In a kingdom where magic carries a high price, Tamsin is a witch cursed with the inability to feel love unless she steals it from others. When a magical plague called the Nearness begins consuming the land, turning forests to gray ash and erasing people’s memories, Tamsin strikes a bargain with Wren, a girl hiding her own source of forbidden magic. To save Wren’s father and stop the blight, the two travel across the countryside, trading Tamsin’s expertise for a portion of Wren’s love. Their alliance forces them to confront the source of the plague and the ethical cost of using magic that feeds on human emotion.
Fans of young adult portal fantasy and sapphic romance read this book for its specific magic system based on emotional debt. The story appeals to those interested in how guilt and self-sacrifice dictate personal choices. Readers finish the book with a clear understanding of the difference between transactional relationships and genuine vulnerability. It provides a look at how two people can build trust even when their initial connection is based on a desperate, magical negotiation.
Insights from Sweet & Bitter Magic
Two girls who are both broken in different ways find a weird balance. They stop trying to fix each other.
Love is not a feeling you can just hoard like gold. It only works when you let it flow out of you.
“I am a girl made of secrets and soft things.”
Wren wants to save her father so badly she ignores her own heart. Family loyalty can be a beautiful cage.
“Magic always has a price.”
The bone island scenes felt so heavy. Using your power can cost more than you ever expected to pay.
- Published
- 2021
- Publisher
- Margaret K. McElderry Books
- ISBN
- 9781534453852
