We are introduced to Winter. She is a witch without natural magic and works at a library, which she worked hard to get into. One night, she accidentally time travels 700 years back in time, where she meets a werewolf called Westley, who makes her time difficult but could be a potential ally in helping her to travel back to her time. But she realizes maybe what she knew about herself, was not all true.

Unfortunately, as the story went on, I struggled to connect with Winter’s character. I couldn’t fully relate to her or to the other characters, which made it harder for me to stay emotionally engaged. Winter had a lot of ups and downs and her personality didn’t feel very consistent, so I sometimes found it difficult to follow her development. The pacing of the story also felt a bit too abrupt and fast for me. I wasn’t the biggest fan of how the plot unfolded overall, but I do think the concept was interesting and there were moments that stood out. It just didn’t fully come together for me.

Let me start by saying I wanted to keep coming back and reading this book, I did enjoy it. I’m having a hard time finding the connection between Magicless Mage and Wizard of Oz (unless it’s a super loose reimagining?). There were some chapters that happened too quickly, or too conveniently, but again I did enjoy this book. I love the side characters and I hope they get more page time in book 2 and I really hope the blossoming romance between West and Winn is explored more in book 2.

I love a good time travel trope and this book most definitely hit the spot! Along with the slow burn, it's doing its best to burn as slowly as possible. Chef’s kiss. The world building was so fascinating, and I can’t wait to dive more into it. The banter from the MCs was top tier. I need to befriend Winter asap. I can’t wait to see where this story takes us.

Thank you for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

The world building in this story was super clear, the magic was easy to understand and the issues between the different magical races was also explained well. The writing was phenomenal. This is a true enemies to lovers. Westley, who is a wolf, is very violent towards the FMC Winter. I loved how totally obsessed Westley was with Winter, who is a mage, even when he thought he hated her. He was so obsessed. Winter was so much fun too. Her sass was impeccable. They are both actually quite unhinged and I loved it. I also loved how when secrets came to light, they finally started to work together instead of against each other. This book is like a much darker twisted version of the Wizard of Oz with its own unique spin on the story. I loved it.

The Magicless Mage is a dark Wizard of Oz retelling, and I really enjoyed it! Retellings are either a hit or miss for me and this was written very well. It was so creative and unique. The characters were written well and developed throughout the story. I loved how it was true enemies to lovers with the slowest burn! The inclusion of time travel in the story and how it was done was really neat. There were a lot of twists and turns I didn’t see coming and kept me on the edge of my seat. The world building was descriptive and immersive, and it was a magical action-packed rollercoaster. There is a cliffhanger at the end that I feel was done well and has me looking forward to the next book!

Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a gifted eARC.

The Magicless Mage by B.L. Lewis
Pub Date: 03/10/2025
Rating: 5 ⭐️

Winter Leroux is a librarian living in 2617, whose life has turned upside down when a violent incident in the archives accidentally sends her 700 years into the past. Stranded in 1917 and cut off from her magic, Winter must learn to navigate this unfamiliar world while searching for a way back home and finding unexpected connections along the way.

This book blew me away. The pacing was sharp, the world building was rich, and the way the two timelines woven together feels seamless and believable. Winter is such compelling character and her chemistry with Westley is intense and perfectly executed.

B. L. Lewis’ s writing is exceptional; her attention to detail makes the story feel immersive and alive. This is one of the best ARCs I have read so far, and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. If you enjoy dark fantasy, sci-fi and romance with depth, high stakes this is a must read.

3.5-3.75 ⭐️s

This is the perfect book if you’re looking for a fun, quick read (and you also love werewolves). <33

This story is such a cute paranormal rom-com, and the ending makes me excited for the book 2.

I would recommend for readers that just want to turn their brain off and have a good time. (Fans of Zodiac Academy or Fake Mate comes to mind)

For readers seeking literary admiration or profound messages/characters, I’d point elsewhere.

What I loved:
1. The Humor
This book made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions. The author writes with such wit, and I love it.

2. The Lore
I love the supernatural elements in this book. All things werewolf, vampire, witch, etc is an automatic YES for me.

3. The slow burn, enemies-to-lovers trope done well
I loved how these two MCs felt like true enemies. It makes them becoming lovers pay off in the best way. The slow-burn was the perfect pace.

What didn’t work for me:
1. The barbaric sexual violence
This book was very explicit at times and it was disturbing for me, personally, to read. I don’t like “spice” like this at all.

I received in ARC in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley for providing the digital eARC for an honest review.

The story had me hooked from the beginning and I found the similarities to Wizard of Oz very fun. I enjoyed seeing the main FMC finding herself over the course of the story. However, there were points where I struggled getting through. I had a hard time connecting with the MMC and trying to understand the choices he made. Around 80% of the way through I was fully into the story. I liked the plot twists and it had a really good cliffhanger. I do look forward to reading the next book as I would love to see where the adventure takes Winter next.

I'm a little torn because there are parts that I enjoyed, and parts I didn't,
I love the theme, the whole fantasy - time travelling world, the feud against evil queen and all the twist. I also quite taken with the romance, there was clearly something between Winter and Westley, and I want to know how things would work out for them in future books. However, I think some of the "spicy" elements were misplaced and messing the story / world building.
Overall, enjoyable read.

This dark retelling of The Wizard of Oz was an extremely fun and easy read. Winter - who is a feisty witch who wears blood as a lip tint - gets accidentally sent back 700 years into the past. Here, she ends up meeting Westley, a big mean alpha wolf shifter (see: “werehole”) who is determined to delete her off the earth after their first meeting. They reluctantly end up working together as Winter tries to escape back home to the future, but I can’t go further into the plot without spoiling it so you’re just going to have to trust me on this, you won’t see the twists coming and you’ll be waiting at the edge of your seat for book 2 (like I will be now).

You’ll love this if you’re a fan of:
-dual pov
-books with witches, vampires, and wolf shifters (omegaverse also)
-enemies to reluctant allies (not lovers YET)
-an actual slow burn
-retellings of classic stories/Wizard of Oz

I found it diplodocus to truly invest in this book until about 80% of the way through. I enjoyed the premise of Wizard of Oz and the many fun various movies references as the chapter headers because those aspects were ultimately what kept me reading.

I couldn't relate to the characters very well as I didn't feel that there was much depth to them. Winter is supposed to be a determined, self sufficient and focused women, but for me she just read as whiny and bratty most of the time. Wes is too stubborn to move effectively throughout his life as a also seems very dense.

I appreciated the last 15-20% of the book because that's when the plot picked up and I enjoyed the great cliffhanger.

I will love this book forever and ever ♾️

When the blurb says The Magicless Mage is a DARK and TWISTED Wizard of Oz retelling, believe it. And after you’ve read the gratuitous trigger warnings have a seat because you’re going on the ride of a lifetime! Completely unhinged in the absolute best way (DIY spin art anyone? 👀), leaving me feeling like I walked through a fever dream, I genuinely had the best time reading this book. While this is a true slow-burn with our MCs there is plenty of 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ cooking throughout the story. Speaking of our MCs……

Winter Leroux: she’s a witch working at a magical library guarding ancient books from thieving vampires. While working a night shift a series of events happens that unlocks a sentient spell landing her 700 years in the past! She’s a bombshell who has a very *specific* favorite color. She’s strong and has the wittiest remarks that I ate up every. single. time. they came across the page. Her banter with Westley was such a treat. Winter really goes through it in this book and we get a lot of heavy scenes and life-altering realizations.

Westley Sterling: he’s an alpha werewolf with a pack to protect. He has a hard exterior and believes he doesn’t the capacity to love. He’s vicious when an unknown witch stumbles into his woods and doesn’t shy away from his plan to un-alive her. We get to see him at war with himself for his growing attraction to the mysterious witch he can’t shake. Westley has gone through is own trauma inducing events and his character growth is phenomenally done.

B. L. Lewis didn’t miss on cooking up her plot. The descriptive writing had me feeling like I was in a snow globe with the characters. With the perfect pacing and enriching side characters I cannot wait for this to be released and read the rest of the series!! I mentioned Westley’s character growth, but Winter had satisfying growth as well that led me to tears a few times. If you love pop culture references you are going to love finding the myriad of them mentioned in The Magicless Mage. Time travel is a favored trope of mine, seeing Winter struggle with what she can and cannot say to those she meets in 1917 was as hilarious as it was intriguing.

I 100% think you should preorder/add this to the tbr if you love paranormal lore, cat & mouse MC’s, time travel, slow-burn, YEARNING, well-paced stories with the perfect balance of “wtf did I just read” unhinged scenes and plot.


**Thank you NetGalley, author B.L. Lewis and publisher for the eARC of The Magicless Mage in exchange for my honest review. all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.**

This is a time travelling romantasy with shifters and mages and is a fast paced, fun and completely unique read. I went into it blind, knowing nothing except what the author had told me - that it was unhinged and that the 'what the f*ck' moments were completely intentional. Between that and the characters art I've seen, I was sold 😂

This started out as a refreshing take on witches, wizards and werewolves and I liked how the magic, spells and lore were worked into the story. Evolutionary and climate changes to the planet were seamlessly uncovered throughout, due to the time travelling element, and I loved the lessons on how wolf anatomy differed to that of mages or humans.

Winter is a mage born without magic, due to cross species breeding and poor environmental conditions. She's sassy AF and the perfect match for Westley, a broody, grumpy werewolf. Their relationship kicks off with some pretty harsh miscommunication but slowly develops via forced proximity (a favourite trope 😏) and the banter between them was excellent.

Expect the plot to jump around a fair bit and to have elements where you really are left wondering what on earth just happened. I felt as though everything got more and more chaotic the further into the book I got, and yes, it was completely unhinged, but I also wanted to keep reading at the same time just to see what was going to happen 😂

Some of the plot twists were completely unexpected and the way the past linked with the future was executed really well. I would have liked to see just a little more character development and I found some of the darker themes lacked the emotional depth they needed to really hit hard.

Check your content warnings for this one, your mental health matters and there are some scenes of non-consent that may be a bit much for some readers.

The story has such a good heart - If you enjoy a fast paced, completely chaotic read with a grumpy MMC who falls first (and kneels 😏), plenty of plot twists and shock value, and a sprinkling of unhinged spice, give this one a go!

UM, WHAT?! I ATE this book up. From the first chapter, I was completely invested. It was fast paced, wildly entertaining, and most of all, refreshingly unique.

The way time travel is woven in with the dynamics between the immortals and what was going on with magic felt so original and unexpected, it all just worked. I found myself flying through the chapters. (it was 4:35am when I wrote this review if that says anything, I literally could not put this book down )

Even the chapter titles deserve a shoutout, they were cheeky, quirky, and unlike anything l've seen before. Each one felt like a statement while giving you just the right taste of dramatic flair.

This was a true enemies to reluctant allies, to budding lovers done right! Winter? | ADORE her. She's fierce, sassy, smart, and totally her own person. The MMC is perfectly matched for her, and the banter between the two definitely kept me fed! But let's talk about the plot twists. Layer after layer, twist after twist, my jaw was on the floor. I had a few theories, sure but even then, I was still caught off guard.

& THE LIBRARY SCENE?! WITH ______ ?! PAIN.

This book is brilliant, and just the right amount of diabolical. I genuinely cannot wait for book two!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

This book started out a little rough for me. The writing style is a bit jarring, and took a little bit of time to adjust to. That said, the overarching plot drew me in and made me get over my initial complaints over the writing. I will be honest, I considered DNF'ing this book on multiple occasions, but I persevered and ended up enjoying the book more than initially expected.

The magic system was interesting, the characters complex, and the worldbuilding enough to set the stage, but left me desiring more. The more, assumedly, to be in the next book, and the mentioned prequel.

I enjoyed Winter's self-discovery journey amidst the reluctant allies-by-forced-proximity situation with Westley. The dynamics between the different types of immortals were done fairly well, too.

While I feel there was a bit of a rocky start, the story was solid overall.

This was great! The plot was fantastic! The cliffhanger will definitely set up the next book nicely. I will say the pacing was a bit wonky at first, and I felt like it was dragging. Once we got past 50%, though, that plot took over, and BAM!!! The characters were meh. I wasn't really a fan of either of them, to be honest.

If you enjoy a plot driven book, fantasy, banter, yearning, and hints of spice....this is the book for you.

I received a copy of this book via Netgalley for an honest review.

Thank you for the ARC!

When I requested this, I didn’t realize it had as many trigger warnings as it did! It ended up being a bit much in some areas but was still good. 3.5 stars.

Winter accidentally ends up time traveling back 700 years and finds herself in a much older version of her world. She discovers a lot about herself, and the past from a first hand perspective. She meets Wesley and they truly hate each other. Winter goes through many traumatic moments in this book; I hope she can navigate through them more in book 2 because it was about to unpack!

I always enjoy when an author has really well developed side characters, and that was definitely the case with this book. Felix and Mel I thought were great!

A lot more will need to be unpacked in book 2 and I’m intrigued, depending on what the themes are.

Despite everything going on somehow the FMC finds a way to make things unserious and I love her for it. So much of the stress I could have felt was subsided by this which was a nice break! There was a nice and easy pace for most of the book up until the end where it felt like a lot happened at once. Personally I dont mind this with it being the first book in the series. I am super excited to see where book 2 will take us. I was honestly so upset when I realized I was on the last page as I wasn't ready to let go yet. A super fun read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & the author for providing me with this eARC!

Slight spoilers are included.

What a story. I had been on the hunt for a Wizard of Oz retelling right as this came on my radar and boy did it deliver! This book had me hooked and I devoured it from beginning to end. I loved both the intricate world and the twists throughout this story. Nothing gets me riled up more than a good time traveling tale with a twist ending that will shock you, rip your heart out, and leave you wanting more.

I do have a few constructive criticisms I wanted to give that I took note of during my reading journey.

The beginning felt very rushed. While I know there was world building to be done and establishing the setting for the plot, it felt like A LOT happened in the first few chapters. Our FMC goes directly from time traveling, to being sexually assaulted, to then being immediately physical assaulted by more than one person in such a short span of time that it almost felt unnecessary. We (and the FMC) weren’t even really given time to process any of it either. It jumped from one thing to the next so quickly that it was easy to lose sight of those moments. Her being assaulted outside the bar by the mortal didn’t feel like it truly served a purpose in the story other than to add a dark edge to things. The book still carries itself rather well in the genre and that particular scene felt like too much. It’s only really mentioned once or twice more in the book in passing and that’s it. I genuinely thought there was a plot point that was going to bring that back around in more detail and was confused when it never happened. The shock value of it didn’t really add to the story.

The interactions and writing in the very beginning felt a tad juvenile. Given the rather long list of trigger warnings in the beginning of the book I was expecting both the main characters to act a little more adult, but they both felt like angry kids throwing insults at one another and pouting about it. This gets better towards the end of the book and the conversations begin to feel more genuine and mature, but it was a big note for me when starting the book.

Other than those two things, I really enjoyed this book. Even with lack of knowledge about the omega verse, the author did a brilliant job of making the world easy to understand and fun to learn about. I felt myself getting lost in the actual story without any confusion about the magic system or the lore behind species and I LOVE that in fantasy books.

Major kudos to B.L. Lewis! I cannot wait to see what else they come up with.

The Magicless Mage has a cool mix of time travel, witches, werewolves, and vampires. The premise drew me in, and there were some fun twists. But the pacing felt off, and the romance and character depth didn’t fully click for me. Still, a decent read for fans of paranormal fantasy.