Review of 'Spell Bound'

Edison Rooker isn't sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn't have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn't even have magic. But he does have a plan--to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is...intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name--Rook--both of which he's happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia's rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn't so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook's Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back...or face losing their magic forever.

Review

Spell Bound follows Sun and Rook on an adventure to save the mages, all while finding love and family with one another.

Wonderful Characters

Absolutely fantastic and charming; I loved Spell Bound from beginning to end.

Rook has been deemed non-magical. Feeling displaced, he seeks out Antonia Hex, one of the most powerful mages known and the most troublesome rule breaker. She takes him on despite not being allowed an apprentice after the last one tried to take over the world.

And that is the beginning of a beautiful story.

The characters are the driving force of the story. Sun, who goes by they/them pronouns, has the perfect attitude to balance out Rook’s unwavering optimism. And they are quite powerful, if I do say so myself. He works for Fable, the rule-abiding frenemy of Antonia Hex.

Wholesome

Honestly, the dynamics between these characters were one of the best things about this novel. They are very much a found family, a perfect one at that. They may have grumbles, but they all balance one another out, making the romance between Sun and Rook even more wholesome.

Of course, the story and writing were also excellent. But, again, this is a character-driven story, and much of the storytelling hinges on connecting to the character’s inner dialogue. Which Lukens does expertly. And some of the one-liners, oh, they were breathtaking.

Especially when everyone fights over Rook not being magical and Sun, who can see magic, tells everyone they are wrong and that he does have magic. That was probably the best scene in the novel—right next to Rook being able to light a candle.

Final Thoughts

Spell Bound is honestly one of my favorites that I read this year. It was wholesome and sweet, action-packed and magical. It’s funny; I read Zenith Dream by Lukens years ago. I was not a fan, but now, after reading this, I’m looking forward to reading more and even re-reading Zenith Dream if possible.

• Writing Quality : 10/10
• Character Development :10/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 10/10
• Originality: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 4.75 out of 5.

Like this review?

Don’t forget to follow Cyn’s Workshop on Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads | LinkedIn to stay tuned for future reviews.

About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.