REVIEW The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch
Rating: 5 Stars 
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited) + Audiobook (Library) 
Publisher: Bramble

Sara Raasch's Royals and Romance books were so much fun that it was a no brainer to read her newest series, Magic and Romance. The first book in the series, The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, was so much fun to read. Sam Stark did an excellent job bringing Thio and Sebastian's story to life. And while it doesn't even release till May 2026, I am very very excited for the sequel to this book, The Fake Divination Offensive, which covers Orok's story (Sebastian's best friend who you meet in this book).

Hailed as a fantasy academia rom-com,. the author wholeheartedly delivers on that premise. I really loved how she wove together the magical elements of the story along with some more modern references (i.e. Sebastian's familiar is named after a character in Zootopia instead of something more 'mystical'). There are also some more magical crosses like the game of rawball (which Orok specializes in), which seems like a cross between rugby and live Dungeons and Dragons, given that the players roles are things like tank and rogue.

Thio and Sebastian's relationship was fun to watch to develop. They went from academic rivals, to reluctant lab partners, to competing together and finally in a relationship together. They both have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, especially in the family department, and it was rewarding as a reader to see them take back what they lost in those dynamics. It was also fun to see how they interacted with those in their orbit. Orok, for example, is Sebastian's best friend and ride or die. They have been dependent on each other for years, but when he realizes Sebastian's burgeoning feelings for Thio he meddles to get them to actually talk to each other and work things out. I'm so excited to see how Sebastian inevitably becomes a part of Orok's relationship with Alexo in the next book.

Overall, a great book and a very entertaining read. I highly recommend it for fans of romantic comedy, as well as LGBTQ romances and fantasy novels. The Royals and Romance series and the Magic and Romance series are completely separate, but I highly recommend you check out the Royals and Romance series if you like this one.