Elsie Winters

I'm keen on cozy fantasies lately, and this one fit perfectly. Technically, part of it takes place in the real world, but it still felt like a fantasy world since the characters spend much of their time in "the Boundlands," which they access through large portal gates found around the human city. The world with its many different magical species, characters who were part magical and part human, and types of magic, all interacting with humans out in the open, was new and interesting. I loved that the heroine was shy and it was believably written, and how various conflicts and villains came and went, without gory fighting or overwhelming trauma. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the "bonding" part of the relationship, even though the characters discussed it openly; but that was specific to the biology of one of the main characters, so I'm hoping it won't be part of future stories in this world.… (meer)