M Stevenson’s debut novel Behooved trots into the romantasy arena with a unique premise that could have easily galloped into ridiculous territory—but instead delivers a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of duty, love, and authentic disability representation wrapped in an enchanting fantasy package. While this novel occasionally stumbles under the weight of its ambitious themes, it ultimately succeeds in creating a world where chronic illness doesn’t disqualify someone from heroic adventures.
A Political Marriage Gone Magically Awry
The story follows Bianca Liliana, a dutiful noblewoman from Damaria who agrees to marry Prince Aric of Gildenheim to prevent war between their kingdoms. What begins as a standard political marriage fantasy quickly transforms into something far more original when an assassination attempt on their wedding night goes spectacularly wrong, leaving Aric cursed to spend his days as a horse and his nights as a frustratingly attractive human.
Stevenson demonstrates remarkable skill in establishing the political landscape without drowning readers in exposition. The tension between Damaria and Gildenheim feels genuine, rooted in realistic trade disputes and cultural differences rather than vague ancient grudges. The author’s background in environmental education shines through in the thoughtful worldbuilding, particularly in how magic interacts with the natural world and the economic implications of resource exploitation.
A Slow-Burn Romance That Actually Burns
The romantic development between Bianca and Aric forms the novel’s strongest foundation. Their initial antagonism feels authentic—two strangers forced into marriage, each believing the other has ulterior motives. Stevenson avoids the common pitfall of instant attraction masquerading as enemies-to-lovers by allowing their relationship to develop through genuine understanding and shared vulnerability.
The curse creates an intriguing dynamic that goes beyond mere comedic potential. During Aric’s human hours, their conversations reveal depths that pure physical attraction couldn’t sustain. Stevenson particularly excels in writing their intimate moments—both emotional and physical—with a tenderness that never feels gratuitous. The author handles consent beautifully, especially considering the unusual circumstances, and their first intimate scene is both passionate and refreshingly realistic about communication and mutual desire.
However, the pacing occasionally suffers during the middle sections. While the slow-burn approach works overall, some scenes feel unnecessarily drawn out, particularly during their journey to the border. The repetitive nature of Aric’s daily transformations, while thematically relevant, sometimes stalls narrative momentum.
Groundbreaking Disability Representation
Where Behooved by M Stevenson truly distinguishes itself is in its authentic portrayal of chronic illness through Bianca’s unnamed condition, which clearly represents celiac disease based on Stevenson’s author note. This isn’t inspiration or magical cure fantasy—Bianca’s symptoms are real, ongoing, and affect her daily life in believable ways. She manages her condition with tonics (representing dietary management), experiences unpredictable flares, and faces societal pressure to hide her “weakness.”
Stevenson deserves enormous credit for showing how internalized ableism affects Bianca’s self-perception. Her parents’ demands that she conceal her condition and their equation of illness with failure create a psychologically realistic portrait of growing up disabled in an ableist society. When Aric not only accepts her condition but helps her understand it better, their relationship becomes genuinely transformative rather than merely romantic.
The author’s decision to have the greenwitch suggest Bianca is being “poisoned” by something in her environment mirrors real celiac patients’ experiences of discovering their trigger foods. This subplot adds depth to the fantasy elements while maintaining clear parallels to real-world disability experiences.
Political Intrigue with Personal Stakes
The conspiracy plot surrounding the assassination attempt and the revelation of the puppet masters behind both kingdoms’ machinations provides solid narrative drive. Stevenson handles the political maneuvering with sophistication, avoiding cartoonish villains in favor of characters with understandable (if not sympathetic) motivations. Lord Varin’s resentment as an illegitimate heir feels particularly well-developed.
The author’s treatment of family dynamics adds emotional weight to the political stakes. Bianca’s relationship with her sister Tatiana provides both comic relief and genuine heart, while Aric’s complicated feelings toward his deceased mother create realistic psychological depth. The way both protagonists struggle with family expectations and their own sense of worth resonates beyond the fantasy setting.
Supporting Characters That Support the Story
Stevenson populates her world with a cast that avoids typical fantasy stereotypes. Captain Catalina Espada, Bianca’s former friend and current guard captain, could have been a simple jealousy catalyst but instead becomes a complex exploration of friendship, duty, and forgiveness. The romantic tension between Tatiana and Marya (Aric’s guard captain) adds delightful queer representation without feeling tokenistic.
Julieta, Bianca’s apothecary, deserves special mention for her late-revealed complexity. What could have been a simple betrayal plot becomes a nuanced examination of coercion and loyalty. The resolution of her character arc demonstrates Stevenson’s commitment to redemption over revenge.
Writing Style and World-Building
Stevenson’s prose strikes an effective balance between accessible and sophisticated. Her dialogue feels natural, particularly the banter between characters, though some formal court scenes occasionally veer toward stiffness. The author demonstrates particular strength in writing emotional intimacy—both romantic and familial relationships feel lived-in and authentic.
The magic system, while not extensively detailed, feels consistent and purposeful. The distinction between Damarian Adept magic (technological/industrial) and Gildenheim’s greenwitch magic (natural/healing) reflects the kingdoms’ different values and creates meaningful worldbuilding beyond mere aesthetic differences.
Minor Criticisms and Areas for Growth
While Behooved by M Stevenson succeeds admirably in most areas, some elements feel underdeveloped. The environmental themes, while present, could have been explored more deeply given Stevenson’s expertise. The resolution of the political conspiracy, while satisfying, arrives somewhat abruptly after the careful buildup.
The pacing issues mentioned earlier primarily affect the middle third of the novel. Some repetitive scenes during Bianca and Aric’s travels could have been condensed to maintain momentum. Additionally, while the curse’s cyclical nature serves thematic purposes, it occasionally feels artificially maintained for plot convenience.
A Promising Debut with Heart
Behooved by M Stevenson announces the arrival of a romance author with genuine insight into disability experiences and the skill to weave those experiences into entertaining fantasy. While this is Stevenson’s debut novel, her academic background in environmental education and personal experience with celiac disease bring authenticity to elements that could have felt forced or superficial in less capable hands.
Readers who enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’s character-driven fantasy romance or Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s political intrigue will find much to love here, though Stevenson’s approach feels more grounded and less prone to power fantasy escalation. The novel also shares DNA with Alexis Hall’s disability representation in LGBTQ+ romance, though in a heterosexual fantasy context.
Final Verdict: A Thoughtful Addition to Romantasy
Behooved by M Stevenson delivers on its promise of cozy enchantment while tackling serious themes with sensitivity and skill. Despite occasional pacing issues and some underdeveloped plot threads, Stevenson has crafted a debut that meaningfully expands representation in fantasy romance. The authentic disability representation alone makes this novel worth reading, but the genuine chemistry between Bianca and Aric and the thoughtful worldbuilding create a complete package that satisfies both as romance and fantasy.
This is a novel that trusts its readers to engage with complex themes while still delivering the escapist pleasure that draws us to romantasy. Stevenson has established herself as a voice worth following, and readers will undoubtedly be eager to see where her future works take us.
Perfect for readers seeking: Disability representation, political fantasy romance, slow-burn relationships, and authors who understand that strength comes in many forms.
Content considerations: Some violence, consensual intimate scenes, chronic illness themes, political intrigue.