The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry

Delly Wells is a fire witch struggling to make rent in a Victorian-style fantasy city. When she takes a job as a bodyguard for a wealthy young woman, she joins a team of skilled female magic users on what seems to be a straightforward protection mission. The job becomes more complex as Delly and her companions uncover a web of crime and dangerous magic. The group must navigate both the criminal underworld and upper-class society while keeping their charge safe from mounting threats. Delly develops unexpected relationships within the team, particularly with the refined gentlewoman Winn. Their growing connection unfolds against a backdrop of investigation, magical combat, and encounters with animated corpses in the city's dark corners. This genre-blending novel combines elements of romance, mystery and fantasy to explore themes of class division and found family. The story challenges assumptions about identity and belonging in a rigid social hierarchy.

Readers note the book's humor and LGBTQ+ romance, with many highlighting the unique Victorian-era magical slang and dialect used by the main character Dellaria. The unconventional prose style resonates with some readers while others find it difficult to follow. Likes: - Character development and romance build naturally - Creative magic system and worldbuilding - Strong found family themes - Sharp, witty dialogue - Main character's flaws and growth Dislikes: - Pacing issues in the middle section - Dialect/slang takes time to understand - Plot can feel meandering - Some side characters lack depth Several readers mention the book works better as a character study than a fantasy-mystery. Multiple reviews note it's more slow-paced than the cover and description suggest. Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (2,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (240+ ratings) StoryGraph: 3.75/5 (400+ ratings) Common comparison: T. Kingfisher's Swordheart for similar humor and romance style.

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🌟 The novel features a creative magic system where spells are cast through speaking specific combinations of words, with different languages having varying magical properties 🔮 Author C.M. Waggoner deliberately crafted the book's Victorian-inspired setting to explore class differences and social mobility through the lens of magic 💕 The story includes a prominent LGBTQ+ romance, with the main character Dellaria Wells developing feelings for another woman in her magical protection team 🏰 The book's fantasy world incorporates both high society drawing rooms and gritty underground criminal elements, blending traditional fantasy with elements of noir detective fiction 🐉 The author created unique magical creatures for the story, including "handfire mice" - tiny rodents made entirely of living flame that serve as both pets and light sources