Minor Works of Meda by Juliette Caruso

This review copy was gifted to me by author Juliette Caruso through Book of Matches Media. This in no way impacts the rating of the book. All of my reviews contain my honest opinions.

Title: Minor Works of Meda

Author: Juliette Caruso

Release Date: July 15, 2024

Publisher: Independently Published

Genre: Romantasy

Source: digital, Book of Matches Media

TW: grief and loss, death (on page), gore (on page, mild, mostly blood), verbal abuse in a romantic relationship, extremely possessive relationship, implied sexual assault (vague/off page/not the POV character), references ethnic cleansing (vague/off page/historical)

Synopsis

For centuries a great Ward has separated the human Protectorate from the savage faerie outlands, magically keeping anyone with fae blood–including human witches–from crossing in either direction. When the first of the seven stones holding the Ward abruptly breaks, the complex enchantment briefly flickers out. A wave of wild fae magic crashes down through the Protectorate and ignites every spell it touches.

Meda, a determined witch with brilliant spellcrafting talent but next to no magical power, is forced to watch as her mentor Eudoria goes up in flames. Ever hungry, Meda turns grief into opportunity. If she can unravel the secrets of the greatest enchantment of all time to understand who is bringing down the Ward, why, and how, she'll save humanity from ruin and will finally make a name for herself despite her weak casting powers.

Prickly, standoffish Kalcedon, her sole fellow student, wants answers too. His human mother fled across the Ward with him still-unformed inside her, only to abandon him on Eudoria’s doorstep as a toddler, safe from the fae outlands and safe from his unknown faerie father. Now deprived of the teacher who raised him, he's bent on stopping the Wards's destruction–and on keeping Meda, the only living person he cares about, safe.

As Meda and Kalcedon travel the Protectorate's islands, navigating grief and racing to unravel the Ward’s mysteries as stone after stone falls, each step brings Meda's dreams of glory closer within reach. But when she finally realizes who’s using death magic to break the Ward, she faces an impossible choice. To keep the half-faerie boy she’s grown to love safe, she’ll have to save a nice-but-naive prince, smash the Ward further open, turn her back on the order of witches she dreams of joining, and cross into the deadly lands beyond.

After all, what’s love without a little blood sacrifice?

Thoughts

I loved everything about this book. It started off as a delightful rivals-to-enemies romance and quickly became an intricate, fascinating tale. Kalcedon’s prickliness was such a delight; he’s a multi-layered character who expressed a wide range of emotions through his grumpy insults. Meda, with her brilliant spellcrafting talent and single-minded determination, quickly became a favorite. I loved how she would get overwhelmed by crowds and noises, only to take solace in familiar things like books, work, and Kalcedon.

The magic system in Minor Works of Meda was captivating. I loved that witches were human descendants of fae, with their power levels differing from one to the next. The idea that they could draw power from other witches and cast spells using their hands added depth to the story. The fae, with their wild nature and Kalcedon’s stormy grey skin, felt reminiscent of Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series, lending a beautiful, otherworldly feel to the story.

This book was such an amazing adventure, and I enjoyed every moment of it. From the moment the first of the seven stones holding the Ward broke, unleashing a wave of wild fae magic, to Meda and Kalcedon’s journey through the Protectorate’s islands, I was completely hooked. Watching Meda turn her grief into an opportunity to save humanity and finally make a name for herself, despite her weak casting powers, was truly inspiring.

The mystery of who was using death magic to break the Ward kept me on the edge of my seat. The impossible choices Meda faced, from saving the half-faerie boy she’s grown to love to smashing the Ward further open and crossing into the deadly lands beyond, made for a gripping and emotional read. After all, what’s love without a little blood sacrifice?

Minor Works of Meda is a must-read for anyone who loves intricate magic systems, multi-layered characters, and a touch of romance in their fantasy. I can’t recommend it enough.