Remedial Magic, the first entry in a projected series by Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), is an enthralling novel about safety, power, and love, driven by the characters' intense emotions. The story builds slowly as relationships deepen and mysteries unfurl, allowing readers to sink into the city of witches made almost tangible by Marr's phenomenal world-building.
Ellie, Maggie, and Dan each narrowly escape death by using magic they didn't even know they had. They wind up in Crenshaw, a hamlet for witches to live tucked away from the barbaric world where they're hunted and killed. Dan is happy to escape dying from cancer and to stay in Crenshaw with the sexy Viking-looking man who seems to actually like him. But staying isn't as easy a decision for Ellie, who cares for an elderly aunt, and for Maggie, whose son is at the mercy of his abusive father. Things get complicated when Ellie falls in love with Prospero, a Victorian witch who is definitely keeping secrets but is also wounded and vulnerable. Maggie falls for Sondre, who is definitely not a good guy but is also attentive and caring. On top of that, witches are dying as a side effect of dangerous tactics that some have employed in the dispute over staying in Crenshaw versus rejoining the unmagical world, and a prophecy names Ellie as the key to setting things right. As the witches try to balance obligations to self, family, and society, moral convictions are tested to near breaking point.
With complex characters and beautifully written love scenes, this romantasy will leave readers breathlessly waiting for the next installment. --Dainy Bernstein, postdoc in children's literature, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign