Review of The Feywild Job by C.L. Polk

I was very impressed by C.L. Polk’s Kingston Cycle of novels, starting with Witchmark, and I absolutely adored The Midnight Bargain, so when I heard they had a new standalone fantasy novel, I was feral about it. I somehow missed that it was an IP novel. Oddly enough, while I have been D&D adjacent my entire life, I have never actually played D&D, and in general I don’t read tie-in novels. Occasionally, I make an exception—and I’m glad I did in this case. The Feywild Job is quite accessible for D&D outsiders, and it pretty much delivers what’s on the jacket: a cozy fantasy romance, a heist, a story of found family and redemption.

Saeldian Charmhand is an elf-human, and as a child they entered into a pact with an elf: magic in return for never falling in love. Whenever someone comes along who might threaten Saeldian’s end of that bargain, they GTFO. This happened ten years prior, with Kell Redsong, who was their partner in crime and nearly the love of their life. Now Saeldian and Kell have been unwillingly reunited to plan and pull off—in a single day—a reverse heist. Each brings an able partner to the company, and together these four embark on their quest. But Saeldian is afraid of hurting Kell again—or breaking their pact.

First, let’s talk genre. The Feywild Job is accurately labelled as fantasy romance, not romantasy, so the romance is very much integral to the plot of this story, and fans of romance will find plenty of tropes they might adore (only one bed, oh no!). The magical elements of the story don’t intersect with that romance, except insofar as Saeldian’s worry that allowing themself to love will renege on their deal. I, of course, am famously not a romance girlie—though my recent experience watching Bones for the first time has reminded me that I am, despite my grousing, “a romantic aromantic” at heart. (Just kiss, y’all. Just. Kiss.)

Anyway, all of that is to say, from my limited experience with this genre, I think Polk does a great job of using fantasy romance tropes and expectations (including the HEA). So if that is what draws you to the story, prepare to be at the very least whelmed.

Now, in addition to the author, I of course was enticed by the promise of a juicy heist dangled in front of my reading eyeballs. I love heist stories. I salivate over them. I will watch any heist movie, no matter how bad or ridiculous, and I will tolerate a lot of bad heist novels (though to be fair, bad heist movies are usually superior to bad heist novels because they tend to have ridiculous action stars hamming it up, and you can watch them with someone). The Feywild Job actually contains that rare and precious gem, the reverse heist! Alas, the actual heist scenes are overshadowed by the character work that is the main focus of this book (both the romantic plot and the other character development). The first heist scene is very well-written, with a fun trap our heroes must defeat; the reverse heist was less memorable for me (and it felt like the book was kind of over it too). I also enjoyed the overall mechanism by which Saeldian, Kell, Jubilee, and Lorsok are manipulated into doing the heist.

I think what will really be the deciding factor for most readers of The Feywild Job is vibes. Or to be slightly more academic about it, mood and atmosphere. “Cozy” isn’t a sufficient label (it’s so nebulous and vague). I’d classify this story as “take this plot armour; it’s dangerous to go alone!” This is ultimately a cheerful comedy, entirely in line with the tone and mood of the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves film. Though the feywild is portrayed as a mysterious, changeable, and even dangerous environment, the biggest jeopardy our heroes seem to face comes from their own fixations about failing their quest. The minor characters are almost all caricatures in exactly the style you should expect for a D&D novel (this is praise!).

Where The Feywild Job disappoints, in my opinion, is in how Polk handles the ending. They basically pull the curtain back with a flourish and have one or two characters explain who was behind the scenes, pulling the strings. And I don’t actually object to this plot twist itself—I think there had to be something deeper happening the entire time—but the reveal happens so fast and furious that you might blink and need to go back and reread it to disentangle what was going on. Once you get it, however, I fully credit Polk for connecting all the dots of the foreshadowing throughout the story.

I haven’t discussed character much, and there’s a reason: despite its romance plot, this book is not terribly deep or character-driven. Jubilee and Lorzok have kind of one-note personalities, and while they grow a little by the end, the story pretty aggressively tells them not to take centre stage. Kell and Saeldian are a little better, but their dynamic tends to steal away any focus from other character traits: Kell is pretty much a grumpy lil guy who gave up singing and wants to find his family; Saeldian is a charming yet wounded lil birdie determined to isolate themself, supposedly to avoid hurting others yet really to avoid hurting themself. I mean, it is what it is. I don’t think simple characterization is bad all the time, as long as that’s what you expect.

Finally, I will close by saying that this book helped me understand why it’s nice to spend time in the D&D universe. It’s definitely a rich world for storytelling, and there is something fun and even comforting about the idea that almost everyone you meet is a hero of some kind, wrapped up in their own magical adventures (Polk hangs a lampshade on this with Jubilee’s parents).

The Feywild Job is satisfying in that it delivers on what it promises. I doubt it will surprise or stun anyone—it’s a beautiful yet ultimately conventional work of art. But if you want a fun queer romance set in D&D land, complete with a heist/reverse heist plot, I mean … yeah. You won’t go wrong with this.