SORCERY AND SMALL MAGICS is a wonderful cozy fantasy debut. It has the best world-building I’ve seen in a while, and the interactions between the two main characters, Grimm and Leo, are delightful and entertaining. The book debuted on October 15, 2024, and it already hit the Sunday Times bestseller list. Have a look:
Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.
He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.
That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.
Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.
Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.
Like you, I also have a “serious tea habit.” What are some of your favorite teas?
How to choose! I love a good breakfast tea—English, Irish, or Scottish—with a little bit of milk. A nice Assam is perfect in the afternoon. I like going out for chai on the weekend as a treat. However, since caffeine does horrible things to my nerves, I can most often be found drinking an herbal dandelion blend that sounds horrid but is actually quite nice.
Caffeine affects me the same way and I often find myself partaking of an herbal rooibos whenever I crave something a bit sweet. As mentioned above, I love the interactions between Leo and Grimm in SORCERY AND SMALL MAGICS. How did these two characters come to you, and in what ways have they surprised you?
I’ve always loved the delicious tension that comes from throwing two very different people together in a narrative. Leo and Grimm were dreamed up in concert so I could write just such a story! They actually lived in my head for many years before I sat down to write SASM, so I wouldn’t say they’ve surprised me, but I was delighted with how well their chemistry played out on the page. The banter practically wrote itself.
Their banter is definitely popcorn-worthy! You’ve also published some short fiction. What do you like most about writing shorter pieces?
I like that short fiction can be a little more abstract sometimes. I’ve written whole stories based around a single feeling. Plus, completing a project is always such a rush, and you get there a lot faster when you’re not writing a book! I spent a whole year writing short stories before working on my first novel, just to get used to finishing what I’d started, and it taught me a lot.
I’ll bet! What are some of your current projects?
Currently I am hard at work on book two of the Wildersongs trilogy. Readers can expect more shenanigans, more monsters, and more music.
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