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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Group for the e-arc of this book.
The potential and the pieces for These Deadly Prophecies to be a new favorite of mine were there, but they just weren’t executed, which is really disappointing.
The murder mystery part of the story kind of feels like Knives Out, but it felt like we didn’t actually get any clues or foreshadowing as to who actually committed the murder. We just find out at the end when the person confesses. This certainly has to do with the fact that Tabatha and Callum are not real investigators or detectives, but it just makes all their investigating and looking for answers feel rather pointless.
The magic in this world is crucial to the murder mystery part of the story, except Tabatha’s specific branch of sorcery is not used to help her investigation at all. In fact, I don’t recall a single instance of her using her prophetic sorcery to advance the plot in any way. Why give her magic at all? The book would’ve ended the same way whether she was there or not. She really feels like a bystander in her own narration and maybe that was the intention, but it didn’t give her any room to grow. She was just there observing.
I didn’t care about a single character outside of Tabatha and Callum (and even them I just barely tolerated because their dynamic and banter was nice). The tone of the book was very shaky as well, sometimes bordering on comedy and sometimes getting really dark, but it wasn’t balanced out well enough to work.
In the end, this was fun and I love a good dysfunctional murder mystery, but there were a lot of lacking areas of the story that, if improved, would’ve have increased my enjoyment much more.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An intriguing murder mystery about an apprentice who has to hunt down the killer of her mentor Sorcerer, all while learning family is complicated.
I liked how short this story was, as it made the plot move faster. However, there were times when the pacing lagged, which was frustrating. I really wish that we actually got to see Tabatha do magic, since she is learning how to to be a Sorcerer, I kinda thought we'd see her do more magic. In fact the magic was mostly done by Julian's children, which were really the main characters, as Tabatha felt more like a vehicle to tell the story than an actual character. The author spent a lot of time explaining about the complex family dynamics, but we barely saw Tabatha's relationship with Julian. The whole plot felt a lot like an imitation of The Inheritance Games, but with magic. The writing style kept pulling me out of the story. I liked this one, but it wasn't my favorite.
I liked how short this story was, as it made the plot move faster. However, there were times when the pacing lagged, which was frustrating. I really wish that we actually got to see Tabatha do magic, since she is learning how to to be a Sorcerer, I kinda thought we'd see her do more magic. In fact the magic was mostly done by Julian's children, which were really the main characters, as Tabatha felt more like a vehicle to tell the story than an actual character. The author spent a lot of time explaining about the complex family dynamics, but we barely saw Tabatha's relationship with Julian. The whole plot felt a lot like an imitation of The Inheritance Games, but with magic. The writing style kept pulling me out of the story. I liked this one, but it wasn't my favorite.
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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, Violence, Murder
This one was a really interesting twist on the classic who dunnit. I liked the way we were lead in one confusing direction after another, and was completely blown away by the reveal! A little dark for YA in my opinion, but other than a little bit much there it was a great YA read!
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley, author Andrea Tang, and Penguin Young Readers Group: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
This didn't work for me. I was really intrigued by the premise of a fortune-hunting, investigative mystery mixed with sorcery, but none of it was quite well done. My biggest issue with the book is the lack of world-building. The world these characters are in is not established at all, which makes it really confusing to follow along with. It seems like modern day with magic, but the principles of the magic are not explained whatsoever. It also reads like we've been dropped into the middle of a story or even a series, which makes it hard to get into and connect with both the characters and the plot. I found the romance side story unnecessary, and I was able to predict the ending, making it a let down. I think this book had potential that was sadly not reached, but if you do enjoy the premise of Knives Out with magic, you might still enjoy.
This didn't work for me. I was really intrigued by the premise of a fortune-hunting, investigative mystery mixed with sorcery, but none of it was quite well done. My biggest issue with the book is the lack of world-building. The world these characters are in is not established at all, which makes it really confusing to follow along with. It seems like modern day with magic, but the principles of the magic are not explained whatsoever. It also reads like we've been dropped into the middle of a story or even a series, which makes it hard to get into and connect with both the characters and the plot. I found the romance side story unnecessary, and I was able to predict the ending, making it a let down. I think this book had potential that was sadly not reached, but if you do enjoy the premise of Knives Out with magic, you might still enjoy.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
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
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
I was so excited to receive the ARC for this book, I’d read snippets and I never thought in a million years that I’d get it but here we are!! I loved the story overall, I think it says a lot about growing up, having faith and confidence in yourself even though you’re different, and setting things straight when you make mistakes, especially ones that hurt other people.
Part of why it lost points in style in particular were the points when Tabatha broke the fourth wall. That’s entirely a personal style thing and it didn’t take away from the overall story too much, and there were parts of that style that I did enjoy and think were important to the story itself.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this to friends who like magic and mysteries, and I think it’s a really great young adult book that reminds you that yourself is the best version of you.
Characters: 9
Setting: 5
Plot: 9
Pace: 8
Style: 6
Ending: 9
Enjoyment: 10
64 / 16 = 4.0