Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more
Plot
After reading the summary of this book, I was really excited to jump into a more cozy romantasy novel. And while the story was much quieter and less intense than the author’s previous novels, I enjoyed seeing a a softer side to her writing. It did feel like there were a lot of subplots going on throughout the story, with Niamh’s illness, Kit’s own demons, and a secret gossip columnist a la Bridgerton running amuck. Some of the plots had a beautiful arc but others seemed to fizzle out without much consequence to the main story. However, the main plot itself was beautiful and made for an exciting and addictive read.
Characters
Niamh was an exciting protagonist and I was grateful that the author didn’t alternative points of view in this novel, as I could see how it would have been tempting to do. Instead, we get to know the flawed love interest, Kit, through Niamh’s eyes which I think led me to love his character more than I would have otherwise. Niamh has her own faults as well, and I often said, “Ugh, Niamh, what are you doing?” while reading but I still found her to be lovable and fun.
Setting
One of the things this author does most beautifully in her writing is develop realistic and engaging worlds with touches of the real world in them. The plight and culture of Niamh’s home country, Macland, is strongly reminiscent of Ireland and Avaland, the neighboring kingdom she travels to seems to be inspired by England. The magic system weaved into this setting was fairly simplistic but I also haven’t read anything like it recently. It’s a cozy sort of fantasy that doesn’t require too much investment from the reader but still fills them with wonder.
My Recommendation
A Fragile Enchantment is the third novel by Allison Saft and the third I’ve had to the pleasure to review. While I was initially surprised to find this story such a different change in tone from her first two dark, brooding stories, I came to enjoy the quiet and sweet style. This book is a great fit for lovers of Bridgerton or contemporary romances who just want a bit of fantasy to spice up their usual reads.
