Quick Thoughts: Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1) by Stephanie Burgis

Wooing the Witch Queen

(Queens of Villainy #1)

by Stephanie Burgis

February 18, 2025

Goodreads Summary:

In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

Review

I was hoping to fall madly in love with Wooing the Witch Queen but alas we were not meant to be. While there were some funny and touching bits, ultimately, the story was slow and somewhat forgettable.

What I Liked:

- Saskia’s protective nature

- Felix never straying from his good and honest self

- an odd but sweet found family

- hello surprise powers

- the dramatics of the Queens of Villainy

- Lorelei intrigues me a lot

The Not So Much:

- the story wasn’t very exciting

- I didn’t feel the connection between Saskia and Felix

- too much telling, needs more showing

“I don’t know what your name used to be, what you came here running from, or who made you feel this way about yourself. But I know you, and you never have to fear that I would turn my back on you, no matter what terrible secrets you disclosed.” (p. 222)