Alright my fellow spicy book dragons, where are my romantasy and dark academia lovers at? If you love magical colleges, witches, warlocks, monsters, mysterious childhood connections, family secrets, and a romance filled with enough tension to have you yelling at the characters to just figure it out already, Spell Caster by Jaymin Eve is definitely one to check out.
This is the first book in the Weatherstone College series, and it completely sucked me into its magical world. The story is fast-paced, there's constantly another mystery popping up, and by the end I had enough questions that I went ahead and ordered the next book. Because that cliffhanger? What. The. Fuck. But we'll get to that. ๏ปฟAlready intrigued? Because I definitely was.
Meet the Characters
Paisley Hallistar (FMC): The youngest of five siblings, Paisley is kind, intelligent, strong-willed, hardworking, and a chronic worrier with a self-deprecating streak. She's finally been accepted into Weatherstone College, where her father teaches and her four older siblings attend, but unlike everyone around her, Paisley still has absolutely no idea what her magical affinity is.
Logan Kingston (MMC): Tall, tattooed, ridiculously powerful, arrogant, confident, intelligent, and mysterious. Logan and Paisley knew each other as children, although Paisley barely remembers him. Logan certainly remembers her, though, and still calls her by his childhood nickname for her: Precious, short for his "precious gem."
A Magical College With Plenty of Secrets
Weatherstone College was one of my favorite parts of this book. Students can belong to several magical classes, including elementals who control earth, water, fire, air, or metal, along with nature sprites, necromancers, and the incredibly powerful spellcasters. Paisley just needs to figure out where she belongs.
Unfortunately, finding her affinity quickly becomes the least of her problems. Before classes even begin, Paisley's father discovers that Logan has transferred to Weatherstone and immediately tries to take her home. That's when Paisley learns about the massive falling out between the Hallistar and Kingston families.
Their fathers were once best friends, but after Logan's mother died in a tragic accident, everything fell apart. Logan's father blamed Paisley's mother and eventually made a blood oath against the Hallistar family. So naturally, everyone assumes Logan is dangerous. There's just one problem. Logan doesn't act like someone trying to kill Paisley.
Why Doesn't Paisley Remember Logan?
This was the mystery that really hooked me. When Paisley and Logan finally see each other again, her siblings immediately surround her protectively. Logan's reaction? He wants to know where his best friend Paisley is. Excuse me? Paisley barely remembers this man, yet Logan clearly remembers everything.
She has only fragments of memories from their childhood, including a little boy with tan skin and green eyes. Even stranger, her siblings slowly begin remembering him too. Then Logan calls her Precious. Suddenly Paisley has a whole new set of questions.
Why doesn't she remember him? Why does he remember her? What happened when they were children? And why does it feel like everyone knows something she doesn't? I needed answers.
Someone Really Wants This Girl Dead
Paisley's first year of college quickly turns into less of a magical education and more of a magical survival course. During one of her first elemental classes, something drags her beneath the water. Just when she thinks she's going to drown, someone saves her.
Logan. The supposedly dangerous man whose family has a blood oath against hers. And that's only the beginning. Monsters keep appearing. Paisley keeps getting targeted. People get hurt. Eventually, another student is killed.
Every attack raises another question about what's actually happening at Weatherstone. At one point Paisley is injured badly enough that she has no choice but to stumble to Logan's room for help before passing out at his door. Nothing says complicated relationship quite like relying on the man you're supposed to distrust to keep saving your life.
Paisley's Magic Was One of My Favorite Mysteries
Then there's the question of Paisley's affinity. During a lesson about spellcasters, Paisley's friend Belle volunteers her as a demonstration. Thanks, Belle.
Logan attempts to identify Paisley's affinity, but instead discovers that her magic is unlike anything he's felt before. Then everything goes boom. Was that Logan? Was that Paisley? What exactly is she?
I loved watching the clues slowly build throughout the book. You know Paisley is different, but figuring out exactly how and why keeps you reading. By the time she reaches her end-of-year assessment, I was more than ready for some answers.
Paisley and Logan's Chemistry
The mystery surrounding these two was probably my favorite part of the romance. Logan can be cold, arrogant, and infuriating one minute, then turn around and save Paisley's life the next. Paisley doesn't make things easy for him either.
Their banter is fantastic, and the attraction between them becomes harder and harder to ignore as the book progresses. You have this underlying feeling that these two share a much deeper history than Paisley realizes, which makes every interaction between them more interesting.
And yes, my fellow spicy book dragons, eventually these two have a very difficult time keeping their hands to themselves.
The Friendships and Hallistar Family
The romance isn't the only relationship I enjoyed.
Paisley's siblings are hilarious. I loved their constant teasing, bickering, and protectiveness. They actually feel like siblings rather than characters who were simply added to give the FMC a family.
I also really enjoyed watching Paisley build her own friendships at Weatherstone. And when Paisley and Haley bond over their mutual love of spicy books? My kind of people!
Those lighter moments were really important because they balanced all the attacks, family drama, monsters, mysteries, and darker moments happening around them.
Then Everything Goes to Hell
Just when you think you might finally understand what's happening, the story starts throwing even more twists at you.
Parents' weekend reveals more family secrets. Questions surrounding Belle's father start piling up. The conflict between the Hallistars and Kingstons gets even messier. A party ends in disaster. Paisley's father gets blamed and suspended. And then we reach that ending.
I will not spoil it. I will simply say that Spell Caster ends with the kind of cliffhanger that makes you stare at the final page thinking:
What the fuck just happened?!
Thankfully, I enjoyed the book enough that I already ordered the next one. I need answers.
The Verdict
Highly Recommended For: Fans of romantasy, paranormal romance, dark academia, magical colleges, childhood mysteries, powerful heroines, protective love interests, witches, monsters, and fast-paced stories packed with twists.
Spell Caster was a fantastic introduction to the Weatherstone College series. What hooked me most wasn't just the romance. It was the mystery surrounding Paisley herself.
Why can't she remember Logan? What really happened between their families? Why are monsters targeting her? What exactly is her magic? And who can she actually trust? Add Logan and Paisley's chemistry, the hilarious Hallistar siblings, Paisley's growing friendships, magical classes, dangerous creatures, family secrets, the spice, and one hell of a cliffhanger, and I was completely invested.
If you enjoy fast-paced romantasy where every answer seems to uncover three more questions, Spell Caster is absolutely worth adding to your TBR. As for me? The next Weatherstone College book is already on its way.
Happy reading, and remember my fellow spicy book dragons, before starting a book please check the tropes, and always check for trigger warnings. Nobody likes an unfinished book because the tropes aren't your cup of tea or having a bad reading experience because of unexpected trigger warnings.
