Ali Hazelwood meets Dungeons & Dragons in this enemies-to-lovers fantasy academia romcom where rival grad student wizards are forced to work together without killing―or falling for―each other.
Will they conjure love, or evoke chaos? Two rival wizards are about to find out.
Sebastian Walsh: twenty-four. Grad student at Lesiara University in the Mageus of Evocation program. Human. The first of his family to go to college rather than the military (and it goes over at family get-togethers about as well as you’d think).
Elethior Tourael: also twenty-four. Also a grad student, but in the far more inferior Mageus of Conjuration program. Half-elf. The latest in a long line of Touraels to grace the hallowed halls of Lesiara U (what would the world do if the Touraels ran out of rich douches to lead their magical weapons manufacturing empire?).
―and the other finalist for the Mageus Research Grant.
Sebastian needs that grant to fund the last few months of research for his degree, after which he’ll get a job that actually helps people. He isn’t about to let anyone snatch this from him, least of all a snob who doesn’t even need the money because his family is loaded thanks to war profiteering.
But there’s something worse than having a conceited academic nemesis steal grant money from you: you could be forced to work with him. Thio is secretive, broody, and his stunning biceps take up far too much shared lab space―but even as volatile as their partnership is, Sebastian just might find himself falling for his rival―and it could blow up his whole future.
Will they conjure love, or evoke chaos? Two rival wizards are about to find out.
Sebastian Walsh: twenty-four. Grad student at Lesiara University in the Mageus of Evocation program. Human. The first of his family to go to college rather than the military (and it goes over at family get-togethers about as well as you’d think).
Elethior Tourael: also twenty-four. Also a grad student, but in the far more inferior Mageus of Conjuration program. Half-elf. The latest in a long line of Touraels to grace the hallowed halls of Lesiara U (what would the world do if the Touraels ran out of rich douches to lead their magical weapons manufacturing empire?).
―and the other finalist for the Mageus Research Grant.
Sebastian needs that grant to fund the last few months of research for his degree, after which he’ll get a job that actually helps people. He isn’t about to let anyone snatch this from him, least of all a snob who doesn’t even need the money because his family is loaded thanks to war profiteering.
But there’s something worse than having a conceited academic nemesis steal grant money from you: you could be forced to work with him. Thio is secretive, broody, and his stunning biceps take up far too much shared lab space―but even as volatile as their partnership is, Sebastian just might find himself falling for his rival―and it could blow up his whole future.
Title: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1)
Author: Sara Raasch
Publisher: Bramble/Macmillan Audio
Publication Date: August 26, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Bramble/Macmillan Audio for sending me a copy of this audiobook to listen to and give an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I love me some Sara Raasch. The Nightmare Before Kissmas was one of my favorite listens last year. When I saw Sara had a new series about wizards, I was excited to see what the story was about. I did request a copy but was denied. So I was even more excited when I was sent a copy to jump into. As usual, Raasch is queen of magic and MM relationships. I absolutely adored this book.
This was my first time listening to the narrator, Sam Stark. And he was perfect. I loved the emotion he infused into the MMC's narration. I loved his intonation and pacing. And how he was able to really get the personality of the main character across to the listener. He has moved on to my list of narrators I will go to for a listen!
Sebastian was so much fun to get to know. I loved his personality so much. A little bit of a trouble maker and a lot of someone who wants to make something of himself. He harbored a lot of emotion throughout the book. Especially once he gets "stuck" working with Elethior, his long time enemy. Forced to work together for a grant, they slowly get to know more than just the surface level of each other. They slowly grow into a friendship that eventually turns into just a bit more. Raasch truly does MM romance with amazing finesse. Her spicy scenes are truly perfect.
And can we talk about the romance? It is just flat out chemistry from the very start. Despite their differences, including their types of magic and their family background, Sebastian and Elethior bond. And then you can just feel how they are are drawn to each other. Even though they "hate" each other, they easily begin to support one another through their shared work. They defend each other so easily, like they were made to be an item.
More over, her side characters are always amazing. I adored Orok so much. And his relationship with Seb is amazing. It was so refreshing to watch two men be the best of friends and watch out for each other. They are uninhibited by societal norms and that truly was a testament to show that love is love is love. They aren't afraid to hug, or say I love you, or support one another. They went through some trauma together and that also gets worked through in this book. This back story is sad and really formed who they are as wizards and friends.
The pacing of this book is great. I sped through it. And honestly, towards the end, I slowed it down because I really didn't want it to end. There is so much I could say but any and all of it would be spoilers and I would not want to ruin the perfection Raasch has created.
Lovers of authors like Ali Hazelwood and Sarina Bowen will enjoy this magical romance. If you love magic and high jinks mixed with close proximity, enemies to lovers, and queer attractxion, Seb and Theo will become your new obsession. I cannot thank the publisher enough for sending me a copy of this story. And can I say how excited I am to get Orok's story next? I did request it but have been denied so I cannot wait for my copy when it comes out!
Author:
Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too. Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her debut YA fantasy, SNOW LIKE ASHES, the first in a trilogy, came out October 14, 2014 from Balzer + Bray. It does not feature her hand-drawn pictures.
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