The Gentleman and His Vowsmith

This sparkling queer Regency-era romantasy from Ide, the pen name for Devin Madson (We Ride the Storm), offers an entertaining blend of magic and mystery. England in 1816 is reimagined as a society divided not just into aristocracy and commoners but also those who can wield magic, called Brilliants, and those who can’t. A marriage contract has been proposed between two Brilliants, Lord Nicholas “Nic” Monterris and Lady Leaf Serral. For the contract to be finalized, the two families must be locked into a house with one another to negotiate the specifics via each family’s vowsmith, a sort of magical lawyer and clerk. Nic and Leaf don’t wish to marry in the first place, especially as Nic is gay and crushing on Leaf’s vowsmith, with whom he once had an affair. The contract process becomes even more complicated when an ominous artifact from the past appears and people begin dying. While the Regency setting doesn’t always cohere, the blend of genres is effective, and watching Nic and Leaf’s friendship blossom is just as satisfying as seeing Nic reunite with his erstwhile love. It’s a promising new direction for Ide. Agent: Julie Crisp, Julie Crisp Literary. (Apr.)