Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. To catch up on the other books in the series, you can read my review of Rewitched and Uncharmed.
The fairytale-themed witchy romantasy from bestselling author Lucy Jane Wood, Disenchanted, is full of small-town charm, lovable characters, and lots of familiar fairytale stories with a witchy twist! The third instalment of Lucy Jane Wood’s Selcouth series follows museum curator Sage Hemlock as she battles with her magical side and wishes to banish it forever – it’s only ever brought her heartache. Instead of embracing her magic, she throws herself into her studies and work at the museum. However, magic knows when the heart needs a little fairytale magic to lift a witch’s spirits. When an unusual book finds its way to the museum and piques Sage’s curiosity, she suddenly wonders if she’s deserving of a happy ever after.
I have to say, this initial blurb and concept made me very intrigued. This book has all the elements that I love, with a slight twist on the TV show Once Upon a Time, and I was very excited to see how the curse would unfold. The witchy twist on fairytales was really fun, and I liked how the charms that controlled and manipulated the spell weren’t what they always seemed on the surface. The way the curse took a more sinister turn throughout really flipped the fairytale tropes and created the perfect moment for Sage to have a hero arc and fully embrace her magic.
The real star of the book was Sage’s friend and colleague Casimir, who had so much personality, and I really liked his quips that brought so much depth to his character. I didn’t feel a great deal of chemistry between him and Sage; she often appeared to barely tolerate his existence, and this made her a little brisk. The story felt like it worked just as well without the romance element because it took a real step back and often faded into the background. Because of this, I felt the ending came out of nowhere a little bit. I would have rather Sage undergone a moment of self-love and embraced her flaws rather than falling into a “love saves the day” type of narrative that felt a little out of place for her character and personality that had been built up. What was well done about her character though, was that older sister energy of having to look out for her younger siblings and shoulder the burden of their safety. With all of Wood’s books she carefully underpins some sort of burden or weight on her female protagonists that brings a level of emotional depth that, I think many readers can relate to.
Lucy Jane Wood has created a vivid and intricate world that is immersive and cleverly detailed. I loved reading about how the curse was playing tricks on Sage and the villagers and how many characters started to become ‘stuck’ in their role within the curse. The biggest drawback while reading was the pace; there was a lot of description but not a lot of action or movement, resulting in a lack of urgency throughout. I found Sage to be very unlikeable with her moody attitude and her often dismissive attitude toward other characters. This made it very difficult to root for her triumph. But that being said, I liked the fairytale intricacies woven into the plot and the well-rounded cast of side characters bursting with personality. I loved the little cameo of Arty at the end, but I was secretly hoping for an “Avengers Assemble” moment where Annie, Belle, and all the other characters suddenly had to appear to help Sage defeat the curse. This would have been a nice little addition.
If you want a fun and lighthearted take on fairytales with a cast of lovable side characters, this is the book for you! Be warned: you might want to start having your own talking familiar and a ghost housekeeper. Disenchanted is out on 10th September, just in time for the changing of the leaves and cosy season to provide the perfect backdrop to really bring this book to life.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and her action-packed debut novel, CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is available in paperback from WATERSTONES and independent bookshops, and ebook (with an exclusive bonus chapter only on Kindle / Kindle Unlimited AMAZON).
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