I'm sorry, I want to be supportive of Melissa Marr because I really enjoyed her previous books, but this is a hot mess that could benefit from some serious editing -- it's a book with an identity crisis that doesn't quite know what it wants to be -- romantasy? New take on harry potter? Moody mystery? some kind of deeper and longer fantasy? I don't know. The world building is sketchy but getting there. The romances are... instant and not entirely believable. The problem that the characters are facing is weird and not really compelling. But the most important thing is that I went into this thinking it was a romance-type book -- some angst, some connection, hopefully a great setting and some snarky dialogue, followed by a satisfying resolution -- only to discover at the end of the book that this is the first in a duology and it's just a set up for book two. No thanks. It's got promise, but it needs more focus and some ruthless attempts at believability.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. ( )

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr
A Course in Magic series #1. Mandatory adult magic school. LGBTQ+ Fantasy romance. Cliffhanger. Multiple POV. Multiple relationships.
Prospero is a powerful witch from the magical land of Crenshaw. She believes in a prophecy that has an uninitiated witch as a the key in saving their homeland. Prospero takes steps to ensure that powers are awakened. Three new witches arrive in Crenshaw and must learn the rules of their new situations.

🎧 I listened to an audiobook copy of this narrated by Jeremy Carlisle Parker and Max Meyers. The performances were well done, and each had a specific voice for the characters. But as they are both males, I missed a few times that the current POV was a female. The timing and emotions of the characters are clear.
I listened to this at 1.5 which I found as the most comfortable.

I had a difficult time with audiobook, mostly because there are at least six POV’s and while there were two narrators, there is no introduction of which character POV is being told. Without seeing the text or hearing a chapter heading, it was hard to follow a switch although the narrators did have different voices for the main characters.
I also didn’t care for the witches being activated by cutting them out of their current lives regardless of their situations. Specially leaving a young son believing his mother is dead and he must live with his abusive and neglectful father.
There are three quick relationships (F-F, M-F, M-M) in the story that actually seem manipulative in more than one way.
More disturbing, the school administration is recording and watching everything for the benefit of their own community. Inside private rooms. Creepy. They justify it as their world is dying and they need to find a solution.
I will look for an ebook copy to see if I can clarify a couple of confusing points. I may continue the series to make sure the mother is able to save her son, and to find out how the magical community fixes the poisoned water.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and publisher Macmillan Audio. ( )