Tendai HuchuRezensionen

Excellent! I've been looking for more character driven urban fantasy, and Ropa's adventures hit the spot. I love how snarky and annoyed she is, how true blue to family and community, how resilient in the face of grinding poverty. I find her very relatable in our currently crumbling society and I'm interested to learn more about the dystopian background of her world. I'm intrigued by the magical system and delighted by the list of great mbiru players that she drops throughout the book.

DNF

A girl who can communicate with the dead makes her living by charging them and their living relations for the privilege of her gift. But when a ghost who can’t pay begs her to find her missing son, she breaks all her rules against charity cases and sets out to investigate the series of mysterious disappearances in the neighborhood. She also gets her friend to sneak her into the members-only secret library where he works (and for which his father is president), and soon realizes both that the two things are related and that she very well may be in over her head.

I had a little trouble staying on top of the plot with this one, but it was still an okay read, if a little scattered.

A light read with some heavy topics. This short story depicts daily life in Zimbabwe as well as some serious social issues, such as injustice, corruption, and homophobia - though mostly from the surface. The writing might have benefited from more editing, but it was a pleasant and quick read.

This wasn't for me and I should have DNF'd.

Contrary to others, I thought the ending was well done… fast paced, interesting, left a bit of a cliffhanger while still giving a sense of being wrapped up. But for much of the book, I was… I don’t know, a little frustrated, a little disinterested. It drags in places and seemed unfocused at times. Some telling that felt unnecessary. So, overall, ⭐️⭐️⭐️. I would read the 2nd, but I don’t need to rush right out to get it.

You know how they say that Indiana Jones and The Lost Ark would've ended exactly the same way even if Indiana Jones wasn't part of the story? Well, that's how I felt about the Library of the Dead.
The premise was nice - a kid who can see and speak with ghosts somehow finds her way to a secret library where she can learn magic. However, if you took out the library from the story it would hardly change. Even Ropa's ability to speak with the dead wasn't a key point (going after Oliver could've just as well been a mission she got from his living grandparents).
Not to mention that the whole story felt like a Doctor Who episode.
Also, I often felt that the author was really trying to sound like a kid and really overdoing it.

Bottom line, it was an ok story but I really doubt I'll read the next one.

The publisher's summary of 'Library Of The Dead' doesn't do it justice. Doesn't even seem to be describing the same book. Rather than tell you what it is, they want to tell you what it's like, claiming that this is like 'Rivers of London', 'Sixth Sense' and 'Stranger Things' only set in contemporary Edinburgh and using Zimbabwean magic. Almost all of that is wrong and none of it acknowledges how original this book is.

'The Library of the Dead' isn't set in contemporary Edinburgh. It's set in an alternative, probably near-future, Edinburgh where the use of magic has been institutionalised, monetised and regulated, where there has been some sort of apocalyptic, probably climate-related disaster that has reshaped parts of the city and is set some years after the English King re-united Scotland with his Kingdom by force.

Where Peter Grant in 'Rivers Of London' is an adult leading a relatively comfortable life, with a career in the Met, backed up by the rich and powerful Folly and has (very) close relationships with the local River Godesses, Ropa is a teenage girl who has dropped out of school to earn enough from her ability to carry messages from the dead to the living to pay the rent on the crappy caravan she and her gran and her little sister live in and put food on the table. She spends a lot of her time dealing with the reality of poverty and has no one to back her up.

It's true that she does use Zimbabwean magic, inherited from her gran, but that's not all she uses and one of the unresolved mysteries running in the background is who Ropa's father was and what other powers she might possess.

So, what 'Library of the Dead' really is is a piece of speculative fiction, set in a possble future Edinburgh where magic is taken for granted and owned by the people with money and no one cares what happens to people like Ropa and the other kids who are scratching a living in within sight of Edinburgh's grand architecture.

Ropa made the book for me. She's not a primadonna. She barely has an education. She doesn't seem to be magically powerful. She's just keeping her he'd down and doing what she has to make ends meet and to prevent her gran and her sister being evicted because the rent hasn't been paid. I liked the grim reality of that.

What changes Ropa's life and creates the story for the first book in the series, is that Ropa, reluctantly af first, agrees to look into what is happening to some of the kids in her caravan park. They've been disappearing and coming back... empty.

Following up on this brings Ropa into conflict with powerful establishment-protected, magic-users, into contact with a secret Library for magic users in the heart of Edinburgh, and into the clutches of something truly evil that sees her as prey.

I admired the originality of the world that T. L Huchu has created. I'd like to go there again and learn more about it. Most of all, I liked Ropa for her loyalty to her family and her refusal to be ground down by the circumstance of her life or by the efforts of her enemies.

At first, I thought 'The Library Of The Dead' would by a Young Adult book. If it is, it's a grim one and one that this reader - who hasn't deserved being called young in a very long time - found very satisfying.

I thought there were places when the pacing was a little uneven but the key scenes in the story worked really well and the characters were believable and engaging.

It was a good start to a series I'd like to read more of.

I began reading 'The Library Of The Dead' as an audiobook but ended up sending it back and carrying on with the ebook. The narrator, Tinashe Warikandwa, was fine on the dialogue, although not that good at differentiating character voices, but once there's any description of anything abstract, she seemed to lose touch with the rhythm of the prose.

Click on the SoundCloud link to hear a sample. Your experience may be different to mine.

https://soundcloud.com/pan-macmillan/thelibraryofthedead-clip

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I liked it, it didn't wow me, but I didn't dislike it either. I had a hard time getting in sync with the writing style for the most part (and considering how much of a personal preference that is I can see how a lot of people will be just fine with/really enjoy it). I don't know if it was some of the slang as the protagonist was a 14 year old Scottish girl living in the, what seems to be, the near future, or just in general. There were, what was supposed to be, intense scenes that as I read through them I didn't find myself as involved, or caring as much as I should have. I do feel like there was a lot about the world that wasn't discussed that I would have liked to know about (and maybe would have made me feel more invested) but perhaps that will be in forthcoming books in the series. It just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Another great story in the Edinburgh Nights series. I love that Ropa and her group of friends don't let other people dictate how they view a situation. I also love that Ropa does not let others bully her into going against her moral code. I am very much looking forward to the next book, I cannot wait to see what situations Ropa and friends get into next.

Kimberly Mandindo did a great job narrating this story and I love listening to her accent. I will definitely look for more books narrated by Kimberly Mandindo in the future.

Ropa doesn't do things for free. Nothing. She speaks to the dead and carries their messages, but only if they can pay. Why? She's trying to support her grandma and her little sister in a world gone dark. Only there's a ghost with a compelling argument for a pro-bono case, but there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
This book contains scenes of blood, violence, death, torture (off page), ableism, classism and prejudice. In one scene a character that may be autistic or intellectually (coded) has been beaten (off page), framed for a crime and thrown in a dungeon. A person of colour is constantly misnamed by a white older male character throughout the book. There is a scene that discusses the loss of a child from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Other scenes include misogyny, imprisonment, ageism and homelessness.

T.L. Huchu is back for another fantastic addition to the Edinburgh Nights series with The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle. Ropa has bagged a ticket to the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference on the Isle of Skye, but of course, it comes with strings attached. She’s there as Sir Callander’s apprentice and that gives her a seat at the dinner table with the magical big wigs. But that’s only dinner, and until then she answers to Frances Cockburn, Director of Membership Services at the Society of Sceptical Enquirers and general thorn in her side. Cockburn has had it out for Ropa from the start and doesn’t believe that Ropa belongs in the Society. She has her running about doing all sorts of chores in preparation for the conference, jobs that Cockburn sees as being more fitting for Ropa as a ghosttalker.

The guest of honour at this year’s conference is the high wizard of Ethiopian magic, Qozmos, who has brought one of their most valuable magical scrolls to exchange with Scottish magicians. It all seems like everything is going to go well until the scroll is stolen moments after it leaves Qozmos’ hands. The scroll is stolen and tragedy strikes as someone is killed during the heist. In hot pursuit alongside Qozmos’ assistant Kebede, Ropa almost gets her hands on one of the perpetrators before being foiled by an invisible wall.

Believing it to be a trick utilised by the thieves, they return to learn that the wall is in fact a spell Sir Callander has conjured to stop the thieves from leaving. A giant bubble is now keeping everyone, including the thieves, in Dunvegan Castle and it’s grounds. With limited supplies, space and tensions rising, Ropa needs to find the thieves and fast. There’s added pressure from Sir Callander, who only trusts her to investigate, the Extraordinary Committee breathing down her neck and then England’s Sorcerer Royal who turned up unannounced, Ropa needs to be at the top of her game otherwise there are going to be some very serious consequences for Scottish magicians everywhere.

Joining Ropa in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle are her best friends, Jomo and Priya, and together the three of them have a maze of secrets and politics to investigate. Rather than narrowing down their list of suspects it seems like their list gets bigger with every single person they speak to. To top it all off Ropa is struggling when she needs to be on top of her game. Everyone is watching her, and too many people are waiting for her to make a mistake. She doesn’t need her body to let her down, so when she starts having panic attacks her first instinct is to try to ignore them, to deny that they’re even happening.

I’ve read many books that include scenes of panic attacks, however, this is the first one that has ever mentioned pins and needles in limbs, something that I’ve personally experienced during an extreme panic attack. Huchu has taken great care when writing Ropa’s panic attacks, and in how Ropa vocalises how the loss of control makes her feel. As a healer, Priya instinctively and professionally recognises what her friend is going through. Rather than pressuring Ropa to accept it she is there for her friend, waiting for Ropa to open up to her. Only then does she broach the subject of panic attacks and rather than try to fix Ropa, Priya’s support is unwavering.

When Ropa is ready to ask for help Priya talks her through what is available, explaining that there isn’t a magic spell that can fix her. I appreciated the way that Huchu handled this sensitive topic, especially as he is writing in a fantasy setting. Too many authors see fantasy as an excuse to ignore mental and physical health, to sweep it under the magical rug. The fact that Huchu has not chosen to do this in a young adult novel is extremely important and there is a great scene between Ropa and Priya that I believe will be very insightful to young readers.

Priya herself is another example of the way Huchu doesn’t use fantasy as an excuse. As a wheelchair user she has been alongside Ropa in her adventures from day one, right in the middle of all the chaos and danger. Unlike other authors who push their disabled characters off into the sidelines and would never dream of letting them near a battle, Huchu has created a disabled character who is a spell slinging fighter that uses ambulatory magic to move around. In The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle we get to see just what Priya can do, and she’s a complete badass!

There is also a character, Murdo, the Castle gardener that may be autistic-coded or coded for an intellectual disability. Ropa doesn’t have the knowledge or the language to recognise Murdo’s disability, but the way he is described and how other characters react to him suggests that he may be.

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle brings us more information about the way magic and politics work in Scotland and England. There are many moving parts in this one and from the moment the Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe, England’s Sorcerer Royal, appears it is clear that things are never going to be the same after this conference. The setting of a conference also means that we get to meet a lot of interesting characters, and see one’s we’ve already met before. A personal favourite of mine was Mrs. Featherstone who has some cracking lines. Speaking of language, Ropa’s pop culture slang keeps getting better with each book and some of my personal favourites this time include “frostier than Bobby Drake”, “prick to the nth power” and “I need the Prince of Persia’s rewind button”.

I could keep going on and on about this book and every book in the Edinburgh Nights series. Huchu delivers a fantastic book every time and I can’t wait for the next Ropa adventure.

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Oh, how I loved returning to this version of Edinburgh and to the snarky Ropa Moyo! Part Two of Edinburgh Nights is everything I hoped it to be. A fantastic and thrilling mystery steeped in magic and twisted politics. So much more is revealed about The Library of the Dead, as well as a bunch of other new places and people. But, once again, my favorite part is Ropa. What a character she is. I totally believe in her and also love her friends Priya and Jomo, her magical scarf Cruickshank and trusted vulpine friend, River. Her gran and sister Izwi are truly the heart of Ropa, and they play an important role in her journey as well. I don't think I'll ever tire of her! Can't wait for the next one.

Part Ghost Whisperer, part suspense novel, part mystery, and a wee bit of horror all make this story hard to categorize. My favorite part 100% is the main character of Ropa. Her Scottish brogue sizzles to life off the page with her cynicism and dark charm. She's a breath of fresh (albeit snarky) heroic air. I look forward to spending time with Ropa again in hopefully another go and get more familiar with the futuristic Edinburgh.

The Library of the Dead was my 75th book. And what a fascinating book. Future Edinburgh after some disaster that has left the world in chaos. Ropa carries message from ghosts to the living, often helping them finally transition to the world of the dead. She struggles to keep a roof over her head and that of her grandmother. When one of the ghosts--a mother--asks her to locate her son who she believes is being used by an evil being, Ropa moves deeper into a world of magic and mystery. Tendai Huchu captures Ropa's venacular and syntax that conveys her character. She is rough and street savvy with a tender spot for her fellow sufferers. I was immediately hooked on this strange but engaging tale.

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
There are ongoing themes of racism, prejudice, death and grief throughout the novel. There is a scene with drug use. There are scenes of violence and several scenes that are particularly gory, including one where a body is pinned to a ceiling. A lot of people are suffer burns in this book, many of which are fatal which may be triggering. As the book synopsis suggests the topic of illness is present throughout, and patients are comatose. While there are some medical scenes they are mixed with magical practices rather than being akin to those you would see in a medical drama, for example. The attitudes of doctors, however, do not change regardless of magic being introduced.

Returning to the Edinburgh Nights series was a joy, Ropa’s unique dialogue and infectious thirst for knowledge a breath of fresh air as it was the first time I cracked open The Library of the Dead. I always feel at home when reading in Ropa’s voice. As a 30 something Londoner living in Glasgow her dialogue reminds me of the late 90s and 00s because she’s picked up bits from TV and other pop culture sources that have survived from before the catastrophe. She sits down with her family to watch Diagnosis: Murder, something I used to do when I was her age (albeit, minus the family).

The way she blends words is reminiscent of that time in my life too, of slang from high school and college where we were all making up our own words to express ourselves. This was especially noticeable to me growing up in south-east London where so many young people from different cultures were merging together, everyone trying to understand each other and themselves. I remember one day in religious studies when a group of girls came in and started loudly talking about “The Power”. “Have you got The Power?” they asked me, like it was some huge secret, and no they weren’t talking She-Ra. This was their secret code for a woman’s period. Funny enough it didn’t catch on. I remember shaking my head because we were sixteen at that point, and I’d started mine at age ten, way before most of my classmates. By that point it had long ago lost its mystery to me.

So the way that Ropa and her pals talk, creating new language on the spot is wonderfully familiar. The way that Jomo always has a new “Ropa-” name for her every time he greets her always makes me smile. I get the feeling that he doesn’t know what he’s going to say until she appears and that’s a feeling that Huchu conveys throughout the dialogue in Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments. He’s very good at making it feel natural, of making his character’s responses feel just like something you, or I would do rather than something constructed which is a danger when they’re quite literally created characters.

As to be expected in the second book a lot of things progress in terms of overall story and character development. We start to find out more details about individual characters. The Library of the Dead was primarily focused on Ropa and introducing us to her and her world, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments is more about introducing Ropa to the world of magic and in doing so we learn more about her friends and associates. Naturally, this means Priya and Jomo. Priya is hell on wheels again, and Huchu doesn’t hold back with the realistic wheelchair representation. We learn more about Priya’s past and present, where she went to school and where she works. I appreciated that Huchu was candid with the animosity between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and funnelled it into the magical academic institutes in the Edinburgh Nights series. With Pryia representing Glasgow as a graduate of the Lord Kelvin Institute in Glasgow, we learn via her about that school and during Ropa’s investigation of Max Wu, Priya’s patient, we learn about the Edinburgh Ordinary School for boys. Additionally, we learn that there are two other schools; St Andrews College in St Andrews and the Aberdeen School of Magic and Esoterica.

In the first book Jomo felt quite underused, and in this one we see a lot more of him, and learn more about what he does in the Library. Huchu is peeling back the layers slowly, throwing us bones of information here and there which feeds our thirst for knowledge but also conjures so many more questions. We get to see more of what Jomo does inside the Library, and what his career as a librarian is going to lead to eventually. It’s both fascinating and creepy as hell, in the same way that Huchu served up in book one. It’s morbidly interesting, despite the way your mind is telling you that you shouldn’t be that interested in it. That something about this situation isn’t quite right. It’s a hugely morally grey area that you just know wouldn’t and shouldn’t be allowed to happen, except, you know; secret world of magic.

If you’re familiar with the first book in the series you’ll recall a rather dramatic chase across the city, and if you enjoyed that I’m happy to tell you there’s another fabulous chaotic scene in this book involving Priya and Ropa. It’s as wild as their first adventure, but in a totally different way, and it’s magnificent. Jomo fans, don’t worry; he and Ropa have one of their own too although in a much more Jomo-like fashion.

It’s not just Ropa’s relationship with her pals that are developing in this book, it’s their relationships with each other and growth isn’t always sunshine and roses. While their friendships are strong, they’re still in the early stages and it was so nice to see an author realise this. Too often I see characters become besties and then never disagree, or they have huge bust ups and melodramatics over trivial things. In Ropa’s world there’s no time for that, and when there’s a disagreement it’s over something important, two people just seeing things from a different perspective. Additionally, we see some other relationships happening, some that are sweet and some that are a wee bit of a shock that you’re going to need to read the book to find out about. Huhcu is making us work for every scrap of information, every secret, just like Ropa has to. This isn’t a book where we, the reader, know things. We’re on an equal playing field with Ropa when it comes to the secrets that people are hiding.

There are a lot of different perspectives in Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments. As Ropa steps into the magic world she’s prepared to do what it takes to make a good impression, and it quickly becomes evident that there will always be people who don’t care what she can do, just who she is and where she’s from. She’s constantly made to feel as though she isn’t good enough, doesn’t know enough and is taking up a spot as Sir Callander’s apprentice that should have gone to a more experienced magician. Ropa takes it on the nose, shrugs it off and dazzles them with a smile that often terrifies them because they don’t know what to make of her. Now that Ropa is “in” their world we get to learn alongside her and I adored the way Huchu tied in Scottish history.

Ropa continues to talk about the catastrophe that happened as known fact, and I’m even more convinced that Huchu has chosen not to give the reader details about what happened as a way to keep the reader focused on the here and now. The past isn’t important, it’s Ropa’s life and the present that matters. Huchu is gradually giving us more information about the King, a terrifying figure who rules from London (the parallel between this and modern day Westminster is neatly done) and I think in the next book we’ll find out even more especially as dark events have been foretold.

In Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments we see more of the world post-catastophe, and it was chilling to find out that that so many people live as we do now with all the mod-cons. The focus of the first book was much smaller, character wise and geographically, and in book two the full reality of life after the catastrophe becomes clear. Namely, that the majority of people have just gone on with their lives and turn their backs on the people and families struggling to survive in the slums, like Ropa and her family. It reminded me of how people are just moving on from the pandemic and how so many of us do it with disasters worldwide. We don’t see it, so it’s not our problem. It was a very humbling reminder that we all need to be more aware.

For me, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments was a four-star read compared to The Library of the Dead being a very clear five stars. It is difficult to compare the two books as they feel very different to me, and that’s not a bad thing. Book one was very dark with a horror flick essence at points, while this second outing with Ropa is about her starting her journey. At one point during Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments she says to her gran that she can’t stay in the caravan doing the same thing all her life. That is what this book is about. Yet at the heart of it, it’s still Ropa being Ropa and making her own reputation despite people pulling her down. As she battles racism and classism, sometimes casual and other times without shame, Ropa is doing what she does best and that is solving a mystery that no one else can solve. While the overall storyline is very different from The Library of the Dead all the same elements I love from book one are here. Ropa with a mystery, following clues while trying to make ends meet, doing her own thing and finding her place in the world.

Library of the Dead was about Ropa’s journey to the magic world, whereas Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments is the start of Ropa’s journey within it. We walk alongside her as she’s opening her eyes to the magic world and the idea that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. It’s just as messy and complicated, with bad stuff as the world she has come from, just people think they’re better. But there are some good apples too, and even as people try to keep her down there are people looking to give her a helping hand. The way Huchu chooses to end this one is a reminder that there’s always a way to triumph over people who stand in the way; sometimes you just have to be a bit sneaky about it ;)

For more of my reviews please visit my blog!

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
There are some scenes involving children that some readers may find disturbing (not of a sexual or abusive nature). There are a few scenes of physical abuse, and a scene of abduction involving a child in distress. There are a few scenes that readers with claustrophobia may find uncomfortable. Overall, keep in mind that this is a young adult novel so while there are dark and horror elements, there is nothing very dark. I’m just mentioning specific elements that may trigger people.

The Library of the Dead was an absolute delight to read from start to finish. Ropa is such a spirited protagonist who lives in the future, an almost dystopian time when the cities have been abandoned. I say “almost” dystopian because the world that Huchu has created is not the apocalyptic future that we usually see in books and films where nuclear war or disease has decimated the world. It’s almost subtle changes at first that give it away. People still live in houses with all the mod cons we take for granted, it’s only when Ropa has an altercation with the police, and she refers to the motorised vehicles they used to have that I realised we’re not in Kansas any more Toto!

Huchu doesn’t make a huge deal about what happened, and I’ll admit that I struggled with that a bit as I read The Library of the Dead. As a reader I like a clear picture of what is happening, what has happened and where we are. I kept trying to put the pieces together, scrambling for crumbs of information, and it’s only now as I sit down to write this review that I realised why there’s so little information about the before time; it doesn’t matter. I don’t know whether Huchu thought it would be a distraction, or whether it was because Ropa was born into this world, either way, the point is that what happened doesn’t change the life that Ropa and her family live in now. It doesn’t change the fact that Ropa left school to become a Ghostalker, a path that ultimately leads her to investigate the missing children and onto something much, much bigger. Could we call it destiny, or is it too early to go there?

In short, what’s done is done, and getting too hung up on the past is a dangerous thing. It’s something that Ropa knows all too well, as she talks to ghosts and ferries messages between them and their living friends and family. In doing so she earns a living and if she helps ghosts move on, that’s a bonus. It’s not that she doesn’t care, but she’s got a little sister and a sick grandmother to look after, and no one else is going to pay their rent or bills for them. Definitely not the dead.

Recently I’ve found myself reading a lot of magical realism novels masquerading as fantasy, and The Library of the Dead is a fantastic example of how you can combine realism and fantasy (or urban fantasy, technically). Huchu has kept all the urban fantasy elements; ghosts, magic, rituals, monsters and so on, and without the cost of any real life situations at all. In fact, this book feels more real than the magical realism ones do.

Take, for instance, the disabled character Priya. How does someone in a wheelchair get around an ancient library filled with stairs? Ambulatory magic! Ambulatory is a medical term that has various meanings, one of which is to refer to mobility aids. If you follow my blog, may have heard me talk about Ambulatory wheelchair users, disabled people who require the use of a wheelchair for some activities. I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user in some extreme situations. So, in ambulatory magic is magic that is connected to mobility devices and/or for accessibility! You can see it in action for yourself in The Library of the Dead

Life in magical post-societal-upheaval Scotland is tough, and our protagonist is a hard-nosed teenager with a heart of gold - at least when her Nan makes her. In between passing messages between the dearly-departed and their bereft families in order to cover rent for the land their caravan sits on, she takes on the case of a missing child. I normally have an uneasy relationship with this kind of subgenre (I often want to like it more than I actually do) but I really enjoyed the protagonist's voice on this one.

The eponymous library is your stereotypical members-only book vault plus gigantic compendium of rules and regulations. Though it does have a cafe too so there's that.

The ending was a bit irritating. It's abundantly clear from her own experiences that the Tall Man is not in fact the same as the Milkman and we're being set up for book two. Ah well: after all that I guess she deserves to live in denial for a wee bit.

Such a fun fantasy story! Can’t wait for the whole series. Do not miss this if you love occult libraries, Edinburgh, and smart, sarcastic protagonists who talk to ghosts.

2.5 out of 5 really. An uninspiring collection - some poor, one or two quite good, but nothing outstanding.½

This isnt the type of book id normally choose to read. My friend struggled to get into it and lent it to me to see if i wanted to read. Overall i liked the book. I just feel it was very drawn out. I feel like some information and event were not really relevent. But i liked the ending alot

I enjoyed the main character, though I did have a difficult time buying into her being 14. I also enjoyed the author's writing skills, but the mystery was introduced and then ignored for a long portion of the novel. And the library of the dead is barely featured in the book, buy maybe in future novels it will become more prominent.

I was a little thrown by the accents and the slang, as I don’t usually get my hands on too much Scottish media, but I can still say it was interesting unlike quite a few other books I’ve tried to pick up lately.

Compared to the first book, this installment goes much deeper into the underbelly of magic in Edinburgh. While I liked book one, this book had a much stronger plot pulling me through.

The world building is fantastic! Like seriously well laid out, to the point that I'm guessing the series bible is a full book on it's own. I love the scientific / mathematical methods they give to magic. The world alone is reason to read the series. It's a unique take on magic laced into the normal society, and based on the ending of this book I can only imagine we are diving deeper into the heart of just how intertwined everything really is.

While in the first book it didn't really seem like any of the cast grew as people, even though a life altering moment occurred, this book is the opposite. Many of the characters have growth arcs, and secrets that are coming to the surface.

We get to see more of the various economic differences between classes, and this time it ties more into the mystery which just doubles down on the world building. The author does a great job at solving this case but setting up the next book with plenty of problems.

You'll enjoy this series if you like heavy world building, and seeing the eyes of a city through the younger occupants.

This book had a lot of potential, but it feel flat for me with all the various "dazzle" that wasn't explored enough. I will give it the benefit of the doubt that a lot of it is set up for the series and will be explore further in future books.

The futuristic poverty and crumbling of a society taken over by the elite is well done. The world built feels like a future we could be facing. The struggles to make ends meet, cops being the ones to fear, and a vast class separation in quality of life, all well written and really brought the setting to life.

The magic aspects had a lot of moving parts, many which left more questions than answers. Instead of pulling me through the story it left me wondering why we were even given that information. They mystery ended up being a bit obvious and there isn't really any character growth for those we follow throughout the story. Kind of a "back to where we started" ending.

I will probably read the next book when it hits Libby just to see if it dives more into the magic and the library. If you enjoy paranormal lite, where the average world is laced with magic, and teens saving the day you'll enjoy this story.

TW: Child abduction, child harm.