*Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC in exchange for an honest review – the post may contain spoilers.*
Uncharmed is set to be published on 18 September 2025 and is the second cosy fantasy stand alone set in Lucy Jane Wood’s Selcouth Series and follows a witch perfect in every way, Annie Wildwood. When her people pleasing tendencies get a little out of hand she’s charged with an uncontrollable teenage witch with powerful magic that will threaten to turn Annie’s perfectly pink world upside down. Sent into the middle of the woods, Annie realises that imperfection is perfection and embracing her true self is her future
Uncharmed has all the cosy vibes from the sickly sweet perfect nature of Annie to the almost Disney element of Mary Poppins meets Snow White when she is sent to Arden Place, a run down woodland cottage. Sparks of her pink magic send ingredients flying through the air and magic redecorates a once derelict house into a perfect home. I liked Annie’s character and her emotional struggle to always be perfect especially as she sees her worth dictated by how well she acts or appeases those around her in the elite magical circles she socialises within. The lengths in which Annie goes to in order to always remain perfect was also cleverly depicted through her night-time routine. This gave a lot of depth to her character and suggests that while perfection is surface level, underneath there is always something deeper that causes a person to act in a certain way. I particularly liked how Annie coped when she embraced imperfection and stood up for herself against her ‘friends’ at The Sorciety. I think Annie and the plot will resonate with readers and has a really strong message. What I particular liked was how Annie realised that she didn’t need a spell making sure everything was perfect because it only boosted her own skill or personality. Readers who are familiar with the world of Rewitched (2024) will appreciate the expansion of the world and the return of familiar faces like Morena and Bronwyn. While I understand that Uncharmed takes place before the events of Rewitched, I think it is unclear to readers on the specific timeline – is it years? I found the exploration of the elite witch societies and the hierarchies interesting and the snobbery of many of the characters emphasised why Annie placed so much pressure on herself.
However, I did struggle with the pacing of this book. Lucy Jane Wood is very good at creating setting and atmosphere with detailed description but at times I felt that the over-description was unnecessary and made passages very dense. There was a lot of describing but not a lot of doing, I noticed this at the end with the big showdown with the villains. It was a lot of describing but not enough action for my personal taste. The first 30% was well written and set the scene, but I did find it hard to stay engaged. The pace did pick up once Annie and Maeve settled in at Arden Place and I enjoyed their interactions. As much as I liked Hal, I thought the romance between him and Annie could have been developed slightly more. I didn’t quite understand how they went from being strangers to trusting each other completely. This is a story that mainly focuses on Annie’s internal struggles of not being good enough instead of action or Maeve as the centre. The storyline with Maeve and her magic is more a tool to help Annie grow and I wanted to see more of Maeve, but I loved the found family trope. This was particularly heart warming.
Overall, a slow burn, cosy read with relatable characters and a strong message. It has all the elements that I love in fantasy books from relatable characters and an interesting magic systems. Uncharmed has a lot of heart that brings all the cosy vibes perfect for the spooky season.
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Amy is a writer and reviewer and is currently working on a YA fantasy novel. For more content click here to read book reviews, short stories and updates on Amy’s writing journey. Her action packed debut novel CORNELIA FAIRFIELD AND THE DARKENED HEART is set to be published in 2026!
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