Review: Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

 

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

Publication Date: February 18th 2025 by Bramble

Pages: 304

Source: Publisher 

Rating: ★★★★

Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Libro.fm | Audible | Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Felix is the Archduke of Estarion, but in name only.  Count von Hertzendorff, an evil, conniving man, took charge and is ruling behind the scenes. Felix knows it’s only a matter of time before the Count arranges a “accident” that results in his death, so runs to a place where he knows the Count can’t touch him: the Mountains of Kitvaria where the infamous Witch Queen Saskia rules.

 

Felix intends to throw himself on Queen Saskia’s mercy, but when he arrives, he’s mistaken as the dark wizard they’ve hired to catalog the magical library and Felix doesn’t correct them. He figures he’ll bide his time and explain later. However, Felix falls into his job naturally and befriends the castle inhabitants as well as Queen Saskia.

 

Queen Saskia wrenched the throne away from her wicked uncle and she’s kept her kingdom safe so far, but trouble is brewing. She knows her uncle is again plotting against her. Saskia must find a way to eliminate the threat for good and so she keeps experimenting with spells to fortify her borders and tasks her new dark wizard to search for anything that could help, too.

 

For being a supposed “wicked” witch queen, Saskia had a big heart and treated all in her kingdom with kindness and love. Her priority was keeping her people safe. I really liked her! Felix quickly became her confidant and supporter, fiercely protective of her, so that when his identity came out it didn’t blow up like you’d think it would. Their attraction grew as they worked together.

 

I really enjoyed Felix and Saskia's slow-burn romance and rooted for them to prevail against their enemies! I liked the little twist with Felix at the end. I look forward to the next installment which centers on Queen Lorelei.

4 Stars

Book Description:

In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

About the Author:

Stephanie Burgis grew up in East Lansing, Michigan, but now lives in Wales with her husband and two sons, surrounded by mountains, castles and coffee shops.  She writes wildly romantic adult historical fantasies (including The Harwood Spellbook, over 20,000 self-published copies sold) and has had over forty short stories for adults and teens published in magazines and anthologies.