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y3shua's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.75
The only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars is because the main plot did get muddled at times by other side quests that were added on. HOWEVER I still enjoyed every bit of this book for the wonderful representation that was portrayed. I loved the characters so much and the use of constellations as magic just BLEW MY MIND. Props to this author for having such a wonderful idea and an amazing cast of characters💜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racism
lashette's review
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. It was unique in plot, the setting, the romance and the magic system. At least to me. I wish there was more of an explanation for how the magic system for black people worked but I enjoyed this despite that. I was all over the place mentally while reading this so this somehow became a comfort read. I know, don't look at me. Yet this didn't blow me away. The back and forth in timelines threw me off regularly because they weren't that different and I wasn't picking up that we had switched. Speaks to my mental state again. There were quite a lot of secondary and tertiary characters that were named and I got confused with most of them. I was also confused about the relationship for the longest time but that I think was done on purpose. Once I put all the pieces together everything up to that point made sense and was very cute. The case had very cozy mystery vibes. I feel weird saying this about a book set in a time right after the civil war, with slaves still escaping and Jim Crow very much all over the place. But this was a comfort read. And I am looking forward to more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, and Rape
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-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
3.75
'The Conductors' by Nicole Glover is a debut murder mystery with a creative magic system and characters that it are easy to care for.
Hetty and her husband Benjy were once Underground Railroad conductors but they have traded that life for solving mysteries in Philadelphia. When one of their acquaintances turns up dead and with a cursed sigil on his body, they are pulled into a murder mystery that has them questioning their own friends.
'The Conductors' is an engaging murder mystery that suffers from some pacing issues. The mystery at the heart of the story is intriguing, especially as it is used as a vehicle to learn more about Hetty, Benjy, and their friends. Many of the chapters feel a bit disjointed as some are very long and cover Hetty moving from place to place, while others are much shorter and encompass only one scene. The stakes were there for the mystery but they never felt particularly high. Even so, it was a relatively engaging read that kept me reading. The two best parts of this story are the characters and the magic. Hetty and Benjy, along with their relationship, are what cement this story and it works well. Peeks into Hetty's past and her search for her sister do a great job of fleshing her out and making the reader care for her. The Celestial magic in this story is also really intriguing and something that I hope to learn more about in book two. Mostly, I think where this book suffers it only suffers from being a debut and with her character and worldbuilding work, I have faith that Glover's books will only get better. I will be picking up book two as I am interested in seeing where Hetty and Benjy go next and how their relationship continues to blossom.
Hetty and her husband Benjy were once Underground Railroad conductors but they have traded that life for solving mysteries in Philadelphia. When one of their acquaintances turns up dead and with a cursed sigil on his body, they are pulled into a murder mystery that has them questioning their own friends.
'The Conductors' is an engaging murder mystery that suffers from some pacing issues. The mystery at the heart of the story is intriguing, especially as it is used as a vehicle to learn more about Hetty, Benjy, and their friends. Many of the chapters feel a bit disjointed as some are very long and cover Hetty moving from place to place, while others are much shorter and encompass only one scene. The stakes were there for the mystery but they never felt particularly high. Even so, it was a relatively engaging read that kept me reading. The two best parts of this story are the characters and the magic. Hetty and Benjy, along with their relationship, are what cement this story and it works well. Peeks into Hetty's past and her search for her sister do a great job of fleshing her out and making the reader care for her. The Celestial magic in this story is also really intriguing and something that I hope to learn more about in book two. Mostly, I think where this book suffers it only suffers from being a debut and with her character and worldbuilding work, I have faith that Glover's books will only get better. I will be picking up book two as I am interested in seeing where Hetty and Benjy go next and how their relationship continues to blossom.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Racism, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Slavery and Domestic abuse
owlstory's review
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Blood, Death, Murder, Rape, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, and Miscarriage
As the book's main character is a former slave and was a conductor on the Underground Railroad, any historical context, including the horrible ways enslaved people were treated, is included in this book. Generational trauma related to slavery is a theme from the book.katelynprice's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book even though I would definitely consider it to be a slow burn. Usually, I like a faster plot pace, so I was surprised that this book held my attention. While the mystery wasn't necessarily riveting, I really enjoyed the celestial magic and the Interlude (flashback) chapters. I would've liked further explanation about sorcery magic and more development/distinction of some of the side characters. Overall, it's a good debut, and I plan to continue with the series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Slavery
Minor: Infertility
bookfortbuilder's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Slavery, Violence, Torture, and Physical abuse
laurareads87's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed The Conductors, Nicole Glover's debut novel following a married couple, Hetty and Benjy, former Underground Railroad conductors solving a mystery in post-Civil War Philadelphia. I loved the contrasting magical systems in this book, particularly the celestial sigil-based magic utilized by Hetty, Benjy, and several other characters. The inclusion of brief interludes which flash back to Hetty and Benjy's time working in the Underground Railroad were an effective way to include important background to the story, and I love Hetty as a character -- smart, determined, skilled, witty -- and can't wait to read more about her in future books. I did find that the pacing was a bit inconsistent (a little bit of 'info dump' at the beginning explaining who's who before the plot really gets going), and a few of the red herrings along the way to solving the mystery weren't quite convincing; however, this was more than made up for by Glover's incredible character development and, even more specifically, relationship development. Hetty and Benjy's relationship dynamic and their milieu felt very real to me, as the complicated relationships between the various secondary characters was really well established over the course of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Murder, Slavery, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, and Racial slurs
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Domestic abuse
mayr3adsab00k's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
rea's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
slow-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
5.0
I didn't know what to expect coming into this book but I knew it was underground railway and magic and I was sold.
I really really loved this book, it's much slower in pace than I would normally read but that gave it time to really settle in and feel real. One of the things I enjoyed was the difference in the magic systems, one for the blacks and one for the whites and of course the white one is the one that is socially allowed and black people aren't allowed to own a wand even though slavery is over.
Hetty and Benji are great characters and their relationship is such a great slow burn in that they have already been married for years and yet Hetty is still convinced it was for convenience and not because they love each other.
The murder mystery aspect was done really well and I fell for a couple of the red herrings.
I would 100% recommend this book to other people
I really really loved this book, it's much slower in pace than I would normally read but that gave it time to really settle in and feel real. One of the things I enjoyed was the difference in the magic systems, one for the blacks and one for the whites and of course the white one is the one that is socially allowed and black people aren't allowed to own a wand even though slavery is over.
Hetty and Benji are great characters and their relationship is such a great slow burn in that they have already been married for years and yet Hetty is still convinced it was for convenience and not because they love each other.
The murder mystery aspect was done really well and I fell for a couple of the red herrings.
I would 100% recommend this book to other people
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Slavery and Torture
ncoletti's review
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse