Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.
But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.
- Title: A Fragile Enchantment
- Author: Allison Saft
- Publisher: Wednesday Books
- Publication Date: January 23, 2024
- Genre: Fantasy
- Targeted Age Range: Young Adult
- Content Warnings: terminal illness, infidelity, blackmail, death of a parent, alcoholism, xenophobia
- Rating: ★★★.5
I adored Allison Saft’s Down Comes the Night and A Far Wilder Magic, so when I heard she had a Bridgerton inspired romantasy coming out, you know I immediately added it to the top of my TBR. A Fragile Enchantment follows Niamh Ó Conchobhair, a dressmaker with the magical ability to enchant her designs with emotions and feelings — the same thing that’ll eventually kill her. When Niamh is asked to design the wardrobe for Avaland’s royal wedding, she jumps at the chance to do so — A job like this doesn’t come often, especially with the promise of ensuring that her family will have a better life once she’s gone. But once in Avaland, Niamh is faced with more than she bargained for: a prickly groom, Kit Carmine, an anonymous columnist with a political agenda by the name of Lovelace, and her own growing feelings for none other than the groom.
In all honesty, it took me a while to get into A Fragile Enchantment — I’ve really struggled with reading fantasy this year, but once I got into it, I was properly invested. One of my favorite things about Allison Saft’s writing is how authentic her characters feel; they’re flawed, they’re traumatized, they’re doing the best they can. Niamh and Kit are no different; both of them are battling their own demons, and both of them feel so much like people I know in my everyday life. Both Niamh and Kit are struggling with many things, but at the very core of their character arcs is the idea of allowing themselves to be happy — and what they owe to other people, whether that’s each other, their family, their country, and lastly, themselves. I loved watching Niamh and Kit’s story unfold and how their feelings for each other encouraged each other to finally put themselves first for once. It was incredibly easy to root for them; both as individual characters, and together as a pairing — the pining and yearning was simply impeccable.
The side characters in A Fragile Enchantment were simply lovely as well — Miriam, Rosa, Sinclair, Sophie, and Jack were all so fun to read about. That being said, I did feel like some of the subplots were under executed, and wanted to see more from them. I felt like there were a couple things that were introduced briefly that would’ve benefited from being expanded upon — such as Niamh’s family dynamics, the Lovelace plot (how did Lovelace come to be?), and moreso, the political dynamics of it all. I was really intrigued by the Machlish and the royals, and just felt like that whole plot was underused. I also felt like the pacing was a little off, and the book could’ve benefited from just being longer.
Despite my criticisms, I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves Bridgerton, or anyone who just likes a cozy romantasy!
Links for A Fragile Enchantment: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop.org
Allison Saft is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic and Down Comes the Night. After receiving her MA in English Literature from Tulane University, she moved from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast, where she spends her time rolling on eight wheels and practicing aerial silks.
