The Entanglement of Rival Wizards is exactly what I wanted – fun and serious, fantastical and down to earth, romantic and sexy, all packaged into a fantasy-rich world of magical academia. Sebastian is a firecracker of a protagonist who spends the book breaking down the walls he’s built around his professional life, friendships, and romantic relationships. The pacing is solid, both in the overarching plot and in the relationship that grows between Sebastian and Elethior. I was already a fan of Sara Raasch (there’s no better title for a book than The Nightmare Before Kissmas) and now I’ll be anxiously awaiting every one of her books. It’s always exciting to find a gay romance author who never misses, and I’m thrilled this book was firing on all cylinders.

The Best Bits

A Few of My Favorite Things

A Complex, Well Voiced Protagonist

I’m a huge fan of Sebastian. I love how easily Raasch dives into first person character voices – I felt like I knew Sebastian after only a few pages and didn’t want to put the book down. He’s complicated with a frustrating past and a fully planned future that’s also unsure. He’s resistant to any kind of change and Elethior is the definition of a change that breaks him down. We get to see every thought and feeling of Sebastian and by the end, I was rooting for him every step of the way. His relationship with Elethior is A+ but I was also drawn to his relationship with his best friend, Orok. They have a traumatic past but are always there for each other and have the cutest dynamic that only two extremely devoted friends could have. 

A Solid Enemies to Lovers Romance

I’m a sucker for enemies to lovers romance and it was done extremely well here. They start off so petty and it slowly melts into a very loving relationship. The research project ties the story from beginning to end, but it eventually takes a backseat to their scenes together, and I didn’t mind that approach. The emotions are often extremely high, and theirs is an all-in, 100% intensity kind of relationship. I loved everything about it.

4.8/5 on the Steaminess Scale

This is extremely steamy, even more so than The Nightmare Before Kissmas and its sequel, Go Luck Yourself. On a comparative scale, I’d rank the sex scenes up there with Tessa Bailey, marginally lower if only because of longer lead up time. 

A Fantasy-Rich World

I love a magical world and was fascinated by what Raasch created around her story. From magical universities to a form of magical football that puts you-know-what to shame, it all provided an interesting backdrop to the story. I most enjoyed how established everything felt. There wasn’t a lot of time spent explaining the various aspects, the pieces were just inserted without question, and it made the world feel very real in my opinion. In general, I just wanted more time spent in this world and I’m excited to see a sequel on the horizon.