In 2026, romantasy may possibly be the most popular subgenre of fantasy literature… but it is also the one most hardly criticized. A growing interest shown in recent years by publishers has brought many new titles on the shelves, putting the hard-core fantasy audience into contact with the romance and fan fiction audiences, with variable degrees of general satisfaction. “La Mesmerista” by Sara Simoni seems to meet all the needed requirements to thrill readers from both sides, mixing an original worldbuilding with an authentic love story that drives the plot in tasty, unexpected directions.
In the first volume of the trilogy, Lena Moroder, a mesmerist, lives by her wits in Livorno after losing her family and her own home across the border, a land now occupied by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When what should have been the heist of a lifetime turns into a fiasco, Lena ends up in the hands of the royal guard: the only way to avoid conviction and death is to become their spy, helping the Italian Kingdom to overcome enemies once and for all by using their own mesmeric powers. She will have to infiltrate the palace and the life of Bastiano Adimari, one of the richest men in the city, to steal a precious weapon that could change the balance of power forever. But Bastiano is not what Lena imagined, and between secrets and terrible choices, the game of deception threatens to trap her too…
Il cuore si rompe se lo metti nel posto sbagliato.
The love story between the two protagonists, Lena and Bas, follows an enemies-to-lovers trope that works well, thanks to the great humanity of the two characters: on the surface, she appears strong but poor, while he comes off as clumsy but rich. Yet as the story progresses, new layers of meaning are revealed through a narrative structure that alternates PoVs and lets the reader delve deeper and deeper into their respective psyche and personality. What does it mean to be strong or powerful? Does our true nature limit us, or is it our greatest resource? Who should we trust? The romantic relationship portraied has no toxic or triggering trait.
Non doveva pensare a lui. Ci sarebbero stati altri uomini, come ce n’erano stati prima. Quando fosse passato abbastanza tempo, quando la distanza tra loro fosse diventata insuperabile, l’avrebbe dimenticato.
Anche se non era giusto.
Quante cose ingiuste succedevano ogni giorno? Quante cose ingiuste erano successe a lei?
The magical system constitutes the truly original part of the story: a peculiar set of powers, based on a doctrine and working thanks to a ferromagnetic activator, a mix between persuasive witchcraft and technomagic. It represents, above all, the power to control and manipulate others, as fascinating as it is terrifying, a very topical theme. What are we willing to do to get what we want? And what about the historical Italian setting, but with a supposed Austro-Hungarian invasion? Or the unusual choice of the city of Livorno, located along the coast in Tuscany? There was no fear of daring in the conception of this story, and that did pay off.
After making her fantasy debut on Wattpad, the author has found a home for many of her projects with Acheron Books. All three books of “La Mesmerista” catch the eye thanks to beautifully illustrated book covers characterized by moody colors and gold graphics inspired by the roaring twenties, making them a set of high value products whilst keeping their price accessible.
In conclusion, “La Mesmerista” is an exciting and immersive read which manages to create a world in which classic elements of the fantasy genre are mixed with original settings and a gorgeous, heart-felt love story capable of engaging an expanding, and increasingly demanding, readership.
Title: La Mesmerista
Author: Sara Simoni
ISBN code: 9788832198911
Publisher: Acheron Books
What you will find in this book:
A convincing enemies to lovers
Persuasion magic
The Italian roaring twenties