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A review by queer_bookwyrm
A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O'Brien
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
5 ⭐ CW: violence, cursing
A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O'Brien is a YA dark academia fantasy with a magic school. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this! It was a solid YA read with a friends-to-rivals trope, and chock full of queer characters. Our MC is nonbinary, and we also get bisexual, lesbian, and trans male rep.
We follow Rat Evans, heir to a powerful magical family, who has strange powers that allow them to see "dead passages" or other hallways and doors no one else can see, that takes them to other worlds. We are led to believe that Rat had a traumatic experience in one of these other worlds, and now is afraid of the power they have and chooses not to use it, even though they will be attending an elite magic school in upstate New York.
While there, we learn about Rat's rivalry with ex-friend Harker, a caster from no notable bloodline. When Rat finds out that someone has stolen a map his father made when he was alive, Rat makes a hasty friendship with Jinx, Agatha, and tentative allyship with Harker to figure out what is going on at the school. This was a fun story that kept me on my toes with suspense while also making me love the characters. Jinx is my favorite, and I hope to learn more about the rest of the characters in book two. I do wish we had gotten a bit more world-building since we don't really leave the school.
Luckily, we didn't end on a huge cliffhanger, but we are set up for the second book in a way that makes me wish I hadn't read this so early so I can read the sequel already lol.
A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O'Brien is a YA dark academia fantasy with a magic school. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this! It was a solid YA read with a friends-to-rivals trope, and chock full of queer characters. Our MC is nonbinary, and we also get bisexual, lesbian, and trans male rep.
We follow Rat Evans, heir to a powerful magical family, who has strange powers that allow them to see "dead passages" or other hallways and doors no one else can see, that takes them to other worlds. We are led to believe that Rat had a traumatic experience in one of these other worlds, and now is afraid of the power they have and chooses not to use it, even though they will be attending an elite magic school in upstate New York.
While there, we learn about Rat's rivalry with ex-friend Harker, a caster from no notable bloodline. When Rat finds out that someone has stolen a map his father made when he was alive, Rat makes a hasty friendship with Jinx, Agatha, and tentative allyship with Harker to figure out what is going on at the school. This was a fun story that kept me on my toes with suspense while also making me love the characters. Jinx is my favorite, and I hope to learn more about the rest of the characters in book two. I do wish we had gotten a bit more world-building since we don't really leave the school.
Luckily, we didn't end on a huge cliffhanger, but we are set up for the second book in a way that makes me wish I hadn't read this so early so I can read the sequel already lol.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence and Cursing