Spellcloaked: A Harwood Spellbook Story

The Harwood Spellbook #2.75

by Stephanie Burgis

All of Angland knows by now of the famous fall of Honoria Fennell...who can no longer be known as Lady Cosgrave. She lost her marriage of convenience as well as her political career in the mysterious events at Thornfell College of Magic. Now, she has retired to lick her wounds in private, ready to be forgotten by the nation she used to gloriously co-rule...

But deep within the elven dales, one can never be truly certain of being either alone or safe. Soon, Honoria will have to summon all of her steely courage for one final, potentially deadly confrontation - and discover whether she can seize a new hope for the future after all.

A sapphic romantic fantasy short story set in the world of The Harwood Spellbook (and taking place after the events of Thornbound).

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Short Stories, LGBT, Romantasy, Fiction, Magic

18 pages, ebook

First published December 5, 2021

About the author

I grew up in America, but now I live in Wales with my husband, fellow writer Patrick Samphire, our two sons, and our sweet (and extremely vocal) tabby cat, Pebbles. I write fantasy rom-coms for adults (most recently Claws and Contrivances and Good Neighbors) and fun MG fantasy adventure novels, too (most recently The Raven Crown duology). My next series will be the adult romantasy trilogy The Queens of Villainy, published by Tor Bramble, starting in 2025 with Wooing the Witch Queen.

To get early sneak peeks at new stories and novels, sign up for my newsletter here: stephanieburgis.com/newsletter.

To join my Dragons' Book Club and get early copies of every ebook that I put out myself (so, all of my novellas, short story ebooks, etc!), check out my Patreon page, where I also published a series of fantasy rom-coms (Good Neighbors) across 2020-2021.

I only rate and review the books that I like, which is why all of my ratings are 4 or 5 stars.

Reviews

[Stephanie]

The notorious ex-Lady Cosgrave gets her own romantic fantasy story, post-public failure and humiliation! (As everyone who's ever met the lady knows, she's not one to give up forever...)

...And it's out today! Huzzah! You can grab your own copy right here.

[Jassmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really short installment in The Harwood Spellbook series, featuring a second sapphic love story! This time a forbidden romance between Lady Honoria Cosgrave and her elven lover Sylvana. This was kind of great, because there isn't really any added conflict it's just their reunion and it's pretty clear that Sylvana is the perfect match for Honoria. This was nice and sweet. Could have been longer, but then I guess, there would have to be a further conflict, so... great as it is!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the story absolutely no one needed. We inferred from Moontangled that this had happened already and I felt like giving Honoria this much time was a waste when it could have been focused on the Harwoods, the whole reason for the series! That said I did enjoy seeing the northern Elves represented a bit more and I'm loving the sapphic happy endings so I can't be too salty about it.

[FashionablyEvil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love love love this series and every book/story in it is too short! I wish Burgis wrote them all longer because I love the characters, the fae are perfect, and the found families are great.

[charlotte, · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rep: sapphic mc & li

[Nicole (bookwyrm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a short and sweet story about what happens to Lady Cosgrave after her fall from grace. I hadn't expected to enjoy a story from her POV, but Burgis took the abrasive character from the earlier books in this series and gave her a heart that changed my mind within only a few paragraphs. Really enjoyable slice of life epilogue for this character.

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a cute short story! I really love this series and every story is a welcome one. It's not just the stories or the characters themselves, but I love the world Stephanie has created and I'll take any chance I can get to go back there.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lady Cosgrave is visited by an old friend.

It's impressive that the author took Lady Cosgrave, the villain of a previous book, and managed to make you be on her side in a story that's only 18 pages long. I'm glad that she got her happy ending!

[Sadie Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephanie Burgis's Spellcloaked is a short story in her Harwood Spellbook series. Set after Thornbound, it's a sweet sapphic romance which manages to make the villain of Thornbound into a sympathetic heroine, and as delightful as the rest of the series has been.

[Heather Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bit of a coda to the events of Moontangled and probably not very comprehensible without having read that book. This atmospheric sketch provides closure and the deserved happy ending to two side characters from that novel. Feel-good magical sapphic Regency stuff.

[Roslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick and easy read - I found it a bit slight, but after all it's short story in a series I haven't read yet, so that's not unexpected. But anything by Burgis is flowing and engrossing, so I'm happy.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it.

[Pers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing!

[Vae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet story about Honoria reclaiming her own dreams, will not make sense if you haven't read other books in the series.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bit sized. Even shorter than the rest, but still fun.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad to see Honoria happy and resettled! Loving this series!

[Dreximgirl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was super short but nice to have this slight loose end tied up.

[Amara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Nice and easy "holiday special"

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Might have worked better if I remembered the series more.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to get some back story for this character, but it was my least favorite story in the series.

[Elizabeth (Miss Eliza) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Special Content only on my blog, Strange and Random Happenstance during Regency Magic (April-May 2023)

As a young woman Honoria Fennell was an ambassador to the elves. The atrocities she witnessed when she was at their court have haunted her all the days of her life, as has the love she found there, a married elf, Sylvana, who, if the affair was discovered, would have faced the brutality of her husband. That secret is what actually brought about her fall from the Boudiccate. Not many people know what happened at Thornfell College of Magic, only that since that time Honoria has sequestered herself in Cosgrave Manor deep in the elven dales. She has sent the staff away, as for her husband? He left of his own free will. Theirs was, after all, only a marriage of convenience. She is disgraced and alone. Her ambitions of protecting Angland from the tyranny of the elven court is no more. But at least Sylvana is safe. Or at least she hopes so. Honoria can't be sure her blackmailer didn't enact her threats before she was no longer able to. And then a figure steps out of the dales, a figure that asks piercing questions. A figure that has the ability to pierce her heart.

Because of her iron backbone and unwavering stances on the Boudiccate, Lady Honoria Cosgrave has been the antagonist of the previous volumes of the Harwood Spellbook. Therefore it's an interesting conceit to take a rather unlikable character, strip her down, all the way, take away the wealth, the privilege, the position, and make her not just relatable but worthy of her happily ever after. You can understand where she's coming from but what I find truly interesting is that Honoria had a dream, she wanted to protect her people and Sylvana, but she forced herself to work within the system. That is why I think she took such a strong dislike to Cassandra Harwood. Cassandra didn't play by the rules and in Honoria's world that just isn't how it is done. Yet times change, attitudes change, circumstances change, and Honoria realizes that "she had never allowed herself to dream hard enough." That right there is where this story got me. Make your dreams big. Make your love possible. Change the world! We all know if could use some help.

[Ann Brookens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honoria Cosgrave in disgrace and seclusion was always my hope for the future facing Lady Cosgrave. I certainly never expected to feel sympathy towards her. Spellcloaked leaves me sympathetic and even wondering What Happens Next! The stranger from her past excited my curiosity and desire to know more. I hope Burgis will expand on this soon!

[Samanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honoria Dishonored

Alone in her knot-garden after a disasterous failure, Honoria Fennell - no longer Lady Cosgrove - discovers she still has something to protect as she's followed by the indigo veils of an elven cloak.…