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Title: Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches

Author: Kayla Cottingham

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication date: September 23, 2025

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Summary

After being freed from his family’s curse, Kieran thought that his life would get better. However, that hasn’t seemed to be the case thus far. Unlucky in love and magic, Kieran has resigned himself to a life without both. Especially after accidentally cursing his boyfriend right after he breaks up with him.

In order to break the curse, Kieran volunteers to make a panacea in order to break the curse as his Calling in order to become a full fledged witch. The problem is? He has no idea where to start. But he starts off on his quest with his sister, her girlfriend, and a new friend who has caught Kieran’s eye.

Review: Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches

Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches by Kayla Cottingham to review! I absolutely loved the first book set in this world, Practical Rules for Cursed Witches, so I was excited to see that there was another book! The magic system is so interesting, and the characters are ones that linger long after you finish reading the book. It’s lovely to get to see where they went after the previous book ended!

My favorite aspect of these books is that, in order to become a witch, you have to complete a sort of research project. A culmination of subjects you’ve been working on up until then (theoretically). While Kieran’s is sort of spur of the moment in this book, his writing takes a large part in his journey to become a witch. You get to see him gain confidence as we move through the story, and it’s such a great thing to see.

Kieran also had great chemistry with Sebastian, and they are both so supportive of each other. I’d honestly read this book just for the romance alone; which is saying something, since I love magical stories.

If you’re looking for a witchy fantasy for the fall, definitely check out this series by Cottingham! They do an excellent job in transporting you to this world they’ve created.

4.5/5 stars

By Amanda

An avid young adult reader and reviewer, I'm also a coffee connoisseur and a playlist curator. Current teen librarian-in-training.