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Magic City Mayhem
In Miami, death is just another hustle.
Archmagus Pablo Díaz is Miami’s most overworked necromancer, and he’d like you to know he didn’t ask for this life. Unfortunately, Miami keeps dying — violently, inconveniently, and in places that ruin his shoes.
Struggling to meet the expectations of his Cuban-born father – and swamped by Papi's medical bills – Pablo sells his abilities to anyone willing to pay, from grieving widows to homicide detectives.
But when a pair of mutilated corpses wash out of Biscayne Bay and point their bony fingers toward Miami’s criminal underbelly, Pablo is drawn into a mystery that tugs on every string in his life: the Necropolis beneath the city, the cutthroat magical academy, and the increasingly erratic Chancellor who raised a tower out of the ground—and out of the dead.
As his investigation unleashes eldritch monsters on the streets of Miami, Pablo must balance duty, danger, and the complicated business of being a good son. Because something dark is stirring in the Magic City, and this time, even a necromancer might be in over his head.
Featuring bilingual dialogue woven through its supernatural noir sensibilities, Magic City Mayhem speaks to readers of Jim Butcher, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Junot Díaz — with enough humor, ghosts, and cafecito to wake the dead.
Archmagus Pablo Díaz is Miami’s most overworked necromancer, and he’d like you to know he didn’t ask for this life. Unfortunately, Miami keeps dying — violently, inconveniently, and in places that ruin his shoes.
Struggling to meet the expectations of his Cuban-born father – and swamped by Papi's medical bills – Pablo sells his abilities to anyone willing to pay, from grieving widows to homicide detectives.
But when a pair of mutilated corpses wash out of Biscayne Bay and point their bony fingers toward Miami’s criminal underbelly, Pablo is drawn into a mystery that tugs on every string in his life: the Necropolis beneath the city, the cutthroat magical academy, and the increasingly erratic Chancellor who raised a tower out of the ground—and out of the dead.
As his investigation unleashes eldritch monsters on the streets of Miami, Pablo must balance duty, danger, and the complicated business of being a good son. Because something dark is stirring in the Magic City, and this time, even a necromancer might be in over his head.
Featuring bilingual dialogue woven through its supernatural noir sensibilities, Magic City Mayhem speaks to readers of Jim Butcher, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Junot Díaz — with enough humor, ghosts, and cafecito to wake the dead.
352 pages, Hardcover
Published June 23, 2026
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May 6, 2026Miami urban fantasy with Cuban MC! Let's go, mi gente!
June 6, 2026
Magic City Mayhem was really hard for me to get into, I struggled to get through it. Pablo, the main character, was extremely unlikeable. I found it hard to root for him when he kept causing all his own problems.
The pacing of the writing seemed off, everything seemed to happen in such an odd succession and felt rushed through. The world building has such promise, but then we just rush through things like merman and mermaids existing in this magic world too. They seemed just thrown in to be interesting, and then we were on to the next magical species.
None of the storylines seems to be resolved by the end. The city is saved, but the mobsters/police storyline ends abruptly with both leaders being killed. The end as a whole seems so unsatisfying. We have Pablo turn into the new chancellor, but just chapters before, people were in the streets protesting his existence. We have no idea how the public reacts to this change, whether they believe he really is innocent.
The other Archmagus were also under the control of Emerico, and we have no resolution to this either, and when Pablo does release one from his spell, she is annoyed and frustrated with him. It was extremely underwhelming.
This one wasn’t for me.
The pacing of the writing seemed off, everything seemed to happen in such an odd succession and felt rushed through. The world building has such promise, but then we just rush through things like merman and mermaids existing in this magic world too. They seemed just thrown in to be interesting, and then we were on to the next magical species.
None of the storylines seems to be resolved by the end. The city is saved, but the mobsters/police storyline ends abruptly with both leaders being killed. The end as a whole seems so unsatisfying. We have Pablo turn into the new chancellor, but just chapters before, people were in the streets protesting his existence. We have no idea how the public reacts to this change, whether they believe he really is innocent.
The other Archmagus were also under the control of Emerico, and we have no resolution to this either, and when Pablo does release one from his spell, she is annoyed and frustrated with him. It was extremely underwhelming.
This one wasn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Marcus X. Figuerola, NetGalley and Bannermen Books for the eARC.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish!
The story was fast paced, but not exhaustingly so, and never felt like it had any dead moments. The inclusion of spanish dialouge was enjoyable (I don't speak any spanish myself) and for me made the story more immersive. I liked the magic system used, and would have loved to sit in on Pablo's lesson. Pablo was an interesting character with a depth, hubris and flaws to him that made him just as much likeable as it made me want to smack him upside the head, and tell him to just dip out and catch a break. Poor man went through a lot in these pages!
Some of the side characters had a bit of a "filler" quality to them, where they were probably meant to have a deeper impact. I think that might have been that there isn't enough pages in one book to give them more space. Both Hellas and Espinoza come to mind, but I felt this particularly in the case of Georgina; As much as her impact and importance to Pablo was introduced, the space she was given wasn't enough to give me a sense of closeness to her. When the closure between her and Pablo happened I didn't really feel anything, even though I recognised the impact the author was going for (doing my best to say this without giving spoilers). If this had been a duology, and the side characters had more space to introduce themselves and their importance/influence in Pablo's life, I think the story would have greatly benefitted from it. I personally wanted to know a little more about them.
And though I had hoped for a different ending - the one provided was a bit anticlimatic and left something to be desired - I was left with a question I thought worth pondering; did Pablo end up fulfilling the mastermind's plan behind the grand plan after all? I see what you did there author.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marcus X. Figuerola and Bannermen Books for the eArc, it was a treat to read.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish!
The story was fast paced, but not exhaustingly so, and never felt like it had any dead moments. The inclusion of spanish dialouge was enjoyable (I don't speak any spanish myself) and for me made the story more immersive. I liked the magic system used, and would have loved to sit in on Pablo's lesson. Pablo was an interesting character with a depth, hubris and flaws to him that made him just as much likeable as it made me want to smack him upside the head, and tell him to just dip out and catch a break. Poor man went through a lot in these pages!
Some of the side characters had a bit of a "filler" quality to them, where they were probably meant to have a deeper impact. I think that might have been that there isn't enough pages in one book to give them more space. Both Hellas and Espinoza come to mind, but I felt this particularly in the case of Georgina; As much as her impact and importance to Pablo was introduced, the space she was given wasn't enough to give me a sense of closeness to her. When the closure between her and Pablo happened I didn't really feel anything, even though I recognised the impact the author was going for (doing my best to say this without giving spoilers). If this had been a duology, and the side characters had more space to introduce themselves and their importance/influence in Pablo's life, I think the story would have greatly benefitted from it. I personally wanted to know a little more about them.
And though I had hoped for a different ending - the one provided was a bit anticlimatic and left something to be desired - I was left with a question I thought worth pondering; did Pablo end up fulfilling the mastermind's plan behind the grand plan after all? I see what you did there author.
Thank you to NetGalley, Marcus X. Figuerola and Bannermen Books for the eArc, it was a treat to read.
March 28, 2026
Figuerola has crafted a fabulous urban fantasy tale that hooked me from its first page. Free of the genre's worst tropes, Figuerola masterfully weaves magically mundane worldbuilding, well paced action, introspective flashbacks, and a touch of mystery in a story that loves Miami like only a local could.
Dr. Diaz lives in a world of demons and dissertations, trolls and traffic, ghosts and gangsters. Cell phones, due to their personal connection to their owners, turn out to operate inadvertently as phylacteries, requiring special care around evil spirits and the like. The book is sprinkled with these deliciously interesting intersections of the magical and the mundane (always my favorites in sci-fi and fantasy).
After a fantastic prologue written in the style of an anniversary news broadcast, we're dropped into the perspective of Professor Diaz. He lives in a Miami where magic has returned and you can even major in it at FIU. Like Harry Dresden before him, Pablo is stressed and overworked, principled and passionate, carrying more than his fair share of cares.
Pablo is a fighter, but he's no superhero. There are real, tangible limits to what he can do with magic and a physical cost to every one of his choices. Every action sequence is accompanied with creative uses of magic and real consequences, both for Pablo himself and the residents of Miami. Often the solution to the problem isn't "punch it harder with magic", and it's incredibly refreshing to see a protagonist approach problems more like Vision than Captain America.
I could gush for paragraphs about this story and our main character, but I don't want to say more to rob anyone of getting to know him the way I did (or to have to hide this review behind a spoiler tag). Suffice it to say we get to see Pablo on his worst days, and the way he responds to the various challenges and his personal history with the rest of the cast gives depth to the character and makes him feel like a real person.
The only thing that keeps this from being a five-star review is a somewhat unsatisfying ending. The climax itself is great, but the epistolary epilogue attempts to wrap up everything a little too quickly and neatly.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bannermen Books for an advance digital copy of this novel!
Dr. Diaz lives in a world of demons and dissertations, trolls and traffic, ghosts and gangsters. Cell phones, due to their personal connection to their owners, turn out to operate inadvertently as phylacteries, requiring special care around evil spirits and the like. The book is sprinkled with these deliciously interesting intersections of the magical and the mundane (always my favorites in sci-fi and fantasy).
After a fantastic prologue written in the style of an anniversary news broadcast, we're dropped into the perspective of Professor Diaz. He lives in a Miami where magic has returned and you can even major in it at FIU. Like Harry Dresden before him, Pablo is stressed and overworked, principled and passionate, carrying more than his fair share of cares.
Pablo is a fighter, but he's no superhero. There are real, tangible limits to what he can do with magic and a physical cost to every one of his choices. Every action sequence is accompanied with creative uses of magic and real consequences, both for Pablo himself and the residents of Miami. Often the solution to the problem isn't "punch it harder with magic", and it's incredibly refreshing to see a protagonist approach problems more like Vision than Captain America.
I could gush for paragraphs about this story and our main character, but I don't want to say more to rob anyone of getting to know him the way I did (or to have to hide this review behind a spoiler tag). Suffice it to say we get to see Pablo on his worst days, and the way he responds to the various challenges and his personal history with the rest of the cast gives depth to the character and makes him feel like a real person.
The only thing that keeps this from being a five-star review is a somewhat unsatisfying ending. The climax itself is great, but the epistolary epilogue attempts to wrap up everything a little too quickly and neatly.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bannermen Books for an advance digital copy of this novel!
July 6, 2026
I had been waiting for this book for a little while, and was thrilled to finally dig into it once it arrived.
My first copy was exposed to some sort of spill in the warehouse, but Amazon replaced that no problem.
Coming in on the story of our protagonist Pablo, we find him to be an urban academic straddling a slew of obligations, and dropped most inconveniently into a story that won't let him go.
Figuerola weaves an enchanting tale of practical magic and how even the mystical becomes mundane once it turns into a job, only to be complicated into something interesting again by plain old everyday murder. We ride the shuttle bearing the weft of Pablo through the weave of academic infighting, father/son relationship dynamics, moral dilemmas, knock down drag out fistfights with mythical creatures, and Miami traffic. As a first book, we are spoiled by the author pouring his heart into the work, and attentive readers will spot a few easter eggs paying tribute to other authors. Figuerola builds a world that makes sense, and draws you in step by step until you're in over your head and didn't realize you'd been holding your breath.
My only complaint about this book is that it ended- I would have enjoyed a few extra pages spread across the chapters, but I don't feel like any part of the story was given short shrift to keep to a page count.
My first copy was exposed to some sort of spill in the warehouse, but Amazon replaced that no problem.
Coming in on the story of our protagonist Pablo, we find him to be an urban academic straddling a slew of obligations, and dropped most inconveniently into a story that won't let him go.
Figuerola weaves an enchanting tale of practical magic and how even the mystical becomes mundane once it turns into a job, only to be complicated into something interesting again by plain old everyday murder. We ride the shuttle bearing the weft of Pablo through the weave of academic infighting, father/son relationship dynamics, moral dilemmas, knock down drag out fistfights with mythical creatures, and Miami traffic. As a first book, we are spoiled by the author pouring his heart into the work, and attentive readers will spot a few easter eggs paying tribute to other authors. Figuerola builds a world that makes sense, and draws you in step by step until you're in over your head and didn't realize you'd been holding your breath.
My only complaint about this book is that it ended- I would have enjoyed a few extra pages spread across the chapters, but I don't feel like any part of the story was given short shrift to keep to a page count.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Don't be thrown by three stars - there's a lot of good stuff here. It was fun but seemed to have pacing inconsistencies that I occasionally struggled with, and I'm still not sure about the ending... The world building was cool and intriguing, and I loved the opening. There were a few times that the narrative seemed to get bogged down in descriptions that felt unnecessarily detailed and pulled me from the action and suspense - not enough to disrupt the book as a whole, but enough that I noticed my attention flagging. Fortunately things usually picked up in relatively short order, so it wasn't a big deal.
I liked the magical structure and always enjoy a Harry Dresden-esque idealogue-in-a-world-that-doesn't-reward-them protagonist, so that was fun for me. His battles against The Man (figuratively and literally) were filled with snark and righteousness, and I enjoyed watching him muddle his way into victory.
The ending/apocalyptic battle was a bit of a head-scratcher for me, and I'm still not entirely sure it felt satisfying - but the very end/closing note definitely did! On the whole it was a fun and engaging read and I"d be interested in a sequel - it seems like the ending could leave things open to that, and if so I'm in!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
I liked the magical structure and always enjoy a Harry Dresden-esque idealogue-in-a-world-that-doesn't-reward-them protagonist, so that was fun for me. His battles against The Man (figuratively and literally) were filled with snark and righteousness, and I enjoyed watching him muddle his way into victory.
The ending/apocalyptic battle was a bit of a head-scratcher for me, and I'm still not entirely sure it felt satisfying - but the very end/closing note definitely did! On the whole it was a fun and engaging read and I"d be interested in a sequel - it seems like the ending could leave things open to that, and if so I'm in!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed this one. This is Urban Fantasy done right and almost gave me Unsleeping City vibes. Magic is used to earn money and our MC, Pablo Diaz, makes his living through letting the dead speak to their loved ones, or inquiring detectives on a homicide case.
Pablo has Cuban roots so the storytelling is steeped in it. The food, the language. The environment was rich with it, along with the natural way they wield magic. The way the rituals and spells are explained and the meaning behind their tools grounds the magic system in this book imo.
The side characters were great additions to the story. I was invested in the criminal gang arc and the other archmagi. It’s fast-paced and I was devouring the middle parts of this book cause everything felt so high stakes! However the ending felt rushed and I hoped the conclusion went over more smoothly. Yet, still an enjoyable experience!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bannermen Books for providing me with this ARC!
Pablo has Cuban roots so the storytelling is steeped in it. The food, the language. The environment was rich with it, along with the natural way they wield magic. The way the rituals and spells are explained and the meaning behind their tools grounds the magic system in this book imo.
The side characters were great additions to the story. I was invested in the criminal gang arc and the other archmagi. It’s fast-paced and I was devouring the middle parts of this book cause everything felt so high stakes! However the ending felt rushed and I hoped the conclusion went over more smoothly. Yet, still an enjoyable experience!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Bannermen Books for providing me with this ARC!
June 23, 2026
4 ⭐️
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
I really enjoyed this book. The writing is good and really enjoyable to read. The magic system and the world building were amazing and I loved the opening, where we immediately got to see the origins of magic in modern day Miami. I never felt bored and loved how smooth and well-paced flow of the story was.
Pablo is a great main character, full of virtues that make you love him, and flaws that made me roll my eyes a couple of times. I would have liked if some of the side characters were given more space and background, hence why I rated the book four stars.
I am always careful when I write reviews that I don't say too many things and spoil the book, so I think I will stop here. All I'll add is that I found the book very entertaining and the ending was satisfying too. It seems to me that there is room for a sequel, and if that's the case, I'll be happy to read it.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC
I really enjoyed this book. The writing is good and really enjoyable to read. The magic system and the world building were amazing and I loved the opening, where we immediately got to see the origins of magic in modern day Miami. I never felt bored and loved how smooth and well-paced flow of the story was.
Pablo is a great main character, full of virtues that make you love him, and flaws that made me roll my eyes a couple of times. I would have liked if some of the side characters were given more space and background, hence why I rated the book four stars.
I am always careful when I write reviews that I don't say too many things and spoil the book, so I think I will stop here. All I'll add is that I found the book very entertaining and the ending was satisfying too. It seems to me that there is room for a sequel, and if that's the case, I'll be happy to read it.
July 5, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Mayhem indeed! Ghouls, gremlins, the Russian mob, this book has it all. I feel like I can finally breathe now that I’m done reading because that was definitely a wild ride. Pablo really spent the entire book digging himself into an even deeper hole, I just wanted to knock some sense into him. I will say there was a LOT going on and to keep track of. I found myself having to go back and forth in between chapters to grab my bearings again. Overall, this book was full of magic, monsters, and wonderful Latino representation. Very wacky and just plain old fun, I had a great time. This would definitely be spectacular as a graphic novel or comic. Thank you to NetGalley and Bannermen Books for this advance readers copy. All thoughts are my own.
Mayhem indeed! Ghouls, gremlins, the Russian mob, this book has it all. I feel like I can finally breathe now that I’m done reading because that was definitely a wild ride. Pablo really spent the entire book digging himself into an even deeper hole, I just wanted to knock some sense into him. I will say there was a LOT going on and to keep track of. I found myself having to go back and forth in between chapters to grab my bearings again. Overall, this book was full of magic, monsters, and wonderful Latino representation. Very wacky and just plain old fun, I had a great time. This would definitely be spectacular as a graphic novel or comic. Thank you to NetGalley and Bannermen Books for this advance readers copy. All thoughts are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am finished with this book, and as happens sometimes when finishing a book, I’m not really sure how to rate this. First, I will say that the writing was excellent. It was engaging and very fast-paced. However, after a while, I got very aggravated with our main character Pablo as he just blundered from one mistake to another. He should have known better from the beginning as that beginning move was a little out of character as we came to know about him as the book progressed. The end also threw me for a loop, and I came away a little confused about a couple of things which I can’t say here as it’ll spoil a couple of things. All told, I did enjoy this book even if I don’t think it was perfect. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*3.5
Lots of fun! Felt very Percy Jackson-esque in the sense that the protagonist was constantly having to puzzle his way through battles with various creatures, the cultural influences where cool. Criticism would be that it felt a bit all over the place, I was quickly confused by which character was which and why the protagonist had to do the things he did, some things felt very clearly like they were just there to move the plot along rather than being a next logical step
Lots of fun! Felt very Percy Jackson-esque in the sense that the protagonist was constantly having to puzzle his way through battles with various creatures, the cultural influences where cool. Criticism would be that it felt a bit all over the place, I was quickly confused by which character was which and why the protagonist had to do the things he did, some things felt very clearly like they were just there to move the plot along rather than being a next logical step
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
DNF @ 15% for the Harry Potter reference. Dramatic maybe, but I don't care to entertain this in 2026 when we know how terrible of a person JKR is.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, despite that.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC, despite that.
July 7, 2026
The beginning was great, the character had great promise, the plot kept getting better until it scattered.
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