What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
6 days and 01:58:04
5 copies available
U.S. only
The Otherwhere Post
Win a free print copy of this book!
6 days and 01:58:04
5 copies available
U.S. only
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Young Adult Fantasy & Sci-Fi (2025)Tujuh tahun lalu, terjadi pembunuhan massal yang menewaskan semua penduduk salah satu dari tiga dunia yang diakui. Dan, ayah Maeve menjadi tersangka utama. Terpaksa hidup dalam persembunyian, Maeve mendadak mendapatkan surat anonim yang menyatakan: Ayahmu tidak bersalah.
Bertekad untuk mencari tahu, Maeve pun memalsukan identitas agar bisa menjadi magang di The Otherwhere Post, satu-satunya tempat yang mengajari para kurirnya seni tera scriptomancy—sejenis sihir gelap dan berbahaya—yang membuat mereka mampu berpindah di antara dua dunia yang tersisa, untuk mengantarkan surat dari orang-orang yang terpisah jarak. Satu-satunya tempat yang menyimpan semua catatan pengiriman surat. Sekaligus tempat ayah Maeve berkembang menjadi scriptomancer yang sangat hebat.
Namun, baru beberapa jam, penyamarannya sudah dibongkar oleh Tristan, kurir yang ditunjuk sebagai mentornya. Dan, dalam hitungan minggu, Maeve berulang kali nyaris tewas karena jelas ada yang tidak suka dia melakukan investigasi terkait sejarah kelam sang ayah.
Maeve tahu dia makin dekat dengan kebenaran. Namun, ketika hidup orang-orang di sekitarnya ikut terancam, Maeve harus memilih: tetap berjuang membersihkan nama ayahnya sekaligus membebaskan hidupnya sendiri, atau kembali melarikan diri sebelum seseorang benar-benar mati?
Bertekad untuk mencari tahu, Maeve pun memalsukan identitas agar bisa menjadi magang di The Otherwhere Post, satu-satunya tempat yang mengajari para kurirnya seni tera scriptomancy—sejenis sihir gelap dan berbahaya—yang membuat mereka mampu berpindah di antara dua dunia yang tersisa, untuk mengantarkan surat dari orang-orang yang terpisah jarak. Satu-satunya tempat yang menyimpan semua catatan pengiriman surat. Sekaligus tempat ayah Maeve berkembang menjadi scriptomancer yang sangat hebat.
Namun, baru beberapa jam, penyamarannya sudah dibongkar oleh Tristan, kurir yang ditunjuk sebagai mentornya. Dan, dalam hitungan minggu, Maeve berulang kali nyaris tewas karena jelas ada yang tidak suka dia melakukan investigasi terkait sejarah kelam sang ayah.
Maeve tahu dia makin dekat dengan kebenaran. Namun, ketika hidup orang-orang di sekitarnya ikut terancam, Maeve harus memilih: tetap berjuang membersihkan nama ayahnya sekaligus membebaskan hidupnya sendiri, atau kembali melarikan diri sebelum seseorang benar-benar mati?
483 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2025
607 people are currently reading
69355 people want to read
About the author
Emily J. Taylor
5 books1,184 followersEmily was born and raised in California and has since refused to stay put. She's lived in four states and two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales.
Follow Emily on Instagram @emilycanwrite
https://www.instagram.com/emilycanwrite/
Follow Emily on Instagram @emilycanwrite
https://www.instagram.com/emilycanwrite/
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,719 reviews
January 2, 2026
As a devoted fan of dark academia, eccentric world-building, twisty mysteries, and a delightful touch of magic blended with slow-burn romance, this book was music to my soul! I loved it with every fiber of my being!
I highly recommend adding Otherwhere Post to your reading list and grabbing a copy as soon as it’s published. It’s definitely one of the best YA fantasy/mystery reads of 2025, and I can honestly say it surpassed my expectations.
The character development, complex world-building of different realms, academic setting, and the creative magic system of scriptomancy left me speechless. I also adored Tristan—patient, caring, sweet, capable, melancholic, and the perfect partner in crime!
Now, let’s dive into the plot: the story follows 19-year-old Maeve Abenthy, whose life was forever altered seven years ago by a tragic event in Inverly that claimed the lives of many innocent people. The disaster was caused by a dangerous creature that burned down the Written Doors. Maeve was left an orphan at the doorstep of Sacrifict Orphanage, where she was bullied and imprisoned, but she eventually escaped. To make matters worse, she was revealed to be the daughter of Jonathan, one of the most notorious criminals, who was blamed for the deaths in Inverly. Jonathan, a powerful scriptomancer capable of enchanting letters, was accused of unleashing Aldervine, a deadly plant with crawling branches that killed many, including Maeve. Although she was saved at the last second by a mysterious man, she witnessed the death of her aunt years ago.
After running away from the orphanage, Maeve constantly changes her name and location, taking on odd jobs to survive. When a courier delivers a letter from seven years ago, written before the Written Doors closed, she realizes that someone knows she’s alive. The contents of the letter are shocking—it claims her father is innocent, and the sender is a friend of his, but who?
Maeve’s path crosses with the mysterious courier who tells her the only way to trace the sender is by accessing the archives, a privilege only couriers have. To solve the mystery, Maeve decides to infiltrate Otherwhere Post by faking her credentials, references, and stealing another applicant’s identity.
During her dangerous plan, she once again encounters the courier she met earlier—Tristan, the son of Postmaster Bryne, who is also her mentor. Tristan quickly discovers she’s faking her identity but, instead of exposing her, he’s intrigued and offers to help.
Can Maeve trust this boy when she hasn’t been able to trust anyone for years, not even revealing her true name or walking down the street without looking over her shoulder?
Maeve must find the person who sent her the letter and prove her father’s innocence. But with danger lurking around every corner and someone threatening to expose her secret identity with ominous letters written in special ink, can she accomplish this perilous mission?
Overall: This is a twisty, smart, heart-pounding, and unputdownable journey that I thoroughly enjoyed! It’s undoubtedly one of the best fantasy reads of 2025, deserving of five scriptomancy stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for Young Readers for providing this incredible digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
instagram
facebook
twitter
I highly recommend adding Otherwhere Post to your reading list and grabbing a copy as soon as it’s published. It’s definitely one of the best YA fantasy/mystery reads of 2025, and I can honestly say it surpassed my expectations.
The character development, complex world-building of different realms, academic setting, and the creative magic system of scriptomancy left me speechless. I also adored Tristan—patient, caring, sweet, capable, melancholic, and the perfect partner in crime!
Now, let’s dive into the plot: the story follows 19-year-old Maeve Abenthy, whose life was forever altered seven years ago by a tragic event in Inverly that claimed the lives of many innocent people. The disaster was caused by a dangerous creature that burned down the Written Doors. Maeve was left an orphan at the doorstep of Sacrifict Orphanage, where she was bullied and imprisoned, but she eventually escaped. To make matters worse, she was revealed to be the daughter of Jonathan, one of the most notorious criminals, who was blamed for the deaths in Inverly. Jonathan, a powerful scriptomancer capable of enchanting letters, was accused of unleashing Aldervine, a deadly plant with crawling branches that killed many, including Maeve. Although she was saved at the last second by a mysterious man, she witnessed the death of her aunt years ago.
After running away from the orphanage, Maeve constantly changes her name and location, taking on odd jobs to survive. When a courier delivers a letter from seven years ago, written before the Written Doors closed, she realizes that someone knows she’s alive. The contents of the letter are shocking—it claims her father is innocent, and the sender is a friend of his, but who?
Maeve’s path crosses with the mysterious courier who tells her the only way to trace the sender is by accessing the archives, a privilege only couriers have. To solve the mystery, Maeve decides to infiltrate Otherwhere Post by faking her credentials, references, and stealing another applicant’s identity.
During her dangerous plan, she once again encounters the courier she met earlier—Tristan, the son of Postmaster Bryne, who is also her mentor. Tristan quickly discovers she’s faking her identity but, instead of exposing her, he’s intrigued and offers to help.
Can Maeve trust this boy when she hasn’t been able to trust anyone for years, not even revealing her true name or walking down the street without looking over her shoulder?
Maeve must find the person who sent her the letter and prove her father’s innocence. But with danger lurking around every corner and someone threatening to expose her secret identity with ominous letters written in special ink, can she accomplish this perilous mission?
Overall: This is a twisty, smart, heart-pounding, and unputdownable journey that I thoroughly enjoyed! It’s undoubtedly one of the best fantasy reads of 2025, deserving of five scriptomancy stars!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for Young Readers for providing this incredible digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
medium blog
January 13, 2025
➸ 5 stars
𓍢⊹ ࣪ - thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy!
𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒚 - 𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒕
𓍢🪶 enchanted letters
𓍢🪶 dark academia vibes
𓍢🪶 autumn in edinburgh inspired setting
𓍢🪶 slow burn romance
𓍢🪶 dangerous writing magic
𓍢🪶 a university spanning 3 worlds
okay wow… I LOVED THIS BOOK!! immediately from the start i was so intrigued by the worlds and everything that happened in the past; even more intrigued by the magic! it was unlike anything i’ve seen and i loved learning about how it all works! i would’ve loved to have seen more about all the different types as well, but our fmc is trapped in a mystery herself that had me questioning everything and suspecting everyone! just when i thought i had everything figured out, no, i didnt!
“Her life often left like a violent ocean tossing her about, but writing gave her a foothold. A moment to catch her breath.”
➺ maeve abenthy - she is such a strong character given everything she went through and how she goes about her life; despite all of that, she’s determined, fierce, an sassy when she needs to! i loved her character development and seeing her slowly start to trust was amazing!
“He’d just admitted that he loved scribing once. He was obviously gifted at it. A prodigy who now tormented himself for a mistake that wasn’t his fault. Who held finally back from something that brought him joy.”
➺ tristan byrne - this man instantly became one of my favorite mmc’s! sassy men always do it for me and tristan was hilarious!! ugh i loved him. and the tortured ink-stained boy who plays piano to top it off? it added so much more to his character and i loved reading about his development with scribing again! i couldn’t get enough of him, i loved his character!
𓍢⊹ ࣪
“I know that whatever happened to you makes it nearly impossible to trust completely, but I don’t believe you can trust someone all at once anyhow. I think trust is built in small increments, like the words of a scribing, piece by piece, until you know someone fully. I’m probably a massive wagtail for thinking this, but I believe that you could begin to trust me.”
what made this book 5 stars for me was the relationship between maeve and tristan, they had my entire heart!
“Are you alright?”
“As good as can be expected, considering someone attempted to murder me with a bar of soap.”
PLEASEEEEEE their first meeting was HILARIOUS! her throwing the soap to get his attention (him having heard her but ignoring it) and it hitting the back of his head on accident, then proceeding to say she was a mere witness to someone doing that OH IT WAS GOLD
“The courier gave her a searing look, then pushed his spectacles up his nose, smudging what Maeve had thought were freckles. But no—they were ink splatters. More ink splotched the brass-buttoned vest peeking from beneath his cloak.
He was filthy. Perhaps she should have offered him the soap instead of flinging it at him.”
THE LAUGHHHHH i let out oh my gosh maeve is so funny and i kid you not im 99% sure i highlighted every single interaction between these two BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD THEIR DYNAMIC IS!
“So now what? You’re going to throw me in?”
“You underestimate me. If I was planning to kill you, I think I could come up with far more creative ways than shoving you down that.”
they just matched each other so perfectly!! every interaction they had has my smiling ear to ear, giggling, SCREAMING. they because my favorites so fast!
“But let’s see it.”
“My letter?”
“No, your knickers. Of course your letter.”
“Can you even hold a quill?”
“I know how to write.”
“Of course you do. How dare I suggest otherwise?”
“Maeve’s nails dug into her palms. She has never understood the desire to punch someone in the face until now.”
THE SARCASMMMMMM oh i was utterly obsessed with them
“His gaze hung on her for a prolonged moment—longer than anyone ever bothered to look at her. It felt as if he were taking detailed notes of each of her eyelashes.”
ITS THE WAY HE WAS SO OBSERVANT OF HER AND NOTICED EVERYTHING WHEN SHE HAS DONE EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO GO UNNOTICED HER WHOLE LIFE ARGHHHHWIHSOSJNSKA
“This corridor is for apprentices, or those impersonating one, I suppose.”
“Must you say that so loudly?”
“No, but your reactions are lifting my spirits.”
the banter between them? CHEFS KISS! they literally made this entire book so much fun and hard to put down
“You’re refreshing, you know?”
they both were honestly very similar in terms of their situations and how they handle them BUT WITH EACH OTHER it was as if it was all they needed to grow and ARGHHH they are literally perfect for each other im crying
“I have another thought.”
“Does it involve soap?”
“Did it throw anything at you as well? A bar of soap perhaps?”
“You’re poking fun.”
“It’s not very difficult when it comes to you.”
the way he never let go of the soap IS HILARIOUS! everytime it was brought up again it never failed to make me laugh!! this also reminds me:
“We could sing about sheep again, or talk of the weather, or how terribly these cloaks are cut, for the matter.”
“Our courier cloaks? They’re wonderful.”
“He halted, gaping.”
“What? They’re far more sensible than whatever it is you’re wearing under there.”
“This vest is made from finely woven silk brocade. It has hand-hammered buttons.”
“You say that like I’m supposed to be impressed.”
“You’re not?”
“Was he serious? Oh dear; he was. If he expected the type of girl who fawned over cloth, he was in for a disappointment. “Fine. It’s a handsome blueish vest with a nice spotty pattern and shiny round butttons. Are you happy now?”
“For some odd reason, that made him grin at her with a disturbingly handsome smile.”
this entire interaction had me screaming and giggling; i found his dislike for maeve’s cloak hilarious
“Though I’m afraid the day has finally come to light your cloak on fire and toss it over the nearest cliff.”
“Don’t you dare touch it.”
“It’s new. Do you like it?”
“Not as much as my cloak.”
the way he kept trying to get rid of it and maeve just loving it so much was everything!!
“Tristan took her hand, squeezing it. But then he didn’t let go of her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers.”
one of my favorites things about them was the amount of times tristan took maeve’s hand, how many times he reached out and didn’t let go, running his fingers through her hands and just those little touches were everything considering maeve never lets anyone get too close, let alone touch her, but tristan just sneaked right in!
“You’re smiling.”
“And you’re covered in cobwebs.”
“From when I extracted you from that ruin of a building then carried you across the grounds like a sack of lifeless mail.”
“You carried me all the way here?”
HE KEPT CARRYING HER it was so cute
"It's just a leg cramp—probably from the cold,"
“Tristan took her heel.”
"What are you doing?"
“He ignored her and tugged off her left shoe, then slid down her wet stocking, jerking it off as well. He did the same with the other foot, then dug through a trunk beside him and pulled out a pair of mismatched woolen socks, one the color of dried oatmeal, the other a deep burgundy. He put them on her, sliding them over her calves, to just below her knees. She sat frozen for the entire affair.”
“Your skirt is wet as well.”
“Don’t you dare.”
this scene was so cute and her keeping the socks made this so much cuter ahhhhh
“His face lit up at the sight of her. He smiled brightly, and for a moment, Maeve forgot why she was standing there.”
one thing i kept noticing was how much this man loved being in her presence! everything she would try to leave, he would call out to her and ask her to stay, make a remark, or a deal, to keep her from leaving and I ATE IT UP.
“And what did you say?”
“I told them to go to hell, of course.”
“I would have probably said the same thing.”
“I think I’d pay good money to see that, and even more if you finished it off with a little ditty about sheep.”
“Good heavens, no. I wouldn’t want to kill anyone.”
“He burst into laughter. She hasn’t heard him laugh like that. The sound echoed and wrapped around her and ended far too soon.
She considered singing so she might hear him laugh again,”
“If you don’t tell me what’s the matter this instant, I’m tempted to find a piano and make you stand atop it and sing.”
the thing with the singing TOOK ME OUT i will literally do anything for a bonus chapter of maeve singing and tristan’s reaction PLEASEEEEE
“I want you to tell me your first name right now.”
“So you can hunt me down as soon as I leave?”
“So i can write to you.”
“You wish to send me letters?”
“It sounded preposterous, but his expression remained serious.
Dear god, he was serious.”
crying this was so cute <3333
“I rode through the night, searching every roadway until I found you the following morning. Yes, a tracking scribing would have certainly saved me many torturous hours, but I didn't use one because I swore to you I wouldn’t.”
RAHHHHHH THIS QUOTEEEEEE!!!!!! okay this review is getting too long but i have one more i want to include:
“If this doesn’t work out, I can always bring you socks in prison.”
“If this doesn’t work out, you might be going to prison with me.”
“At least I’ll like the company.”
one thing i loved about this book was how so many little things that happened would find their way back in the book! the carriage from the beginning coming back as a little joke at the end, the socks, the singing, the SOAP, the cloak, the vests, little phrases they share between each other; everything tied together so perfectly and i absolutely loved every single second of this book! i couldn’t get enough and i can’t wait for its release so i can get my hands on a physical copy!!
“A letter can become an extension of your soul if you will it, a trapped part of you that shakes loose whenever someone reads your words.”
𓍢⊹ ࣪ - thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the advanced readers copy!
𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒚 - 𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒕
𓍢🪶 enchanted letters
𓍢🪶 dark academia vibes
𓍢🪶 autumn in edinburgh inspired setting
𓍢🪶 slow burn romance
𓍢🪶 dangerous writing magic
𓍢🪶 a university spanning 3 worlds
okay wow… I LOVED THIS BOOK!! immediately from the start i was so intrigued by the worlds and everything that happened in the past; even more intrigued by the magic! it was unlike anything i’ve seen and i loved learning about how it all works! i would’ve loved to have seen more about all the different types as well, but our fmc is trapped in a mystery herself that had me questioning everything and suspecting everyone! just when i thought i had everything figured out, no, i didnt!
“Her life often left like a violent ocean tossing her about, but writing gave her a foothold. A moment to catch her breath.”
➺ maeve abenthy - she is such a strong character given everything she went through and how she goes about her life; despite all of that, she’s determined, fierce, an sassy when she needs to! i loved her character development and seeing her slowly start to trust was amazing!
“He’d just admitted that he loved scribing once. He was obviously gifted at it. A prodigy who now tormented himself for a mistake that wasn’t his fault. Who held finally back from something that brought him joy.”
➺ tristan byrne - this man instantly became one of my favorite mmc’s! sassy men always do it for me and tristan was hilarious!! ugh i loved him. and the tortured ink-stained boy who plays piano to top it off? it added so much more to his character and i loved reading about his development with scribing again! i couldn’t get enough of him, i loved his character!
𓍢⊹ ࣪
“I know that whatever happened to you makes it nearly impossible to trust completely, but I don’t believe you can trust someone all at once anyhow. I think trust is built in small increments, like the words of a scribing, piece by piece, until you know someone fully. I’m probably a massive wagtail for thinking this, but I believe that you could begin to trust me.”
what made this book 5 stars for me was the relationship between maeve and tristan, they had my entire heart!
“Are you alright?”
“As good as can be expected, considering someone attempted to murder me with a bar of soap.”
PLEASEEEEEE their first meeting was HILARIOUS! her throwing the soap to get his attention (him having heard her but ignoring it) and it hitting the back of his head on accident, then proceeding to say she was a mere witness to someone doing that OH IT WAS GOLD
“The courier gave her a searing look, then pushed his spectacles up his nose, smudging what Maeve had thought were freckles. But no—they were ink splatters. More ink splotched the brass-buttoned vest peeking from beneath his cloak.
He was filthy. Perhaps she should have offered him the soap instead of flinging it at him.”
THE LAUGHHHHH i let out oh my gosh maeve is so funny and i kid you not im 99% sure i highlighted every single interaction between these two BECAUSE OF HOW GOOD THEIR DYNAMIC IS!
“So now what? You’re going to throw me in?”
“You underestimate me. If I was planning to kill you, I think I could come up with far more creative ways than shoving you down that.”
they just matched each other so perfectly!! every interaction they had has my smiling ear to ear, giggling, SCREAMING. they because my favorites so fast!
“But let’s see it.”
“My letter?”
“No, your knickers. Of course your letter.”
“Can you even hold a quill?”
“I know how to write.”
“Of course you do. How dare I suggest otherwise?”
“Maeve’s nails dug into her palms. She has never understood the desire to punch someone in the face until now.”
THE SARCASMMMMMM oh i was utterly obsessed with them
“His gaze hung on her for a prolonged moment—longer than anyone ever bothered to look at her. It felt as if he were taking detailed notes of each of her eyelashes.”
ITS THE WAY HE WAS SO OBSERVANT OF HER AND NOTICED EVERYTHING WHEN SHE HAS DONE EVERYTHING SHE COULD TO GO UNNOTICED HER WHOLE LIFE ARGHHHHWIHSOSJNSKA
“This corridor is for apprentices, or those impersonating one, I suppose.”
“Must you say that so loudly?”
“No, but your reactions are lifting my spirits.”
the banter between them? CHEFS KISS! they literally made this entire book so much fun and hard to put down
“You’re refreshing, you know?”
they both were honestly very similar in terms of their situations and how they handle them BUT WITH EACH OTHER it was as if it was all they needed to grow and ARGHHH they are literally perfect for each other im crying
“I have another thought.”
“Does it involve soap?”
“Did it throw anything at you as well? A bar of soap perhaps?”
“You’re poking fun.”
“It’s not very difficult when it comes to you.”
the way he never let go of the soap IS HILARIOUS! everytime it was brought up again it never failed to make me laugh!! this also reminds me:
“We could sing about sheep again, or talk of the weather, or how terribly these cloaks are cut, for the matter.”
“Our courier cloaks? They’re wonderful.”
“He halted, gaping.”
“What? They’re far more sensible than whatever it is you’re wearing under there.”
“This vest is made from finely woven silk brocade. It has hand-hammered buttons.”
“You say that like I’m supposed to be impressed.”
“You’re not?”
“Was he serious? Oh dear; he was. If he expected the type of girl who fawned over cloth, he was in for a disappointment. “Fine. It’s a handsome blueish vest with a nice spotty pattern and shiny round butttons. Are you happy now?”
“For some odd reason, that made him grin at her with a disturbingly handsome smile.”
this entire interaction had me screaming and giggling; i found his dislike for maeve’s cloak hilarious
“Though I’m afraid the day has finally come to light your cloak on fire and toss it over the nearest cliff.”
“Don’t you dare touch it.”
“It’s new. Do you like it?”
“Not as much as my cloak.”
the way he kept trying to get rid of it and maeve just loving it so much was everything!!
“Tristan took her hand, squeezing it. But then he didn’t let go of her hand. He threaded his fingers through hers.”
one of my favorites things about them was the amount of times tristan took maeve’s hand, how many times he reached out and didn’t let go, running his fingers through her hands and just those little touches were everything considering maeve never lets anyone get too close, let alone touch her, but tristan just sneaked right in!
“You’re smiling.”
“And you’re covered in cobwebs.”
“From when I extracted you from that ruin of a building then carried you across the grounds like a sack of lifeless mail.”
“You carried me all the way here?”
HE KEPT CARRYING HER it was so cute
"It's just a leg cramp—probably from the cold,"
“Tristan took her heel.”
"What are you doing?"
“He ignored her and tugged off her left shoe, then slid down her wet stocking, jerking it off as well. He did the same with the other foot, then dug through a trunk beside him and pulled out a pair of mismatched woolen socks, one the color of dried oatmeal, the other a deep burgundy. He put them on her, sliding them over her calves, to just below her knees. She sat frozen for the entire affair.”
“Your skirt is wet as well.”
“Don’t you dare.”
this scene was so cute and her keeping the socks made this so much cuter ahhhhh
“His face lit up at the sight of her. He smiled brightly, and for a moment, Maeve forgot why she was standing there.”
one thing i kept noticing was how much this man loved being in her presence! everything she would try to leave, he would call out to her and ask her to stay, make a remark, or a deal, to keep her from leaving and I ATE IT UP.
“And what did you say?”
“I told them to go to hell, of course.”
“I would have probably said the same thing.”
“I think I’d pay good money to see that, and even more if you finished it off with a little ditty about sheep.”
“Good heavens, no. I wouldn’t want to kill anyone.”
“He burst into laughter. She hasn’t heard him laugh like that. The sound echoed and wrapped around her and ended far too soon.
She considered singing so she might hear him laugh again,”
“If you don’t tell me what’s the matter this instant, I’m tempted to find a piano and make you stand atop it and sing.”
the thing with the singing TOOK ME OUT i will literally do anything for a bonus chapter of maeve singing and tristan’s reaction PLEASEEEEE
“I want you to tell me your first name right now.”
“So you can hunt me down as soon as I leave?”
“So i can write to you.”
“You wish to send me letters?”
“It sounded preposterous, but his expression remained serious.
Dear god, he was serious.”
crying this was so cute <3333
“I rode through the night, searching every roadway until I found you the following morning. Yes, a tracking scribing would have certainly saved me many torturous hours, but I didn't use one because I swore to you I wouldn’t.”
RAHHHHHH THIS QUOTEEEEEE!!!!!! okay this review is getting too long but i have one more i want to include:
“If this doesn’t work out, I can always bring you socks in prison.”
“If this doesn’t work out, you might be going to prison with me.”
“At least I’ll like the company.”
one thing i loved about this book was how so many little things that happened would find their way back in the book! the carriage from the beginning coming back as a little joke at the end, the socks, the singing, the SOAP, the cloak, the vests, little phrases they share between each other; everything tied together so perfectly and i absolutely loved every single second of this book! i couldn’t get enough and i can’t wait for its release so i can get my hands on a physical copy!!
April 5, 2025
All the stars⭐️ I loved every single minute of this!
Yes, it was definitely a slow burn, but I was so immersed in it that I found myself savoring every moment. I was hooked from the beginning. The world-building was instantly captivating. The magic system was so cool and uniquely described: I haven’t come across anything quite like it in other fantasy books.
And then I met the main character, and I immediately liked her. I was so excited to follow her journey as she did everything she could to uncover the truth. Maeve is clever, determined, and such an honor to root for! As the story unfolded, she totally proved herself to be the badass I knew she would be. I loved the reveals. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story flipped on me in the best way possible!
Now the romance. OMG, the tension?? So hawt! There was this undeniable pull between them, even before they fully knew who the other was, and I was absolutely here for it.
And that peaceful, gentle ending? Exactly what my girl Maeve needed. Ugh, I’m such a sucker for a fun YA fantasy, and I’m so happy this one secured a spot on my 2025 favorites!
Yes, it was definitely a slow burn, but I was so immersed in it that I found myself savoring every moment. I was hooked from the beginning. The world-building was instantly captivating. The magic system was so cool and uniquely described: I haven’t come across anything quite like it in other fantasy books.
And then I met the main character, and I immediately liked her. I was so excited to follow her journey as she did everything she could to uncover the truth. Maeve is clever, determined, and such an honor to root for! As the story unfolded, she totally proved herself to be the badass I knew she would be. I loved the reveals. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the story flipped on me in the best way possible!
Now the romance. OMG, the tension?? So hawt! There was this undeniable pull between them, even before they fully knew who the other was, and I was absolutely here for it.
And that peaceful, gentle ending? Exactly what my girl Maeve needed. Ugh, I’m such a sucker for a fun YA fantasy, and I’m so happy this one secured a spot on my 2025 favorites!
February 6, 2025
In a Nutshell: A YA fantasy with dark academia vibes and portal fantasy elements. Intriguing magic, gripping plot and interesting characters. Some shades of romance and mystery as well. A bit repetitive and a tad too convenient in between, but overall, a satisfying read. (Coming from me the YA-phobe, this is a huge compliment.) I’d definitely recommend this book to older YAs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
I am not an avid YA reader. However, I had read this author’s debut work – an interesting YA Dark Fantasy named Hotel Magnifique – a couple of years ago and was quite impressed by her world-building, though the pacing and repetition hadn’t worked too well for me. I was keen to give her sophomore work a go and see if it clicked better and if she has grown as a writer.
It did, and she has!
Bookish Yays:
💌 Maeve: A typical teen representative of her age. Impatient, impulsive, gutsy. Acts first, thinks next. Thus, an apt lead for a YA novel, though some of her actions made me want to shake her. Her character is written well, with no extended rambling or whining that is so common in YA protagonists. I loved the balance between her bravery and her vulnerability.
💌 Tristan: If I were younger, there’s a good chance I would have declared Tristan my new book boyfriend, and no, this isn’t at all because of his looks. He’s not portrayed as a typical hot guy unaware of his charm. Rather, the author gives Tristan a strong and layered personality that has both a grumpy side and a fun side.
💌 An extra Yay not just for making Tristan bespectacled but also for remembering this throughout the book. I appreciate how his spectacles were written as a consistent part of his character instead of being forgotten after the first mention.
💌 Maeve’s roommate Nan is fabulous. (Possibly, my favourite character of this book!) Her personality adds the right amount of lightheartedness to this novel.
💌 The connection between Maeve and Tristan feels a bit too instant, but it doesn’t lead to insta-romance. Rather, the bond grows steadily from reluctant colleagues to friends to potential lovers. A good progression for a cute relationship filled with loads of banter (from Tristan’s side.) Plus points for not letting the romance dominate the core plot.
💌 The darker parts of the fantasy are creepy, with some scenes being quite gruesome.
💌 Maeve’s apprenticeship at the Otherwhere Post adds plenty of dark academia vibes to this story. Her role as a student is properly utilised, with many scenes actually in the classroom and library, unlike some other academia novels where the characters are doing everything but studying.
💌 The pacing is slowburn but never slow. I didn’t lose my interest at any point.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🔑 The worldbuilding has tremendous potential. The concept of known and unknown worlds accessible through magical doors and the art of scriptomancy allowing the use of words to create magic both are excellent fantastical ideas. The former reminded me of other similar portal fantasy books such as The Ten Thousand Doors of January; regardless, the concept is used well. I also loved the idea of a magical postal system. However, the scriptomancy content is somewhat vague. There is a lot about the whats but not enough of the hows. I am not sure if this is being planned as a series because a lot of foundational content on scriptomancy wasn’t utilised much in this book and there certainly is potential for more exploration.
🔑 For a change, there are a couple of good-hearted adults in this YA work. This adult thanks the author for this courtesy. (I am fed up of seeing idiotic adults in the YA genre.) However, most of the adults’ personalities aren’t sketched strongly. The rationale behind some of their actions stays vague till the end.
🔑The mystery about Maeve’s father and the identity of the writer of the threatening letters is handled decently, with a few nice red herrings and twists along the way. However, I’d have preferred the suspicion to be on multiple characters at once instead of going through them turn by turn.
🔑Given how closeted and grumpy Maeve is at the start, it is a bit difficult to understand why Tristan and Nan go out of their way to assist her. Perhaps they are just good people? Definitely a bit too good to be true!
Bookish Nays:
🚪 The second half has some overly convenient coincidences and timely character appearances at strategic plot points. I can ignore this issue if it happens only rarely, but it popped up a little too frequently when Maeve’s investigation was reaching its culmination.
🚪 Infodump ending. Never a fan of this!
All in all, this was quite a good read for me, which is even more surprising if you remember how I keep cribbing about the YA genre. I liked Maeve with all her flaws as she made for a realistic teen protagonist. Tristan and Nan were the perfect accompaniments. There are a few components that could have added more value to this book, but even as is, it is quite entertaining.
Definitely recommended. As an adult, I would have found this a good one-time read, but I've a strong feeling it will be fabulous for older YAs. (15+, because there are some intimacies mentioned.) As always, better if read without over-analysing.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group for providing the DRC of “The Otherwhere Post” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Ever since Maeve’s father was accused of a serious crime seven years ago, Maeve has been living under a false name and constantly shifting places and jobs so that no one can connect her to the past. Now eighteen, Maeve receives a mysterious letter claiming that her father was innocent. To learn the truth, Maeve must take up an apprenticeship at the Otherwhere Post, which trains aspirants in the magical art of scriptomancy, thereby allowing couriers to enchant letters and deliver them across worlds. But Maeve’s challenges only increase with this decision. Her father’s murky past proves tougher to hide than she had expected, her mentor at the institute – a rude courier named Tristan – knows that she’s an imposter, and threatening letters pop up warning Maeve to drop her investigation. Can she find out the truth without endangering herself and her companions?
The story comes to us in Maeve’s third-person perspective.
I am not an avid YA reader. However, I had read this author’s debut work – an interesting YA Dark Fantasy named Hotel Magnifique – a couple of years ago and was quite impressed by her world-building, though the pacing and repetition hadn’t worked too well for me. I was keen to give her sophomore work a go and see if it clicked better and if she has grown as a writer.
It did, and she has!
Bookish Yays:
💌 Maeve: A typical teen representative of her age. Impatient, impulsive, gutsy. Acts first, thinks next. Thus, an apt lead for a YA novel, though some of her actions made me want to shake her. Her character is written well, with no extended rambling or whining that is so common in YA protagonists. I loved the balance between her bravery and her vulnerability.
💌 Tristan: If I were younger, there’s a good chance I would have declared Tristan my new book boyfriend, and no, this isn’t at all because of his looks. He’s not portrayed as a typical hot guy unaware of his charm. Rather, the author gives Tristan a strong and layered personality that has both a grumpy side and a fun side.
💌 An extra Yay not just for making Tristan bespectacled but also for remembering this throughout the book. I appreciate how his spectacles were written as a consistent part of his character instead of being forgotten after the first mention.
💌 Maeve’s roommate Nan is fabulous. (Possibly, my favourite character of this book!) Her personality adds the right amount of lightheartedness to this novel.
💌 The connection between Maeve and Tristan feels a bit too instant, but it doesn’t lead to insta-romance. Rather, the bond grows steadily from reluctant colleagues to friends to potential lovers. A good progression for a cute relationship filled with loads of banter (from Tristan’s side.) Plus points for not letting the romance dominate the core plot.
💌 The darker parts of the fantasy are creepy, with some scenes being quite gruesome.
💌 Maeve’s apprenticeship at the Otherwhere Post adds plenty of dark academia vibes to this story. Her role as a student is properly utilised, with many scenes actually in the classroom and library, unlike some other academia novels where the characters are doing everything but studying.
💌 The pacing is slowburn but never slow. I didn’t lose my interest at any point.
Bookish Mixed Bags:
🔑 The worldbuilding has tremendous potential. The concept of known and unknown worlds accessible through magical doors and the art of scriptomancy allowing the use of words to create magic both are excellent fantastical ideas. The former reminded me of other similar portal fantasy books such as The Ten Thousand Doors of January; regardless, the concept is used well. I also loved the idea of a magical postal system. However, the scriptomancy content is somewhat vague. There is a lot about the whats but not enough of the hows. I am not sure if this is being planned as a series because a lot of foundational content on scriptomancy wasn’t utilised much in this book and there certainly is potential for more exploration.
🔑 For a change, there are a couple of good-hearted adults in this YA work. This adult thanks the author for this courtesy. (I am fed up of seeing idiotic adults in the YA genre.) However, most of the adults’ personalities aren’t sketched strongly. The rationale behind some of their actions stays vague till the end.
🔑The mystery about Maeve’s father and the identity of the writer of the threatening letters is handled decently, with a few nice red herrings and twists along the way. However, I’d have preferred the suspicion to be on multiple characters at once instead of going through them turn by turn.
🔑Given how closeted and grumpy Maeve is at the start, it is a bit difficult to understand why Tristan and Nan go out of their way to assist her. Perhaps they are just good people? Definitely a bit too good to be true!
Bookish Nays:
🚪 The second half has some overly convenient coincidences and timely character appearances at strategic plot points. I can ignore this issue if it happens only rarely, but it popped up a little too frequently when Maeve’s investigation was reaching its culmination.
🚪 Infodump ending. Never a fan of this!
All in all, this was quite a good read for me, which is even more surprising if you remember how I keep cribbing about the YA genre. I liked Maeve with all her flaws as she made for a realistic teen protagonist. Tristan and Nan were the perfect accompaniments. There are a few components that could have added more value to this book, but even as is, it is quite entertaining.
Definitely recommended. As an adult, I would have found this a good one-time read, but I've a strong feeling it will be fabulous for older YAs. (15+, because there are some intimacies mentioned.) As always, better if read without over-analysing.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Penguin Young Readers Group for providing the DRC of “The Otherwhere Post” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Threads || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
March 14, 2025
EEEKKK! I cannot contain my excitement about how truly special The Otherwhere Post was. From the intoxicating world building to the heartwarming found family subplot, this genre-bending novel took me on a trip into the utterly virtuoso-like mind of Ms. Emily J. Taylor. And while I do have to admit that this mashup of fantasy, magical realism, mystery, and romance was a little outside of my norm, I was nevertheless pulled into her immersive storytelling from the very beginning. After all, thanks to a dark academia plot that screamed with a Harry Potter-esque vibe, I quickly sat up and took notice of this original premise—so much so, in fact, that I’m praying there’s a much-wanted sequel heading my way soon.
The strongest pieces to this stellar work of YA fiction, however, were easily the intricate magic system and graphic world building. Together they made the book come alive via a story that quickly—and happily—made me feel like a fly on the wall. Fast-paced and realistically complex, the plot ducked and weaved, keeping me joyfully blind to the truth. What dark secrets existed in Maeve’s past? And would she be able to outrun the monster chasing her at every turn? Thanks to characters that felt as real as their reality felt out-of-this-world, I fell in love with the root-for-able protagonist as quick as could be. Transforming from a scared little girl to a strong, quick-witted woman, her character arc was everything I wanted and more.
All in all, there simply wasn’t a thing missing from this downright magical novel—and I’m not just talking about the genre. Clever, twisty, and with vivid descriptions, I was swept up in this story from the very first word. From the well-charted character development to the enigmatic mystery that had plenty of shocking reveals, I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that I flew through the pages. Built for just about anyone who loves empathetic characters, long-buried secrets, and an expertly crafted dark history, it far surpassed my high expectations. So don’t wait. Grab this book right away. After all, it’s sure to be included as one of the best books of 2025 in no time at all. Rating of 5+ stars.
P.S. As I mentioned above, this was listed as a YA novel. To all of you who shy away from just such a story, however, it was more so along the lines of how Harry Potter was written for teens. Clean and without any significant triggers, the storyline itself still felt decidedly mature and worked perfectly for this adult reader. So don’t let that little, old thing put you off diving into this book. As you can tell if you finished my review, I was head over heels for the characters, plot, and premise and I know that you will be too.
SYNOPSIS:
Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost everything: her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.
Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words: Your father was innocent.
To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.
Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.
Thank you to Emily J. Taylor and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Young Readers for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: February 25, 2025
Content warning: none of significance
The strongest pieces to this stellar work of YA fiction, however, were easily the intricate magic system and graphic world building. Together they made the book come alive via a story that quickly—and happily—made me feel like a fly on the wall. Fast-paced and realistically complex, the plot ducked and weaved, keeping me joyfully blind to the truth. What dark secrets existed in Maeve’s past? And would she be able to outrun the monster chasing her at every turn? Thanks to characters that felt as real as their reality felt out-of-this-world, I fell in love with the root-for-able protagonist as quick as could be. Transforming from a scared little girl to a strong, quick-witted woman, her character arc was everything I wanted and more.
All in all, there simply wasn’t a thing missing from this downright magical novel—and I’m not just talking about the genre. Clever, twisty, and with vivid descriptions, I was swept up in this story from the very first word. From the well-charted character development to the enigmatic mystery that had plenty of shocking reveals, I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say that I flew through the pages. Built for just about anyone who loves empathetic characters, long-buried secrets, and an expertly crafted dark history, it far surpassed my high expectations. So don’t wait. Grab this book right away. After all, it’s sure to be included as one of the best books of 2025 in no time at all. Rating of 5+ stars.
P.S. As I mentioned above, this was listed as a YA novel. To all of you who shy away from just such a story, however, it was more so along the lines of how Harry Potter was written for teens. Clean and without any significant triggers, the storyline itself still felt decidedly mature and worked perfectly for this adult reader. So don’t let that little, old thing put you off diving into this book. As you can tell if you finished my review, I was head over heels for the characters, plot, and premise and I know that you will be too.
SYNOPSIS:
Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost everything: her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.
Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words: Your father was innocent.
To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.
Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.
Thank you to Emily J. Taylor and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Young Readers for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: February 25, 2025
Content warning: none of significance
February 25, 2025
✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦
5 stars
˗ˏˋ 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 ˎˊ˗
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ .
︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶
┊𝚊 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚝, 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜.┊
⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜
｡･ﾟﾟ ┊ . ┊ ･ﾟﾟ･｡
┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊
┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚
┊ ┊ ★⋆
┊ ◦
★⋆ . ˚
˚
𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚌 - 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 ❤︎
𓂃⋆.˚ overview ˚.⋆𓂃
the plot in this book centers around maeve, the daughter of a supposed murder, who is trying to prove her father innocent. to do this, she must become a courier for the otherwhere post, which holds the answers to her questions. in order to become a courier, she has to complete and apprenticeship, and ofc, this is where our hot mmc comes in. while this is branded as an apprentice x mentor romance, there isn’t much actual apprenticing that happens between the two of them.
𓂃⋆.˚ my thoughts ˚.⋆𓂃
being 100% honest? i loved it. the characters, the plot, the everything about this book. i want the vibes injected in my veins. i was a little bit skeptical seeing that this book is middle grade/YA, but its amazing and i want to hit myself for ever doubting it.
𓂃⋆.˚ relationships ˚.⋆𓂃
can we talk about tristan for a second? he was everything. EVERY TIME maeve got in trouble, he always had her back. always. please ignore me while i go cry in a corner.
i honestly have a love hate relationship with these kind of fictional men because:
1. i love them.
2. because of them, my standards are sky high, and real life men don’t make the cut anymore.
but being serious for a second, i loved the character development between maeve and tristan. down to the little inside jokes that are kind of unhinged, but are funny to just them. what i don’t understand, is how maeve is so blind. he literally loves her the whole book and she’s completely oblivious. i also have to point out- there was no third act breakup! that made me soooo happy. third act breakups are that one scene the everyone knows is coming, but nobody likes.
𓂃⋆.˚ plot ˚.⋆𓂃
oh my my my. just the idea of this book is perfection. the magic system was so unique and unlike any other book i’ve ever read before. almost like a breath of fresh air. i will admit, there were some parts that you could see coming from a mile away, but overall, it was good. i don’t want to say too much though, because i don’t want to be that one person who spoils it.
𓂃⋆.˚ features ˚.⋆𓂃
⊹ 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚡 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚛
୨୧ 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚊
⊹ 𝚈𝙰/𝚖𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎 (𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎)
୨୧ 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢
⊹ 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚖
୨୧ 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎
⊹ 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚏𝚜
:¨ ·.· ¨:⠀
``· . ୨୧
𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎- 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝, 𝚜𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 ❤︎
︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶
꒰ა :post-read: ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ i was not expecting that omfg. new favorite alert!! 🚨
꒰:⏳: currently reading ꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ the writing is so poetic, it’s literally like a letter to the reader 🥹
~~~~
am i currently reading 6 other books? yes.
will that stop me from starting this? no.
꒰ა :preread: ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ do i hear that this is like divine rivals with dark academia vibes? 👀
im reading it.
꒰:🗓️: release date ꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ february 25, 2025
›› thank you to netgalley and penguin group for the arc in exchange for an honest review <33
5 stars
˗ˏˋ 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚏𝚊𝚟𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 ˎˊ˗
✦ . ⁺ . ✦ . ⁺ . ✦ .
︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶
┊𝚊 𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗 𝚎𝚡𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚝, 𝚊 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚎𝚜 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚜 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚜.┊
⋆｡°✩ ⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊✩₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ ✩°｡⋆ ⋆｡°✩ ⋆
.・゜゜・ ・゜゜・．.・゜
｡･ﾟﾟ ┊ . ┊ ･ﾟﾟ･｡
┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ┊
┊ ┊ ┊ ┊ ˚★⋆｡˚
┊ ┊ ★⋆
┊ ◦
★⋆ . ˚
˚
𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚝𝚐𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚊𝚗 𝚊𝚛𝚌 - 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚖𝚢 𝚘𝚠𝚗 ❤︎
𓂃⋆.˚ overview ˚.⋆𓂃
the plot in this book centers around maeve, the daughter of a supposed murder, who is trying to prove her father innocent. to do this, she must become a courier for the otherwhere post, which holds the answers to her questions. in order to become a courier, she has to complete and apprenticeship, and ofc, this is where our hot mmc comes in. while this is branded as an apprentice x mentor romance, there isn’t much actual apprenticing that happens between the two of them.
𓂃⋆.˚ my thoughts ˚.⋆𓂃
being 100% honest? i loved it. the characters, the plot, the everything about this book. i want the vibes injected in my veins. i was a little bit skeptical seeing that this book is middle grade/YA, but its amazing and i want to hit myself for ever doubting it.
𓂃⋆.˚ relationships ˚.⋆𓂃
can we talk about tristan for a second? he was everything. EVERY TIME maeve got in trouble, he always had her back. always. please ignore me while i go cry in a corner.
i honestly have a love hate relationship with these kind of fictional men because:
1. i love them.
2. because of them, my standards are sky high, and real life men don’t make the cut anymore.
but being serious for a second, i loved the character development between maeve and tristan. down to the little inside jokes that are kind of unhinged, but are funny to just them. what i don’t understand, is how maeve is so blind. he literally loves her the whole book and she’s completely oblivious. i also have to point out- there was no third act breakup! that made me soooo happy. third act breakups are that one scene the everyone knows is coming, but nobody likes.
𓂃⋆.˚ plot ˚.⋆𓂃
oh my my my. just the idea of this book is perfection. the magic system was so unique and unlike any other book i’ve ever read before. almost like a breath of fresh air. i will admit, there were some parts that you could see coming from a mile away, but overall, it was good. i don’t want to say too much though, because i don’t want to be that one person who spoils it.
𓂃⋆.˚ features ˚.⋆𓂃
⊹ 𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚡 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘𝚛
୨୧ 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚊𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚊
⊹ 𝚈𝙰/𝚖𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚕𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚊𝚍𝚎 (𝚗𝚘 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎)
୨୧ 𝚏𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚢
⊹ 𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚚𝚞𝚎 𝚖𝚊𝚐𝚒𝚌 𝚜𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚖
୨୧ 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎
⊹ 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚋𝚏𝚜
- 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚎𝚝𝚜 𝚍𝚙𝚝. -
02:43 ━━━━●───── 04:35
⇆ -----◁ ❚❚ ▷ ----- ↻
ᴠᴏʟᴜᴍᴇ : ▮▮▮▮▮▮
:¨ ·.· ¨:⠀
``· . ୨୧
𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚗𝚘𝚝𝚎- 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚛𝚎𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚢𝚎𝚝, 𝚜𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚚𝚞𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍 ❤︎
︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶
꒰ა :post-read: ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ i was not expecting that omfg. new favorite alert!! 🚨
꒰:⏳: currently reading ꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ the writing is so poetic, it’s literally like a letter to the reader 🥹
~~~~
am i currently reading 6 other books? yes.
will that stop me from starting this? no.
꒰ა :preread: ໒꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ do i hear that this is like divine rivals with dark academia vibes? 👀
im reading it.
꒰:🗓️: release date ꒱ ⊹ ࣪ ˖
⤷ february 25, 2025
›› thank you to netgalley and penguin group for the arc in exchange for an honest review <33
October 9, 2024
I’m so excited for everyone to experience this dark, magical, ink stained story!
For those interested, I’m doing signed and personalized preorders with my local indie, Red Balloon Bookshop. Make sure to leave a comment at checkout as to how you’d like it personalized. order here
For those interested, I’m doing signed and personalized preorders with my local indie, Red Balloon Bookshop. Make sure to leave a comment at checkout as to how you’d like it personalized. order here
October 17, 2025
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・“𝓘 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓴 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓼𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓹 𝓪𝔀𝓪𝔂 𝓯𝓻𝓸𝓶 𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓽. 𝓘𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓸𝓷'𝓽, 𝓘'𝓶 𝓯𝓪𝓲𝓻𝓵𝔂 𝓬𝓮𝓻𝓽𝓪𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓘'𝓶 𝓰𝓸𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓽𝓸 𝓴𝓲𝓼𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾.”・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
⤿🍂 16/10/25
MOLLY WE HAVE A 5⭐ AFTER SO LONG?!😭 what a beautiful book this was!! it actually made me tear up by the end 🥹❤️🩹 As someone who has the knack for devouring anything that involves dark academia with the jaw-on-the-floor mysteries full of twists & turns, I loved the fact that the author actually managed to pull the mystery in this fantasy book so well!😍 I'm glad I read this at a slow place due to my slump, because I got the chance to savour every moment I was in this world—to the point I nearly put off from finishing this book for days. There wasn't a single moment I felt bored while reading it.
I wish people talk more about this book, because this one is a MASTERPIECE!!!! The magic system was truly so different from any fantasy book I have read/heard. The characters, the world-building, the plot was so perfectly well balanced. And I could actually feel deeply for the FMC, Maeve, the hope she had after everything she went through for years as a child and now living under different identities—all because her father was falsely framed for murders, something he didn't do. I wanted to give her the biggest hug. And oh gosh Tristan, and him being there for Maeve all the time whenever she needed him without even her asking him. Their blooming slow-burn chemistry was so worth to read tbh!😩❤️🔥
what to expect 🪄:
🪶 unique magic system
🪶 dark academia
🪶 enemies-to-lovers
🪶 mentor × apprentice
🪶 hidden identity
🪶 slow-burn
🪶 a quest for truth
🪶 magical school
🪶 mysterious threatening letters
🪶 who is the real murderer?
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
⤿🍂 07/10/25
the slump has been slumping hard, but it's officially fall season, and that means it's time for me to get back into my reading den 😍💖 (even if I've to drag myself out of that miserable hole 😌🙌🏻). I'm halfway through already after reading this one slowly for days due to chaos in life, but I love it so far, and I'm hoping to finish this one soon!🤭
p.s. how are you all besties? missed you sm!🥺🤍
⤿🍂 16/10/25
MOLLY WE HAVE A 5⭐ AFTER SO LONG?!😭 what a beautiful book this was!! it actually made me tear up by the end 🥹❤️🩹 As someone who has the knack for devouring anything that involves dark academia with the jaw-on-the-floor mysteries full of twists & turns, I loved the fact that the author actually managed to pull the mystery in this fantasy book so well!😍 I'm glad I read this at a slow place due to my slump, because I got the chance to savour every moment I was in this world—to the point I nearly put off from finishing this book for days. There wasn't a single moment I felt bored while reading it.
“A letter can become an extension of your soul if you will it, a trapped part of you that shakes loose whenever someone reads your words.”
I wish people talk more about this book, because this one is a MASTERPIECE!!!! The magic system was truly so different from any fantasy book I have read/heard. The characters, the world-building, the plot was so perfectly well balanced. And I could actually feel deeply for the FMC, Maeve, the hope she had after everything she went through for years as a child and now living under different identities—all because her father was falsely framed for murders, something he didn't do. I wanted to give her the biggest hug. And oh gosh Tristan, and him being there for Maeve all the time whenever she needed him without even her asking him. Their blooming slow-burn chemistry was so worth to read tbh!😩❤️🔥
what to expect 🪄:
🪶 unique magic system
🪶 dark academia
🪶 enemies-to-lovers
🪶 mentor × apprentice
🪶 hidden identity
🪶 slow-burn
🪶 a quest for truth
🪶 magical school
🪶 mysterious threatening letters
🪶 who is the real murderer?
“I could barely bring myself to write anymore as it is. I wouldn't even know where to start.”
“You start with a blank page and a single word.”
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷・❥・𝓹𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀・❥・ˏˋ°•*⁀➷
⤿🍂 07/10/25
the slump has been slumping hard, but it's officially fall season, and that means it's time for me to get back into my reading den 😍💖 (even if I've to drag myself out of that miserable hole 😌🙌🏻). I'm halfway through already after reading this one slowly for days due to chaos in life, but I love it so far, and I'm hoping to finish this one soon!🤭
p.s. how are you all besties? missed you sm!🥺🤍
March 23, 2025
✰ 2 stars ✰
It's like I sat down for a five-course meal and I barely moved on from the appetizer. 😞 I mean, as much as the idea of scriptomancy (the art of enchanting any piece of existing handwriting) with the ability of sending letters between magical realms, sounded like it had enough potential to be intriguing, the circuitous writing tasted very stale. It lacked any real flavor, a good idea with unfulfilling and flat execution that had me more often than not bored at eighteen-year-old Maeve Abenthy's plight and struggles.
To add insult to injury, I could not feel the romance, either. 🥱 Call me insensitive or too judgmental, but each situation in which Maeve and Tristan felt drawn to each other was very --- forced. Like, the tension and intimate moments had to be included, rather than making their chemistry occur naturally. There was nothing overly remarkable about Tristan that made him stand out as a character I could be fond of either.
“When you discover what it is you love, you must clutch on to it with your whole heart and never let it go.”
Not to mention how often Maeve kept tearing up! 😩 I never knew someone could be so emotionally weepy, that it became comical at times - despite how she does admit that she has wasted enough of her tears already. I also was tired of how many times we had to be reminded of how important it was for her real name to be kept a secret - 'to be haunted by a life that no longer belongs to you'. I get that it was part of the plot and that there were terrible consequences she suffered for revealing herself, but the constant times we were reminded of it quickly became wearisome. 😕
See, the thing is. As much as it was set out as an investigation into proving her father's innocence, and solving the mystery behind cryptic letters of the past - I never felt the tension. I never felt the suspense or the intrigue or even the build-up of each motive or surprise reveal. Not for lack of trying, but it was just so slow-paced that by the time I was served the main course - the meal ended! 🙃
The dark academia aspect was meager and the characters so limited and forgettable for their predictable nature that I could not care for any of them. It never reached any real development or fruition that stood out for me; maybe because Maeve was never really her true self, impersonating another, but I just couldn't get into the story. Believe me, I tried, but it really ended as an unremarkable disappointment. 🙅🏻♀️
“If you could reverse the worst thing that’s ever happened to you, wouldn’t you risk everything to try?”
It's like I sat down for a five-course meal and I barely moved on from the appetizer. 😞 I mean, as much as the idea of scriptomancy (the art of enchanting any piece of existing handwriting) with the ability of sending letters between magical realms, sounded like it had enough potential to be intriguing, the circuitous writing tasted very stale. It lacked any real flavor, a good idea with unfulfilling and flat execution that had me more often than not bored at eighteen-year-old Maeve Abenthy's plight and struggles.
To add insult to injury, I could not feel the romance, either. 🥱 Call me insensitive or too judgmental, but each situation in which Maeve and Tristan felt drawn to each other was very --- forced. Like, the tension and intimate moments had to be included, rather than making their chemistry occur naturally. There was nothing overly remarkable about Tristan that made him stand out as a character I could be fond of either.
“When you discover what it is you love, you must clutch on to it with your whole heart and never let it go.”
Not to mention how often Maeve kept tearing up! 😩 I never knew someone could be so emotionally weepy, that it became comical at times - despite how she does admit that she has wasted enough of her tears already. I also was tired of how many times we had to be reminded of how important it was for her real name to be kept a secret - 'to be haunted by a life that no longer belongs to you'. I get that it was part of the plot and that there were terrible consequences she suffered for revealing herself, but the constant times we were reminded of it quickly became wearisome. 😕
See, the thing is. As much as it was set out as an investigation into proving her father's innocence, and solving the mystery behind cryptic letters of the past - I never felt the tension. I never felt the suspense or the intrigue or even the build-up of each motive or surprise reveal. Not for lack of trying, but it was just so slow-paced that by the time I was served the main course - the meal ended! 🙃
The dark academia aspect was meager and the characters so limited and forgettable for their predictable nature that I could not care for any of them. It never reached any real development or fruition that stood out for me; maybe because Maeve was never really her true self, impersonating another, but I just couldn't get into the story. Believe me, I tried, but it really ended as an unremarkable disappointment. 🙅🏻♀️
April 4, 2025
The second time around, I fell even more in love with this storyline—as if that was even possible.
----------------------------
The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor completely swept me off my feet. From the moment I read the description, I had a hunch that it would be a good story, but I never anticipated falling head over heels for it the way I did. This is the kind of book that engulfs you entirely. I savored every single word.
This book is a captivating blend of dark academia, richly detailed world-building, enigmatic mysteries, enchanting magic, a slow-burn romance, and unwaveringly loyal friendships. If you savor immersive storytelling that weaves these elements, this book is an absolute must-read!
I became deeply attached to the characters, the worlds, the magic system, the subplots, and the overall storyline.
Maeve captivated me with her strong, fierce, and cunning nature, making her feel like a kindred spirit. I found her character's transformation throughout the narrative to be incredibly satisfying to observe, and her poignant encounters with grief deeply affected me, leaving me feeling utterly engulfed. Equally remarkable was Tristan, with his unwavering strength, loyalty, and demeanor, which seemed flawlessly suited to him. The dynamic tension and playful exchanges between these two added an extra layer of perfection to the story. The friendship between Maeve and Nan was a standout element for me, along with Nan's mentor, Shea. I appreciated how each character had a distinct role in the narrative, adding complexity to the plot.
The world-building and magical aspects of the story are phenomenal. The magic system was my favorite part of this book. Its components were engaging, fascinating, and incredibly unique. I can't go into that many details without spoilers, but it is truly one of a kind.
And that ending? Perfection.
I have a feeling some may find it to have a slower start, but trust me when I say that it will whisk you away. All of the above, plus the added mystery component and twists, will have you hooked. I truly wish I could experience reading this book for the first time all over again. It's a twisty, mysterious, heart-pounding, and utterly gripping story that will leave you in awe. It was whimsical and enchanting; every story element was executed with sheer brilliance. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. It's an all-time favorite, for sure. I'd gladly read this book again and again. ✨
Thank you, Penguin Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books, for this ARC!!! Literally amazing. Undoubtedly, this will be one of the best fantasy books of 2025.
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2025 - GO PREORDER THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! You absolutely need a copy of this book. I'm praying this one gets a special edition because I need it and every edition that gets published.
----------------------------
The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor completely swept me off my feet. From the moment I read the description, I had a hunch that it would be a good story, but I never anticipated falling head over heels for it the way I did. This is the kind of book that engulfs you entirely. I savored every single word.
This book is a captivating blend of dark academia, richly detailed world-building, enigmatic mysteries, enchanting magic, a slow-burn romance, and unwaveringly loyal friendships. If you savor immersive storytelling that weaves these elements, this book is an absolute must-read!
I became deeply attached to the characters, the worlds, the magic system, the subplots, and the overall storyline.
Maeve captivated me with her strong, fierce, and cunning nature, making her feel like a kindred spirit. I found her character's transformation throughout the narrative to be incredibly satisfying to observe, and her poignant encounters with grief deeply affected me, leaving me feeling utterly engulfed. Equally remarkable was Tristan, with his unwavering strength, loyalty, and demeanor, which seemed flawlessly suited to him. The dynamic tension and playful exchanges between these two added an extra layer of perfection to the story. The friendship between Maeve and Nan was a standout element for me, along with Nan's mentor, Shea. I appreciated how each character had a distinct role in the narrative, adding complexity to the plot.
The world-building and magical aspects of the story are phenomenal. The magic system was my favorite part of this book. Its components were engaging, fascinating, and incredibly unique. I can't go into that many details without spoilers, but it is truly one of a kind.
And that ending? Perfection.
I have a feeling some may find it to have a slower start, but trust me when I say that it will whisk you away. All of the above, plus the added mystery component and twists, will have you hooked. I truly wish I could experience reading this book for the first time all over again. It's a twisty, mysterious, heart-pounding, and utterly gripping story that will leave you in awe. It was whimsical and enchanting; every story element was executed with sheer brilliance. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. It's an all-time favorite, for sure. I'd gladly read this book again and again. ✨
Thank you, Penguin Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books, for this ARC!!! Literally amazing. Undoubtedly, this will be one of the best fantasy books of 2025.
Publication Date: Feb 25, 2025 - GO PREORDER THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! You absolutely need a copy of this book. I'm praying this one gets a special edition because I need it and every edition that gets published.
May 24, 2025
i’m gonna start this 🫶
i heard it has yearning 😌
i heard it has yearning 😌
January 27, 2025
divine rivals meets a darker shade of magic…oh you need this!!!
thank you to rima & pushkin press for providing the review copy in exchange for an honest review
full review to come
Bookstagram | Blog
thank you to rima & pushkin press for providing the review copy in exchange for an honest review
full review to come
Bookstagram | Blog
March 28, 2025
This book was a bit of a ride- when it was good, it was propulsive and interesting. Other times I was kind of bored. I suspect it was trying to do a few too many things at once which sometimes made it feel scattered. That said, I enjoyed it overall.
The Otherwhere Post is a fantasy with a mystery plot, set in a world where magic is done through writing and you can call doorways to other world. The main character is the daughter of a notorious magical criminal who is in hiding, but she receives a letter saying her father was innocent and becomes determined to uncover the truth. Along the way she enrolls as an apprentice in the art of scriptomancy, and develops dangerous feelings for a young man.
The world-building here is pretty cool and the mystery element was interesting, but I think there were too many plot beats that made it feel too slow at times and other times gave me whiplash. (now we're in a school, now we're on the run, wait we're back...but how is she not getting caught?) And there were definitely some plot conveniences where things just worked out for the main character despite her chaotic choices. Even so, it was fairly entertaining and the romantic subplot was a nice addition. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
The Otherwhere Post is a fantasy with a mystery plot, set in a world where magic is done through writing and you can call doorways to other world. The main character is the daughter of a notorious magical criminal who is in hiding, but she receives a letter saying her father was innocent and becomes determined to uncover the truth. Along the way she enrolls as an apprentice in the art of scriptomancy, and develops dangerous feelings for a young man.
The world-building here is pretty cool and the mystery element was interesting, but I think there were too many plot beats that made it feel too slow at times and other times gave me whiplash. (now we're in a school, now we're on the run, wait we're back...but how is she not getting caught?) And there were definitely some plot conveniences where things just worked out for the main character despite her chaotic choices. Even so, it was fairly entertaining and the romantic subplot was a nice addition. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
February 26, 2025
The worldbuilding in here is fantastic! It’s so well thought out, truly. I was engaged the entire time.
Maeve hasn’t been able to use her real name in years, thanks to her missing/presumed dead father. When she receives a letter indicating that he might be innocent, Maeve uses her wits to investigate the claim and enrolls in a coveted school to do so. The art of scriptomancy is thoroughly explained, and it’s quite fascinating. There’s a little bit of romance, too, if you like that sort of thing.
In short, I loved the story and highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Maeve hasn’t been able to use her real name in years, thanks to her missing/presumed dead father. When she receives a letter indicating that he might be innocent, Maeve uses her wits to investigate the claim and enrolls in a coveted school to do so. The art of scriptomancy is thoroughly explained, and it’s quite fascinating. There’s a little bit of romance, too, if you like that sort of thing.
In short, I loved the story and highly recommend it!
Thank you to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
October 24, 2024
2 stars
This book had a really interesting plot, I just don’t think it was written very well. The more I read, the less believable the story became.
This book had a really interesting plot, I just don’t think it was written very well. The more I read, the less believable the story became.
November 10, 2025
4.5 ★
✉️- first read
⤿ finished 09/30/25
i'm super impressed with how original this book felt!
she was maeve abenthy, someone who fought for the things that mattered until her knuckles bled and her hands were stained with ink.
✉️- first read
⤿ finished 09/30/25
i'm super impressed with how original this book felt!
she was maeve abenthy, someone who fought for the things that mattered until her knuckles bled and her hands were stained with ink.
February 2, 2025
I really liked the writing in this one. I enjoyed Hotel Magnifique and was excited to see this one. The magical world building was unique and so interesting. I really liked this world and I would love to see sequels to this even though it also could work as a standalone. Maeve has grown up not letting anyone know her true name since her father caused the death of an entire world. Until she gets a letter that was sent years before letting her know that her father was innocent and she deserved to hear the truth. She then sets out to figure out who sent that anonymous letter and it brings her to the school for apprentice couriers to learn the magic of scriptology, the center of all of the people who hate her father the most. The characters were compelling and interesting and I liked the side romance story. I greatly enjoyed this one and can’t wai to see what Emily Taylor does next.
March 15, 2025
The magic system was so cool and the romance is so sweet. Man is so down bad and he didn’t even know her name for most of the book 😭😭
Can’t believe it’s a stand alone. I miss the world already
Can’t believe it’s a stand alone. I miss the world already
May 30, 2025
"She was Maeve Abenthy, someone who fought for that things that mattered until her knuckles bled and her hands were stained with ink."
The Otherwhere Post was my first Emily J. Taylor read, and it was pretty good! The aesthetic for this book is 10/10, HOWEVER, I do have a bunch of other critiques.
For starters, Maeve was kind of boring. She really had nothing significant about her, and I just never really found myself rooting for her. I did understand her hestitance to trust and sympathized with her horribly sad backstory, but... I don't know, her character and her character development fell short, I feel.
Tristan, on the other hand was great! He was unlike any other MMC I’ve read. He’s quiet yet smart, messy and kind. He’s a prodigy, but not powerful. He’s bullied and melancholic, and a beautiful pianist. He’s marred by guilt and shame. His face is always smudged with ink stains and he’s cunning. His budding romance with Maeve was so sweet, because it wasn't love at first sight; rather, I found the pacing of their relationship superb! It wasn't rushed, and they both started off as friends, learning to trust and understand how to share each other's burdens as friends. It was really cute!
The setting>>>> absolutely amazinggg. Barrow, Leyland and Inverly were glittering and dangerous in their own ways. Leyland, the main setting, gave me London vibes, with its haunting, foggy atmosphere, brimming with sadness, secrets and the lure of the unknown. I thought that Taylor did an excellent job creating the mood/aesthetic of the setting, but not the actual worldbuilding, if that makes sense.
___________________________________
If you like the following:
✒ *magical* dark academia aesthetic
✒ deathly plants
✒ worldtraveling & portals
✒ budding romance
✒ writing systems & scribing
✒ dangerous magic with terrible consequences
✒ secrets and the plot to uncover the truth
✒ FMC who can't trust
✒ false idenities and MMC whose tasked to protect/mentor her
✒ scriptomancy, the art of enchanting letters for delivery to other worlds
then I think you'd enjoy this book!
___________________________________
Other Critiques
✉️ writing was mediocre
✉️ okay worldbuilding
✉️ not enough character development for me, but still wholesome
✉️ inappropriate scenes between FMC & MMC (more mentioned in the CWs section)
___________________________________
Christian POV & CWs:
🎹 LGBT rep. (lesbian couple; they don't kiss, but they do share looks, hugs and hold hands)
🎹 some characters go to parties to get drunk; bars
🎹 FMC prays to "A God who possibly can't hear her"
🎹 sexual content: no s*x scenes, but the FMC & MMC take each other's clothes off and sleep with other at night (literally speaking), and later in the book, they run their hands over each other
🎹 some violence; mentions of characters committing suicide; murder; a few characters stabbed through the throat
🎹 infrequent cursing; possible taking the Lord's name in vain??
___________________________________
🖋 Fan Art I Saved: 🖋
**Note: the following images are NOT MINE! I found them all online**
___________________________________
💙 I created a collage for this book, under my profile, if you'd like to check it out! I couldn't find any art for this book, really, but here's what I did find ONLINE (below) 💙
___________________________________
🌿 "'When you discover what it is you love, you must clutch on to it with your whole heart and never let go.'" 🌿
The Otherwhere Post was my first Emily J. Taylor read, and it was pretty good! The aesthetic for this book is 10/10, HOWEVER, I do have a bunch of other critiques.
For starters, Maeve was kind of boring. She really had nothing significant about her, and I just never really found myself rooting for her. I did understand her hestitance to trust and sympathized with her horribly sad backstory, but... I don't know, her character and her character development fell short, I feel.
Tristan, on the other hand was great! He was unlike any other MMC I’ve read. He’s quiet yet smart, messy and kind. He’s a prodigy, but not powerful. He’s bullied and melancholic, and a beautiful pianist. He’s marred by guilt and shame. His face is always smudged with ink stains and he’s cunning. His budding romance with Maeve was so sweet, because it wasn't love at first sight; rather, I found the pacing of their relationship superb! It wasn't rushed, and they both started off as friends, learning to trust and understand how to share each other's burdens as friends. It was really cute!
The setting>>>> absolutely amazinggg. Barrow, Leyland and Inverly were glittering and dangerous in their own ways. Leyland, the main setting, gave me London vibes, with its haunting, foggy atmosphere, brimming with sadness, secrets and the lure of the unknown. I thought that Taylor did an excellent job creating the mood/aesthetic of the setting, but not the actual worldbuilding, if that makes sense.
___________________________________
If you like the following:
✒ *magical* dark academia aesthetic
✒ deathly plants
✒ worldtraveling & portals
✒ budding romance
✒ writing systems & scribing
✒ dangerous magic with terrible consequences
✒ secrets and the plot to uncover the truth
✒ FMC who can't trust
✒ false idenities and MMC whose tasked to protect/mentor her
✒ scriptomancy, the art of enchanting letters for delivery to other worlds
then I think you'd enjoy this book!
___________________________________
Other Critiques
✉️ writing was mediocre
✉️ okay worldbuilding
✉️ not enough character development for me, but still wholesome
✉️ inappropriate scenes between FMC & MMC (more mentioned in the CWs section)
___________________________________
Christian POV & CWs:
🎹 LGBT rep. (lesbian couple; they don't kiss, but they do share looks, hugs and hold hands)
🎹 some characters go to parties to get drunk; bars
🎹 FMC prays to "A God who possibly can't hear her"
🎹 sexual content: no s*x scenes, but the FMC & MMC take each other's clothes off and sleep with other at night (literally speaking), and later in the book, they run their hands over each other
🎹 some violence; mentions of characters committing suicide; murder; a few characters stabbed through the throat
🎹 infrequent cursing; possible taking the Lord's name in vain??
___________________________________
🖋 Fan Art I Saved: 🖋
**Note: the following images are NOT MINE! I found them all online**
___________________________________
💙 I created a collage for this book, under my profile, if you'd like to check it out! I couldn't find any art for this book, really, but here's what I did find ONLINE (below) 💙
___________________________________
🌿 "'When you discover what it is you love, you must clutch on to it with your whole heart and never let go.'" 🌿
December 7, 2025
Me gustó mucho 😍😍 aunque me sorprende que Maeve no terminará chueca por tanto golpe y enfermedad que se llevo 😅🤭
September 25, 2025
Rating: 4, Good
This was the perfect cozy, fantasy read that I needed to help me out of my slump.
This book follows Maeve, whose dad was a murderer but a letter is sent to her claiming that the allegations against her father aren't true.
In order for her to find answers she has to become an apprentice at the otherwhere post. She thought it'd be that easy but it wasn't.
I honestly loved Maeve, she's a character I'll never forget for years to come. 🤷🏾♀️ The way she kept on pushing to find answers about her father was unbelievable. 🙂👏🏾
This is a YA fantasy where the romance is a sub plot meaning it's sprinkled here and there but there is a slow burn 🤭❤️🔥.
I'd recommend this to someone who wants a cozy standalone fantasy book which is easy and can be read within one sitting 🙂♥️.
This was the perfect cozy, fantasy read that I needed to help me out of my slump.
This book follows Maeve, whose dad was a murderer but a letter is sent to her claiming that the allegations against her father aren't true.
In order for her to find answers she has to become an apprentice at the otherwhere post. She thought it'd be that easy but it wasn't.
I honestly loved Maeve, she's a character I'll never forget for years to come. 🤷🏾♀️ The way she kept on pushing to find answers about her father was unbelievable. 🙂👏🏾
This is a YA fantasy where the romance is a sub plot meaning it's sprinkled here and there but there is a slow burn 🤭❤️🔥.
I'd recommend this to someone who wants a cozy standalone fantasy book which is easy and can be read within one sitting 🙂♥️.
December 24, 2024
Thank you to the publisher and to Goodreads for hosting this ARC giveaway 💕
I REALLY wanted to like this book, as the world building and magic systems were very interesting.
My main issues with this book were that the characters felt very hollow to me and there were too many "coincidences" that were needed to carry the story.
Personally, the majority of the main characters felt very lifeless, especially Maeve, the female protagonist. Her character development felt very rushed, while also slow and dragged on, as for the majority of the book she is anxious and timid, running from her family's history. Out of the blue, her entire character changed in a way that felt unbelievable. Considering the way Maeve acts for 90% of the book with no character development, her actions feel unbelievable and uncharacteristic. It was very difficult for me to care about the characters in this book, and I found myself confused about why Maeve's "friends" did anything for her, as her character was so dull and self-centered. It felt as if I was being told that the characters in this book are interesting while not seeing any individual personalities, other than the male protagonist, Tristan.
The story itself had good potential, and I was intruiged from the beginning. The magic system was unique and engaging, along with the world(s). The beginning started out strong but the story seemed to lag for a good chunk of the middle of the book where it seemed like nothing important to the story at large was happening. During this section, it felt as if too many coincidences occurred to drive the story, such as the male protagonist showing up to save the day or stumbling upon important information that seemed too easy. I kept getting excited for some of the events in the story but ended up disappointed when a random act by a random character saved the day.
As an avid fantasy and mystery reader (and dark academia lover), I felt that this book was not as original as I was hoping it would be. I figured out a lot of the story very early on and I felt that it was predictable if you read these genres regularly. I do think young teenagers (12-13) would enjoy this book as an introduction to the fantasy and mystery genres, but it fell flat to me as someone in her early 20s.
Overall, there were aspects about this book I enjoyed but I am disappointed that I ended up bored through most of the book. The concept was wonderful, but the execution just fell a little flat for me. I am very happy that a lot of people are enjoying this book, it just ended up not being my cup of tea. If you enjoy fantasy, magic, mystery, dark academia, and slow burn mild romances, definitely give this book a read. I am very grateful to have won this giveaway on Goodreads, and I will be sharing this book with friends to read and review.
I REALLY wanted to like this book, as the world building and magic systems were very interesting.
My main issues with this book were that the characters felt very hollow to me and there were too many "coincidences" that were needed to carry the story.
Personally, the majority of the main characters felt very lifeless, especially Maeve, the female protagonist. Her character development felt very rushed, while also slow and dragged on, as for the majority of the book she is anxious and timid, running from her family's history. Out of the blue, her entire character changed in a way that felt unbelievable. Considering the way Maeve acts for 90% of the book with no character development, her actions feel unbelievable and uncharacteristic. It was very difficult for me to care about the characters in this book, and I found myself confused about why Maeve's "friends" did anything for her, as her character was so dull and self-centered. It felt as if I was being told that the characters in this book are interesting while not seeing any individual personalities, other than the male protagonist, Tristan.
The story itself had good potential, and I was intruiged from the beginning. The magic system was unique and engaging, along with the world(s). The beginning started out strong but the story seemed to lag for a good chunk of the middle of the book where it seemed like nothing important to the story at large was happening. During this section, it felt as if too many coincidences occurred to drive the story, such as the male protagonist showing up to save the day or stumbling upon important information that seemed too easy. I kept getting excited for some of the events in the story but ended up disappointed when a random act by a random character saved the day.
As an avid fantasy and mystery reader (and dark academia lover), I felt that this book was not as original as I was hoping it would be. I figured out a lot of the story very early on and I felt that it was predictable if you read these genres regularly. I do think young teenagers (12-13) would enjoy this book as an introduction to the fantasy and mystery genres, but it fell flat to me as someone in her early 20s.
Overall, there were aspects about this book I enjoyed but I am disappointed that I ended up bored through most of the book. The concept was wonderful, but the execution just fell a little flat for me. I am very happy that a lot of people are enjoying this book, it just ended up not being my cup of tea. If you enjoy fantasy, magic, mystery, dark academia, and slow burn mild romances, definitely give this book a read. I am very grateful to have won this giveaway on Goodreads, and I will be sharing this book with friends to read and review.
June 18, 2025
After her world was destroyed and the doors to the other lands were burned, Maeve has been hiding out in gloomy Gloam under various fake identities while avoiding any meaningful connection. For seven years, she and everyone else have blamed her father for the catastrophe, but that changes when a mysterious letter arrives asserting his innocence. Determined to track down the sender, Maeve forges her admission to fake Hogwarts, where she’ll learn to infuse missives with magic and courier them to otherwise unreachable worlds. Maeve lucks out with an assigned mentor who’s a scribing savant, but he’s more interested in who Maeve really is, why she loathes horses, and if she ever washes her ragged cloak. She chucks a bar of soap at his head on the first day, and he proceeds to fondly tease her for it while gradually dismantling her protective walls with his witty demeanor and tender affection. Hands emerge from letters, doors disappear, whimsical moths, a corpse in the closet! It could be argued that the whodunnit was a bit dragged out, but I won’t let that deter my 5-stars because the denouement was genuinely surprising and worth wading through the numerous red herrings. Does a dark academia fueled YA romance between a cagey red-head and a handsome, bespectacled mentor set your libido aflutter? Do you yearn to fall in love amidst the loamy soil? If so, taketh heed and read this book.
February 14, 2025
Emily J. Taylor is a new author for me. The cover and the description caught my eye. After ready the description I had to have it.
Description:
Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.
Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible Your father was innocent.
To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.
Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the magical aspects of this story with the scriptomancy - it was intriguing. I liked Maeve and her determination and endeavors to find the truth of what happened seven years ago. The world building was well done. This is a good mystery and a great adventure. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and magic.
Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Description:
Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.
Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible Your father was innocent.
To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.
Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the magical aspects of this story with the scriptomancy - it was intriguing. I liked Maeve and her determination and endeavors to find the truth of what happened seven years ago. The world building was well done. This is a good mystery and a great adventure. I recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy and magic.
Thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers through Netgalley for an advance copy.
March 7, 2025
I really really liked this book! The magic system was so cool and vividly written. I loved the characters and the storyline. The world felt complex but was easy to follow. The scriptomancy was such a cool thing and it was so creative the way it was executed. Loved it!
May 21, 2025
3.5
It didn't charm me completely, but it charmed me enough
It didn't charm me completely, but it charmed me enough
January 3, 2026
1st book of 2026 🥳
I devoured it, reading almost everything in one sitting. I bathed in the ink of this book.
🪶 This is a refreshing YA fantasy mystery with a touch of romance (romance is not the main focus of the book). I found the plot intriguing and the magical world-building incredible. Emily J. Taylor does a wonderful job describing places and objects, as well as the magic system and its inner workings.
🪶 The mystery unfolds gradually, and as we progress through the book, we learn more about Maeve and Tristan's backgrounds and struggles. Maeve was a bit too hasty in her decisions at times, but, again, this is a YA novel, so I guess it's ok. I loved Nan: girl, be my ride-or-die 💋
🪶 The ending felt a bit rushed - at this point, Taylor could have used a couple of extra chapters instead of closing any loose ends in the last one.
May I interest you in:
dark academia
mystery
fast paced
magic system based on scriptomancy
secrets
slow burn (no spice: just a bit of kissing and skin)
I devoured it, reading almost everything in one sitting. I bathed in the ink of this book.
🪶 This is a refreshing YA fantasy mystery with a touch of romance (romance is not the main focus of the book). I found the plot intriguing and the magical world-building incredible. Emily J. Taylor does a wonderful job describing places and objects, as well as the magic system and its inner workings.
🪶 The mystery unfolds gradually, and as we progress through the book, we learn more about Maeve and Tristan's backgrounds and struggles. Maeve was a bit too hasty in her decisions at times, but, again, this is a YA novel, so I guess it's ok. I loved Nan: girl, be my ride-or-die 💋
🪶 The ending felt a bit rushed - at this point, Taylor could have used a couple of extra chapters instead of closing any loose ends in the last one.
May I interest you in:
dark academia
mystery
fast paced
magic system based on scriptomancy
secrets
slow burn (no spice: just a bit of kissing and skin)
July 26, 2025
Dit boek had zo’n gave world building en de manier hoe magie werkt in deze wereld is echt mega uniek en heel leuk. Ik vond Maeve geweldig en eindelijk niet zo mega naïef zoals we vaker zien bij YA. Ik kreeg ook echt een beetje A Language of Dragons vibes met een mix van Disney Dreamlight Valley haha 🤭. Geen draken tho, maar wel veel leuke mensen 🤗. Sowieso leuker dan Hotel Magnifique!
November 2, 2024
The Otherwhere Post
by Emily J. Taylor
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eArc
Pub Date: Feb 25, 2025
Penguin
Ages: 14+
A world where the citizens could travel between three worlds through doorways until seven years ago. Those doorways were burned, leaving the people in one of the worlds for dead. Now, the other two can only communicate through letters delivered by the Otherwhere Post, people trained in the art of scriptomancy, the magic that allows them to enchant letters and travel between the two worlds.
But Maeve Abenthy is in hiding because her father committed a crime so bad that she would be punished for it, but then a letter was delivered to her telling her that he was innocent.
To uncover the truth she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post and to use what she learns to find the sender of the letter.
A semi-unique story, though I got Potter vibes with the setting being in a school with lectures, sneaking out into town, and a few other things, but the doorways and the 'mail' system were unique, and with a little more descriptions and history would have given it a lot more depth.
The first chapter started off slow, but with the revealing of her father's crime gave it a nice shock factor and got my attention. There were some really great descriptions, 'a hole in her father's shirt', that connected the reader with the scenes. I just wish there had been more history and a deeper dive into the magic with in the first few chapters.
This was a great and quick read, easy to follow. There was some violence and a bit of blood, but I still think this book is suitable for readers fourteen and older.
There is a lot of world and magic in this book so I can see it becoming a series, which I would be interested in continuing.
4 Stars
by Emily J. Taylor
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eArc
Pub Date: Feb 25, 2025
Penguin
Ages: 14+
A world where the citizens could travel between three worlds through doorways until seven years ago. Those doorways were burned, leaving the people in one of the worlds for dead. Now, the other two can only communicate through letters delivered by the Otherwhere Post, people trained in the art of scriptomancy, the magic that allows them to enchant letters and travel between the two worlds.
But Maeve Abenthy is in hiding because her father committed a crime so bad that she would be punished for it, but then a letter was delivered to her telling her that he was innocent.
To uncover the truth she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post and to use what she learns to find the sender of the letter.
A semi-unique story, though I got Potter vibes with the setting being in a school with lectures, sneaking out into town, and a few other things, but the doorways and the 'mail' system were unique, and with a little more descriptions and history would have given it a lot more depth.
The first chapter started off slow, but with the revealing of her father's crime gave it a nice shock factor and got my attention. There were some really great descriptions, 'a hole in her father's shirt', that connected the reader with the scenes. I just wish there had been more history and a deeper dive into the magic with in the first few chapters.
This was a great and quick read, easy to follow. There was some violence and a bit of blood, but I still think this book is suitable for readers fourteen and older.
There is a lot of world and magic in this book so I can see it becoming a series, which I would be interested in continuing.
4 Stars
August 10, 2025
4.75 ★— I had the best time with this book!
Going in, I had zero expectations, and solely had my interest piqued by the fact that it followed a young woman attending a school, pretending to be an apprentice in order to solve a mystery related to her late father’s life.
The story opened in a charmingly quaint, slightly mysterious way, and I loved how the author maintained that sense of mystery as the plot unfolded.
Maeve, the heroine, is used to running, slipping away before trouble can even take shape. She’s deeply intelligent, genuinely kind, and thoughtful, yet also fiercely determined. She is the sort of main character that I treasure, and the gradual shedding of her loneliness, with the help of surrounding characters, was beautifully written and well-depicted.
Tristan, the MMC, shares some similarities with Maeve. His past is filled with regrets and things he wishes he could escape. He is closed-off in a slightly different way, but I adored the subtle pining that emerged as he got to know her better.
My girl Maeve is truly shy and just a bit oblivious, so it was heartwarming to see Tristan be so helpful and genuinely kind toward her, even while she is keeping so much of her locked up, holding back parts of herself.
The book’s central mystery, revolving around Maeve’s father and the circumstances of his alleged crimes, was fascinating! I really enjoyed the way investigative elements wove into the plot, as Maeve slowly learned more and more.
Furthermore, the school setting and the magic system were another delight here! The author’s system of scriptomancy felt both fresh and intricately developed and I can’t recall reading another book with anything quite like it. It was an absolute delight to explore.
Overall, I had such a blast with this story!
I am definitely looking forward to the possibility of a continuation.
Going in, I had zero expectations, and solely had my interest piqued by the fact that it followed a young woman attending a school, pretending to be an apprentice in order to solve a mystery related to her late father’s life.
The story opened in a charmingly quaint, slightly mysterious way, and I loved how the author maintained that sense of mystery as the plot unfolded.
Maeve, the heroine, is used to running, slipping away before trouble can even take shape. She’s deeply intelligent, genuinely kind, and thoughtful, yet also fiercely determined. She is the sort of main character that I treasure, and the gradual shedding of her loneliness, with the help of surrounding characters, was beautifully written and well-depicted.
Tristan, the MMC, shares some similarities with Maeve. His past is filled with regrets and things he wishes he could escape. He is closed-off in a slightly different way, but I adored the subtle pining that emerged as he got to know her better.
My girl Maeve is truly shy and just a bit oblivious, so it was heartwarming to see Tristan be so helpful and genuinely kind toward her, even while she is keeping so much of her locked up, holding back parts of herself.
The book’s central mystery, revolving around Maeve’s father and the circumstances of his alleged crimes, was fascinating! I really enjoyed the way investigative elements wove into the plot, as Maeve slowly learned more and more.
Furthermore, the school setting and the magic system were another delight here! The author’s system of scriptomancy felt both fresh and intricately developed and I can’t recall reading another book with anything quite like it. It was an absolute delight to explore.
Overall, I had such a blast with this story!
I am definitely looking forward to the possibility of a continuation.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,719 reviews