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karcitis's review
adventurous
dark
funny
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: War, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Blood, Addiction, Bullying, and Gore
Minor: Sexism, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Infidelity, Infertility, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
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
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
nullandvoidlibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Death, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility
erinsbookshelves's review
challenging
dark
slow-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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Death, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Torture, and Medical content
Minor: Abortion and Infertility
qace90's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes. This in no way influences my review; all words, thoughts, and opinions are my own.
Full review closer to publication but if you’re looking for a slow murder mystery set post Civil War with a sweet romance and fantastic chosen family, you’re going to want to check this book out!
Full review:
The Conductors is a fantasy murder mystery set in post-Civil War America and also has wonderful elements of chosen family and community, plus a sweet romance between Hetty and Benjy (whose marriage is one of friendship, not romance). From the moment I heard about this book, I was intrigued, and in no way did it disappoint!
Hetty is amazing and fierce and a very good example of competence porn. She’s very skilled with magic, and also at making clothes. She’s also known to meld the two together and sew sigils into the clothes she makes. I love her brashness and how she stands for what she believes in. But sometimes that also gets her into trouble, especially as a Black woman who used to be a Conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Her husband, Benjy, is also an amazingly competent individual and he does so many little things for Hetty to show his care, though sometimes she’s oblivious to the significance of his actions. He followed her to lead people from slavery because he was “bored” and together they balance each other and strengthen their skills in a way that ensured they were more often than not successful on their trips. Since the Civil War, they’re known to help people with unusual incidents - like finding a body in an alleyway with a cursed sigil carved in his chest.
All of the side characters feel fleshed out and the mystery was wonderfully layered. The clues were there, but at least for me I felt like I was along for the ride with Hetty rather than figuring everything out on my own.
I really enjoyed this story, and I’m looking forward to the continuation of this series. I loved the chosen family and community especially because it shows friendships growing from common pasts and how everyone in their community will help and when they can. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy slower paced mysteries, especially with a unique magic system.
Full review closer to publication but if you’re looking for a slow murder mystery set post Civil War with a sweet romance and fantastic chosen family, you’re going to want to check this book out!
Full review:
The Conductors is a fantasy murder mystery set in post-Civil War America and also has wonderful elements of chosen family and community, plus a sweet romance between Hetty and Benjy (whose marriage is one of friendship, not romance). From the moment I heard about this book, I was intrigued, and in no way did it disappoint!
Hetty is amazing and fierce and a very good example of competence porn. She’s very skilled with magic, and also at making clothes. She’s also known to meld the two together and sew sigils into the clothes she makes. I love her brashness and how she stands for what she believes in. But sometimes that also gets her into trouble, especially as a Black woman who used to be a Conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Her husband, Benjy, is also an amazingly competent individual and he does so many little things for Hetty to show his care, though sometimes she’s oblivious to the significance of his actions. He followed her to lead people from slavery because he was “bored” and together they balance each other and strengthen their skills in a way that ensured they were more often than not successful on their trips. Since the Civil War, they’re known to help people with unusual incidents - like finding a body in an alleyway with a cursed sigil carved in his chest.
All of the side characters feel fleshed out and the mystery was wonderfully layered. The clues were there, but at least for me I felt like I was along for the ride with Hetty rather than figuring everything out on my own.
I really enjoyed this story, and I’m looking forward to the continuation of this series. I loved the chosen family and community especially because it shows friendships growing from common pasts and how everyone in their community will help and when they can. I definitely recommend this book if you enjoy slower paced mysteries, especially with a unique magic system.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Racism and Slavery
Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Torture
thistle_and_verse's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Slavery
Moderate: Death and Infertility
Minor: Abortion and Kidnapping
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