What do you think?
Rate this book
In Scientia
After moving to New York for her senior year of high school, Eva Nelson falls for a mysterious boy who leads her to discover a family she never knew she had.
When she flies to London to meet them, she's unwittingly inducted into an elite society of magic that puts her life in grave danger.
Hopelessly romantic and addictively suspenseful, In Scientia is a contemporary fantasy where magic is just as real as love.
When she flies to London to meet them, she's unwittingly inducted into an elite society of magic that puts her life in grave danger.
Hopelessly romantic and addictively suspenseful, In Scientia is a contemporary fantasy where magic is just as real as love.
- GenresFantasy
354 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2024
9 people are currently reading
388 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Baines
1 book21 followersLuke Baines is an English-born Australian actor, writer and producer. He's best known for his work on the Netflix/Freeform fantasy drama series Shadowhunters, which earned him a Teen Choice nomination. Luke also starred in The Girl In The Photographs, directed by Nick Simon and produced by Wes Craven, and in David Robert Mitchell's A24 feature Under The Silver Lake, which premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. His other film credits include Untitled Horror Movie, Syfy Channel's Truth or Dare, The Ever After, As Night Comes, A Dark Place and Disney's Saving Mr. Banks (even though he was cut out of it). His TV credits include, Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Mandalorian and Nancy Drew. In Scientia marks his debut as an author.
Source: Amazon.
Source: Amazon.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 11, 2024
3.75 stars. A fun, YA fantasy novel. The story has barely started and I am excited to read book 2.
November 9, 2025
If IN SCENTIA is too slow for your taste and you are wondering why everybody gives it 4-5 stars, then you should read my review.
I was of the same opinion until around 20% of the book (I read a Kindle edition). The prologue and the subsequent story of Eva Nelson didn’t match up. I thought maybe Eva was the boy from the prologue; that can happen in the modern world. It was a slow story about coming of age and feeling alone and different from others, whose dreams didn’t go far enough. Then happened a pivotal shift in the narrative - we met the boy from the prologue. From there, the action proceeded at an astonishing speed, with characters and places - and new worlds - intermingling without giving the reader a respite.
I couldn’t not compare IN SCENTIA with TV series ‘Shadowhunters,’ where the author, L.J. Baines, played a villain. The archetypes in both the book and the series ring a bell: a strong teenage heroine, a gentlemanly, loyal boy, and epic love. I can also predict that the teenage heroes will fight against the existing order of things in the magic world because they are.... well, young and in love. These stories work differently if the characters are much older. Still, 99% of the story’s success lies not in the idea, which may be as old as the world, but in its execution. So far, the vividness of the scenes, resembling more of a TV show than a book, has enchanted me. I’m looking forward to the second book of the series.
I was of the same opinion until around 20% of the book (I read a Kindle edition). The prologue and the subsequent story of Eva Nelson didn’t match up. I thought maybe Eva was the boy from the prologue; that can happen in the modern world. It was a slow story about coming of age and feeling alone and different from others, whose dreams didn’t go far enough. Then happened a pivotal shift in the narrative - we met the boy from the prologue. From there, the action proceeded at an astonishing speed, with characters and places - and new worlds - intermingling without giving the reader a respite.
I couldn’t not compare IN SCENTIA with TV series ‘Shadowhunters,’ where the author, L.J. Baines, played a villain. The archetypes in both the book and the series ring a bell: a strong teenage heroine, a gentlemanly, loyal boy, and epic love. I can also predict that the teenage heroes will fight against the existing order of things in the magic world because they are.... well, young and in love. These stories work differently if the characters are much older. Still, 99% of the story’s success lies not in the idea, which may be as old as the world, but in its execution. So far, the vividness of the scenes, resembling more of a TV show than a book, has enchanted me. I’m looking forward to the second book of the series.
July 23, 2025
What happens when one of your favorite actors turns into a debut fantasy author? You read the book, obviously.
In Scientia is the debut novel by L.J. Baines, also known as Luke Baines, the actor who played Sebastian Morgenstern in the Shadowhunters TV adaptation of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. That’s where I first knew him, since I’m a huge Shadowhunters fan. I loved his acting, and when I found out he was writing a book? Immediate add to my TBR. I’m happy to report: he definitely has a talent for writing.
At first glance, In Scientia doesn’t scream “fantasy.” But make no mistake, it is. It’s YA, dual POV, and set mostly in New York and London. Our main characters are 17-year-old Eva and her love interest 18/19-year-old Max, and the story slowly unfolds into something much bigger than your average teen drama.
Fair warning: this is the start of a series, even if it’s not marketed as one. I wish it had been, but I get it. Debut indie authors don’t always know if they’ll get the chance to continue, especially if sales are uncertain. This book only scratches the surface of the world, characters, and magic system. It can work as a standalone, but it leaves tons of open threads and a very open ending. Thankfully, the author has confirmed he plans to continue. We’re holding you to that, Luke. Receipts were kept. 📸
As a very visual reader, I do wish the promo had included official artwork for the characters. I always love when authors go that extra mile. It helps me connect. Since I’m not rich enough to commission anything, I made a few AI-generated images for fun (sorry if anyone here is anti-AI, apologies in advance!).
Eva Nelson: A curvy, sharp-eyed 17-year-old with sapphire blue eyes and light brown hair. Future journalist with brains, beauty, and Bowie on her T-shirt.
Max "Massimo": Half-Egyptian, half-Italian heartthrob with caramel-brown eyes, olive skin, and a rebellious vibe. Leather jackets and motorcycles never looked this good.
Delilah: A stunning 17-year-old actress with dark skin, waist-length braids, and hypnotic green eyes. She lights up every room she walks into.
Dylan: Alabama-born and Brad Pitt–handsome, Dylan is 17 with model looks and a doctor's ambition. Athletic, charming, and effortlessly cool.
Spoiler Summary (for future me and other memory-challenged readers):
Since the sequel might take years, I’m writing a full summary now so I don’t forget what happened.
Eva Nelson lives in a small town with her paternal grandparents after her father and mother died during childbirth. She never fit in, so when she earns a scholarship to a prestigious NYC prep school (Anderson Prep), she takes it. She dreams of becoming a journalist. There she meets fellow scholarship kids Dylan and Delilah (Delilah has a girlfriend, Katie; Dylan develops a crush on Eva right away).
While exploring the city, Eva spots a mysterious guy named Max and becomes instantly obsessed. She starts stalking him (yes, literally stalking), texting, calling, showing up uninvited, even when he ignores her. She lets her grades slip, misses a friend’s rehearsal, and basically spirals into full romantic meltdown.
But Max is hiding things. He asks odd questions, like about her maternal grandparents, and that sets Eva down a path of discovery. Turns out her mother faked her surname, and her maternal side is alive and rich-rich in London. She flies out and meets them. Some are hostile, some warm, and slowly she uncovers that they’re part of a secret society.
The society, called In Unio, uses a science-based magic system from a book titled In Scientia split into three branches:
Symbol of In Unio made by me using Paint lol. It’s also on the book cover.
• Elementum: Magic from nature and elements. Represented by the triangle.
• Mentis: Mind-based magic (illusions, thought implantation, time-space manipulation.) Represented by the square.
• Spiritualis: Spirit communication (cross) and divination (circle).
Eva’s family belongs to the Elementum faction. Through a harrowing initiation, she uncovers her own powers and finds the titular book, In Scientia. Meanwhile, Max, who’s been distant for a reason, also has magic. His type is Mentis. His parents were killed by the magical police (the Praesidio Sancti) for breaking forbidden rules about inter-faction family relationships. He’s terrified of history repeating with Eva.
When the Praesidio starts closing in on her, Max takes the blame. He flees to his grandparents in Italy, thinking that staying away is the only way to keep Eva safe. But of course, their connection pulls them back together. They have a bittersweet, secret meeting in his apartment.
After that, Eva goes back home. Her grandfather is poisoned (yep, poisoned) by the Praesidio. She stands her ground and fights back, using her powers and Max’s help. He leaves again. Her grandfather later dies due to the damage caused.
Trying to cheer her up, her friends take her to the school's formal, which she ends up covering for the school paper. Her piece turns out to be both insightful and critical of the class disparities. That same night, she receives a letter from Max inviting her to a secret Casablanca screening, the movie her parents fell in love over. They meet, kiss, and agree to take it one secret meeting at a time.
Then comes one last reveal. Eva inherits her mother’s New York City apartment and finds a secret letter, her mom’s In Scientia book, and her symbol necklace. The letter is vague since her mom feared it might be intercepted, but she tells Eva to trust her intuition. Eva shares everything with Delilah. The end.
Pros:
• The magic system was smart and refreshing. A blend of science and magic that felt original and thought-out.
• I loved that the author included a family tree. So many new names, but this helped a lot.
•It’s a Cinderella moment. Small-town girl finds out she’s a billionaire heiress.
• Touches of a forbidden love / Romeo and Juliet trope, though it comes in late.
• I liked Dylan a lot. He felt underrated and kind, though I’m slightly suspicious of him (more in theories).
• Insta-love usually bothers me, but here it makes sense due to the magical soulmate thing tied to their kiss.
• I really liked the cover. It’s eye-catching and different, and what makes it even better is that you notice little details that connect to the story once you’ve finished reading. The color of Eva’s silhouette relates to her power, the glow in the eyes stands out more after knowing what it means, and you can spot the In Unio symbol, Max and Eva, and the skyline. All of it becomes more meaningful once you know the full story.
Cons:
• The start was too slow. You don’t even realize it’s about magic until around 60% in.
• The formatting and editing need polish. A better editor could fix distracting little errors.
• Chapter titles felt random. Sometimes I couldn’t even figure out how the title related to the chapter.
• Dual POV wasn’t labeled. Most chapters are Eva’s, so when one suddenly switched to Max, I got confused. Would’ve helped to mark “Eva” or “Max” at the start of each.
• The prologue being Max’s POV confused me at first. I thought it was a typo when talking about a son. It wasn’t.
• Some descriptions were vague or hard to visualize, especially during Eva’s initiation and the parking lot fight.
• The romance better not end like this. They’re not really together at the end, just meeting in secret.
Questions:
So many questions are left unresolved.
• Can Eva trust her family?
• Was her mom and dad’s death really an accident?
• What’s up with that cryptic letter?
• Now that Delilah knows everything, is she safe?
Theories:
• Dylan or his parents might be secretly involved with the Praesidio.
• Eva’s father might not be who she thinks. Maybe she’s the product of a forbidden union with the Mendoza family, like Max.
Final Thoughts:
This is a solid debut with a creative world, a unique magic system, and a story that blends mystery, romance, and coming-of-age themes. It needs a sequel desperately, and I hope Luke Baines delivers. I’ll be first in line for the next installment. Just please don’t break my heart with this Eva and Max situation. 😭
In Scientia is the debut novel by L.J. Baines, also known as Luke Baines, the actor who played Sebastian Morgenstern in the Shadowhunters TV adaptation of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. That’s where I first knew him, since I’m a huge Shadowhunters fan. I loved his acting, and when I found out he was writing a book? Immediate add to my TBR. I’m happy to report: he definitely has a talent for writing.
At first glance, In Scientia doesn’t scream “fantasy.” But make no mistake, it is. It’s YA, dual POV, and set mostly in New York and London. Our main characters are 17-year-old Eva and her love interest 18/19-year-old Max, and the story slowly unfolds into something much bigger than your average teen drama.
Fair warning: this is the start of a series, even if it’s not marketed as one. I wish it had been, but I get it. Debut indie authors don’t always know if they’ll get the chance to continue, especially if sales are uncertain. This book only scratches the surface of the world, characters, and magic system. It can work as a standalone, but it leaves tons of open threads and a very open ending. Thankfully, the author has confirmed he plans to continue. We’re holding you to that, Luke. Receipts were kept. 📸
As a very visual reader, I do wish the promo had included official artwork for the characters. I always love when authors go that extra mile. It helps me connect. Since I’m not rich enough to commission anything, I made a few AI-generated images for fun (sorry if anyone here is anti-AI, apologies in advance!).
Eva Nelson: A curvy, sharp-eyed 17-year-old with sapphire blue eyes and light brown hair. Future journalist with brains, beauty, and Bowie on her T-shirt.
Max "Massimo": Half-Egyptian, half-Italian heartthrob with caramel-brown eyes, olive skin, and a rebellious vibe. Leather jackets and motorcycles never looked this good.
Delilah: A stunning 17-year-old actress with dark skin, waist-length braids, and hypnotic green eyes. She lights up every room she walks into.
Dylan: Alabama-born and Brad Pitt–handsome, Dylan is 17 with model looks and a doctor's ambition. Athletic, charming, and effortlessly cool.
Spoiler Summary (for future me and other memory-challenged readers):
Since the sequel might take years, I’m writing a full summary now so I don’t forget what happened.
Eva Nelson lives in a small town with her paternal grandparents after her father and mother died during childbirth. She never fit in, so when she earns a scholarship to a prestigious NYC prep school (Anderson Prep), she takes it. She dreams of becoming a journalist. There she meets fellow scholarship kids Dylan and Delilah (Delilah has a girlfriend, Katie; Dylan develops a crush on Eva right away).
While exploring the city, Eva spots a mysterious guy named Max and becomes instantly obsessed. She starts stalking him (yes, literally stalking), texting, calling, showing up uninvited, even when he ignores her. She lets her grades slip, misses a friend’s rehearsal, and basically spirals into full romantic meltdown.
But Max is hiding things. He asks odd questions, like about her maternal grandparents, and that sets Eva down a path of discovery. Turns out her mother faked her surname, and her maternal side is alive and rich-rich in London. She flies out and meets them. Some are hostile, some warm, and slowly she uncovers that they’re part of a secret society.
The society, called In Unio, uses a science-based magic system from a book titled In Scientia split into three branches:
Symbol of In Unio made by me using Paint lol. It’s also on the book cover.
• Elementum: Magic from nature and elements. Represented by the triangle.
• Mentis: Mind-based magic (illusions, thought implantation, time-space manipulation.) Represented by the square.
• Spiritualis: Spirit communication (cross) and divination (circle).
Eva’s family belongs to the Elementum faction. Through a harrowing initiation, she uncovers her own powers and finds the titular book, In Scientia. Meanwhile, Max, who’s been distant for a reason, also has magic. His type is Mentis. His parents were killed by the magical police (the Praesidio Sancti) for breaking forbidden rules about inter-faction family relationships. He’s terrified of history repeating with Eva.
When the Praesidio starts closing in on her, Max takes the blame. He flees to his grandparents in Italy, thinking that staying away is the only way to keep Eva safe. But of course, their connection pulls them back together. They have a bittersweet, secret meeting in his apartment.
After that, Eva goes back home. Her grandfather is poisoned (yep, poisoned) by the Praesidio. She stands her ground and fights back, using her powers and Max’s help. He leaves again. Her grandfather later dies due to the damage caused.
Trying to cheer her up, her friends take her to the school's formal, which she ends up covering for the school paper. Her piece turns out to be both insightful and critical of the class disparities. That same night, she receives a letter from Max inviting her to a secret Casablanca screening, the movie her parents fell in love over. They meet, kiss, and agree to take it one secret meeting at a time.
Then comes one last reveal. Eva inherits her mother’s New York City apartment and finds a secret letter, her mom’s In Scientia book, and her symbol necklace. The letter is vague since her mom feared it might be intercepted, but she tells Eva to trust her intuition. Eva shares everything with Delilah. The end.
Pros:
• The magic system was smart and refreshing. A blend of science and magic that felt original and thought-out.
• I loved that the author included a family tree. So many new names, but this helped a lot.
•It’s a Cinderella moment. Small-town girl finds out she’s a billionaire heiress.
• Touches of a forbidden love / Romeo and Juliet trope, though it comes in late.
• I liked Dylan a lot. He felt underrated and kind, though I’m slightly suspicious of him (more in theories).
• Insta-love usually bothers me, but here it makes sense due to the magical soulmate thing tied to their kiss.
• I really liked the cover. It’s eye-catching and different, and what makes it even better is that you notice little details that connect to the story once you’ve finished reading. The color of Eva’s silhouette relates to her power, the glow in the eyes stands out more after knowing what it means, and you can spot the In Unio symbol, Max and Eva, and the skyline. All of it becomes more meaningful once you know the full story.
Cons:
• The start was too slow. You don’t even realize it’s about magic until around 60% in.
• The formatting and editing need polish. A better editor could fix distracting little errors.
• Chapter titles felt random. Sometimes I couldn’t even figure out how the title related to the chapter.
• Dual POV wasn’t labeled. Most chapters are Eva’s, so when one suddenly switched to Max, I got confused. Would’ve helped to mark “Eva” or “Max” at the start of each.
• The prologue being Max’s POV confused me at first. I thought it was a typo when talking about a son. It wasn’t.
• Some descriptions were vague or hard to visualize, especially during Eva’s initiation and the parking lot fight.
• The romance better not end like this. They’re not really together at the end, just meeting in secret.
Questions:
So many questions are left unresolved.
• Can Eva trust her family?
• Was her mom and dad’s death really an accident?
• What’s up with that cryptic letter?
• Now that Delilah knows everything, is she safe?
Theories:
• Dylan or his parents might be secretly involved with the Praesidio.
• Eva’s father might not be who she thinks. Maybe she’s the product of a forbidden union with the Mendoza family, like Max.
Final Thoughts:
This is a solid debut with a creative world, a unique magic system, and a story that blends mystery, romance, and coming-of-age themes. It needs a sequel desperately, and I hope Luke Baines delivers. I’ll be first in line for the next installment. Just please don’t break my heart with this Eva and Max situation. 😭
April 10, 2024
I'll be honest, i read this because i loved luke baines as Sebastian in shadowhunters despite the show's writing. It's a little slow to start, and seemed like a rom com at first but it was pretty solid, the main chatacter was fairly interesting, and i just really ended up enjoying it. Did read it on a plane though
November 15, 2025
5/? (July 5th 2025 - August 22th 2025) - In Scientia, L.J. Baines (ROSENDE READS) [ENG] (FANTASY) ★★★★★ I’ll try to make this as spoiler-less as possible. First of all, everyone know that Luke promised that the sequel is in the works!!! Do not fret over this having the most awful cliffhanger ending ever tho, cause it’s not like that, but don’t expect the story to be wrapped up and get every single answer to all of your questions either, like you would on a standalone novel. This is going to be a trilogy!!! I’ll definitely be re-reading this and theorizing a lot before the next one comes out. It literally cannot come quick enough, and I know I’ll devour it cause the only thing that stopped me from doing so with this one was the boocklub buddy read. It was so so hard to not keep reading further than we were supposed to for each live discussion. Which was great, cause I know I enjoy books more when I don’t speed through them. And I had finally managed to reach the point of my TBR when I was going to read this anyways by myself, so it was amazing getting to share it with everyone else instead. But know when it’s advertised as addictively suspenseful, it is for real, you’ll need to know what happens next, and you’ll be surprised by some twists and turns as well. And it does definitely feel hopelessly romantic too. Even the general energy of the book. I don’t know how to explain it but it does have a feeling so special. Like it’s a debut novel and instead of thinking oh I can see how this is going to be a really great writer but there’s still things to improve, like I’ve thought over some other debut novels, I’m caught thinking there’s something very special on here that is rarely felt, maybe precisely because it is a debut. Little details kept reminding me of things I’ve thought, loved... at some point through my life, in a way that it makes it feel a lot like home. And it’s... inspiring. Like it makes you want to go back and try again at writing that old story idea you had 10+ years ago.
The fantasy part of this is so good, right since the start, the prologue ends on the Paris catacombs and I’ve always thought there’s no cooler, very not famous, mysterious setting for fantasy that takes place on our own world than that (yes as a teenager I was obsessed with The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel). And, I’ve always loved that kind of fantasy more than high fantasy, so either way I can’t imagine a better start for a book. The magic system is so original and clever, and it even gets to a slight mention of how it worked historically on the past too that reminds me to The Familiar for a second. The setting from our own world through the book is also very cool, making you feel like you’re really there and not on some random place that you can’t visualize that doesn’t matter to the story at all.
I am absolutely obsessed with the attention to details on this book. For example, I encourage you to pay attention to the titles of every single chapter and realise they’re all titles of songs. You’ll have to do a bit of guessing tho, cause, you know, copyright issues, so you can’t get the name of the artist too, but tracking each song is not that hard. As someone who adores to do bookish playlists and link songs to characters/ships/stories, I’m so obsessed with this one of a kind detail. And it only does but get better (but also not cause I’m gonna go cry) when the penultimate chapter is titled like one of my fav songs by one of my fav singers, and the chapter does match a lot of the vibes the song gives me. I got chills. Kinda feels like my little secret, cause if you don’t know the chapter titles are songs, or know this specific song, it might feel like one of the most random chapter titles ever, but when you do it’s the most perfect chapter title I’ve seen in my life. I even saw a bookclub mate point out that when she finished this chapter and started the next one, it gave her flashbacks to a chapter from a different book that I had been associating with this exact song for years. Vibes are vibing.
I’m also obsessed with the different fonts through the book. Even tho it is so cool already, and it gets you more into the story, I'm sure lots of other books have cared enough to change their font for a little letter or handwritten piece, or maybe even put phone messages on little bubbles. But what struck me the most was how each of the two POVs is written on a different font. This is so unique and genius. Specially, and this is slightly spoilery, at the start on the prologue when you have no idea what is going on and then after a while his font reappears and everything clicks. As someone who loves this kind of visual stuff and would end up printing her class notes of each subject on a different font, I cannot stress enough how much I loved this little detail.
So, the prologue gets you right away into the fantasy element of the novel, in a way the first chapters just wouldn’t. It catches your attention and hooks you in on an instant. Makes you aware of how high the stakes are. And adds so much to the mystery until the aforementioned use of the font is the first step on a better understanding. I think the journey towards that understanding is made way greater by the addition of his POV since it helps a lot to complement the info you’d be getting as a reader only from her. And I always love books that get more than one POV, so I can get to know better other characters.
And on this case, it also serves for having a second person who to trust, cause somehow this book manages to not allow you to fully trust anyone else. It does such a great job at that, it’s like you can feel a certain amount of people have secret motives but you’re absolutely clueless as to whom or how. I had never felt more untrusting in my life. But, at the same time, it’s easy to get to know the characters and be invested. And you even get a family tree on the exact moment you need it to help you (thank you Luke)!!!
I really love Eva’s character and the mental health representation, and I feel like, even if not fully, and for each person it might be a different part, there’s going to be parts of her personality that you’re going to strongly see yourself on, and that is always super cool when you can relate to the main character like that. And she’s so strong, I’m literally so proud of her.
Going back to cool details, you can also see the symbol at the beginning of each chapter slowly growing into something, which at some point, you’ll understand what it is. So cool. Honestly there’s so many cute little details, even on the cover of the book, that you don’t notice right away and just make the book a hundred times cooler when you take the time to notice and appreciate.
Then to finish off I always try to leave my favourite quotes but it is literally impossible with this book cause it just has so!!! many!!!
The fantasy part of this is so good, right since the start, the prologue ends on the Paris catacombs and I’ve always thought there’s no cooler, very not famous, mysterious setting for fantasy that takes place on our own world than that (yes as a teenager I was obsessed with The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel). And, I’ve always loved that kind of fantasy more than high fantasy, so either way I can’t imagine a better start for a book. The magic system is so original and clever, and it even gets to a slight mention of how it worked historically on the past too that reminds me to The Familiar for a second. The setting from our own world through the book is also very cool, making you feel like you’re really there and not on some random place that you can’t visualize that doesn’t matter to the story at all.
I am absolutely obsessed with the attention to details on this book. For example, I encourage you to pay attention to the titles of every single chapter and realise they’re all titles of songs. You’ll have to do a bit of guessing tho, cause, you know, copyright issues, so you can’t get the name of the artist too, but tracking each song is not that hard. As someone who adores to do bookish playlists and link songs to characters/ships/stories, I’m so obsessed with this one of a kind detail. And it only does but get better (but also not cause I’m gonna go cry) when the penultimate chapter is titled like one of my fav songs by one of my fav singers, and the chapter does match a lot of the vibes the song gives me. I got chills. Kinda feels like my little secret, cause if you don’t know the chapter titles are songs, or know this specific song, it might feel like one of the most random chapter titles ever, but when you do it’s the most perfect chapter title I’ve seen in my life. I even saw a bookclub mate point out that when she finished this chapter and started the next one, it gave her flashbacks to a chapter from a different book that I had been associating with this exact song for years. Vibes are vibing.
I’m also obsessed with the different fonts through the book. Even tho it is so cool already, and it gets you more into the story, I'm sure lots of other books have cared enough to change their font for a little letter or handwritten piece, or maybe even put phone messages on little bubbles. But what struck me the most was how each of the two POVs is written on a different font. This is so unique and genius. Specially, and this is slightly spoilery, at the start on the prologue when you have no idea what is going on and then after a while his font reappears and everything clicks. As someone who loves this kind of visual stuff and would end up printing her class notes of each subject on a different font, I cannot stress enough how much I loved this little detail.
So, the prologue gets you right away into the fantasy element of the novel, in a way the first chapters just wouldn’t. It catches your attention and hooks you in on an instant. Makes you aware of how high the stakes are. And adds so much to the mystery until the aforementioned use of the font is the first step on a better understanding. I think the journey towards that understanding is made way greater by the addition of his POV since it helps a lot to complement the info you’d be getting as a reader only from her. And I always love books that get more than one POV, so I can get to know better other characters.
And on this case, it also serves for having a second person who to trust, cause somehow this book manages to not allow you to fully trust anyone else. It does such a great job at that, it’s like you can feel a certain amount of people have secret motives but you’re absolutely clueless as to whom or how. I had never felt more untrusting in my life. But, at the same time, it’s easy to get to know the characters and be invested. And you even get a family tree on the exact moment you need it to help you (thank you Luke)!!!
I really love Eva’s character and the mental health representation, and I feel like, even if not fully, and for each person it might be a different part, there’s going to be parts of her personality that you’re going to strongly see yourself on, and that is always super cool when you can relate to the main character like that. And she’s so strong, I’m literally so proud of her.
Going back to cool details, you can also see the symbol at the beginning of each chapter slowly growing into something, which at some point, you’ll understand what it is. So cool. Honestly there’s so many cute little details, even on the cover of the book, that you don’t notice right away and just make the book a hundred times cooler when you take the time to notice and appreciate.
Then to finish off I always try to leave my favourite quotes but it is literally impossible with this book cause it just has so!!! many!!!
August 24, 2025
I need more books now
October 25, 2025
3,5 ⭐️
Tout d'abord, j'ai trouvé le livre vraiment très bien écrit ! La plume est bonne et nous emporte bien tout le long. Il y a quelques phrases qui nous percutent comme il faut. C'est le vrai + !
J'ai bien aimé Eva, elle a une personnalité forte et un humour particulier. Elle est cash et honnête. Elle m'a fait bien rire. J'ai eu du mal par contre par moment où on sent qu'elle manque de maturité et ses réactions et actions sont en contradiction avec l'image qu'on se fait d'elle... C'est dommage.
La romance est belle et touchante. J'aime bien qu'Eva elle-même dénonce le fait que ce soit rapide et ridicule comme réaction... Ça permet de donner davantage de sens à la romance et de la comprendre elle.
Concernant le côté fantastique, j'ai bien aimé les histoires autour de la magie même si je pense que l'intrigue est un peu déséquilibrée parfois et manque de lien entre tous les éléments pour que tout se suive bien.
Ça se lit rapidement, c'est une bonne lecture YA. S'il y a une suite, je serais curieuse de la lire !
Tout d'abord, j'ai trouvé le livre vraiment très bien écrit ! La plume est bonne et nous emporte bien tout le long. Il y a quelques phrases qui nous percutent comme il faut. C'est le vrai + !
J'ai bien aimé Eva, elle a une personnalité forte et un humour particulier. Elle est cash et honnête. Elle m'a fait bien rire. J'ai eu du mal par contre par moment où on sent qu'elle manque de maturité et ses réactions et actions sont en contradiction avec l'image qu'on se fait d'elle... C'est dommage.
La romance est belle et touchante. J'aime bien qu'Eva elle-même dénonce le fait que ce soit rapide et ridicule comme réaction... Ça permet de donner davantage de sens à la romance et de la comprendre elle.
Concernant le côté fantastique, j'ai bien aimé les histoires autour de la magie même si je pense que l'intrigue est un peu déséquilibrée parfois et manque de lien entre tous les éléments pour que tout se suive bien.
Ça se lit rapidement, c'est une bonne lecture YA. S'il y a une suite, je serais curieuse de la lire !
February 19, 2024
This book was such a special read to me. I couldn’t put it down and even started rereading after my first read because I was missing it so much already.
I find Eva to be very relatable and it is extremely comforting to finally have a book to read where mental health is represented like this. The other characters are also really well written and diverse. You can’t help but like them. Not the despicable ones - you’ll hate those and you’ll be happy about it 😂
And lucky me, it’s just the type of book I love : magic with some science and history in the mix. I was absolutely captivated by this new world that is cleverly built. I really hope we get to discover more of it because I have so many theories !
Do expect to laugh as well! Luke’s wittiness has definitely infused this book and I loved exchanges between the sassiest characters.
He really proved he was up to the task of not only writing a book but of writing a good one. So many quotes from this book stuck with me, I’m grateful for his writing.
I really can’t wait for Luke’s next book. This one was amazing and I’m sure the following ones will not disappoint.
I find Eva to be very relatable and it is extremely comforting to finally have a book to read where mental health is represented like this. The other characters are also really well written and diverse. You can’t help but like them. Not the despicable ones - you’ll hate those and you’ll be happy about it 😂
And lucky me, it’s just the type of book I love : magic with some science and history in the mix. I was absolutely captivated by this new world that is cleverly built. I really hope we get to discover more of it because I have so many theories !
Do expect to laugh as well! Luke’s wittiness has definitely infused this book and I loved exchanges between the sassiest characters.
He really proved he was up to the task of not only writing a book but of writing a good one. So many quotes from this book stuck with me, I’m grateful for his writing.
I really can’t wait for Luke’s next book. This one was amazing and I’m sure the following ones will not disappoint.
May 4, 2024
4 1/2 ⭐️
December 26, 2025
The book is focused more on feelings and mood than on fast-paced action. Unfortunately, that's not my personal style - I tend to prefer books with more action, obstacles and plot twists. However, readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories would like this one.
I liked the writing style and especially loved the creative touch of using song titles as chapter names.
Overall, I’m glad I read it and happy for the author’s journey. 😊 And if there are more books to come, I’d definitely be curious to read more about this world.
I liked the writing style and especially loved the creative touch of using song titles as chapter names.
Overall, I’m glad I read it and happy for the author’s journey. 😊 And if there are more books to come, I’d definitely be curious to read more about this world.
January 23, 2025
Words can't describe how much I love this book. What a lovely ride it was. The world is well crafted, it's beautifully written and the characters are endearing. It's a must-read! I really hope there will be a second book because I need Eva's story to continue - it's a need! Thank you Luke for building the incredible and mysterious world of "In Scientia". It's truly incredible.
July 5, 2024
so fucking proud of luke
May 10, 2024
2.5
i think this book has so much potential!! but it felt both too short and too long. it took way too long for things to actually take off and on the same note it was then over way to quickly. i would have loved to get more insight into the magic system, into the family intrigues, the politics of it all, and i would have liked to see more of max. it felt like the set up was too long for the story to kind of just gloss over all these really interesting facets.
in that way i think theres so much room for a sequel to get more in depth with all that!
i think this book has so much potential!! but it felt both too short and too long. it took way too long for things to actually take off and on the same note it was then over way to quickly. i would have loved to get more insight into the magic system, into the family intrigues, the politics of it all, and i would have liked to see more of max. it felt like the set up was too long for the story to kind of just gloss over all these really interesting facets.
in that way i think theres so much room for a sequel to get more in depth with all that!
August 20, 2025
Where do I start? First off, this being your first novel being written (?) and published and for it to be this good. That’s insane!
From the start, even though I was a little confused because fantasy is not my genre at all, I was HOOKED. Hooked okay. The way it was written was beautiful and the emotions the characters were feeling really came across very well. For example: Eva being in London and having to go through the ritual/challenge and I felt her insecurities and anxiousness through the pages, that doesn’t happen easily for me so well done lol.
I felt connected with Eva from multiple viewpoints. I studied Journalism so her curiousness is what I have felt before as well. In the beginning of the book she’s in mr. McKenzie’s class and she felt the need to call out the bullshit he was spewing but refraining from doing so because she didn’t want the attention on her on her first day. I have felt that many times in my life.
I loved dissecting every sentence to try and work out what was happening and what would happen. I kept going: is he part of Sancti or does he practice magic as well? Turns out I was right, but I did not expect the priest to be part of the Sancti. I guess at the beginning of the book I wasn’t dissecting everything yet.
WHY DID YOU END IT ON A CLIFFHANGER?
Please tell me Max and Eva end up together because it needs to happen for my sanity. At one point I said: they need to fight the Sancti together.
Quotes:
“There was something freeing about feeling invisible” this resonated with me and I got a little choked up about it as well..
From the start, even though I was a little confused because fantasy is not my genre at all, I was HOOKED. Hooked okay. The way it was written was beautiful and the emotions the characters were feeling really came across very well. For example: Eva being in London and having to go through the ritual/challenge and I felt her insecurities and anxiousness through the pages, that doesn’t happen easily for me so well done lol.
I felt connected with Eva from multiple viewpoints. I studied Journalism so her curiousness is what I have felt before as well. In the beginning of the book she’s in mr. McKenzie’s class and she felt the need to call out the bullshit he was spewing but refraining from doing so because she didn’t want the attention on her on her first day. I have felt that many times in my life.
I loved dissecting every sentence to try and work out what was happening and what would happen. I kept going: is he part of Sancti or does he practice magic as well? Turns out I was right, but I did not expect the priest to be part of the Sancti. I guess at the beginning of the book I wasn’t dissecting everything yet.
WHY DID YOU END IT ON A CLIFFHANGER?
Please tell me Max and Eva end up together because it needs to happen for my sanity. At one point I said: they need to fight the Sancti together.
Quotes:
“There was something freeing about feeling invisible” this resonated with me and I got a little choked up about it as well..
January 1, 2025
Outstanding. Magical. Engrossing. A Must Read.
10/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely phenomenal debut.
From the very first page, Inscientia is a book that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Eva, our FMC, is so relatable and real that you can’t help but see yourself in her and fall in love with her. The world that LJ Baines has created is refreshing and exciting, elegantly crafted and beautifully written. I have been left wanting more and eagerly awaiting the next release in this series.
On a more personal note, I have the pleasure of being able to class Luke as a friend. This has absolutely no bearing on my rating of his book, as everyone who knows me knows I won’t read 💩 books 🤣🤣. But as your friend Lukassssssss, I am UNBELIEVABLY proud, impressed and even slightly jealous that you have written such a beautiful and inspiring story! You have done what many, many bibliophiles dream of doing and you have done it SPECTACULARLY! I am beyond grateful to be able to call you my friend and I cannot wait to see what else that amazing brain of yours creates! Love ya my dude! (iPhone 5) 😉🤣
10/10
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Absolutely phenomenal debut.
From the very first page, Inscientia is a book that pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Eva, our FMC, is so relatable and real that you can’t help but see yourself in her and fall in love with her. The world that LJ Baines has created is refreshing and exciting, elegantly crafted and beautifully written. I have been left wanting more and eagerly awaiting the next release in this series.
On a more personal note, I have the pleasure of being able to class Luke as a friend. This has absolutely no bearing on my rating of his book, as everyone who knows me knows I won’t read 💩 books 🤣🤣. But as your friend Lukassssssss, I am UNBELIEVABLY proud, impressed and even slightly jealous that you have written such a beautiful and inspiring story! You have done what many, many bibliophiles dream of doing and you have done it SPECTACULARLY! I am beyond grateful to be able to call you my friend and I cannot wait to see what else that amazing brain of yours creates! Love ya my dude! (iPhone 5) 😉🤣
May 20, 2025
I don't read many YA books, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance because it was a treat.
The writing is concise and clean yet somehow also delightfully snarky. Some of the emotional insights and details stayed with me, such as the FMC reciting color names to calm herself down. The characters are interesting, just different/special enough to stand out without becoming less relatable to readers from the same age group. Also, I'm totally crushing on Max along with Eva, so thanks for that.
The book starts out as a romance, prologue excluded. Once the magic becomes part of the plot, things literally do get magical fast, and the pacing picks up too. I enjoyed the Latin and alchemy mixed in, as well as the jabs at religious fanaticism and cults. Would've loved to hear more about (SPOILER!!!) that hidden ancient city and the other magical families with their different magical abilities. It's nice that we get glimpses of Max's POV too, and that we sort of have a 'history repeats itself' and 'found family' scenario meeting a 'star-crossed lovers/fated soul mates' scenario.
Looking forward to the sequel (there had better be one after that ending!!!).
The writing is concise and clean yet somehow also delightfully snarky. Some of the emotional insights and details stayed with me, such as the FMC reciting color names to calm herself down. The characters are interesting, just different/special enough to stand out without becoming less relatable to readers from the same age group. Also, I'm totally crushing on Max along with Eva, so thanks for that.
The book starts out as a romance, prologue excluded. Once the magic becomes part of the plot, things literally do get magical fast, and the pacing picks up too. I enjoyed the Latin and alchemy mixed in, as well as the jabs at religious fanaticism and cults. Would've loved to hear more about (SPOILER!!!) that hidden ancient city and the other magical families with their different magical abilities. It's nice that we get glimpses of Max's POV too, and that we sort of have a 'history repeats itself' and 'found family' scenario meeting a 'star-crossed lovers/fated soul mates' scenario.
Looking forward to the sequel (there had better be one after that ending!!!).
April 29, 2024
Romeo and Juliet meets Harry Potter meets Percy Jackson. That's how I would describe this absolutely whimsical story. Luke’s writing, to me, can be summed up in one word. Irreverent. His dialogue is witty and vibrant, his characters’ emotions jump out from the page, and I am impressed by his ability to make me laugh and provide me with deep cuts… often in the same sentence.
There are so many wonderful facets to the plot. The commentary on classism, supernatural elements, romantic tension, slice-of-life, suspense, you name it. No detail goes unnoticed, and I loved it so much when the pieces of the puzzle all started to come together. You can clearly see the elements of Shadowhunters that played into the plot, and I adore how being a fan of Luke's acting on the show made his writing feel that much more tangible and enjoyable to read.
I sincerely hope that we will see the continuation of Eva's story, because I felt like In Scientia ended with me absolutely ravenous for what's next.
There are so many wonderful facets to the plot. The commentary on classism, supernatural elements, romantic tension, slice-of-life, suspense, you name it. No detail goes unnoticed, and I loved it so much when the pieces of the puzzle all started to come together. You can clearly see the elements of Shadowhunters that played into the plot, and I adore how being a fan of Luke's acting on the show made his writing feel that much more tangible and enjoyable to read.
I sincerely hope that we will see the continuation of Eva's story, because I felt like In Scientia ended with me absolutely ravenous for what's next.
March 1, 2024
This was a first novel? Holy hell! This book was something special. I’ve followed Luke for a few years now through his acting. Luke is a special person and this book showed that. I recommend everyone reads this. It has everything you need for a book. It has a female main character who goes through so much trauma and struggles and can still stand strong. It has a wonderful story with magic, fairytale and love. I see a lot of myself in Eva. How she never lets anything break her. She fights and she fights fiercely. Eva is the character a lot of women wish they could be.
Congrats Luke! It’s an amazing book and I hope you continue with writing more.❤️
Congrats Luke! It’s an amazing book and I hope you continue with writing more.❤️
March 6, 2024
In Scientia is just another reason why Luke Baines is so damn talented. His writing found a way to connect with me and make it feel personal. Eva seems to encapsulate a little bit of each person Luke has met and tells them it’s OK. Her character development goes from meek to badass and sends a message of never giving up. Luke’s words created a vivid picture of the world of magic in NYC and made me not want to put it down. His creativity inspired and reminded this fellow writer that “change is ours to make.” Now, where is the next book?
May 19, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
A solid debut by L.J. Baines!
Had everything that you'd expect from a YA urban fantasy with so much potential to further the story. Thoroughly enjoyed the unique 'magic' system that was introduced. A little insta-lovey, but the forbidden love aspect was quite interesting. Eva, as a main character, did cause the occasional moment of annoyance but taken with a grain of salt when you remember that she's still a teenager.
Looking forward to a sequel! 😊
A solid debut by L.J. Baines!
Had everything that you'd expect from a YA urban fantasy with so much potential to further the story. Thoroughly enjoyed the unique 'magic' system that was introduced. A little insta-lovey, but the forbidden love aspect was quite interesting. Eva, as a main character, did cause the occasional moment of annoyance but taken with a grain of salt when you remember that she's still a teenager.
Looking forward to a sequel! 😊
February 15, 2024
This was such a fun read, which had me turning the pages and not wanting to put the book down. I fell in love with Eva, her vulnerabilities, her strengths, and her sassiness; along with all the other ‘rich’ characters which drew you in. Luke took us along for the ride and he did not disappoint in his first foray as an author. He has left me wanting more! This book had just the right amount of romance, intrigue, and (my favourite) magic. Do yourself a favour – read it!
May 4, 2024
this Book omg! It was so catching that i couldn’t stop reading! Luke Baines definitely knows how to write a book!! it’s well written and the story is absolutely perfect! definitely one of my fav books! i finished the book in like 2 days because i couldn’t stop reading. going to read it again because i absolutely love it!!!
July 7, 2025
This book is so unique! I was confused at first, but once it all clicks, it became a very intriguing story! It contains a unique story about romance and magic, a type of unique and different magic. So good!
February 15, 2024
I'm currently reading the book and honestly I love it! I'm a fan of the character Eva. In addition to being an incredible actor, Luke is an excellent writer
April 26, 2024
Read it in one day and couldn't put it down. Might be one of my favorite books ever.
March 19, 2025
Could NOT put it down, what a brilliant story. Love the world created within it, I'm now just super mad that I have to wait for more. I really really loved reading it, it was an absolute delight.
April 20, 2025
To nie była zła książka, ale po prostu chyba nie dla mnie. Zaczęła się dość ciekawie, ale im dalej tym bardziej byłam pogubiona i zaczynałam ją męczyć. Plus czytanie po angielsku było ciężkie
May 4, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. It’s so well written. The characters are great. It was interesting to see Eva’s development and I can’t wait to read more of her journey. Can’t wait for the next book! I can only recommend it!
December 17, 2024
Oh this book. I will be honest and say I was scared to read it at first. This because I've had the privilige of getting to know the author before he ever released this book. This is Luke his debut novel and as a supporter I was very excited to get this in the mail.
While I don't want to spoil much more of this book, I will say one thing. It is a wonderfully written novel and I am so excited to see how this story will continue. I see so much of the author back into the characters of this book and he created such a unique genre of fantasy that I don't read about all too often. If you have the chance to pick this up at your local bookstore I highly recommend you do.
While I don't want to spoil much more of this book, I will say one thing. It is a wonderfully written novel and I am so excited to see how this story will continue. I see so much of the author back into the characters of this book and he created such a unique genre of fantasy that I don't read about all too often. If you have the chance to pick this up at your local bookstore I highly recommend you do.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews