strange and random happenstance: Fey

Moontangled by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Five Fathoms Press
Publication Date: February 3rd 2020
Format: Paperback, 71 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
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After a fraught beginning Thornfell College of Magic is thriving. The school is opening it's doors for a night of dancing and magic. The first ever class plans to dazzle their guests with a demonstration of their magical abilities after a ball under the stars. As for the school's top pupil, Juliana Banks, she has other things on her mind, other things that she is avoiding through denial and hard work. What's really on her mind is Caroline Fennell. Caroline and her have been secretly engaged for quite some time. Caroline has been trying to establish herself as a politician so they have sacrificed their own happiness for the moment to achieve their happily ever after down the road. But ever since Caroline's cousin Honoria fell from power in the Boudiccate Caroline's letters to Juliana have seemed cold and restrained. Is their love in danger? Now that Caroline no longer has her cousin's protection might she view Juliana as a liability as well? All these thoughts are racing through Juliana's head as her classmates primp her in an effort to show Caroline just what she's missing. The problem is, Caroline knows exactly what she's missing. She hasn't stopped loving Juliana, she's been distancing herself from her in an effort to not let the taint of Honoria's crimes effect her. Because if there's one thing Caroline can see clearly it's that Juliana is thriving at Thornfell. She has new friends and is excelling in her studies. How can Caroline force her to keep their betrothal when there's this whole new world at Juliana's feet and Caroline's prospects have been destroyed? Why force her fiance to stick to the plan when the plan is no longer possible? It would be better to just have a clean break. Both women are willing to do anything for the love of their life, but it will take a dangerous confrontation with a fey to get them to bare their hearts.

Moontangled is a short and sweet love story based around a tragic misunderstanding. It's basically Stephanie Burgis's The Gift of the Magi by way of Emmet Otter. Because, let's face it, Emmet Otter is the perfect retelling of The Gift of the Magi once you realize that Emmet's mother is totally selfish and didn't need that dress. And yes, this review has gone off the rails but I think I can get it back on track. Caroline and Juliana are both willing to sacrifice that which is most important to them to make the other happy. Sure it's not watches and hair or washtubs and tools, but they love each other so much that they are willing to do whatever it takes to make the other person happy all without grasping at first that all that matters is each other. As Doc Bullfrog says, "it appears to me that what you needed was each other." Their love is true because they are willing to sacrifice their own happiness for the other's. Thankfully though neither needs to sacrifice anything because all that was needed was open communication. All people get in their heads too much. They overthink and overanalyze to the point where they've worked themselves into a corner. They think they know the truth because how could they not after they've spent countless sleepless nights working through all the permutations of how things could go in their head. And who among us hasn't been derailed by things going differently than we imagined? Even getting to the point where we're not sure what we've said in actuality or in imagination. But thankfully in Caroline and Juliana's case they have fey intervention. The centuries-old fey guardian of the Harwood woods has vowed to watch and keep Thornfell safe. As she had experienced heartbreak she knew she had to protect the hearts of the inhabitants of Thornfell as well and therefore she staged an intervention and the truth did will out. Caroline and Juliana will have their happily ever after after all.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: Ball, Boudiccate, Caroline Fennell, Doc Bullfrog, Emmet Otter, Fey, Juliana Banks, LGBTQIA+, Magic, Misunderstanding, Moontangled, Politics, Regency Magic, The Gift of the Magi, Thornfell College of Magic, True Love

Thornbound by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Five Fathoms Press
Publication Date: February 14th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 204 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
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After Cassandra Harwood's felicitous meeting with Miss Juliana Banks at Cosgrave Manor Cassandra's life has purpose again. Miss Banks showed Cassandra that despite losing her own magic she could help those who wished to follow in her footsteps. Cassandra could teach the next generation of female mages because Miss Banks, much like Cassandra before her, has a dream. Miss Banks wants to become a mage so that she can marry the love of her life, Miss Caroline Fennell. Miss Fennell has ambitions to join the Boudiccate, like her cousin Lady Honoria Cosgrave, but a politician must be married to a mage. Therefore Miss Banks intends to be that mage. And Cassandra will help her. After all Cassandra was finally able to marry the love of her life, Wrexham, so why shouldn't Miss Banks? Thus Thornfell College of Magic was born. Thornfell is the dower house on the Harwood Estate and hasn't been used since the family's infamous recluse and amateur botanist Romulus Harwood planned to live there prior to his sudden death. Cassandra's spent six months fixing the house to her exacting specifications. This school will be perfect. It has to be. Because the Boudiccate is sending an inspection party and if they say so the school can be shut down immediately. Of course they were supposed to arrive in a day or two, not at the same time as the students. But at first Cassandra is hopeful, the assigned mage, Mr. Lionel Westgate, is her husband's boss, Lady Honoria Cosgrave is reasonable, and Miss Caroline Fennell obviously wants the school to succeed, but Mrs. Annabel Renwick is a different story. She was the tormentor of Cassandra's youth. With Annabel present there is no chance of a fair inspection. Thornfell College of Magic is as good as done. Especially once a dangerous fey contract is signed in the middle of the night on a sinister alter in the library. Then a member of staff disappears. Once Annabel goes missing there looks to be no way that Cassandra can save the school. Now she's fighting for the lives of her students not just their right to an education.

This is what it's all about people! Thornbound is my jam. While I very much enjoyed Spellswept and Snowspelled I view them now as mere background to this awesome volume. This was our final destination and it is magical, in more ways than one. There's dangerous fey, old grudges, and even older secrets to be revealed! This book has everything I could ever want in a Regency Magic story. But what I really latched onto was this idea that Cassandra creating a school was a selfish act. The education of others, becoming an educator, is perhaps the most selfless thing one can do. You are concentrating on teaching the younger generations all they need to survive. But Cassandra is being told she is selfish. Mr. Westgate tells Cassandra that her decision to open the school has negatively impacted her husband's career. Wrexham is being overworked and forced to do the worst jobs as some sort of punishment for his unconventional wife. Likewise the Boudiccate hint that the school is hurting Cassandra's sister-in-law's political chances. Amy has always wanted to be a member of the Boudiccate, but every since her heart fell for Jonathan Harwood her chances have been slim. But the Boudiccate hints that if Cassandra were to give up her foolish venture then perhaps Amy could be slowly reintroduced to their political way of life. It's like the powers that be are gaslighting Cassandra. They are telling her she's a horrible selfish person because she isn't thinking about the great good. But what is the greater good? Is it what is good for the whole of society or what is good for those who maintain an iron grip on their power by not letting change happen? In fact isn't change really what is the greater good and therefore shouldn't Cassandra's school be embraced? I really felt this deep in my bones. I have been called selfish when I wasn't at all, it only looked as such from someone on the outside looking in. But is it selfish to go after your dreams, especially when encouraged by those you love, even if they get hurt? Perhaps if they are willing to make the sacrifice you should be willing to believe in them? Dreams and change are hard, but Thornbound shows how very important they are.