When Thea de Winter ruins a pivotal festival by freeing wild fae “entertainment” from their cruel confinement, the Winter Court’s key enforcer, Kerboros, is tasked with capturing the untamable and beautiful changeling. It’s in neither Kerboros’ interest nor power to deny those orders, no matter how distasteful. Despite his veneer of authority, much like Thea, Kerboros has long been subject to House Winter’s whims. After his father’s failed coup against the lord and lady, Kerboros’ parents and brother were executed, leaving him without care or protection. Out of necessity, ruthlessness became his defining trait. Still, when he delivers Thea to House Winter, he’s shocked to find that rather than a simple punishment, Thea’s beloved father is threatened and she’s forced to sign a contract binding her to the scion of the Summer realm in order to facilitate a peace agreement between their kingdoms. When the husband-to-be and his entire delegation vanish, Kerboros suddenly has a new mission: help Thea find the runaway groom and save the peace accord and their lives. Thea and Kerboros are joined on their mission with a diverse, ragtag coterie of magical friends (hobgoblins, gnomes, pixies and more) and questionable new allies. There’s just one significant roadblock—Kerboros’ heart secretly belongs to his beautiful captive.
It’s an irresistible setup, delightfully well executed by veteran author Ann Aguirre. The narration alternates between Thea’s and Kerboros’ perspectives, showing how they move toward each other step by enchanted step. To a man enduring a joyless life of magically-enforced indentured servitude, Thea is a beacon. Kerboros’ thoughts are gorgeously rendered on the page in heart-stopping reflections like this one: “To me, Thea de Winter is freedom. I love her—or maybe the idea of her—the way I admire a pooka running unfettered or a bird arcing across the sky. She has never once been bowed, and she never obeys. She is the most intractable, glorious chaos, and I treasure her rampages, even from a great distance.”
Aguirre is one of romance’s most versatile authors, with wildly diverse bestsellers from the steamy, cult hit alien romance Strange Love to cozy witch rom-coms like Witch Please. With The Hocus Pocus Handbook, she conquers romantasy with her trademark wit, heart and chemistry. A quest, magic and palace intrigue come together delightfully in this romp of a love story.