"Book Summary:

Juno Vera is a talented spellwright who has made a name for herself in this world. Once betrothed to the queen, Juno is now tasked with speaking for her. It’s not the role Juno would have asked for in life, but she’s a talented speaker; if anybody can sway the king of a neighboring nation, it’s her.

Unfortunately, King Amorgo is a determined individual. He wants Artemis� hand in marriage, likely in one of many moves to subjugate the kingdoms around him. It will take everything Juno has to prevent an all-out war.

My Review:

The Maker of Spells is a rich and complex fantasy novel. When I say this book has layers, I mean it. Juno’s history alone is enough to keep readers occupied. Then there’s the magical system, political situation, secondary characters, poisons, dragons, and more.

It’s a lot but in a good way. I’m unsure what I enjoyed more, the political system or the magic. Probably the magic, but only because I’m a sucker for a solid grounding in magical systems. I hope Jenny O’Kell turns this story into a series, as I would love to revisit this world.

There are so many characters in this world. I would suggest making a little list to track who’s who. This has less to do with the sheer number of characters and more to do with the fact that each character had a backstory, motivation, and complex reason for being included. It’s the sort of thing you want to keep track of.

The characters are where The Maker of Spells shines. I cannot stress this enough. They turn a magical world into something that feels real and alive. You can see how much effort the author put into making her characters feel this way, so once again, I hope we’ll return to this world. These characters deserve more time on the pages.

Highlights:
Magic & Balance
Poison & Healing
Complicated Political System

Trigger Warnings:
Poisoning
Gaslighting & Kidnapping

Thanks to Jenny O’Kell and Reedsy for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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"Nice folk story about two children and their stepmother
Nice narration of a Russian folk story about two children and their stepmother who drives them to the forest to a wicked witch.
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