A World Apart follows Kit Finchley. He’s studied magic for years and longs for the magic that keeps eluding him to finally surface. Stuck with expectations from his family, Kit longs for freedom and to make his own decisions.
One day, he manages to cast a spell that opens another world where Wil lives. Wil, along with his family, have been trapped in a liminal space for over 800 years after being cursed by the faerie queen. No one outside of their world has been able to seen them until now.
As Kit makes it his mission to free Wil, he struggles with his growing magical abilities, as well as his attraction to Agatha, a woman his parents are matching him with. Soon, Kit will be forced to make a decision that changes all three of their lives.
A World Apart boasts a unique premise and stars queer leads in the mostly-straight romantasy genre. However, the execution of the book doesn’t quite live up to the concept due to a confusing plot and rushed romance.
The magical system feels unfinished. The book tells us that only believers can see it, which feels a little cliche. Characters like Kit also study magic, but it’s not clear what that entails.
Additionally, magic is said to have a mind of its own. It makes for an interesting conflict as magicians like Kit struggle with their own desires versus the magic’s desires.
With that being said, it’s unclear what this exactly means. This makes it hard to fully immerse yourself in the magical world.
Despite being the main character, Kit feels inconsistent — and not in a way that feels entirely intentional.
His almost insatiable desire for magic likely stems from the fact that he’s overlooked in his family. However, it’s difficult to sympathize with him when his lust for magic overrides his empathy for others.
If A World Apart wanted to paint Kit as morally gray, this major character flaw would work. But it feels as if the novel itself is uncertain, pointing out Kit’s magical lust but also painting him as a heroic romantic.
It’s hard to tell what you’re supposed to take away from this character.
This particularly shows in Kit’s relationship with Wil. Not only is it rushed, but it seems like Kit is infatuated with Wil because he comes from a mysterious, magical world.
Kit doesn’t know Wil as a person. He seems to mostly base his attraction on Wil’s physical appearance and existence in a liminal space.
While Wil occasionally points this out, A World Apart doesn’t fully examine this as it should. It does not truly question if Kit has genuine feelings for Wil. It feels unintentional on the novel’s part.
Our other lead, Wil, has less going for him as a character than Kit. For all Kit’s contradictions, Wil only exists as a character defined by his circumstances. Much of what we know about him is only that he loves his family and is trapped in a liminal space.
There’s a missed opportunity to tackle Wil’s trauma on being stuck in the same place for 800 years, isolated from the rest of the world alongside his family. We could have seen him grow weary of living and the downsides of immortality.
Instead, most of what we see with Wil is his relationship with Kit, as well as some dynamics between his family. Again, this is another missed opportunity to tackle some interesting, complex themes.
While A World Apart mentions the love triangle in its description, it’s very underdeveloped.
Kit’s other love interest, Agatha, is interesting and the most fun character in the novel. However, she’s rarely in scenes, giving her little chance to develop her relationship with Kit.
Kit spends far more time with — and thinking about — Wil than he ever does with Agatha. The attraction he’s supposed to have to Agatha feels forced because of this.
All in all, the love triangle doesn’t add enough to A World Apart as a story to justify its existence.
A World Apart has potential to be a great romantasy novel. However, it falls flat in several places.
While not the worst novel out there, there’s nothing about it that particularly stands out. Despite being almost 400 pages long, you’re left not fully understanding the characters or world building.
A World Apart is a queer romantasy novel by Meghan Nesmith. It is published by Head of Zeus, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing. The release date is November 19, 2026.
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Fairley Lloyd
Fairley Lloyd is a content editor at Unwritten, freelance writer, and bibliophile born and raised in eastern North Carolina. She has a BFA in creative writing and publishing certificate from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. In her free time, she enjoys reading YA dystopian novels, line dancing, listening to hard rock music, and upcycling clothes.