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Our Dark Incantations
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Expected 20 Oct 26Win a free print copy of this book!
21 days and 22:02:59
30 copies available
U.S. only
In this achingly romantic dark academia fantasy a young woman must embrace Dark Magic and an alliance with a deadly Wielder to fight a powerful threat cloaked in shadow.
After the war, ex-healer Mira Winters swore she’d never touch magic again. And yet here she is attending the newly reopened Ivercrest University, enrolled in the wrong magic department, paired up with the absolute wrong partner—the infuriating Aidric Dawson.
Instead of learning how to make a potion strong enough to heal her incurable scar, Mira attends demonology lessons, casts deadly spells…and is accidentally dragged into a murder investigation on campus—one with devastating ripples that bleed into the magical world far beyond the university.
Even more devastating? Aidric Dawson. Rumored to have been a high-ranking soldier during the war, the lethal Wielder is arrogant, aristocratic, and shrouded in secrets…but with his own wounds from the war, he may also be the only one who truly understands Mira.
A labyrinth of clues pulls Mira and Aidric deep into a sinister plot hiding in the shadows of magical society, threatening war once more. Can the two enemies work together without losing their hearts—or their lives—in the process?
After the war, ex-healer Mira Winters swore she’d never touch magic again. And yet here she is attending the newly reopened Ivercrest University, enrolled in the wrong magic department, paired up with the absolute wrong partner—the infuriating Aidric Dawson.
Instead of learning how to make a potion strong enough to heal her incurable scar, Mira attends demonology lessons, casts deadly spells…and is accidentally dragged into a murder investigation on campus—one with devastating ripples that bleed into the magical world far beyond the university.
Even more devastating? Aidric Dawson. Rumored to have been a high-ranking soldier during the war, the lethal Wielder is arrogant, aristocratic, and shrouded in secrets…but with his own wounds from the war, he may also be the only one who truly understands Mira.
A labyrinth of clues pulls Mira and Aidric deep into a sinister plot hiding in the shadows of magical society, threatening war once more. Can the two enemies work together without losing their hearts—or their lives—in the process?
528 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication October 20, 2026
About the author
Wanda Hellmund
1 book46 followersWanda Hellmund grew up in Germany with a penchant for storytelling and a love for scary books. She wrote her first murder-mystery in fourth grade and hasn’t stopped writing since.
After studying politics in London, she moved to New York where she earned her master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University.
In her ten years as a journalist she lived in several states before settling in Southern California with her husband and their rescue dog (who is whatever breed you want her to be).
When she isn’t immersed in a fantasy book, you can find her watching horror movies and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
After studying politics in London, she moved to New York where she earned her master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University.
In her ten years as a journalist she lived in several states before settling in Southern California with her husband and their rescue dog (who is whatever breed you want her to be).
When she isn’t immersed in a fantasy book, you can find her watching horror movies and drinking copious amounts of coffee.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Want to Read
May 16, 2026Sometimes I just pick up books based on the covers and this one caught my eye!
Two enemies begin working together in the shadows of a magical society to fight something sinister that is lurking around the university. She's a healer, he's a deadly wielder and together they must fight a powerful threat. He is infuriating, arrogant, shrouded in secrets but yet he's the only one who truly understands her.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group/Ace and the author, Wanda Hellmund for an early copy!
Publication date: October 20, 2026
Two enemies begin working together in the shadows of a magical society to fight something sinister that is lurking around the university. She's a healer, he's a deadly wielder and together they must fight a powerful threat. He is infuriating, arrogant, shrouded in secrets but yet he's the only one who truly understands her.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group/Ace and the author, Wanda Hellmund for an early copy!
Publication date: October 20, 2026
Want to Read
February 18, 2026AM I THE FIRST PERSON TO SAY THEY WANT TO READ THIS? * GIGGLES IN MANIA *
Want to Read
February 26, 2026I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS ONE! dhr girlies here we go
May 18, 2026
I feel very conflicted on this one because I did actually really enjoy it. Wanda Hellmund has a knack for writing an engaging story and I think that most of the adaptions from the original fanfiction this is based on worked unexpectedly well.
The last 15% of the novel felt incredibly unnecessary. The story as a whole would’ve been much stronger without the ‘twist’.
The book itself moved at a good pace otherwise. The friendships were strong and interesting, the ptsd storyline worked well and the magic system made sense for the most part (it got a little iffy when it came to potions, especially towards the end but I could overlook it because everything else was mostly working).
Overall, I enjoyed this, particularly the first 70%. This debut proved that the author has immense talent and I can’t wait to read whatever they come out with next. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc.
The last 15% of the novel felt incredibly unnecessary. The story as a whole would’ve been much stronger without the ‘twist’.
The book itself moved at a good pace otherwise. The friendships were strong and interesting, the ptsd storyline worked well and the magic system made sense for the most part (it got a little iffy when it came to potions, especially towards the end but I could overlook it because everything else was mostly working).
Overall, I enjoyed this, particularly the first 70%. This debut proved that the author has immense talent and I can’t wait to read whatever they come out with next. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc.
May 17, 2026
Our Dark Incantations
Thanks Berkley for the e-arc!
I wish this would have been a hit for me, I really expected it to be and am sadly disappointed.
Our Dark Incantations is a dark academia romantasy standalone about Mira Winters, a former healer with PTSD, who must embrace dark magic at a magical university in the aftermath of a war. She teams up with the captivating Wielder, Aidric Dawson, to solve a suspicious murder and unveil a sinister conspiracy.
Unfortunately this fell very flat for me. the world building and magic system felt underdeveloped imo and the characters motivations made little sense outside or Mira’s (and even then she made a LOT of extremely questionable choices.) It was very TELL instead of SHOW and some characterization choices had no explanation within the story and felt like we should just accept it bc that’s how these characters are portrayed in this novels former life.
The romance had its moments but again, I felt like I was being told to care about their relationship instead of being shown why I should. Same thing with the supporting characters, at one point we’re literally told that Mira and another character have become “good friends” but it’s the readers first time seeing them interact outside of their initial meeting.
Fans of the original work will likely love this, as it follows the original almost beat for beat, so there’s definitely an audience for it. It just didn’t quite work for me and I would have loved to see this get another pass through editing to make it more cohesive as a standalone trad pub.
2.5 ⭐️ but the half star is only cause it got me at the end and I cried.
Thanks Berkley for the e-arc!
I wish this would have been a hit for me, I really expected it to be and am sadly disappointed.
Our Dark Incantations is a dark academia romantasy standalone about Mira Winters, a former healer with PTSD, who must embrace dark magic at a magical university in the aftermath of a war. She teams up with the captivating Wielder, Aidric Dawson, to solve a suspicious murder and unveil a sinister conspiracy.
Unfortunately this fell very flat for me. the world building and magic system felt underdeveloped imo and the characters motivations made little sense outside or Mira’s (and even then she made a LOT of extremely questionable choices.) It was very TELL instead of SHOW and some characterization choices had no explanation within the story and felt like we should just accept it bc that’s how these characters are portrayed in this novels former life.
The romance had its moments but again, I felt like I was being told to care about their relationship instead of being shown why I should. Same thing with the supporting characters, at one point we’re literally told that Mira and another character have become “good friends” but it’s the readers first time seeing them interact outside of their initial meeting.
Fans of the original work will likely love this, as it follows the original almost beat for beat, so there’s definitely an audience for it. It just didn’t quite work for me and I would have loved to see this get another pass through editing to make it more cohesive as a standalone trad pub.
2.5 ⭐️ but the half star is only cause it got me at the end and I cried.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
He was her damnation.
Her affliction.
Dawson is my ideal mmc: silver-white hair, broody, powerful, arrogant, observant, jealous, possessive, and a bit of a bully
and Winters is my ideal fmc: intelligent, tortured, sad, but still has the gall to put Dawson in his place.
full review to come. I need a minute to gather my thoughts (and unpack some extremely intense biases considering the original iteration is literally my favorite story of all time 😅)
Thank the spheres, and Berkley, for the eARC
________
eARC acquired!! I’m fully prepared for this to be the best story I’ve ever read 🖤
________
I won’t know peace until an ARC of this book is in my hands 😩🤞🏼
Her affliction.
Dawson is my ideal mmc: silver-white hair, broody, powerful, arrogant, observant, jealous, possessive, and a bit of a bully
and Winters is my ideal fmc: intelligent, tortured, sad, but still has the gall to put Dawson in his place.
full review to come. I need a minute to gather my thoughts (and unpack some extremely intense biases considering the original iteration is literally my favorite story of all time 😅)
Thank the spheres, and Berkley, for the eARC
________
eARC acquired!! I’m fully prepared for this to be the best story I’ve ever read 🖤
________
I won’t know peace until an ARC of this book is in my hands 😩🤞🏼
May 22, 2026
Our Dark Incantations is a gothic magical mystery with a romance that will leave you begging for more.
Hellmund creates a vivid world of white and dark magic, dark academia, and a male main character that is very much morally grey.
Let’s start with the plot: Mira decides to head to Ivercrest to research a cure for her scar that burns her and creates nightmares. When she gets there she knows she’ll be placed in the white magic department, until she’s not and she’s dragged into dark magic and there is no way back. To help train her new magic she gets paired up with Aidric Dawson (yes our beautiful silver haired snotty rich boy.) While training with him she gets entangled in a mystery Aidric and her Highmage teacher is trying to solve. Full of action, adventure, some amazing spice, the plot is plotting.
The world build and magic system: I like how easy this world was. It wasn’t super involved. I didn’t have to make a flow chart. It was all very digestible and enjoyable. The land is made up of different spheres (I visualize like islands,) and you can jump through magical gates to get from one to the next. They have a coin that can make them fast travel.
The world is filled with white magic (defensive) and dark (offensive.) White is natural so it’s unlimited. Dark is not so it takes a toll on the caster and leaves small residual dark magic behind. The school system is your typical college style.
The romance: I love this style of romance. It’s snarky banter with smirking and teasing. It wasn’t insta lust, they fell for each other while working on a mystery. I would say this isn’t really enemies to lovers maybe more rivals to lovers? The spice is so good y’all. The passion is some of the best I’ve read.
“She wanted his jealousy. His wrath. His lust. She wanted all of his sins and to make them her own, wanted to taste them on his lips just as fiercely as she felt them in her heart.”
Um swoon!
“Let the world burn. I’ll gladly walk on its ashes if it means you’re alive.”
These two are fire and I love them.
Some small things: Aidric sometimes seemed like an over powered super hero (or villian however you want to look at it.) He was always there somehow saving our heroine. He was magical assassin with kick ass fighting moves too.
The ending, I won’t spoil it but I didn’t love what he did and not sure how trusting I would be afterwards. The ending was also a little longer than I expected. The main conflict wound down and we were only at 86%. Did I know what was coming yes, but I feel like it could have been shortened a little.
Everything seemed a little too tidy. All things just seemed like it was magically solved easily even after thousands of people tried a millions times to do the same thing.
But anyway, these were just very small things and they weren’t bothersome just there.
4.25/5 stars!
All in all I loved this book. Wanda Hellmund did a fantastic job and everyone should definitely read this book when it publishes in October.
A huge thank you to Headline Books and NetGalley for the arc!!!
Hellmund creates a vivid world of white and dark magic, dark academia, and a male main character that is very much morally grey.
Let’s start with the plot: Mira decides to head to Ivercrest to research a cure for her scar that burns her and creates nightmares. When she gets there she knows she’ll be placed in the white magic department, until she’s not and she’s dragged into dark magic and there is no way back. To help train her new magic she gets paired up with Aidric Dawson (yes our beautiful silver haired snotty rich boy.) While training with him she gets entangled in a mystery Aidric and her Highmage teacher is trying to solve. Full of action, adventure, some amazing spice, the plot is plotting.
The world build and magic system: I like how easy this world was. It wasn’t super involved. I didn’t have to make a flow chart. It was all very digestible and enjoyable. The land is made up of different spheres (I visualize like islands,) and you can jump through magical gates to get from one to the next. They have a coin that can make them fast travel.
The world is filled with white magic (defensive) and dark (offensive.) White is natural so it’s unlimited. Dark is not so it takes a toll on the caster and leaves small residual dark magic behind. The school system is your typical college style.
The romance: I love this style of romance. It’s snarky banter with smirking and teasing. It wasn’t insta lust, they fell for each other while working on a mystery. I would say this isn’t really enemies to lovers maybe more rivals to lovers? The spice is so good y’all. The passion is some of the best I’ve read.
“She wanted his jealousy. His wrath. His lust. She wanted all of his sins and to make them her own, wanted to taste them on his lips just as fiercely as she felt them in her heart.”
Um swoon!
“Let the world burn. I’ll gladly walk on its ashes if it means you’re alive.”
These two are fire and I love them.
Some small things: Aidric sometimes seemed like an over powered super hero (or villian however you want to look at it.) He was always there somehow saving our heroine. He was magical assassin with kick ass fighting moves too.
The ending, I won’t spoil it but I didn’t love what he did and not sure how trusting I would be afterwards. The ending was also a little longer than I expected. The main conflict wound down and we were only at 86%. Did I know what was coming yes, but I feel like it could have been shortened a little.
Everything seemed a little too tidy. All things just seemed like it was magically solved easily even after thousands of people tried a millions times to do the same thing.
But anyway, these were just very small things and they weren’t bothersome just there.
4.25/5 stars!
All in all I loved this book. Wanda Hellmund did a fantastic job and everyone should definitely read this book when it publishes in October.
A huge thank you to Headline Books and NetGalley for the arc!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
OK I AM SO EXCITED TO GET THIS!! Thank you so much to Headline for the ARC. I actually have read Damaged Goods, so I was anticipating this like a starving wolf. When I saw the announcement that it would be a trad pub book, I was sooo ecstatic!
And yes, I tore through this in one sitting and am writing this with dark circles under my eyes. Wanda!! Thank you so much for the food. I appreciate how much effort you have taken to rework this. The core of the story is still the same, but the worldbuilding is excellently done. Instead of Slytherins and Gryffindors, we have Casters (who do defensive/healing white magic) and Wielders (who do destructive Dark Magic). In a twist of events, Mira ends up From there, she meets Dawson, an extremely powerful Wielder, and they start working together on a mission.
I think that Damaged Goods had areas that were stronger -- in this book, Mira, after the tragedy she suffered in the war, is trying her best to overcome her PTSD and be "normal" with her best friend Ella, and Dawson tells her she shouldn't need to push herself to be something she isn't. In Damaged Goods, the impact of that feels stronger because (without going into explicit detail) there was an ex-boyfriend who constantly derided her because she couldn't heal from the war and become "her old self" again. However, Ella has always been nice to Mira and supported her decisions! So I didn't feel Mira's struggle on this front as much. I think it would have been beneficial to have the ex-boyfriend role remain in this version, just IMO.
That said, these are not major gripes! I loved other changes in this story, like how Dawson and Mira's romance is now a slower burn!! In the fanfic, there is an element of smut that takes place earlier. But here we get to see a nice slow build-up before they share their first kiss, and the smut scene takes off! PHEW!!!! I adored this. The author wrote a lot of new scenes around their first meetings in school, and they were terrific!
I found so many parts delightful: Dawson comforting Mira through her nightmares, the "truth" potion, his jealousy when she danced with Sebastian, him training her, etc!! I will be going back to those scenes over and over. This was such a wonderful read!! Thank you again for the lovely opportunity to dig into this book. I strongly recommend all romantasy lovers, whether or not you've read Damaged Goods beforehand, to give this a try when it comes out in October!! You will not be disappointed!!
And yes, I tore through this in one sitting and am writing this with dark circles under my eyes. Wanda!! Thank you so much for the food. I appreciate how much effort you have taken to rework this. The core of the story is still the same, but the worldbuilding is excellently done. Instead of Slytherins and Gryffindors, we have Casters (who do defensive/healing white magic) and Wielders (who do destructive Dark Magic). In a twist of events, Mira ends up From there, she meets Dawson, an extremely powerful Wielder, and they start working together on a mission.
I think that Damaged Goods had areas that were stronger -- in this book, Mira, after the tragedy she suffered in the war, is trying her best to overcome her PTSD and be "normal" with her best friend Ella, and Dawson tells her she shouldn't need to push herself to be something she isn't. In Damaged Goods, the impact of that feels stronger because (without going into explicit detail) there was an ex-boyfriend who constantly derided her because she couldn't heal from the war and become "her old self" again. However, Ella has always been nice to Mira and supported her decisions! So I didn't feel Mira's struggle on this front as much. I think it would have been beneficial to have the ex-boyfriend role remain in this version, just IMO.
That said, these are not major gripes! I loved other changes in this story, like how Dawson and Mira's romance is now a slower burn!! In the fanfic, there is an element of smut that takes place earlier. But here we get to see a nice slow build-up before they share their first kiss, and the smut scene takes off! PHEW!!!! I adored this. The author wrote a lot of new scenes around their first meetings in school, and they were terrific!
I found so many parts delightful: Dawson comforting Mira through her nightmares, the "truth" potion, his jealousy when she danced with Sebastian, him training her, etc!! I will be going back to those scenes over and over. This was such a wonderful read!! Thank you again for the lovely opportunity to dig into this book. I strongly recommend all romantasy lovers, whether or not you've read Damaged Goods beforehand, to give this a try when it comes out in October!! You will not be disappointed!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Rating: 4.25⭐️
This book genuinely did not come to play when it comes to banter and tension. I was giggling, squealing, kicking my feet like an absolute loser every five pages, it stopped being embarrassing and started becoming a lifestyle.
Did Aidric just officially join my i-have-a-thing-for-morally-questionable-lethal-witty-chaotic-but-actually-a-total-softie-silver-haired-men club? The membership has been approved.
Mira was SUCH a pleasant surprise too. I absolutely loved seeing her feistier side once she entered the world of Wielders and dark magic. She’s intelligent, capable, emotionally layered, and genuinely likable.
Mira and Aidric together fit just right. The chemistry is chemistrying, the tension is tensioning, and the slow burn is slow burning EXACTLY the way it should. They both carry their own scars and flaws, and somehow that makes their bond feel stronger and more meaningful.
Now, I’m not gonna say too much about the plot because spoilers, but OH MY GOD. The world-building, the magic system, the eerie atmosphere, the endless amount of twists??? This book constantly feels like it’s pulling you deeper into something dangerous and mesmerizing at the same time.
However, there were definitely a few sections that felt a little too long. Some scenes dragged more than they needed to, and I think the pacing would’ve flowed better if certain parts had been tightened up.
But honestly, if you’re a romantasy reader who lives for addictive tension, dangerous magic, emotionally damaged people with unresolved issues, and a romance that makes you stare at the wall for a bit (or a lot, if we’re being honest), this book is absolutely for you.
════════════════════════
Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC!
This book genuinely did not come to play when it comes to banter and tension. I was giggling, squealing, kicking my feet like an absolute loser every five pages, it stopped being embarrassing and started becoming a lifestyle.
Did Aidric just officially join my i-have-a-thing-for-morally-questionable-lethal-witty-chaotic-but-actually-a-total-softie-silver-haired-men club? The membership has been approved.
Mira was SUCH a pleasant surprise too. I absolutely loved seeing her feistier side once she entered the world of Wielders and dark magic. She’s intelligent, capable, emotionally layered, and genuinely likable.
Mira and Aidric together fit just right. The chemistry is chemistrying, the tension is tensioning, and the slow burn is slow burning EXACTLY the way it should. They both carry their own scars and flaws, and somehow that makes their bond feel stronger and more meaningful.
Now, I’m not gonna say too much about the plot because spoilers, but OH MY GOD. The world-building, the magic system, the eerie atmosphere, the endless amount of twists??? This book constantly feels like it’s pulling you deeper into something dangerous and mesmerizing at the same time.
However, there were definitely a few sections that felt a little too long. Some scenes dragged more than they needed to, and I think the pacing would’ve flowed better if certain parts had been tightened up.
But honestly, if you’re a romantasy reader who lives for addictive tension, dangerous magic, emotionally damaged people with unresolved issues, and a romance that makes you stare at the wall for a bit (or a lot, if we’re being honest), this book is absolutely for you.
════════════════════════
Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Our Dark Incantations
✒️ Wanda Hellmund
💫💫💫
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to start by saying, yes I have read the OG Dramione.
I really really wanted to love this book but I just did not.
Mira is a healer with PTSD who was accepted into Ivercrest University with the hope to use the literature to help heal a scar. But she is selected for the wrong department. Expecting to be in the Casters, Mira ends up in the Wielders - dark magic- with none other than the infuriating Aidric Dawson.
I know what this world is based off but I feel like this version fell flat. It is extremely underdeveloped and the motivations behind the characters are not fleshed out (pun not intended). There was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, but it still did not help the plot.
Mira's and Aidric's relationship was full of yearning and hate and devotion. Aidric helped Mira through things of her past and it was beautiful, but I feel like the past was never fleshed out enough to understand the full scope of what happened.
Some scenes were too long and others brushed over to lightly.
I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately I did not. But I also struggled heaps with the file format, so maybe it will flow nicer once published.
📚 Our Dark Incantations
✒️ Wanda Hellmund
💫💫💫
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I would like to start by saying, yes I have read the OG Dramione.
I really really wanted to love this book but I just did not.
Mira is a healer with PTSD who was accepted into Ivercrest University with the hope to use the literature to help heal a scar. But she is selected for the wrong department. Expecting to be in the Casters, Mira ends up in the Wielders - dark magic- with none other than the infuriating Aidric Dawson.
I know what this world is based off but I feel like this version fell flat. It is extremely underdeveloped and the motivations behind the characters are not fleshed out (pun not intended). There was a lot of telling and not a lot of showing, but it still did not help the plot.
Mira's and Aidric's relationship was full of yearning and hate and devotion. Aidric helped Mira through things of her past and it was beautiful, but I feel like the past was never fleshed out enough to understand the full scope of what happened.
Some scenes were too long and others brushed over to lightly.
I really wanted to love it, but unfortunately I did not. But I also struggled heaps with the file format, so maybe it will flow nicer once published.
Want to Read
April 3, 2026Please, oh please. I need this ARC now!
Want to Read
April 13, 2026I've just finished Demaged goods! Can't wait to read this adaptation OMG it was soo good of a plot and history.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I absolutely loved this book! I read the original and was so excited to hear it is being traditionally published. the rewrite does not disappoint! full review to come!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews