Review copy provided by the publisher. Also the author is a dear friend.
MAGIC NERDS IN LOVE. For some of you this is enough, you’ve just navigated out and clicked pre-order.
For the rest of you: Felix and Saskia are both nominally the rulers of their countries, but politics dealt each one a difficult hand. Felix’s Regent is deeply controlling and abusive, to the point where he quite reasonably fears for his life–he has no control over his lands despite his nominal Archducal title. Meanwhile Saskia–the titular Witch Queen–has taken her throne reluctantly. She’d rather experiment with potions and reagents, but her evil uncle couldn’t be left in control–he was viciously oppressive of all of her people even remotely connected with magic–and she has to deal with the shambles he’s left behind him when he was ousted.
The two of them find each other in stressed and unlikely circumstances, not knowing nearly all they need to know about each other (people who have read this book just started giggling about what an understatement that was for lack of spoiler purposes), and they have to find their way to trust in each other not only for their personal relationship but for the sake of their countries and people.
For me this was an extremely cozy book as well as a fun one, but it got me thinking about how people read coziness differently. Both of the protags are coming out of abusive situations that are clearly though not graphically described, and for some readers, that throughline cannot be cozy–even though the plot is entirely focused on escape from it into building something better. This one has a determinedly nurturing troll housekeeper, an amazing modern invention called fountain pens, and lovingly described meals–but it also has the bite of the world actually having consequences. Cozy is in the eye of the beholder, but this is a good read whether you end up thinking it’s cozy or not.