Recent Reads: Wretched Mage by Juliana Pinheiro

Wretched Mage by Juliana Pinheiro 
Series: Wretched Mage #1
Publication Date: May 28, 2025

 

Format: Ebook
Source: From Booktrovert

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Wretched Mage is the first book in a complete romantic fantasy duology where Beauty and the Beast meets The Witcher, featuring magical courts, dangerous curses, a forbidden mage kingdom, and a slow-burn romance. With forced proximity, forbidden love, a morally gray hero, and open-door romance, it's perfect for readers who love immersive worlds and books such as Kingdom of the Wicked, Servant of Earth and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Jane Darling thought taking over her family’s trade and attending a merchant fair would be her greatest challenge, until she stepped off at the wrong train station and was seized by a monstrous creature. When she realised she had unknowingly trespassed into the land of the mageborn, where magic and its people live in secrecy, it was already too late.

She is sentenced to remain there for a year under the watch of the loathsome lord of the estate, Reagan, only to discover he too is bound by a sentence from the same court that seeks to hold her captive. With her family’s livelihood at risk, Jane is determined to plot her escape, but leaving their territory can be a deadly task, especially for a human.

As she relies on Reagan to learn how to keep herself safe from monsters and violent mages, Jane realises his situation is far more dire than she believed. When a forbidden romance ignites between them, Jane begins to seek answers about Reagan’s fate. But he keeps secrets even from his own staff, and with his political enemies turning their attention to her, even the most tenacious and well-protected human might not survive long enough to see the end of her sentence.

Review: 

I absolutely loved this story. As someone who loves Beauty and the Beast retellings, I really enjoyed the way this one blended familiar elements with a rich magical world, political intrigue, and a slow-burn romance.

The story follows Jane, she is trying to get to the city to help her father with his trade business while he is home and ill with her sister. On the way, Jane accidentally stumbles into a hidden magical realm and is forced to remain there for a year while the mageborn determine whether her arrival was truly an accident. During her sentence, she's bound to Reagan, a grumpy, beastly lord who is just as unhappy about the arrangement as she is. Their relationship starts off full of tension and hostility toward one another. 

Jane is stubborn, as many fantasy heroines are, but she's also curious, observant, and determined. I loved watching her attempts to escape and the way she constantly challenged Reagan. Reagan, meanwhile, is mysterious, broody, and the perfect grump for Jane to unravel. Their enemies-to-lovers dynamic felt earned, and the forced proximity and banter were handled so well that I found myself looking forward to every interaction between them. Their slowly evolving relationships was one of my favorite parts of the book.

The supporting cast was just as fun though. There was such a strong sense of found family that added warmth to an otherwise dark and brooding story. The relationships between the characters felt genuine, and their loyalty and appreciation for one another made the world feel even more alive.

What I think was the real winner here was the world-building. While Reagan's curse is an important part of the story, the true focus is the kingdom itself: its politics, its history, and the looming threat hanging over it (which the curse ties into yes, but the mystery of it all is kept for a while). The cities, the people, and the political tensions felt just as important as the main characters, creating a setting that was immersive and incredibly compelling. The magic system took me a little while to fully understand, but as more pieces fell into place, I really enjoyed the revelations and twists toward the end.

There were a few moments where the writing read a little younger than I expected, but it never took away from the glee I had while reading. Overall, this was a richly imagined fantasy with memorable characters, fantastic romantic tension, and a world I can't wait to return to. If you enjoy Beauty and the Beast retellings, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and fantasy with strong political intrigue, I would definitely recommend picking this one up.