Spellfire by Agatha Wilson

 Hey ForeverBookers,

I’ve just finished “Spellfire” by Agatha Willow and I really enjoyed it! 

“Spellfire” tells the story of a young siren called Bryn who’s an author at the beginning of the novel. She went to a witch school, however because she didn’t get on with her mother and hated being alone as she was growing up other than being at Grimoire Academy. She gets contacted by the academy before the novel starts. At the beginning of “Spellfire,” Brynn has just arrived at Grimoire Academy to sort through her late, beloved teacher, Professor Herringbone’s book collection. What she doesn’t realise is that she will find a LOT more than she bargained for at the school; friendships, camaraderie and perhaps even love? 

Always Fully Booked Reading Challenge 2024 - A Sapphic Book - Spellfire’s main story is the love between Brynn and Amelia.   

Spoilers Below:

“She could do this. She was an adult now. It had been five years. Sure, she’d suffered here, but didn’t everyone in high school? Embarrassment, public humiliation. This was where she’d been betrayed by her first love—well, her first girlfriend, anyway. In retrospect, love was laying it on a bit thick. And who needed love?” 

This shows how worried Bryn is at the beginning on Spellfire. She doesn’t think she’ll be able to do the job that Professor Herringbone did before her. It also shows how our lead character is a lesbian but isn’t scared to be who she is. Bryn is actually quite a funny FMC to follow. I was entertained by everything she did. 

When Bryn meets Amelia, the headmistress, whom she was a student at the school with, she’s instantly attracted to her. As I said above, Bryn is at the academy to just sort through Professor Herringbone’s books, but she garners a job of sorts, in supporting three young witches, and helping them see they’re more than they are. 

“I don’t know why I’m here,” Violet said, hands on their hips. “My grades are fine.” Which was both true and not true. Violet had been one of the kids who’d taken out their phone and been frustrated to discover that it could no longer help with exams after Bryn’s network-dampening charm. Bryn had no idea how much of their current grades were a product of previous cheating.”

At first, Violet doesn’t like being singled out. Whereas, the other two students Luke and Circe are more accepting of the help. Violet learns that it’s not a bad thing to have support when you need it. Circe doesn’t speak and Luke speaks a little too much! None of the kids are horrible though, just troubled. They go to a spellshop run by Bryn’s sister, Luna. We see Bryn become a better figure to those around her throughout “Spellfire.”

Brynn befriends a teacher, 

Lastly, the romance in Spellfire was great! I enjoyed reading Bryn and Amelia’s love story. It was simple, without much conflict. I’d say it was the main part of the book but it never felt shoved in your face. The love scenes were spread throughout the novel but they were good nonetheless. 

“They could have sex—well, not any time, but plenty of times. Whatever this was, whatever they had somehow stumbled into building on this particular night, it felt precious and rare. And she knew, without any evidence, that she would never feel like this with anyone else, anywhere else.”

This explores just how much Bryn feels her attraction to Amelia. She wants to make love to her but she’s fine just waiting for Amelia to give the go ahead. She doesn’t want to rush the relationship. 

Of course, there is a ‘third act breakup’ but this didn’t take much away from the story as it happens right at the end and it resolved pretty much straight away. I don’t mind these sorts of break ups. 

Overall, I really enjoyed Spellfire! It was an easy read.