What do you think?
A Theory in Curses #1
Elodie and the Dark Lord
Not yet published
Expected 16 Mar 27To save her brother, a magicless librarian must infiltrate a magic school and trust a Dark Lord, in this spellbinding and enchanting new tale from the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Year Slip.
Thirty-eight-year-old Elodie Kess is content in her quiet life as her village’s librarian. Perhaps not happy – but she has come to terms with that. After all, a scholar of magic with no magical talent of her own is quite useless in the kingdom of Abrea.
By contrast, her younger brother is a rare talent in magic on the verge of a breakthrough. And when he disappears in the High Arcanum Conservatory – along with his research notes – Elodie believes she may be the only one who can rescue him.
She and the headmaster come up with a glamour Elodie as a first-year graduate student to infiltrate the institution. She doesn’t intend for her ineptitude for magic accidentally undoing the curse on the Conservatory’s least favorite professor – a centuries-old Dark Lord, now defanged and de-magicked, cursed forever as a cat.
The Dark Lord is surprisingly charming and disarmingly handsome (when he’s not a cat), and seemingly her best ally. Elodie knows it would be dangerous to give him her heart. Especially when, rumor is, he used to eat them.
Thirty-eight-year-old Elodie Kess is content in her quiet life as her village’s librarian. Perhaps not happy – but she has come to terms with that. After all, a scholar of magic with no magical talent of her own is quite useless in the kingdom of Abrea.
By contrast, her younger brother is a rare talent in magic on the verge of a breakthrough. And when he disappears in the High Arcanum Conservatory – along with his research notes – Elodie believes she may be the only one who can rescue him.
She and the headmaster come up with a glamour Elodie as a first-year graduate student to infiltrate the institution. She doesn’t intend for her ineptitude for magic accidentally undoing the curse on the Conservatory’s least favorite professor – a centuries-old Dark Lord, now defanged and de-magicked, cursed forever as a cat.
The Dark Lord is surprisingly charming and disarmingly handsome (when he’s not a cat), and seemingly her best ally. Elodie knows it would be dangerous to give him her heart. Especially when, rumor is, he used to eat them.
432 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 23, 2027
About the author
Ashley Poston
36 books27.4k followersNew York Times best-seller by day, fanfic author by night.
Viist her at www.ashposton.com.
Viist her at www.ashposton.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
Want to Read
July 3, 2026An Ashley Poston cozy romantasy????? SHUT UP. I NEED THIS 🥺👉👈
September 9, 2026
thank you so much to netgalley for this arc!!
3.5⭐️
as a huge ashley poston fan, i was so, so excited to see her dip her toe into the cosy romantasy genre! this was a really cool set up, and a fun new voice to hear from her. this story is told in diary entries, and we get little interjections from our mmc (who is also a cat??), which i absolutely loved. i really enjoyed the style of magic in this book too - it is cast through sigils, which is something i don’t see too often. it was an incredibly quick read, and very silly/funny in a lot of places.
i feel the only drawback for me (and admittedly i guess it’s quite a big one), was the crux of the plot itself. this is a story in which our fmc is looking for her lost brother, whilst being undercover at a magical university of sorts. i found myself not really caring much about the location of her brother, perhaps because we didn’t really know anything about him or their relationship prior to this search commencing.
overall, this was a very immersive, funny, cosy story with a sweet romance at its centre. i adored the fact that our mmc was cursed into a somewhat grumpy cat, and that our fmc had such a strong backbone. overall i would recommend!
3.5⭐️
as a huge ashley poston fan, i was so, so excited to see her dip her toe into the cosy romantasy genre! this was a really cool set up, and a fun new voice to hear from her. this story is told in diary entries, and we get little interjections from our mmc (who is also a cat??), which i absolutely loved. i really enjoyed the style of magic in this book too - it is cast through sigils, which is something i don’t see too often. it was an incredibly quick read, and very silly/funny in a lot of places.
i feel the only drawback for me (and admittedly i guess it’s quite a big one), was the crux of the plot itself. this is a story in which our fmc is looking for her lost brother, whilst being undercover at a magical university of sorts. i found myself not really caring much about the location of her brother, perhaps because we didn’t really know anything about him or their relationship prior to this search commencing.
overall, this was a very immersive, funny, cosy story with a sweet romance at its centre. i adored the fact that our mmc was cursed into a somewhat grumpy cat, and that our fmc had such a strong backbone. overall i would recommend!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
“You render me mortal every time you touch me.
You control me, body and soul.”
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴇxɪsᴛ ғᴏʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ” x ᴀᴜʀᴏʀᴀ
0:38 ─♥──────── 4:12
A magicless librarian, a missing brother, a magical school full of secrets, and a centuries-old Dark Lord who has been cursed to live as a cat. That is basically all you need to know going in, because trust me you’ll want to let the story surprise you 😭👀😝
if you're here to judge me because i read this in less than 12 hours... 🚪🚶🏼♀️ there's the door babe when i'm invested i'm invested... what can i say 🤷🏼♀️
honestly, I was IMMEDIATELY drawn in by the way this book is written. Elodie’s story is told through her journal, with Corvo’s little entries scattered throughout like notes in the margins, and I genuinely cannot explain how much I loved this. It created this almost intimate, lived-in feeling, like I wasn’t just reading a story about these characters—I was being allowed to peek into something that belonged to them. It’s such a unique narrative choice, and somehow it works ridiculously well🙂↕️🙂↕️🙂↕️
And Ashley Poston just has this way of making magic genuinely feel so magical✨ There is so much creativity in the worldbuilding and in the way magic is woven into the story that I kept finding myself stopping to appreciate how imaginative it all was. (and this is coming from a girl who doesn't really like fantasy at all) 🙂↕️ Nothing about it felt like magic for the sake of having magic. it felt strange, whimsical, mysterious, and completely its own. There’s also something softer about the whole reading experience that I really loved. Even with all the questions and secrets hanging over everything, the story has this warmth to it that made it incredibly easy to sink into 🫂
.I laughed SO much. I swooned SO much. The banter between Elodie and Corvo??? I was living for every single interaction. 😭 Even when things were rough between them, I really loved watching Elodie slowly start to see Corvo for who he actually was instead of seeing him through the assumptions and judgment she had initially carried about him. There was something so satisfying about watching that shift happen naturally, little by little. And watching them slowly fall for each other through all these ordinary moments??? I ate that UP😝😛
The mystery surrounding Elodie’s brother had me just as invested. From the beginning, there is this underlying question of what actually happened to him, and I was constantly trying to connect the little pieces we were given. There are so many things we don’t understand at first, including the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and Elodie’s own past with magic, and every answer seemed to open up another question. I genuinely could not put this book down because I needed to know what was actually going on 👀
I also loved how all of these mysteries were woven into the magical world rather than feeling like they were simply there to move the plot along. The story keeps giving you little pieces to wonder about while still letting you enjoy the characters and their relationship, which made the whole reading experience feel so immersive. I was laughing one minute, swooning the next, and then suddenly sitting there like, “WAIT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???”😭
AND THEN THAT CLIFFHANGER?!?! My jaw was on the floor. What do you mean I have to potentially wait an entire YEAR for answers??? I am unwell. I need the next book immediately.
favorite quotes ↓
“I think, when his mouth found mine, my heart might have stopped completely.”
“seeing myself through your eyes makes me not hate myself as much as I know I should.”
“You could have asked me for the moon, and I would have moved the sky and the stars to bring it to you.”
things to know about the book ↓
✨ librarian x dark lord
✨ magical academy
✨ journal-entry narrative
✨ secrets and hidden truths
✨ slowburn
✨ lots of banter
✨ FMC in her 30s
✨ cozy and whimsical
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 42
Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
september 8th- THERES NO FREAKING WAYYYYY. I GOT THE ARC AHHHH 🤩🥹😱
dropping everything else RIGHT NOW
You control me, body and soul.”
on repeat 𝄞 ࿐♬ 𓍢ִ🎧ྀི ᯓ ♪ˎˊ˗
“ᴇxɪsᴛ ғᴏʀ ʟᴏᴠᴇ” x ᴀᴜʀᴏʀᴀ
0:38 ─♥──────── 4:12
A magicless librarian, a missing brother, a magical school full of secrets, and a centuries-old Dark Lord who has been cursed to live as a cat. That is basically all you need to know going in, because trust me you’ll want to let the story surprise you 😭👀😝
if you're here to judge me because i read this in less than 12 hours... 🚪🚶🏼♀️ there's the door babe when i'm invested i'm invested... what can i say 🤷🏼♀️
honestly, I was IMMEDIATELY drawn in by the way this book is written. Elodie’s story is told through her journal, with Corvo’s little entries scattered throughout like notes in the margins, and I genuinely cannot explain how much I loved this. It created this almost intimate, lived-in feeling, like I wasn’t just reading a story about these characters—I was being allowed to peek into something that belonged to them. It’s such a unique narrative choice, and somehow it works ridiculously well🙂↕️🙂↕️🙂↕️
And Ashley Poston just has this way of making magic genuinely feel so magical✨ There is so much creativity in the worldbuilding and in the way magic is woven into the story that I kept finding myself stopping to appreciate how imaginative it all was. (and this is coming from a girl who doesn't really like fantasy at all) 🙂↕️ Nothing about it felt like magic for the sake of having magic. it felt strange, whimsical, mysterious, and completely its own. There’s also something softer about the whole reading experience that I really loved. Even with all the questions and secrets hanging over everything, the story has this warmth to it that made it incredibly easy to sink into 🫂
.I laughed SO much. I swooned SO much. The banter between Elodie and Corvo??? I was living for every single interaction. 😭 Even when things were rough between them, I really loved watching Elodie slowly start to see Corvo for who he actually was instead of seeing him through the assumptions and judgment she had initially carried about him. There was something so satisfying about watching that shift happen naturally, little by little. And watching them slowly fall for each other through all these ordinary moments??? I ate that UP😝😛
The mystery surrounding Elodie’s brother had me just as invested. From the beginning, there is this underlying question of what actually happened to him, and I was constantly trying to connect the little pieces we were given. There are so many things we don’t understand at first, including the circumstances surrounding his disappearance and Elodie’s own past with magic, and every answer seemed to open up another question. I genuinely could not put this book down because I needed to know what was actually going on 👀
I also loved how all of these mysteries were woven into the magical world rather than feeling like they were simply there to move the plot along. The story keeps giving you little pieces to wonder about while still letting you enjoy the characters and their relationship, which made the whole reading experience feel so immersive. I was laughing one minute, swooning the next, and then suddenly sitting there like, “WAIT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN???”😭
AND THEN THAT CLIFFHANGER?!?! My jaw was on the floor. What do you mean I have to potentially wait an entire YEAR for answers??? I am unwell. I need the next book immediately.
favorite quotes ↓
“I think, when his mouth found mine, my heart might have stopped completely.”
“seeing myself through your eyes makes me not hate myself as much as I know I should.”
“You could have asked me for the moon, and I would have moved the sky and the stars to bring it to you.”
things to know about the book ↓
✨ librarian x dark lord
✨ magical academy
✨ journal-entry narrative
✨ secrets and hidden truths
✨ slowburn
✨ lots of banter
✨ FMC in her 30s
✨ cozy and whimsical
swearing: yes
spice rating: 🌶️🌶️
→ chapters: 42
Thank you NetGalley, publisher & author for this arc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
─────────
・❥・⁀➷ 𝕡𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕
september 8th- THERES NO FREAKING WAYYYYY. I GOT THE ARC AHHHH 🤩🥹😱
dropping everything else RIGHT NOW
Want to Read
July 3, 2026preread 💜🌙
im prepared for an ashley poston feysand 😽
announcement
ARC SECURED 💜🔮🛐
𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊
GIVE HERE NOW ASHLEY POSTON
im prepared for an ashley poston feysand 😽
announcement
ARC SECURED 💜🔮🛐
𝖕𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖊𝖆𝖘𝖊
GIVE HERE NOW ASHLEY POSTON
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3 ⭐️
I want to start this review off by saying that I love ashley poston’s writing so much and I commend her for trying something new with this one! I think her writing has always been whimsical and a bit magical, so this didn’t feel completely different than some of her other titles!
I think the premise of this was so intriguing and I was loving the first 40%!! unfortunately, I found myself getting a bit bored after that and the story dragged out through the middle of this. since the major theme in this is elodie (the fmc) trying to find her brother who mysteriously disappeared, I wish we could’ve gotten more context on him and I think that would’ve helped me stay invested in finding him. I also felt like the chemistry between elodie and the dark lord was almost nonexistent? I’m not sure if it’s because he was in his cat form for the majority of this, but I couldn’t connect or feel anything between them. this is written in a way where it’s as we are reading elodie’s journal entries and while she penned their interactions, throughout the book the dark lord is scribbling comments in the margins and I think those comments were sweet, but that still didn’t help me feel any chemistry between them since he didn’t actually tell her those things in the moment. I don’t know how else to describe it but it’s difficult to understand how they reached a point of loving each other because there were hardly any romantic interactions.
even though I was a bit disappointed in this one, it did end with a plot twist and I’ll be interested to read the second book whenever it releases to see where the rest of this story goes!
thank you netgalley, berkley, and ashley poston for this arc! <3
I want to start this review off by saying that I love ashley poston’s writing so much and I commend her for trying something new with this one! I think her writing has always been whimsical and a bit magical, so this didn’t feel completely different than some of her other titles!
I think the premise of this was so intriguing and I was loving the first 40%!! unfortunately, I found myself getting a bit bored after that and the story dragged out through the middle of this. since the major theme in this is elodie (the fmc) trying to find her brother who mysteriously disappeared, I wish we could’ve gotten more context on him and I think that would’ve helped me stay invested in finding him. I also felt like the chemistry between elodie and the dark lord was almost nonexistent? I’m not sure if it’s because he was in his cat form for the majority of this, but I couldn’t connect or feel anything between them. this is written in a way where it’s as we are reading elodie’s journal entries and while she penned their interactions, throughout the book the dark lord is scribbling comments in the margins and I think those comments were sweet, but that still didn’t help me feel any chemistry between them since he didn’t actually tell her those things in the moment. I don’t know how else to describe it but it’s difficult to understand how they reached a point of loving each other because there were hardly any romantic interactions.
even though I was a bit disappointed in this one, it did end with a plot twist and I’ll be interested to read the second book whenever it releases to see where the rest of this story goes!
thank you netgalley, berkley, and ashley poston for this arc! <3
Want to Read
October 2, 2026°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — preread:
started: tbd
finished:
EEEKKKK i had zero faith that i'd be accepted for this arc but i am THRILLED. i love ashley poston's books! im so interested to see how she writes fantasy!!! i hope to get to this soon, but my tbr is stackeddd right now with some really great reads, but i hope to do so within the fall season!
thank you Netgalley, Ashley Poston and Berkley Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Release date: March 16, 2027!
started: tbd
finished:
EEEKKKK i had zero faith that i'd be accepted for this arc but i am THRILLED. i love ashley poston's books! im so interested to see how she writes fantasy!!! i hope to get to this soon, but my tbr is stackeddd right now with some really great reads, but i hope to do so within the fall season!
thank you Netgalley, Ashley Poston and Berkley Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Release date: March 16, 2027!
arcs-to-read
September 29, 2026I am ngl, I am very surprised I got approved for this 😂🤭 But I am extremely excited and grateful because a bestie of mine really enjoyed it, so I have high hopes 😍💜
Want to Read
September 9, 2026She must trust the Dark Lord to save her brother. Elodie is a magic-less librarian who infiltrates the conservatory where she meets disarmingly attractive man, who she thinks had something to do with her brothers disappearance. Little does she know, he's nothing like the villain she thought he was. Instead, the Dark Lord has a secret of his own... he's cursed and she's his own salvation.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Ashley Poston for an early ARC.
Publication: March 16, 2027
Many thanks to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group and the author, Ashley Poston for an early ARC.
Publication: March 16, 2027
remind-me-once-out
July 3, 2026Someone call 911 for me; I'm having trouble breathing
Want to Read
August 24, 2026i adore ashley poston's magical realism novels, and i am beyond honored to have received an arc of her new romantasy!
now-tbr
July 3, 2026HHAHAGAGAHA A CUTE ROMANTASY BY THE QUEEN ASHLEY POSTON ? yes gimme please I can't wait till 2027 🤭
Everyone knows that whatever my fav author writes , I read 😩🙈
Everyone knows that whatever my fav author writes , I read 😩🙈
Want to Read
July 15, 2026this sounds perfect actually
♡.) Geekerella ★★★
♡.) Heart of Iron ★★★
♡.) Geekerella ★★★
♡.) Heart of Iron ★★★
Want to Read
June 25, 2026eek!!! So excited :' )
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 ⭐️ Okay, I LOVED this book!!! The more I think about it, the more I like it. I feel like if I’d read it at a better time, this could’ve easily been a 5 star read or at least very close to it.
From the very first chapter we find out what the narration format is going to be like, and I was already so excited. tbh, that ended up being one of my favorite things about the book. I loved getting to read Elodie’s diary, especially with the added bonus of the Dark Lord’s notes. (Also, I think Dark Lord™️ is such a silly name, but that man is literally a CAT so I feel like the name kind of gets a pass bc of that 😭)
I also thought the author did such a good job building the mystery around Elodie’s brother and everything involving the curses. I kept being surprised all the way until the end, and I LOVED that. The setting was perfect too. I’ve been getting a little tired of books set in magic schools and their many variations, but this one reminded me exactly why I love them so much. And Elodie!!! My girl. I liked her so much and found myself relating to her in so many moments. I really hope she gets the recognition she deserves in the next book.
Anyway, I absolutely loved this. The only reason it wasn’t 5 stars is that I’m in a bit of a weird reading slump rn, and there were a few moments where the pacing felt a little slower to me. But honestly, I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.
From the very first chapter we find out what the narration format is going to be like, and I was already so excited. tbh, that ended up being one of my favorite things about the book. I loved getting to read Elodie’s diary, especially with the added bonus of the Dark Lord’s notes. (Also, I think Dark Lord™️ is such a silly name, but that man is literally a CAT so I feel like the name kind of gets a pass bc of that 😭)
I also thought the author did such a good job building the mystery around Elodie’s brother and everything involving the curses. I kept being surprised all the way until the end, and I LOVED that. The setting was perfect too. I’ve been getting a little tired of books set in magic schools and their many variations, but this one reminded me exactly why I love them so much. And Elodie!!! My girl. I liked her so much and found myself relating to her in so many moments. I really hope she gets the recognition she deserves in the next book.
Anyway, I absolutely loved this. The only reason it wasn’t 5 stars is that I’m in a bit of a weird reading slump rn, and there were a few moments where the pacing felt a little slower to me. But honestly, I can already tell this is going to be one of my favorite books of the year.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THIS WAS SUCH A GOOD BOOK!! I absolutely adored the journal style writing with Corvo’s thoughts interspersed throughout. The magic system was incredible unique and the story had so many twists and turns, I lost sleep from needing to know what would happen next! I’m frothing at the mouth for the next book and I cannot wait to see how to story continues!!
Want to Read
September 10, 2026BRB going to go throw up because I just go approved for this ARC ahhhhhh I'm so excited
tbr-unreleased
July 3, 2026librarian? magic school?? 38-year-old fmc??? i'll be here waiting 🧍♀️
Did Not Finish
September 12, 2026dnf @14%
Tbh the fmc just needed to stop whining and I wouldn't have minded this. it could be my mood but I was not enjoying this in the slightest. I thought I would because I usually love books set in a diary/journal entry format but this was just not working for me.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all thoughts are my own.
Tbh the fmc just needed to stop whining and I wouldn't have minded this. it could be my mood but I was not enjoying this in the slightest. I thought I would because I usually love books set in a diary/journal entry format but this was just not working for me.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. all thoughts are my own.
September 13, 2026
The worst thing about this book is that I read it as an ARC, it was a true 5 star, and now I don’t have anyone to talk about it with until March 2027 😩
This romantasy has so many things I love:
- a smart and headstrong FMC in her late 30s
- a prickly, misunderstood MMC cursed to live as a cat
- a magic university & cool magic system
- a romance that was realistic, swoon-worthy, and heartbreaking
- an ending that has me absolutely feral for the next book
But what really set it apart for me was the main character, Elodie, a 38-year-old woman who feels like a failure because she can’t wield magic. Her story really resonated with me, and I loved watching an older heroine learn to finally go after what she wants and deserves and find love later in life. I also loved the complexity of Corvo’s character, especially the ways he grew and changed throughout the novel.
My only complaint is that the central mystery, her missing brother, felt like a bit of an afterthought (and also I figured out where he went extremely early on, so it was frustrating to wait for Elodie to put it together), but I was having such a good time with everything else that I didn’t really mind.
This romantasy has so many things I love:
- a smart and headstrong FMC in her late 30s
- a prickly, misunderstood MMC cursed to live as a cat
- a magic university & cool magic system
- a romance that was realistic, swoon-worthy, and heartbreaking
- an ending that has me absolutely feral for the next book
But what really set it apart for me was the main character, Elodie, a 38-year-old woman who feels like a failure because she can’t wield magic. Her story really resonated with me, and I loved watching an older heroine learn to finally go after what she wants and deserves and find love later in life. I also loved the complexity of Corvo’s character, especially the ways he grew and changed throughout the novel.
My only complaint is that the central mystery, her missing brother, felt like a bit of an afterthought (and also I figured out where he went extremely early on, so it was frustrating to wait for Elodie to put it together), but I was having such a good time with everything else that I didn’t really mind.
September 24, 2026
A charming foray into cozy fantasy✨
Elodie Kess is a 38-year-old librarian in a small town by the sea. She adores magic and spells, but at 19 she lost all of her powers in an accident and has been ostracized from the world of magical academia she loved ever since. Until her younger brother, a professor at the High Arcanum, disappears under mysterious circumstances while studying curses and Elodie arrives in disguise to solve the mystery - while also being the teaching assistant to the pesky Dark Lord (who's cursed to be an immortal cat for his wrongdoings 500 years ago).
I'll devour anything Ashley Poston writes, and this was no different. Full of her signature wit and charm, I can't wait for the next in the series! The diary format didn't always work for me - sometimes it felt like we weren't leaning into it enough - but getting the notes from Corvo in the margins were essential.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Elodie Kess is a 38-year-old librarian in a small town by the sea. She adores magic and spells, but at 19 she lost all of her powers in an accident and has been ostracized from the world of magical academia she loved ever since. Until her younger brother, a professor at the High Arcanum, disappears under mysterious circumstances while studying curses and Elodie arrives in disguise to solve the mystery - while also being the teaching assistant to the pesky Dark Lord (who's cursed to be an immortal cat for his wrongdoings 500 years ago).
I'll devour anything Ashley Poston writes, and this was no different. Full of her signature wit and charm, I can't wait for the next in the series! The diary format didn't always work for me - sometimes it felt like we weren't leaning into it enough - but getting the notes from Corvo in the margins were essential.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.
Want to Read
July 10, 2026Oh Ashley Poston, how I love what you write. Take my money now.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
NetGalley eARC — Can I just say I love Ashley Poston’s brain for fantasy? The structure is so brilliant and fun, something that always keeps the reader on her toes. Elodie and the Dark Lord is the personal, highly detailed journal of Elodie— along with the Dark Lord’s commentary, littered with snide and sarcastic remarks, but also kind and poignant thoughts. I loved this style versus a full dual perspective; we are primarily in Elodie’s shoes and POV, but we get small hints of what she cannot see or understand.
Elodie Kess lives quietly as a head librarian by the sea, unbeknownst to many that she’s one of the most brilliant magicians of the age but also mysteriously magicless. After receiving news of her brother’s disappearance at the Highrock Arcanum Conservatory where he worked as a professor. She takes upon the task of recovering her brother, but that also means working with the notorious 500-year-old Dark Lord Corvo… who at that time is cursed to remain a cat for his crimes.
This book is witty and charming academia fantasy; the world and its sigils and spells are so fun, and there’s so many to untangle in Corvo’s history and Elodie’s brother’s research. I love the heart, the sentiment, and the rapport of our characters.
I’m still trying to understand the logic of the ending— some puzzle pieces aren’t fitting into place for me— but I am sincerely looking forward to book 2. This is probably my favorite Ashley Poston book so far… rating it 3.5 rounded down.
Elodie Kess lives quietly as a head librarian by the sea, unbeknownst to many that she’s one of the most brilliant magicians of the age but also mysteriously magicless. After receiving news of her brother’s disappearance at the Highrock Arcanum Conservatory where he worked as a professor. She takes upon the task of recovering her brother, but that also means working with the notorious 500-year-old Dark Lord Corvo… who at that time is cursed to remain a cat for his crimes.
This book is witty and charming academia fantasy; the world and its sigils and spells are so fun, and there’s so many to untangle in Corvo’s history and Elodie’s brother’s research. I love the heart, the sentiment, and the rapport of our characters.
I’m still trying to understand the logic of the ending— some puzzle pieces aren’t fitting into place for me— but I am sincerely looking forward to book 2. This is probably my favorite Ashley Poston book so far… rating it 3.5 rounded down.
September 16, 2026
Elodie and the Dark Lord is such a cute, cozy romantasy! ✨
However, I am angry because I thought this was a standalone, and I need everyone to know that it is NOT. 😂 I got to 99% and thought, “Hmm… there’s a lot of plot left that I’d like to explore.” Well, that’s because we’re exploring it in book two. So… be forewarned!
That aside, Ashley Poston does it again. She has such a talent for making you really feel for her characters and giving them so much depth and emotion, even when she’s working with a completely different type of story and plot.
I really loved the world, especially the school, and the mystery kept me intrigued throughout. I especially enjoyed Elodie discovering what happened to her brother, and I’m very excited to see where that storyline goes.
It’s also really fun seeing Ashley Poston dive more fully into fantasy. We’ve gotten some lighter touches of speculative fiction from her before, but this feels like a fun new direction.
The characters and their banter are adorable, and I thought the journal entry format was done really well. I’m curious to see if that continues in any capacity in the next book!
So, yes—definitely check this one out! I have a feeling this is going to be a very popular one. Just remember: it’s not a standalone. 😂
However, I am angry because I thought this was a standalone, and I need everyone to know that it is NOT. 😂 I got to 99% and thought, “Hmm… there’s a lot of plot left that I’d like to explore.” Well, that’s because we’re exploring it in book two. So… be forewarned!
That aside, Ashley Poston does it again. She has such a talent for making you really feel for her characters and giving them so much depth and emotion, even when she’s working with a completely different type of story and plot.
I really loved the world, especially the school, and the mystery kept me intrigued throughout. I especially enjoyed Elodie discovering what happened to her brother, and I’m very excited to see where that storyline goes.
It’s also really fun seeing Ashley Poston dive more fully into fantasy. We’ve gotten some lighter touches of speculative fiction from her before, but this feels like a fun new direction.
The characters and their banter are adorable, and I thought the journal entry format was done really well. I’m curious to see if that continues in any capacity in the next book!
So, yes—definitely check this one out! I have a feeling this is going to be a very popular one. Just remember: it’s not a standalone. 😂
October 2, 2026
I don’t know how I’m supposed to go on without a sequel, when this book doesn’t even actually come out until MARCH!!
Thank you to Netgalley &
As someone who always says The Seven Year Slip is one of her favorite books, Ashley Poston has outdone herself with Elodie and The Dark Lord.
This is a love letter to extraordinary women who’ve been told they’re not good enough; to sibling love and friends in unexpected places ; to those of us who have been beaten down and will do anything to change their circumstances.
Most importantly, the Dark Lord is a talking cat. Forget about his tragic story, you will fall in love with his commentary alone.
Perfect for readers who love:
📖Brilliant FMCs & Academic Settings
🤫Going Undercover
🖤Morally Gray MMCs with a tragic backstory
😂Great Banter
🐈Talking Cats (well, he’s cursed to be a cat)
I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this book in March of 27!
Thank you to Netgalley &
As someone who always says The Seven Year Slip is one of her favorite books, Ashley Poston has outdone herself with Elodie and The Dark Lord.
This is a love letter to extraordinary women who’ve been told they’re not good enough; to sibling love and friends in unexpected places ; to those of us who have been beaten down and will do anything to change their circumstances.
Most importantly, the Dark Lord is a talking cat. Forget about his tragic story, you will fall in love with his commentary alone.
Perfect for readers who love:
📖Brilliant FMCs & Academic Settings
🤫Going Undercover
🖤Morally Gray MMCs with a tragic backstory
😂Great Banter
🐈Talking Cats (well, he’s cursed to be a cat)
I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands on this book in March of 27!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ELODIE AND THE DARK LORD by Ashley Poston
A unique mystery that had me laughing up fur balls. I loved that Elodie was 38. I loved the hero was a cursed cat, who five hundred years ago was the Dark Lord. I loved how smart Elodie was and how persistent. I was upset on her behalf that for so many years she'd been overlooked because she couldn't perform magic. The end was exciting and expect a sequel.
Content: brief strong language and intimate scenes.
Penguin Random House #bookrecommendation #bookreview #newrelease #netgalley
A unique mystery that had me laughing up fur balls. I loved that Elodie was 38. I loved the hero was a cursed cat, who five hundred years ago was the Dark Lord. I loved how smart Elodie was and how persistent. I was upset on her behalf that for so many years she'd been overlooked because she couldn't perform magic. The end was exciting and expect a sequel.
Content: brief strong language and intimate scenes.
Penguin Random House #bookrecommendation #bookreview #newrelease #netgalley
Want to Read
July 18, 2026If Ashley Poston writes it.. I will read it
July 26, 2026
Windows, rooftops and stars. Stories, spells and vines. Love can save you. If only you could remember. This is the best book I’ve ever read. Ever. Period.
August 28, 2026
I love Ashley Poston’s writing. I love her ability to get to the heart of relationships, her creativity and her spark of imagination. Elodie and the Dark Lord is a departure from the magical realism that Poston typically writes, but the core of her writing is all the same: the love, the romance, the creativity.
Elodie is a magic less magician, a brilliant theorist whose magic was stripped away. When her brother goes missing, their oldest friend finds a solution; Elodie will enter the school in disguise to find him. In the process, she becomes the research assistant of the Dark Lord Corvo, cursed for the last five hundred years to be a cat.
I read this book in a day. I didn’t want to put it down, while simultaneously lamenting that I had read so far and the end was impending. I laughed, I swooned, I sighed. I enjoyed myself thoroughly while being entranced by our characters.
The story is written as Elodie’s journal, with Corvo’s notes written in the margins. There’s plenty that we don’t know from the start, from Corvo’s dastardly deeds to the incident that sparked Elodie’s missing magic. The story unfurls engagingly, keeping the reader rapt. Elodie processes through her feelings in the pages of her journal, keeping the audience up-to-date about the goings-on while growing in confidence.
In Poston’s dedication, she references falling in love with an 80s fantasy novel as a child, and in her description, I immediately recognized Howl’s Moving Castle. Corvo is a fresh take on Howl, the lazy, irreverent, brilliant maybe-villain who transforms Sophie back into herself. And I see Sophie in Elodie, the overlooked, brilliant woman who cannot see her own capabilities. To be clear, this is book Howl and book Sophie, who are very different than the Miyazaki characters. It’s rare that authors can successfully grab Howl and Sophie, though many claim to. As I was reading, the characters felt both familiar and wholly their own, which feels like a mark of great writing.
The real trouble, however, is that I’m reading this in August, and the book doesn’t come out until March. Which means I need to wait even longer for the second book. Which is deeply upsetting, and I hope Poston is able to rectify it soon.
I will warn fans of Poston’s other work that this story does not have the same rich themes of grief as the rest of her writing. This book feels different, more whimsical and irreverent, less character study on the lasting effects of grief. I’m thankful to find an author with such excellent range, as I think this book was excellent for what it was doing, but it doesn’t feel significantly different from The Seven Year Slip or The Someday Garden.
This book was engaging. It was funny and insightful. It had real character growth for both of our characters in the margins of a journal. It was interesting and thoughtful and made me stay up far too late reading. And for that, Poston has my undying gratitude.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and Ashley Poston for this advanced reader copy!
Elodie is a magic less magician, a brilliant theorist whose magic was stripped away. When her brother goes missing, their oldest friend finds a solution; Elodie will enter the school in disguise to find him. In the process, she becomes the research assistant of the Dark Lord Corvo, cursed for the last five hundred years to be a cat.
I read this book in a day. I didn’t want to put it down, while simultaneously lamenting that I had read so far and the end was impending. I laughed, I swooned, I sighed. I enjoyed myself thoroughly while being entranced by our characters.
The story is written as Elodie’s journal, with Corvo’s notes written in the margins. There’s plenty that we don’t know from the start, from Corvo’s dastardly deeds to the incident that sparked Elodie’s missing magic. The story unfurls engagingly, keeping the reader rapt. Elodie processes through her feelings in the pages of her journal, keeping the audience up-to-date about the goings-on while growing in confidence.
In Poston’s dedication, she references falling in love with an 80s fantasy novel as a child, and in her description, I immediately recognized Howl’s Moving Castle. Corvo is a fresh take on Howl, the lazy, irreverent, brilliant maybe-villain who transforms Sophie back into herself. And I see Sophie in Elodie, the overlooked, brilliant woman who cannot see her own capabilities. To be clear, this is book Howl and book Sophie, who are very different than the Miyazaki characters. It’s rare that authors can successfully grab Howl and Sophie, though many claim to. As I was reading, the characters felt both familiar and wholly their own, which feels like a mark of great writing.
The real trouble, however, is that I’m reading this in August, and the book doesn’t come out until March. Which means I need to wait even longer for the second book. Which is deeply upsetting, and I hope Poston is able to rectify it soon.
I will warn fans of Poston’s other work that this story does not have the same rich themes of grief as the rest of her writing. This book feels different, more whimsical and irreverent, less character study on the lasting effects of grief. I’m thankful to find an author with such excellent range, as I think this book was excellent for what it was doing, but it doesn’t feel significantly different from The Seven Year Slip or The Someday Garden.
This book was engaging. It was funny and insightful. It had real character growth for both of our characters in the margins of a journal. It was interesting and thoughtful and made me stay up far too late reading. And for that, Poston has my undying gratitude.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley and Ashley Poston for this advanced reader copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a masterpiece. The journal-style narrative was done extremely well and was so necessary and impactful for the plot. I loved The Dark Lord’s interjections into it - such a cool way to get “multi POV”. I want to set an expectation though: This is not a “cozy fantasy” which is what I’ve seen it labeled as (and kind of the vibe the cover is giving). While a lot of this felt cozy and nostalgic, this is not at all low stakes. It also isn’t a romance - the romantic subplot is very important to the overall story though.
The magic system, the world building and the overarching story were all done exceptionally well. This is probably one of the best magic school settings I’ve read in a long time and Poston executed the world building in a way that made it both immersive but not at all overwhelming.
The magic system was intriguing and the plot itself hinges around the cost of magic, and what would happen if there was no cost?
The romance - also well executed. An aching romance between two people driving one another to be better. But it is secondary to the overarching plot so I would consider this more a fantasy story with a romance sub plot. It’s integral to the emotional impact of the overarching plot though.
The characters were all done really well. Each one unique and multi-layered. I wanted to go to the High Arcanum Conservatory and befriend them all! I loved experiencing a protagonist in her late 30s who gets a second chance in the place she loved most - even if that place betrayed her in her younger years. I also loved all the research-based magic that was being done making the Conservatory feel both magical and very academic. I think a lot of “magic schools” don’t get the academia part right, but this one does.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book. There is a lot of emotional impact. Some things were predictable and had me wanting to shake Elodie because how could she not notice??? But it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. Also - this is not a standalone! I went into it thinking it would be more romance-forward and maybe be a series of standalones but be warned it is not that. But now I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself having read it so early with not even a glimmer of book 2 in sight.
The magic system, the world building and the overarching story were all done exceptionally well. This is probably one of the best magic school settings I’ve read in a long time and Poston executed the world building in a way that made it both immersive but not at all overwhelming.
The magic system was intriguing and the plot itself hinges around the cost of magic, and what would happen if there was no cost?
The romance - also well executed. An aching romance between two people driving one another to be better. But it is secondary to the overarching plot so I would consider this more a fantasy story with a romance sub plot. It’s integral to the emotional impact of the overarching plot though.
The characters were all done really well. Each one unique and multi-layered. I wanted to go to the High Arcanum Conservatory and befriend them all! I loved experiencing a protagonist in her late 30s who gets a second chance in the place she loved most - even if that place betrayed her in her younger years. I also loved all the research-based magic that was being done making the Conservatory feel both magical and very academic. I think a lot of “magic schools” don’t get the academia part right, but this one does.
All in all, I absolutely loved this book. There is a lot of emotional impact. Some things were predictable and had me wanting to shake Elodie because how could she not notice??? But it didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the book. Also - this is not a standalone! I went into it thinking it would be more romance-forward and maybe be a series of standalones but be warned it is not that. But now I’m not sure what I’ll do with myself having read it so early with not even a glimmer of book 2 in sight.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ASHLEY POSTON????? HOW DARE YOU??? how DARE you write an evergreen classic!!! omg...like...y'all...elodie and the dark lord is simply the best book I've read this year. there is simply no words to explain how I feel right now. you know how you grow up with fairytales? this is exactly one.
the story of elodie and dark lord is a straight up fairytale. I'm obsessed I'm still thinking about them and thinking of them. i don't want to say much about them because you all deserve to experience them without any spoilers! but I'll tell you about some themes of the book as whole. elodie and dark lord heavily focuses on the narrator. it showcases how historical revisionism takes place and how the narrator/writer holds so much importance when conveying ANYTHING. speaking of conveying, this book has my favourite narrative choice. it's told in such a fun way that ties into the theme + elodie and dark lord as characters even more. it's probably the most interesting narrative choice I've seen executed perfectly. and the most important part, this book does NOT dip. anywhere! it stays consistently interesting and compelling right from the first page to the end. all in all, I'm obsessed. that's the only word i have.
and we all bow down to ashley poston for this. (I'm no big ashley poston fan, so imagine my surprise when it was this good??? pls don't stop writing fantasy/academia books ashley. your true calling is fantasy genre!!! a match made in heaven)
the story of elodie and dark lord is a straight up fairytale. I'm obsessed I'm still thinking about them and thinking of them. i don't want to say much about them because you all deserve to experience them without any spoilers! but I'll tell you about some themes of the book as whole. elodie and dark lord heavily focuses on the narrator. it showcases how historical revisionism takes place and how the narrator/writer holds so much importance when conveying ANYTHING. speaking of conveying, this book has my favourite narrative choice. it's told in such a fun way that ties into the theme + elodie and dark lord as characters even more. it's probably the most interesting narrative choice I've seen executed perfectly. and the most important part, this book does NOT dip. anywhere! it stays consistently interesting and compelling right from the first page to the end. all in all, I'm obsessed. that's the only word i have.
and we all bow down to ashley poston for this. (I'm no big ashley poston fan, so imagine my surprise when it was this good??? pls don't stop writing fantasy/academia books ashley. your true calling is fantasy genre!!! a match made in heaven)
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