A Spell for Heartsickness

Reeves’s remarkably assured debut delivers a queer, witchy romp with deep feelings. Young witch Briar is sent to the remote, highly magical island town of Coill Darragh by a prophecy: his destiny awaits him there, as does a mysterious man, masked and misunderstood, whose love will offer Briar the greatest opportunities of his life. None of this much appeals to Briar, who is desperate to move to the glittering city of Pentawynn and pursue his dreams of becoming a fashion designer. But Coill Darragh has more going on than Briar expects. First, he meets the handsome but shy alderman Rowan, and then his new next-door neighbor, the former child prodigy healer Linden. Before Briar can decide which of them might be the lover Fate sent him to find, he discovers that the forest around Coill Darragh is killing people, and it might have something to do with a curse sapping Briar’s life and magic. The forest demands blood—Briar’s and Rowan’s specifically—and Briar must race against time to discover why. Reeves does an impressive job with the emotional push and pull between Briar and his love interests, conjuring a genuine emotional connection that will win readers over from the start. This is sure to earn the author some fans. (Oct.)