decision makers with dangerous fae politics and a mission that gets increasingly complicated the more everyone learns which is exactly the kind of chaos i enjoy.
i mean...a job in the Feywild was never going to go smoothly and thankfully it doesn't.
watching the characters try to navigate shifting alliances, hidden agendas and fae nonsense was genuinely fun because nobody ever seems to have the full picture and every time i thought things were finally under control...they weren't.
the worldbuilding was also one of my favorite parts.
the Feywild feels strange, unpredictable and just a little dangerous which is exactly how i like my fae stories nothing feels entirely trustworthy, every deal feels like a trap and every conversation feels like there might be three different meanings hidden underneath it.
honestly?
that's peak fae behavior.
and THE CREW.
listen, i am a simple reader give me a group of people forced to work together while collectively making terrible decisions and i will become attached.
the relationships were probably what kept me turning pages the most, their banter the teamwork and the occasional disaster all of it worked for me.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
BUT...
okay, the heist itself wasn't always as clever as i wanted it to be.
there were moments where i expected more twists, more surprises or more "oh that's brilliant" reveals instead, some parts felt a little straightforward. i also occasionally struggled to keep track of everything going on.
between the characters, the politics, the magical elements and the heist mechanics, there were times when i had to stop and remind myself who was doing what and while i enjoyed the characters, i didn't become completely obsessed with any single one of them.
i liked them i rooted for them but i wasn't ready to adopt them all the way some fantasy books make me want to.
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
overall this felt like stumbling into a magical crime operation and realizing far too late that everyone involved is somehow both competent and a disaster.
it's fun, it's clever it's full of fae trickery and magical chaos and honestly? that's exactly what i wanted.
so if you like fantasy heists, found family crews, dangerous fae bargains and characters who are constantly one bad decision away from disaster...you'll probably have a great time with this.
My final thoughts;
i came for the fae heist...
i stayed because apparently "this plan is falling apart in real time" is one of my favorite genres 🫠✨🍃
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher House for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would like to thank NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Loved! Loved! Loved!
Ohhh OH woooow YES! The Feywild Job was magnificent, magical fun, with imaginative, dynamic worldbuilding, captivating and propulsive narrative from the very first page, and a soaring, unforgettable party of characters who were exceptional at bringing DnD to life for me.
Full disclosure, this whole world was all fairly new to me as my only exposure to Dungeons & Dragons has been Stranger Things, Honor Among Thieves, and having Baldur's Gate III on my Steam wishlist for a trillion years.
Suffice it to say, everything about C. L. Polk's story worked extremely well for me! I was thoroughly enraptured by the lush fantasy, the exciting story progression, and I was in love with every single character!
The Feywild Job was predominantly a Heist-Fantasy, with a queer, 2nd chance for two ex-besties who were once babes-in-love before their disastrous ending. Now, forced to work together under duress after seething for ten years, they were both spikey, salty, and unrelenting in a way that I understood completely. I could not look away from how their vulnerabilities showed up as sharp edges and bad tempers, and I thought that Polk had managed their tension masterfully.
I loved how the plot dynamics unfolded in a way that also tenderly revealed the MCs to each other, despite all the stinging. And so when Saeldian and Kell's relationship transformed in those electric moments, and softened into something beautiful and yielding eventually at the end, it made me melt into the floor and bawl my heart out for them finally getting there! I'm still choking up as I write this because their shift felt like finally being able to breathe again.
And I very much loved that I was holding my breath for them for so long!
Both MCs were also very lucky to have the most wonderful and caring guidance and support, in family and friends. They were all so charming, and brimming with vitality and all different kinds of magic, and I found them all intriguing and entirely lovable!
I fell hard for this book and everyone in it, and so obviously the ending had me screaming!!
Predictable? Yes. But I still found the ending impactful and I was very happy to be a mess of all the feelings. I wish this was longer because I didn't want to let anyone/this world go. I could have read this book into 2027!
C. L. Polk is an extraordinary talent and The Feywild Job was beyond amazing and I loved everything about it and is there more to this because I'd like some more of everything this was please and thank you!
Loved! Loved! Loved!
Ohhh OH woooow YES! The Feywild Job was magnificent, magical fun, with imaginative, dynamic worldbuilding, captivating and propulsive narrative from the very first page, and a soaring, unforgettable party of characters who were exceptional at bringing DnD to life for me.
Full disclosure, this whole world was all fairly new to me as my only exposure to Dungeons & Dragons has been Stranger Things, Honor Among Thieves, and having Baldur's Gate III on my Steam wishlist for a trillion years.
Suffice it to say, everything about C. L. Polk's story worked extremely well for me! I was thoroughly enraptured by the lush fantasy, the exciting story progression, and I was in love with every single character!
The Feywild Job was predominantly a Heist-Fantasy, with a queer, 2nd chance for two ex-besties who were once babes-in-love before their disastrous ending. Now, forced to work together under duress after seething for ten years, they were both spikey, salty, and unrelenting in a way that I understood completely. I could not look away from how their vulnerabilities showed up as sharp edges and bad tempers, and I thought that Polk had managed their tension masterfully.
I loved how the plot dynamics unfolded in a way that also tenderly revealed the MCs to each other, despite all the stinging. And so when Saeldian and Kell's relationship transformed in those electric moments, and softened into something beautiful and yielding eventually at the end, it made me melt into the floor and bawl my heart out for them finally getting there! I'm still choking up as I write this because their shift felt like finally being able to breathe again.
And I very much loved that I was holding my breath for them for so long!
Both MCs were also very lucky to have the most wonderful and caring guidance and support, in family and friends. They were all so charming, and brimming with vitality and all different kinds of magic, and I found them all intriguing and entirely lovable!
I fell hard for this book and everyone in it, and so obviously the ending had me screaming!!
Predictable? Yes. But I still found the ending impactful and I was very happy to be a mess of all the feelings. I wish this was longer because I didn't want to let anyone/this world go. I could have read this book into 2027!
C. L. Polk is an extraordinary talent and The Feywild Job was beyond amazing and I loved everything about it and is there more to this because I'd like some more of everything this was please and thank you!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was my first foray into an official Dungeons & Dragons novel. I read a lot of fantasy, and a lot of cosy fantasy, some of which is certainly marketed towards people who enjoy D&D, but I had never picked up one of the official books before. When I saw this on NetGalley, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to give it a try.
The inclusion of game mechanics was definitely one of the highlights for me. Characters needing long rests, running out of spells, and references to classes and abilities made the story genuinely feel like a D&D campaign in a way that was both fun and accessible. It added something unique compared to other fantasy books I have read.
I also adored that the main character was non-binary, but that this was never treated as a major plot point or something requiring explanation. It simply was, and I loved that. Representation that exists naturally within a story is always refreshing to see.
The adventure itself was enjoyable, and I had a great time following the characters through the Feywild. The humour landed well, and the overall tone felt light and entertaining.
I also felt that some of the supporting characters could have benefited from more development. Several characters play significant roles throughout the story, yet by the end I still felt as though I only had a surface-level understanding of who they were. In some cases, I also struggled to picture them. In a fantasy setting, especially one inspired by Dungeons & Dragons where characters may not simply be generic humans, I would have appreciated a little more physical description. There were a few members of the party who were present for much of the book, yet I still couldn't have confidently described what they looked like. Combined with the limited character development, this sometimes made it difficult to feel fully invested in the wider cast and their relationships with one another.
My biggest issue was with the romance. I went into this expecting a cosy fantasy with a fairly significant romantic subplot, but the relationship never really worked for me. The intended couple is obvious from early on, yet for most of the book there is very little romantic tension between them. The dynamic felt more like enemies to friends than enemies to lovers, and then suddenly, near the end, they were in love again. I understood where the story wanted the relationship to end up, but I never felt like I got to see enough of the varying emotional journey and back and forth that it usually takes to get there.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book. The D&D elements were charming, the representation was handled wonderfully, and the adventure was entertaining throughout. However, the romance felt underdeveloped compared to what I was expecting, which kept it from being a five-star read for me.
This was my first foray into an official Dungeons & Dragons novel. I read a lot of fantasy, and a lot of cosy fantasy, some of which is certainly marketed towards people who enjoy D&D, but I had never picked up one of the official books before. When I saw this on NetGalley, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to give it a try.
The inclusion of game mechanics was definitely one of the highlights for me. Characters needing long rests, running out of spells, and references to classes and abilities made the story genuinely feel like a D&D campaign in a way that was both fun and accessible. It added something unique compared to other fantasy books I have read.
I also adored that the main character was non-binary, but that this was never treated as a major plot point or something requiring explanation. It simply was, and I loved that. Representation that exists naturally within a story is always refreshing to see.
The adventure itself was enjoyable, and I had a great time following the characters through the Feywild. The humour landed well, and the overall tone felt light and entertaining.
I also felt that some of the supporting characters could have benefited from more development. Several characters play significant roles throughout the story, yet by the end I still felt as though I only had a surface-level understanding of who they were. In some cases, I also struggled to picture them. In a fantasy setting, especially one inspired by Dungeons & Dragons where characters may not simply be generic humans, I would have appreciated a little more physical description. There were a few members of the party who were present for much of the book, yet I still couldn't have confidently described what they looked like. Combined with the limited character development, this sometimes made it difficult to feel fully invested in the wider cast and their relationships with one another.
My biggest issue was with the romance. I went into this expecting a cosy fantasy with a fairly significant romantic subplot, but the relationship never really worked for me. The intended couple is obvious from early on, yet for most of the book there is very little romantic tension between them. The dynamic felt more like enemies to friends than enemies to lovers, and then suddenly, near the end, they were in love again. I understood where the story wanted the relationship to end up, but I never felt like I got to see enough of the varying emotional journey and back and forth that it usually takes to get there.
Overall, I had a lot of fun with this book. The D&D elements were charming, the representation was handled wonderfully, and the adventure was entertaining throughout. However, the romance felt underdeveloped compared to what I was expecting, which kept it from being a five-star read for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5. Releases 6/30/26.
The Basics:
Half-elf warlock Saeldian gains power off a pact they made to never fall in love. Easier said than done, especially when the professional con artist embarks on a new heist—stealing The Kiss of Enduring Love. If that name wasn't bad enough, one of the people working the job is Kell, Saeldian's former partner, who wants to get back to the Feywild. Trouble is, Saeldian and Kell last saw each other on the worst possible terms… and this job isn't without its physical stakes, on top of the emotional ones.
The Review:
I wasn't sure how "cozy" and "heist" would go together, and it ended up being an entertaining mix, if not one that had me QUITE as hooked as I wanted to be. Maybe a little more energy, a little more angst peppered in would've had me in love. But nonetheless, this is a well-written, fun little heist romance within the Dungeons & Dragons world.
How within that world, you ask? Well, I've never played D&D, and I was fine. However, I do have a baseline familiarity with the world due thanks to friends and dabbling in some Critical Role-related media. It's a rich world, but it doesn't have to be confusing. The reality is that a lot of current fantasy/fantasy romance writers have been influenced by D&D, knowingly or unknowingly. I imagine that if you read a lot of fantasy, this won't daunt you. If you're used to very light touch fantasy, you might get confused.
There's definitely that feeling of "a merry band of reluctant allies and maybe friends" you get from a lot of tabletop quest games. There's a good supporting cast beyond Saeldian and Kell, which adds a depth to the story and their lives.
I really liked how, despite the amount of time that had passed, the beef was still very real for Kell in particular. It added to the sense of intensity of the relationship, and also created a contrast between someone like him and someone like Saeldian, who's doing their best to maintain a sense of detachment. Because, you know. They mustn't fall in love in order to retain their power. (This is SUCH an old school paranormal romance setup, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. Kresley Cole would love it.)
There's a good balance between the adventure and the romance, and while I think I would've enjoyed a little more yank-your-heart out pain, Polk doesn't shy away from the hurt feelings. You have to root for Kell and Saeldian to work it out, but there are a lot of secrets at work, as well as complications both magical and personal.
The Conclusion:
You're gonna get the full campaign experience with this one, albeit through the lens of a second chance romance. It's not too heavy, it's not too light, and it really is a cozy heist, somehow. Onward!
Thanks to Random House World and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The Basics:
Half-elf warlock Saeldian gains power off a pact they made to never fall in love. Easier said than done, especially when the professional con artist embarks on a new heist—stealing The Kiss of Enduring Love. If that name wasn't bad enough, one of the people working the job is Kell, Saeldian's former partner, who wants to get back to the Feywild. Trouble is, Saeldian and Kell last saw each other on the worst possible terms… and this job isn't without its physical stakes, on top of the emotional ones.
The Review:
I wasn't sure how "cozy" and "heist" would go together, and it ended up being an entertaining mix, if not one that had me QUITE as hooked as I wanted to be. Maybe a little more energy, a little more angst peppered in would've had me in love. But nonetheless, this is a well-written, fun little heist romance within the Dungeons & Dragons world.
How within that world, you ask? Well, I've never played D&D, and I was fine. However, I do have a baseline familiarity with the world due thanks to friends and dabbling in some Critical Role-related media. It's a rich world, but it doesn't have to be confusing. The reality is that a lot of current fantasy/fantasy romance writers have been influenced by D&D, knowingly or unknowingly. I imagine that if you read a lot of fantasy, this won't daunt you. If you're used to very light touch fantasy, you might get confused.
There's definitely that feeling of "a merry band of reluctant allies and maybe friends" you get from a lot of tabletop quest games. There's a good supporting cast beyond Saeldian and Kell, which adds a depth to the story and their lives.
I really liked how, despite the amount of time that had passed, the beef was still very real for Kell in particular. It added to the sense of intensity of the relationship, and also created a contrast between someone like him and someone like Saeldian, who's doing their best to maintain a sense of detachment. Because, you know. They mustn't fall in love in order to retain their power. (This is SUCH an old school paranormal romance setup, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. Kresley Cole would love it.)
There's a good balance between the adventure and the romance, and while I think I would've enjoyed a little more yank-your-heart out pain, Polk doesn't shy away from the hurt feelings. You have to root for Kell and Saeldian to work it out, but there are a lot of secrets at work, as well as complications both magical and personal.
The Conclusion:
You're gonna get the full campaign experience with this one, albeit through the lens of a second chance romance. It's not too heavy, it's not too light, and it really is a cozy heist, somehow. Onward!
Thanks to Random House World and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews