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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
These Deadly Prophecies brings us to a modern world where sorcery is a viable career option. Our narrator, Tabatha, loves the occult, and is the apprentice of Sorcerer Solomon, one of the most well-known sorcerers in eastern America who specializes in prophecies. Unfortunately, Sorcerer Solomon prophesized his own death, and the book begins where his life ends. But who murdered Sorcerer Solomon?
I was absolutely enthralled with this book. I loved Tabatha as the narrator of this story, giving her account of what happened. Her narrative is engaging and full of excitement. At times she addresses the reader directly, which makes the story feel even more real. I think the fact that Tabatha is not originally from the sorcery world makes her very relatable to readers, explaining the intricacies of sigils, spells and traditions.
This book really takes on the feel of a murder mystery, as Tabatha teams up with Solomon's youngest son, Callum, to try to find our who committed the murder. This book had me making my own theories then changing my mind as I learned more, just like the characters did in the book. The book really kept me guessing until the very end when everything was revealed. I enjoyed the interactions between Tabatha and Callum and enjoyed both characters a lot. There's also a cast of side characters who are diverse and add to the charm of the story.
I felt like this book was very well written. It was nearly impossible to put down, and I ended up staying up until 2am to finish the story - once I got so far into the book, I just couldn't wait until the morning to find out the solution to the mystery and how things would end. I'll be seeking out more books by Andrea Tang for sure!
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free advance copy of These Deadly Prophecies. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and all opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.
I was absolutely enthralled with this book. I loved Tabatha as the narrator of this story, giving her account of what happened. Her narrative is engaging and full of excitement. At times she addresses the reader directly, which makes the story feel even more real. I think the fact that Tabatha is not originally from the sorcery world makes her very relatable to readers, explaining the intricacies of sigils, spells and traditions.
This book really takes on the feel of a murder mystery, as Tabatha teams up with Solomon's youngest son, Callum, to try to find our who committed the murder. This book had me making my own theories then changing my mind as I learned more, just like the characters did in the book. The book really kept me guessing until the very end when everything was revealed. I enjoyed the interactions between Tabatha and Callum and enjoyed both characters a lot. There's also a cast of side characters who are diverse and add to the charm of the story.
I felt like this book was very well written. It was nearly impossible to put down, and I ended up staying up until 2am to finish the story - once I got so far into the book, I just couldn't wait until the morning to find out the solution to the mystery and how things would end. I'll be seeking out more books by Andrea Tang for sure!
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the free advance copy of These Deadly Prophecies. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and all opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Maybe this was really simple and predictable, but I liked it a lot and didn’t even notice. It wasn’t terribly complex, but it was really enjoyable. Not much else to say, great read. The romance was more of a subplot, which I definitely needed after the last book I read. That was gross.
fast-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'd love to read a story that's part Knives Out and part magic.
This is not that story. Sure, it's a mystery full of family drama and there are some magical elements but it's nowhere near the same vibe. I was pretty disappointed.
The world building and emotional life are completely lacking here. The pacing is quick but only because so much happens . . . while at the same time it feels like nothing happens. I had no sense of where this took place. A suburb? How much of a suburb? A city-leaning one or a rural-leaning one? It's so vague that when Tabatha referred to her clothes as "joggers", I almost thought this could be set in the UK.
The magic system is barely explained and we hardly see it. It was more for convenience than anything else. Magic keeps the story moving but doesn't add to it. It's poorly thought-out and I felt a bit cheated.
The story feels very one note. We don't see the characters emotional lives at all. Yes, this is told from Tabatha's PoV but surely she'd have feelings about what she saw, about her mentor being murdered? We get so much of her internal ramblings but it hardly ever touches on her reactions to the events. And Callum wouldn't be able to hide all his feelings, either. They're supposed to be teenagers! And the ending would've had more of an impact had the emotional groundwork been laid out. As it exists, the end felt preachy and cliche.
Finally, the sense of time is wonky. I often had no idea how much time had (or hadn't) passed from one chapter to the next. And is it summer break for Tabatha and Callum or are they also going to school while all this happens? It's very disorienting.
I won't be recommending this one, unfortunately.
I'd love to read a story that's part Knives Out and part magic.
This is not that story. Sure, it's a mystery full of family drama and there are some magical elements but it's nowhere near the same vibe. I was pretty disappointed.
The world building and emotional life are completely lacking here. The pacing is quick but only because so much happens . . . while at the same time it feels like nothing happens. I had no sense of where this took place. A suburb? How much of a suburb? A city-leaning one or a rural-leaning one? It's so vague that when Tabatha referred to her clothes as "joggers", I almost thought this could be set in the UK.
The magic system is barely explained and we hardly see it. It was more for convenience than anything else. Magic keeps the story moving but doesn't add to it. It's poorly thought-out and I felt a bit cheated.
The story feels very one note. We don't see the characters emotional lives at all. Yes, this is told from Tabatha's PoV but surely she'd have feelings about what she saw, about her mentor being murdered? We get so much of her internal ramblings but it hardly ever touches on her reactions to the events. And Callum wouldn't be able to hide all his feelings, either. They're supposed to be teenagers! And the ending would've had more of an impact had the emotional groundwork been laid out. As it exists, the end felt preachy and cliche.
Finally, the sense of time is wonky. I often had no idea how much time had (or hadn't) passed from one chapter to the next. And is it summer break for Tabatha and Callum or are they also going to school while all this happens? It's very disorienting.
I won't be recommending this one, unfortunately.
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I love the way Tang can incorporate real life problems into her story. She makes you feel for the characters and the individual problems they have. Very easy to relate to!