Sweet & Bitter Magic — Adrienne Tooley

“Evokes a mix of European fairy tales and medieval society . . . a treat for readers who loved the queer fantasy of Melissa Bashardoust.” -- BookPage

In this charming debut fantasy, a witch cursed to never love meets a girl hiding her own dangerous magic, and the two strike a dangerous bargain to save their queendom.

Tamsin is the most powerful witch of her generation. But after committing the worst magical sin, she's exiled by the ruling Coven and cursed with the inability to love. The only way she can get those feelings back -- even for just a little while -- is to steal love from others.

Wren is a source -- a rare kind of person who is made of magic, despite being unable to use it herself. Sources are required to train with the Coven as soon as they discover their abilities, but Wren -- the only caretaker to her ailing father -- has spent her life hiding her secret.

When a magical plague ravages the queendom, Wren's father falls victim. To save him, Wren proposes a bargain: if Tamsin will help her catch the dark witch responsible for creating the plague, then Wren will give Tamsin her love for her father.

Of course, love bargains are a tricky thing, and these two have a long, perilous journey ahead of them -- that is, if they don't kill each other first.

“[A] rich, nuanced fantasy world . . . Tooley's debut skillfully and subtly emphasizes theconsequences of prioritizing power above people and the environment . . . thoughtful, ambitious, and unexpected.” -- Kirkus Reviews

“A slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.” -- School Library Journal