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Bodies of Magic
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education in this dark academia fantasy from USA Today bestselling author Freya Marske.
At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam—a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future.
The list of exam rules includes:
• You will perform five practical cases.
• Your exam group is chosen at random.
• You pass together, or fail together.
It does not include:
• On the first day, your exam group will find a classmate's dead body in the exam hall.
And as they will soon discover, this particular group all have something to hide... and all have a connection with the dead girl, a brilliant scholar who would have been first in their class.
Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days in which to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. One with the potential to change the world.
Are you ready?
Let’s begin.
At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam—a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future.
The list of exam rules includes:
• You will perform five practical cases.
• Your exam group is chosen at random.
• You pass together, or fail together.
It does not include:
• On the first day, your exam group will find a classmate's dead body in the exam hall.
And as they will soon discover, this particular group all have something to hide... and all have a connection with the dead girl, a brilliant scholar who would have been first in their class.
Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days in which to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. One with the potential to change the world.
Are you ready?
Let’s begin.
464 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
Freya Marske
18 books3,561 followersFreya Marske lives in Australia, where she is yet to be killed by any form of wildlife. She writes stories full of magic, blood, and as much kissing as she can get away with, and she co-hosted the Hugo Award nominated podcast Be the Serpent. Her hobbies include figure skating and discovering new art galleries, and she is on a quest to try all the gin in the world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Want to Read
April 23, 2026PLEASEEEE I HAVE HAD THIS ARC PENDING FOR 21 DAYS IF YOURE GOING TO ACCEPT THEN ACCEPT IF YOURE GOING TO DENY THEN DENY😭😭😭
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I NEED ♾️ MORE BOOKS LIKE THIS RIGHT THIS SECOND!!
I am so incredibly glad I requested an ARC of Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske, and so grateful that I was sent a copy! 🙏
This book was like a 200-step recipe with completely random elements that didn’t seem to make sense together—until the very last moment when your mouth exploded with flavor! 💥
Why you need this standalone on your TBR immediately:
📖 Magic medical school & a high-stakes murder mystery
📖 A brilliant, chaotic motley crew to found family dynamic
📖 Refreshing, closed-door queer romance in a world where it’s completely normalized
📖 Complex, intense magic systems that feel both dangerous and fascinating
If you love dark academia vibes, incredible character growth, and stories that leave you screaming for more, do not skip this one.
CHECK OUT MY FULL IG CAROUSEL
Pre-read
I'm so excited to be starting this! 🤩✨
______________
Jun 8:
REQUEST ACCEPTED!! 🥹✨ I'M SO HAPPY!! 😭 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉
May 22:
🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 This looks very much like a book I'm gonna love. I'm really hoping to be accepted for this ARC! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I am so incredibly glad I requested an ARC of Bodies of Magic by Freya Marske, and so grateful that I was sent a copy! 🙏
This book was like a 200-step recipe with completely random elements that didn’t seem to make sense together—until the very last moment when your mouth exploded with flavor! 💥
Why you need this standalone on your TBR immediately:
📖 Magic medical school & a high-stakes murder mystery
📖 A brilliant, chaotic motley crew to found family dynamic
📖 Refreshing, closed-door queer romance in a world where it’s completely normalized
📖 Complex, intense magic systems that feel both dangerous and fascinating
If you love dark academia vibes, incredible character growth, and stories that leave you screaming for more, do not skip this one.
CHECK OUT MY FULL IG CAROUSEL
Pre-read
I'm so excited to be starting this! 🤩✨
______________
Jun 8:
REQUEST ACCEPTED!! 🥹✨ I'M SO HAPPY!! 😭 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉 🎉
May 22:
🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 This looks very much like a book I'm gonna love. I'm really hoping to be accepted for this ARC! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
Read
March 17, 2026unrated while i think real hard about it but generally, i REALLY liked this. the characters are so real and good and complicated and kind (Moyna i LOVE you), the plot is compelling enough to get you through this hefty book, and the worldbuilding is rich and interesting and I would read another 5 books set in this world, EASY. Plus everyone's gay and funny. Sunshine, rainbows. Yes, I recommend this.
However. The lack of consideration for disability was... noticeable. I think medical school dark academia cannot be complete without discussion of disability. I really liked the choice to use a sensitivity reader (presumably for the nonbinary character, might be wrong tho) but I think this book really could benefit from a sensitivity read from a disabled person. l don't think it would take a lot to fill in this missing piece: just the acknowledgement that disabled people are not given the agency they deserve in a society focused on"fixing" rather than equity and acommodation.
In summary: yay! whee! yay!!! *
However. The lack of consideration for disability was... noticeable. I think medical school dark academia cannot be complete without discussion of disability. I really liked the choice to use a sensitivity reader (presumably for the nonbinary character, might be wrong tho) but I think this book really could benefit from a sensitivity read from a disabled person. l don't think it would take a lot to fill in this missing piece: just the acknowledgement that disabled people are not given the agency they deserve in a society focused on"fixing" rather than equity and acommodation.
In summary: yay! whee! yay!!! *
July 15, 2026
3,75⭐️ rounded up to a 4🥰
Overall, I really liked the concept of this book and I really, really tried to love it, but there were just some things that worked against me a little.
First of all, let me talk about the positives! I really liked Freya’s writing style and will definitely be checking out her other books sometime. The concept of the book was also amazing. Healing magic x dark academia with a murder mystery? Right up my alley!
The story follows five students who are selected to take their final exams together. They have five days to complete five exams, but when they arrive for their first exam, they find a fellow student dead inside the exam room. From that moment on, the book immediately starts off with suspense and mystery. Throughout the story, I kept wondering what had happened and who was responsible.
However, I did feel like the first half of the book was quite slow. There was a lot of information being introduced and, at times, there was so much info-dumping that it became a little difficult to follow everything.
We also get all five students’ POVs. This was something I both liked and struggled with. On the one hand, it allowed us to get to know each of the characters better, which I really enjoyed. On the other hand, switching between five different POVs sometimes made the story a little difficult to follow. The characters I cared about the most were Moyna and Jehan.
Another thing I struggled with was the pacing. The entire book takes place over the course of just five days, with the exams taking place day after day. Since the book is around 450 pages long, that means that each day takes up roughly 90 pages. Because of this, some of the days started to feel quite long and drawn-out, especially during the first half of the book...
Thankfully, the pacing picked up during the second half of the book, especially around days three and four. From that point onwards, I felt like the story finally started moving forward more quickly! I found the reveal incredibly exciting and I was especially interested in the entire plot surrounding the dead student’s project. I thought that part of the story was incredibly well thought out and really enjoyed seeing how everything came together!!
I also really wish we had gotten to explore more of Alys’ powers. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what she was capable of, which was a little disappointing because I found that aspect of the story very intriguing.
So, overall, this was a good book. Great, even. But I also can’t help feeling like it had the potential to be even better. I really enjoyed the concept, the writing and the mystery but the slow pacing and the amount of information introduced during the first half made it a little difficult for me to fully connect with the story.
Still, I definitely enjoyed the second half much more and I will absolutely be checking out more of Freya’s books in the future!
Overall, I really liked the concept of this book and I really, really tried to love it, but there were just some things that worked against me a little.
First of all, let me talk about the positives! I really liked Freya’s writing style and will definitely be checking out her other books sometime. The concept of the book was also amazing. Healing magic x dark academia with a murder mystery? Right up my alley!
The story follows five students who are selected to take their final exams together. They have five days to complete five exams, but when they arrive for their first exam, they find a fellow student dead inside the exam room. From that moment on, the book immediately starts off with suspense and mystery. Throughout the story, I kept wondering what had happened and who was responsible.
However, I did feel like the first half of the book was quite slow. There was a lot of information being introduced and, at times, there was so much info-dumping that it became a little difficult to follow everything.
We also get all five students’ POVs. This was something I both liked and struggled with. On the one hand, it allowed us to get to know each of the characters better, which I really enjoyed. On the other hand, switching between five different POVs sometimes made the story a little difficult to follow. The characters I cared about the most were Moyna and Jehan.
Another thing I struggled with was the pacing. The entire book takes place over the course of just five days, with the exams taking place day after day. Since the book is around 450 pages long, that means that each day takes up roughly 90 pages. Because of this, some of the days started to feel quite long and drawn-out, especially during the first half of the book...
Thankfully, the pacing picked up during the second half of the book, especially around days three and four. From that point onwards, I felt like the story finally started moving forward more quickly! I found the reveal incredibly exciting and I was especially interested in the entire plot surrounding the dead student’s project. I thought that part of the story was incredibly well thought out and really enjoyed seeing how everything came together!!
I also really wish we had gotten to explore more of Alys’ powers. I feel like we barely scratched the surface of what she was capable of, which was a little disappointing because I found that aspect of the story very intriguing.
So, overall, this was a good book. Great, even. But I also can’t help feeling like it had the potential to be even better. I really enjoyed the concept, the writing and the mystery but the slow pacing and the amount of information introduced during the first half made it a little difficult for me to fully connect with the story.
Still, I definitely enjoyed the second half much more and I will absolutely be checking out more of Freya’s books in the future!
June 16, 2026
FREYA MARSKE IS THE GOAT AND THIS IS HER GOATIEST BOOK YET!!!! I love how she uses magical power as a metaphor for socioeconomic power throughout her books and this really knocks it out of the park. I genuinely would die for all of these characters and also HOW DID I NOT KNOW SHE WAS ALSO A DOCTOR?!??!!
July 11, 2026
Freya Marske's Bodies of Magic is a masterclass in Dark Academia- the worldbuilding is complex, and clearly painstakingly layered and presented with such detail that the world feels as gritty and lived-in as our own. The characters are all so finely wrought, nuanced and as frustrating as they are endearing. This book IS a challenging one, clearly Marske has respect for her readers, but while some may be bogged down by the intricacies of the magic system and the slow burn build of the murder mystery at the stories heart, I absolutely loved being immersed in this world, getting lose in Marske's imagination. This is a book to savor and I would gladly read more stories set in this world! More books like this please!
July 31, 2026
Holy shit that was incredible. This insane and amazing book combined a locked room murder mystery, a magical medical school, politics and hierarchy, and a gang of misfits the likes of whom I haven’t seen and loved since the Six of Crows Duology.
The worldbuilding was both simple and incredibly in depth. It’s focussed mainly on the City of Sieuxerr; children born in Sieuxerr usually inherit the power of healing, and are therefore incredibly sought after, but also lose almost all of their autonomy - they are required to study healing, no matter their own preferences, and even in death their bodies belong to Sieuxerr academy. I felt so many emotions at the world; the unfairness the healers face, the shortage of resources, especially after a mysterious disease gutted the healer population a generation ago and the suffocating expectations that are put upon them.
The book is told from the five POVs of five students sitting their final exams as a cohort - they pass together or not at all. When one of their graduating class is found dead on the morning of their first exam, the group have to work together to not only graduate, but find out what happened to her. I loved all these characters and their mess passionately. There’s Etiene, rich son of a high ranking healer, and Jehan, poor son of an overworked medic, who are madly in love either each other but fighting against it every step of the way. There’s Alys, a beautiful socialite who is expected to simply smile and be pretty, useless and pampered. There’s Clement, whose family hates healers, and is trying to survive whilst grieving their best friend. And finally Moyna, who doesn’t want to be a healer, but whose parents sacrificed so much to make her one.
This is a queer normative world, which I absolutely loved. Being genderfree is recognised and accepted, with one of the main MCs, Clement, embodying this. I loved hearing about all the different regions with different types of elemental mages and the cultures that all band together in the city.
I could talk about this book all day and night; I haven’t been this sucked into a story in ages. I loved the murder mystery element, which had me guessing well into the last part of the book. Marske’s writing is absolutely masterful, and I cannot wait for whatever she brings out next!
Thanks to the legends at Tor for giving me a chance to read an eARC of this via NetGalley. ILY 💕
Read Bodies of Magic for:
✨ Locked room murder mystery
✨ Magical medical school
✨ Queer normative world
✨ Incredible world building
✨ Queer romance sub-plots
✨ Politics of medicine
✨ Flawed but loveable MCs
✨ Immersive storytelling
✨ Alternating POVs
The worldbuilding was both simple and incredibly in depth. It’s focussed mainly on the City of Sieuxerr; children born in Sieuxerr usually inherit the power of healing, and are therefore incredibly sought after, but also lose almost all of their autonomy - they are required to study healing, no matter their own preferences, and even in death their bodies belong to Sieuxerr academy. I felt so many emotions at the world; the unfairness the healers face, the shortage of resources, especially after a mysterious disease gutted the healer population a generation ago and the suffocating expectations that are put upon them.
The book is told from the five POVs of five students sitting their final exams as a cohort - they pass together or not at all. When one of their graduating class is found dead on the morning of their first exam, the group have to work together to not only graduate, but find out what happened to her. I loved all these characters and their mess passionately. There’s Etiene, rich son of a high ranking healer, and Jehan, poor son of an overworked medic, who are madly in love either each other but fighting against it every step of the way. There’s Alys, a beautiful socialite who is expected to simply smile and be pretty, useless and pampered. There’s Clement, whose family hates healers, and is trying to survive whilst grieving their best friend. And finally Moyna, who doesn’t want to be a healer, but whose parents sacrificed so much to make her one.
This is a queer normative world, which I absolutely loved. Being genderfree is recognised and accepted, with one of the main MCs, Clement, embodying this. I loved hearing about all the different regions with different types of elemental mages and the cultures that all band together in the city.
I could talk about this book all day and night; I haven’t been this sucked into a story in ages. I loved the murder mystery element, which had me guessing well into the last part of the book. Marske’s writing is absolutely masterful, and I cannot wait for whatever she brings out next!
Thanks to the legends at Tor for giving me a chance to read an eARC of this via NetGalley. ILY 💕
Read Bodies of Magic for:
✨ Locked room murder mystery
✨ Magical medical school
✨ Queer normative world
✨ Incredible world building
✨ Queer romance sub-plots
✨ Politics of medicine
✨ Flawed but loveable MCs
✨ Immersive storytelling
✨ Alternating POVs
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
absolutely one of my fave books of the year so far! i loved the characters SO MUCH and the plot was super engaging!
thank you pan macmillan/book break for the ARC :)
thank you pan macmillan/book break for the ARC :)
March 31, 2026
THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN ❣️
I can’t express what a wonderful time I had reading this book. The plot was driving, the characters were so delightfully themselves (with their own clear motivations, personalities, inner worlds) the worldbuilding was lush and vivid and transporting.
I was right there in Sieuxerr eating sweetmice and partying on lantern night with my five very best friends. 🏮I want to put Estiene and Alys in my pocket and protect them from the big bad world as I know Clement would tell me not to fuss and Jehan and Moyna would fight me trying to pick them up.
I 💙LOVE 💙 these characters and this world and this message of healing and hierarchy in medicine. This is so beautifully crafted and mirrors our world and the stress on the medical industry so poignantly. The healing was truly magical, the music was delightful.
I have read *all* of Freya Marske’s books and this has unseated my reigning number one. Hats off to you Freya, 10 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so so much to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC. I almost fell off my chair when I received it and ate it up gleefully. I appreciate having the privilege of being an early reader.
I can’t express what a wonderful time I had reading this book. The plot was driving, the characters were so delightfully themselves (with their own clear motivations, personalities, inner worlds) the worldbuilding was lush and vivid and transporting.
I was right there in Sieuxerr eating sweetmice and partying on lantern night with my five very best friends. 🏮I want to put Estiene and Alys in my pocket and protect them from the big bad world as I know Clement would tell me not to fuss and Jehan and Moyna would fight me trying to pick them up.
I 💙LOVE 💙 these characters and this world and this message of healing and hierarchy in medicine. This is so beautifully crafted and mirrors our world and the stress on the medical industry so poignantly. The healing was truly magical, the music was delightful.
I have read *all* of Freya Marske’s books and this has unseated my reigning number one. Hats off to you Freya, 10 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so so much to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC. I almost fell off my chair when I received it and ate it up gleefully. I appreciate having the privilege of being an early reader.
Currently Reading
December 26, 2025magical medical school sounds like it's gonna EEAAATTTTTT
June 16, 2026
Oof this book had me somewhat in a chokehold!
I read this one frustratingly slow (damn life getting in the way of my reading time- how dare it!) so my few chapters of this a day I really looked forward to. I kept trying to second guess the story or see where it was headed - I couldn’t wait to see what else would unravel or how their next case was going to go.
It took me a few chapters to get to grips with the world and the characters in the book but once I got the lay of the land, I was so intrigued. I really loved the murder mystery element and the academia vibes - the medical/ healer aspect but coupled with fantasy and magic definitely made it novel for me.
It was split into the five cases of their final year healer exams, with the group stumbling across the dead body of one in their cohort - was it murder, burnout, a cover up? They had to juggle getting to the bottom of a crime AND pass their all important final exams, I mean, that’s a lot for anyone’s plate. I couldn’t get enough and the steady pace really kept me going until the end. I really enjoyed this read!
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
I read this one frustratingly slow (damn life getting in the way of my reading time- how dare it!) so my few chapters of this a day I really looked forward to. I kept trying to second guess the story or see where it was headed - I couldn’t wait to see what else would unravel or how their next case was going to go.
It took me a few chapters to get to grips with the world and the characters in the book but once I got the lay of the land, I was so intrigued. I really loved the murder mystery element and the academia vibes - the medical/ healer aspect but coupled with fantasy and magic definitely made it novel for me.
It was split into the five cases of their final year healer exams, with the group stumbling across the dead body of one in their cohort - was it murder, burnout, a cover up? They had to juggle getting to the bottom of a crime AND pass their all important final exams, I mean, that’s a lot for anyone’s plate. I couldn’t get enough and the steady pace really kept me going until the end. I really enjoyed this read!
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Want to Read
April 21, 2026omg new freya marske book i am so excited!!!!!!!!
Read
June 1, 2026** THE VERSION OF THIS BOOK THAT I READ WAS AN ARC **
Want to Read
June 16, 2026Magic medical school with a murder mystery? SIGN ME THE F UP.
This just became my most anticipated book of the year.
This just became my most anticipated book of the year.
July 22, 2026
A proper review of this is forthcoming in Locus, but the TL;DR is I loved it. I've loved everything of Marske's I've read so far, so that's not a huge surprise - but this is quite different from her other books in some ways. Some similarities, though, too.
Set in secondary world, where some people are born with magical ability and that's no real big deal. You get tested, you see whether you might have a gift. If you live in Sieuxerr, though, you might have the ability to be a healer - in which case you have no choice but to be a healer. And after five years of study you undertake five days of exams with four other students - not of your choosing - before you graduate. And then you have to go off and be a healer, either in whatever place paid for your training (because of course it costs), or at home if your family is rich enough to have paid upfront.
Sounds familiar, really, doesn't it.
The book focuses on five students in those final days. All of the characters are beautifully developed. They all have their struggles, and their achievements.
Did I mention there's a death? There's a death. Finish your medical exams AND figure out whether the death is a murder or not! No drama! So there's investigatory shenanigans; there's falling in love, arguing with family, making your place in the world, defying expectations, etc etc. It's a lot of fun. I did get about 4/5 through and have to go stare at a wall, For Reasons.
This is such a great book.
Set in secondary world, where some people are born with magical ability and that's no real big deal. You get tested, you see whether you might have a gift. If you live in Sieuxerr, though, you might have the ability to be a healer - in which case you have no choice but to be a healer. And after five years of study you undertake five days of exams with four other students - not of your choosing - before you graduate. And then you have to go off and be a healer, either in whatever place paid for your training (because of course it costs), or at home if your family is rich enough to have paid upfront.
Sounds familiar, really, doesn't it.
The book focuses on five students in those final days. All of the characters are beautifully developed. They all have their struggles, and their achievements.
Did I mention there's a death? There's a death. Finish your medical exams AND figure out whether the death is a murder or not! No drama! So there's investigatory shenanigans; there's falling in love, arguing with family, making your place in the world, defying expectations, etc etc. It's a lot of fun. I did get about 4/5 through and have to go stare at a wall, For Reasons.
This is such a great book.
Want to Read
February 7, 2026A NEW FREYA MARSKE!! YES GIMMIE!!
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I’m so psyched to have gotten an ARC of this via a Goodreads giveaway—I have LOVED Markse’s other books—and this one was SO GOOD and so very much fun! The murder mystery is scrumptious: juicy and intriguing; all six main characters are complex and fascinating; the world in which they all operate feels large and messy and real; and the writing itself is a blast.
Five young healing-mage scholars have one last five-day exam (which they must complete together as a group) before they graduate from the Sieuxerr Academie. But when they enter the exam room on the first day, they find the dead body of a classmate. They have to figure out how to trust each other, lean on each other, and work together to get through the rest of the exam, not to mention to protect each other and uncover what happened to their classmate.
This book is so much fun; in addition to the twisty and confusing murder mystery, we learn a lot about the five scholars and their families and secrets, and we hear about the wide world around them, including all kinds of shitty little assholes (I love a book that’s full of all kinds of different sorts of assholes!), for example this guy, who I swear I’ve met: “Alys believed, truly, that most people were decent at heart, but even she sometimes struggled to think the best of Sabastian Lavalle, who had never met a topic he didn't consider himself an authority on, …”
There are also people who are just *characters*, and they are equally fun to watch. For example this one, who we meet in this perfect, razor sharp moment: “Lefer turned the sign on her open door around with such force that it bounced back to NO and she had to unwind the twine to display the only slightly less hostile WHAT?”
Also a riot are the class politics, and watching the scholars navigate those, eg this moment: “In fact the knocking room was occupied by a handful of third-years, heads bowed over textbooks and notes, but seniority was seniority-they gathered up their things to leave when faced with a group of purple-edged robes. One of them looked like he might be about to open his mouth and tell them who his parents were, like a larval form of Estiene, but he caught sight of Estiene himself and visibly decided he was outfathered.”
The magical setting is a world in which, if you manifest magic as you grow, the form the magic takes is affected by the place you grow up. The Duchy of Sieuxerr is the only place in the world where precious healing mages can develop, so the people there have a complex mix of pride and suspicion and resentment toward the foreign mages who move to the area hoping to have children who will become healing mages and will return to their homelands with that precious skill. It’s a familiar, if depressing argument: immigrants—do they add to our societies or take from them? And to whom (and to where) do the children of immigrants owe their time and skills? The stories of these five scholars offer some clear suggestions.
Finally, if this isn’t a COVID book, I’ll eat my shirt. A new disease, the serrage, swept through the land 10y ago, leaving many people—particularly healers—with lasting, incurable symptoms and fomenting a distrust of healers at the same time, leaving them overworked & underappreciated. One chapter head includes this quote from an anonymous flyer distributed around Sieuxerr during the height of the serrage:
“Balance is all. Even the mage-healers, who throw up their pampered hands and claim to be helpless in the face of the suffering the serrage is causing, act on this principle: bringing the body back into balance with itself.
“Balance is all. So many healers in one place is a weight on the scales of the world, and the spirits have noted that uneven weight. The serrage is the other side of the scale falling into balance. That is why the healers cannot banish it from the body, and why they themselves are afflicted in such numbers. It is a punishment directed at them, and at Sieuxerr for first indulging their selfishness and then hoarding them in its own hospitals.
“Sieuxerr ignores it at its peril. Our present suffering may be only the beginning.
“BRING THE HEALERS TO ACCOUNT.”
Five young healing-mage scholars have one last five-day exam (which they must complete together as a group) before they graduate from the Sieuxerr Academie. But when they enter the exam room on the first day, they find the dead body of a classmate. They have to figure out how to trust each other, lean on each other, and work together to get through the rest of the exam, not to mention to protect each other and uncover what happened to their classmate.
This book is so much fun; in addition to the twisty and confusing murder mystery, we learn a lot about the five scholars and their families and secrets, and we hear about the wide world around them, including all kinds of shitty little assholes (I love a book that’s full of all kinds of different sorts of assholes!), for example this guy, who I swear I’ve met: “Alys believed, truly, that most people were decent at heart, but even she sometimes struggled to think the best of Sabastian Lavalle, who had never met a topic he didn't consider himself an authority on, …”
There are also people who are just *characters*, and they are equally fun to watch. For example this one, who we meet in this perfect, razor sharp moment: “Lefer turned the sign on her open door around with such force that it bounced back to NO and she had to unwind the twine to display the only slightly less hostile WHAT?”
Also a riot are the class politics, and watching the scholars navigate those, eg this moment: “In fact the knocking room was occupied by a handful of third-years, heads bowed over textbooks and notes, but seniority was seniority-they gathered up their things to leave when faced with a group of purple-edged robes. One of them looked like he might be about to open his mouth and tell them who his parents were, like a larval form of Estiene, but he caught sight of Estiene himself and visibly decided he was outfathered.”
The magical setting is a world in which, if you manifest magic as you grow, the form the magic takes is affected by the place you grow up. The Duchy of Sieuxerr is the only place in the world where precious healing mages can develop, so the people there have a complex mix of pride and suspicion and resentment toward the foreign mages who move to the area hoping to have children who will become healing mages and will return to their homelands with that precious skill. It’s a familiar, if depressing argument: immigrants—do they add to our societies or take from them? And to whom (and to where) do the children of immigrants owe their time and skills? The stories of these five scholars offer some clear suggestions.
Finally, if this isn’t a COVID book, I’ll eat my shirt. A new disease, the serrage, swept through the land 10y ago, leaving many people—particularly healers—with lasting, incurable symptoms and fomenting a distrust of healers at the same time, leaving them overworked & underappreciated. One chapter head includes this quote from an anonymous flyer distributed around Sieuxerr during the height of the serrage:
“Balance is all. Even the mage-healers, who throw up their pampered hands and claim to be helpless in the face of the suffering the serrage is causing, act on this principle: bringing the body back into balance with itself.
“Balance is all. So many healers in one place is a weight on the scales of the world, and the spirits have noted that uneven weight. The serrage is the other side of the scale falling into balance. That is why the healers cannot banish it from the body, and why they themselves are afflicted in such numbers. It is a punishment directed at them, and at Sieuxerr for first indulging their selfishness and then hoarding them in its own hospitals.
“Sieuxerr ignores it at its peril. Our present suffering may be only the beginning.
“BRING THE HEALERS TO ACCOUNT.”
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
4.5 rounded up for GR - thanks to TOR (and robin) for the early copy.
BODIES OF MAGIC is such a fun, well-written, insanely absorbing murder mystery set at an intense magical medical school. the writing - as ever with freya marske - was so easy to fall into, and the setting was rich and detailed; the magic system was complex but not too complicated to follow. we are dropped into the story in the fifth year of this group’s education, and we unpick their history and experiences as the novel goes on, rather than all of it being dumped on the reader at the start.
the book is divided into five parts to represent the five days that make up the grand exam. in contrast to the short time span actually spent in the book, we learn a wealth of information about each main character - all five of which have their fair share of POV chapters with distinct voices - as they attempt the solve the murder of one of their fellow scholars. the way one character is acting on day one is unravelled by day four; we learn their motivations and their fears, and how ysabel - the murdered scholar - ties them all together.
this is absolutely dark academia at its core trope conventions: set in an educational setting yes, but also examining the corruption of power, the commonality of bribery, the oft-futility of hard work, the tangled interpersonal relationships, and the absolute all-encompassing drive to get ahead at the expense of your own and others wellbeing. it is also dark, and sexy, and mysterious. there is one MM couple, and one of the main characters is nonbinary (and subsequently one of the relationships is NB/F).
despite being a fantasy novel, there is lots of read across to the way we treat healthcare and particularly healthcare workers in our world. magical burnout is reminiscent of the burden on our health services, and the medical mages are ill-treated but still expected to perform miracles. there is corruption, egotism and abuse of power in both medical and educational settings, and the nascent decline of academia is present throughout. the serrage - the magical event which affected a healer’s ability to heal, and decimated the medical workforce - can be read quite obviously as a covid metaphor.
whilst i loved most things, there were some bits that are preventing this from being fully five stars for me: it slowed down a bit in the middle (day 3), some of the characters were not AS compelling to me, and i was left a little unsatisfied at the ending with regards to one couple in particular, who had spent the whole rest of the book miscommunicating and we don’t really get to see how their story plays out. i wish we had seen a little bit more of ysabel, who was hugely compelling even though we start the book pretty much immediately with her death. i also did not wholly like a choice moyna made in the last third of the book, because ACAB includes fictional cops!!!!
another thing that other commenters will touch on much more eloquently than me is that i do think this book - inadvertently, maybe - leans into the idea that all medical issues are 'treatable' and 'reversible' including disabilities. i don't think it is the author's intent, but the conversation around curing the serrage could lean that way. i'd be interested to know if any disabled people were consulted during the writing process, acknowledging that the author herself is a doctor.
however all that to say i really loved this, freya continues to write books that speak specifically to me and i urge everyone to pick this one up when it releases in september!!!
BODIES OF MAGIC is such a fun, well-written, insanely absorbing murder mystery set at an intense magical medical school. the writing - as ever with freya marske - was so easy to fall into, and the setting was rich and detailed; the magic system was complex but not too complicated to follow. we are dropped into the story in the fifth year of this group’s education, and we unpick their history and experiences as the novel goes on, rather than all of it being dumped on the reader at the start.
the book is divided into five parts to represent the five days that make up the grand exam. in contrast to the short time span actually spent in the book, we learn a wealth of information about each main character - all five of which have their fair share of POV chapters with distinct voices - as they attempt the solve the murder of one of their fellow scholars. the way one character is acting on day one is unravelled by day four; we learn their motivations and their fears, and how ysabel - the murdered scholar - ties them all together.
this is absolutely dark academia at its core trope conventions: set in an educational setting yes, but also examining the corruption of power, the commonality of bribery, the oft-futility of hard work, the tangled interpersonal relationships, and the absolute all-encompassing drive to get ahead at the expense of your own and others wellbeing. it is also dark, and sexy, and mysterious. there is one MM couple, and one of the main characters is nonbinary (and subsequently one of the relationships is NB/F).
despite being a fantasy novel, there is lots of read across to the way we treat healthcare and particularly healthcare workers in our world. magical burnout is reminiscent of the burden on our health services, and the medical mages are ill-treated but still expected to perform miracles. there is corruption, egotism and abuse of power in both medical and educational settings, and the nascent decline of academia is present throughout. the serrage - the magical event which affected a healer’s ability to heal, and decimated the medical workforce - can be read quite obviously as a covid metaphor.
whilst i loved most things, there were some bits that are preventing this from being fully five stars for me: it slowed down a bit in the middle (day 3), some of the characters were not AS compelling to me, and i was left a little unsatisfied at the ending with regards to one couple in particular, who had spent the whole rest of the book miscommunicating and we don’t really get to see how their story plays out. i wish we had seen a little bit more of ysabel, who was hugely compelling even though we start the book pretty much immediately with her death. i also did not wholly like a choice moyna made in the last third of the book, because ACAB includes fictional cops!!!!
another thing that other commenters will touch on much more eloquently than me is that i do think this book - inadvertently, maybe - leans into the idea that all medical issues are 'treatable' and 'reversible' including disabilities. i don't think it is the author's intent, but the conversation around curing the serrage could lean that way. i'd be interested to know if any disabled people were consulted during the writing process, acknowledging that the author herself is a doctor.
however all that to say i really loved this, freya continues to write books that speak specifically to me and i urge everyone to pick this one up when it releases in september!!!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of Bodies of Magic! I'm rating it 3-3.5 stars.
Bodies of Magic is a fantasy murder mystery set in a medical school, where a group of five students must unentangle their feelings for each other while also solving their classmate's murder, passing their exams, and – in some cases – managing their own dangerous secrets.
I found the murder mystery and exams fascinating, but I was a little bored by the rest of the plot and I also wasn't entirely convinced by how the book explored chronic illness and disability. Ultimately, I think I was just hoping for more realism in terms of characters' actions and feelings.
The murder mystery and exams were an entertainingly complex set of puzzles that I really enjoyed. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but the events of the first morning of the novel hooked me completely. Had the novel remained more focused on this, I think it would have been a gripping read.
However, there were also several subplots, romantic and otherwise, that were tonally jarring. For example, I found it surreal that just three or four days after discovering their best friend's murdered body, one of the characters is happily having a cutesy romance. The romance was adorable, and in any other novel, I would have loved it. But, I couldn't get over the way that this character didn't seem that affected by the murder past day one. It completely broke my immersion in the novel. And as for the other romantic subplots, I also found myself regularly rolling my eyes at three of the main characters' sex lives, along with the way so many characters seemed to find fist-fighting sexy.
In terms of the world-building, I loved how queer-normative Bodies of Magic was but felt that everything outside of the hospital and medical school was a little wishy-washy. Perhaps that's a realistic insight into being a medical student, however!
I also enjoyed the magic system and how it was used for healing, with one jarring exception. A major theme of the book is chronic illness and disability, and the individual medics and healers were written incredibly sympathetically. They're overworked and understaffed, yes, but any dissatisfaction with them is unfair and reflects more poorly on the patient. I think the incidents depicted are realistic and fair, but I would have also liked more nuance, given the negative experiences of healthcare professionals that most disabled people and people with chronic illnesses have. It would have been really interesting had the book been willing to dive into the impact on disabled people of healthcare professionals overlooking them and the struggle to get chronic illnesses taken seriously, especially if you're from a minority group. (Racism and xenophobia does appear in the novel, but again, only when it's targeted at healthcare professionals.) It's telling that the book ends with , and this is a cause for great celebration – it really is a case that only the healers matter, not the regular patients.
Still, I think that a lot of people will enjoy Bodies of Magic! I recommend it for readers looking for an intriguing murder mystery that lacks grit or realism, combined with fun romantic subplots that don't take themselves too seriously.
Bodies of Magic is a fantasy murder mystery set in a medical school, where a group of five students must unentangle their feelings for each other while also solving their classmate's murder, passing their exams, and – in some cases – managing their own dangerous secrets.
I found the murder mystery and exams fascinating, but I was a little bored by the rest of the plot and I also wasn't entirely convinced by how the book explored chronic illness and disability. Ultimately, I think I was just hoping for more realism in terms of characters' actions and feelings.
The murder mystery and exams were an entertainingly complex set of puzzles that I really enjoyed. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but the events of the first morning of the novel hooked me completely. Had the novel remained more focused on this, I think it would have been a gripping read.
However, there were also several subplots, romantic and otherwise, that were tonally jarring. For example, I found it surreal that just three or four days after discovering their best friend's murdered body, one of the characters is happily having a cutesy romance. The romance was adorable, and in any other novel, I would have loved it. But, I couldn't get over the way that this character didn't seem that affected by the murder past day one. It completely broke my immersion in the novel. And as for the other romantic subplots, I also found myself regularly rolling my eyes at three of the main characters' sex lives, along with the way so many characters seemed to find fist-fighting sexy.
In terms of the world-building, I loved how queer-normative Bodies of Magic was but felt that everything outside of the hospital and medical school was a little wishy-washy. Perhaps that's a realistic insight into being a medical student, however!
I also enjoyed the magic system and how it was used for healing, with one jarring exception. A major theme of the book is chronic illness and disability, and the individual medics and healers were written incredibly sympathetically. They're overworked and understaffed, yes, but any dissatisfaction with them is unfair and reflects more poorly on the patient. I think the incidents depicted are realistic and fair, but I would have also liked more nuance, given the negative experiences of healthcare professionals that most disabled people and people with chronic illnesses have. It would have been really interesting had the book been willing to dive into the impact on disabled people of healthcare professionals overlooking them and the struggle to get chronic illnesses taken seriously, especially if you're from a minority group. (Racism and xenophobia does appear in the novel, but again, only when it's targeted at healthcare professionals.) It's telling that the book ends with , and this is a cause for great celebration – it really is a case that only the healers matter, not the regular patients.
Still, I think that a lot of people will enjoy Bodies of Magic! I recommend it for readers looking for an intriguing murder mystery that lacks grit or realism, combined with fun romantic subplots that don't take themselves too seriously.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for this ARC!
“Bodies of Magic” is a stunningly creative fantasy novel. We follow a cast of five characters as they get ready for their final exams. In this case, however, we aren’t talking about pen and paper – instead, these healing mages have to examine five medical cases in five days, only allowed to fail one of them or be forced to repeat their fifth year studies. But what was supposed to be a routine situation quickly escalates into a murder investigation when the five members of one exam group discover a dead body. The body is Ysabel Caudotte, a fellow fifth year student, and the best in their cohort. All five students have a connection to Ysabel. All want to find out what really happened. Can they?
This book was incredible. The worldbuilding is rich and expansive without being overwhelming or feeling like a lecture, and the world it creates feels real and compelling. This book is being marketed as “dark academia”, which I find generally pretty reductive but does fit in this case. It is even used correctly for once! Because this book doesn’t just use its setting in an academic institution as its reason for why it qualifies as “dark academia”, it actually includes the criticism of academic institutions and culture I view as being inherent to this “genre”.
One of this book’s strongest aspects is its characters. We get to go through this world Marske has created in the minds of five different characters, all of which have a distinctive voice and feel real and complex, multilayered. I don’t really want to get into each character too much because I think some of the fun of this book is getting to meet them all yourself, but I do have to speak about Alys. Alys is autistic (this is never specifically said as I am pretty sure this condition does not have a name in this world) and this is represented in a way that feels wonderfully real, including the negative aspects of the condition. In general, there is a variety of representation with these characters. Luxury and poverty, being an outstanding student and being left behind, being native to a place and having roots in other places, different sexualities and different gender expressions. There is also great, accurate representation of chronic illness with a side character which felt very refreshing to see.
The romantic relationships depicted here are also absolutely top notch. Strong chemistry, beautifully written and developed.
I also really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this book, which was super well written. It left me in the dark exactly up to the point Marske wanted us to be left in the dark, and it was great fun to follow along as the characters tried to find clues and piece them together. I generally enjoy a fantasy-mystery combination, and this book is a great example of the perfect execution of this subgenre.
This book really dives deep into examining different societal structures, who they serve and who they do a disservice to. Not only within the rich-poor divide, but including those who have different skillsets or who come from a different place.
This is the kind of book you will keep thinking about and run around trying to get everyone to read it. I truly cannot praise it enough. Read it, you will love it.
“Bodies of Magic” is a stunningly creative fantasy novel. We follow a cast of five characters as they get ready for their final exams. In this case, however, we aren’t talking about pen and paper – instead, these healing mages have to examine five medical cases in five days, only allowed to fail one of them or be forced to repeat their fifth year studies. But what was supposed to be a routine situation quickly escalates into a murder investigation when the five members of one exam group discover a dead body. The body is Ysabel Caudotte, a fellow fifth year student, and the best in their cohort. All five students have a connection to Ysabel. All want to find out what really happened. Can they?
This book was incredible. The worldbuilding is rich and expansive without being overwhelming or feeling like a lecture, and the world it creates feels real and compelling. This book is being marketed as “dark academia”, which I find generally pretty reductive but does fit in this case. It is even used correctly for once! Because this book doesn’t just use its setting in an academic institution as its reason for why it qualifies as “dark academia”, it actually includes the criticism of academic institutions and culture I view as being inherent to this “genre”.
One of this book’s strongest aspects is its characters. We get to go through this world Marske has created in the minds of five different characters, all of which have a distinctive voice and feel real and complex, multilayered. I don’t really want to get into each character too much because I think some of the fun of this book is getting to meet them all yourself, but I do have to speak about Alys. Alys is autistic (this is never specifically said as I am pretty sure this condition does not have a name in this world) and this is represented in a way that feels wonderfully real, including the negative aspects of the condition. In general, there is a variety of representation with these characters. Luxury and poverty, being an outstanding student and being left behind, being native to a place and having roots in other places, different sexualities and different gender expressions. There is also great, accurate representation of chronic illness with a side character which felt very refreshing to see.
The romantic relationships depicted here are also absolutely top notch. Strong chemistry, beautifully written and developed.
I also really enjoyed the murder mystery aspect of this book, which was super well written. It left me in the dark exactly up to the point Marske wanted us to be left in the dark, and it was great fun to follow along as the characters tried to find clues and piece them together. I generally enjoy a fantasy-mystery combination, and this book is a great example of the perfect execution of this subgenre.
This book really dives deep into examining different societal structures, who they serve and who they do a disservice to. Not only within the rich-poor divide, but including those who have different skillsets or who come from a different place.
This is the kind of book you will keep thinking about and run around trying to get everyone to read it. I truly cannot praise it enough. Read it, you will love it.
July 25, 2026
My rating: 5 of 5 stars—
Bodies of Magic will undoubtedly be one of my favorite reads of 2026. When a bright young scholar is murdered the night before her 5-day final exams are set to commence, five of her classmates find her body and are torn between investigating her death and focusing on their exams and graduation. For the premise, I’ll leave it there. But more on this world:
In early adolescence, young people are tested for magic. Those who possess a high enough concentration of natural magical power are trained as mages. Here’s the catch—the place of your birth determines the *kind* of magic you will possess. The city of Sieuxerr exists in a larger magical world with different territories, each of which yield different magical proclivities. However, Sieuxerr produces the highly in-demand art of healing magic. Of course, all people require medical care. Which means that other municipalities must procure healers for their own people—by awarding scholarships to fund the education of an Academic youth in exchange for years of service post-graduation; by buying the services of indentured healers who’ve committed criminal offenses and no longer own their own labor; or by sending their own mages as immigrants to Sieuxerr to give birth to healing mages who will be expected to return to a homeland they’ve never seen after their training is completed.
This set up just really, really worked for me. It led to a variety of motivations for each of the 5 main characters who have each ended up where they are in different ways and are looking ahead to very different futures.
Given the age and life stage of these characters, Bodies of Magic undoubtedly reads somewhat YA, especially the interpersonal entanglements between the characters. That said, I found the characters much more endearing and layered than other dark academia books. In particular, the comparison to “A Deadly Education” made me almost not read this book because of how juvenile those books read for me. Babel or Ninth House feel like more apt comparisons.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book for me were the parallels with the COVID-19 pandemic. While the healers of Sieuxerr were once widely respected, things have changed since a devastating pandemic—“the serrage”— swept the world, killing many and leaving many others suffering debilitating long-term symptoms (long COVID *cough cough*). Healers were highly affected due to their close contact to patients, drastically thinning their ranks. Now, there’s a healer shortage, healers are overworked, young healers are being pushed through their education to fill these gaps, people have lost trust in the medical establishment, resentments flare, and inequalities in access to and quality of care expand as the rich turn to private healers. I crave fantasy that has something to say about *our* world, and Marske deftly grapples with many of the social issues of our post-COVID health system.
Read for a fast-paced, queer, YA-ish dark academia with deft social commentary.
Many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Bodies of Magic will undoubtedly be one of my favorite reads of 2026. When a bright young scholar is murdered the night before her 5-day final exams are set to commence, five of her classmates find her body and are torn between investigating her death and focusing on their exams and graduation. For the premise, I’ll leave it there. But more on this world:
In early adolescence, young people are tested for magic. Those who possess a high enough concentration of natural magical power are trained as mages. Here’s the catch—the place of your birth determines the *kind* of magic you will possess. The city of Sieuxerr exists in a larger magical world with different territories, each of which yield different magical proclivities. However, Sieuxerr produces the highly in-demand art of healing magic. Of course, all people require medical care. Which means that other municipalities must procure healers for their own people—by awarding scholarships to fund the education of an Academic youth in exchange for years of service post-graduation; by buying the services of indentured healers who’ve committed criminal offenses and no longer own their own labor; or by sending their own mages as immigrants to Sieuxerr to give birth to healing mages who will be expected to return to a homeland they’ve never seen after their training is completed.
This set up just really, really worked for me. It led to a variety of motivations for each of the 5 main characters who have each ended up where they are in different ways and are looking ahead to very different futures.
Given the age and life stage of these characters, Bodies of Magic undoubtedly reads somewhat YA, especially the interpersonal entanglements between the characters. That said, I found the characters much more endearing and layered than other dark academia books. In particular, the comparison to “A Deadly Education” made me almost not read this book because of how juvenile those books read for me. Babel or Ninth House feel like more apt comparisons.
One of the most interesting aspects of this book for me were the parallels with the COVID-19 pandemic. While the healers of Sieuxerr were once widely respected, things have changed since a devastating pandemic—“the serrage”— swept the world, killing many and leaving many others suffering debilitating long-term symptoms (long COVID *cough cough*). Healers were highly affected due to their close contact to patients, drastically thinning their ranks. Now, there’s a healer shortage, healers are overworked, young healers are being pushed through their education to fill these gaps, people have lost trust in the medical establishment, resentments flare, and inequalities in access to and quality of care expand as the rich turn to private healers. I crave fantasy that has something to say about *our* world, and Marske deftly grapples with many of the social issues of our post-COVID health system.
Read for a fast-paced, queer, YA-ish dark academia with deft social commentary.
Many thanks to Tor and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Bodies of Magic • Freya Marske
One phrase: magical med school murder mystery 🩺✨
THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN.
Bodies of Magic is Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education, and honestly? That description is doing exactly what it needs to do.
At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, healer mages spend five years training for the infamous Grand Exam. Five days. Five practical cases. One randomly chosen group.
And one very important rule.
They pass together, or fail together.
What the rules do not mention is that on day one, the group will find a classmate’s dead body in the exam hall.
Casual.
From there, this becomes such a brilliant mix of dark academia fantasy, murder mystery, magical medicine, secrets, friendship, pressure, and world changing consequences. Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days to solve a murder and somehow still pass the most important exam of their lives.
I had the best time with this book.
The plot was driving, the worldbuilding was lush and vivid, and the characters felt so delightfully themselves. Each one had their own motivations, personalities, secrets, and emotional weight, and I became attached so quickly.
I wanted to be right there in Sieuxerr, eating sweetmice, partying on Lantern Night, and protecting Estiene and Alys from the big bad world while Clement told me not to fuss and Jehan and Moyna absolutely fought me about it.
I loved these characters. I loved this world. I loved the way healing itself felt magical.
The themes around medicine, hierarchy, pressure, burnout, and what it means to heal within a flawed system were so well done. It mirrors our own world in a way that felt thoughtful without ever slowing the story down.
And the music? Delightful.
Freya Marske truly crafted something special here. Dark academia, magical exams, murder, friendship, secrets, and a message with actual heart.
I was fully transported.
✨ Tropes and vibes:
🩺 magical medicine
📚 dark academia
🔪 murder mystery
🧪 healer mages
📝 deadly exam
👀 everyone has secrets
🏫 magical academy
🫶 found family
🏮 Lantern Night vibes
🎶 music magic
💔 healing and hierarchy
✨ lush worldbuilding
📚 Read this if you like:
Dark academia fantasy, magical schools, medical drama, murder mysteries, ensemble casts, healer magic, high pressure exams, queer fantasy, and stories where the characters feel like your best friends by the end.
This was magical, clever, immersive, emotional, and such an absolute joy to read.
#BodiesOfMagic #FreyaMarske #DarkAcademia #FantasyBooks #BookReview @Tor
One phrase: magical med school murder mystery 🩺✨
THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN.
Bodies of Magic is Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education, and honestly? That description is doing exactly what it needs to do.
At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, healer mages spend five years training for the infamous Grand Exam. Five days. Five practical cases. One randomly chosen group.
And one very important rule.
They pass together, or fail together.
What the rules do not mention is that on day one, the group will find a classmate’s dead body in the exam hall.
Casual.
From there, this becomes such a brilliant mix of dark academia fantasy, murder mystery, magical medicine, secrets, friendship, pressure, and world changing consequences. Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days to solve a murder and somehow still pass the most important exam of their lives.
I had the best time with this book.
The plot was driving, the worldbuilding was lush and vivid, and the characters felt so delightfully themselves. Each one had their own motivations, personalities, secrets, and emotional weight, and I became attached so quickly.
I wanted to be right there in Sieuxerr, eating sweetmice, partying on Lantern Night, and protecting Estiene and Alys from the big bad world while Clement told me not to fuss and Jehan and Moyna absolutely fought me about it.
I loved these characters. I loved this world. I loved the way healing itself felt magical.
The themes around medicine, hierarchy, pressure, burnout, and what it means to heal within a flawed system were so well done. It mirrors our own world in a way that felt thoughtful without ever slowing the story down.
And the music? Delightful.
Freya Marske truly crafted something special here. Dark academia, magical exams, murder, friendship, secrets, and a message with actual heart.
I was fully transported.
✨ Tropes and vibes:
🩺 magical medicine
📚 dark academia
🔪 murder mystery
🧪 healer mages
📝 deadly exam
👀 everyone has secrets
🏫 magical academy
🫶 found family
🏮 Lantern Night vibes
🎶 music magic
💔 healing and hierarchy
✨ lush worldbuilding
📚 Read this if you like:
Dark academia fantasy, magical schools, medical drama, murder mysteries, ensemble casts, healer magic, high pressure exams, queer fantasy, and stories where the characters feel like your best friends by the end.
This was magical, clever, immersive, emotional, and such an absolute joy to read.
#BodiesOfMagic #FreyaMarske #DarkAcademia #FantasyBooks #BookReview @Tor
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh man this was an incredible read. I don't think I've felt this moved by a book in AGES! Just great from start to finish.
The premise of this book was so unique and I was immediately drawn into its world. Marske did a commendable job with the worldbuilding and it was well-thought out and explained - which was remarkable for a standalone! Although the world wasn't that complex, the magic system was definitely nuanced and Marske explained it well without making it too exposition heavy. The magic system itself was so interesting and I was so taken by the way magic was yielded for healing. I found myself greatly invested in the small cases and how magic helped heal them.
The plot was well-done. From the start, the intensity was high and basing the book over the course of the exam period of five days heightened the intensity. Every chapter was full of action or information and not once did I feel that pacing was an issue. Further, the murder-mystery aspect lent itself well to this genre. A fantasy murder-mystery is a treat in itself, but the way Marske elevated this mystery to draw in further strands - impeccable.
But my heart belongs to the characters. Although I only knew them for the duration of this book, Alys, Clement, Moyna, Jehan, Estiene and Ysabel wormed their way into my heart and now have a permanent place in it. For a standalone, the characters were developed quite well and were given space to grow and mature. I appreciated Marske's use of multiple POVs, granting us access to every main character's inner thoughts and motives. Yet, usually when this happens, I find myself drawn to 1-2 characters, but here, I cared for every single one of them. I also found that Marske gave proper justice to each character's arcs - none of them felt rushed or incomplete to me. The best part about their characterisation was how they came together and I'm just a sucker for found family.
The writing itself was straightforward and accessible with an occasional flair that added to the overall experience. Also really liked the use of epigraphs at the start of chapters!
More importantly, at its core, Marske has written a startling commentary and reflection on how burdened the medical system is. I always love how fantasy expresses the reality of our world and in Bodies of Magic, Marske lays bare the complications of getting into medicine and then sustaining a career in this field. This was a great read and I really cherished my time with it.
The premise of this book was so unique and I was immediately drawn into its world. Marske did a commendable job with the worldbuilding and it was well-thought out and explained - which was remarkable for a standalone! Although the world wasn't that complex, the magic system was definitely nuanced and Marske explained it well without making it too exposition heavy. The magic system itself was so interesting and I was so taken by the way magic was yielded for healing. I found myself greatly invested in the small cases and how magic helped heal them.
The plot was well-done. From the start, the intensity was high and basing the book over the course of the exam period of five days heightened the intensity. Every chapter was full of action or information and not once did I feel that pacing was an issue. Further, the murder-mystery aspect lent itself well to this genre. A fantasy murder-mystery is a treat in itself, but the way Marske elevated this mystery to draw in further strands - impeccable.
But my heart belongs to the characters. Although I only knew them for the duration of this book, Alys, Clement, Moyna, Jehan, Estiene and Ysabel wormed their way into my heart and now have a permanent place in it. For a standalone, the characters were developed quite well and were given space to grow and mature. I appreciated Marske's use of multiple POVs, granting us access to every main character's inner thoughts and motives. Yet, usually when this happens, I find myself drawn to 1-2 characters, but here, I cared for every single one of them. I also found that Marske gave proper justice to each character's arcs - none of them felt rushed or incomplete to me. The best part about their characterisation was how they came together and I'm just a sucker for found family.
The writing itself was straightforward and accessible with an occasional flair that added to the overall experience. Also really liked the use of epigraphs at the start of chapters!
More importantly, at its core, Marske has written a startling commentary and reflection on how burdened the medical system is. I always love how fantasy expresses the reality of our world and in Bodies of Magic, Marske lays bare the complications of getting into medicine and then sustaining a career in this field. This was a great read and I really cherished my time with it.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
It was the festival week of Mathe the First Healer, the most revered time in the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerre. As the town celebrates, the scholars of the medical college study for their exams and "sleep is for summer." The most feared test is the Grand Exam which lasts throught the week. Five case studies are presented to a team of fifth-year students-they must pass four of them to graduate as healers and if they don't pass, they repeat fifth year. Five random students are assembled as the A team and are locked into an exam room for their first test. What they expect is a patient waiting to be diagnosed and treated, what they find is their fellow student with the best GPA, dead on the floor with a blow to her head. Was this their patient?
Unfortunately, they had no time to mourn her as the real subject entered the room and the exam proceeded. All teens in the kingdom are tested for their level of magic and those who test the highest are sent to the Academy to become Healers, the most valued members of the community.
Fifth-year students are not only well-versed in anatomy and surgical technique, but also masters of the magic that accomplishes the real healing. Their actual patient has arrived and they proceed to discover what his disease is and give him options for treatment-they are correct and have passed their first test, even while they are really thinking of their colleague, dead on the floor.
When the police are called, they are dismissive-burnout and suicide from the pressure of their training is common, and she probably hit her head when she jumped from the balcony. But her best friend knew she had been murdered and convinced the other four on their team to help them find her killer. After all, the same medical detection skills can be used to solve crimes and the added layer of the magic they possess can only help.
Marske, author of Cinderhouse, has written an extraordinary novel of the magic of healing. She takes the five disparate students who are all talented in different ways and have very different personalities, and folds them into a skilled team of detectives who look for answers in the same way they analyze symptoms in a diseased body. Magic is a given in the book and its a metaphor for the actual healing done right in our world, and the myriad ways it also can go very wrong. The world that Marske creates has many of our world's problems and magic is only another way of dealing with the issues that the students have to face. Who killed Ysabel Caudotte and why? You might find the answers in the stars.
Unfortunately, they had no time to mourn her as the real subject entered the room and the exam proceeded. All teens in the kingdom are tested for their level of magic and those who test the highest are sent to the Academy to become Healers, the most valued members of the community.
Fifth-year students are not only well-versed in anatomy and surgical technique, but also masters of the magic that accomplishes the real healing. Their actual patient has arrived and they proceed to discover what his disease is and give him options for treatment-they are correct and have passed their first test, even while they are really thinking of their colleague, dead on the floor.
When the police are called, they are dismissive-burnout and suicide from the pressure of their training is common, and she probably hit her head when she jumped from the balcony. But her best friend knew she had been murdered and convinced the other four on their team to help them find her killer. After all, the same medical detection skills can be used to solve crimes and the added layer of the magic they possess can only help.
Marske, author of Cinderhouse, has written an extraordinary novel of the magic of healing. She takes the five disparate students who are all talented in different ways and have very different personalities, and folds them into a skilled team of detectives who look for answers in the same way they analyze symptoms in a diseased body. Magic is a given in the book and its a metaphor for the actual healing done right in our world, and the myriad ways it also can go very wrong. The world that Marske creates has many of our world's problems and magic is only another way of dealing with the issues that the students have to face. Who killed Ysabel Caudotte and why? You might find the answers in the stars.
Read
July 9, 2026I'm not an expert in using Goodreads apparently, because I won a copy of this book in a giveaway, and just finished it, and am now trying to rate and review it, but keep getting sent around in circles because "this edition has not been published yet" and to go to the book's page to verify I've read it, but that's where I am, and I don't really know. So I'll have to use just words instead of stars for now.
FIVE STARS
I enjoyed the hell out of this book. It is unique - I know plenty of people are going to groan and think "Not another magical school" but no this is not just another magical school. I mean, sort of, it's like med school but magic, but the main characters are in their final year taking their final exams so there's not really a lot of "school" about it. I loved every single one of the main characters, their interactions, their backstories, their secrets. Usually I find myself kind of skimming over certain characters in books like this, with multiple character POVs, but not this time, none of the characters were dull or tedious for me to read about. The overarching plot was engaging and I was invested in finding out what happened and why and how. The healing magic itself is fascinating, and mixing in a little music was unexpected and I appreciated that.
The representation is awesome. One of the main characters is non-binary, they/them pronouns. Literally no one in this world bats an eye to same sex encounters or couples, and no matter who is having the sex it isn't something shameful at all. Also it is not specifically stated, but at least one of the main characters is obviously (to me) autistic-coded. Everyone seems to just sort of accept everyone else for who they are. Not like a harmonious utopia of endless friendship among all humans - people still have personalities that clash, politics and class issues are still a thing, and obviously this is a murder mystery at its core.
We really only get to see a tiny portion of the world it is set in, over the course of less than a week, but there's so much potential there for so much more. I don't know if any more books are planned, but I'll be keeping an eye out just in case, because I would love to read more!
FIVE STARS
I enjoyed the hell out of this book. It is unique - I know plenty of people are going to groan and think "Not another magical school" but no this is not just another magical school. I mean, sort of, it's like med school but magic, but the main characters are in their final year taking their final exams so there's not really a lot of "school" about it. I loved every single one of the main characters, their interactions, their backstories, their secrets. Usually I find myself kind of skimming over certain characters in books like this, with multiple character POVs, but not this time, none of the characters were dull or tedious for me to read about. The overarching plot was engaging and I was invested in finding out what happened and why and how. The healing magic itself is fascinating, and mixing in a little music was unexpected and I appreciated that.
The representation is awesome. One of the main characters is non-binary, they/them pronouns. Literally no one in this world bats an eye to same sex encounters or couples, and no matter who is having the sex it isn't something shameful at all. Also it is not specifically stated, but at least one of the main characters is obviously (to me) autistic-coded. Everyone seems to just sort of accept everyone else for who they are. Not like a harmonious utopia of endless friendship among all humans - people still have personalities that clash, politics and class issues are still a thing, and obviously this is a murder mystery at its core.
We really only get to see a tiny portion of the world it is set in, over the course of less than a week, but there's so much potential there for so much more. I don't know if any more books are planned, but I'll be keeping an eye out just in case, because I would love to read more!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this arc! So glad I got this one – I was immediately into the synopsis and initial set up, and it followed through on its promises! A cohort of magical medical students, five days of a final exam they can only pass or fail as a group, a lil murder mystery at the same time, what’s not to like?
Ultimately I really enjoyed this. I would hesitate to call this ‘dark’ academia though, if only because, in spite of the murder on the whole it felt lighter and less twisted and tragic than your staples of the genre. Kind of ~new adult, and a bit Leigh Bardugo in vibe... but more Six of Crows loveable group dynamics than the dark/bleakness of Ninth House (or, like, TSH). The plot is well-woven and neatly structured over the five exam days, and has no dearth of culture-building for Sieuxerr and its neighbours in the background. It launched a lot of names and places and elements at you, but in the way I love in fantasy, and an emphasis on history and traditions and foods and festivities made it feel like a world fully lived in, beyond the medical Academie. (Shoutout to the in-world literature extracts at the start of each chapter, I’m a sucker for that stuff.) So while this worked perfectly as a standalone, I would be sad not to read more works within this universe: it could have easily been a series; if not, there’s definitely scope for more exploration.
Most importantly all the characters were extremely fun and loveable, I enjoyed all their POVs in equal measure (maybe this is what gave me SoC flashbacks) and had a great time watching them interact and develop as a group, I can’t even pick a fave. Very queer and inclusive and a genderfree main character (and more), all written with ease and without fanfare! (See Legally Blonde: what, like it’s hard?) Again perhaps a little more fluffy/cute/happy than I was expecting, and less tense, possibly because this had the whiff of a college AU fanfic. That’s not to knock it at all, just a note on style; I was both into the characters and the magical/medical plot all the way through, it was generally a delight! 5 stars.
Ultimately I really enjoyed this. I would hesitate to call this ‘dark’ academia though, if only because, in spite of the murder on the whole it felt lighter and less twisted and tragic than your staples of the genre. Kind of ~new adult, and a bit Leigh Bardugo in vibe... but more Six of Crows loveable group dynamics than the dark/bleakness of Ninth House (or, like, TSH). The plot is well-woven and neatly structured over the five exam days, and has no dearth of culture-building for Sieuxerr and its neighbours in the background. It launched a lot of names and places and elements at you, but in the way I love in fantasy, and an emphasis on history and traditions and foods and festivities made it feel like a world fully lived in, beyond the medical Academie. (Shoutout to the in-world literature extracts at the start of each chapter, I’m a sucker for that stuff.) So while this worked perfectly as a standalone, I would be sad not to read more works within this universe: it could have easily been a series; if not, there’s definitely scope for more exploration.
Most importantly all the characters were extremely fun and loveable, I enjoyed all their POVs in equal measure (maybe this is what gave me SoC flashbacks) and had a great time watching them interact and develop as a group, I can’t even pick a fave. Very queer and inclusive and a genderfree main character (and more), all written with ease and without fanfare! (See Legally Blonde: what, like it’s hard?) Again perhaps a little more fluffy/cute/happy than I was expecting, and less tense, possibly because this had the whiff of a college AU fanfic. That’s not to knock it at all, just a note on style; I was both into the characters and the magical/medical plot all the way through, it was generally a delight! 5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!
THAT WAS PERFECT
In Bodies of Magic we follow Moyna, Alys, Clement, Jehan and Estiene through their five final Grand Exams - the results of which will determine their entire future - to become Healers.They've been through five years of schooling and now find themselves in this randomly mixed group. Everything is well and good - until the door opens and they find the body of their classmate dead in the room. But what happened to her?
This had such a unique setting with wonderfully built characters. Even though, at a baseline, it had a formulaic structure that fantasy readers will be used to (which is fine and not a criticism to me) it was something I haven't quite read before.
To me personally, the main thing about this book was how well it merges magic, science, musicality and healing. It all feels incredibly natural and - at risk of sounding cheesy - harmonious. Which also ties in to the part music and connection plays in the writing.
The relationships between our main characters and their families and friends was beautifully complex and - to me - entirely believable. ESPECIALLY Jehan and Estiene. These two. Good god. I adored them individually and together and their conflict throughout the book felt real and also stupid in a way teenagers/young adults tend to be sometimes.
I also really liked Moyna for her determination through her internal struggles with being a Healer. She had a bite to her that didn't read as annoying.
SLIGHTLY, NOT PLOT RELATED SPOILER-ISH POINT AHEAD
I also really liked the tentative nature and development of Alys and Clement. The way Alys' feelings around and toward Clement were often depicted through metaphors of her passion for music and her feeling like Clement could play her "like an instrument" or that she would "sing" for them was beautifully done. I especially enjoyed that this theme fit them both so well; Clement's singing and Alys' playing of instruments.
THAT WAS PERFECT
In Bodies of Magic we follow Moyna, Alys, Clement, Jehan and Estiene through their five final Grand Exams - the results of which will determine their entire future - to become Healers.They've been through five years of schooling and now find themselves in this randomly mixed group. Everything is well and good - until the door opens and they find the body of their classmate dead in the room. But what happened to her?
This had such a unique setting with wonderfully built characters. Even though, at a baseline, it had a formulaic structure that fantasy readers will be used to (which is fine and not a criticism to me) it was something I haven't quite read before.
To me personally, the main thing about this book was how well it merges magic, science, musicality and healing. It all feels incredibly natural and - at risk of sounding cheesy - harmonious. Which also ties in to the part music and connection plays in the writing.
The relationships between our main characters and their families and friends was beautifully complex and - to me - entirely believable. ESPECIALLY Jehan and Estiene. These two. Good god. I adored them individually and together and their conflict throughout the book felt real and also stupid in a way teenagers/young adults tend to be sometimes.
I also really liked Moyna for her determination through her internal struggles with being a Healer. She had a bite to her that didn't read as annoying.
SLIGHTLY, NOT PLOT RELATED SPOILER-ISH POINT AHEAD
I also really liked the tentative nature and development of Alys and Clement. The way Alys' feelings around and toward Clement were often depicted through metaphors of her passion for music and her feeling like Clement could play her "like an instrument" or that she would "sing" for them was beautifully done. I especially enjoyed that this theme fit them both so well; Clement's singing and Alys' playing of instruments.
August 1, 2026
I absolutely adored this book. As someone who has been to university to study (vet) medicine, the story rang so terrifyingly true for me with the ways the healthcare systems are run, and the pressures put on Scholars and qualified Healers alike, as it is very similar to reality. I could tell the author was from a medical background from the wishes of the characters of an ideal world in Healing, because I too have those wishes. It showed the realities of the work from the side of the Healers and Scholars and how each character coped differently with the stress and pressure of it all.
And the characters, my gosh I love them all so much. I can’t even pick my favourite, I’m here trying to debate if there is one I liked more than the others, but I can’t, they all stole my heart. They were all different and real and layered. All of them have their flaws and they grow so beautifully from them, and seeing them all slowly lower their highly guarded hearts for each other was an absolute joy to read. It really highlighted how much you need good people in your life, and how you can be so much better together than alone.
The magic system was just awesome, truly, and was so well described and not brushed to the side at any point, a true focus of the book. It again showed me how the author was from a medical background with how that magic was so accurately related to body systems and it was so cool to read about. We got more than one chapter simply dedicated to the healing arrays during the exams and I was obsessed by them.
The mystery aspect was brilliant and it kept me guessing right the way through, and also seeing the deeper plot lines all coming to a head at the end was beyond satisfying.
It was just a beautiful book, both in writing, plot, and characters. The pacing was slow, but it 100% worked and I was invested the entire time.
Thank you so much to Net Galley for the arc. All views are my own.
And the characters, my gosh I love them all so much. I can’t even pick my favourite, I’m here trying to debate if there is one I liked more than the others, but I can’t, they all stole my heart. They were all different and real and layered. All of them have their flaws and they grow so beautifully from them, and seeing them all slowly lower their highly guarded hearts for each other was an absolute joy to read. It really highlighted how much you need good people in your life, and how you can be so much better together than alone.
The magic system was just awesome, truly, and was so well described and not brushed to the side at any point, a true focus of the book. It again showed me how the author was from a medical background with how that magic was so accurately related to body systems and it was so cool to read about. We got more than one chapter simply dedicated to the healing arrays during the exams and I was obsessed by them.
The mystery aspect was brilliant and it kept me guessing right the way through, and also seeing the deeper plot lines all coming to a head at the end was beyond satisfying.
It was just a beautiful book, both in writing, plot, and characters. The pacing was slow, but it 100% worked and I was invested the entire time.
Thank you so much to Net Galley for the arc. All views are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was exactly what the doctor ordered.🖤
A magical dark academia set in a healing academy with a murder mystery.
Five medical students at a magical academy team up to solve the murder of their brilliant, top-ranked classmate during a high-stakes, five-day exam where they pass or fail together.
At first, I was hesitant. You are introduced to a whole new world with politics, prejudices, and magic systems. There are also alternating perspectives of five characters with different motivations and history.
Nevertheless, stick with it, and you will soon be sucked in to a book that combines stakes, an engaging plot, and amazing character study.
The body is a symphony. A collection of different instruments all placed together within the same skin, working to sustain life. Any one of them might fall away from their assigned tune. So then must a healer be a musician, able to identify the discordant note and correct it.
I truly appreciated the queer normative world. I am getting more and more tired by books where queer identity is the biggest obstacle to fulfilment. I know that’s normally the reality, but give me a fantasy, please.
The tension of the relationships weren’t quite as sizzling as I might have expected from Marske. I suppose that’s because of the existing and new relationships and the five-day timeframe. Also, one of the characters definitely got the short-hand in attention here.
The romances were more background and slow burn which created a better balance considering the highly-packed plot.
A tale of self-discovery amidst magic and mystery that healed😉 my trust in dark academia fantasy.
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
A magical dark academia set in a healing academy with a murder mystery.
Five medical students at a magical academy team up to solve the murder of their brilliant, top-ranked classmate during a high-stakes, five-day exam where they pass or fail together.
At first, I was hesitant. You are introduced to a whole new world with politics, prejudices, and magic systems. There are also alternating perspectives of five characters with different motivations and history.
Nevertheless, stick with it, and you will soon be sucked in to a book that combines stakes, an engaging plot, and amazing character study.
The body is a symphony. A collection of different instruments all placed together within the same skin, working to sustain life. Any one of them might fall away from their assigned tune. So then must a healer be a musician, able to identify the discordant note and correct it.
I truly appreciated the queer normative world. I am getting more and more tired by books where queer identity is the biggest obstacle to fulfilment. I know that’s normally the reality, but give me a fantasy, please.
The tension of the relationships weren’t quite as sizzling as I might have expected from Marske. I suppose that’s because of the existing and new relationships and the five-day timeframe. Also, one of the characters definitely got the short-hand in attention here.
The romances were more background and slow burn which created a better balance considering the highly-packed plot.
A tale of self-discovery amidst magic and mystery that healed😉 my trust in dark academia fantasy.
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Bodies of Magic offers a murder mystery in the setting of a magical medical school. Five scholars who are undertaking their most important exam find a dead body in the first of five sessions which will determine their futures.
This is told in third person from the perspective of all five characters. I really liked that our characters had such different backgrounds (from aristocratic to the child of immigrants), level of ability, strengths, and some of them are queer! It is so rare (and great) to see a non-binary main character in traditionally published fantasy.
Telling this story from all five perspectives meant that the archetypes of them we’re initially presented with are quickly challenged. Their different approaches and attitudes to patients was really interesting, and I would have loved this to be explored a bit more.
However, I struggled to get fully attached to the characters, and I didn’t feel like I got a really grip on who they were as people outside of academia. I liked the romances, but they are very much in the background and don’t really get much development. I think this likely contributed to why I never felt fully immersed in the story.
The entire story is set over the course of five days, so that each exam, followed by our group’s investigations afterwards, is covered in detail. For me, this pacing was slower than my liking, as it felt like there was a lot more discussion than than there was action.
I thought the author did a good job translating medicine to magic, the system was very unique, and I loved the inspiration she took from the pandemic. Marske’s passion for the value of human lives and treating patients as human really did shine though.
Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This is told in third person from the perspective of all five characters. I really liked that our characters had such different backgrounds (from aristocratic to the child of immigrants), level of ability, strengths, and some of them are queer! It is so rare (and great) to see a non-binary main character in traditionally published fantasy.
Telling this story from all five perspectives meant that the archetypes of them we’re initially presented with are quickly challenged. Their different approaches and attitudes to patients was really interesting, and I would have loved this to be explored a bit more.
However, I struggled to get fully attached to the characters, and I didn’t feel like I got a really grip on who they were as people outside of academia. I liked the romances, but they are very much in the background and don’t really get much development. I think this likely contributed to why I never felt fully immersed in the story.
The entire story is set over the course of five days, so that each exam, followed by our group’s investigations afterwards, is covered in detail. For me, this pacing was slower than my liking, as it felt like there was a lot more discussion than than there was action.
I thought the author did a good job translating medicine to magic, the system was very unique, and I loved the inspiration she took from the pandemic. Marske’s passion for the value of human lives and treating patients as human really did shine though.
Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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