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These Deadly Prophecies
In this contemporary fantasy pitched as a magical Knives Out, the ambitious teenage apprentice to a wealthy and powerful sorcerer must unravel the mystery of her mentor's murder by solving the riddle of his final prophecy, which predicted his own death at the hands of his most beloved, while navigating the tangled web of the sorcerer's family secrets, especially those concerning his handsome youngest son.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2024
141 people are currently reading
23781 people want to read
About the author
Andrea Tang
14 books196 followersAndrea Tang grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, and currently lives, writes, and works in the Washington, DC area. She loves martial arts in general and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in particular, and in her spare time, enjoys learning new sports and checking out live theater.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 626 reviews
February 12, 2025
Imagine a world where 'Knives Out' collides with 'The Inheritance Games,' but with a magical and spiritual twist – a perfect concoction for fans of entertaining YA fantasy with a dash of romance! Ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for a whirlwind adventure that you won't want to put down. Get ready for an enchanting supernatural journey!
Meet Tabatha Zeng, a 17-year-old Chinese student who dares to dream differently from her highly ambitious parents' expectations. Rather than following in her mother's footsteps to become a powerful lawyer, she chooses to apprentice under the most formidable sorcerer of her time. Little did she know that this sorcerer would predict his own demise at the hands of someone he cherished, and tragically, the prediction comes true. Tabatha finds herself on the list of suspects, and her master, Julian Solomon, makes her promise to keep his son, Callum, close at hand as they team up to avert a looming catastrophe.
Callum attends the same high school as Tabatha, and to her, he is one of the popular kids, a stark contrast to her eerie, quirky, and loner style. He suspects Tabatha of being involved in his father's murder, just as she suspects him of being the possible perpetrator.
Within the family, everyone is a suspect: Julian's two wives, Angelique (his ex) and Rowena (his new wife with no supernatural powers), his three children, Felix (the golden boy) and his twin sister Circe (the angsty daughter who always lived in her brothers' shadows), Callum, and Tabatha's fellow apprentice, Hester, who captures the master's full attention and stirs up jealousy from the other wives and kids. The question remains, who among them, someone beloved by the sorcerer, would dare to take his life?
Tabatha finds herself on a mission to uncover the murderer before they strike again, even as she grapples with her doubts about Callum and a growing crush on him.
The mystery is expertly woven, and the narration style is both genuine and captivating. This is an incredibly enjoyable, fast-paced, and easy read, perfect for devouring with a bowl of popcorn and your favorite refreshments. I wholeheartedly recommend it to all YA fantasy enthusiasts!
A big thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
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Meet Tabatha Zeng, a 17-year-old Chinese student who dares to dream differently from her highly ambitious parents' expectations. Rather than following in her mother's footsteps to become a powerful lawyer, she chooses to apprentice under the most formidable sorcerer of her time. Little did she know that this sorcerer would predict his own demise at the hands of someone he cherished, and tragically, the prediction comes true. Tabatha finds herself on the list of suspects, and her master, Julian Solomon, makes her promise to keep his son, Callum, close at hand as they team up to avert a looming catastrophe.
Callum attends the same high school as Tabatha, and to her, he is one of the popular kids, a stark contrast to her eerie, quirky, and loner style. He suspects Tabatha of being involved in his father's murder, just as she suspects him of being the possible perpetrator.
Within the family, everyone is a suspect: Julian's two wives, Angelique (his ex) and Rowena (his new wife with no supernatural powers), his three children, Felix (the golden boy) and his twin sister Circe (the angsty daughter who always lived in her brothers' shadows), Callum, and Tabatha's fellow apprentice, Hester, who captures the master's full attention and stirs up jealousy from the other wives and kids. The question remains, who among them, someone beloved by the sorcerer, would dare to take his life?
Tabatha finds herself on a mission to uncover the murderer before they strike again, even as she grapples with her doubts about Callum and a growing crush on him.
The mystery is expertly woven, and the narration style is both genuine and captivating. This is an incredibly enjoyable, fast-paced, and easy read, perfect for devouring with a bowl of popcorn and your favorite refreshments. I wholeheartedly recommend it to all YA fantasy enthusiasts!
A big thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group/G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with this digital reviewer copy in exchange for my honest opinions.
medium blog
January 17, 2024
When I heard this book was being shelved next to the Inheritence Games and Knives Out but with magic added to the mix I knew I had to read it. While I think it was a bit more like the Inheritance Games than Knives out it was a wild ride. I did want to know a little more about the world and how magic works in it. As the story progressed I definitely understood a little more of it, but it was an interesting concept and I wanted to know even more. Tabatha is finishing high school but she is already a sorcerer’s apprentice and not just any sorcerer but one infamous for the most rare talent of fortune telling. When her sorcerer is murdered she has to work with his son to investigate the death so she is not blamed. But as she learns it’s not easy to be Nancy Drew when all of your suspects are extremely rich and powerful. The story was quick moving and the characters were interesting and I was invested in their success. I would love to see more in this universe but the story was pretty wrapped up so I’m not sure I’ll get that wish.
February 12, 2024
Knives out meets the inheritance games but also most of the people involved are wizards
.
June 27, 2024
these deadly prophecies ~~ three and a half stars
Before you jump into this book you need to know it’s nothing like inheritance games, idk why it’s compared even🤷🏼♀️ I didn’t see it heavily compared so I don’t expect to to be like it but as I was reading some reviews I found others did:( which is unfortunate because if u look past taht it’s actually pretty good🤷🏼♀️ I’ve never see knives out so I can’t say if it similar but I’ve heard it not.
Nevertheless, I did find myself enjoying this. We follow, Tabatha, an apprentice for a sorcerer🧙♂️ When he dies she teams up with his youngest son to find who really behind this as they are prime suspects. Together they become somewhat of a Nancy Drew and Joe Hardy🔎
I loved that all three of my favorite genres mashed up into this book especially the murder mystery part🫡 It’s also short which helped with my slump and I read it in a day:) I don’t definitely recommend if your a fan of murder mysteries with a small sub plot of romance and don’t mind a fantasy world xx
Before you jump into this book you need to know it’s nothing like inheritance games, idk why it’s compared even🤷🏼♀️ I didn’t see it heavily compared so I don’t expect to to be like it but as I was reading some reviews I found others did:( which is unfortunate because if u look past taht it’s actually pretty good🤷🏼♀️ I’ve never see knives out so I can’t say if it similar but I’ve heard it not.
Nevertheless, I did find myself enjoying this. We follow, Tabatha, an apprentice for a sorcerer🧙♂️ When he dies she teams up with his youngest son to find who really behind this as they are prime suspects. Together they become somewhat of a Nancy Drew and Joe Hardy🔎
I loved that all three of my favorite genres mashed up into this book especially the murder mystery part🫡 It’s also short which helped with my slump and I read it in a day:) I don’t definitely recommend if your a fan of murder mysteries with a small sub plot of romance and don’t mind a fantasy world xx
Want to read
January 3, 2024Unfortunately all you have to say is "magical Knives Out" and I'm sold, no further questions asked
November 8, 2023
I was put on this earth to watch Chris Evans wear cable-knit sweaters in a murder mystery. Compare any book to my favorite movie, Knives Out, and I will read it.
The Knives Out comparison is on the nose. These Deadly Propheciess has an unhinged, quick-paced narrative, with a cooky cast of characters and a dash of magic and romance. Tabatha's goal is to be a sorcerer, but for now, she's just an apprentice to the greatest fortune-teller of all time, Sorcerer Solomon. When he is found brutally murdered, it's up to Tabitha to figure out who killed him, and why.
Tabitha is a great narrator. She's sarcastic, witty, and just a tad jaded. Her Chinese parents aren't a fan of her chosen career path, and she's desperate for approval; not just from them, but her mentor too. She's jealous of the ease Solomon's family moves through the world. Their money, status, and race lend them a leg up on her. Her pessimistic point of view and determination to find her mentor's killer made her an easy character to like.
The mystery aspect started a bit slower than expected. Yet, this book is under three hundred pages. Even with the slower start, it is still fast-paced and quickly resolved. The magical realism added a unique element to a stereotypical plot line. Despite the cheesy ending and villain reveal, the mystery was wrapped up nicely.
Overall, this book is just such a fun ride. If you like The Inheritance Games, or Knives Out, I highly recommend you give this a try.
Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, for the advance copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
The Knives Out comparison is on the nose. These Deadly Propheciess has an unhinged, quick-paced narrative, with a cooky cast of characters and a dash of magic and romance. Tabatha's goal is to be a sorcerer, but for now, she's just an apprentice to the greatest fortune-teller of all time, Sorcerer Solomon. When he is found brutally murdered, it's up to Tabitha to figure out who killed him, and why.
Tabitha is a great narrator. She's sarcastic, witty, and just a tad jaded. Her Chinese parents aren't a fan of her chosen career path, and she's desperate for approval; not just from them, but her mentor too. She's jealous of the ease Solomon's family moves through the world. Their money, status, and race lend them a leg up on her. Her pessimistic point of view and determination to find her mentor's killer made her an easy character to like.
The mystery aspect started a bit slower than expected. Yet, this book is under three hundred pages. Even with the slower start, it is still fast-paced and quickly resolved. The magical realism added a unique element to a stereotypical plot line. Despite the cheesy ending and villain reveal, the mystery was wrapped up nicely.
Overall, this book is just such a fun ride. If you like The Inheritance Games, or Knives Out, I highly recommend you give this a try.
Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, for the advance copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
January 18, 2024
Hmmmm I really loved the vibes of this for the first 90% but I just think the ending was a bit anticlimactic? I needed it to hit a bit harder…but I already want more from the author!! Does anyone have any other Knives Out-esque recs?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
I received an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/5
I received an ALC from PRHaudio. All opinions are honest and my own.
April 12, 2024
An (apparently) completely standalone YA fantasy with witty banter that's actually witty, and enough murders to keep me turning the pages without looking ahead? What is this SORCERY
January 16, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
This took me a little while to get into because it's not quite what I expected, but I ended up enjoying it. These Deadly Prophecies is a contemporary fantasy/murder mystery with a teen girl protagonist. So it reads more or less like a YA contemporary mystery, plus magical elements. I think it's going to be a fun book for a lot of people.
Tabatha Zeng is a high school student AND the apprentice to a famous sorcerer with fortune-telling powers. But when he is murdered, she and her boss's son Callum are at the top of the suspect list. So of course they team up to uncover who the real culprit is. Throw in lots of messy family drama, magical twists, and some teen romance for good measure! It's a pretty solid YA mystery, and the comparison to Knives Out is a good one.
I think I went in expecting more of a fantasy tone with a lot of world-building, but instead the tone is very contemporary (though there is some world-building) and it reads a little young. Because of my expectations it took a bit to adjust to what the story actually was, but I think this is going to be a hit with a lot of teens. I received a copy for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
This took me a little while to get into because it's not quite what I expected, but I ended up enjoying it. These Deadly Prophecies is a contemporary fantasy/murder mystery with a teen girl protagonist. So it reads more or less like a YA contemporary mystery, plus magical elements. I think it's going to be a fun book for a lot of people.
Tabatha Zeng is a high school student AND the apprentice to a famous sorcerer with fortune-telling powers. But when he is murdered, she and her boss's son Callum are at the top of the suspect list. So of course they team up to uncover who the real culprit is. Throw in lots of messy family drama, magical twists, and some teen romance for good measure! It's a pretty solid YA mystery, and the comparison to Knives Out is a good one.
I think I went in expecting more of a fantasy tone with a lot of world-building, but instead the tone is very contemporary (though there is some world-building) and it reads a little young. Because of my expectations it took a bit to adjust to what the story actually was, but I think this is going to be a hit with a lot of teens. I received a copy for review via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
February 13, 2024
What a disappointing and aggravating reading experience.
The premise of this was everything I wanted. I mean, Knives Out with sorcerers? My initial reaction was “say no more!”
But the execution of this just fell so completely flat.
First off, the dialogue was incredibly unnatural and constantly took me out of the story. No modern-day teenagers are walking around saying things like “oh, bless you” and “pray tell” and “go on the lam.” (No modern-day adults are walking around saying “pray tell.”) And many of the references the teen characters were slinging were incredibly dated. Maybe teens still know Nancy Drew, but I’m a millennial in my 30s, and I didn’t even know who Joe Hardy was until I googled it, so it absolutely shattered immersion for the book to try to make me believe that 2024 teenagers would be casually referencing Joe Hardy all the time. As I was listening to the audiobook, I constantly found myself mentally editing the dialogue in my head, and that’s when you know there’s a huge problem. (Plus, WHAT TEENAGER is out there calling a teenaged girl by her last name instead of first name? What CHINESE TEENAGER talks to herself using her last name???)
I also absolutely loathed it when Tabatha’s mom said “Don’t argue with me. It’s not filial.” I know the author is Chinese American herself, but Chinese immigrant parents don’t talk like this!! (Hell, I’m confident in saying even Chinese people in China don’t talk like this.) And all this does is continue to stereotype Chinese culture as obsessed with Confucianism and intolerant of disobedience.
I could have forgiven the occasional wonky dialogue if the rest of the book worked. Sadly, I’m just getting started with the problems in this book. The character work in this book was incredibly weak. I had no conception of who Tabatha and Callum were as people. There’s a mistake some authors make in which they think that giving characters witty banter is the same as giving them a personality, but that’s not true. If all your character is is witty banter, they’re not actually a person. They feel like an artificial paper cut-out of a person. Along the same lines, Tabatha’s narrative voice was not nearly strong enough to carry the telling- and info-dump-heavy first-person narration. Because, again, we don’t know anything about her other than her trying-too-hard-to-be-snarky-all-the-time voice. The book tells us that Tabatha is driven by her love of magic, but we never actually see it on the page.
The plot was…okay. The pacing of it wasn’t too bad. But it was weird that it took until past the 50% mark to establish that illusion magic is considered inferior to the other forms of magic, considering that fact becomes very important to the plot and Tabatha otherwise infodumps all the time. Also, the plot hewed a bit too closely to Knives Out, so some of the twists were literally copied from those of the movie and were not at all surprising if you’ve watched it. And the self-defense interludes felt random and rather self-indulgent, knowing the author is a martial arts enthusiast.
It was impossible to guess who the murderer was, due to a lack of clues, which is a cardinal sin in terms of constructing a compelling mystery. And then the resolution of the mystery…defeated the entire point of the mystery. From a thematic point, I get how it makes sense. But the thing is, people read mystery books because they like to solve puzzles and clues (or watch the characters solve them), so ending a mystery with ? Is honestly infuriating.
I’m not inclined to pick up another book by this author again due to the execution issues with this book, to be honest.
The premise of this was everything I wanted. I mean, Knives Out with sorcerers? My initial reaction was “say no more!”
But the execution of this just fell so completely flat.
First off, the dialogue was incredibly unnatural and constantly took me out of the story. No modern-day teenagers are walking around saying things like “oh, bless you” and “pray tell” and “go on the lam.” (No modern-day adults are walking around saying “pray tell.”) And many of the references the teen characters were slinging were incredibly dated. Maybe teens still know Nancy Drew, but I’m a millennial in my 30s, and I didn’t even know who Joe Hardy was until I googled it, so it absolutely shattered immersion for the book to try to make me believe that 2024 teenagers would be casually referencing Joe Hardy all the time. As I was listening to the audiobook, I constantly found myself mentally editing the dialogue in my head, and that’s when you know there’s a huge problem. (Plus, WHAT TEENAGER is out there calling a teenaged girl by her last name instead of first name? What CHINESE TEENAGER talks to herself using her last name???)
I also absolutely loathed it when Tabatha’s mom said “Don’t argue with me. It’s not filial.” I know the author is Chinese American herself, but Chinese immigrant parents don’t talk like this!! (Hell, I’m confident in saying even Chinese people in China don’t talk like this.) And all this does is continue to stereotype Chinese culture as obsessed with Confucianism and intolerant of disobedience.
I could have forgiven the occasional wonky dialogue if the rest of the book worked. Sadly, I’m just getting started with the problems in this book. The character work in this book was incredibly weak. I had no conception of who Tabatha and Callum were as people. There’s a mistake some authors make in which they think that giving characters witty banter is the same as giving them a personality, but that’s not true. If all your character is is witty banter, they’re not actually a person. They feel like an artificial paper cut-out of a person. Along the same lines, Tabatha’s narrative voice was not nearly strong enough to carry the telling- and info-dump-heavy first-person narration. Because, again, we don’t know anything about her other than her trying-too-hard-to-be-snarky-all-the-time voice. The book tells us that Tabatha is driven by her love of magic, but we never actually see it on the page.
The plot was…okay. The pacing of it wasn’t too bad. But it was weird that it took until past the 50% mark to establish that illusion magic is considered inferior to the other forms of magic, considering that fact becomes very important to the plot and Tabatha otherwise infodumps all the time. Also, the plot hewed a bit too closely to Knives Out, so some of the twists were literally copied from those of the movie and were not at all surprising if you’ve watched it. And the self-defense interludes felt random and rather self-indulgent, knowing the author is a martial arts enthusiast.
It was impossible to guess who the murderer was, due to a lack of clues, which is a cardinal sin in terms of constructing a compelling mystery. And then the resolution of the mystery…defeated the entire point of the mystery. From a thematic point, I get how it makes sense. But the thing is, people read mystery books because they like to solve puzzles and clues (or watch the characters solve them), so ending a mystery with ? Is honestly infuriating.
I’m not inclined to pick up another book by this author again due to the execution issues with this book, to be honest.
January 20, 2024
thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
⭐️=2 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=2.75 | ⚔️=3.5 | 14+
summary: girl is an apprentice to this sorcerer guy who is killed and she has to solve his murder via this prophecy alongside his son bc this is a young adult fantasy novel and love interests are required even if there’s no chemistry whatsoever
thoughts: well. this was... less than stellar 😭 very very cringy, super repetitive prose; had the author read it aloud, like, literally once, they would have realized when characters sighed three times on one page or that they used the same sentence structure over and over again––just stupid, silly things that genuinely make a difference in the reading experience. the dialogue is physically painful?? 😐 like the banter between the MC and her love interest?? his nickname for her was “squishy wizard” I wish I was joking I WISH I was joking. but like beyond surface-level stuff, the mystery that we’re looking for from literally chapter one is never explained! in the last chapter the love interest is talking to the MC and he’s like “wow so wild that the supposed ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK was never resolved haha” which is just––like so concerning and so frustrating?? bc it’s not just leaving a mystery unaddressed but there’s also a specific emotional tie to the main mystery that’s ignored, so it’s not just a bad move plot-wise, but also a bad move character-wise. idk. this felt like a first or second draft that should have been refined for, like... a while.
one more minor thing. (speaking as one queer person!! in my opinion!! this is literally so subjective!!) I don’t think every book has to (or even should) have queer rep––I’d rather there be no queer characters than harmful rep (this is especially true when an author is handling strong themes about the marginalization of a non-queer group). not that anyone asked lol. all this to say, I really, really wish Tang hadn’t had any queer characters, because the queer character we got we literally only know is queer because she said “I’m gay” as a sick comeback to someone accusing her of being some guy’s mistress. do we see her in any sort of relationship or mention a partner or anything?? no. nothing. and then . the entire thing was hilariously atrocious. and again, I consider this a relatively minor issue because it is, like, one side character and clearly the author really thought they did something here with their token lesbian which is so funny to me but I would have preferred a story with no queer rep to whatever this is!!
⭐️=2 | 😘=2.5 | 🤬=2.75 | ⚔️=3.5 | 14+
summary: girl is an apprentice to this sorcerer guy who is killed and she has to solve his murder via this prophecy alongside his son bc this is a young adult fantasy novel and love interests are required even if there’s no chemistry whatsoever
thoughts: well. this was... less than stellar 😭 very very cringy, super repetitive prose; had the author read it aloud, like, literally once, they would have realized when characters sighed three times on one page or that they used the same sentence structure over and over again––just stupid, silly things that genuinely make a difference in the reading experience. the dialogue is physically painful?? 😐 like the banter between the MC and her love interest?? his nickname for her was “squishy wizard” I wish I was joking I WISH I was joking. but like beyond surface-level stuff, the mystery that we’re looking for from literally chapter one is never explained! in the last chapter the love interest is talking to the MC and he’s like “wow so wild that the supposed ENTIRE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK was never resolved haha” which is just––like so concerning and so frustrating?? bc it’s not just leaving a mystery unaddressed but there’s also a specific emotional tie to the main mystery that’s ignored, so it’s not just a bad move plot-wise, but also a bad move character-wise. idk. this felt like a first or second draft that should have been refined for, like... a while.
one more minor thing. (speaking as one queer person!! in my opinion!! this is literally so subjective!!) I don’t think every book has to (or even should) have queer rep––I’d rather there be no queer characters than harmful rep (this is especially true when an author is handling strong themes about the marginalization of a non-queer group). not that anyone asked lol. all this to say, I really, really wish Tang hadn’t had any queer characters, because the queer character we got we literally only know is queer because she said “I’m gay” as a sick comeback to someone accusing her of being some guy’s mistress. do we see her in any sort of relationship or mention a partner or anything?? no. nothing. and then . the entire thing was hilariously atrocious. and again, I consider this a relatively minor issue because it is, like, one side character and clearly the author really thought they did something here with their token lesbian which is so funny to me but I would have preferred a story with no queer rep to whatever this is!!
November 3, 2023
4.25⭐️ Just from the description I knew this was going to be a fun book. It pulled me in with the knives out and the inheritance game vibes that were in this book. This is about a sorcerers apprentice named Tabatha who gets pulled into a murder mystery plot when her boss dies the same way exactly how he predicted in his prophecy. Tabatha is determined to figure out who the killer is while also trying to survive the aftermath of the killing. This book was fun and fast-paced with the plot. I loved that this book was a murder mystery with magic and sorcerers but also their was a dash of romance. Nothing is as it seems in this book and the twists in this story got to me and had me second guessing everything I though I knew. I would definitely recommend if you want a quick read that has a lot going on.
April 8, 2024
2.5/5 ☆
⋆⭒˚.⋆🕯️one major problem i had with this was that it was compared to The Inheritance Games series aka my favorite mystery series ever! which honestly wasn't fair, especially to a big fan like me. if i hadn't known about the comparison (if it hadn't said it on the back of the freaking book 🤦🏽♀️) i may have rated this higher. overall, it was a fun, quick read (less than 300 pages i believe) and the mystery was okay i guess. not even close to JLB's level though.
╰┈─➤ it was way too short and the romance wasn't even necessary, it didn't have me rooting for them or anything.
⋆⭒˚.⋆🕯️one major problem i had with this was that it was compared to The Inheritance Games series aka my favorite mystery series ever! which honestly wasn't fair, especially to a big fan like me. if i hadn't known about the comparison (if it hadn't said it on the back of the freaking book 🤦🏽♀️) i may have rated this higher. overall, it was a fun, quick read (less than 300 pages i believe) and the mystery was okay i guess. not even close to JLB's level though.
╰┈─➤ it was way too short and the romance wasn't even necessary, it didn't have me rooting for them or anything.
» and if you asked me what the characters names are i couldn't tell you
March 6, 2024
DNF at 26%. I did not enjoy the portion of the book I read. I did not think it was well written. B&N suggested it was written in an authentic teen voice. Perhaps but the narrative did not work for me. Maybe because I am old. I wanted to move on to other books I am enjoying and looking forward to reading.
July 11, 2023
Absolutely adored this!!
March 20, 2024
1.5 ⭐️ I really wanted to round it up to 2 but I just couldn’t. I hated how predictable this was. The forced proximity lovers did not work for me. The fact that she never ONCE used magic herself & instead used her forced self defence classes like WHAT. Also, for some reason she never thunk the thought to maybe fortune tell the killer into fruition!? Nothing about this book made sense. None of it.
March 6, 2024
I enjoyed this book much more than I thought I would! It was a fun and easy read. It definitely gave off The Inheritance Games mixed with fantasy vibes. The characters were fun and interesting and I was hooked the whole time!
November 27, 2023
What I liked:
1. This reminded me so much of Knives Out, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and The Agathas and I absolutely loved it! I love a great murder mystery, especially with an FMC that is a little bit quirky and a whole lot loveable.
2. I especially loved that I didn’t figure out who the “Killer” was until a good way into the book, and even then, I wasn’t 100% sure! I love that this kept me on my toes when I can usually sniff out the killer immediately and without waver!
3. I loved the ideas behind the different forms of magic and how different each was. I also loved how each child in the Solomon family got one of each as their main talent.
4. This was legitimately funny. To me, a great mystery book is one that is not too deep or plagued with unsettled feelings, it is one where you can have moments of fun and silliness and then be brought back to “Oh right, we have to solve a murder here” the next moment. Tabatha and Callum’s partnership definitely was the humor in this haunting book and I loved it! I especially loved the self-defense classes he made her take and how he made sure they were always partnered up.
5. Lastly, I loved that the family and the book as a whole didn’t glorify Solomon upon his death. I won’t spoil any details, but you could say the book made it a point to even sully him after his death a bit.
What could have been better:
1. This needed just a bit more romance in my mind. Two make out scenes for a couple of hormonal teens with this much chemistry going through hell together to solve a crime was not nearly enough!
2. Finally, not that I liked her at all, but I wanted to see more of Detective Chang. She is supposedly this badass supernatural detective, which I’m sure has her as an outcast among her peers, and I feel like she has a story of her own!!! I needed more Elena Chang!
Thank you to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House, and Andrea Tang for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
1. This reminded me so much of Knives Out, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, and The Agathas and I absolutely loved it! I love a great murder mystery, especially with an FMC that is a little bit quirky and a whole lot loveable.
2. I especially loved that I didn’t figure out who the “Killer” was until a good way into the book, and even then, I wasn’t 100% sure! I love that this kept me on my toes when I can usually sniff out the killer immediately and without waver!
3. I loved the ideas behind the different forms of magic and how different each was. I also loved how each child in the Solomon family got one of each as their main talent.
4. This was legitimately funny. To me, a great mystery book is one that is not too deep or plagued with unsettled feelings, it is one where you can have moments of fun and silliness and then be brought back to “Oh right, we have to solve a murder here” the next moment. Tabatha and Callum’s partnership definitely was the humor in this haunting book and I loved it! I especially loved the self-defense classes he made her take and how he made sure they were always partnered up.
5. Lastly, I loved that the family and the book as a whole didn’t glorify Solomon upon his death. I won’t spoil any details, but you could say the book made it a point to even sully him after his death a bit.
What could have been better:
1. This needed just a bit more romance in my mind. Two make out scenes for a couple of hormonal teens with this much chemistry going through hell together to solve a crime was not nearly enough!
2. Finally, not that I liked her at all, but I wanted to see more of Detective Chang. She is supposedly this badass supernatural detective, which I’m sure has her as an outcast among her peers, and I feel like she has a story of her own!!! I needed more Elena Chang!
Thank you to Edelweiss, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, Penguin Random House, and Andrea Tang for the advanced copy of this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
February 13, 2024
Maybe more of a 3.5.
This one has been on my radar for a while coz I read the same some time ago and thought it was fun. I waited till I could get the audiobook and I wasn’t wrong in my initial thoughts.
This is actually my first by the author and now I should checkout what else she has written. Because this book has a very witty writing style which made for many a wry smiles, despite it being essentially a multiple murder mystery. It’s also very fast paced and I just rushed through it. The stakes never did feel too high though and danger levels didn’t feel anxiety inducing, just more on the fun and exciting side. The revelation of the murderer was also quite the scene and while I had some suspicions, I didn’t really predict it.
The main characters are also nice with Tabatha being the typical Asian American child trying to find her dreams which is completely opposite of what her mom desires for her, and Callum being the youngest child of a very popular sorcerer - a father who really didn’t see his children for more than their potential for sorcery. They make for a cool pair together, investigating the murder, with some budding romantic moments sprinkled in between.
The sorcerer Solomon dies pretty early in the book but his presence nevertheless looms large throughout the narrative. Angelique was shown as this fiery hot tempered but powerful sorcerer but we don’t really get to see those powers. Felix and Circe both only get a few scenes to showcase their presence. I felt more impressed by the both the moms - Rowena and Anne-Marie are both not sorcerers but strong in their own right, doing whatever necessary to keep their kids safe.
Overall this book was a fun and quick read, and I also enjoyed the parts I listened to on the audiobook, narrated very neatly by Katharine Chin. The characters others than our protagonists didn’t really get much page time, but our main couple had very cute moments between them, and I loved following along with them on their Nancy Drew style mystery solving.
This one has been on my radar for a while coz I read the same some time ago and thought it was fun. I waited till I could get the audiobook and I wasn’t wrong in my initial thoughts.
This is actually my first by the author and now I should checkout what else she has written. Because this book has a very witty writing style which made for many a wry smiles, despite it being essentially a multiple murder mystery. It’s also very fast paced and I just rushed through it. The stakes never did feel too high though and danger levels didn’t feel anxiety inducing, just more on the fun and exciting side. The revelation of the murderer was also quite the scene and while I had some suspicions, I didn’t really predict it.
The main characters are also nice with Tabatha being the typical Asian American child trying to find her dreams which is completely opposite of what her mom desires for her, and Callum being the youngest child of a very popular sorcerer - a father who really didn’t see his children for more than their potential for sorcery. They make for a cool pair together, investigating the murder, with some budding romantic moments sprinkled in between.
The sorcerer Solomon dies pretty early in the book but his presence nevertheless looms large throughout the narrative. Angelique was shown as this fiery hot tempered but powerful sorcerer but we don’t really get to see those powers. Felix and Circe both only get a few scenes to showcase their presence. I felt more impressed by the both the moms - Rowena and Anne-Marie are both not sorcerers but strong in their own right, doing whatever necessary to keep their kids safe.
Overall this book was a fun and quick read, and I also enjoyed the parts I listened to on the audiobook, narrated very neatly by Katharine Chin. The characters others than our protagonists didn’t really get much page time, but our main couple had very cute moments between them, and I loved following along with them on their Nancy Drew style mystery solving.
October 14, 2024
A magical Knives Out scenario ensues when apprentice Tabatha’s sorcerer is murdered—and there’s a prophecy about who killed him. But who is it? One of his ex-wives? One of his children? And who will inherit his estate?
While I thought the ending was a little rushed, I enjoyed this book, great for KNIVES OUT and INHERITANCE GAMES fans.
While I thought the ending was a little rushed, I enjoyed this book, great for KNIVES OUT and INHERITANCE GAMES fans.
February 1, 2024
Clever, heartfelt, laugh-out-loud funny. I'll read anything Andrea Tang ever writes.
March 4, 2024
DNF at 30%. I really hate DNF'ing books, but I can't do it. The writing is poor and repetitive. I also can't seem to get a grasp on the characters, resulting in me not caring about them. I was hoping I could get through this one because it's so short, but in 2024 I'm trying to no longer force myself to finish books I'm not enjoying. 2 stars because I liked the idea of the story.
January 10, 2024
I love Knives Out and remixing it with magic immediately grabbed my attention. However, this is one of those situations where I think that the story is too similar to one of the comp titles for my taste.
More to come.
More to come.
March 1, 2024
I would say this is a 3.5 rating. This was a fast paced read. The ending was a bit anticlimactic, but I still enjoyed it. I wished the characters and magic system were a bit more fleshed out. It definitely gave Knives Out/Inheritance Games vibes like a lot of other reviewers mentioned. It was a nice, fun YA mystery.
January 15, 2024
3.5 stars
rep: Chinese-American protagonist
cw: gore, blood
Okay this will be a short review because frankly it's been too long since I've read it now and I put off writing this since I didn't have that much to say about it in the first place. These Deadly Prophecies is actually one of the rare cases where I think a book should be longer. If you know me, I'm always advertising for books to be shorter, but in this case, the length didn't allow for much development.
The pacing was all over the place, considering this was a short book. It would speed up and I'd think we were going somewhere, then it would end in nothing and slow down again. This is one thing, but I also wasn't left with any impression of what the actual mystery part was. Like, to me, the book just ended. The prophesying magic as well was shown maybe once or twice? And not even the protagonist's magic, someone else's; so I couldn't even tell you what exactly they do, which was pretty bad considering that the prophecy was the whole crux of the book.
I read this shortly before starting Tang's 2023 release (Kingdom of Without, which...I also had issues with), and I think I'm starting to realize that her writing is not for me anymore. I loved her first two books even if the plot/worldbuilding was not all there, but the characters can't always carry the entire story. Actually maybe that was my whole issue with this one because I don't think the characters were developed enough in the first place which made it even harder to overlook the pacing issues.
Overall, I did enjoy this book despite my review suggesting otherwise. It's just that it was disappointing after I loved Tang's previous books.
original review:
hmm I did enjoy this one but I think this book should’ve been longer bc the pacing was all over the place
rep: Chinese-American protagonist
cw: gore, blood
**I received an ARC from the publisher (thank you, Penguin Teen!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
Okay this will be a short review because frankly it's been too long since I've read it now and I put off writing this since I didn't have that much to say about it in the first place. These Deadly Prophecies is actually one of the rare cases where I think a book should be longer. If you know me, I'm always advertising for books to be shorter, but in this case, the length didn't allow for much development.
The pacing was all over the place, considering this was a short book. It would speed up and I'd think we were going somewhere, then it would end in nothing and slow down again. This is one thing, but I also wasn't left with any impression of what the actual mystery part was. Like, to me, the book just ended. The prophesying magic as well was shown maybe once or twice? And not even the protagonist's magic, someone else's; so I couldn't even tell you what exactly they do, which was pretty bad considering that the prophecy was the whole crux of the book.
I read this shortly before starting Tang's 2023 release (Kingdom of Without, which...I also had issues with), and I think I'm starting to realize that her writing is not for me anymore. I loved her first two books even if the plot/worldbuilding was not all there, but the characters can't always carry the entire story. Actually maybe that was my whole issue with this one because I don't think the characters were developed enough in the first place which made it even harder to overlook the pacing issues.
Overall, I did enjoy this book despite my review suggesting otherwise. It's just that it was disappointing after I loved Tang's previous books.
original review:
hmm I did enjoy this one but I think this book should’ve been longer bc the pacing was all over the place
August 28, 2024
With snappy pacing, fun characters, and concise urban fantasy-esque worldbuilding, the majority of this book absolutely delivered on its pitch of Inheritances Games meets Knives Out. The writing was easy to read with just the right amount of teenage snark, and while the romance unfolded a bit too quick to be believable, it was still fun to read banter with just the right amount of undercutting social commentary. These Deadly Prophecies was easily heading for a 4-4.5 star rating, but unfortunately, all of my enjoyment dissipated in a wispy, barely-foreshadowed final 20 pages.
I was initially wary of this book’s short length, especially considering that this is a magic-mystery, and while it worked surprisingly well for a majority of the story, I think the page count was its ultimate undoing. The mystery was intriguing and complicated by juicy family scandals and fickle magic, but the resolution and reveal of the murder seemed to come out of nowhere, and not in a satisfying “I didn’t see that coming” way. Frustratingly, I saw this as easily preventable–just a few more scenes with the culprit leading up to the reveal would have helped me better understand their motives and appreciated the prophetic twist. I was so disappointed that an intriguing genre-blending murder-mystery had to be soured by a hasty and unsatisfying ending.
Despite my misgivings, I’d still recommend this book to readers interested by the pitch, albeit with a caveat about the ending. These Deadly Prophecies was a fun and quick read, but unfortunately not something I’ll find myself rereading.
(a very solid) 3/5 stars
Many thanks to Razorbill (via Penguin Teen) for the physical ARC!
I was initially wary of this book’s short length, especially considering that this is a magic-mystery, and while it worked surprisingly well for a majority of the story, I think the page count was its ultimate undoing. The mystery was intriguing and complicated by juicy family scandals and fickle magic, but the resolution and reveal of the murder seemed to come out of nowhere, and not in a satisfying “I didn’t see that coming” way. Frustratingly, I saw this as easily preventable–just a few more scenes with the culprit leading up to the reveal would have helped me better understand their motives and appreciated the prophetic twist. I was so disappointed that an intriguing genre-blending murder-mystery had to be soured by a hasty and unsatisfying ending.
Despite my misgivings, I’d still recommend this book to readers interested by the pitch, albeit with a caveat about the ending. These Deadly Prophecies was a fun and quick read, but unfortunately not something I’ll find myself rereading.
(a very solid) 3/5 stars
Many thanks to Razorbill (via Penguin Teen) for the physical ARC!
November 3, 2023
This book has vibes of the movies The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Knives Out as well as the wildly popular series The Inheritance Games. I enjoy all three of those, so I was really excited to read this.
This urban fantasy follows Tabatha, who has been apprenticed to a sorcerer and when he dies she becomes a suspect since she was one of the last people to see him alive. She teams up with one of the sons of the sorcerer to find the killer, thus clearing both their names.
A fantasy with a murder mystery twist sounded awesome to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the book as much as I was expecting to. Right off the bat I had trouble connecting with the writing style. There’s a lot of direct address to the reader which I’m personally not a fan of. There were also a bunch of characters introduced at the same time which made it very difficult to keep track of everyone.
As far as the mystery goes, I found it pretty lacking. I suspected the culprit the moment that character was introduced. And the reason why wasn’t satisfying either. I also found the ending very unsatisfying.
I liked the moments of the sorcerer interacting with Tabatha and I really liked the premise. I just wish I had liked the execution more than I did.
This urban fantasy follows Tabatha, who has been apprenticed to a sorcerer and when he dies she becomes a suspect since she was one of the last people to see him alive. She teams up with one of the sons of the sorcerer to find the killer, thus clearing both their names.
A fantasy with a murder mystery twist sounded awesome to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t like the book as much as I was expecting to. Right off the bat I had trouble connecting with the writing style. There’s a lot of direct address to the reader which I’m personally not a fan of. There were also a bunch of characters introduced at the same time which made it very difficult to keep track of everyone.
As far as the mystery goes, I found it pretty lacking. I suspected the culprit the moment that character was introduced. And the reason why wasn’t satisfying either. I also found the ending very unsatisfying.
I liked the moments of the sorcerer interacting with Tabatha and I really liked the premise. I just wish I had liked the execution more than I did.
December 11, 2024
4.25⭐️ Just from the description I knew this was going to be a fun book. It pulled me in with the knives out and the inheritance game vibes that were in this book. This is about a sorcerers apprentice named Tabatha who gets pulled into a murder mystery plot when her boss dies the same way exactly how he predicted in his prophecy. Tabatha is determined to figure out who the killer is while also trying to survive the aftermath of the killing. This book was fun and fast paced with the plot. I loved that this book was a murder mystery with magic and sorcerers but also their was a dash of romance which I love. Nothing is as it seems in this book and the twists in this story got to me and had me second guessing everything I though I knew. I would definitely recommend if you want a quick read that has a lot going on.
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