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“A queer, madcap, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with the future of the world at stake, this charming fantasy tale is sure to satisfy fans of Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree.

The kingdom of Farsala is broken and black clouds hang heavy over the arid lands. Former Grand-Mage of the High Court, Cyril Laverre, has spent the last decade hiding himself away in a ramshackle hut by the sea, trying to catch any remaining fish for his cat familiar, Shoestring, and suppressing his guilt over the kingdom’s ruin. For he played his part – for as the King, Eufrates Margrave, descended further and further into paranoia, violence and madness, his Grand-Mage – and husband – Cyril didn’t do a thing to stop him.

When Shoestring wanders away and dies one morning, Cyril knows his days are finally numbered. But are there enough left to have a last go at putting things right? With his remaining lifeblood, he casts a powerful spell that catapults him back in time to a happier period of Farsalan history – a time when it was Eufrates’s older sister Tig destined to ascend to the throne, before she died of a wasting disease, and a time when Cyril and Eufrates’s tentative romance had not yet bloomed. If he can just make sure Eufie never becomes King, then maybe he can prevent the kingdom’s tragic fate. But the magical oath he made to his husband at the altar, transcending both time and space, may prove to be his most enduring – and most dangerous – feat of magic to date…

Featuring a formidable Great Aunt, a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance, an awkward love quadrangle and a crow familiar called Ganache, this charming story is imminently easy to read and sure to satisfy fans of fanfiction who like their fantasy lite.”

400 pages

Today I’m so excited to share my review of the amazing Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa and a huge thank you to the lovely Angry Robot Books for my stunning copy! 💖

Please do check trigger warnings before reading! There is temporary animal death, bodily self harm, suicidal ideations and I might be missing some so please do check and stay safe! 💖

Honestly, where do I begin? I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! This was such a fresh take on fantasy and time travel, with such great twists! The concept of this story was so brilliant, I don’t want to go into it too much because I don’t want to give any spoilers but I will say I got the best Merlin vibes whilst reading this! 😍 (also side note BBC Merlin really needs to come back soon!) But back to my original point – I truly had the best time reading this! 

I fell in love with the characters instantly, from our dramatic main character Cyril who keeps trying to help without fully thinking things through, to the brooding and charismatic (but slightly evil) Eufrates and to my all time favourite Tigris who is strong willed and a ferocious Queen! All three of them were so funny and I loved how they turned into bickering children when they were in each others vicinity! 

And thank you to the author for introducing me to a new trope that I am now completely obsessed with! You’ve heard of friends to lovers and enemies to lovers but are you ready for friends to lovers to enemies to lovers?! Because it’s amazing!! 

Shoestring Theory was so much fun to read and I would love to return to this world and these characters! This became an instant favourite and one I will definitely be rereading!!