This was my first Wizard of Oz inspired book and it was so unique!! And absolutely wild and unhinged at times 🤣 I could not put it down.
B.L.'s writing style and world building was *chef’s kiss*, making The Magicless Mage play out like a movie in my head. The chapter titles were also such a cute detail.

OH! And it’s an actual enemies to lovers. And I mean Winter and Westley LOOOATHE each other at first, which produced the best snarky banter. 😏

“𝙎𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙟𝙖𝙬 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛.”

The ending had me SHOOK & I can’t wait for the next book!!

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭:
🤍 Witch x wolf shifter
🪄 Enemies to lovers
🤍 Cat & mouse
🪄 Magical library
🤍 Time travel
🪄 Slow burn
🤍 Omegaverse themes

Thank you, B.L. Lewis and Netgalley, for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

What a fun read, and the pages just flow. You can't put it down. Wizard of Oz adult retelling. I just loved Westley and Winters story because of the banter with the slow burn, enemies to lovers in the works! The evil queen was definitely different, to say the least! Twist and turns, you will not believe and a cliffhanger at the end this was such a magical read the author did a fantastic job I was truly immersed in this world! What's not to love if you enjoy witches, werewolves, vampires, wizards, a magical library, and time travel it has it all! It's a magical place of shifting, and time hopping is definitely a must-read. Don't miss out!

- Actual enemies to lovers with so much hate
- Slow burn (like this is book 1 and they don't even kiss)
- Wolf Shifter x Snarky Witch
- Magic Library
- Time Travel from a future where snow doesn't exist
- Unhinged MCs
- Wound tending
- Fast-paced
- Wizard of Oz inspired
- Floofy familiars

The Magicless Mage is dripping in darkness and is certainly NOT a book for every fantasy reader out there, so err on the side of caution and make sure you read the TWs. Now, there's a bit of miscommunication between the main characters — as it often does with true enemies to lovers' plots, and generally I don't fluff around with miscommunication however it is so realistically penned that I was screeching. The fast pace and the writing style is brilliance, and the uniqueness of this book is such that it deserves a spot in bestselling paranormal/romantasy lists.

If you don't hate the main characters, you aren't reading into it right. Winter and West are flawed, unhinged, and unlikable; however, B. L. Lewis's genius is that she makes them develop slowly, subtly, carving their characters by etching the right brushstroke at the right time. She is a master at plotting, you couldn't spot that plot twist in a cat's nine lives. It is the way she ties the current sociopolitical environment into the book, the way she weaves climate change and propaganda and female rage and adds a layer of slight nods to her debut -- if you are looking for a dark, gritty, salacious fantasy with vampires, werewolves, witches, time travel and libraries that isn't at all as cosy as it might sound: The Magicless Mage.

Thank you so much to the author for letting me read an early copy of your fantastic book!

I devoured this book. I really enjoyed the true enemies to lovers dynamic that was so raw and intense, along with the high tension between our two MCs and their individual growth as flawed characters. Despite starting out as natural and somewhat deserved enemies, they find they have so much in common, and I love how their relationship develops and challenges their own views on the world and themselves. The slow burn is delicious... and just beginning to simmer!

The plot compelled me since the very first chapter and didn't let go, not even at the end! I didn't know where the story was going and was very surprised by one character's plot twist reveal. I also LOVED our side characters, especially when we got a bit of a peek into Mel's POV too.

Can't wait to see what happens in the next book!!!

What a book!

Winter's journey was filled with adventure, action, pain, love, loss, and such fire that I couldn't put it down! I loved the dynamic between Westley and Winter and the concept of the wind talking to them was genius! I loved to hate The Witch Queen and the squeal I let out when I learned a certain secret!! I laughed, I cried, I hurt, but I still loved this book! I can't wait for book 2!

The Magicless Mage✨️

This story took me by surprise and kept me hooked through out. It's fast paced and truly magical.

Winter belongs in the year 2617 but when she accidentally travels back 700 years the story well and truly takes off.

I really loved Winters character. She is feisty, has a lot of sass and her journey of learning more about herself is perfection.
Westley is a broody alpha, fierce and his emotional growth is just amazing. Their dynamic was electric, starting off with hatred but slowly started to sizzle into wanting to know more about eachother. They taunt eachother to no end whilst also helping eachother in search for the answers they need.
A dark and twisted retelling of The Wizard of Oz, it truly is a unique plot and a journey everyone should go on.

✨️Magic
🧙🏻‍♀️Witches
🐺Werewolves
📚Magical library
🕰Time Travel
❤️‍🔥Slow burn
🔥Spice

Releasing 3rd October 2025 you can preorder it now!

I'm not seeing too much of a "dark and twisted retelling" here with The Magicless Mage.

There's certainly several "a-ha" moments when I spot something familiar, or do the Leo DiCaprio finger pointing meme, but if you're advertising this as a retelling, please give me a little more.

The other parts of the book came off as confusing to me. It's full of miscommunication between the MCs who refuse to listen to each other and instead resort to snippy comments and insults, mixed with a lot of last minute twists and hidden backstories being revealed to keep the plot going, and by the end the story feels incomplete despite everything that has happened. I know there's a sequel planned, but to me, the ending doesn't fit with the whirlwind of events that preceded it.

I do like how fast-paced the book felt, which made it easier to zoom by parts I were annoyed by. The little bits of The Wizard of Oz references were creatively done and fit with the story.

Won't seek out the sequel, but if it comes my way, I would give it a chance to see if the author improves the flow of the story and the interactions between the MCs.

Grab your broomsticks because this story will take you on a ride! It is a dark retelling of The Wizard of Oz with other tales sprinkled in like breadcrumbs.

Winter, the librarian, is the main character who is definitely not an innocent, virginal character but a dark, morally grey character. Usually the dark, morally grey character traits are reserved for the male love interest (don’t worry the male lead does still have these traits as well). Winter is complex and to whom I grew attached to as the story unfolded. It made her journey that much more satisfying to read. Her journey is also filled with so much slow burn sexual tension.

B.L. Lewis creates her own world and mythology. She takes the time to explain why magic and the beings are the way they are which is not only important to the storyline but it really helps immerse you in the world.

The writing engages in you the story, the world and the characters. A few sentences were written so beautifully I had to reread them a few times to let the words soak in.

I did not know what would happen next. There were a number of literal eyebrow raising and jaw dropping moments. I can’t wait for book #2!

RAAAAHHH I LOVED THIS

Winter and Wes are so goddamn UNNGH CHEFS KISS with their slow burn, tension, reluctant flirting, and overall horny violence towards each other. I’m so happy I get another 2 books with them because YES.

The pacing in this book, especially considering it’s the first in its series, is stunning. At !no point! was I pushing myself past a lull period because things had been calm for too long. Lewis balanced the quieter scenes out with suspense and anticipation so beautifully that I couldn’t put it down until I was physically unable to stay awake any longer.

I feel like *I* went in prepared for it, but this is a slow burn ACROSS the series. And while I was fed more than enough chemistry and tension (10/10) between the two MC’s in this book, I don’t want anyone reading this review to expect full-blown spice directly between W + W, YET. However, we all read acotar etc., so have some patience my heathens 💅🏻🫶🏻

Also hold onto your butts for the cliffhanger here—I loooove a good life-threatening dangle over the edge in my books, but I know some of us are not of my mindset with that lmao you will survive! Be strong! This book is WORTH IT.

Mages, Witches, Wizards, Vampires, Wolves … pretty much an automatic yes pls for me. This book has a way of including all these supernatural elements without it feeling all “packed in” for no reason. As far as the romance goes the MC def are a whole vibe of sass with some unsettling elements and the yearning is impeccable.

If you’re looking for an unhinged, chaotic, wtf is happening right now type of story that moves quickly and sets up well for book 2 then this one is for you!!

A witch in the year 2617 working in a library of secret and well-guarded tomes accidentally goes back in time 700 years where she meets a grumpy alpha werewolf who absolutely hates witches and is 100% certain that they can't be trusted. The two of them must travel together to see the witch queen - she needs help getting back to her timeline and he needs help protecting the werewolves of his clan. But this witch queen is straight up psyco and they have their work cut out for them.

I really, really enjoyed this one. First the chapter titles are delightful - I haven't enjoyed chapter titles like this since i read Percy Jackson. The characters' internal monologues are fabulous and the tension between the FMC and the MMC is delicious. This is a sloooow burn for sure. The world building was easy to follow along with (although the author does include a glossary - I found I didn't really need it at all) and the time-travel elements were very well done.

Overall a five-star romantasy read for anyone who likes slow burn romance, great banter and a grumpy MMC.

BUY THIS BOOK NOW. I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved The Magicless Mage! It is a super unique and dark Wizard of Oz retelling featuring allll of my favorite magical beings: wizards/witches, werewolves, and vampires.

Winter LeRoux is a vibe. She’s feisty, loves to eat, appreciates the art of a legging, and has VERY specific opinions on the color red. Westley Sterling is also a vibe. He has a hard exterior and comes off as a grump, but the façade is real. Of course, our MCs are hot af and that is what we love in our books. The side characters were intriguing and I can’t wait to learn more about them!

The tropes? Could not get enough. We’ve got forced proximity, time traveling, and YEARNING via the slowest of slow burns. AND?! There’s a magical library. Some microtropes I loved were he falls first (swoon), wound tending (gets me every time), and OF COURSE, good girl/boy (brb salivating).

World building was on point. I was able to vividly see the environment and everything just made sense. And, the plot be plottin bc Y’ALL, THERE IS A HELLA GOOD TWIST. Thank you so much to Netgalley, the publisher, and B,L. Lewis for an ARC of this book! I canNOT wait for book two!!

Okay, listen. I don’t say this lightly, but The Magicless Mage is unhinged in the absolute best way. Like, I went in thinking, “Oh, a magical librarian in the future? Cute!” and came out on the other side of a feral reading binge wondering how I can sell my soul to get book two faster. The next big magical romantic fantasy book, mark my words.

Winter is a sharp, snarky witch librarian in the year 2617 who accidentally activates a forbidden spell while fighting off a vampire (as one does) and yeets herself 700 years into the past. Classic Tuesday. Oh, and her familiar cat Shisoba? Icon. MVP. 10/10 would travel through time with again.

Then there is Westley, a brooding, grumpy alpha werewolf who is NOT emotionally prepared for the chaotic little librarian who crash lands in his forest. They’re enemies, except… they’re not? Because the yearning, the tension, the he kneels moment? I screamed. I paused reading to scream. Out loud.

Let’s break down the vibes.
✨ Tropes that own me:
Witch x Shifter? Check.
Touch her & die? Absolutely.
He falls first? With his whole chest.
She uses blood as lipstick? I need this woman’s confidence.
Slowest slow burn? IT. HURTS. SO. GOOD.
Cinnamon roll MMC with a growl? Yes sir, I’ll take 10.
Unhinged FMC who doesn’t ask for permission, only forgiveness (maybe)? Inject it into my veins.

The banter was truly top tier. I’d pay to sit in on a full day of West and Winter roasting each other while secretly falling harder every second. The language barrier early on was comedic gold. And yet, amid the sass, there’s this beautiful emotional undercurrent as both characters slowly unpack their trauma, their identities, and their purpose.

And can we talk about the worldbuilding? We’ve got:
📚 A magical library with secrets and sentient spells
🐺 A shifter pack with major loyalty (and drama)
🕰️ A unique time travel system that doesn't over explain but still makes sense
👑 A Witch Queen who I’m both scared of and kind of obsessed with
🌪️ Subtle Wizard of Oz nods that made my nerdy heart so happy

Also… y’all. The romantic tension is so thick you could cut it with a spoon. Not a knife. A spoon. It’s teasing, it’s emotional, it’s hot when it wants to be, but it never overtakes the plot, and somehow that makes it even hotter. It’s a touch starved, enemies to lovers masterpiece with unspoken declarations and literal groveling.

🔥 When it comes to steam? Yes. It’s there. But it’s more "scorching glances and meaningful brushes" than constant spice, which makes those open door scenes hit harder when they do arrive. It’s worth the payoff. It builds. And then it burns.

🧙‍♀️ Winter is the kind of FMC I’d 100% follow into battle or brunch. Clever, feral, deeply loyal, and a little unhinged.
🐺 Westley? My beloved disaster wolf. A mix of protective alpha, deep thinker, and grumbly softie who very clearly falls first and just... spirals about it for 300 pages. I am obsessed with him!

The ending was CLIFFHANGER CENTRAL. I stared at the last page like it betrayed me personally and spiritually. And yet, I loved it. It felt earned and now I’m simply not okay until book two shows up.

The Magicless Mage is wild, witty, and wickedly original. Think Wizard of Oz meets Outlander with a dash of ACOTAR level slow burn and Ruin of Roses style chaos. You’ll laugh, blush, shout at the page, and possibly try to crawl inside the book. I’m not judging.

If you like:
chaotic witchy FMCs
morally gray shifters with soft centers
feral enemies to lovers with insane banter
magical libraries + time travel
dark, twisty, sexy fantasy retellings

Then please. For your own wellbeing. Read this book.

Now excuse me while I go scream into the void until the next book drops. 🐺❤️📚

Thank you to NetGalley and B.L. Lewis for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

I really wanted to love this book because I was very interested as soon as I read the blurb, but unfortunately, this just missed the mark for me. It is promoted as a Wizard of Oz retelling but besides a few similarities (like a character called The Wizard, red slippers, and some quirky chapter titles, to name a few…) I wouldn’t consider this to be a retelling. The story was fast-paced and had a lot of twists and turns, but I started getting bored 30% in and had to make myself finish it.

There is a lot of vulgarity in this book, but honestly, it did not flow well. It felt like it was spicy just to be spicy since it’s so “trendy” right now, but it was not well executed, in my opinion. It felt unnecessary and took away from the story. Aside from the book being face-paced, it also felt like it was rushed because there were so many revelations and random twists that happened seemingly out of nowhere that did not help the plot. The two MC’s also irritated me because they hated each other just to hate each other but everything was just a miscommunication and their refusal to listen to the other. I find that I really don’t like the miscommunication trope.

Overall, I doubt I will continue this series unless the next book has some serious improvement because this was a struggle.

witch x shifter
good girl/good boy
hidden identity
touch her & die
He Kneels
slowest burn
yearning & tension
He falls first
Cinnamon Roll MMC
Unhinged FMC
Time Travel
Magical Library

We follow Winter on her journey of being a librarian in a magical library. Her job, magical contract that requires her to protect the books inside. Her world is torn open and flipped upside down in one swift mood on the night of her anniversary. A vampire breaks in and tries to get a specific book and between her and the library's familiar cat Shisoba that book remains safe! Surprise though when her boyfriend shows up as a surprise for dinner (in more than one way) and it ends with Winter and Kaden having to fight off the vampire again. In her escape with the book she trips over Shisoba and launches herself into the past with a forbidden spell.... If that weren't enough? She now has to deal with a werewolf named Westley who's stubborn and definitely doesn't seem to understand what she's saying to him. Their banter is amazing and top tier, the yearning and tension are there and make me need so much more of these two. The journey of discovery about themselves, each other and the world both past and future is one that I will live beside them on again, and again. I won't be able to recommend this book enough! It's a must read. I've already gotten 3 of my friends onto the band wagon with this one, and they don't regret it. You're going to shout, laugh, cry, and wonder how you ever got through life without it and probably question what you will do with yourself once it's done. I didn't want this book to end though. I consumed this book, but I took it leisurely. I didn't want to devour it to fast as this was a book worth savoring.

I thank the author so much for the amazing opportunity to read this as an eARC!

I received this book as an arc reader. Don’t worry, I’m not paid to leave a review. Generally I can fly through books, but this one I definitely wanted to slow down and take my time. The writing is absolutely flawless. And the world building is next level. You honestly feel like you were transported into the book. The FMC is the perfect amount feisty and caring. While she may not want to have personal growth. There is tons of it throughout the book. I honestly cannot believe that this doesn’t come out until October. Because that means I have to wait even longer for the second book to come out. I have to say I give this a full five stars.

What an amazing story! If you like wizard of oz vibes but with major twist this is for you! The slow burn is so delicious and heart breaking. The plot twists especially at the end leaving us with a major cliffhanger just holds you in the books thralls such a great read!

If you're a fan of futuristic retellings and don't mind overlooking some problematic elements, this might be worth a read. There were so many moments where I literally laughed out loud at the sheer absurdity of it all. It's like the author knew exactly how close to the edge she was walking, creating something so juvenile, and ridiculous, but somehow, it works?

I'm just going to leave this here: kinky.

I really struggled with the relationships between the main characters, I'm not going to lie, I found it deeply unsettling. Though, despite all my criticisms, I was completely immersed in the story. I was annoyed half the time, but I couldn't put it down. And the ending? Super fast-paced.

The Magicless Mage was simply magical! Yes... I went there. Don't judge lol.

Here's what you can expect:

💥 Magic
🧙‍♀️ Witches
🧙‍♂️ Wizards
🐺 Shifters
⌚ Time Travel
🔥 Slow Burn
☠ Enemies to...
📚 Magical Library
🌪 Wizard of Oz Vibes

From the first page, I was captivated by Winter’s world and didn't want to leave. The fast-paced action immediately drew me in, especially when Winter is thrown 700 years into the past—turning magical moments into mind-blowing events.

The dynamic between Winter and Westley is electric. Their sharp banter and sizzling tension kept me hooked, along with the intrigue around their matching eyes, Winter’s lack of magic, and her wild blood lust. Despite occasional frustration with Westley's horrible character judgment and stubbornness, the twists kept me engaged.

Overall, Magicless Mage delivers fun, magic, and irresistible mayhem, making each page more enchanting than the last.

This book is such a breath of fresh air

It’s a perfect urban fantasy, and I can’t get enough of West and Winter!
I adored the writing, the banter, the humor - and the more serious notes within the story!

I’m so thrilled this is a series, cause there’s no way I wouldn’t read more!