Spell Bound

Two sorcerers’ apprentices face off against a greedy organization that’s been stealing individuals’ magic in this energetic fantasy romance from Lukens (So This is Ever After). Sixteen-year-old Edison Rooker wants nothing more than to be part of the magical world that exists in harmony with his own. Though he has no innate powers, he persuades revered sorcerer Antonia Hex to hire him as office staff in her curse-reversing business. Antonia dubs him Rook and decides to teach him magic, even if it’s a blatant flouting of Magical Consortium rules, which state that magical information mustn’t be shared with nonmagical folk. Rook soon encounters Fable, Antonia’s rival, and their prickly, nonbinary apprentice Sun, 16, who begrudgingly helps tutor Rook in magical studies. But when word of their efforts reaches the Consortium, resulting in Antonia and Fable’s arrests, the teens must figure out how to save them or risk losing their magic forever. Tight plotting, fresh worldbuilding, and an innovative magic system buoyed by clever banter and impassioned romance results in a winsome found family narrative and a delectable treat. Rook and Fable cue as white, Sun cues as Korean, and Antonia is described as having brown skin. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)