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booksthatburn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A FRAGILE ENCHANTMENT is an emotional story of complicated paths to happiness, featuring a seamstress who falls in love with the prince whose wedding clothes she's designing. With much to prove and everything to lose, Niamh tries to hide her feelings in order to not make a volatile political situation even worse by upending the upcoming wedding. But, as they spend more and more time together, her feelings become impossible to hide, and his protectiveness is starting to include her wellbeing.
The worldbuilding is excellent, working with the characterization to set up a fantasy version of regency England (Avaland), complete with a magic-fueled but no less terrible history with fantasy Ireland (Machland), including calling out this fictional version of the potato blight and contributing policies as genocide. One of the core tensions in the book is that Kit's brother and current regent, Jack, is ignoring the frustrated calls for better treatment and redress of concerns from the Machlish. Niamh is a Machlishwoman, invited to Avaland for her magic and skills as a seamstress. She finds herself falling in love with Kit when she's supposed to be making the clothes for his wedding and the formal appearances leading up to the bit event. Rosa, his betrothed (from what I'm pretty sure is fantasy Catalan or perhaps Spain), is as personally uninterested in the wedding as Kit is, but they are both going through with the political union for the sake of others. This leads to a very fun narrative space where Niamh is trying to navigate her feelings for Kit, but isn't automatically breaking someone else's heart in pursuing her own happiness. The mysterious gossip columnist, on the other hand, keeps having something to say about it, driving the threats of scandal even if the parties directly involved don't see it that way.
I love Kit and Niamh's chemistry. I'm a sucker for most variants of grumpy/sunshine, and especially for brooding (masc) characters who get pulled out of their shell, and this one is excellent. As the story unfolds, Kit's initial combativeness and disdain makes much more sense. I laughed and laughed when I got to the part with the very first item Niamh made for Kit. It's such a fantastic bit of characterization and plot, just the idea of that coat as his first real introduction to her skill in a public-facing setting. They've both become used to putting aside their own wants and needs in order to sacrifice for others, but each of them has been going about it in different ways. Kit has been floundering and frustrated because none of his direct attempts make it through to his brother and he's oscillating between desperately trying and abandoning all hope. Niamh is using up her time and body by being reckless with her energy when she has a hereditary chronic illness which will eventually turn terminal. They've both been trading pieces of themselves to help other people, and their relationship is the first positive and selfish thing either of them has attempted in a long while.
I'm very pleased with the ending, it's even better than I could have hoped for and more than any of the characters dared to dream. I'm looking forward to what this author does next.
The worldbuilding is excellent, working with the characterization to set up a fantasy version of regency England (Avaland), complete with a magic-fueled but no less terrible history with fantasy Ireland (Machland), including calling out this fictional version of the potato blight and contributing policies as genocide. One of the core tensions in the book is that Kit's brother and current regent, Jack, is ignoring the frustrated calls for better treatment and redress of concerns from the Machlish. Niamh is a Machlishwoman, invited to Avaland for her magic and skills as a seamstress. She finds herself falling in love with Kit when she's supposed to be making the clothes for his wedding and the formal appearances leading up to the bit event. Rosa, his betrothed (from what I'm pretty sure is fantasy Catalan or perhaps Spain), is as personally uninterested in the wedding as Kit is, but they are both going through with the political union for the sake of others. This leads to a very fun narrative space where Niamh is trying to navigate her feelings for Kit, but isn't automatically breaking someone else's heart in pursuing her own happiness. The mysterious gossip columnist, on the other hand, keeps having something to say about it, driving the threats of scandal even if the parties directly involved don't see it that way.
I love Kit and Niamh's chemistry. I'm a sucker for most variants of grumpy/sunshine, and especially for brooding (masc) characters who get pulled out of their shell, and this one is excellent. As the story unfolds, Kit's initial combativeness and disdain makes much more sense. I laughed and laughed when I got to the part with the very first item Niamh made for Kit. It's such a fantastic bit of characterization and plot, just the idea of that coat as his first real introduction to her skill in a public-facing setting. They've both become used to putting aside their own wants and needs in order to sacrifice for others, but each of them has been going about it in different ways. Kit has been floundering and frustrated because none of his direct attempts make it through to his brother and he's oscillating between desperately trying and abandoning all hope. Niamh is using up her time and body by being reckless with her energy when she has a hereditary chronic illness which will eventually turn terminal. They've both been trading pieces of themselves to help other people, and their relationship is the first positive and selfish thing either of them has attempted in a long while.
I'm very pleased with the ending, it's even better than I could have hoped for and more than any of the characters dared to dream. I'm looking forward to what this author does next.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Homophobia, Bullying, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Colonisation, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Vomit, Death, Grief, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Infidelity, Genocide, War, and Death of parent
lastblossom's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A charming fantasy romance with slow burn and a dash of magic.
Thoughts
This book is like a fairy tale. Usually when I say that, I mean it in the "dark, tragic, unsettling" sort of way, but this time I mean it in the "dreamy, beautiful, hopeful ending" sort of way. You've got your self-sacrificing heroine with a heart a gold and magic in her fingertips, a cranky prince surrounded by a wall of thorns (sometimes literally), and a kingdom in peril. The magic system doesn't get much detail, leaving the reader to have to accept that magic is magic, but the rest of the world building is solid - weighted heavily on real world history, including a frank look at colonization, classism, the fact that LGBT people have existed at every point in history. And yet even with all the weight, it remains a dreamy, sometimes cozy read about a gently blossoming romance between two lonely people.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
A charming fantasy romance with slow burn and a dash of magic.
Thoughts
This book is like a fairy tale. Usually when I say that, I mean it in the "dark, tragic, unsettling" sort of way, but this time I mean it in the "dreamy, beautiful, hopeful ending" sort of way. You've got your self-sacrificing heroine with a heart a gold and magic in her fingertips, a cranky prince surrounded by a wall of thorns (sometimes literally), and a kingdom in peril. The magic system doesn't get much detail, leaving the reader to have to accept that magic is magic, but the rest of the world building is solid - weighted heavily on real world history, including a frank look at colonization, classism, the fact that LGBT people have existed at every point in history. And yet even with all the weight, it remains a dreamy, sometimes cozy read about a gently blossoming romance between two lonely people.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and Classism
Moderate: Blood and Death of parent
Minor: Homophobia and War
meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
If Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) was a YA book, it would be this fantasy and its aching forbidden romance between a magical dressmaker from a former colony, hired for the royal wedding, and the king's wayward, plant-magic-wielding second son, the groom. Together, Niamh, soft as velvet, and Kit, prickly as a briar patch, risk not only scandal, but war, ruin, uprising, and the loss of all the armor and thorns both have used to protect themselves from life and love ‘til now.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness
Minor: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Alcoholism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Death of parent, Child abuse, Car accident, and War
pagewanderer_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I am such a huge fan of Allison Saft’s writing style. It is lyrical and cozy and silly which made A Fragile Enchantment such a quick and fun read.
I don’t usually gravitate towards Regency Romance books, but knowing it would incorporate Fantasy, and being such a fan of Saft’s work, I knew this was a perfect time to give it another try. And she did not disappoint. If you like Bridgerton-esque books with a magical backdrop, look no further.
Niamh is an impoverish seamstress who gets the job of a lifetime when she is offered to create the Prince’s entire wardrobe for the “Season” leading up to his wedding. The Prince, Christopher (Kit), however, is a grumpy unwilling participant in the arranged marriage and makes Niamh’s job very hard.
Niamh’s life is limited due to a “generational magical disease” and this job is the last hope she has to providing for her family. So she works even harder to try to get Kit to cooperate. But as they spend more time together, she sees he’s not as prickly as he makes himself out to be. With the Season in full swing, Niamh has to navigate not only court etiquette and the politics behind the marriage, but also her burgeoning attraction to Kit. (The slow burn is unreal and so satisfying!)
But this is why Niamh is the perfect FMC. Despite everything she has been through and is going through, she is resilient and kind and a little naive but so true to herself while continuously growing and learning to be better.
Saft hits on a lot of very big themes with not only her beautiful world building, but also with each character we are introduced to. Every character is so well thought out and has a purpose spotlighting things like LGBTQ issues, alcoholism, chronic illness, race, status, and politics.
I think the only critique I would have of this book is that the fantasy of it all is just in the background. As in, it exists and some people have it, but there’s not really much backstory. I guess I just wanted more of it.
Regardless, it was a whimsical tale with so much underneath the YA surface that will stay with me for a long time.
Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, Allison Saft for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness
Moderate: War
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