BWS Review: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards

Overview

Title: The Entanglement of Rival Wizards

Author/Publisher: Sara Raasch/ Bramble Tor Publishing Group

Story: Sebastian (human) is forced to work with his rival Elethior (half-elf) for the Mageus Research Grant. As they are forced to be lab partners, their relationship becomes something more.

Published Date: August 26, 2025

Genre: Fantasy, D&D, Rivalry, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, LGBTQ

Pages: 318 pages

Sara Raasch is back with another heart-throbbing and spicy book in her A Magic and Romance Novel series with The Entanglement of Rival Wizards. This homage to Critical Role, “an American web series in which a group of professional voice actors play Dungeons & Dragons”, is full of magic, love, and two characters at each other’s throats who are clearly obsessed with one another. The Entanglement of Rival Wizards was published in August 2025 by Bramble Tor Publishing Group. Other books by Raasch are Nightmare Before Kissmas and Go Luck Yourself. Raasch will continue the series with a sequel in 2026.

The Summary

Sebastian Walsh is a human who works in the Evocation Department and is a finalist for Mageus Research Grant. His bitter rival, Elethior Tourael, a half-elf, is the Conjuration Department’s grant finalist. Elthior is everything Sebastian loathes: a Tourael, pretentious asshole, and from old money. Just when they think their department rivalry is about to end, they receive the news that both will recieve the grant under the condition they work together. As they share a lab space, Sebastian starts to see a new side of Elthior, and their rivalry starts to get more volatile.

Spice Rating:

  Four out of five chili peppers.

Warning! Slight Spoilers Below

The Evaluation

Once again, I am sucked into another one of Raasch’s fantasy worlds filled with magic and bitter rivals who fall head over heels for each other. The Entanglement of Rival Wizards is filled with magical chaos, humor, and sexual tension, which balances out the vulnerable emotional scenes.

Raasch has a knack for writing magical, traumatized men with parental issues falling in love with the man they least expect. This book differs from Nightmare Before Kissmas and Go Luck Yourself with a new world based on Dungeons & Dragons. There are popular monsters and magical chaos. If you are fan of Raasch’s previous work, D&D, rival romance, or looking for a solid fantasy book, then The Entanglement of Rival Wizards is for you.

What I liked

• Emotional characters with rich backgrounds.

The major characters are all well written with their own personalities, flaws, and goals. Sebastian, Elethior, and Orok are given their moments to shine as Raasch knows how to make her characters enjoyable to read. Sebastian tries to turn everything into a joke or prank, but it's his way of distracting himself from how he really feels. His doubt in himself stems from his traumatizing past that he still struggles with.

• Rival to Lovers.  

Sebastian and Elethior’s romance is filled with flirting and bickering. The way the atmosphere goes from competition to sexual tension is amazing to read.

“The moment the T-shirt brushes across my face, I slide my glasses back on and I can see him again. The silence arching between us stretches. The difference between come at me, brah, and something that takes the knot in my stomach and douses it with kerosene and scrapes a match against my nerve endings to light it” (30 pg).

• Fantasy worldbuilding.

Raasch takes a new angle with magic, making her book more interesting. “That’s my research project: developing a way to cap the energy drawn from components in the spell, rather than having wizards cap the amount through their own focus. A safety net thrown over every spell so parameters are set…”( pg 54). The book focuses on Sebastian’s research project, which is a unique magic system. His project also feels like a genuine research project for a fantasy university.

• Critical Role Fanfiction

On top of the magic and monsters, this book has adventure parties and news alerts that add to the D&D vibes and are fun to read.

“TRAFFIC ALERT: Troll warning at the South Street Bridge. Travelers advised to seek alternative routes even if they believe they can answer the troll’s riddle. Adventure party dispatched. Expected time to all clear: two and a half hours.” (22pg)

What didn’t work for me

• I feel like the book could have gone in more depth with all the species.

Most of the species seen: half-elves, half-giants, and dwarves seemed human coded. Half-giants seem to be large humans, dwarves are short humans with beards, half-elves are just humans with pointy ears. I think it would have been more interesting if there were more differences between species, like how half sirens have “bright blue hair and a sheen of teal” to their skin (138 pg). Some species aren’t even described, such as halflings. “Elethior’s next to the bed, talking with a halfling woman in a lab coat; so, doctor” (122 pg). If the reader has prior knowledge of D&D, then they likely would need less description.  I don’t play D&D, so it would have been nice to know what Halflings look like. I think describing the species more would have expanded the worldbuilding and set them a part from humans.

The Rating

The Bookworm Snack rates The Entanglement of Rival Wizards four out of five stars.

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards is a D&D inspired book with monsters and magic, along with rivalry, romance, humor, and tension between Sebatian and Elthenor. Like Raasch’s other A Magic and Romance Novel series, I really enjoyed reading the book. The fantasy world was interesting, especially the magic system that plays a big role in the book. Raasch does a fantastic job of writing interesting characters and amazing romance. I felt the worldbuilding could have been expanded by describing the differences between species more, as all the different species seem human coded. The Bookworm Snack rates The Entanglement of Rival Wizards four out of five stars. If you enjoy Raasch’s other books: Nightmare Before Kissmas and Go Luck Yourself, then you will love The Entanglement of Rival Wizards.

Have you read Sara Raasch's books before? Drop your opinion below.

How Rating Works

Spice:

1 Chili Pepper --Kisses and Hugs (PG)

2 Chili Pepper --Intimate touching and intent. Fades to black (PG-17)

3 Chili Pepper -- At least one graphic sexual scene (vanilla sex for love)

4 Chili Pepper --Multiple graphic sexual scenes. (Friends with Benefits)

5 Chili Pepper -- Detailed graphic sexual scenes that consistent throughout story. (Erotic books level)

Stars

1 Star --I couldn’t finish the book

2 Star --I read the book, but didn’t enjoy it

3 Star --Good book with solid writing (likely wasn’t for me)

4 Star --Great book (likely a one time read for me)

5 Star --Wonderful book that I will reread again (likely immediately!)