Title: OtherworldlyAuthor: F.T. Lukens
Pages: 349
Publication Date: April 2, 2024
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Romance
Synopsis:
A skeptic and a supernatural being make a crossroads deal to achieve their own ends only to get more than they bargained for in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.
Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.
Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
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Is it possible for a book about a small town stuck in winter to melt my heart? Why, yes. Yes, it is. I’m basically at a point where I’ll read anything F.T. Lukens writes. Their stories are enchanting, and I always fall in love with them. Otherworldy is no exception. It’s a fun and sweet YA fantasy romance with a unique magic system, an interesting plot, and great characters.
Ellery and Knox are fantastic protagonists with an opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine romance that is super cute. Ellery is a skeptic, and Knox is a familiar, which makes for some interesting conversations and witty, comical banter. The pair end up working together to figure out why Knox’s queen has thrust Ellery’s world into winter for years. I love how Knox takes to the human world and enjoys all it has to offer. Knox has so much love for humans and the human world, and it’s delightful to see things through his eyes. And Ellery is great. They struggle and have some rocky relationships to deal with, and I think a lot of readers will relate to them.
The secondary characters are a lot of fun, too, especially Zada and Charley. Loved them! The story explores so many different relationships, from friendships to family bonds to established romantic relationships to new, budding romances. These and the plot add depth to the characters and highlight some great themes about freedom, making mental health a priority, found families, and climate change.
This book is wholesome and cozy, and in many ways, it reminded me of Spell Bound and why I fell in love with the author’s works last year. They’re fun and funny, the plots and worlds are always exciting and unique, the representation is perfection, and the love stories are super cute! Special thanks to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- The romance.
- The magic and supernatural elements.
- The characters!
- grumpy/sunshine
- found family
F.T. Lukens is a New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels So This Is Ever After, In Deeper Waters, and the forthcoming Spell Bound as well as other science-fiction and fantasy works. Their contemporary fantasy novel The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic was a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction, the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner for YA fiction and won the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.
It sounds like this one gave you exactly what you wanted. Great review!
Thank you!
Great review! This sounds like such a wonderful, cosy, heartwarming and sweet read—all the things I love about Lukens’ books 😍 I can’t wait to read this and meet all the characters!
Thanks Dini! I think you’re going to love it!