Bumpy Oak Books

**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

4 stars

CL Polk’s newest work is a fantasy romance that turns a Cinderella story on its head. Beatrice is an aspiring magician that wants nothing more than to bind herself to a greater spirit and become a mage. For now, she has a lesser spirit, Nadi, who will help her until midnight for the cost of some food, dancing, and a kiss. Enter one Ianthe, mage-in-training and eligible bachelor, along with his sister, Ysbeta.

This work had quite a lot of social commentary centered around feminism and the role of women in society. I do feel the need to include a content warning for readers regarding a lot of discussion of pregnancy and women as primarily child-bearers. This is central to the plot of the book.

That being said, I enjoyed the magic system as presented and enjoyed the interactions of spirits with their hosts. I might have enjoyed to hear more of Ianthe’s perspective, but understand that the message of the book could be seen as more powerful without it.

I look forward to reading Polk’s backlist and to any future works.