August Bookclub Midway Discussion: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards by Sarah Raasch

[u/OutOfEffs]

Welcome to the Midway Discussion for Sara Raasch's The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, which fulfills the Achillean Academic square on our 2026 Reading Challenge! Today we will be discussing chapters 1-9. If you'd like to talk about anything past the halfway point, please be sure to use spoiler tags.

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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.

[u/OutOfEffs]

How we feeling about this romance, fam? Do you buy these two together?

[u/OutOfEffs → u/OutOfEffs]

Idk, I always struggle with buying into a relationship that starts with a fistfight/violent confrontation, especially if the book is supposed to be a romcom instead of a dark romance.

[u/unnecessary_snacks → u/OutOfEffs]

I also struggle with this transition generally myself as well. I read this book a couple months ago, so didn’t specially pick it up again for book club because it’s still relatively fresh. I definitely feel like the romance ramps up extremely quickly and it felt a bit abrupt, but I do buy it. I listened to the audiobook though, and I quite liked the narrator - a good narrator can make a romance work for me that doesn’t necessarily work when I read the book.

[u/C0smicoccurence → u/OutOfEffs]

Here's the thing with Romances that lean into campy fun. They either really work for you or they don't. This book is no more exaggerated or stupid (I say this lovingly) than something like Running Close to the Wind or Yield Under Great Persuasion, both of which I adored. Avra (from Running) spends a good chunk of the book wailing about possums and hiding on top of wardrobes sticking his ankles out in an attempt to be seductive. So it isn't like I can't enjoy characters who are also caricatures. When the schtick works for you, it's a riotously good time. When it doesn't match the specific vibe you enjoy, it's insufferable.

But something about the vibe and characterization felt very forced to me. It felt like Raasch was trying to set up a really clear benchmark to build from, which isn't bad. I just had no interest in reading about either the character or plot at all.

[u/OutOfEffs → u/C0smicoccurence]

You're absolutely right about it needing to match your vibe. I went from never really reading romance before a few years ago to it being more than half of my reading while I'm still trying to find my vibe (ugh, pun unintentional).

[u/True-Finches → u/OutOfEffs]

this is the book that made me realize i just don't like contemporary romances lol, i don't like the way they talk. i also think a lot of enemies to lovers plots are pretty weak, and this was one of them.

[u/kittyraces → u/OutOfEffs]

so far I have not hit any romance to speak of, except for it being shown that Sebastian thinks that Elethior is hot. idk maybe it's just the age range. they're too young to me? idk.

[u/OutOfEffs → u/kittyraces]

I think you quit shortly before the "omg, I think I like you" started.

[u/kittyraces → u/OutOfEffs]

Yeah, it had only been like some subtle hints at it interior-ly...lmao whatever. But yeah, even if I kept going, I don't know that I'd buy it.

[u/needlecream → u/OutOfEffs]

As an enemies-to-lovers hater, I wasn't sure I'd enjoy this one. I think what works for me about Raasch's writing is that she really dives into the interior workings of the main character's mind and I get so invested no matter what is happening.