The Feywild Job

by C.L. Polk

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. . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Queer, LGBT, Romantasy, Fae

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 30, 2026

Reviews

[BookishKB]

🍃✨ The Feywild Job ✨🍃

Screaming becauase I am so freaking excited for this ARC! I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

💫 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.

[Noi (in & out)]

This sounds right up my ally

[Kat]

I 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!

[bri]

Thank 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

[Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Juls · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Jess Howarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

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⭐️

[A]

I 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.

[Gabrielle]

What can I say? I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover.

(Del Rey shared it on their IG don't @ me)

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ange · Rating 5 out of 5]

(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

[ivanareadsalot · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Dotti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

The Feywild Job is a lighthearted adventure with appropriate stakes, compelling characters and a magical romance. Our motley crew of characters embark on a heist to retrieve a stolen gem and return it to its rightful owner, and things go awry as our characters enter the Feywild to return it.

Our story is a dual point of view between Saeldian, a con artist under a faerie bargain, and Kell, their reformed partner in crime. Saeldian, Kell, Saeldian’s current partner Jubilee, and Kell’s partner Lorzok the Orc all must go on a series of quests—first to steal a stolen gem, then journey through the Feywild to return it. Our characters face danger, but also are forced to face the complicated feelings inside of themselves.

The story is being marketed as a Dungeons and Dragons story, which feels like an appropriate descriptor. The story does not have the large stakes of a world-ending epic fantasy, but has real danger beyond what is often experienced in cozy fantasy. Our characters are forced to grow and change and reconcile, while encountering monsters and traps and magical enchantments.

The pacing in this book was good, with a blend of high-intensity action sequences and slower paced character moments. There are lots of small, delightful moments—our characters being transformed into toads, or becoming elderly women sneaking around, or heartwarming reunions. The book hit the adventurous aspects without being overwhelming or world-shattering, though the stakes are higher than many cozy fantasies.

The character work is prevalent, with extensive detail given to our characters growing and changing. There is a little bit of confusion about the characters’ initial conflict that I didn’t feel like had been explained within our characters as much as I would have liked, given the limitations of Saeldian’s faerie bargain; there are also loose ends within their backstory that I had hoped would be addressed in our climax. I do think that Jubilee in particular felt underdeveloped and I would like to see more from her in a future story.

I did appreciate the author’s commitment to the nonbinary characterization, which was addressed well throughout the story without being stigmatized or penalized.

Altogether, this was an engaging story that tried to balance an adventure plotline with character development. The characters are fun, the heists are engaging and the pacing was solid. I had a fun time reading this book, and would probably continue the series, but personally I don’t see myself rereading this.

Thank you to Del Rey for providing this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Pixie's Book Den · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an avid D&D player who happens to be especially obsessed with the Feywild as a plane, this book was basically made for me. In my opinion, it absolutely captures the classic D&D storytelling spirit. It was chaotic, magical, character-driven and just so much fun. While reading, I was also totally drawing nonstop inspiration for the Feywild campaign I’m planning to DM.

I do think your enjoyment of the novel might depend a bit on your familiarity with D&D. Since it's an officially branded book, it doesn’t really pause to explain the absolute basics of the franchise. There’s a lot of name-dropping of classes, lore, races and magic that assumes you already know the world. Personally, as a seasoned player, I loved that. It felt immersive and authentic, like being dropped straight into a campaign without delving into unnecessary explanations. But if you’re completely new, it might be a little confusing if you want to grasp the full picture. If you’re not a player but are into popular D&D-related media (watched Vox Machina, Mighty Nein, or played Baldur’s Gate 3, for example), though, you’ll be totally fine and probably have a great time recognizing all the familiar things mentioned.

Honestly, this story delivers on everything I love in both fantasy novels and D&D campaigns: witty banter, heists, found family, messy backstories, twists, betrayal and of course wonderfully mischievous and scheming fey. Especially the second half of the book, set in the Feywild, completely stole my heart. The whimsical magic, fickle nature, the strange rules and customs of the fey, I was eating it all up. There’s so little canon Feywild content out there beyond the Witchlight campaign (with which this book’s descriptions beautifully align), so this really scratched an itch I’ve had for years.

Beyond my obvious obsession with the setting, the endearing characters also truly made this shine. I laughed with them, I cried with them and I was rooting for them the entire time. Their dynamics and development felt so genuine and touching. I was literally sobbing at some parts, which is always an indicator of a good book for me. The story was well thought out and clever too. It kept me guessing and I was genuinely satisfied with how everything came together in the end.

I would love to see more official D&D novels like this one! C.L. Polk was such a fantastic choice of author, bringing a fresh and vibrant voice into this beloved world. And can we talk about the cover? Absolutely gorgeous. I would’ve picked this up from a bookstore shelf instantly for being so pretty, even without knowing anything about it.

[Alissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds and Inklore for an ARC of this book. What follows is my honest review.

This story has so much going for it. It’s listed as a d&d adventure but I wouldn’t say i know anything about the d&d universe so i’ll leave it up to others whether it satisfies that genre. Based on my limited knowledge this gave d&d adventure set within the fairy worlds of Emily Wilde’s books. If you liked the Emily Wilde universe but wanted something less academic focused and more adventurous with complex emotions this is the book for you.

It’s also a heist book which is really fun. Our main character, Saeldian (and great nonbinary representation) is a con artist who has a pact with a fae lord that gives them powers of illusion. They are recruited to steal a gem and return it to its rightful home but their crew includes their ex-boyfriend who they betrayed and abandoned in the past. Yikes. The complex bitter resentment between these two is delicious and it is not resolved quickly which i really appreciated. I also never feel like any side was right/wrong despite seeing both POV’s - I understood their pain but it also felt so awkward to be around the tension and bickering which really gave me the feeling of being another member of the team.

Speaking of the other members of the team i really enjoyed Lorzok. Jubilee was lovely too but i think Lorzok was gorgeous and should be protected at all costs 😅 I wouldnt say i got as much found family vibes from this as i expected - it very much felt like the focus was on Saeldian and Kell’s relationship and the other two were supporting characters rather than found family which i think i would have preferred. For instance Jubilee seemed super important at the start but as soon as Kell came on the scene she just kind of faded into the background.

The plot was good with great adventure, tension between the two leads, heartmelting self exploration for Saeldian and facing difficult truths for Kell. However, i did find some elements of the plot convenient, the initial heist for instance felt a little too easy once the main obstacle was conquered. The ending also felt a bit rushed and somewhat convenient but it might be a hallmark of d&d adventures for all i know.

Overall this was an enjoyable read that definitely brightened my afternoons. I think readers who enjoy heist stories and fae worlds will enjoy this as this very much gave me ‘Now you see me’ but set in a fae world a la Emily Wilde.

3.25 stars ✨
Release date: 30th June

[Y.N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey/Inklore for the eARC

4,5 rounded up.

Got hooked by the cover and the title, stayed for the story and the world. I’m not a D&D player but I am familiar with the world, and I have to say I enjoy it a lot. Added with the delightfully flawed and messy characters with a tense past, I couldn’t do anything but like it.

I’ll be honest, at first I thought it was more of a heist story. Which it is! But the heist serves as a scaffold for Saeldian and Kell inner work and for them to communicate with each other. I liked that very much, especially because both of them are complex, stuck in their thought process and pains, as well as secrets they are bound to keep. Polk doesn’t fall into the bad kind of miscommunication trope but creates a very realistic and believable trap for Saelian and Kell to misunderstand each other. My poor heart was all in.

If Kell and Saeldian are the main characters of this tale, I must mention Jubilee and Lorzok (LORZOK, I want his gentleness and stability). They add texture and fun to the story, as well as helping our protagonists deal with each other.

The heist plot works very well, despite being quite linear. Which makes sense given the overall story arc. There’s tension, informations are dropped at the right moment without being heavy, even if you are not familiar with the D&D lore. Places are well described, in a very sensory and easy to visualise manner, something I don’t see that often honestly. The Feywild was so textured and present in that very dreamy quality, it was amazing.

And then, there is the queer side, of course. Saeldian is non-binary and loves to change form. The fact is there, a core aspect of the character without feeling heavy handed or out of place. It isn’t questioned, just accepted. I loved it so much.
As for the romance, it worked perfectly well too. It took time for Saeldian and Kell to reach out to each other fully and honestly, which was important given how they parted ways ten years earlier and the misunderstanding standing between them. There is a softness there I couldn’t help but melt for. Plus, the way the story is built completely supports their characters’ arcs without feeling like it’s only there for that, something hard to pull off.

Fun, touching, tropey in the best sense of the word (Polk uses tropes mindfully), I had great fun reading this!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️ 1/5

🖤 Thank you to C. L. Polk, Del Rey Publishing & NetGalley for the eARC!

This was such a fun, slightly chaotic, magic-filled ride.

The Feywild Job delivers exactly what the title promises—a heist in the Feywild—but with heart, humor, and a cast of characters that make the whole thing feel alive. It has that perfect blend of mischief, magic, and found family energy, and honestly feels like a cozy D&D campaign brought to life.

That D&D-style structure is what really makes this work. Everything feels organic—the chaos, the emotional beats, the character growth. The cozy moments don’t feel forced; they’re just part of the journey, like natural pauses between the action. It creates a really satisfying balance between comfort and plot.

What I loved:
🗝️ Heist vibes — planning, chaos, and things going wrong (as they absolutely should 😌)
✨ Feywild setting — whimsical, strange, and just unpredictable enough
🖤 Found family — messy, complicated, but full of loyalty
🎲 DnD energy — character-driven storytelling that actually feels cohesive
💬 Dialogue & banter — sharp, funny, and full of personality

The characters really carry this story. Each member of the crew feels distinct, and their dynamics add so much depth to what could have been a straightforward heist plot. There’s tension, humor, and those moments where everything just clicks in the best way.

The romance is there, but it doesn’t overpower the story. It sits naturally alongside the main plot, adding emotional weight without taking focus away from the heist and character arcs. It leans a little tropey in a fun, self-aware way, which made it even more enjoyable.

This is a clever, magical heist story with heart—full of chaos, charm, and characters you can’t help but root for. It’s not trying to reinvent the genre, but it absolutely succeeds at being fun, cozy, and completely engaging.

🖤 What to Expect:
• Fantasy heist
• Feywild chaos
• Found family crew
• Banter + tension
• Light romance
• Magic with consequences
• DnD-style adventure vibes

If you love heist stories with a magical twist—and especially if you enjoy that D&D campaign energy—this one is definitely worth picking up ✨

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited to get this book. Romance. D&D. Count me in.
After having read it I have some mixed thoughts.

This story follows a group (well, two groups really) hired to do a heist, of sorts. And in the group are both Saeldian and Kell, who know each other from the past, want nothing to do with each other, but are tricked into working together.

All the characters are lovely. I liked them all. I enjoyed seeing their friendships grow and develop as they used their unique skills to work together. The story is pretty cozy and nice. Even when it seems the stakes are high, it never gets too crazy.

I think the author did a great job showcasing a non-binary character. Because it was a magical world, it gave Saeldian a fluidity that so many non-binary characters in other stories don't get a chance to portray and it was done really well. I love that every character accepted them for who they were and it was never a source of conflict.

One thing I wish I had seen more of what the relationship development between Saeldian and Kell. When their romance finally came to a head it felt like it came out of nowhere. So much of the story before this was spent on just commenting on the fact that they didn't like each other and Kell not wanting to forgive Saeldian. They didn't really build any kind of romantic relationship (or any kind of relationship, really) in the present and their past was doing way too much heavy lifting. Because I don't think the romance was explored in any real way, I wish that the story had spend more time on developing some of the side characters and the friendships and the found family aspect of the group.

The world building was pretty good. I'm not an avid D&D player, so I don't know how much of that can be attributed to the author and how much already existed, but it felt like a real place, which is always nice.

All in all, I thought it was fine. It felt slow in some places, but the story was nice and the characters were likeable. If you like cozy fantasy story with a touch of romance, I would recommend picking it up!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Worlds for this eARC.

[Hélène · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5*
A delicious romantasy romp into Waterdeep and the Feywild!
(Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC)

I mean, when I read this was basically a heist cosy romantasy with queer rep in the universe of DnD, I HAD to ask for it, right? As a queer DnD nerd?

I have to note I'm not suuuuper familiar with Faerun/Waterdeep, so some of the more subtle elements of lore might've flown over my head, but I still was delighted to spot some easter eggs (hello, Tasha) and to figure out the spells and stuff. I still think it's explained enough that even a novice to the TTRPG genre might understand it, but knowing about it sure does enhance the experience!

The heist plot works great, and gives a rapid momentum to the book. I tend to not always vibe with more cosy stuff because of the lack of tension, but The Feywild Job did tension SPLENDIDLY! I was especially hooked after the 50% mark, once we get into said Feywild, and couldn't put the book down until I finished it. The reunions, the confessions, all the heavier moments culminating into the final revelations (that I managed to guess at, but only a couple of pages before they happened, which means an amazing work on those ~) punched me right in the gut. I don't usually cry when reading, but this damn novel got my eyes quite moist, thank you very much.

And, mostly, I fell in love with our characters. I adored both Saeldian and Kell! I understood where they came from, what they were fleeing from, their anger or their impassivness. It was both fun, emotional and frustrating to watch them circle each other and the truths they kept hidden.
It only lacked a little bit to be the perfect romance for me. Maybe a couple of flashbacks, or something to show us HOW they fell for each other in the past? Because otherwise the transition from pseudo-hate to love feels a bit flimsy, in that we don't know exactly what they see in the other party.
The rest of the cast holds its own. I always love me a good tiefling (especially torn between their friends and their morals) so Jubilee was right up my alley. And Lorzok is a fun "gentle giant of a druid", though not necessarily the most original archetype. Kudos to Timtim the almiraj, the cutest of sidekicks ; I NEED to know what his story is.
I also ADORED all the fey and archfeys. Perfectly weird, 10/10, no notes. How do I get in between those two paladin paramours?

While I enjoyed the writing, I feel like it was confusing at times, and not just because of my lack of specific knowledge of Waterdeep. I have good hopes it'll be fixed for publication, but I felt like some dialogues/actions didn't quite flow naturally into each other, or like they lacked transition. An idea would jump to another in the same paragraph, and I'd be like "wait, how did we get there?" (sometimes literally, as people appeared in scenes or in places suddenly). It was particularly bothersome during the heist at the ball, where I felt like I'd missed a couple of steps here and there. I get that this might be the author not wanting to hand feed the readers too much, but a little more clarity from time to time would help, I think!
Because otherwise, the prose tended to flow beautifully, and made both the feywild and our characters shine ~
Without this particular hiccup, I feel like this book could've become a favorite of mine.

I also HAVE to mention the queer rep, and especially the themes surrouding Saeldian. It really hurt (in a good way) to see how, without their heart, they couldn't build the found family they needed, couldn't feel accepted or cared for. How they hated what they looked liked underneath, and how the solution wasn't to force them to accept that, but instead to nudge them into what they could become, once they finally received the help they needed. That last conversation with the hag really got to me <3

So, overall, a really successful adaptation of a romantasy in a DnD setting ~

[Lupin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

A tasty blurb was already enough to set off my interest but I think the execution surpassed everything I could've expected. I kept reading and didn't notice the story had lodged a hand through my chest until it twisted when I got to the conflicts. I was taken by surprise with how Saeldian pulled at my heartstrings so suddenly and intensely. They're such a devastatingly written character that it pained me reading their inner dialogue, knowing they had nowhere to put it, leaving me as the other observer to the turmoil they hid.

I was lukewarm on the romance as the rivalry/bitterness felt one-sided in the first half. It felt less reasonable as it went on and started reading like holding onto a grudge just because there was one. Things developed stronger in the second half and I kept having to put the book down to cope with the waves of feeling they were evoking from me.

The ending really ties everything altogether and it feels so appropriate with all the themes of deception, conning, and the like that's heavy in the beginning. I could not be anymore happier or satisfied with an ending; it felt perfect. I think every character has their arc neatly wrapped up as well.

As for the fantasy portion, it reads and feels like a DnD campaign (adding character sheets would be wonderful to see the spells each character has). I loved the constant integration of magic whether it was noticing spells being used in certain places or using them (and there is almost always a spell being used). It felt so immersive for a world that has magic, because why wouldn't it be everywhere? This book is a stellar cozy fantasy read and I adored it. If not for Saeldian & Kell, then I would read it again just to experience the best character that is Lorzok.

[Pastelsparkles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore and C. L. Polk for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

The Feywild Job is a fun, heist novel with D&D lore just oozing from it.
I'm absolutely the target audience for this book so I was really looking forward to reading it, and I think the cover art is just gorgeous.

As with many ARCs I read, the bones of this story were definitely there, certainly more than a regular ARC that I read. However, I found there were just so many clumsily written sentences that it oftentimes made it quite hard to follow. Best example of this is the first scene we're introduced to Jubilee:
Our main character, Saeldian, is trying to pull off a con and when Jubilee is described, it isn't clear to the reader that she's even... involved. It sounds like she's just another patron at the restaurant. And then when the scene erupts, she's following Saeldian. I ended up having to reread the chapter to try and make sense of who the character was because it really felt like she was just set dressing that suddenly came to life.

That's the danger of publishers sharing Unedited 1st Proofs to reviewers. I think sometimes that publishers shoot their authors in the foot by letting something go out so early in the publishing process because professional edits definitely need to be done at least once for the sake of giving the book the best shot in early reviews. Once this book is released, I know for sure these issues will be fixed in editing so I don't want to be too harsh.

Ultimately, if you're someone who loves fantasy, loves D&D, loves a sweet queer relationship, then you're probably going to enjoy this book. I also think some level of D&D lore is required to properly enjoy it.

[Stina Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was not prepared for how much fun I was about to have.
Full confession; my entire Dungeons and Dragons experience before this book was Stranger Things and my husband going on about it. And none of that mattered even a little, because C.L. Polk builds a world so vivid and alive that you do not need a single point of reference to fall completely in love with it. This book does the work. You just get to enjoy the ride.
And what a ride it is. A heist fantasy with a ragtag crew, a stolen gem, and a journey into the Feywild that goes sideways in the most delightful ways imaginable. We are talking characters getting turned into toads. Elderly woman disguises. The kind of chaotic, magical mischief that makes you laugh out loud and then immediately flip the page to see what breaks next.
But underneath all the fun is something with real teeth, two ex-partners, once in love, now forced back together after a decade of simmering resentment. Spikey, salty, and absolutely combustible together. Watching their sharp edges and bad tempers slowly reveal the vulnerabilities underneath is where this book truly shines. The tension between them is masterfully handled and completely impossible to look away from.
The pacing keeps things moving without ever feeling rushed, balancing big action sequences with quieter character moments that actually land. This is not an earth-shattering epic, it sits somewhere between cozy fantasy and real adventure, with genuine stakes and even more genuine heart.
If you want magic, mayhem, a second chance romance with serious bite, and a crew of characters you will be rooting for from the very first page, do not sleep on this one.

[DoinBookishThings · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay so this one is hard for me to rate because objectively I can see why so many people are loving it… but personally? I don’t think heist stories are really my thing and I struggled to stay fully invested in the plot because of that.

The vibes were honestly immaculate though. The Feywild atmosphere was whimsical, chaotic, magical, and weird in a way that felt very D&D campaign coded. You can absolutely tell C.L. Polk understands how to create a fun fantasy party dynamic. The character banter was probably my favorite parts of the entire book.

I also think people who LOVE D&D lore are going to eat this up. Unfortunately I am not one of those people lol. There were moments where I felt a little lost with the lore/worldbuilding references and I think that made it harder for me to connect with the actual heist plot. Sometimes my brain was just trying to keep up with what was happening mechanically.

The romance had some really sweet moments though, especially once the emotional tension between the exes started settling in more. I just wish I connected to them a little faster emotionally because it took me awhile to fully care.

Overall this felt like one of those books where I can completely understand why it’s someone else’s favorite even if it wasn’t fully my cup of tea. If you love fantasy heists, D&D campaign vibes, chaotic friend groups, and Feywild shenanigans, I genuinely think you’ll probably have a much better time with this than I did.

Thank you NetGalley, Del Ray, and to the author for the ARC!

[Cait · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been several hours since I finished reading The Feywild Job and I still don't quite know what I say about it. So I'm doing the most basic good/bad/ugly review because I don't know.

What Worked: I really liked the characters -- they're unique and Kell and Saeldian's arcs are well done. I am also a Dungeons & Dragons player myself so seeing "my" spells and "my" world in a book was a fun experience.

The I Don't Know: I am also a D&D player myself....Okay, but for real. if someone doesn't know D&D, there's a lot that is glossed over and, at best, can be muddled through. This might limit its reach and success.

What Didn't Work: The action scenes. And the ending. Both these are very different, but suffered from the same issue for me: a lack of clarity and explanation. I was consistently confused by action scenes -- who is where, who is doing what -- to the point that I glossed over them. The ending, the big reveal of all the secrets? Either it didn't make sense or was so poorly explained that the explanation missed me completely. I kept waiting for the "ah-hah" but it never landed and left me feeling deflated.

I think CL Polk is a good writer and I enjoyed reading the book, it just didn't completely land for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Random House Worlds for the opportunity to read and review this DRC. All opinions are mine alone.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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If you’re craving a romp amongst the fae, look no further! Feywild Job has magic, heists, adventure and lots of heart - all woven together against the backdrop of some truly magnificent world building courtesy of D&D lore. While admittedly I have very little context for said lore, I was still vibing while reading and was able to follow along fairly well. If you’re part of the fandom I can only imagine how fun all the references and easter eggs that are sprinkled throughout would be! There were a few points where I’m not sure I fully grasped what was going on but was able to fill in any blanks fairly well on my own.
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Seeing our band of misfits not only work together on the job but work through their issues was really endearing and lent poignancy to the storyline. The well paced action was a great counterpoint, making this feel balanced between character and plot driven. I loved seeing our crew travel to different realms and domains and face challenges and threats along the way just as much as I loved seeing Saeldian and Kell mend fences.
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If I had one criticism I would say I sometimes lost track of who was speaking or who was where in a room. The scene structure often felt a little muddled, but again, I was just here for those vibes! This was a fun read overall and I really enjoyed my time in the Feywild!

[K. Hvostova · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic reads for fans of the Forgotten Realms and Baldur’s Gate!

It felt like an emotional dnd game featuring Waterdeep and the Feywild with found family, heists, and a sweet second-chance romance. The characters are great all so unique and I love that there’s some non-binary representation. I love how it is handled with the touch of illusion magic.

The story is true to a dnd campaign with a lot of creativity and variety to the plot. You’ll never get bored with this one. Although, I feel the pacing was a little slow, but it kinda worked cause the plot was more focused on the characters and their relationships over a big, epic plot. I got some cozy vibes from it as well.

I must say I loved, loved, loved the depiction of a archfey warlock here. It was so cool to see that dynamic in a book like this!

On the subject of the romance it was well-done. I liked how gradual the second chance was, especially in how real it felt for the pair to make amends and realize their inevitable feelings for each other. It felt very natural in the end. Saeldian’s journey of self-worth really hit home too!!

The setting was great, there were a lot of mentions of familiar places in Faerun and I liked the depiction of the Feywild. It felt like coming home to an old friend but with a cozier, more character focused twist. Overall, it was a fun read!!!

[sevarenii · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.

This book was a lot of fun! A cozy, magical romp in the DND universe. I am probably, at best, a casual DND player—that is to say, every campaign that I've joined, of which there have been a handful, has been very unfortunately short-lived due to scheduling conflicts—so I'm no expert on the world. Still, the references sprinkled throughout were a delight to spot, in the same way the DND movie was a perfectly entertaining fantasy movie for the casual watcher but full of references and inside jokes for more active fans and players of the game. I think this strikes the perfect balance for a DND story: chaotic action and campaign shenanigans, with narrative stakes, albeit somewhat cliche (but I think the slight campiness is what really sells it). Like in any good game of DND, it starts with the bones of a campaign/plot, but ultimately centers the characters' personal struggles and the found family dynamic between the party. A story that doesn't take itself too seriously but is seriously charming.

[S.E. Bristow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let how long it took me to finish this book fool you—I loved every second of it. The Feywild Job was the epitome of a cozy high fantasy. Happy endings all around, nobody dies, and true love prevails.

Saeldian was an incredible and complex main character. I felt for them and I loved them, and I think many people will agree. Words cannot describe how delighted I was with how well CL Polk handled their ambiguous gender identity. Too often, NB or genderqueer characters get pulled in one direction or the other, but Polk did an incredible job with Sheld's fluidity and ambiguity, and all of the characters loved them no matter how they presented, it brought me to tears at times.

Kell was an instant winner for me—I'm always a sucker for a bard—and was also incredibly complex and brilliant. His feelings and actions were irritating at times, but entirely understandable, and led up to an INCREDIBLE breaking point at the climax of the book. Absolutely no notes.

The ensemble cast of characters was lively and so enjoyable to read, I loved every character (except, y'know, the one....)

The Feywild Job is an incredible adventure story that keeps you hooked at every turn, and is colored with a myriad of tropes that I will always always love (I cheered when there was only one bed).

It's emotional, it's beautiful, it's light and fun, and (as a huge DND nerd) SO incredibly cool to read. It really did feel like a campaign I'd play out with my friends over a series of months. I need more books like this ASAP.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Worlds for allowing me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions, as always, are my own.

[KittMyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for many years—and who has a particular love for the Feywild—this book captured that setting beautifully. It truly reflects the ever-shifting, unpredictable nature of the wilds.

The Feywild Job follows a party of adventurers on a classic D&D-style heist, complete with all the twists and turns you’d expect. Alongside the central adventure, there are engaging subplots of betrayal and romance. The story centres on Saeldian, Kell, Lorzok, and Jublie, forming a familiar yet satisfying party composition of Warlock, Bard, Druid, and Rogue.

I appreciated how quickly the story introduces the fey elements while also establishing the main characters and their motivations, allowing me to dive straight into the narrative. My only criticism is that it takes a little while to actually reach the Feywild—especially since that was what I was most excited to explore. That said, the journey was extremely enjoyable.

Tropes:
• Forced proximity
• Bitter exes
• Heist
• Adventure across worlds

[Heather Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this! I'm a sucker for a good heist and the cover for this is absolutely gorgeous. There's an amazing cast of characters, a tricky heist and an exes to lovers romance all mixed in with a fantastic fantasy setting.

While the heist itself was fun to read, I think my favorite thing about this was the characters. They were all so charming and each brought something different to the story. I loved the way the romance between Kell and Saeldian developed. It was gradual and happened naturally. It didn't feel rushed or unearned.

This is perfect if you're looking for a cozy fantasy but I think having at least a basic understand of D&D will make this more enjoyable. I've never played but I know enough that I understood everything. I loved being dropped in without all the explanations - it feels more immersive - but I can see how confusing that could be for someone without that knowledge.

Thank you to Del Ray, Random House Worlds, Inklore and NetGalley for my eARC!