Tamsin is a powerful witch with a terrible condition: she can’t love. The ability was taken from her by the Coven as punishment after she drastically misused her powers in her youth. And so, in exile in a rural town, she does spells for the townspeople in exchange for the love that they hold, which she always uses up too quickly.
Wren has spent her entire life caring for her ill father, so much so that she can do nothing else. She holds a secret that she’s never told a soul: she is a Source. A Source can provide significant magic to a witch, allowing the witch to bypass the inherent cost of spellcraft.
When a plague takes over their world, erasing people’s memories and driving them mad, Wren goes to Tamsin, offering up her love for her plague-striken father in exchange for Tamsin’s assistance in ending the plague. They know that only a witch doing dark magic could be causing this. Together, they journey to the witchlands, Tamsin’s former home, from which she was banished. And even though Tamsin cannot love, around Wren she starts to feel something for the first time in years.
I checked this book out of my local library after seeing it on a BookRiot post titled “Oh Yes, It’s Ladies Fight: 10 Fiery F/F Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Books.” I mean, who could resist? I probably renewed the book at least eight or nine times before finally pulling it off my out-of-control TBR pile, but I’m glad I did.
I enjoyed the book, and the developing relationship between the two characters. There were a few questions I had while I was reading such as: Why would a coven take away a witch’s ability to love and then send her out into the world? That seems like a recipe for disaster, especially when it’s as a punishment for her doing a bad and dangerous thing. Also, the bad thing Tamsin did happened when she was twelve. How can a twelve-year old be held accountable the same as an adult?
I always appreciate a good queer romance, especially a queer fantasy romance. And now I have to get back to the rest of that list!
