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ravia14's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The story was fun to read and I'm glad I read it. The plot was pretty intricate for such a short novel, but none of the characters were as well rounded and worked out as I would have liked them to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Violence and Gore
Minor: Dementia, Racism, and Infidelity
kayceeisbookish's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I was spellbound from page 1. A magical mystery involving sorcerers? Count me in! My only gripe is that I need moreeeee!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Mental illness, Vomit, Gore, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gaslighting, Murder, and Toxic relationship
aylea's review
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Tabatha Zeng expects to hear and see strange things as the apprentice of one of the world's most famous sorcerers, but she didn't know murder would be one of those things. She is determined to keep the promise she made to Sorcerer Solomon before he is murdered, which means sticking close to his youngest son. But sticking around Callum is tricky when both of them are the top suspects unless they decide to work together to find the killer.
The book takes place in the modern day as if sorcery existed now, which makes for some interesting elements. It allows for normal things like lawyers, police officers, and women's self-defense classes. It also allows us to have a typical snarky teenage main character, which helps the book's tone stay light even with some of the more macabre elements. It allows a lot of the way things function to not need to be explained, but some of the magical elements are put in without a lot of explanation. Why are some parts of magic explained in schools but it still doesn't seem like something that is used widely? It's not essential to enjoying the book, but it does make me wish there were more answers. In a book that's partly based on my world, I like to imagine what it would be like to have those magical elements in my life. It's difficult to do that in this book.
The mix of characters had some delightful and frustrating elements. One of Sorcerer Solomon's sons is supposed to be popular and charming, but Tabatha doesn't seem to approach him any differently in spite of the fact that her inner dialogue suggests she might. I never felt like I got to know him. The paranormal detective also seemed like she should have been more important than she was. Apparently, she's been around investigating this family for years, but most of what we see of her is Tabatha's mom getting Tabatha away from the detective. I also never quite got what Sorcerer Solomon's character was supposed to be like. Yes, he's dead for most of the book, but I couldn't tell what the characters felt about him for most of the book in spite of them all trying to figure out who murdered him. One character who dies later feels so out of place because, on the one hand, she seems really important, but it's never entirely clear what her relationship with Sorcer Solomon and the rest of the family was like. These are some examples of characters lacking just a little more depth that would have made the book soar.
However, some of the character elements are really nice. I thought the relationships between siblings all trying to compete for their parent's attention was nice, and I thought some of the character dynamics of what children growing up around sorcery would be like. I also loved that parents are more involved in this story than is typically common for YA books. I love how protective and still ultimately supportive Tabatha's mom is.
Some other elements are frustrating too. In the end, the true answer to the mystery is never fully revealed. Considering how much of an emotional weight the answer to that question would hold, it's weird and unsatisfying that it's never completely unveiled. I'm also not sure why it was necessary to have a weird quippy comment about Mormon funerals (which would also be obviously incorrect to anyone who has been to a Mormon funeral) to try to make a joke or to use, "I'm gay" as a snarky comeback to accusations of being someone's mistress. Those little details might not have bothered me as much if there weren't also things like the character sighing a truly record-breaking amount of times within a few pages or even the nickname for her being "squishy wizard." Some of the snarkiness worked well, but some of it came off as somewhat amateurish to me, which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed the book otherwise.
In spite of those weaknesses, I enjoyed my experience reading the book. The plot kept me guessing, and there were times when I was shocked or surprised by the turn of events. I thought the mystery was well done overall (except for not revealing a central aspect of it).
The book does contain some light gore elements. Magical murder can still be messy, so keep that in mind if that's something you are sensitive to.
My initial reaction to this book right after reading it was 4 stars, which then lowered to 3 as I thought about it a little more. It's a fun, but sometimes spooky, paranormal murder mystery that fans of things like Knives Out may enjoy. It has just a tiny bit of teen romance, a dash of macabre, and a lot of fun.
The book takes place in the modern day as if sorcery existed now, which makes for some interesting elements. It allows for normal things like lawyers, police officers, and women's self-defense classes. It also allows us to have a typical snarky teenage main character, which helps the book's tone stay light even with some of the more macabre elements. It allows a lot of the way things function to not need to be explained, but some of the magical elements are put in without a lot of explanation. Why are some parts of magic explained in schools but it still doesn't seem like something that is used widely? It's not essential to enjoying the book, but it does make me wish there were more answers. In a book that's partly based on my world, I like to imagine what it would be like to have those magical elements in my life. It's difficult to do that in this book.
The mix of characters had some delightful and frustrating elements. One of Sorcerer Solomon's sons is supposed to be popular and charming, but Tabatha doesn't seem to approach him any differently in spite of the fact that her inner dialogue suggests she might. I never felt like I got to know him. The paranormal detective also seemed like she should have been more important than she was. Apparently, she's been around investigating this family for years, but most of what we see of her is Tabatha's mom getting Tabatha away from the detective. I also never quite got what Sorcerer Solomon's character was supposed to be like. Yes, he's dead for most of the book, but I couldn't tell what the characters felt about him for most of the book in spite of them all trying to figure out who murdered him. One character who dies later feels so out of place because, on the one hand, she seems really important, but it's never entirely clear what her relationship with Sorcer Solomon and the rest of the family was like. These are some examples of characters lacking just a little more depth that would have made the book soar.
However, some of the character elements are really nice. I thought the relationships between siblings all trying to compete for their parent's attention was nice, and I thought some of the character dynamics of what children growing up around sorcery would be like. I also loved that parents are more involved in this story than is typically common for YA books. I love how protective and still ultimately supportive Tabatha's mom is.
Some other elements are frustrating too. In the end, the true answer to the mystery is never fully revealed. Considering how much of an emotional weight the answer to that question would hold, it's weird and unsatisfying that it's never completely unveiled. I'm also not sure why it was necessary to have a weird quippy comment about Mormon funerals (which would also be obviously incorrect to anyone who has been to a Mormon funeral) to try to make a joke or to use, "I'm gay" as a snarky comeback to accusations of being someone's mistress. Those little details might not have bothered me as much if there weren't also things like the character sighing a truly record-breaking amount of times within a few pages or even the nickname for her being "squishy wizard." Some of the snarkiness worked well, but some of it came off as somewhat amateurish to me, which is a shame considering how much I enjoyed the book otherwise.
In spite of those weaknesses, I enjoyed my experience reading the book. The plot kept me guessing, and there were times when I was shocked or surprised by the turn of events. I thought the mystery was well done overall (except for not revealing a central aspect of it).
The book does contain some light gore elements. Magical murder can still be messy, so keep that in mind if that's something you are sensitive to.
My initial reaction to this book right after reading it was 4 stars, which then lowered to 3 as I thought about it a little more. It's a fun, but sometimes spooky, paranormal murder mystery that fans of things like Knives Out may enjoy. It has just a tiny bit of teen romance, a dash of macabre, and a lot of fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Murder, and Violence
dontreadinsecret's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for this arc!!
I fought through the first chapter of this book, I honestly wanted to put it down but I am so glad I didn’t! It kept me interested at every turn and I was honestly truly terrified in that last third of the book. A classic whodunit!
I fought through the first chapter of this book, I honestly wanted to put it down but I am so glad I didn’t! It kept me interested at every turn and I was honestly truly terrified in that last third of the book. A classic whodunit!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
bookrecsbyjess's review
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Penguin Teen and PRH Audio for the gifted ARC and ALC of These Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang. All opinions are my own.
This was a quick and interesting story that had lovable characters and a unique premise.
I liked the fact that I couldn’t figure out who to trust, so the mystery reveal at the end was great.
The narrator did a nice job telling the story and distinguishing between the different characters.
If you enjoyed The Inheritance Games, I think you would like this book as well. It reminded me of that story but with a magical twist.
Overall, I would recommend this book to both teens and adults for a fun mystery.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Murder, and Gore
lastblossom's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
There's a dash of magic in here, but the snappy narration and relatable protagonist keep the story grounded and surprisingly realistic.
Thoughts
Modern stories where magic is considered just as standard as any other industry are always fun for me. So it was nice to have an apprentice who argues with her parents over whether or not to become a professional sorcerer, or something more respectable, like a lawyer. You know the one. And I think that's my favorite part of the book. Despite being a world with magic, the story is a very grounded novel with a relatable protagonist who has very relatable problems. The magic system is clearly explained, although not explored as deeply as I'd like, and magic is used way less often that I initially expected. The family and friends are appropriately messy, although there's a part of me that would not have complained if they were even MORE messy. Narration is quick and snappy, and I enjoyed the POV quite a bit. A good read for anyone looking for a YA modern mystery with just a touch of magic to it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
There's a dash of magic in here, but the snappy narration and relatable protagonist keep the story grounded and surprisingly realistic.
Thoughts
Modern stories where magic is considered just as standard as any other industry are always fun for me. So it was nice to have an apprentice who argues with her parents over whether or not to become a professional sorcerer, or something more respectable, like a lawyer. You know the one. And I think that's my favorite part of the book. Despite being a world with magic, the story is a very grounded novel with a relatable protagonist who has very relatable problems. The magic system is clearly explained, although not explored as deeply as I'd like, and magic is used way less often that I initially expected. The family and friends are appropriately messy, although there's a part of me that would not have complained if they were even MORE messy. Narration is quick and snappy, and I enjoyed the POV quite a bit. A good read for anyone looking for a YA modern mystery with just a touch of magic to it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Death, Blood, and Death of parent
Minor: Child abuse
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