The Anatomy of Magic

by Alexis L. Menard

An unmissable new spicy romantasy series from Alexis L. Menard, bestselling author of TikTok sensation House of Bane and Blood.

Enter a world of crime, blood and forbidden magic, where falling in love could be the last mistake you ever make…

Packed with searing chemistry and razor-sharp banter, The Anatomy of Magic is perfect for fans of Quicksilver, Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Adult, Audiobook, Fiction

479 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

Alexis is a registered nurse based out of Louisiana where she lives with her husband, toddler, and two oversized dogs. She enjoys long walks through the Renaissance Fair, reading smutty romance into the dark hours of the night, and wine nights with her "Finer Things Club." She hopes to enrich the lives of her readers with worlds they can both escape in and take with them long after the final chapter.

Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 ⭐️ I had to sit and think about this review for a little while. When I finished The Anatomy of Magic, I was very conflicted with how I felt about this book as there were parts I loved and a lot that I did not. I received the deluxe edition from Allurial and I'd like to say many thanks first and foremost to their team for always giving their readers such gorgeous books. However, as lovely as this book looks, the story unfortunately did not match the books lush and allure. I wasn't disappointed but not impressed either. This might be a long review so bear with me!

Little summary:
Set in the dark, industrial city of Valveron, Nina is an assistant to a surgeon and has powers that she can't explain. If ever found, she would be executed or worse. To survive, Nina stays in the shadows mainly relying on her smuggling of dead bodies through city's criminal underworld...until she steals from the wrong man--Max Antonin, takes something that belongs to him and sends him off on a cat and mouse chase after her. Max is a crime boss and one of the Cursed with a tragic past and mysterious powers. He wants what she took and is set on finding her, no matter the cost. But Nina is soon framed for murder and knowing that she can't trust him, she still sets up a deal with him that can guarantee her survival despite knowing it might be problematic. Along the way, Ninas sick mother is taken and they learn that something more dangerous is lurking in the shadows of Valveron and the secrets threaten the entire city's social order. As they try to navigate the unclear waters and investigate the series of murders, they are not only getting close to solving the issue, they are also getting close to each other, unable to stop what ever slow burning romance thats developing between them.

This is a steampunk sort of fantasy that predominantly shines in elements of magic, found family and rivalry and kind of a tortured type of MMC who has it bad with self-hate and 'I don't deserve you' vibes.

I'd like to talk about the very good parts first, which for me was magic that tethered on science. The blend felt very unique and well explored, which personally felt like the strongest part of the novel. It kept me engaged and following along with interest. The author went all out, above and beyond to show her creativity here and it really shined in all of its aspects.

In the City of Valveron, magic is tied to relics, bloodlines and hidden codes which determine who can yield power. The Academy sought to control all magic but the Cursed had their own kind of power and mortal code. The Cursed were a group of people (often looked at as abominations) that had stolen magic and carried it in their blood, relying to drink from those who come from bloodlines. They have to drink from a bloodline in order to maintain their power because while there is essence of magic in their blood, they don't have 'the code' to control it. One drink/bite and they are able to use the bloodlines' code to wield power.

Relics are artifacts that were given magical powers, crafted from residue of the essence (a powerful substance that the Architect (the creator who crafted the power) discovered centuries ago) in the Academy. The dice is one of the relics that holds strong magic. They are essentially weapons known as archetypes. Each archetype has six bloodlines, the same number of faces on a die.

—We have Vitalis, the Forge (air, time, gravity, water, metal and fire), the Glamour (illusion, charm, threading, impression, manipulation and aura). Dominion, the last archetype, was never given to a bloodline. Somehow the CURSED man came into possession of these dice and Nina is able to siphon from them.

While one element of the story was well polished, the book falls flat in character development, romantic attraction/tension and emotional depth. The dynamic between Max and Nina did not work well for me. I thought that their relationship was more tell vs show and their romantic tension and clash didn't land organically. The tension was there, but the author didn't know what to do with it or how to explore it (how to write it out well per se). Their feelings sprung up out of nowhere and proclamation of love felt unnatural. One moment they are avoiding each other, the next he tells her he is in love with her. To me, they had zero emotional depth. There is nothing in the story that emotionally pulled me in, no meaningful conversations, no openness. Max was closed off and Nina never prodded. I also didn't enjoy their steamy scenes--mehh. The author tries to torture the reader by making us wait all the way until past 70%, but where is the amazing banter to keep us sort of afloat? I really felt this book lacked yearning, tension, propulsion.

Max is our tortured type of MMC, full of scars that are both external and internal. He is a byproduct of The Architects human experimentation that left him with orange eyes and white hair and a lot of self-hate and 'I don't deserve anything' vibes. His character was not well explored and frustrated me a little bit because of how distant he appeared. In the story, a piece of information was given about who Max is or where he came from but it was quickly brushed under the rug and not explored until much later in the book and even then it was short and quick. This transition left a wide gap in storytelling that left me with many questions and answers that were not fully explored.

I was intrigued but not overly impressed. As an avid fantasy/romantasy ARC reader I try to look at the whole story as a whole and break it down by its elements and see if they check off my boxes. Unfortunately this book fell short despite the allure.



Publication: June 30th, 2026

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Is my heartbeat the only one you hear?” I asked him, curious. “It’s the only one I listen to.”

🎲 Forbidden Magic
💜 Unique Magic System
🎲 The Cursed
💜 Surgeons Assistant
🎲 So many Secrets and Mysteries
💜 Early 18th Century Steampunk Fantasy
🎲 Frankenstein Elements/Vibe
💜 Found Family

“Careful, Ace. Where I’m from, we use threats like that as foreplay.”

Everything about this book grabbed me from the first page. From the world, imagine a dark early 18th century steampunk fantasy, the mystery and the tension filled romance, to the genuinely so unique magic system that is just so different to anything I have ever read before.

You have the original magic which is tied to Archetypes that is passed down through generations, the magic that is gifted in a ritual to only those who graduate from The Academy and then you have the Cursed who are forced to steal magic *cough* Blood *cough* in order to use it. And then separate from them all is Nina. She has the unique ability to siphon any magic. The way the magic is described, the rules and the costs… everything was just so interesting and so cleverly done.

“I didn’t always walk around with the finger bone of a dead patient in my pocket, but some remains were particularly useful—even beyond their lock-picking abilities.”

Nina is so relatable and cunning, I just love the way she approaches and overcomes all of the obstacles in her way. The way her character developed over this story was one of my favourite parts. She starts off her story as a Surgeons Assistant, keeping a low profile and she gets mixed up in smuggling dead bodies in order to provide for her sick mother. And then her world gets thrown on its axis and suddenly she’s on the run and having to make hard choices one after the other after the other. I loved her strength and how she didn’t shy away from embracing the darker side of this world. It made for such an intense read.

“The shift in my life, from blood and bone to gowns and gloves to tailored coats and handguns, had been swift and seamless. The person I had been was gone.”

And then we have Max. His character is complex and deep with a truly devastating backstory that will pull at your heartstrings, and have you begging the author to protect him at all costs. Every revelation had me gasping, his story has so many twists and turns you absolutely won’t be able to stop reading. I adored how Nina brought out his protective side, he never pretends to be good in the traditional sense but he is exactly what Nina needs and she for him. He and Nina are such a perfect match, the yearning and tension between them was unmatched.

“Max was something else entirely. Appealing in the way I found a devastating storm to be beautiful or a fire to be a simultaneous source of warmth and destruction. Both had the power to ruin my life, and yet I felt drawn to them—to him—despite the warnings.”

That ending?!?!? What do you mean there are no more pages left to turn?? I need book 2 like I need air.

~ Thank you NetGalley, Second Sky and Alexis L. Menard for this ARC

[Shannon Farley]

Pre Read:

Allurial June Early release! Loved her last duology, and cant wait to see what she delivers for us in this new series.

[Tiffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If his threat was a storm, I wanted to linger in the lightning, no matter the risk of the damage it might cause."

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky/Forever for this ARC.

Publication date: June 30, 2026

✨ Enemies (he literally shoots at her 3 times + gets her framed for murder & thrown in jail) to reluctant allies to lovers
✨ Vampire-ish broody MMC with tragic backstory
✨ Forbidden magic
✨ Forced proximity
✨ Touch her and 💀

Spice: 1.5🌶️

It took me a bit to adjust to the world building/magic system as I found it confusing at times, but once everything started making sense I could not stop reading. The mystery, the action sequences, the banter, the tension, the yearning, the plot twists. I had such a great time!

The story is pretty fast paced with a short timeline. Though the main characters knew each other for a short period their feelings for one another felt genuine and built on mutual trust, respect and admiration.

I loved Nina. She was feisty, resourceful, selfless and brave. Although she would make some dumb decisions/choices that got her into more trouble, I knew she had good intentions and was just trying to help the people she cared for. And Max, my beautiful broken man. My heart ached for all the horrors he had gone through and how he doesn't think he deserves anything good in life as a result of it. It was so easy to root for him after learning his backstory.

And that cliffhanger?! What a way to break my heart 😭 I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Is my heartbeat the only one you hear?"
"It's the only one I listen to."

"Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you see me. Really see me."

"You're worth the fight, Max. You're worthy of love and happiness and every good thing in this life."

"I finally figured out why you terrify me so much. Because now that I have you, I don't know what I'd do without you. I'd be so lost without the sound of your heart and the peace it brings to my chaos."

[Anna Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

fated x enemies to lovers x mind to mind speak

I’ve never read anything like this romantasy. I love the concept of relics and writing the code to magic. I love how she got sucked into the world through small betrayals/secrets and didn’t realize how it was impacting the entire system. I love the sloooow burn and why it had to be that way.

Oh and also - they speak mind to mind.

AND he’s an MMC with a tortured past.

I would recommend!

[Natalie Benkowski]

dnf at 27%

this actually pains me to write because of how much i loved house of bane and blood/city of mirth and malice, but this book really is just not working for me. the dialogue feels forced and incredibly cheesy, and the writing does not flow well. in my head it’s reading like a poorly done YA action/fantasy movie from the 2010s, and it’s giving me the ick. unfortunately for me, this magic system with relics and elemental bloodlines is SUPER intriguing, and as always, i love the steampunk aesthetic alexis favours for her book themes. on paper, this book should be for someone like me, but the execution is just not there. i also am beginning to get frustrated with how much telling instead of showing is going on, and while i understand that complex worlds have historical contexts the reader needs to know to understand the magnitude of the storyline, i just feel like there needs to be a more creative way to introduce them. i might pick this one back up in the future, but now is not the time.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Alexis hits it out of the park with another banger. This might be her best work yet! I absolutely loved Nina and Max and their journey together. Nina's character was a breath of fresh air and I appreciate how Menard wrote about Nina's anxiety. She was competent and willing to do anything for those she loves. Max was also a great male lead, and I liked getting a glimpse into his head with his few POVs. As always, Alexis delivered great banter between the two and I can't wait to see how this story ends in the next installment.

Also, Alexis, I will be billing you for that ending because WHAT.

I highly recommend this one to those who like romantasy with an engaging plot!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, Alexis paints the industrials vibes perfectly- but now add in some Frankenstein with magic, witty banter and spice. That ending left me simply unwell.

[Nonfictionally Yours · Rating 3 out of 5]

"But know without a doubt, beyond every day that passes, that I love you. I could never stop loving you. I loved you as much as a man like me could love someone."

3☆

Okay I had such a fun time with this!!! If you're looking for a steamy, gripping and fun romantasy read... this is the book for you!!!

One of the most unique things about this book was the magic system. It was a relic based system which I found so intriguing. Magic stems from bloodlines and hidden codes which determines who is able to wield it. I found this so interesting and creative! The author developed it in such an amazing way where it was very clearly explained and easy to grasp.

Max, he is such a tortured MMC, I loved him!!! I feel like Sean Masters did such an incredible job narrating his role! His voice matched the vibes of the book and the part of a tortured MMC SO SO WELL!!! I would without a doubt listen to more audiobooks narrated by him! Sean also did an amazing job at narrating different male character vibes!! Making them all sound a little different. Max himself was such a well written character! He deals with a lot of self hate and feels like he doesn't deserve anything good. I do hope we get more of him in the next book!!

Nina our FMC was such a strong and feisty character in herself. She was so sure of herself and I loved that she wasn't afraid of Max and cowered in front of him. Now this is largely a matter of personal preference, however the female narrators voice didn't align with the fantasy vibes of this book to me. I loved her voice in general though! The banter between Max and Nina was SO FUNNY!!! I loved it so much!

I do wish their emotional depth was a little more explored through the book. I also hope that in the next book we get more of a backstory on both of our MCs to help connect with them a little more. I felt like there was also a lack of world building which made it difficult to paint a picture in my head while I was listening to it.

The ending of this book was so emotional and did make me want to cry and need the next book IMMEDIATELY!!!

Thank you so much to Alexis L. Menard, second sky books, Bookouture audios and Netgalley for this ALC!!🩷

[Ashley Bees · Rating 4 out of 5]

this world & magic system ‼️

arc rating & review:

★★★★

thank you so much netgalley & alexis for this amazing arc!!!

y’all - when I tell you I was HOOKED from page one, I mean it. I was absolutely enthralled by the way this story was laid out. we have our fmc who is a surgeon trying to provide for her mom and he comes our mmc with orange eyes and a very interesting predicament 👀 she reluctantly helps him and this is just the beginning of an enemies to reluctant allies to partners in crime (ifykyk) 🙂‍↕️

they end up set on this huge journey of finding out what was going on, who was trying to hunt them both down, and they find very interesting and deadly information while doing so. I think the stakes in this were perfect! high stakes but also had some low stake periods as well. the magic system was my favorite part! you have people who are born into these bloodlines with specific magical traits, then you have the cursed who are similar to vampires in a way but also not at all. each bloodline has a code written into their very being. I love that she can weave magic into a post-industrial age setting. her writing style is so unique and I love how she can pack a punch with her characters and her worlds! the plot twists were absolutely insane and I had no idea any of them were coming at any point in time

I absolutely adored our fmc. she was so strong and had to do so much she didn’t want to just because she had to keep her mom safe and herself out of trouble. and all the side characters that we get to know and love!!! I do think that she had to change and mold herself into someone she probably never wanted to be, but she took it in stride and I am so excited to see her go on a rampage in book two 🙌🏻

and our MMC!!! down mfing BADDDD for him 🧎🏻‍♀️ I absolutely love that he has orange eyes. it’s such a unique color and I can just picture him so clearly in my mind. his backstory and what he had to go through breaks my heart. he only sees himself as a monster and someone who is not deserving of love or kindness but he deserves the world 😭 these two fit together like two puzzle pieces that were missing a side until they found each other. he was so fiercely protective of her in a way that wasn’t overbearing or controlling. I love that he was always searching for her heartbeat 🥹

I’ve read her other series and I knew the cliff hanger was going to be bad but I need book two yesterday omfg ‼️ the things we learn, the character development, and the absolute devastating ending we are left with has me so nervous for the next book. and buddy reading this with my friend was such a special experience. it really makes you think and work through so many new theories and feelings!!

thank you again for the arc! these are my own thoughts and feelings, no AI was used in writing this review; I was not paid to read or review this book; all thoughts and feelings are my own

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I picked up a book that I was instantly invested in within the first few pages. The Anatomy of Magic was completely and utterly addictive! One of those books where you put it down and all you can think about is when you’ll be able to pick it back up again and continue the story.

Wow. This is the first book I’ve read by Alexis and I will 100% be checking out her other books while I go feral waiting for book 2 in this series! 🤣

I loved it all! Nina is an absolutely fantastic female lead, I adored her. Her strength and curiosity, her intelligence and her kindness, her loyalty and her passion as surgeon…she was just instantly likeable. Maxence is an equally brilliant and likeable male lead. He is such a contrast- he can don the mask of a cold and calculating killer, but also carries such a heavy weight on his shoulders. The vulnerability and fear he shows the first time we meet him when Nina patches him up…I knew I was going to fall hard for them both. His inability to see his own worth and his fear of letting people in absolutely massacred my poor heart.

The world Alexis has created is so unique and so intriguing! I loved the concept of the magic and how bloodlines have a main archetype and how that branches into the various related magics. The cursed and the essence in blood, how Max and his siblings came to be…I was so absorbed by it all! Then you have the society with a clear class system, people who have magic seen as elites, whereas the Fissures is poverty stricken and people turn to black market work to get by. The politics of the world was really cool too, I loved that you have multiple elements of the hierarchy with the governor, the police, and then the Academy and the Magister.

The pacing is flawless, you move through the story fast enough to keep everything exciting but not so fast that you don’t get to have the slower, quieter moments with the characters, and so you can keep up with the different elements of the world building and plot that are introduced.

What a book! That ending though? I AM DEVASTATED 😭 I cannot wait to be back in this world with Nina and Maxence. A huge thank you to Second Sky for sending me a proof to read and review, your work is done- I’m hooked and I will be screaming about this book to everyone I meet!

[Joseandbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC.

Everything about this book worked for me. From the incredible world-building to the unique magic system, I was completely invested from the start.

The Anatomy of Magic follows two powerful characters whose lives become intertwined as they uncover dangerous secrets surrounding a magic system unlike anything I’ve read before. The deeper they dig, the more complicated and dangerous things become, and I found myself wanting just one more chapter every time I had to stop listening.

The standout for me was definitely the magic. Fantasy is one of my favorite genres, so it takes a lot to impress me, but Alexis L. Menard created something that felt genuinely fresh. I loved learning the rules, the limitations, and seeing how magic shaped every part of the world. The world-building was detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, and I could easily picture every scene.

Can we talk about these characters for a second? Because I absolutely loved them. They felt real, flawed, and easy to root for. The more time I spent with them, the more invested I became in their story. By the end, I was fully attached and emotionally invested in whatever happened next.

And the audiobook? Absolutely fantastic. The duet narration brought so much life to the characters and made an already immersive story even better. Both narrators delivered amazing performances and had me completely hooked.

If you’re looking for a fantasy with a unique magic system, memorable characters, and narration that elevates the entire experience, definitely add this one to your TBR.

I already need the next book.

[m y r · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC! ❤

This is one of those books where after finishing I had to walk around the house and then stare at a wall, trying to comprehend the events that played out because I was so mind blown and felt so many emotions. The Anatomy of Magic is the one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. There's no better feeling than wanting to continuously read, ignore real life, and just immerse yourself into the story with the characters and this book did exactly that for me.

I loved everything about this world-building. It had eccentric vibes with canals, steamboats, Camden Town aesthetics, etc. It felt like a historical, urban fantasy. The magic system felt unique and fresh, with archetypes being passed down through bloodlines, but then there are the Cursed who possess stolen magic which comes with a dangerous price.

Nina, a surgeon, is a strong and courageous character who is put into an incredibly difficult lifestyle just to try and provide for herself and her sick mother. Max, a broody Cursed who is filled with a dark and traumatic past, finds himself on Nina's operating table during a time of need, only for his most valuable artifacts to be stolen by her.

"𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?"
"𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴."

I loved their dynamic so much. They're an unlikely pair made perfect for each other. Their banter, flirty interactions, sarcasm, and protectiveness for one another made their relationship so loving and enjoyable.

I am so impatient for book 2 already, especially after that insane (and diabolical) ending.

[Nancy Weiler · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

This was dark, deadly and delicious. The yearning? I was on the edge of my seat and screaming FINALLY! Absolutely loved this unique story with magic, dice relics and a Frankenstein vibe.

FMC Nina is a nurse/ surgeon and helps in the very small hospital in town one night a man comes in with a stab wound and it’s flirty as hell from the get go. She does have a little side hustle with her mentor which is carting dead bodies to sell them to ‘the buyer’. I was addicted from page one, the dark elements to this story is what made it so interesting as well as the magic system - it was a little complicated at first but soon get around to understanding.

I loved how the FMC and MMC were TRUE enemies to lovers in this, and it was done so well - literally trying to kill each other. Yes please. Twists and turns throughout which kept it super interesting and intertwined within the plot of the academy, gangs, drug districts, opium etc.

The only issue I had was towards about 60% percent of the book it became a little lacklustre for a few chapters and felt unneeded, but then the ending - dear lord and saviour, my heart and soul, please can I have book two immediately!

“Careful, Ace. Where I’m from, we use threats like that as foreplay.”

Thank you so much Second Sky Books for the advanced copy all thoughts are my own.

[Brielle Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I ordered this book as one of my sections for Allurial this month, so I was very excited to receive the audio arc as well!

This was fun and the magic system was interesting. I liked the idea of magic rooted in science, especially medical science. The setting had a corrupt, steampunk Venice vibes. It was also very reminiscent of A Forbidden Alchemy (the FMC is also named Nina) and Frankenstein (one of my favorites).

“My heart is unconditioned for this” - Nina.

Nina, the FMC, was scrappy, compelling, and had a great f it attitude (painfully naive sometimes though). Max, the MMC was interesting. I found myself having so many questions about his back story (much like Nina). There was some under development in their relationship, but it worked. Also, the pacing in the beginning of the book felt right, but then some parts did feel rushed and then too slow. This book does end on a cliffhanger!

“Don’t change who you are for these bastards” - Max.

The banter was bantering though and I loved one of the side characters (Maurice).

“Flowers die and I am too notorious to take on a date” - Nina.

✨3.5 rounded to 4 stars!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookoutoure Audio for the audio arc. I enjoyed the duet narration and narration in this audio arc. The Anatomy of Magic comes out June 30, 2026.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Second Sky/Forever Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for this advanced copy. This was very enjoyable and the magic system was unique. I did find myself a little bored at times. I would say that this book can best be described as goth meets Peaky Blinders meets Frankenstein. I’ve definitely never ready anything like it.

Here’s what I liked:
-Max is a Cursed which is kind of like a vampire. The Cursed can take the magic of whoever they drink blood from. Cool concept
-Nina is a surgeon and has some street smarts to her
-the gritty gothic setting was so easy for my to visualize
-the magic system was so unique
-the Frankenstein part of it all - uncovering what is going on with these bodies
-the ending has me interested in what happens next


What I didn’t like:
-the plot got a little muddled and boring for me through the entire book. Some parts I just did not care about at all.
-I liked Nina and Max but I wasn’t feeling a lot of chemistry between them. I like their romance but it did feel a little lacking for me

Overall, very enjoyable and would recommend.

[Alix · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I really enjoyed this one. The story was engaging, the romance had depth, and the magic system was unique. It did take me a little while to fully understand the magic system at the beginning, especially the differences between archetypes, bloodlines, code, and essences. There were some tense action scenes on both water and land that I enjoyed and the slow-burn romance was well done.

The only things I felt were lacking were the side characters, who were fairly flat, and an ending that was somewhat predictable in terms of who was behind everything. Overall though, I was invested in this novel and will definitely be picking up the next book in the series.

[Deirdre · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ALC from Bookouture Audio via NetGalley. This is my honest review.

- 2️⃣ duet narration
- ☝️ mostly single POV
- 🚂 steampunk with advanced technology
- 🤫 hidden magic
- 🪄 unique magic system
- 🔥 flirting & tension
- 😭 sacrifice
- 🔪 betrayal
- 💚Frankenstein coded
- 💕same world as author’s Vows of Vengeance duology

First, the narration….fantastic. Savannah Thomas, as always, absolutely delivered. She brought so much emotional depth to her performance that the MFC felt very real. As Savannah does, she brings an authenticity to the delivery of the characters she narrates that makes every thought and emotion believable. Savannah is so talented, I don’t know how she does it. Sean Masters was equally strong. He did an excellent job differentiating the MMC from the other male voices, especially characters like the MFC’s surgeon friend/boss. That distinction made it easy to follow conversations and stay immersed in the story. At the end of the book, I could feel the MMC‘s pain due to Sean‘s narration. Very well done. The duet narration style really elevated the entire experience. I was already hooked by the writing and plot, but the narrators added another layer of intensity and emotional engagement that made the story even more compelling.

The book grabbed me right away. Chapter one opened with a fast-paced meet-cute between the MFC and MMC, complete with immediate flirting, and chapter two maintained that momentum. I knew early on I was invested and hooked into this book. Overall, the pacing was moderate to fast, really kept me on edge much of the story. The plot was unique, the Frankenstein coded storyline was awesome, the steampunk setting similar to the author’s other duology was really cool, the tension and flirting was beautiful and hot, the antagonists were awful, and the ending was shocking/devastating.

One of the strongest aspects of the book was how the author created empathy within me for both MC’s. I found myself constantly understanding and empathizing with both, while at the exact same time, I wanted to yell at both for making such silly decisions. For example, on one hand, I understood the MFC and her motivations to keep the MMC’s dice and sell them back to him, she needed money to support her and her mother. Therefore, her actions, while questionable, made sense given the context. I cannot blame her for seeing an opportunity to sell the MMC back his dice to get money in a world where she was barely getting by. At the exact same time, I completely understood why the MMC pursued the MFC and was angry/aggressive towards her. She didn’t chose to do the right thing and wanted to take advantage of him. The domino effect of the MFC’s initial decision to steal the dice created a set of consequences that she had to face. At times, she blamed the MMC for the series of events, but in reality, it all started with her and her choice. So, you can see, I had empathy for her, while also had empathy for the MMC. This internal push-pull of feeling bad for the MFC while also thinking “these are the consequences of your choices,” was really well done. The author created a situation where both perspectives felt valid, even when they contradicted each other.

The MMC’s attraction to the MFC and the “chase” added a lot of tension. And let me tell you, the tension was excellent. Around the 40% mark, I learned more about the MMC’s traumatic and abusive past, which added emotional depth and understanding to his behavior, subsequently making more sense of some of the tension and why he stopped the connection between them at times. The flirting, banter, and growing heat between the two was one of my favorite parts of the story.

However, around 50%, the MFC’s behavior started to pull me out of the story. She frequently reacted with juvenile tantrums. Now, don’t get me wrong, at times her emotions were quite valid, and I fully understood why she was feeling the way she was feeling, but her behavior was incredibly juvenile. For example, she became irate over being “made” to kiss the MMC. She made him smile first, against his will, but said her making him smile was not the same as him making her kiss him (BTW he never actually made her kiss him, he stopped it). Given his trauma through, it made sense why FORCING him to smile was almost exactly the same as making her kiss him (again, she never actually had to kiss him). The MFC did not pause for ONE second to think about him, his past, and why making him smile was a violation and a massive trauma trigger. She did not know a lot about his past, but she knew enough to know that he had been violated. When he compelled her and then stopped it, she immediately blew up, threw a tantrum, and only thought about herself. Unfortunately, this pattern continued. I read other reviews to see if I was the one being dramatic about the MFC and I learned I was not. Other readers thought she had juvenile reactions too. Other examples: 1) she showed very little empathy for the MMC despite knowing he was a torture survivor, yet expected others to empathize with her, 2) she frequently snapped at him, even when he consistently showed up for her, and 3) she made impulsive decisions and then blamed him for the consequences. I was frustrated by the imbalance: the MMC continually supported and protected the MFC, but for a while there she often responded with anger, hypocrisy, or extremely poor decision-making. I felt like the author was trying to write a strong, independent, well boundaried woman who stood up for herself, but the way it landed was a strong, independent woman who threw tantrums, yelled, and had quite dramatic responses. Now, I hate saying certain behaviors are dramatic, particularly when referring to a woman’s behavior, but the fact that she was a hypocrite by compelling the MMC followed by being mad that he compelled her, and then fully abandoning working with him and stomping away because of that, was her being dramatic. Of course, soon after, she listened to him and started working with him again. I will say, she FINALLY changed near the end.

Now, the hypocrisy is REALLY what irritated the most. The MFC was AWFUL when it came to hypocrisy, at least during the middle of the book. She kept secrets but got angry when the MMC did the same (to the point she had a tantrum), she prioritized her own goals but resented him when he did likewise, and she ignored his warnings repeatedly, ultimately putting him at risk, but got mad when she felt others didn’t listen to her. It became especially frustrating because many of the conflicts stemmed from her refusal to listen or reflect.

The MMC also had his moments. Constantly pushing the MFC away because of his trauma and fear response. I could not blame the MFC for being irritated by the fourth or so time this happened. However, I LOVED that the MFC FINALLY had empathy for the MMC and addressed his trauma. She met him where he was at and gave him what he needed to feel safe and start healing. When she met him with empathy, not anger, of course that was when he finally opened up. I loved this!!!

I want to note, I would probably have more to say about the MMC and my frustrations with his behavior, as he also had his issues, but we never got his POV. Therefore, I have more to say since I had the MFC’s POV the whole book.

Something I really enjoyed about this book was that the MMC did not become a doormat just because he got together with the MFC. She had more morals than him, but she didn’t expect him to be different, nor did he stop being violent and doing what he had to do to protect her and his friends and family. So many books have the MMC turn into a doormat after he meets his woman because she has ethics and doesn’t like that he is morally gray, even though she knew he was morally gray when she got together with him. I love that the author kept the MMC being authentic to who he was, as well as the MFC didn’t ask him to change.

The twist near the end was surprising and started to answer questions I had while listening to the book. Right around this point is also when the MFC showed insight into some of her behavior and acknowledged the consequences of her choices. She started to take ownership over this. This whole book really was about the MFC making choices that were not great and the consequences of her choices. She was just trying to survive and could not make one choice that led to a good outcome.

The ending was devastating, shocking, and awful. The antagonists throughout were also awful, especially with that betrayal at the end. I knew better and saw that betrayal coming. The ending really set up book 2 to hit the ground running with so much thick plot. Also, I’m excited for the MFC’s feminine rage. I LOVE books that have a good couple that are loyal to each other and will fight until the end for each other. That’s exactly what it’s going to happen in book 2 and I cannot wait. I am so excited to listen or read book 2.


Not a critique but something to comment on:
The common trope many of us are getting over was included in this book- The MFC has a super special power that she has to keep secret


Critiques:

While the premise and magic system were unique, the characters themselves didn’t always feel as deeply developed. There was a lot of depth lacking in the individual characters and their relationships. I was hoping for more about these MCs and why they loved each other.


Also, how many times did the MMC have to save the MFC? On the streets, the coffin in the water, on the boat, with the guard, with Dameon… this plot of the MMC saving the MFC was recycled, often.

[whatrissread on TT | IG | YT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you netgalley and Skyline Press for the ARC, all thoughts are my own…
4 ⭐️

The Anatomy of Magic delivers a fascinating blend of gothic fantasy, science, and horror that immediately gave me Frankenstein-meets-vampires vibes. Set in the grim industrial city of Valveron, the story follows Nina, a surgeon's assistant hiding dangerous abilities that could get her executed if discovered. When she steals from the wrong man, notorious crime boss Max Antonin, she finds herself caught in a deadly game of survival, murder investigations, and political conspiracies that threaten the foundations of their world.

The standout element for me was undoubtedly the magic system. Magic is intricately tied to bloodlines, relics, and hidden codes that determine who can access power. Those born into bloodlines can naturally wield magic, while the Cursed, individuals who have stolen magic and carry it in their blood, must feed from bloodline descendants to temporarily gain access to the "code" needed to control their abilities. The concept felt incredibly original and was further enhanced by the relics, magical artifacts infused with the essence discovered centuries ago by the Architect. Every layer of the system was thoughtfully developed, creating a world that felt both complex and immersive. The combination of scientific experimentation and magical theory was one of the most unique fantasy concepts I've read in a while.

While the worldbuilding and magic kept me completely invested, the romance didn't quite work as well for me. I wanted more depth from Max's perspective and found myself craving additional emotional tension, yearning, and banter between him and Nina. Since the romantic development takes quite a while to gain momentum, I needed a stronger emotional connection to fully buy into their relationship. The chemistry was there, but it never reached the level I was hoping for.

That said, I loved the darker steampunk atmosphere, the found family elements, the rivalries, and Max's deeply tortured character arc. If you're looking for a fantasy with intricate worldbuilding, morally gray characters, and a magic system that feels genuinely fresh, this is absolutely worth picking up. I'm definitely curious to see where the story goes in book two.

[Bakingbookdragon (Kinsey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check your triggers for this one. Some of it was a little dark and twisted.

*Thank you Net Galley and Second Sky for the eARC of this. These are my honest opinions*

I had a difficult time with the beginning of this book. It didn’t feel like something I would generally read with the dead body deliveries and the surgeries. However, I gave it some time and the story grabbed me. This was such a unique story.

Nina works as a surgeon assistant and on the side she delivers the dead bodies for a mysterious benefactor. When things don’t go according to plan, Nina ends up being betrayed and forced to work with Max, a member of the cursed (vampire like creatures). Max and Nina form an uneasy partnership as they both work to achieve their own goals and take down the mysterious person that seems to be pulling all the strings.

Max was a great character!! I throughly loved his backstory and the way his character grew as time went on. Nina was a good character as well. Her magical bloodline was very interesting and the questions I have about her make me want to continue this series. I did find some aspects of the story to be predictable, but overall it was a good time.

Tropes:
Unique magic
Medical procedures
Found Family
Vengeance
Betrayals

[Bernie Groves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt so unique to me, it is a fantasy book that has romance and mafia vibes and it’s such an intriguing combination.

I really enjoyed both of the main characters. Nina is someone you can’t help but root for as she’s just trying to survive and take care of her mum. Then Max is just such a wonderfully complex MMC, he’s strong and private and insanely protective and will do anything for the people he loves. The yearning in this book is great.

As well as the main characters there are a number of great side characters who fulfil different purposes, but all of them feel well rounded and believable. I’m excited to see how the found family develops in book two.

The magic system was a huge plus point for me, it’s not like anything I’ve read before, with bloodlines, archetypes, siphons, magical relics etc. I found learning about how the magic system works was so interesting and it was so creatively done.

There is a solid plotline to the story which moves along at a decent pace with the romance being interwoven throughout. Then the ending was crazy!! Honestly it felt brutal and I just cannot fathom what will happen next.

[Alyx Gough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Forever and Second Sky for the eARc!

A simple, I liked this kind of read for me.

The Anatomy of Magic by Alexis L. Menard felt like a classic Alexis L. Menard book in all the best ways—moody, magical, a little dangerous, and very easy to get swept up in. I enjoyed the dynamic between Nina and Max, especially that push and pull between distrust and attraction while they’re dragged deeper into Valveron’s underworld.

Nina trying to survive with a secret she can’t even fully explain, and Max being this cold, powerful crime boss who somehow keeps showing up right when she needs him most? It worked for me. The stakes felt solid, the magic system was interesting enough to keep me hooked, and the romance had that slow burn tension I always expect from this kind of story.

Not a life-changing read, but definitely an entertaining one I liked spending time with.

[kelseys.inthelibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me completely hooked!!!

The magic system is one of the coolest I’ve read in a while! It's dark, blood based, and woven into every part of their world. The whole vibe screams steampunk: grimy streets, steamships, apothecaries, body smuggling, and a society where magic functions like a religion and is highly regulated. It felt like a perfect blend of Peaky Blinders, vampires and Frankenstein body horror.

Give me a traumatized MMC carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, and I’m absolutely obsessed. The MMC was exactly my type, complicated, damaged, traumatized, fascinating, and impossible not to root for. The banter between him and our FMC was fantastic from the first few pages! Nina and Max forever 👀

"You're my partner in crime. Maybe they'll draw us together on the bounty posters."

I need book 2 immediately. 🖤⚙️🩸🚢

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Second Sky for providing me with an arc.

I fell in love with Alexis L Menard with her book, The Last Daughter and this one was fantastic. The Anatomy of magic is a historical fantasy romance with a very interesting magic system and a great found family towards the end. I am very excited to read the rest of this series as I think I will enjoy the rest of it more. One of my problems with this is the fact it says spicy historical romance on the front of the book and there was like one spicy scene for the entire book… Overall it was sorta slow paced which is why it didn’t full work for me but it did pick up towards the end which was what I really enjoyed.

Nina Veyr has always lived with a dangerous secret, illegal magic abilities that would probably get her locked up or killed. She has survived by smuggling relics and selling questionable things but then she steals from the wrong man. Max Antonin is a man with a lot of power in the city so when Nina steals from him, he won’t let it slide. But when Nina gets framed for murder, Max offers to help her to find the true killers. Nina doesn’t trust him but she has no choice but to accept his help to get her freedom and find her mother who was kidnapped.

I did overall have a good time with this book, it was a bit slow and the romance was very slow but I am excited for future books in the series.

[Courtney Croucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! Right from the beginning you’re thrown into this world where our FMC is smuggling dead bodies to help her ailing mother. When suddenly she’s framed for murder and forced to work with the city’s most notorious crime boss. The Frankensteinesque vibes of this book were so captivating! I can’t wait to read the next book!

Thank you to Second Sky/Forever and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Kerri-louise Whitham Your_bookish_fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

**𝓝𝓞 𝓢𝓟𝓞𝓘𝓛𝓔𝓡𝓢**
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- The Anatomy of Magic

𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫, Bookouture Audio 𝐚𝐧𝐝 NetGalley 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰, 𝐢𝐝 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐬 𝐢 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤.

⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
* 🗣 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿s Savannah Thomas ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ & Sean masters ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (my rating scale is at the end)
* 📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 / 5
* 🌡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲🌶🫑

⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
* Genre- Fantasy Romance
* 🎧 14 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 54 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 (I 𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚘𝚗 1.5 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚎𝚍)
* 📖 477 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
* 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 dual 𝗣𝗢𝗩 / 𝚍𝚞𝚎𝚝 𝚜𝚝𝚢𝚕𝚎 𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
* 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲- 30 June 2026
* 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒫𝓁ℴ𝓉
* 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- Darkest Divine book 1
* 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈.
* 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- fast
* 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈
* 𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝒾 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈?✅
* 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ𝓈?✅
* 𝒲ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 ℯ𝓁𝓈ℯ 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇?✅
* 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔? People that love this setting and prefer a more plot driven story.


⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
💦𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬/ 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
🔥𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧
🫦Oᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇs Aᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛ
🗡 Enemies (he literally shoots at her 3 times + gets her framed for murder & thrown in jail) to reluctant allies to lovers
🌡𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥, 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟

⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
🪧Pᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ Iɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
🪦𝕳𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗 𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘
🧬 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
✨ Vampire-ish broody MMC with tragic backstory
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
☠️𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕...
🧨𝕊𝕒𝕤𝕤𝕪 𝔽𝕄ℂ
🤬 Feminine Rage
⏳𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬
🤷‍♀️Unique Magic System
🎲 Frankenstein Elements/Vibe
🚂 steampunk with advanced technology
🪄 unique magic system
😭 sacrifice


📝Cliff Notes Review-
The story is pretty fast paced with a short timeline.
Chapter one opened with a quick and steamy meet-cute between the FMC and MMC, complete with immediate flirting. The way the plot unfolded- I knew early on I was invested in this book. It was Plot heavy, with a unique magic system that on the whole was very intriguing and twisty but it had little character development or emotional connection so I wasn’t fully drawn into the book. I was intrigued, but not overly impressed.


⚜️𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫 𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒓, 𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑵 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕?⚜️
(𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡- 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑜𝑟 𝐴𝑢𝑑𝑖𝑜?) AUDIOBOOK!!

⚜️𝔸𝕦𝕕𝕚𝕠 𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:
The duet narration style really elevated the entire experience. I was already hooked by the writing and plot, but the narrators added another layer of intensity and emotional engagement that made the story even more compelling.

This audiobook was Absolutely, and unequivocally, perfectly cast. Savannah Thomas, as always, absolutely delivered. She brought so much emotional depth to her performance that the FMC felt very real. She brings an authenticity to the delivery of the characters, using wide range of vocal inflections, tones, accents and genuine feeling to all characters she narrates, that makes every thought they have and every emotion they feel believable.

Sean Masters was equally strong. I admit I am a huge fan of his voice. He did an excellent job differentiating the MMC from the other character voices. That distinction made it easy to follow conversations and stay immersed in the story. Again the ranges in his voice, the gasps, breathy whispers and pure feeling in his words created a truly authentic experience, especially At the end of the book, when it was like I could feel the MMC‘s pain due to Sean‘s narration talent. Very well done.

"If his threat was a storm, I wanted to linger in the lightning, no matter the risk of the damage it might cause."

🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
This is a steampunk sort of fantasy but with advanced technology that predominantly shines in elements of magic, found family and rivalry and a tortured and traumatised MMC who has it bad with self-hate and 'I don't deserve you or anything good' vibes.

The plot was unique, the Frankenstein coded storyline was fascinating. The setting had a corrupt, archaic Venice vibes -imagine a dark early 18th century steampunk setting, with canals for travel (and waste removal), and class divisions so striking that the lower class will do anything for coin. The romance was flirty, mystery and tension filled, and this book had a very unique magic system rooted in science, particularly medical science. the antagonists were gods awful, and the ending was shocking/devastating.

Magic system-I couldn’t grasp this at first, I would have preferred more history and detail around the limits and restrictions, the magnitude of skills and the academy.
The magic was tethered on science. The blend felt very unique and well executed, It kept me engaged and following along with interest. -You have the original magic which is tied to Archetypes that is passed down through generations, the magic that is gifted in a ritual to only those who graduate from The Academy and then you have the Cursed who are forced to steal magic through drinking blood (so I think they’re vampires?) in order to use it. The way the magic is described, with the rules and the costs made it incredibly interesting, which I think, is why I was so frustrated- I wanted to know more.

It took me a bit to adjust to the world building/magic system as I did find it confusing at times, but once everything started making sense I could not stop listening/reading. The sheer mystery, the action sequences, the banter, the tension, the plot twists and the secrets, were All brought to life by two incredible narrators was so real and they are what kept me going when I was confused or lost in the world building.

But- the story’s execution is just not there. i also got frustrated with how much telling instead of showing was going on, and while i understand that complex worlds have historical contexts the reader needs to know to understand the magnitude of the storyline, i just feel like there needs to be a more creative way to introduce them. Perhaps this was because of the way the plot was carried with such ease and development, i just expected the characters and lore/history to have this same effortless grace.

I was intrigued, but not overly impressed.

"Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you see me. Really see me."

🧝‍♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
This book falls flat in character development, romantic attraction/tension and emotional depth. The dynamic between Max and Nina did not work well for me. I thought that their relationship was more tell vs show and their romantic tension and clash didn't land organically. The tension was there, but it felt like the author didn't know what to do with it or how to explore it. Their feelings sprung up out of nowhere and their proclamation of love felt unnatural. One moment they are avoiding each other- pushing each other away or lying, then, the next moment he tells her he is in love with her. To me, they had zero emotional depth. There was no meaningful conversations, no openness- nothing in the story that emotionally pulled me in. Max was closed off and Nina never prodded. The author tries to torture us by making us wait all the way until past 70%, I really felt this book lacked yearning, tension, and propulsion.

The MMC’s attraction to the FMC and the “chase” added most of the tension. Around the 40% mark, we learned more about the MMC’s traumatic and abusive past, which added emotional depth and understanding to his behavior, subsequently making more sense of some of the tension and why he stopped the connection between them at times.

“Is my heartbeat the only one you hear?” I asked him, curious. “It’s the only one I listen to.”

I appreciated the way the author created empathy for both MC’s. I found myself constantly flicking back and forth- understanding and empathizing with both, while at the exact same time, I wanted to yell at them both for not talking to one another and instead, making stupid choices. Injoyed the wa that even though this was a solo pov for most of the story, we got to see the reasons and motivations behind the characters choices. This internal push-pull of feeling bad for the MFC while also thinking “these are the consequences of your choices,” was really well done. The author created a situation where both perspectives felt valid, even when they contradicted each other.

The FMC, Nina, is so relatable and cunning, she was fierce, resourceful, selfless and feisty and I just love the way she approaches and overcomes all of the obstacles in her way.

However, the FMC’s behavior started to pull me out of the story. She frequently reacted with juvenile tantrums. the hypocrisy is what irritated me the most. The FMC was AWFUL when it came to hypocrisy, at least during the middle of the book. She kept secrets but got angry when the MMC did the same (to the point she had a tantrum), she prioritized her own goals but resented him when he did likewise, and she ignored his warnings repeatedly, ultimately putting him at risk, but got mad when she felt others didn’t listen to her. It became especially frustrating because many of the conflicts stemmed from her refusal to listen or reflect.
I was highly irritated by the imbalance: the MMC continually supported and protected the MFC, but for a while there she responded with anger, said hypocrisy, or extremely poor decision-making.

The MMC, Max, also had his moments. Constantly pushing the FMC away because of his trauma and fear response with not a word or explanation. I could not blame the FMC for being irritated by the fourth or so time this happened. However, when the FMC FINALLY understood the MMC and addressed his trauma, it was beautiful. She met him where he was at and gave him what he needed to feel safe and start healing. When she met him with empathy, not anger, of course that was when he finally opened up.

“Careful, Ace. Where I’m from, we use threats like that as foreplay.”

So, then- Max. His character is complex and deep with a truly devastating backstory that will pull at your heartstrings, His character was however, not well explored because you don’t get much of this until further on in the story. It rather frustrated me because of how distant he appeared. In the beginning of the book, we were told about who Max is and where he came from, but it was quickly brushed under the rug and not explored until much later in the book-and even then it was short and quick. This transition left a wide gap in the storytelling that left me with many questions and answers that were not fully explored.

⏳ 𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚 𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
I won’t be re reading no,but I would recommend to the plot (rather than character) lovers of this style of book.

"I finally figured out why you terrify me so much. Because now that I have you, I don't know what I'd do without you. I'd be so lost without the sound of your heart and the peace it brings to my chaos."

🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
This is highly recommended on audio, but not so much in book form. The narrators bring this story to life and fill in that strange gap that is created by the books tell not show vibes and less than stalls character development. The unique magic system and brilliant plot are the backbone of this book, and perhaps with one more round of editing this could have been great in all formats. If you like these tropes and this setting and you’re more of a plot person then this is a book you will love!



𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;

𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
https://www.tiktok.com/@your_bookish_...

IᑎՏTᗩ
https://www.instagram.com/your_bookis...

 

***********************

𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF

⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but  it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands

⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!

🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!

[m · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.75 stars. This book is such a frustrating waste of an intricately crafted world that genuinely could have been incredible if the author had taken the time to make it so.

The world is built with so much care. Its geography, sociopolitical structure, and anatomy-based magic system all feel deeply connected, and the Cursed are one of the most plausible interpretations of vampires I have encountered. I wanted to understand the bloodlines, what had actually happened during the trials, what Nina’s father had discovered, and how all of those pieces fit together.

The problem is that the book makes those connections unnecessarily difficult to follow.

My first gripe: geography shapes nearly every part of the story, from politics, class, and culture to the relationships between different groups. Yet there is no map. The geographical aspects of the characters’ journey are essential to understanding the context of what is happening, but so much of their significance was lost on me because it was incredibly difficult to follow where anyone was at any given time.

The writing itself is not actually terrible. On a sentence-by-sentence level, much of it is not only readable but sometimes quite good. The problem is that the book is riddled with continuity errors, missing transitions, vague explanations, and emotional whiplash.

There are repeated physical continuity errors. Nina takes off her shirt in one scene, causing Max to look away in embarrassment when he enters the room. But the book never says she puts it back on as they continue their conversation and eventually leave, even though her being undressed was a central point at the beginning of the scene. At another point, she hides the dice down her bodice before entering the opium den, but soon afterward they are apparently stolen from her pocket when she never textually put them there. At Max’s casino, a suitcase and an entire collection of “her things” appear even though she fled without taking anything and never went back to retrieve it.

These details may sound small individually, but they happened often enough that I stopped trusting the text. Instead of staying immersed in the story, I was constantly trying to work out whether I had missed something or whether the book had simply forgotten what it had already established.

The larger continuity problem is Nina herself.

At the beginning, I liked her. She seemed capable, competent, cautious, and driven by survival. She was hiding a dangerous secret, protecting her mother, doing whatever she needed to do to stay alive, and clearly outsmarting the men in her world. But as the book continued, she became almost unrecognizable.

She swings from being obstinately independent to being completely at the mercy of the men around her. Her emotions jump from one extreme to another with very little development between them, and she repeatedly makes catastrophic decisions on a dime because her feelings get hurt and she chooses to react instead of asking a question, requesting clarification, or communicating with anyone.

She constantly acts to spite other people instead of making her own choices about who she is and what she actually wants. Then, once everything has gone to shit and she has (more often than not) needed to be saved, she acts as though nothing ever happened. The emotional whiplash is honestly borderline traumatizing for the reader.

That pattern happens over and over again. Nina misunderstands something, immediately assumes the worst, reacts at maximum intensity, and makes a decision that completely screws her. Then she learns nothing from it and does essentially the same thing again. There is no meaningful growth, self-awareness, or increasing understanding of herself or the people around her.

By the end, it felt less like Nina was a complicated or emotionally reactive character and more like the author changed her personality to create whatever conflict the current scene required. It genuinely felt as though the book did not know who its own main character was.

That also made the romance extremely difficult to believe.

I liked Max. His history of being experimented on as a child gives him darkness, trauma, and an interior conflict that made me want to understand him. His connection to the trials and the Cursed gives him an actual emotional and thematic relationship to the larger story. Granted, he was possessive, obsessive, and plenty of other things that many people would find questionable in a love interest, but I genuinely liked him.

What I never understood was why he thought Nina was such hot shit.

For roughly three quarters of the book, there is very little emotional intimacy or convincing development supporting their supposed connection. The book tells us that their bond is powerful and important, but it rarely shows us why. Nina’s reactions to Max shift from vaguely neutral to enormously positive or negative, yet there is no narrative progression building a foundation for either the relationship or the intensity of those reactions.

They fight, flirt, and then act as though nothing happened. In all honesty, it does not even qualify as a will-they-won’t-they. Their feelings seem to appear simply because the plot says it is time for them to appear.

The book also repeatedly mistakes vagueness for mystery. Nina keeps mentioning that people do not know “who she is,” and the story occasionally drops hints about her bloodline and abilities as though it is building toward some precise revelation. But the information is handled so unclearly that I often could not tell whether something was meant to be mysterious or was simply poorly explained.

Mystery should make me curious. This frequently just made me confused.

Even the action and character decisions often felt disconnected from the stakes the book itself had established. Max is preparing for a duel to the death with his brother, says he has no time to train, and then spends an hour teaching Nina a basic fighting stance so they can flirt in the ring.

After the fight, time is supposedly of the essence because they have to reach her mother before the experiment on the boat ends the next day, yet they take God knows how long to fuck in a slaughterhouse first—despite Nina constantly claiming that her mother is “the most important thing.”

Moments like that do not feel driven by character or survival logic. They feel like scenes the author wanted to include regardless of whether they made sense where they were placed.

That is what makes this so disappointing. There is a much better book inside this one.

The world has depth. The magic has consequences. The Cursed raise questions about personhood, exploitation, and who gets to decide what makes someone human. The trials suggest something brutal and institutional hidden beneath the mythology of the world. Nina’s father, the bloodlines, the Architect, and the experiments all point toward a story about inherited power and the way violence becomes buried inside systems people have accepted as normal.

I wanted answers about all of that.

But the continuity errors, unclear geography, underdeveloped romance, inconsistent characterization, and Nina’s complete lack of growth made the actual process of reaching those answers exhausting.

I normally finish books in one or two days. This took me well over a week, not because the ideas were too complex, but because the storytelling created so much friction. Curiosity about the world was doing all the work that character investment, romance, pacing, and narrative clarity should have been doing alongside it.

I finished wanting to learn more about almost everything in the world surrounding Nina while having absolutely no desire to spend another book inside her head.

That is a particularly frustrating place for the first installment of a series to leave me. Cannot recommend.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Forever & Second Sky books for the eARC via NetGalley.

I grabbed this as a Read Now, because I absolutely loved Alexis' Vows of Vengeance series, which I read when they were indie published. That duology had such a hold on me, mixing dark and gritty with steamy romance and passion in such a beautiful blend that I've only found in a few other books so far (namely, A Forbidden Alchemy and Terror at the Gates), and I was really hoping for more of those vibes in this book with the addition of a magical element.

Well, I certainly got the magic.

The premise of this book sounds perfect: illegal magical abilities, framed for murder, catches the eye of the local crime boss who decides to help our FMC... it should have been great. And honestly, it started off strong, easing the reader into Nina's life and how she gets caught up in some sketchy things and then framed for a high-profile murder.

However, I missed the beautiful writing from the Vows of Vengeance duology, and it felt like the book started to lose the plot around halfway through; by 75% percent, I feel like it had lost it's focus entirely. There is just SO much going on, and I feel like nothing stands out as The Main Plotline all that well. We start off with one plot thread, and then a twist to another plot thread, which ok, they are linked, I'm still following... but then we throw in a few more and now that 2nd plot thread is an after thought (and for Nina, it really shouldn't be), and we start to focus on yet another aspect of this story that almost feels unnecessary... it overall just feels messy to me. And I'm really struggling to understand what is going on and the importance of some of these plot points, especially when you add in some of the inconsistancies in events throughout the book.

But what really caused me to put this book down at the 80% mark are three things: my ever-increasing frustrations with Nina; the SA which is not specified in the Content Warnings (more on that in a bit); and the fact that we have vampirical characters (which I was not aware of).

First, Nina. She's a surgeon's assistant, and seems like she's smart and has a good head on her shoulders. But as we progress through the book, she kind of flip-flops on how she feels towards Max a little too wildly for me, to the point where I don't really think she LIKES him as much as she LUSTS for him, when he very clearly likes her. And she makes increasingly less-intelligent decisions, supposedly having plans but then as she enacts them she very clearly does NOT have a plan. She doesn't seem to think things through and gets herself into more trouble than is really necessary for a single book.

Which brings us to the SA. The content warnings in the front of the eARC that I read note "graphic violence" and "graphic sexual content", among other things. However, I feel there is a distinct enough difference between these two content triggers that are listed, and specifically calling out non-consensual sexual content, especially when the book cover itself notes that it is "A Spicy Fantasy Romance Adventure", so you expect explicit romance to a certain extent... but not SA. What else would you call it when Nina is, against her will, kissed, fondled, stripped and handcuffed to a bed by some of the male antagonists in this story? And then when you compare this to the fact that (again, at 80%) the MCs have really only made out once?

As for the vampires bit - I'm just not into vampires at all lately, and have not been interested in reading about those kinds of characters. If I had known that there were vampires of a sort included in this book, that alone would have been enough to convince me that maybe I wasn't going to enjoy this book, especially when the vampiric traits are referenced frequently.

While I was ultimately disappointed in this book, I am still hopeful for the other books that Alexis is working on, and will still give them a read when they eventually are ready to be released.

[Jillsbooknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“If I ran…would you chase me?”
“Fuck, Nina.” His face sought the curve of my neck, groaning. “ Yes. I would chase you to the edges of the map and beyond.”

The Anatomy of Magic is the first instalment in the gaslamp dark romantasy series, Darkest Desires. Written primarily in first person POV the story follows surgery assistant Nina Veyr who finds herself embroiled further into the underbelly of the criminal world of Valveron when her smuggling job goes haywire and she finds herself on the run for murder. She ends up unwillingly allying herself with a powerful crime boss who she stole from and she's suspicious of his motive. Add in the fact Nina has a rare form of magic that could get her in a lot of trouble, Nina must decide if she's willing to risk her heart in the city's underbelly for a chance of truth and freedom or will she find herself lost to the secrets deep within?

Oh I had a good time with this book!

Nina is the FMC you get to see grow into a power house! She is a healer who wants to do good but she is also desperate to protect and help her ailing mother so she's willing to get down and dirty. I liked seeing how tenacious she is and the lengths she is willing to go. She also refuses to be set on the sidelines of her life. Watching her embrace parts of her that she tried to hide was amazing!

Max is our morally grey MMC and he has the kind of back story you can sink your teeth into. I found his entry into the book to really help him hit the ground running. He is charming and antagonistic to Nina but it felt like his way of trying to ignore how he feels about her. As the story progresses he becomes more feral and I was living for it. His abilities and magic and past help you feel for him and gosh he ripped into my heart a few times. Though he does have to do some grovelling at one point.

“Careful, Ace. Where I’m from, we use threats like that as foreplay.”
“I suppose that explains why I’m better at them than you are.”
“Well, that sounds like a challenge.”

In terms of spice I would place this novel at 1.5 spicy peppers out of 5 spicy peppers. There is one spicy scene in this novel in the later second half of this book. This is a slow burn as our characters do not start off necessarily on a good note but forced proximity means they're stuck together. The spice is detailed and explicit and I added the 0.5 because it's also a bit kinky in the best of ways. These two characters have a relationship that builds in intensity and I loved how it all came together because they finally are something it has been a journey to get there!

The story is a journey that is tense, fulfilling, and packed with twists and turns. It takes you into the heart of this world and it's lore and I was on there for the ride! I liked how there was a clear enough objective guiding the movement of the story around Nina tracking down those killers of the man she's accused of killing. I also found they way her unique backstory and Max's blends into this journey. I love when a story spirals together so it all feels cohesive, especially when there is a focus on family. There is a lot of tension and grit to this world as we deal with surgery, body smuggling, and criminals willing to hurt for their own gains. The magic system is fascinating in how people can gain access to the magic at a high cost. The side characters kept our characters moving along even when they didn't get along and Nina being lucky was a hilarious running joke of the story. The ending builds into some really good action packed scenes with revelations that shake up the world. My heart stopped a couple times when I realized what was going on! The ending is a cliffhanger and it is a doozy so be prepared!

Overall this book has all the grittiness, magic, romance, and mystery that you need in your romantasies! I cannot wait for what comes next!

Thank you to Read Forever and Hachette Book Group for this arc!

[Faiza BEGUM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Anatomy of Magic grabbed my attention almost immediately, and from that point on, I couldn't stop thinking about it whenever I had to put it down. It's the kind of story that constantly pulls you back because you need to know what happens next. This was my first experience with Alexis L. Menard's writing, and it definitely won't be my last. Waiting for the next book is going to feel impossible.

From the very beginning, Nina and Maxence completely won me over. Nina is everything I love in a fantasy heroine—brilliant, compassionate, endlessly curious, and fiercely dedicated to her work as a surgeon. She faces every challenge with determination while never losing the kindness that makes her so easy to admire.

Maxence was equally compelling but in a very different way. He projects the image of someone ruthless and untouchable, yet beneath that exterior is a man carrying years of pain and self-doubt. His first meeting with Nina instantly revealed the vulnerability hiding behind his hardened façade, and from that moment I was emotionally invested in him. Watching him struggle with his own sense of worth while slowly allowing someone into his life made every interaction between them even more meaningful.

The magic system deserves all the praise. Fantasy is a genre I read often, so finding something that feels genuinely original isn't easy, but Alexis created a concept that felt fresh from start to finish. I loved discovering how the bloodlines worked, the different magical archetypes, the role of essence in blood, and the mystery surrounding Maxence and his siblings. Every new piece of information made me even more fascinated by the world.

The setting itself is just as impressive. The sharp divide between the privileged magic users and those struggling to survive in the Fissures adds depth to the story, while the political tensions involving the governor, the police, the Academy, and the Magister make the world feel complex without becoming difficult to follow. Everything fits together naturally, making it easy to become completely immersed.

One thing I appreciated most was the pacing. The story never lingered too long in one place, but it also knew when to slow down and let the quieter character moments breathe. Those balanced moments made the action, mysteries, and revelations hit even harder as Nina and Maxence uncovered secrets that became increasingly dangerous.

I experienced the audiobook, and it was an outstanding production. The duet narration added so much personality and emotion to the characters that it felt like I was experiencing the story alongside them. Both narrators delivered performances that made an already captivating novel even more immersive.

By the time I reached the final pages, I was completely attached to these characters and desperate to know where their journey will lead next. That ending left me emotionally wrecked in the best possible way. If you're looking for a fantasy with unforgettable characters, exceptional world-building, an inventive magic system, and a story that refuses to let go of your attention, The Anatomy of Magic deserves a place at the very top of your reading list.