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She's All Thaumaturgy
Exiled, once-upon-a-time duchess Elayne Orraigh is cursed, and as most curses go, it took everything—her home, her family, and even her own face. Resigned to hiding herself and her unhinged magic from the cruel courtiers of Yavarid castle, fate takes a turn when hotshot knight Sir Frederick, for fear of losing his own hard-won rank and even harder-won girlfriend, takes on a magically-bound wager to turn Elayne from the ugliest outcast at court into the queen of all of Yavarid.
Neither is prepared, however, when they discover that breaking the curse on Elayne is not simply fixing up her face, but liberating an entire kingdom that has been shrouded in a dark, noxious miasma for ten years by a corrupt elven lord. Frederick’s enchanted bet is quickly convoluted when it turns into a cross-country quest embroiled with dwarven politics, infamous pirates, and mythical dragons even though the latter hasn’t existed for at least a century. As Elayne tries to recapture the future that was taken from her, Frederick tries to honor the bewitched gamble, and the two are put at odds in more ways than one.
Neither is prepared, however, when they discover that breaking the curse on Elayne is not simply fixing up her face, but liberating an entire kingdom that has been shrouded in a dark, noxious miasma for ten years by a corrupt elven lord. Frederick’s enchanted bet is quickly convoluted when it turns into a cross-country quest embroiled with dwarven politics, infamous pirates, and mythical dragons even though the latter hasn’t existed for at least a century. As Elayne tries to recapture the future that was taken from her, Frederick tries to honor the bewitched gamble, and the two are put at odds in more ways than one.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 28, 2020
66 people are currently reading
164 people want to read
About the author
A.K. Caggiano
23 books1,708 followersAshley is an indie author who likes to write silly little stories that hopefully bring readers joy. She likes cats, guacamole, feminism, and the internet.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 23, 2025
I feel like A.K. Caggiano has been spearheading fun and cosy fantasy with low stakes quests thrown in, for a WHILE now and I'm just waiting for everyone to catch on.
This is one of her earlier works, and you can definitely tell she really honed her craft and perfected it by the time she wrote the Throne in the Dark series (which was in my eyes PERFECT).
Still, this book is immensely enjoyable, and I think, fairly ambitious. A fantasy retelling of the 90's film She's All That - our main character Elayne, a half elf, has been cursed to wear a face that is not hers. She's shunned and lives as an outcast in the Kingdom, until a Knight, Frederick, unbeknownst to her, takes a bet with his friends to turn her into the next Queen of the Kingdom. Frederick swears to break the curse on Elayne, and so they set off on a quest, (textbook Caggiano) across the kingdom, accompanied by a Troll who wants to joust but isn't allowed as she's not a man, a tiny book-worm pixie called Bix, a mad, senile old Elf everyone calls Gramps whose spirit resides in a tobacco pipe, and his exasperated granddaughter who is tasked with looking after said pipe.
This motley crew face a whole host of adventures, fantastical creatures, and all round silly fun on their journey to the exiled Kingdom that Elayne is originally from to break the curse.
I won't say much else, but really a lot of fun!
I dropped my rating purely because my interest flagged in some parts, which I don't remember happening with other works by this author, and I felt some of the plot needed better refining in some places. The characters were all so fun to read about but also could have done with a bit more fleshing out. As I said earlier, I could definitely see where the author really worked on some drawbacks and came back with perfection in later works!
3.5 stars
Similar books to assess the vibe:
Ella Enchanted
Which Witch?
Ten Thousand Stitches
This is one of her earlier works, and you can definitely tell she really honed her craft and perfected it by the time she wrote the Throne in the Dark series (which was in my eyes PERFECT).
Still, this book is immensely enjoyable, and I think, fairly ambitious. A fantasy retelling of the 90's film She's All That - our main character Elayne, a half elf, has been cursed to wear a face that is not hers. She's shunned and lives as an outcast in the Kingdom, until a Knight, Frederick, unbeknownst to her, takes a bet with his friends to turn her into the next Queen of the Kingdom. Frederick swears to break the curse on Elayne, and so they set off on a quest, (textbook Caggiano) across the kingdom, accompanied by a Troll who wants to joust but isn't allowed as she's not a man, a tiny book-worm pixie called Bix, a mad, senile old Elf everyone calls Gramps whose spirit resides in a tobacco pipe, and his exasperated granddaughter who is tasked with looking after said pipe.
This motley crew face a whole host of adventures, fantastical creatures, and all round silly fun on their journey to the exiled Kingdom that Elayne is originally from to break the curse.
I won't say much else, but really a lot of fun!
I dropped my rating purely because my interest flagged in some parts, which I don't remember happening with other works by this author, and I felt some of the plot needed better refining in some places. The characters were all so fun to read about but also could have done with a bit more fleshing out. As I said earlier, I could definitely see where the author really worked on some drawbacks and came back with perfection in later works!
3.5 stars
Similar books to assess the vibe:
Ella Enchanted
Which Witch?
Ten Thousand Stitches
September 25, 2020
A Heroic Fantasy with Humor
The present tale is written with the same light touch and breezy, sometimes tongue-in-cheek style that I enjoyed in the author’s earlier book The Korinniad, although the plot of She’s All Thaumaturgy becomes significantly darker as the story progresses. The premise of the constructed world is that everything is underlaid by “aether,” which endows all of creation with magical powers. These powers can be used for good but can also be turned to evil. The plot centers around defeating an evil manifestation of this aether.
The world is populated by humans, elves, and human-elf crossbloods, but also by dwarves and a variety of other intelligent creatures, including kobolds, one of whom, whose name is Bix, is my favorite character. He incorporates a good bit of the trickster and isn’t easily defeated no matter what adventures come at him.
Oh, and did I mention dragons?
There are innumerable fun tidbits along the way. Who wouldn’t love the quite original “dinkies"? – beings that can be accessed by the most unmagical of the lands’ humans. They’re used to send messages, like magical email. They pop out of a fissure in the aether and write messages in the air using web-like filaments. And there are lots of mischievous touches, like the reference to two land masses that crashed together (reminding this reader of warp-speed plate tectonics), referred to in the constructed culture as “The Big Bang.” And there is also an insubstantial but nevertheless seaworthy ship made of fairy yew, which has the unlikely name of “The Fairy’s Knickers.”
There are a few Tolkienesque touches – elves who live in platforms in trees and a dark cloud that is spreading across the land from the cursed part of the world – but in general the culture feels quite original.
I thought the plot became a bit muddled and hurried in the second half, and a couple of characters who are introduced at that time simply drop out of sight and play no further role. But overall I found the book to be a page-turner and would recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a fantasy world governed by magic, with two strong and interesting female heroes.
The present tale is written with the same light touch and breezy, sometimes tongue-in-cheek style that I enjoyed in the author’s earlier book The Korinniad, although the plot of She’s All Thaumaturgy becomes significantly darker as the story progresses. The premise of the constructed world is that everything is underlaid by “aether,” which endows all of creation with magical powers. These powers can be used for good but can also be turned to evil. The plot centers around defeating an evil manifestation of this aether.
The world is populated by humans, elves, and human-elf crossbloods, but also by dwarves and a variety of other intelligent creatures, including kobolds, one of whom, whose name is Bix, is my favorite character. He incorporates a good bit of the trickster and isn’t easily defeated no matter what adventures come at him.
Oh, and did I mention dragons?
There are innumerable fun tidbits along the way. Who wouldn’t love the quite original “dinkies"? – beings that can be accessed by the most unmagical of the lands’ humans. They’re used to send messages, like magical email. They pop out of a fissure in the aether and write messages in the air using web-like filaments. And there are lots of mischievous touches, like the reference to two land masses that crashed together (reminding this reader of warp-speed plate tectonics), referred to in the constructed culture as “The Big Bang.” And there is also an insubstantial but nevertheless seaworthy ship made of fairy yew, which has the unlikely name of “The Fairy’s Knickers.”
There are a few Tolkienesque touches – elves who live in platforms in trees and a dark cloud that is spreading across the land from the cursed part of the world – but in general the culture feels quite original.
I thought the plot became a bit muddled and hurried in the second half, and a couple of characters who are introduced at that time simply drop out of sight and play no further role. But overall I found the book to be a page-turner and would recommend it to anyone who would enjoy a fantasy world governed by magic, with two strong and interesting female heroes.
May 3, 2023
this was a very solid 3 star read, a little long but it was so much fun through and through. It was cool to read a re-telling that really added more to the story rather than just a beat-for-beat re-telling. Though I will say the ending did feel a little rushed, that's why I kept reporting how many pages were left and what was happening lol
either way solid read, the star rating may go up if I think about it anymore lol
either way solid read, the star rating may go up if I think about it anymore lol
June 4, 2025
So original! Great found family vibes and I just love a quest.
January 15, 2024
Fun, magical read
I really have liked the story building AKC does in her books - always well crafted and detailed.
I loved that the miscommunication was cleared relatively quickly once discovered, and Elly and Freds story was cute. I got a little confused with the history of them as kids but regardless it was nice to see them build up in a slow burn.
Honestly, the only thing I disliked about the book, while truly loving 98% of it, the last little bit just rubbed me wrong - Elly spent so long hideous and suffering, to finally get to her face back that she spent years apart from, only to end up horrifically scarred. I know there's always a lesson to be learned, that her beauty came from her kindness....but it was shoved in right at the end that it just feels more like a let down. It would be different if people were seeing that throughout the story but she was glamoured pretty early into the quest so no one really had to see her ugly. Like it would have been so fun to let her stay pretty and still turn down Quilliam!! The mean girls get to stay pretty and poor El has to be the better person and smile at people who are scared of her burned face?
I really have liked the story building AKC does in her books - always well crafted and detailed.
I loved that the miscommunication was cleared relatively quickly once discovered, and Elly and Freds story was cute. I got a little confused with the history of them as kids but regardless it was nice to see them build up in a slow burn.
Honestly, the only thing I disliked about the book, while truly loving 98% of it, the last little bit just rubbed me wrong - Elly spent so long hideous and suffering, to finally get to her face back that she spent years apart from, only to end up horrifically scarred. I know there's always a lesson to be learned, that her beauty came from her kindness....but it was shoved in right at the end that it just feels more like a let down. It would be different if people were seeing that throughout the story but she was glamoured pretty early into the quest so no one really had to see her ugly. Like it would have been so fun to let her stay pretty and still turn down Quilliam!! The mean girls get to stay pretty and poor El has to be the better person and smile at people who are scared of her burned face?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2023
I generally liked this book and really like this author. The book was a bit slow sometimes, but cute and entertaining. I definitely saw some of the author's more recent books in this work - like she was developing her voice in this book. The premise is traditional fantasy world where elves and humans and other creatures live. A young duchess was cursed and driven out of her dutchy, her parents killed, over a decade ago. She looks hideous because of the curse, but she is of an age with the crown prince and his favorite knights - they all used to play together as children, pre-curse. One of those knights accepts a bet that he can get the crown prince to propose to any high born woman at all, and the women chosen is the cursed one. So he takes her and her friend on a quest to get rid of the curse, but they end up freeing the dutchy at the same time. Along the way, they meet many interesting characters, returning just in time for the crown prince's name day celebration where he will pick his future queen. Then a few interesting twists happen.
July 22, 2024
I wanted to like this book as much as enjoyed this author’s other forays into fantasy romance, but it became obvious that this was an earlier attempt at what she would execute much better in later books. It was entertaining, but the pacing was odd (the entire plot is wrapped up in like 40 pages at the end), and our romantic leads don’t have nearly enough page time together to get the reader invested in their romance. Also, a lot seems to hinge on their past friendship and the subsequent estrangement, but we aren’t given enough details about their past to warrant the kind of feelings they grow to have for each other. The world building was a bit messy, and I read the entire thing and I’m still not 100% sure I understood the plot. Unquestionably my perception was colored by this author’s later works, which I enjoy much more, and I’m happy to see how she has progressed since then.
June 29, 2020
One thing I can say about this fantasy story, there are a lot of memorable moments and characters that stack upon one another. The author has laid out a world with a solid foundation, and minor characters strong enough to build upon their own books and stories. From a cursed duchess to a knight embarking on a selfish quest, a bookworm kobold to a shape-shifting fae boat, there are lots of surprises and nice turns. The author does take an informal approach at times, making the journey seem like a shared personal experience. I'm eager to see how much more she shares of this world or what new future adventures we can expect.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 2, 2024
I think I've read nearly all of A.K. Caggiano's books by now, and I have to admit that if I had to rank all of them, this particular one would rank last. It still has that fun, playful writing style that all of her other books have, but I think I struggled a bit to get into this one. I think that the plot of this book didn't really pull me in compared to her other books. This book is a standalone fantasy, and it is a pretty quick read, which I appreciated, but I would definitely recommend A.K. Caggiano's other fantasy series, Throne in the Dark, over this book. I think I prefer my books to have a bit more romance in it, and this one only had a tiny bit of romance at the end. It definitely had some fun moments, but I think I was just reading it to pass the time, but I wasn't that invested in it. It definitely wasn't bad, but I think this author has much better books that I would recommend more, and I can't see myself rereading this book in the future.
May 19, 2021
4,5 stars
I thought the beginning of the book as a bit muddled, it took me a chapter or three to get into the story.
Although the plot gets darker as I read along, humour wasn't far away and I laughed out loud at a few occasions. Elayne Orraigh is a character to love. The adventure she gets herself in might be 'just another quest' but not in this book. The author uses her fantasy and puts it on paper in a very original way (Dinkies). The end might have been a little hurried, there were still a few surprises for me!
This was the first book I read about this author, and bought another straight after finishing this one.
I thought the beginning of the book as a bit muddled, it took me a chapter or three to get into the story.
Although the plot gets darker as I read along, humour wasn't far away and I laughed out loud at a few occasions. Elayne Orraigh is a character to love. The adventure she gets herself in might be 'just another quest' but not in this book. The author uses her fantasy and puts it on paper in a very original way (Dinkies). The end might have been a little hurried, there were still a few surprises for me!
This was the first book I read about this author, and bought another straight after finishing this one.
June 30, 2020
The authors ability to enliven the characters with their personalities, and the picturesque landscapes encountered on their journey fully immerses the reader in the fantasy and makes the story so enjoyable. This book is a fun fast read with lots of well thought out encounters, beautifully described scenes, a great cast of characters, and many humorous injections by the author! If you like fantasy, or are not sure if you do, try this book... it is delightfully entertaining! I read this book pre-release.
January 21, 2025
This book was just okay. Nothing special or memorable. Some of the adventure was fun but the main plot was not fleshed out or explained very well.
I finished the book but almost DNF. I did not feel any emotional connection to the characters or was I completely invested in the story.
My biggest problem was that I did not resonate with the main characters and found them both quite boring. All the side characters were more engaging than Elyane and Frederick.
I finished the book but almost DNF. I did not feel any emotional connection to the characters or was I completely invested in the story.
My biggest problem was that I did not resonate with the main characters and found them both quite boring. All the side characters were more engaging than Elyane and Frederick.
September 8, 2025
3.5 stars.
This was such an interesting concept: a fantasy retelling of the 1999 classic movie "She's All That". And for the most part, I think it delivered. It was a proper fantasy adventure with lots of little stops along the way to the final destination. I do think that the characters could have been better developed and fleshed out. You can definitely see Caggiano's promise in this, her first published book, which is better realised in her later works.
This was such an interesting concept: a fantasy retelling of the 1999 classic movie "She's All That". And for the most part, I think it delivered. It was a proper fantasy adventure with lots of little stops along the way to the final destination. I do think that the characters could have been better developed and fleshed out. You can definitely see Caggiano's promise in this, her first published book, which is better realised in her later works.
September 9, 2025
I had pretty high expectations after reading a few of this author's other works but this one was not my favorite.
I get that its a retelling but I wad really annoyed by the female mc taking blame for being "mean" after all her friends abandoned her for TEN YEARS just because she was cursed to be ugly. I thought she showed quite a bit of forgiveness on her part, I can't imagine ever taking to any of these people again let alone being romantically involved with one.
I get that its a retelling but I wad really annoyed by the female mc taking blame for being "mean" after all her friends abandoned her for TEN YEARS just because she was cursed to be ugly. I thought she showed quite a bit of forgiveness on her part, I can't imagine ever taking to any of these people again let alone being romantically involved with one.
July 26, 2025
There’s a lot happening in this book, and so it took me several pick-ups to absorb all the fantasy elements and dual plots (is that what it’s called when two characters with separate settings are visited in alternating chapters until their settings converge?)
I have seen and not loved “She’s All That,” the film, but this book picks it up perfectly and transforms everything about it into a fantasy romance.
I have seen and not loved “She’s All That,” the film, but this book picks it up perfectly and transforms everything about it into a fantasy romance.
July 18, 2021
Fast fantasy
Like the name suggests, the plot is loosely based on the movie she's all that, set in a fantasy world.
Fast moving, many characters, this adventure romp had a tinge of sweet romance that kept me turning pages.
Read in KU
Like the name suggests, the plot is loosely based on the movie she's all that, set in a fantasy world.
Fast moving, many characters, this adventure romp had a tinge of sweet romance that kept me turning pages.
Read in KU
March 19, 2024
Cute, sweet. I enjoyed the cast of characters, they were fun and added to the atmosphere. Overall it wasn’t very deep but a lovely adventure where you know the bad guy is going to be beaten, then main two will fall in love and everything turns out alright in the end.
June 29, 2025
always love a Caggiano book!
This was a sweet fantasy rom-com with impressive world building, high stakes chances, and heartwarming friendships. Highly recommend, along with all of AK Caggiano’s other works!
This was a sweet fantasy rom-com with impressive world building, high stakes chances, and heartwarming friendships. Highly recommend, along with all of AK Caggiano’s other works!
October 15, 2025
Interesting
OK this one was a bit slow in the beginning and the grammar was a bit off, and in the early chapters there was a bit of head hopping. But, as the story progressed it did get better. The story was interesting and is what kept me reading.
OK this one was a bit slow in the beginning and the grammar was a bit off, and in the early chapters there was a bit of head hopping. But, as the story progressed it did get better. The story was interesting and is what kept me reading.
January 4, 2021
Fantastic
Medieval fantasy meets "She's All That". Need I say more. You absolutely need to read this book by the very talented A. K. Caggiano.
Medieval fantasy meets "She's All That". Need I say more. You absolutely need to read this book by the very talented A. K. Caggiano.
November 30, 2025
Enjoyable read ❤️
Really enjoyed this, it was a plain and simple adventure and I think this book could be read as a YA book or even older as it is appropriate for most ages I think.
Really enjoyed this, it was a plain and simple adventure and I think this book could be read as a YA book or even older as it is appropriate for most ages I think.
January 6, 2025
She’s All Thaumaturgy is a fantasy rom-com inspired by the iconic She’s All That movie. Enough said. It’s awesome & AK Caggiano is criminally underrated. Expect witty narration and a caper-style adventure.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews