Book Review: A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

November 25, 2024

I am going to start this out with saying that I adore Allison Saft. This is just the second book I have read by her, but I have really enjoyed both of them. This book is for sure a young adult audience, but it is a little more spicy than I would probably had been comfortable with as a teen.

We follow the story of a young woman named Niamh who has been selected to travel far from her home to be the official tailor for the royal wedding in Avaland. She was born with the ability to enchant the clothing that she makes with emotions and feelings, and her beautiful designs from the courting season the year before, caught the attention of the Prince Regent. The only thing, is that his father, who has now grown ill, caused a lot of harm to her people, and they are living with very little because of it. Battling between the choice to be able to support her family, and the feeling of betraying her family by working for this family, she ultimately decides supporting them is more important to her, because she is not sure how much longer she has. Due to her illness, she may have many years left, she may have very few, and there is no way of knowing other than a silver streak, that keeps growing, in her hair. Much to her dismay, the young prince that is getting married, the Prince Regents younger brother Kit, is dashingly handsome and infuriatingly stubborn. She finds herself in the midst of deep friendships, a feeling of home that she had never felt, being faced with her deepest desires and an impossible romance.

This book touches on a forbidden romance, the fall of a kingdom, betrayal, friendship, compassion and facing the fact that we only have one life, and what it is worth to truly decide on your own destiny. I think this book is charming and thought provoking and jam packed with longing. I highly suggest.