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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received this free ARC from Bookish First in exchange for my honest review.
Well, this one did not disappoint! I was completely swept up into this magical world where wizards/witches/prophets are completely normal and acceptable, magic is studied as electives in school, and people have career opportunities in magical fields. I stayed up far too late reading because I needed to finish it in one sitting!
The story is told by the main character Tabatha, as she navigates the death of a famous sorcerer, to whom she is an apprentice. A death, which had been foretold by the sorcerer himself many months earlier….and which now, the local police are investigating, and Tabatha looks like a great suspect. She bands together with the sorcerer’s son Callum to figure out the mystery of his death, but not without a little chemistry with Callum on the side.
Tabatha was a fun and compelling character and I loved her narrative first person style, but also her way of explaining that she’s telling the story from after the events of the plot unfold- this gives it a fun little perspective of hindsight, just a little hint of how things are going to turn out. It’s a great storytelling technique with the plot, learning things alongside Tabatha in the novel’s chronology, which is really the past for Tabatha-the-narrator. (Actually, that is some really nice symmetry with Tabatha’s chosen skill/profession too.)
I think the best part of this story was the details of the magical world that the author created and beautifully explained. Sometimes in fantasy novels, I get overwhelmed with the excruciating intricacies of the world in which the story exists (partly as a requirement for the readers to understand what’s going on) and I get lost in the details and lose track of the important parts of the story. This was not one of those times: Angela Tang does an excellent job of merging the non-magic and magical, giving details and intricacy where needed, but making it feel so casually real - I didn’t question at all this world where magic and non-magic simply exists together. It’s a great bridge between murder mystery and fantasy work and would be a great starting point for anyone not sure or not interested in a full fledged fantasy novel.
I also love that some of the trouble Tabatha gets into is quickly resolved by her coming clean with her mother and just communicating, telling her exactly what’s been happening and asking for help. (The miscommunication trope is not my favorite and it feels like such a cop out; it’s often used as the drama/conflict/climax of the third act and it drives me crazy if miscommunication is the best you can do and everything could’ve been fixed by the characters just actually speaking to one another.) The climax of These Deadly Prophecies centers on the magical world and does not disappoint! The author could have easily featured the romance as part of the final conflict and I kind of love that it was not.
I really hope Angela Tang continues this as a series, because there is SO many ways she could continue and develop this world. There was enough closure that this book can be a standalone, but definitely enough left unsaid and unresolved that more can be explored. I personally cannot wait for another one!
Well, this one did not disappoint! I was completely swept up into this magical world where wizards/witches/prophets are completely normal and acceptable, magic is studied as electives in school, and people have career opportunities in magical fields. I stayed up far too late reading because I needed to finish it in one sitting!
The story is told by the main character Tabatha, as she navigates the death of a famous sorcerer, to whom she is an apprentice. A death, which had been foretold by the sorcerer himself many months earlier….and which now, the local police are investigating, and Tabatha looks like a great suspect. She bands together with the sorcerer’s son Callum to figure out the mystery of his death, but not without a little chemistry with Callum on the side.
Tabatha was a fun and compelling character and I loved her narrative first person style, but also her way of explaining that she’s telling the story from after the events of the plot unfold- this gives it a fun little perspective of hindsight, just a little hint of how things are going to turn out. It’s a great storytelling technique with the plot, learning things alongside Tabatha in the novel’s chronology, which is really the past for Tabatha-the-narrator. (Actually, that is some really nice symmetry with Tabatha’s chosen skill/profession too.)
I think the best part of this story was the details of the magical world that the author created and beautifully explained. Sometimes in fantasy novels, I get overwhelmed with the excruciating intricacies of the world in which the story exists (partly as a requirement for the readers to understand what’s going on) and I get lost in the details and lose track of the important parts of the story. This was not one of those times: Angela Tang does an excellent job of merging the non-magic and magical, giving details and intricacy where needed, but making it feel so casually real - I didn’t question at all this world where magic and non-magic simply exists together. It’s a great bridge between murder mystery and fantasy work and would be a great starting point for anyone not sure or not interested in a full fledged fantasy novel.
I also love that some of the trouble Tabatha gets into is quickly resolved by her coming clean with her mother and just communicating, telling her exactly what’s been happening and asking for help. (The miscommunication trope is not my favorite and it feels like such a cop out; it’s often used as the drama/conflict/climax of the third act and it drives me crazy if miscommunication is the best you can do and everything could’ve been fixed by the characters just actually speaking to one another.) The climax of These Deadly Prophecies centers on the magical world and does not disappoint! The author could have easily featured the romance as part of the final conflict and I kind of love that it was not.
I really hope Angela Tang continues this as a series, because there is SO many ways she could continue and develop this world. There was enough closure that this book can be a standalone, but definitely enough left unsaid and unresolved that more can be explored. I personally cannot wait for another one!
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I first read the excerpt for These Deadly Prophecies I was intrigued immediately and couldn’t wait to read it. All you have to say is Knives Out and I’m all in. The book started a little slow for me and I found myself feeling like we didn’t get to know the protagonist well enough. I feel like the character and overall storyline fell a little flat and I found myself wishing that there would have been more detail put into the book. Especially when it came to the characters and there scorchers powers. I also fell it lacked description in the magic department as well. Al so at times I felt my self really annoyed with our protagonist Tabitha and found the romance between her and Callum to be predictable. What I’d did really enjoy about this book was the ending because I have to say it did keep me guessing and changing my mind and that’s hard to find in books anymore. I would give this book a 3 star because honestly I just found myself wanting to know more. All in all is was an interesting read if you enjoy Ya mystery with a touch of magic thrown in.
mysterious
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
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, Gore, Murder
mysterious
fast-paced
These Deadly Prophecies was a unique young adult fantasy that also happened to be a murder mystery. I loved the overall concept of this book and how it combines two of my favorite genres, mystery and fantasy. In this book, we follow Tabatha, who is a teenage sorcerer’s apprentice. After her boss predicts his own death and soon later is discovered murdered Tabatha must work to solve his murder in order to prove her innocence. I really enjoyed reading this quick and magical murder mystery.
Read this book if you like:
✨ Magical Mysteries
✨ Fast Paced Books
✨ Young Adult Reads
✨ Knives Out & The Inheritance Games
This was such a quick and fun read full of twists and interesting characters as well as a little bit of romance. If you love fantasies and murder mysteries you should definitely give These Deadly Prophecies a try when it comes out on January 30th.
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thank you to PenguinTeen for giving me access to the Netgalley e-arc of These Deadly Prophecies. This review is entirely my own thoughts and opinions on the early unfinished digital copy gifted to me!
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
These Deadly Prophecies is a fantastic YA murder mystery about the death of a sorcerer and his apprentice's search for the truth about his murder.
RATINGS:
OVERALL: 5/5🌟
PLOT: 5/5🌟
WRITING: 5/5🌟
CHARACTERS: 5/5🌟
ENJOYMENT: 10/10🌟
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
STORY, PLOT, & PACING:
This was a fantastic story. One of those that I picked up and 5 hours later, I've turned the last page and closed the e-book with a smile. Andrea Tang has weaved a fantastic mystery that kept me guessing up to the end. Her foreshadowing is excellent and its spaced out well enough that it all clicks together right before the big reveal.
WRITING:
I love this modern but with magic world that Andrea has created. It was easy to fall into the story with a world familiar to our own, yet magical enough to make me dream. I appreciated the nods to historical moments in the history of the occult, particularly The Salem Witch Trials. It just made this book's world all the more real. Andrea's writing is perfect for the young adult audience, easy to read, and beautifully descriptive.
CHARACTERS:
I loved these characters. All of them were hits to me! Tabitha is a fantastic main character, who highlights a lot of the anxiety and hang ups teens have in regards to their parents. The desire to follow your dreams, but feeling like your dreams will only serve to disappoint your parents. Tabitha is written to be relatable, to show other teens they are not alone. I feel Andrea did a wonderful job with Tabitha.
The Solomons were all their own pile of chaos and I appreciated them all. Callum was a fantastic partner for Tabitha. As she got to know him more, she began to learn of his own hang ups and family problems, opening up the door to understanding that everyone has their own closet demons. Out of all the characters, he was my favorite.
ENJOYMENT:
I really enjoyed this book! Like I said earlier, this book was one I just couldn't put down. I had to know who killed Sorcerer Solomon, same as the rest of the characters. Thank you again, PenguinTeen! This book was a treat.
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
These Deadly Prophecies is a fantastic YA murder mystery about the death of a sorcerer and his apprentice's search for the truth about his murder.
RATINGS:
OVERALL: 5/5🌟
PLOT: 5/5🌟
WRITING: 5/5🌟
CHARACTERS: 5/5🌟
ENJOYMENT: 10/10🌟
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
STORY, PLOT, & PACING:
This was a fantastic story. One of those that I picked up and 5 hours later, I've turned the last page and closed the e-book with a smile. Andrea Tang has weaved a fantastic mystery that kept me guessing up to the end. Her foreshadowing is excellent and its spaced out well enough that it all clicks together right before the big reveal.
WRITING:
I love this modern but with magic world that Andrea has created. It was easy to fall into the story with a world familiar to our own, yet magical enough to make me dream. I appreciated the nods to historical moments in the history of the occult, particularly The Salem Witch Trials. It just made this book's world all the more real. Andrea's writing is perfect for the young adult audience, easy to read, and beautifully descriptive.
CHARACTERS:
I loved these characters. All of them were hits to me! Tabitha is a fantastic main character, who highlights a lot of the anxiety and hang ups teens have in regards to their parents. The desire to follow your dreams, but feeling like your dreams will only serve to disappoint your parents. Tabitha is written to be relatable, to show other teens they are not alone. I feel Andrea did a wonderful job with Tabitha.
The Solomons were all their own pile of chaos and I appreciated them all. Callum was a fantastic partner for Tabitha. As she got to know him more, she began to learn of his own hang ups and family problems, opening up the door to understanding that everyone has their own closet demons. Out of all the characters, he was my favorite.
ENJOYMENT:
I really enjoyed this book! Like I said earlier, this book was one I just couldn't put down. I had to know who killed Sorcerer Solomon, same as the rest of the characters. Thank you again, PenguinTeen! This book was a treat.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-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:
Yes
This is a quick and fun read, with a snappy tone, quick-witted characters, and a unique but digestible magic system. It's a modern fantasy meets murder mystery, a bit like "The Inheritance Games" but with magic. Tabatha has a slightly different high school job than most of her classmates; she's the apprentice to a well-known and powerful fortuneteller, Sorceror Solomon. Despite her parents' hopes for her to pursue a more traditional career path, Tabatha loves her apprenticeship. Until one day, just as he foretold, Sorceror Solomon is murdered in his workshop. His loved ones are all determined to solve the mystery of his death, but since the infamous prophecy states that the killer would be his 'best beloved', suspicions run high among them. That, paired with the anticipation of who he named his official heir, makes the mourning period a bit ... tense.
Tabatha teams up with Callum, Sorceror Solomon's youngest son, to play the Nancy Drew to his Joe Hardy, if Nancy and Joe both also kind of suspected each other of the murder. Callum was my favorite character, and probably will be yours too, because he's got some trauma but buries it beneath sarcasm and quippy comments. Their relationship developed naturally and didn't feel cliche, despite following some of the expected beats. The dynamics between the family members (Sorceror Solomon's ex-wife, son and daughter with her, and his current wife/Callum's mom, and Callum) are every-shifting, and I was genuinely surprised by the twist of the ending and murderer reveal. It felt like a satisfying resolution, with the pieces all clicking together, but I found myself wishing the book was longer. I think if it had been, then I'd have felt a deeper connection to the characters and given a higher rating. I enjoyed everything I read, just wanted a little bit more. I'd especially have loved more on the magic aspect and Tabatha's learning it, because everything that was included was so fascinating. It makes me wonder if there might be more books in this world. If so, I'll definitely read them! Thank you to Penguin Teen and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Tabatha teams up with Callum, Sorceror Solomon's youngest son, to play the Nancy Drew to his Joe Hardy, if Nancy and Joe both also kind of suspected each other of the murder. Callum was my favorite character, and probably will be yours too, because he's got some trauma but buries it beneath sarcasm and quippy comments. Their relationship developed naturally and didn't feel cliche, despite following some of the expected beats. The dynamics between the family members (Sorceror Solomon's ex-wife, son and daughter with her, and his current wife/Callum's mom, and Callum) are every-shifting, and I was genuinely surprised by the twist of the ending and murderer reveal. It felt like a satisfying resolution, with the pieces all clicking together, but I found myself wishing the book was longer. I think if it had been, then I'd have felt a deeper connection to the characters and given a higher rating. I enjoyed everything I read, just wanted a little bit more. I'd especially have loved more on the magic aspect and Tabatha's learning it, because everything that was included was so fascinating. It makes me wonder if there might be more books in this world. If so, I'll definitely read them! Thank you to Penguin Teen and the author for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No