Review Detail

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft is a standalone fantasy romance that reads like Bridgerton with a touch of magic. Niamh Ó Conchobhair is a commoner with divine blood, able to weave her magic into the fabrics she makes. She can make the wearer beautiful to those around them, provide comfort or create a shield all with the clothes she crafts. Her magic comes with a price though, her own health. So when she is asked to the royal dressmaker for the younger prince’s wedding, Niamh jumps at the chance to make her dreams a reality.

Niamh is an interesting character. I enjoyed being in her POV for the entirety of the story. Everything she experiences in the Avlish court is her first time just like the reader, making it easy to connect to her and empathize with her as she navigates her way through the prejudices of the court. Niamh’s honesty and innocence (for lack of better word) paves the way for her to create relationships with those around her. These new friendships come easily to her, all but one: Prince Christopher, or Kit to his friends and family.

Kit is not an easily likable character. He’s closed off, disagreeable, and bluntly honest which isn’t always a good thing. While you never have to wonder what he is thinking, his honesty is often unkind. Niamh, who is so likable that most who speak to her like her instantly, is unable to connect to Kit, who often antagonizes her and angers her. While their relationship is an enemy to lovers trope, I personally didn’t buy into it. The chemistry just wasn’t there for me.

Despite liking Niamh, I really struggled with this one. I wanted to like it. I was excited to pick it up and dove in with such high hopes that I was really disappointed when it failed to live up to my expectations. Niamh is really the only bright spot for me. The romance in this fantasy was blah, and the story itself dragged on much longer than it should have. By the time I reached the 70% mark, I found myself skimming to see how the story would end. I just was not invested in the characters, their story, or the romance.

Then there is the fantasy portion of the book. I’ve read and really enjoyed Saft’s other books so I was excited to see how she wove magic into this story. Unfortunately, it felt like an afterthought. While Niamh, Kit, and his brother Jack, all have divine blood, meaning they control some aspect of magic, it isn’t explained. There are no rules to this magical world. The Blight that is mentioned multiple times which affects Niamh’s homeland and was caused by the Avlish is never resolved or explained. Really disappointing.

Overall, A Fragile Enchantment was an okay read for me. I think this was truly a case of “it’s not you, it’s me.” The romance, the fantasy, and the story itself were just okay. I didn’t really love any of the characters. Niamh’s naïveté wore on me, and by the end of the book, I no longer believed her so called innocent act. The surprises and twists were predictable. The only bright spot of this story is the regency era setting as the Avlish court is inspired by British court. If you are a fan of fantasy romance, specifically regency era, you may enjoy it more than I did.