A Cauldron Captured by R.K. Ashwick

Bjørn reviews A Cauldron Captured, the second book in R.K. Ashwick‘s cosy fantasy series, Side Quest Row.

Review(s) of previous book(s): A Rival Most Vial

Why steal a potion when you can steal a potioneer?

Grumpy potioneer Ambrose Beake has only one social event marked on his the country’s three-day Potion Convention. Alchemists from all over the world pour in to discuss their life’s work, and Ambrose eagerly dives into the excitement. Greeting old friends, speaking on panels, hopping into heated debates…

And getting kidnapped by an underground crime syndicate.

The criminals demand that Ambrose brew an impossible illusion potion—but the Guild’s protocol for such kidnappings is clear. He must agree to do the work, then delay the project as much as possible, while above ground, his boyfriend Eli and best friend Dawn plot to save him. They’re not alone in this venture, either—a beautiful journalist arrives to cover the rescue, just as eager as they are to investigate, infiltrate…and ignite a few sparks in Dawn’s heart along the way.

But while Dawn struggles to ignore those sparks and Eli struggles to save his beloved, Ambrose delves into the syndicate’s secrets—and finds something far more impossible hidden within its depths.

“If she was planning to spark some romance today, there was going to be a bonfire by lunch.”

Ambrose, Eli, Dawn, Viola, my bae Grim and the rest of the gang make a comeback in A Cauldron Captured. So does the warmth, humour, casual queerness, and romance. There is smooching and there is snacking and I’ll be back in a sec with some chocolate… wait… yes, that’s better.

If the definition of ‘romantasy’ is simply ‘romantic fantasy’ A Cauldron Captured goes further; it’s both those genres at once, following the romance beats – except for the love interest not getting their POV, which would ruin the fantasy portion in this particular cauldron. It isn’t so much will-they-won’t-they as they-would-can-they? But it’s also a fully-fledged, well-developed, and well-paced rescue fantasy book that follows the fantasy beats at the same time. And all of it is very well done. The minor cliffhanger at the end promises (literally) big things for the third book and I already can’t wait. Some authors should write as fast as I read.

The developments of both quests, the one to rescue and the one to smooch, sometimes had me biting my nails even though I almost certainly knew there would be a happy ending. Did I get what I expected, or rather demanded? Obviously, I’m not telling you what happened, but ‘sort of, mostly, whoa, didn’t see this coming’ should describe it.

Is A Cauldron Captured perfect, then? Welllllll… I had problems with disbelief suspension. Why wouldn’t The Thing simply happen again? Regarding the invisibility spell, what exactly becomes or doesn’t become invisible, since things kept in pockets don’t drink the potion? How does one invisible person grab the other’s elbow (others, later in the book, don’t have the ability)? In addition…

…oh. That was it. I was invested in everyone and everything, including an unscheduled meeting of a fist with a jaw. R.K. Ashwick’s characters are very easy to cheer for, or gasp when something happens; the villains are flat and predictable (but punchable) as they should be in this sort of book. I do, however, expect the third part of the (nooooo… make it longer!) trilogy to answer the first question, and my tentative rating and this review might be altered if it never does.

The soft magic system – anything is possible if it needs to be, and not if it needs to not be – fits this warm patchwork blanket of a book. I happen to be on vacation, the world is doing what the world is doing, but my Internet is being delivered by a lame donkey. Also, the cabin where I’m staying has single glazing. I spent a whole day sitting in front of the fire, teleported to the world of A Cauldron Captured, listening to wind and rain. (With stracciatella yoghurt and some extra chocolate. I hope Viola is available for consultations.)

I recommend this book to everyone who likes romance, fantasy, and sweet (this was a pun) escapism. And, of course, book one. I got to review A Cauldron Captured because I was the first QBA blogger to jump on it after I nearly deprived yourself of A Rival Most Vial, which deservedly ended top five in SPFBO 9 for well-deserved reasons. If you loved book one, you need book two, and if this review makes you want to read A Cauldron Captured, start with A Rival Most Vial. Otherwise, how are you going to know why Dawn, Grim, Viola, Eli, etc. are so important to you from now on?