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Content Warnings

In this charming debut fantasy perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Girls of Paper and Fire, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.

Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she’s exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back—even for just a little while—is to steal love from others.

Wren is a source—a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren—the only caretaker to her ailing father—has spent her life hiding her secret.

When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren’s father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.

Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them—that is, if they don't kill each other first…

Praise:

“Sweet & Bitter Magic challenges notions of monstrosity and weaves its own shape of fairytale, one that’s queer in its very making. Tooley leans into the complex dynamics of sisterhood, of guilt and regret, of what we owe to our families and to ourselves, in a way that the fairytale canon typically has not. This is a novel that lets girls be angry, and even unforgivably cruel, without ever losing sight of why, where they came from, or the systems that made them that way.” — Tor.com

“Tooley’s debut skillfully and subtly emphasizes the consequences of prioritizing power above people and the environment while the friction between regular people and magic-bearers poignantly echoes the fear and rejection queer people, who are accepted in this world, often face in ours. Thoughtful, ambitious, and unexpected.” — Kirkus Reviews

“With its combination of fresh and familiar elements and two heroines whose emotional journeys are sure to resonate, Sweet & Bitter Magic is a treat for readers who loved the queer fantasy of Melissa Bashardoust’s Girls Made of Snow and Glass and the atmospheric, witchy vibes of Peternelle van Arsdale’s The Beast Is an Animal.” — Bookpage

“High stakes and a wonderfully developed romance… A good choice for fans looking for readalikes to Melissa Bashardoust’s Girl, Serpent, Thorn” — School Library Journal

“The idea that magic has a price is common across YA fantasy, but this tale of transactional emotions offers a fresh twist on an old standard. This debut is a solid transitional title for middle-grade readers making their way into young adult.” — Booklist