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corsetedfeminist's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
I picked up this book for the tagline, and it did not disappoint.
This book is a magical murder mystery novel, featuring 3 best friends- a tall bi girl with chronic pain and fatigue, a nonbinary bug nerd, and a short, fat lesbian who gets all the girls and wears heels that unsheathe to reveal knives. (Yes, I am obsessed with that last member. I love all of them, but I would instantly marry Diana.)
Rounding out the group is a semi-corporal ghost of a forensic scientist who died wearing costume cat ears and is the sweetest, out of pocket gay ghost one could ever imagine, and who mentors our three girls throughout their investigation.
I loved this book. The mystery itself took repeated turns that I couldn’t predict, and the worldbuilding is complex but revealed as needed. The author also does a good job of using interviews for the case to give us back story without it being boring.
The plot is also interwoven with the developing and realistic friendship between our main characters and the struggle of a girl to accept being disabled while still saving the day.
This book is if Nancy Drew books were a little older, openly magic, and a lot gayer. What else do you need to know
This book is a magical murder mystery novel, featuring 3 best friends- a tall bi girl with chronic pain and fatigue, a nonbinary bug nerd, and a short, fat lesbian who gets all the girls and wears heels that unsheathe to reveal knives. (Yes, I am obsessed with that last member. I love all of them, but I would instantly marry Diana.)
Rounding out the group is a semi-corporal ghost of a forensic scientist who died wearing costume cat ears and is the sweetest, out of pocket gay ghost one could ever imagine, and who mentors our three girls throughout their investigation.
I loved this book. The mystery itself took repeated turns that I couldn’t predict, and the worldbuilding is complex but revealed as needed. The author also does a good job of using interviews for the case to give us back story without it being boring.
The plot is also interwoven with the developing and realistic friendship between our main characters and the struggle of a girl to accept being disabled while still saving the day.
This book is if Nancy Drew books were a little older, openly magic, and a lot gayer. What else do you need to know
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
morganewg's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Chronic illness, and Death
Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, and Toxic relationship
Stellar book - complex plot that was enjoyable to puzzle out, and loveable characters. The magic system and Occulture at large was complex and not thoroughly explained, which I enjoyed unlike some other readers. It lends a sense of realism to the environment, since it's not like the average person could explain physics in detail to you in our world and likewise the average witch should not be able to explain magic. I would gladly read more in this universe and eagerly await more books from Smyth.fionamclary's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
3.0
This book was funny and full of heart. I loved our main characters and especially related to Mallory given that a chronic illness has been increasingly disabling me for the past year and a half. I enjoyed the take on a magical culture/society that maps nicely onto the human diversity of the real world.
However, I found the lore to be frustratingly thin. It didn't make sense to me how many seemingly basic aspects of magic were unknown to Occulture before the events of the story(such as spells and people being able to travel via witchlight) , and the history of the Ternion remained vague and confusing throughout. It meant that by the end I still didn't understand what it would actually mean for someone to summon or join the Ternion , and what the motivation/thought process would be that would lead someone to this decision. I also felt that the details of how the ritual murders themselves worked were very poorly fleshed out. E.g. how does one make the death blade ? How does it work? This was super frustrating and majorly detracted from the quality of the story. However, I think this author has a lot of potential, and I'd be intrigued if a second book happens, as the ending of this book seemed to be allowing for. There's still some mysteries unsolved!
Also, I really want a movie version now just so that Nathan Foad can play Theodore. I think that would go so hard.
However, I found the lore to be frustratingly thin. It didn't make sense to me how many seemingly basic aspects of magic were unknown to Occulture before the events of the story
Also, I really want a movie version now just so that Nathan Foad can play Theodore. I think that would go so hard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Animal death, Ableism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, and Murder
Minor: Medical content, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, and Violence
madamenovelist's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Body horror, Cursing, Medical trauma, Medical content, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Confinement
se_wigget's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
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
5.0
Wow, what a book! I love the main characters--the Undetectables themselves, three witches and a ghost. I love the queer and disabled rep, too. Maybe the author will continue writing about the Undetectables--that would be delightful.
I've never seen the expression "arsebadger" before. I like it. Now I can say, "fascist bigot arsebadgers."
"... tradition is just peer pressure from dead people."
(p. 238)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Death, and Medical content
lbelow's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
I am a person with fibromyalgia in a flare reading about a fantasy character with fibromyalgia fighting off a flare and it is everything. This book made me feel so seen! I love the complex relationships between Mallory and her friends, and how they all vow to do better in the future. I love the little nuances sprinkled through that seem inconsequential but become turning points in the book. I love the humour and the love and the depiction of grief. Everything, EVERYTHING in this book was just magical!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Chronic illness, Ableism, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Death, and Murder
fromjuliereads's review
adventurous
dark
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.0
I went into this book based on an author I like posting about it (Lillie Lainoff), the tagline, and the synopsis. And I wasn't disappointed! I was looking for a unique premise and awesome characters, and this book definitely delivered on both!
Let's get the minor notes out of the way first. I think that this definitely had a slower pace than I expected as a fantasy mystery. There are a few spots in the middle that lagged - but the characters do keep you interested! I think this might be more a debut thing since the author has written more short stories previously. And nothing against the book, but I did guess the villain earlier than the characters.
But my list of good far outweighs those notes!!
- I really loved these characters! They are quirky, badass, and relatable! Mallory is taller than average, Cornelia wears glasses and is blunt, and Diana is plus-size and THEY ARE ALL SMART IN THEIR OWN WAYS. They have their strengths and distinct personalities and they all love each other for who they are. It's honestly one of my favourite friendships I've read.
- queernormative characters - like, lots of them. And there are multiple nonbinary characters with they/them pronouns on page.
- chronic illness rep. Mallory has fibromyalgia and it is part of her character and the plot in a realistic way. It was great to see it part of the story and how it affects her, both physically and mentally. While I don't have chronic illness, I have migraine and pain days and Mallory felt really relatable to me in a lot of ways. Which is amazing to see in a fantasy novel!
- while I did see who the villain was going to be, the backstory and WHY, how it's revealed, were all a surprise to me and well done! I didn't see that route coming honestly.
- Theodore.
While I don't think everyone will LOVE this book, there are definitely people who will appreciate everything I listed above with the mix of magic, witches, and the occult.
Let's get the minor notes out of the way first. I think that this definitely had a slower pace than I expected as a fantasy mystery. There are a few spots in the middle that lagged - but the characters do keep you interested! I think this might be more a debut thing since the author has written more short stories previously. And nothing against the book, but I did guess the villain earlier than the characters.
But my list of good far outweighs those notes!!
- I really loved these characters! They are quirky, badass, and relatable! Mallory is taller than average, Cornelia wears glasses and is blunt, and Diana is plus-size and THEY ARE ALL SMART IN THEIR OWN WAYS. They have their strengths and distinct personalities and they all love each other for who they are. It's honestly one of my favourite friendships I've read.
- queernormative characters - like, lots of them. And there are multiple nonbinary characters with they/them pronouns on page.
- chronic illness rep. Mallory has fibromyalgia and it is part of her character and the plot in a realistic way. It was great to see it part of the story and how it affects her, both physically and mentally. While I don't have chronic illness, I have migraine and pain days and Mallory felt really relatable to me in a lot of ways. Which is amazing to see in a fantasy novel!
- while I did see who the villain was going to be, the backstory and WHY, how it's revealed, were all a surprise to me and well done! I didn't see that route coming honestly.
- Theodore.
While I don't think everyone will LOVE this book, there are definitely people who will appreciate everything I listed above with the mix of magic, witches, and the occult.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Murder
Minor: Stalking, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship
Bugs, room full of bugspurplepenning's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
A unique serial killer thriller in an urban fantasy setting that follows a trio of Gen-Z magical folk as they investigate — a fresh, spooky season read for murder mystery fans!
I picked it up for the tagline: "Be Gay. Solve crimes. Take naps." The writing didn't immediately click for me because I couldn't quite get a feel for the setting and characters, but I stuck with it for the absurdly endearing character of Theodore (an irrepressible ghost stuck in the ridiculous cat costume he died in on Halloween), the excellently portrayed chronic pain rep, and the Gen Z voice of it all. By the end, I found myself hoping that this is going to be the first in a series.
I picked it up for the tagline: "Be Gay. Solve crimes. Take naps." The writing didn't immediately click for me because I couldn't quite get a feel for the setting and characters, but I stuck with it for the absurdly endearing character of Theodore (an irrepressible ghost stuck in the ridiculous cat costume he died in on Halloween), the excellently portrayed chronic pain rep, and the Gen Z voice of it all. By the end, I found myself hoping that this is going to be the first in a series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Body horror, and Chronic illness
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Ableism, Animal death, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Medical content
Minor: Alcohol
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