In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.
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.
But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. 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—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.
Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.
Overall Recommendation:
A Fragile Enchantment had a beautiful premise with all the vibes of Regency era England and a forbidden romance with a prince. I wanted to love it but my expectations weren’t quite met. This is far more a romance than a fantasy with less worldbuilding and substantial plot than I would’ve thought. However, the characters were cute and the read was still somewhat enjoyable.
Publication Date: January 2, 2024
A Fragile Enchantment was my first foray into Allison Saft’s novels and I came in with high expectations, perhaps a little too high. Set in a fantastical version of Regency era England with allusions to events that actually occurred in Ireland, this romantic story both fulfilled and disappointed at the same time.
Niamh is a dressmaker who can imbue magic into her garments. The exact workings of this magic isn’t fully explained but that’s okay. The memories and emotions she’s feeling, especially if they’re strong enough, can be transferred into the clothing while she is making it. For example, feeling invisible or in the background can lead to a garment that sometimes makes you actually invisible while wearing it. That’s cool but it’s one of few magic present in this world. It seems magical bloodlines run in the nobility circles more as they like to keep it “pure” in their bloodline to pass on like a legacy. The other forms of magic that aren’t explained much either seem to take the form of natural element control, whether the forces coming from the sky (ie. Lightning and rain) or growth from the ground (ie. Flowers and vines).
The extent of the world building kind of ends here. We get an explanation there are a few different kingdoms and political marriages to foster allies. Some of the relationships between kingdoms are rocky but it never brings into the story any actual political strife that occurs. The main political tension arises from social class inequality which I enjoyed as Niamh’s own countrymen were seen as secondary people in a way in Avaland. I just wish there was a little more focus here along with the mysterious gossip columnist (a la Bridgerton vibes) that was pushing for reform.
At the heart of this story is the romance between Niamh and Kit. I love a good forbidden romance. I will admit there were cute banter scenes and some tension in places, but sometimes it felt the transition to love was a little quick before I felt truly invested in them. Maybe I had too high of an expectation, but when it’s the main focus of the story, it’s kind of hard not to expect something. However, I will contend that this may just be an issue for me, in this particular time of reading, and their chemistry may in fact be sufficient for other readers to absolutely adore them.
My last little gripe I wanted to learn more about is Niamh’s white streak of hair. It is said to represent her fragility as the streak grows with the use of her magic, and it will one day be the cause of her death. It’s a big plot point that drives her to always put others first and seek her own happiness last because she doesn’t know how much time she may have. I don’t know if this was resolved in the story as it ups the stakes but doesn’t fully explain it. I mean, everyone is technically dying all the time. Why does her magic alone cause such a demise? It felt like a little loose thread I’m just pulling at right now but I am curious as it ties deeply into Niamh’s arc.
Overall, it was a fun story to read but I definitely came into it with some expectations that weren’t fully met. If I had known this was mostly a romance but just set in a fictional version of the Regency era, I might’ve come into it a little differently. There may be some loose threads but the story stands alone well enough to make romance readers relatively happy.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review
Down the Rabbit Hole 