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Museum of Magic #1
The Museum of Magic
Emmi Castor grew up in a small town near Salem. Her home is centuries old, originally built by an ancestor renowned for witchcraft. Her grandfather converted the house into the Museum of Magic, collecting the arcane and putting it on display for all to see. But Emmi knows one thing for absolute certain…
Magic is not real.
But then a fae boy named Puck appears inside her house, the broken remains of a centuries-old witch bottle at his feet. At nearly the same time, a Hunter arrives on her doorstep, weapons drawn. Ghostly shadows call to her from the mirror, and Emmi’s grandfather is missing—perhaps kidnapped by nefarious fae, perhaps victim to the those who prey on magic.
History hides the truth.
Puck tells Emmi that she has the power to protect magical beings. He’s fae, but he’s also her only ally, and together, they explore the real life history of witchcraft mingled with the unknown influence of the fae. Emmi must reconstruct the witch bottle, save her grandfather, and maybe even fall in love…but she has to be careful.
You can never trust the fae.
Magic is not real.
But then a fae boy named Puck appears inside her house, the broken remains of a centuries-old witch bottle at his feet. At nearly the same time, a Hunter arrives on her doorstep, weapons drawn. Ghostly shadows call to her from the mirror, and Emmi’s grandfather is missing—perhaps kidnapped by nefarious fae, perhaps victim to the those who prey on magic.
History hides the truth.
Puck tells Emmi that she has the power to protect magical beings. He’s fae, but he’s also her only ally, and together, they explore the real life history of witchcraft mingled with the unknown influence of the fae. Emmi must reconstruct the witch bottle, save her grandfather, and maybe even fall in love…but she has to be careful.
You can never trust the fae.
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First published December 1, 2022
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About the author
Beth Revis
63 books6,741 followersBeth Revis writes books. She also eats too much chocolate, wishes she could travel more, and prefers puppies to people. Beth lives in rural NC with her boys: one husband, one son, two very large puppies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
November 7, 2025
4.0 ★— What did this feel like? Like the best bits of a Saturday morning cartoon, to be honest!
Emmi Castor has always been the weird girl at school, living in an ancient house that’s half museum, half shrine to magic, with ancestry tracing back to a supposed witch. When her grandfather goes missing, she crosses paths with Puck, a faerie boy who joins her on a quest to bring him home.
Story-wise, this book doesn’t take long to get going. Emmi isn’t a complete newbie to the world of magic; as the museum’s guide, she already knows a fair amount about the witch lore of her town. This makes her a main character who’s not completely thrown into the deep end when she learns that everything she thought to be fiction — witches, fae, ghosts, and spirits — is real. Getting to see her use her knowledge at hand as she works with Puck, who’s as mischievous and playful as the Shakespearean namesake who inspired him, was really great. They had a dynamic I really liked seeing, and I thought their romance, which did develop relatively quickly, was genuinely cute!
The fae and all the other supernaturals are brought into the story very naturally, and seeing Emmi go on a sort of adventure, with every chapter having her either search for information, fulfill a bargain, or go through a mission to learn the mystery of her grandfather’s whereabouts, was very well done.
I do have to say that the end felt a little abrupt to me, and I almost wished we could have spent a bit more time on it, as it just felt like the pacing was a tiny bit off.
Overall, I’d call this a softer, more witchy, and teen-friendly version of Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series. It’s perfect for readers looking for something light, magical, and full of a little faerie mischief.
🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
I read this as an immersive experience (switching between the e-book and the audiobook) and found the narration really fitting. The female narrator has a calm yet expressive voice that matches the tone of the story beautifully. I’d definitely recommend this format to audiobook lovers.
______________
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Emmi Castor has always been the weird girl at school, living in an ancient house that’s half museum, half shrine to magic, with ancestry tracing back to a supposed witch. When her grandfather goes missing, she crosses paths with Puck, a faerie boy who joins her on a quest to bring him home.
Story-wise, this book doesn’t take long to get going. Emmi isn’t a complete newbie to the world of magic; as the museum’s guide, she already knows a fair amount about the witch lore of her town. This makes her a main character who’s not completely thrown into the deep end when she learns that everything she thought to be fiction — witches, fae, ghosts, and spirits — is real. Getting to see her use her knowledge at hand as she works with Puck, who’s as mischievous and playful as the Shakespearean namesake who inspired him, was really great. They had a dynamic I really liked seeing, and I thought their romance, which did develop relatively quickly, was genuinely cute!
The fae and all the other supernaturals are brought into the story very naturally, and seeing Emmi go on a sort of adventure, with every chapter having her either search for information, fulfill a bargain, or go through a mission to learn the mystery of her grandfather’s whereabouts, was very well done.
I do have to say that the end felt a little abrupt to me, and I almost wished we could have spent a bit more time on it, as it just felt like the pacing was a tiny bit off.
Overall, I’d call this a softer, more witchy, and teen-friendly version of Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series. It’s perfect for readers looking for something light, magical, and full of a little faerie mischief.
🎧 Audiobook Note
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
I read this as an immersive experience (switching between the e-book and the audiobook) and found the narration really fitting. The female narrator has a calm yet expressive voice that matches the tone of the story beautifully. I’d definitely recommend this format to audiobook lovers.
______________
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
November 16, 2025
Review copy was received from Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Emmi grew up in a Museum dedicated to one of her ancestor's, a woman thought to be a witch. It has been a magical place for her all of her life, even if it was more magical because of the books and history to it for her than actual magic. That is about to change.
A bottle breaks and an unknown boy appears in Emmi's house. With the same name as a notorious Shakespearian character, Puck, is going to turn Emmi's world on its head as they look for a way to redo the protections that have guarded the museum and more while also running away from Hunters.
Emmi's grandfather has also been taken by the fae and she must find who took him and figure out how to get hm back. But sometime it is unclear if the boy named Puck is a friend or more of trickster who will lead her astray.
This is a decent YA story. I do have issues that Emmi's magic just happened and she was able to wield it without much difficulty or training. That said I liked her interactions with Puck and that she made a few mistakes along the way. I was hoping this was a stand alone story but with the ending we got there will be at least one more book to finish it out.
The biggest thing to remember always when dealing with the Fae. Sometime things are not what they appear to be, worlds can get you into a lot of trouble and everything has a price. Now we will see just what kind of price Emmi will pay and if she can save the boy who has many names and many debts.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Jacci Prior is a new to me narrator. I liked her overall voice and she was a good fit for the young ages of the portrayals of Emmi and Puck. I thought some of her grown up characters were less of a fit to her voice but most of them had distinguishable changes to their voices to tell them apart. Overall it was a good performance but not as nuanced as I would have liked. Her performance and cadence was solid. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed.
Emmi grew up in a Museum dedicated to one of her ancestor's, a woman thought to be a witch. It has been a magical place for her all of her life, even if it was more magical because of the books and history to it for her than actual magic. That is about to change.
A bottle breaks and an unknown boy appears in Emmi's house. With the same name as a notorious Shakespearian character, Puck, is going to turn Emmi's world on its head as they look for a way to redo the protections that have guarded the museum and more while also running away from Hunters.
Emmi's grandfather has also been taken by the fae and she must find who took him and figure out how to get hm back. But sometime it is unclear if the boy named Puck is a friend or more of trickster who will lead her astray.
This is a decent YA story. I do have issues that Emmi's magic just happened and she was able to wield it without much difficulty or training. That said I liked her interactions with Puck and that she made a few mistakes along the way. I was hoping this was a stand alone story but with the ending we got there will be at least one more book to finish it out.
The biggest thing to remember always when dealing with the Fae. Sometime things are not what they appear to be, worlds can get you into a lot of trouble and everything has a price. Now we will see just what kind of price Emmi will pay and if she can save the boy who has many names and many debts.
Narration:
Performance: ★★★
Character Separation: ★★★★
Diction: ★★★★
Pacing/Flow: ★★★★
Sound Effects: none
Jacci Prior is a new to me narrator. I liked her overall voice and she was a good fit for the young ages of the portrayals of Emmi and Puck. I thought some of her grown up characters were less of a fit to her voice but most of them had distinguishable changes to their voices to tell them apart. Overall it was a good performance but not as nuanced as I would have liked. Her performance and cadence was solid. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed.
December 21, 2025
Recommend-O-Meter: Yes, as long as you know not to trust the fae
Full disclosure, I saw the words “museum” and “magic” in the title and knew I had to read this one. Overall, I’d say there was way too little museum involved, but definitely lots and lots of magic.
Here we follow Emmi, a girl with witchy ancestry, as she tries to find her missing grandfather with the help of a mysterious fae boy, Puck. Yeah, like the Shakespeare character. It’s absolutely addressed in-universe. Anyway, they kind of end up doing a sort of fetch quest for ingredients to a magic potion (? okay not exactly, but similar concept) and along the way they fall in love, sorta.
I say sorta because, well, I kinda hated the romance in this one. Like, I dunno, it wasn’t clicking for me at all. Maybe it’s just the gray-ro in me, but I felt zero chemistry aside from, y’know, proximity. And—unrelated to the romance—I also have to give negative points for multiple erroneous (in my opinion) uses of the word “bemused”. I’m very particular about that kind of thing.
The fetch quest was fun though, and everything about the structure of this book made a lot more sense when I found out the author had literally been rolling dice and asking readers to vote on chapter paths while writing. Kudos to them for making it work into a whole duology!
Audio Assessment: I appreciated the very comprehensible pronunciation from this narrator, which was particularly necessary because there were a bunch of Irish and otherwise foreign words in this one.
[I received an ALC of this book from the publisher on NetGalley. This does not in any way affect the contents of my review.]
Full disclosure, I saw the words “museum” and “magic” in the title and knew I had to read this one. Overall, I’d say there was way too little museum involved, but definitely lots and lots of magic.
Here we follow Emmi, a girl with witchy ancestry, as she tries to find her missing grandfather with the help of a mysterious fae boy, Puck. Yeah, like the Shakespeare character. It’s absolutely addressed in-universe. Anyway, they kind of end up doing a sort of fetch quest for ingredients to a magic potion (? okay not exactly, but similar concept) and along the way they fall in love, sorta.
I say sorta because, well, I kinda hated the romance in this one. Like, I dunno, it wasn’t clicking for me at all. Maybe it’s just the gray-ro in me, but I felt zero chemistry aside from, y’know, proximity. And—unrelated to the romance—I also have to give negative points for multiple erroneous (in my opinion) uses of the word “bemused”. I’m very particular about that kind of thing.
The fetch quest was fun though, and everything about the structure of this book made a lot more sense when I found out the author had literally been rolling dice and asking readers to vote on chapter paths while writing. Kudos to them for making it work into a whole duology!
Audio Assessment: I appreciated the very comprehensible pronunciation from this narrator, which was particularly necessary because there were a bunch of Irish and otherwise foreign words in this one.
[I received an ALC of this book from the publisher on NetGalley. This does not in any way affect the contents of my review.]
November 7, 2022
I read this book as it was being written, as part of the author's serial "choose your own adventure"-style publication. In this programme, a chapter was published once a week where readers got to discuss the story developments and vote on something for the upcoming chapter. This made for a very fun and interactive read! It was clear that the author put huge amounts of research and time into the story, week in week out, and being a part of the reader community (in which the author regularly participated) as the book was written was a real treat. The story is a fun witchcraft adventure that visits all sorts of mystical locations and has a beautiful set-up for a sequel - which I'm very much looking forward to!
May 1, 2023
I read this book in a week, so it's a fairly quick and easy read. Overall, it kept my attention and kept me intrigued enough to finish, though by the end I did feel a bit disappointed. I'll talk about the good things first.
I liked the main character for the most part. I feel like it's hard to make a 17yo girl character who's just lost her mentor not super-whiny, but Revis does an overall good job about this. There are a few weak times, but I mean, anyone would have some breakdowns if they suddenly felt themselves alone in the world.
I _really_ liked Puck. He was a good combination of lost, carefree, and decisive. I loved his fae personality.
The magic and witch hunt stuff was pretty interesting. I loved the intermingling of lore and history into a modern setting. This was definitely my favorite part of the book and probably what kept me reading the most. I wanted to see Emmi come into her power and learn about the cool witchy and fae stuff she discovers. Also the "fake" history of her ancestor was such a great world-building touch. The Museum angle was unique and engaging.
Now, for the drawbacks.
-1 star for the number of typos and formatting errors in the book. I lost count! Everything from the wrong pronoun usage, to wrong tense, to missed periods, to wrong voice (I vs. she). I can accept one or two, or a rogue indent or something, but a non-careful proofing job is a huge pet peeve to me since it jars me out of the story. I would have expected more for a NY Times bestselling author.
The next paragraph contains major SPOILERS so, stop reading if you don't want to know the ending.
-1 star for the ending. I really enjoyed the build up toward the ending where Emmi wanted to protect the fae AND the witches but as the book went on, I kept wondering how she would rescue her grandfather and do the protection stuff. I gathered early on that she was replacing witch hunting stuff with fae-related stuff which I thought was a really cool switch and made me feel that a positive outcome was on the way. Like, I was really hoping there would be a bit of a different take on the "you can't trust the fae" trope and maybe end with a little bit of hope.
However, despite Emmi's well meaning, it ends on a completely opposite note. In other words, it's a complete let down. Because of this, the message I got was that Emmi was used and that no matter how well intentioned you are, there are always beings out to screw you over. Which, honestly, is the least appealing type of ending for me...especially in a book where it seems to build in a positive way (she helps spirits and fae alike, each time doing a good deed for them and even when she has setbacks, she did seem to come back stronger).
Then she steals the coin from the King of the Fae and I'm like...what the hell? How does she profess to know more about the fae than Puck? This part seems to start the path of Emmi's increasingly stupid decisions (when it should really be going in the other direction) until the end, most stupidest(tm) decision ever.
I was super disappointed that Emmi essentially allowed herself to be screwed so she could rescue her grandfather...AND that she freed Puck without really understanding what that would do. Her habit of rushing into stuff should have gotten BETTER as the book went on, but instead, I didn't feel like she grew at all. (I really do not like books where the main character regresses/devolves over the story rather than grows...so this may just be me).
Lastly, there were some things that I did not feel wrapped up well in this book and I couldn't figure out if they were meant to be left for book 2 or just forgotten. And honestly, I'm not 100% sure I'd read the sequel, which is my main metric for how to rate books as a 4/5 star or a 3 and below. So...we'll see. My TBR stack is long, but I'll keep an eye out for it just in case.
I liked the main character for the most part. I feel like it's hard to make a 17yo girl character who's just lost her mentor not super-whiny, but Revis does an overall good job about this. There are a few weak times, but I mean, anyone would have some breakdowns if they suddenly felt themselves alone in the world.
I _really_ liked Puck. He was a good combination of lost, carefree, and decisive. I loved his fae personality.
The magic and witch hunt stuff was pretty interesting. I loved the intermingling of lore and history into a modern setting. This was definitely my favorite part of the book and probably what kept me reading the most. I wanted to see Emmi come into her power and learn about the cool witchy and fae stuff she discovers. Also the "fake" history of her ancestor was such a great world-building touch. The Museum angle was unique and engaging.
Now, for the drawbacks.
-1 star for the number of typos and formatting errors in the book. I lost count! Everything from the wrong pronoun usage, to wrong tense, to missed periods, to wrong voice (I vs. she). I can accept one or two, or a rogue indent or something, but a non-careful proofing job is a huge pet peeve to me since it jars me out of the story. I would have expected more for a NY Times bestselling author.
The next paragraph contains major SPOILERS so, stop reading if you don't want to know the ending.
-1 star for the ending. I really enjoyed the build up toward the ending where Emmi wanted to protect the fae AND the witches but as the book went on, I kept wondering how she would rescue her grandfather and do the protection stuff. I gathered early on that she was replacing witch hunting stuff with fae-related stuff which I thought was a really cool switch and made me feel that a positive outcome was on the way. Like, I was really hoping there would be a bit of a different take on the "you can't trust the fae" trope and maybe end with a little bit of hope.
However, despite Emmi's well meaning, it ends on a completely opposite note. In other words, it's a complete let down. Because of this, the message I got was that Emmi was used and that no matter how well intentioned you are, there are always beings out to screw you over. Which, honestly, is the least appealing type of ending for me...especially in a book where it seems to build in a positive way (she helps spirits and fae alike, each time doing a good deed for them and even when she has setbacks, she did seem to come back stronger).
Then she steals the coin from the King of the Fae and I'm like...what the hell? How does she profess to know more about the fae than Puck? This part seems to start the path of Emmi's increasingly stupid decisions (when it should really be going in the other direction) until the end, most stupidest(tm) decision ever.
I was super disappointed that Emmi essentially allowed herself to be screwed so she could rescue her grandfather...AND that she freed Puck without really understanding what that would do. Her habit of rushing into stuff should have gotten BETTER as the book went on, but instead, I didn't feel like she grew at all. (I really do not like books where the main character regresses/devolves over the story rather than grows...so this may just be me).
Lastly, there were some things that I did not feel wrapped up well in this book and I couldn't figure out if they were meant to be left for book 2 or just forgotten. And honestly, I'm not 100% sure I'd read the sequel, which is my main metric for how to rate books as a 4/5 star or a 3 and below. So...we'll see. My TBR stack is long, but I'll keep an eye out for it just in case.
April 10, 2023
I got this book from a Scribbler subscription box and even before I got my slim box in the mail I decided that I would try to review this book. Of course now I'm trying to review every book that I read for a little while so even if I hadn't made that decision when I did I guess I would have written this review anyway. Also if you want to know what a Scribbler subscription box is, it's a writing themes box that gives you a book, a writing passport with an essay from an author, a look at publishing, and an invitation to a chat with an author it's great. Also this isn't sponsored, I just felt the need to share that information because of where I got this novel.
Museum of Magic by Beth Revis follows the story of Emmi Castor who lives alone with her grandfather in a house turned into a museum that once belonged to her ancestor Elspeth Castor. The problem is that her grandfather went on a trip to Europe and she lost contact with him not that long ago. A fae boy named Puck appears in the museum just as the witch bottle is broken. Moments after a Hunter comes to the door. Now she must travel around with Puck to create a new witch bottle to protect both the human and fae worlds.
The first thing I should point out is that this novel was written in a very interesting way. Beth Revis wrote the novel in chapters and published them individually in a serialized way via Kindle Vella. Before that she would also release a video of her drawing tarot cards to theme the chapter around and she would also roll and flip coins to determine different outcomes. With the videos she would release a poll so that the readers can vote on one major choice that will either end the chapter or begin the next one. She wrote all the chapters that way and she's doing the same thing for the sequel.
The second thing is that I really enjoyed the way she depicted fae. I found that her depictions of fey are a bit more otherworldly than I'm used to. Also each conversation between Puck and Emmi about the nature of names added to this. In fact each interaction Emmi had with a fae creature was both strange and interesting. I wished that I could have seem more different types of fae, however I'm sure there are in the sequel House of Hex. I also really like the depiction of witches in this novel as well as the witch trials especially as it was formed around the idea that most of the people accused as witches weren't really witches to begin with. I liked these looks into the historical record and how they impacted the adventures Puck and Emmi went on to make a new witch bottle.
The serialized format of this novel didn't phase me, mostly because I've been reading serial manga for a while. Also I hadn't heard about this novel until it was published as a complete novel so that definitely helped a little. Even before I read a chapter a week of much of these series, I still read a volume every six months or so. I still had to wait for the next volume to be released to continue the plot. Now its a bit faster, but only for some stories. I'm planning on getting in House of Hex so that I can have the experience of reading the chapters as they're released and voting on outcomes.
Anyways I don't really have any real complaints about this book. I did enjoy it, but I can't really think of anything that I didn't like aside from the fact I felt it started a little slow. The bits I enjoyed the most were closer to the middle and end of the book. Also some of the consequences for some of the choices made have not come to fruition yet, however I'm sure I will see more of that in the sequel. These are more problems with me as a reader than of the book itself. I do recommend this book.
Museum of Magic by Beth Revis follows the story of Emmi Castor who lives alone with her grandfather in a house turned into a museum that once belonged to her ancestor Elspeth Castor. The problem is that her grandfather went on a trip to Europe and she lost contact with him not that long ago. A fae boy named Puck appears in the museum just as the witch bottle is broken. Moments after a Hunter comes to the door. Now she must travel around with Puck to create a new witch bottle to protect both the human and fae worlds.
The first thing I should point out is that this novel was written in a very interesting way. Beth Revis wrote the novel in chapters and published them individually in a serialized way via Kindle Vella. Before that she would also release a video of her drawing tarot cards to theme the chapter around and she would also roll and flip coins to determine different outcomes. With the videos she would release a poll so that the readers can vote on one major choice that will either end the chapter or begin the next one. She wrote all the chapters that way and she's doing the same thing for the sequel.
The second thing is that I really enjoyed the way she depicted fae. I found that her depictions of fey are a bit more otherworldly than I'm used to. Also each conversation between Puck and Emmi about the nature of names added to this. In fact each interaction Emmi had with a fae creature was both strange and interesting. I wished that I could have seem more different types of fae, however I'm sure there are in the sequel House of Hex. I also really like the depiction of witches in this novel as well as the witch trials especially as it was formed around the idea that most of the people accused as witches weren't really witches to begin with. I liked these looks into the historical record and how they impacted the adventures Puck and Emmi went on to make a new witch bottle.
The serialized format of this novel didn't phase me, mostly because I've been reading serial manga for a while. Also I hadn't heard about this novel until it was published as a complete novel so that definitely helped a little. Even before I read a chapter a week of much of these series, I still read a volume every six months or so. I still had to wait for the next volume to be released to continue the plot. Now its a bit faster, but only for some stories. I'm planning on getting in House of Hex so that I can have the experience of reading the chapters as they're released and voting on outcomes.
Anyways I don't really have any real complaints about this book. I did enjoy it, but I can't really think of anything that I didn't like aside from the fact I felt it started a little slow. The bits I enjoyed the most were closer to the middle and end of the book. Also some of the consequences for some of the choices made have not come to fruition yet, however I'm sure I will see more of that in the sequel. These are more problems with me as a reader than of the book itself. I do recommend this book.
November 12, 2025
Emmi is a descendent of a woman thought to have “evil” magic in the years before the Salem witch trials. Now Emmi’s old Massachusetts home has become a museum of magic for tourists, and she works as a museum guide. The thing is, Emmi does not believe in magic. Yet. One epic quest (and love story ❤️) later, she can no longer deny it.
This book has fae and witches which is an interesting combination. I really enjoyed the mystery, the lore, and the historical elements. I also loved the blossoming relationship between the main characters.
As far as the audiobook, the narrator was lovely. I especially liked her fun voices for Puck and the side characters.
Thank you to RB media for the early copy 🙏🏻
This book has fae and witches which is an interesting combination. I really enjoyed the mystery, the lore, and the historical elements. I also loved the blossoming relationship between the main characters.
As far as the audiobook, the narrator was lovely. I especially liked her fun voices for Puck and the side characters.
Thank you to RB media for the early copy 🙏🏻
November 23, 2025
This one was fun! It reminded me of Hocus Pocus or Halloweentown, with its witchy vibes and a problem to solve that leads to an adventure. It felt more on the younger side of YA to me, much like those PG movies. This was almost a detriment, since the stakes never felt very high and I found my attention slipping while listening. That being said, I liked the witch bottle element, and found the magic system to be interesting! I think this could be a fun, cozy Halloween movie.
The audiobook was well done and I didn’t notice any issues. The narrator fit the YA aged characters well!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC!
The audiobook was well done and I didn’t notice any issues. The narrator fit the YA aged characters well!
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC!
November 24, 2025
This was okay, it was a bit too YA for me but the base story was pretty good.
I did enjoy them traveling to places that I recognised, but as someone from the north of England, hearing the way the narrator chose to say 'Berwick' really didn't sit right with me...
It was sometimes a little difficult to picture where the characters were at different times, and it was a little too convenient for me. She discovered she has magic and then as the book goes on she can just use it wholly and completely without training?
I think this would be a perfect introduction to YA/witchy/fantasy for sure, just a little too YA for me.
I did enjoy them traveling to places that I recognised, but as someone from the north of England, hearing the way the narrator chose to say 'Berwick' really didn't sit right with me...
It was sometimes a little difficult to picture where the characters were at different times, and it was a little too convenient for me. She discovered she has magic and then as the book goes on she can just use it wholly and completely without training?
I think this would be a perfect introduction to YA/witchy/fantasy for sure, just a little too YA for me.
June 9, 2023
Entertaining and Fun Read
I started this with an elevated sense of anticipation, and sunk into it with enthusiasm, and unconstrained interest, comparable to none regarding this genre, especially when pertaining to fiction. I was looking forward to it living up to the hype and exuberance the description is generating, and the ratings it has received.
I’m not sure how I missed the fact it was listed as a Book 1in an installment (or was it???), and a possible series of who knows how many. I tend to wait until all installments in a series have been released. It just seems with the ending, it’s very obvious this is no stand-alone, and there’ll be more to follow.
It’s just simplified, and much clearer, to keep track of the plot, the characters, and what can sometimes evolve into an overly complex and intricate world building, etc.
What’s more, it’s less plausible, for me at least, to become confused with other books of similar advancing plots, and storylines, I may currently be reading, or pick up in between waiting.
I was unable to find any further information as to when the next book is expected to be published, so that’s an absolute disappointment, and very anticlimactical.
With Revis's writing skills, it’s relatively straightforward to initiate and progress toward a flourishing enthusiasm directed at the main character, and the supporting cast, that provide stupendous assistance to Emmi. You may not necessarily bond with them, but I at least found an instantaneous likability for all of the above mentioned.
The young heroine was adeptly portrayed as self-sufficient, with not a lot of back and forth weak and wimpy fluctuations in her ease with dealing with her abominable and nerve-wracking situation, and the progression of unanticipated permutations which are headed her way.
Even her emergent relationship and the trust she places in Puck, the magical being which shows up, and wreaks havoc on everything she may have believed about reality, is stronger than a lot of other writers place in a girl of her age. It’s a pleasant extension and progression of her character, and it made me applaud her even more. I’m pretty convinced that even most mature adults, would have some difficulties in dealing with the reality Emmi has suddenly been thrust into.
The grandfather that has mysteriously disappeared and is MIA, is one I’ve already began to champion for, even though we’ve yet to meet him. It’s simply through Emmi’s expressive attachments and descriptive uses of who she sees him to be, that you’re able to perceive him in the same way. Excellent job of introducing him into the storyline, in a particularly unique method.
This one has promise, and I hope to see it continue progressing at the solid, vivid, and intriguing mysterious magical pace the plot has sustained so far.
I started this with an elevated sense of anticipation, and sunk into it with enthusiasm, and unconstrained interest, comparable to none regarding this genre, especially when pertaining to fiction. I was looking forward to it living up to the hype and exuberance the description is generating, and the ratings it has received.
I’m not sure how I missed the fact it was listed as a Book 1in an installment (or was it???), and a possible series of who knows how many. I tend to wait until all installments in a series have been released. It just seems with the ending, it’s very obvious this is no stand-alone, and there’ll be more to follow.
It’s just simplified, and much clearer, to keep track of the plot, the characters, and what can sometimes evolve into an overly complex and intricate world building, etc.
What’s more, it’s less plausible, for me at least, to become confused with other books of similar advancing plots, and storylines, I may currently be reading, or pick up in between waiting.
I was unable to find any further information as to when the next book is expected to be published, so that’s an absolute disappointment, and very anticlimactical.
With Revis's writing skills, it’s relatively straightforward to initiate and progress toward a flourishing enthusiasm directed at the main character, and the supporting cast, that provide stupendous assistance to Emmi. You may not necessarily bond with them, but I at least found an instantaneous likability for all of the above mentioned.
The young heroine was adeptly portrayed as self-sufficient, with not a lot of back and forth weak and wimpy fluctuations in her ease with dealing with her abominable and nerve-wracking situation, and the progression of unanticipated permutations which are headed her way.
Even her emergent relationship and the trust she places in Puck, the magical being which shows up, and wreaks havoc on everything she may have believed about reality, is stronger than a lot of other writers place in a girl of her age. It’s a pleasant extension and progression of her character, and it made me applaud her even more. I’m pretty convinced that even most mature adults, would have some difficulties in dealing with the reality Emmi has suddenly been thrust into.
The grandfather that has mysteriously disappeared and is MIA, is one I’ve already began to champion for, even though we’ve yet to meet him. It’s simply through Emmi’s expressive attachments and descriptive uses of who she sees him to be, that you’re able to perceive him in the same way. Excellent job of introducing him into the storyline, in a particularly unique method.
This one has promise, and I hope to see it continue progressing at the solid, vivid, and intriguing mysterious magical pace the plot has sustained so far.
April 17, 2023
Museum of Magic
Museum of Magic is a perfect example of a story developed in Kindle Vella and subsequently published as a novel. As of the date of this posting, author Beth Revis continues to publish episodes of Museum of Magic, and is building her second novel, House of Hex, from that same Vella story. Perfect!
The foreword in the novel describes a mystical process for guiding the story's plot through the application of Tarot cards, dice, coin flips, and raffles. In Kindle Vella, the author has the option to communicate with the reading audience by including a message from the author and a multiple-choice poll after each episode. The author uses these tools to involve the reader in inventive ways and, in theory, improve the overall reading experience. This is the best of serial fiction and Kindle Vella continues to enhance these tools.
In Museum of Magic, Emmi Castor is a seventeen-year-old descendant of a famous witch, Elspeth Castor. Emmi is the proprietor of a magic museum dedicated to her long-deceased relative. Here's the tricky part—Emmi doesn't believe in magic. Five minutes into the story, she finds herself protecting a fairy under attack from a magic Hunter. Let's just say Emmi's a quick study. With very little encouragement, she quickly develops the power, inhereted from her great-great, to see beings, objects, and effects in the mystical realm.
With this as the setup, the reader zooms along a path of mystical travel, meeting interesting character along the way. These characters and the dialog between them are crisp and captivating. The goal of finding her grandfather is ever-present and a central focus of the plot. Stories sometimes focus more on the action than the goal of the action—not here.
Does she find her grandfather? Well, I will tell you that the ending leaves a tremendous opportunity for further development. Hence, The House of Hex, book two in the series.
This reader thouroughly loved Museum of Magic and can's wait for HOH! By the way, I wish it was titled The House of Hex. I prefer THOH over HOH (Doesn't sound right when spoken. Brings another genre into mind), not that the author has recommends either.
Museum of Magic is a perfect example of a story developed in Kindle Vella and subsequently published as a novel. As of the date of this posting, author Beth Revis continues to publish episodes of Museum of Magic, and is building her second novel, House of Hex, from that same Vella story. Perfect!
The foreword in the novel describes a mystical process for guiding the story's plot through the application of Tarot cards, dice, coin flips, and raffles. In Kindle Vella, the author has the option to communicate with the reading audience by including a message from the author and a multiple-choice poll after each episode. The author uses these tools to involve the reader in inventive ways and, in theory, improve the overall reading experience. This is the best of serial fiction and Kindle Vella continues to enhance these tools.
In Museum of Magic, Emmi Castor is a seventeen-year-old descendant of a famous witch, Elspeth Castor. Emmi is the proprietor of a magic museum dedicated to her long-deceased relative. Here's the tricky part—Emmi doesn't believe in magic. Five minutes into the story, she finds herself protecting a fairy under attack from a magic Hunter. Let's just say Emmi's a quick study. With very little encouragement, she quickly develops the power, inhereted from her great-great, to see beings, objects, and effects in the mystical realm.
With this as the setup, the reader zooms along a path of mystical travel, meeting interesting character along the way. These characters and the dialog between them are crisp and captivating. The goal of finding her grandfather is ever-present and a central focus of the plot. Stories sometimes focus more on the action than the goal of the action—not here.
Does she find her grandfather? Well, I will tell you that the ending leaves a tremendous opportunity for further development. Hence, The House of Hex, book two in the series.
This reader thouroughly loved Museum of Magic and can's wait for HOH! By the way, I wish it was titled The House of Hex. I prefer THOH over HOH (Doesn't sound right when spoken. Brings another genre into mind), not that the author has recommends either.
December 7, 2025
I would like to thank the publisher for sending me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.
Emmi works at her family’s Museum of Witchcraft, where one of her ancestors lived and was accused of being a witch. But Emmi doesn't believe in magic, believing that every woman ever accused of being one was false. Until one day when a young man appears from her chimney, covered in soot, and introducing himself as Puck. It doesn't take long for her to realize that there's somebody hunting her, and with her grandfather missing, her Puck go on a mission to find her grandfather, traveling from country to country and in and out of the other world. Because as it turns out, her ancestor was a witch. And so is she.
I loved everything about this.There is so much I can say here – and I'm trying not to ruin anything about this book. I loved the journey that she goes on, discovering not only who she is but who her ancestor was while also freeing innocent women of history who were accused of witchcraft from their constant torment. I love the romance between her and Puck, and the ending absolutely crushed me on so many levels, so I can't wait to read the next one and find out where the story is going. I love the magic and the world building here, especially because Beth Revis did a great job with borrowing from folklore and keeping true to most lore when it comes to fairies. I can’t wait to learn more about the hunters and where they're gonna come into things now. But mostly, I loved Emmi and her character because she didn't feel like a helpless damsel, and she didn't feel like she needed saving, but instead she was just the right amount of believable in a lot of the situations she found herself in. Either way, I definitely would recommend this, though youI might wait to read it until you have book two in hand because the wait is now crazy for me, and I hate waiting. But good news is, if you're not waiting for January for the audiobook – which, by the way, is very well produced – you can grab the sequel now.
Emmi works at her family’s Museum of Witchcraft, where one of her ancestors lived and was accused of being a witch. But Emmi doesn't believe in magic, believing that every woman ever accused of being one was false. Until one day when a young man appears from her chimney, covered in soot, and introducing himself as Puck. It doesn't take long for her to realize that there's somebody hunting her, and with her grandfather missing, her Puck go on a mission to find her grandfather, traveling from country to country and in and out of the other world. Because as it turns out, her ancestor was a witch. And so is she.
I loved everything about this.There is so much I can say here – and I'm trying not to ruin anything about this book. I loved the journey that she goes on, discovering not only who she is but who her ancestor was while also freeing innocent women of history who were accused of witchcraft from their constant torment. I love the romance between her and Puck, and the ending absolutely crushed me on so many levels, so I can't wait to read the next one and find out where the story is going. I love the magic and the world building here, especially because Beth Revis did a great job with borrowing from folklore and keeping true to most lore when it comes to fairies. I can’t wait to learn more about the hunters and where they're gonna come into things now. But mostly, I loved Emmi and her character because she didn't feel like a helpless damsel, and she didn't feel like she needed saving, but instead she was just the right amount of believable in a lot of the situations she found herself in. Either way, I definitely would recommend this, though youI might wait to read it until you have book two in hand because the wait is now crazy for me, and I hate waiting. But good news is, if you're not waiting for January for the audiobook – which, by the way, is very well produced – you can grab the sequel now.
November 14, 2025
The protagonist of Museum of Magic, Emmi, lives in a house that is centuries old, built by an ancestor known for being a witch. Her grandfather transformed the residence into a Museum of Magic filled with ancient volumes and curiosities connected to the esoteric world. Nonetheless, Emmi is a skeptic who does not believe in magic. This believe crumbles one day when a boy named Puck, dressed only with leaves, appears inside her house. This strange occurrence coincides with the mysterious disappearance of her grandfather. Emmi is forced to set aside her skepticism and learn to trust Puck in order to protect her family and the magical beings she now knows exist.
The audiobook is narrated by Jacci Prior, who does a fantastic job bringing all the characters to life. Despite being the sole voice for the entire cast, she manages to allow the listener to clearly distinguish each character, using different tones and accents to differentiate them. My only critique is that I occasionally found her Scottish accent difficult to understand.
Regarding the book itself, the plot felt somewhat repetitive. The narrative arc focuses on a succession of quests that Emmi and Puck must undertake to gather the necessary elements to craft a new jar to protect the magical world. This structure, though action-packed, caused the narrative to lose its intrigue. Moreover, the dynamic between Emmi and Puck was one of the weaker aspects of my experience. The romantic relationship that develops between them seems rushed, especially considering Emmi spends most of the story debating whether or not to trust Puck. This internal struggle often lacks solid justification, seeming more like a plot device than a genuine character evolution.
Ultimately, while the premise of the magic world and the threats they have to face is appeling, the execution of their relationship and the structure of the missions prevented the story from reaching its full potencial.
The audiobook is narrated by Jacci Prior, who does a fantastic job bringing all the characters to life. Despite being the sole voice for the entire cast, she manages to allow the listener to clearly distinguish each character, using different tones and accents to differentiate them. My only critique is that I occasionally found her Scottish accent difficult to understand.
Regarding the book itself, the plot felt somewhat repetitive. The narrative arc focuses on a succession of quests that Emmi and Puck must undertake to gather the necessary elements to craft a new jar to protect the magical world. This structure, though action-packed, caused the narrative to lose its intrigue. Moreover, the dynamic between Emmi and Puck was one of the weaker aspects of my experience. The romantic relationship that develops between them seems rushed, especially considering Emmi spends most of the story debating whether or not to trust Puck. This internal struggle often lacks solid justification, seeming more like a plot device than a genuine character evolution.
Ultimately, while the premise of the magic world and the threats they have to face is appeling, the execution of their relationship and the structure of the missions prevented the story from reaching its full potencial.
November 19, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook version of Museum of Magic by Beth Revis! I will stay right off the bat that this book was very young. It is classified as a YA but I feel like it would be more middle school like our FMC is working for the summer at her family's magic museum and gets into this predicament. There was very light action and not really any crazy scenes that had me eagerly listening for more. The narrator cements the younger character feeling and the whole book reads like you don't have to think too much to know whats going on. The narrator does do an excellent job voicing Puck and it is easy to differentiate between the characters which is so important when reading an audiobook. Now Emmi has instant trust in Puck which I really feel like they needed more trust building in there, but maybe I'm just too old for the book? Puck and every side character they seem to meet is giving Puck red flags and Emmi is completely trusting in someone she just met! She trusts him even though he is the only one who can portal and he could literally leave her in the middle of nowhere (yup it becomes a problem later) so really it might be that I am just too old for the intended audience and reading too much into things. I got so upset when the first real twist hit that they were coming for Puck and not our FMC Emmi because the very beginning of the book when we are introduced to Puck they made it very clear that the hunter was coming for him not her. Later when Emmi is so shocked that they aren't after her I feel like its a major plot fail that is still annoying me days later.
I also really wish the chapters were just normal "chapter 1, 2,3..." as whatever the chapter titles were made little sense to me in relation to the book and had me kind of annoyed every time they got to a new chapter. The book again reads very young with a overall "okay i'm a witch, now I can do all this magic with no problems without even trying"
I also really wish the chapters were just normal "chapter 1, 2,3..." as whatever the chapter titles were made little sense to me in relation to the book and had me kind of annoyed every time they got to a new chapter. The book again reads very young with a overall "okay i'm a witch, now I can do all this magic with no problems without even trying"
August 10, 2023
A uniquely written book where a new witch finds herself entangled in fae & Faerie
17yo Emmi is a descendant of a 16th century witch Elspeth Castor - a witch, a scientist and a woman, a dangerous person indeed. Emmi lives in and tends a magic shop in Nick Bottom, USA, subbing for her grandfather who went to Europe in search of more Castor things. When a strange boy with only leaves for cover appears in her living room, tells her she’s a witch and shoves her through a portal to Scotland, things get interesting.
I absolutely loved the premise of HOW this book was written - chapters outlined with a variety of paths and tarot + dice used to choose + readers allowed tomvote on the direction of the next chapter - what playful fun! The result: amazing romp of a fast-paced ride!
The feels: Sabrina The Teenage Witch mashup with Charmed with a twinge of Pan’s Labyrinth at the very end. I loved Puck and his portal-hopping ash sigils and snarky repartees. Bringing in Shakespeare and the Scottish play and reversing fae lore I knew (except you can never trust the fae - that still stands) - that was awesome. Loved the fact that Emmi had a library in her house and the lore behind witch bottles. The portal hopping from USA to UK got a bit trying at times, but it did read like a whodunnit & an exploration journey was warranted. Loved how the author saw life&death, white&black magic on a spectrum, not of good or evil per se but more of a day/nighttime done thing. Like a black witch basically being the manager of the night shift of magic. At times philosophical yet rooted in reality about what it meant to be a witch in the middle ages.
Can’t wait to read book 2: House of Hex.
Recommended for lovers of clean YA fae and witch fantasy and coming of age fantasy with historic undertones.
17yo Emmi is a descendant of a 16th century witch Elspeth Castor - a witch, a scientist and a woman, a dangerous person indeed. Emmi lives in and tends a magic shop in Nick Bottom, USA, subbing for her grandfather who went to Europe in search of more Castor things. When a strange boy with only leaves for cover appears in her living room, tells her she’s a witch and shoves her through a portal to Scotland, things get interesting.
I absolutely loved the premise of HOW this book was written - chapters outlined with a variety of paths and tarot + dice used to choose + readers allowed tomvote on the direction of the next chapter - what playful fun! The result: amazing romp of a fast-paced ride!
The feels: Sabrina The Teenage Witch mashup with Charmed with a twinge of Pan’s Labyrinth at the very end. I loved Puck and his portal-hopping ash sigils and snarky repartees. Bringing in Shakespeare and the Scottish play and reversing fae lore I knew (except you can never trust the fae - that still stands) - that was awesome. Loved the fact that Emmi had a library in her house and the lore behind witch bottles. The portal hopping from USA to UK got a bit trying at times, but it did read like a whodunnit & an exploration journey was warranted. Loved how the author saw life&death, white&black magic on a spectrum, not of good or evil per se but more of a day/nighttime done thing. Like a black witch basically being the manager of the night shift of magic. At times philosophical yet rooted in reality about what it meant to be a witch in the middle ages.
Can’t wait to read book 2: House of Hex.
Recommended for lovers of clean YA fae and witch fantasy and coming of age fantasy with historic undertones.
November 18, 2025
The premise of this book was what drew me to it, but I am not certain it fully lived up to what I was expecting.
Emmi doesn't believe magic is real but she works in a museum focused on her ancestor who was suspected of being a witch. It felt a bit counterintuitive. I might have liked Emmi a bit more if she was curious about magic but not fully sure if it was truly real. Her curiosity about it could have fueled the story (in my opinion) in a better direction towards her wanting to know more about "the magic" of her ancestor and others accused of being witches.
Nevertheless, let's dive into the story just a bit. Emmi works at her family's Museum of Magic which seems pretty niche in that it only seems to focus on her slightly obscure ancestor. Her grandfather, goes on a trip overseas but Emmi hasn't heard from him in a bit. One afternoon, a crash comes from one of the upper rooms and banging on the front door happen around the same time. Once Puck and the Hunter appear on opposing sides, Emmi has to decide who she is willing to work with and then try to rebuild a protection barrier established long before.
I love the idea of unknown witches throughout history and weaving in magic from fae and other mythical creatures. I think the part that didn't work for me was the way things played out felt disjointed and I couldn't follow the main character's rational in how we moved from point to point. I am also not certain we really needed to have Emmi's grandfather in some type of peril. It didn't feel as though it really worked with the story. Overall, I will probably try to find book #2 to see how things play out because the way this one ends is very abrupt.
Emmi doesn't believe magic is real but she works in a museum focused on her ancestor who was suspected of being a witch. It felt a bit counterintuitive. I might have liked Emmi a bit more if she was curious about magic but not fully sure if it was truly real. Her curiosity about it could have fueled the story (in my opinion) in a better direction towards her wanting to know more about "the magic" of her ancestor and others accused of being witches.
Nevertheless, let's dive into the story just a bit. Emmi works at her family's Museum of Magic which seems pretty niche in that it only seems to focus on her slightly obscure ancestor. Her grandfather, goes on a trip overseas but Emmi hasn't heard from him in a bit. One afternoon, a crash comes from one of the upper rooms and banging on the front door happen around the same time. Once Puck and the Hunter appear on opposing sides, Emmi has to decide who she is willing to work with and then try to rebuild a protection barrier established long before.
I love the idea of unknown witches throughout history and weaving in magic from fae and other mythical creatures. I think the part that didn't work for me was the way things played out felt disjointed and I couldn't follow the main character's rational in how we moved from point to point. I am also not certain we really needed to have Emmi's grandfather in some type of peril. It didn't feel as though it really worked with the story. Overall, I will probably try to find book #2 to see how things play out because the way this one ends is very abrupt.
November 17, 2025
"It was the one truth Emmi believed more than anything else: Magic. Was. Not. Real." 🪄
Museum of Magic by Beth Revis was such a lovely palate cleanser after all the darker and spicier books I’ve been reading lately. It’s definitely a YA story, but in a really charming and engaging way that reminded me why I enjoy dipping back into this genre from time to time. Being Scottish, I absolutely loved the little touches of Scotland threaded throughout, the references, the atmosphere and the nods to real historical detail made the whole thing feel that bit more special.
The magical elements were really fun too. I loved the mix of mystery, hidden magic in plain sight and the sense of adventure woven through the plot. The world-building felt accessible without being overly complex and it had that perfect YA balance of wonder, danger and self-discovery.
The characters were easy to root for and I enjoyed watching the friendships, tensions and little sparks of romance grow as the story unfolded. It kept me turning the pages without ever feeling heavy. A nice blend of magic, mystery and adventure, exactly what I wanted from it.
✨ Tropes & Themes ✨
🔮 Hidden Magic in the Modern World
🏛️ Museum Mystery / Artefact Quest
🌍 Light Historical Elements
✨ YA Coming-of-Age
💫 Chosen One Energy
🤝 Found Family / Friendship Focus
❤️ Light Slow-Burn Romance
🗺️ Travel & Adventure
"Everything in this book is real, except for the parts that aren’t." 🪄
Museum of Magic by Beth Revis was such a lovely palate cleanser after all the darker and spicier books I’ve been reading lately. It’s definitely a YA story, but in a really charming and engaging way that reminded me why I enjoy dipping back into this genre from time to time. Being Scottish, I absolutely loved the little touches of Scotland threaded throughout, the references, the atmosphere and the nods to real historical detail made the whole thing feel that bit more special.
The magical elements were really fun too. I loved the mix of mystery, hidden magic in plain sight and the sense of adventure woven through the plot. The world-building felt accessible without being overly complex and it had that perfect YA balance of wonder, danger and self-discovery.
The characters were easy to root for and I enjoyed watching the friendships, tensions and little sparks of romance grow as the story unfolded. It kept me turning the pages without ever feeling heavy. A nice blend of magic, mystery and adventure, exactly what I wanted from it.
✨ Tropes & Themes ✨
🔮 Hidden Magic in the Modern World
🏛️ Museum Mystery / Artefact Quest
🌍 Light Historical Elements
✨ YA Coming-of-Age
💫 Chosen One Energy
🤝 Found Family / Friendship Focus
❤️ Light Slow-Burn Romance
🗺️ Travel & Adventure
"Everything in this book is real, except for the parts that aren’t." 🪄
November 25, 2025
(Audio courtesy of Tantor Media and NetGalley.)
3.5⭐
I hate having to start a review with “there's nothing wrong with it...” And there really isn't anything wrong with it — it can be quite clever at times. But even at 80% I was still struggling to stay invested and found myself stepping away from this one for days at a time.
This sucks because I've been a fan of Revis’ work since the beginning and really enjoyed her recent novella series. But… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I will say, one thing I really liked was the romance. It's very chill, warm, and funny, and a great contrast to the intensely adversarial romantic pacing of that last series I read. The love story is golden.
As for the main character, I actually had to go back and check that this was a YA because of how Emmi comes across. She doesn't problem-solve like a kid, she doesn't think like a kid, she doesn't make cultural references like a kid. This is exacerbated by the narrator, which I'll talk about below. I was reading with a question mark over my head practically the whole time. This girl is supposed to be like 17, right??
I didn't know the unique origin story of how this book came to be before picking it up. In Beth Revis' own words: “Museum of Magic is a serial novel unlike any you've seen before. Each chapter is constructed using a unique outlining process reliant upon dice rolls, tarot card pulls, and reader votes.”
That is such a fun concept! I do have to wonder if it possibly led to some of the ‘mid’ feelings I have about the book, though. Because I can very much see how entertaining it would have been to read this serialized on Patreon. But as a final completed novel? It just doesn't entirely land. I don't know if it was published exactly from its Patreon format, but if so, it definitely could have used a hard story edit to make sure the pacing and narrative beats were tight.
Audio-Specific 🎧: I'm fairly certain that some of my meh feelings about this book are due to the narrator. Jacci Prior is NOT a good fit for Emmi. She struggles to provide a youthful read, and sounds more like a woman in her 30s than a girl in her teens. Coupled with what I said above about the FMC already feeling a bit too old for her on-page age, I could never quite get totally immersed in this one.
📌 TL;DR: It really isn't bad. If you're a fan of Beth Revis, or if you like low-stakes fantasy stories, you should check it out. I just can't recommend the audiobook. And for better or worse…it's going to be a series?
3.5⭐
I hate having to start a review with “there's nothing wrong with it...” And there really isn't anything wrong with it — it can be quite clever at times. But even at 80% I was still struggling to stay invested and found myself stepping away from this one for days at a time.
This sucks because I've been a fan of Revis’ work since the beginning and really enjoyed her recent novella series. But… ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I will say, one thing I really liked was the romance. It's very chill, warm, and funny, and a great contrast to the intensely adversarial romantic pacing of that last series I read. The love story is golden.
As for the main character, I actually had to go back and check that this was a YA because of how Emmi comes across. She doesn't problem-solve like a kid, she doesn't think like a kid, she doesn't make cultural references like a kid. This is exacerbated by the narrator, which I'll talk about below. I was reading with a question mark over my head practically the whole time. This girl is supposed to be like 17, right??
I didn't know the unique origin story of how this book came to be before picking it up. In Beth Revis' own words: “Museum of Magic is a serial novel unlike any you've seen before. Each chapter is constructed using a unique outlining process reliant upon dice rolls, tarot card pulls, and reader votes.”
That is such a fun concept! I do have to wonder if it possibly led to some of the ‘mid’ feelings I have about the book, though. Because I can very much see how entertaining it would have been to read this serialized on Patreon. But as a final completed novel? It just doesn't entirely land. I don't know if it was published exactly from its Patreon format, but if so, it definitely could have used a hard story edit to make sure the pacing and narrative beats were tight.
Audio-Specific 🎧: I'm fairly certain that some of my meh feelings about this book are due to the narrator. Jacci Prior is NOT a good fit for Emmi. She struggles to provide a youthful read, and sounds more like a woman in her 30s than a girl in her teens. Coupled with what I said above about the FMC already feeling a bit too old for her on-page age, I could never quite get totally immersed in this one.
📌 TL;DR: It really isn't bad. If you're a fan of Beth Revis, or if you like low-stakes fantasy stories, you should check it out. I just can't recommend the audiobook. And for better or worse…it's going to be a series?
July 6, 2023
Surprisingly fun YA adventure story. Lots of magic and mystery, folklore and history, and a smidge of PG teenage romance.
Normally YA novels leave me feeling old or struggling to relate to the main characters, but Emmi was really rather inoffensive.
It feels like an age since I’ve read something that truly felt like a classic adventure, following clues and visiting different locations for an overarching greater good etc. It’s a genre that I adore but can become quite campy quite fast. (I say this as someone who has watched National Treasure at least 50 times..)
I think I always harp on about my love of the found family trope, so I’m a little sad there was a distinct lack of it here - there wasn’t even a best friend or sidekick character to bounce banter off. My only other (minor) complaint was some editing errors.
The serial publishing format seems fun and novel, but I read the book once it had been all wrapped up and hadn’t even been aware of the writing process. Will check out book 2 once it’s done and dusted - overall it was a pretty light, cozy witchy/faerie/magical read.
Normally YA novels leave me feeling old or struggling to relate to the main characters, but Emmi was really rather inoffensive.
It feels like an age since I’ve read something that truly felt like a classic adventure, following clues and visiting different locations for an overarching greater good etc. It’s a genre that I adore but can become quite campy quite fast. (I say this as someone who has watched National Treasure at least 50 times..)
I think I always harp on about my love of the found family trope, so I’m a little sad there was a distinct lack of it here - there wasn’t even a best friend or sidekick character to bounce banter off. My only other (minor) complaint was some editing errors.
The serial publishing format seems fun and novel, but I read the book once it had been all wrapped up and hadn’t even been aware of the writing process. Will check out book 2 once it’s done and dusted - overall it was a pretty light, cozy witchy/faerie/magical read.
December 8, 2025
Museum of Magic is the kind of audiobook that instantly wraps you in atmosphere. From the very first chapter, I felt like I’d stepped into dimly lit galleries, glass cases humming with hidden power, and corridors that echo with secrets. It’s quiet magic, slow reveals, and that delicious sense that history is alive.
The audiobook experience elevated everything. Jacci Prior’s narration is warm, mysterious, and perfectly suited to the hushed, enchanted tone of the story. Her delivery made every artifact feel important, every pause feel intentional, and every revelation feel weighted with wonder.
This isn’t loud, battle-heavy fantasy — it’s subtle, immersive, and full of intrigue. The mystery unfolds gently but steadily, and the magic creeps in through objects, whispers, and things that don’t quite behave the way they should. I loved that balance.
It’s the perfect listen for night-time reading, cozy weather, candlelight, or when you just want to disappear into something quietly enchanting.
The audiobook experience elevated everything. Jacci Prior’s narration is warm, mysterious, and perfectly suited to the hushed, enchanted tone of the story. Her delivery made every artifact feel important, every pause feel intentional, and every revelation feel weighted with wonder.
This isn’t loud, battle-heavy fantasy — it’s subtle, immersive, and full of intrigue. The mystery unfolds gently but steadily, and the magic creeps in through objects, whispers, and things that don’t quite behave the way they should. I loved that balance.
It’s the perfect listen for night-time reading, cozy weather, candlelight, or when you just want to disappear into something quietly enchanting.
April 1, 2023
I wound up enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would.
I do think the book suffers some from the serial format - I usually have a hard time with short, choppy chapters and I found the pacing of this a bit strange. Of times it felt like a lot was happening, and there wasn't a lot of moments to breathe and I wonder if that's a symptom of the way it was written. But I very much vibed with a lot of the content. Emmi going back through time and connecting with these different women, all who were victims of the witch trials in a world where they didn't have any power gave a lot of weight to what was essentially a book of fetch quests.
I think it was the ending, though, that really sold me on the project and left me intrigued enough to want to read the next book. As much as I called part of it, I didn't get all of it, and I'm very excited to see where things go from here for Emmi and Puck.
I do think the book suffers some from the serial format - I usually have a hard time with short, choppy chapters and I found the pacing of this a bit strange. Of times it felt like a lot was happening, and there wasn't a lot of moments to breathe and I wonder if that's a symptom of the way it was written. But I very much vibed with a lot of the content. Emmi going back through time and connecting with these different women, all who were victims of the witch trials in a world where they didn't have any power gave a lot of weight to what was essentially a book of fetch quests.
I think it was the ending, though, that really sold me on the project and left me intrigued enough to want to read the next book. As much as I called part of it, I didn't get all of it, and I'm very excited to see where things go from here for Emmi and Puck.
May 24, 2023
Saw this on Kindle Unlimited and decided to give it a whirl. It was a fun and quick read. Lots of witchy vibes which I enjoyed. The main character, Emmi, works in a museum all about magic and witchcraft which she doesn't believe in. Only to find out she is a witch! A fae named Puck literally drops into the museum and the two end up on a big quest to save Emmi's grandfather who has gone missing.
I thought it was cool how the author put this book together. She would pull tarot cards and roll dice for each chapter to determine the characters decisions! She also polled readers to ask what they thought should happen. I thought this would make the story feel disjointed but each chapter blended seamlessly into the next. There is a book 2 coming thankfully because I felt the ending was so sudden. It leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger.
This was a fun and quick read. I'll read the second book just so I can see how it all ends.
I thought it was cool how the author put this book together. She would pull tarot cards and roll dice for each chapter to determine the characters decisions! She also polled readers to ask what they thought should happen. I thought this would make the story feel disjointed but each chapter blended seamlessly into the next. There is a book 2 coming thankfully because I felt the ending was so sudden. It leaves off on a bit of a cliffhanger.
This was a fun and quick read. I'll read the second book just so I can see how it all ends.
September 8, 2023
Nicely crafted tale of a girl who doesn't believe in magic but lives in a museum dedicated to witches. She lives with her grandfather who is currently off somewhere looking for more items for the museum. When a protective jar shatters, it's the beginning of an epic search for Emmi and Puck, a fae (or maybe something else) who appears just as a huge, scary man tries to break down the museum's front door. He's unable to enter unless invited, but that doesn't stop him from throwing knives and worse at them. This is the beginning of Emmi's conversion to believing that magic exists, and a lot more. Imagine time travel thanks to fireplace ash, an attraction to Puck that is both delicious and agonizing, plus encounters with all sorts of people and magical creatures. I'm very curious about what comes next.
November 7, 2025
I was really excited about this one based on the very cool cover and the blurb, and thought it would be right up my alley. The narration was good and held my attention, unfortunately it had to deal with the story itself - and once I looked into it a little bit and learned that this was written through reader polls and tarot card flippings and other random assemblages of plotting, I started to realize maybe that was what I was struggling with as things progressed.
I just couldn't find a coherent thread here. The characters were fine although I wasn't a huge fan of the protagonist. Puck was fun, but all of the things that make him Puck also make him a difficult character to relate to and empathize with long-term. On the whole I think I just wasn't the right audience for this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
I just couldn't find a coherent thread here. The characters were fine although I wasn't a huge fan of the protagonist. Puck was fun, but all of the things that make him Puck also make him a difficult character to relate to and empathize with long-term. On the whole I think I just wasn't the right audience for this one.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my obligation-free review copy.
November 9, 2025
Actual star rating - 2 1/2
Emmi is a 17-year old in Massachusetts. She helps her grandfather run a museum of magic that he built because of his love for magic. Magic that Emmi does NOT believe in.
One day, a boy named Puck shows up wearing only leaves. And he challenges not only her belief in magic, but also the magic in herself.
While this type of book is usually right in my wheelhouse, I just could not get into it. The pacing was very slow. The book is only 342 pages but the audio is 11 1/2 hours.
I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. The author states in the foreword that she used tarot cards to guide the book and while I think that’s a very interesting concept, I also felt the lack of a true roadmap to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Emmi is a 17-year old in Massachusetts. She helps her grandfather run a museum of magic that he built because of his love for magic. Magic that Emmi does NOT believe in.
One day, a boy named Puck shows up wearing only leaves. And he challenges not only her belief in magic, but also the magic in herself.
While this type of book is usually right in my wheelhouse, I just could not get into it. The pacing was very slow. The book is only 342 pages but the audio is 11 1/2 hours.
I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters. The author states in the foreword that she used tarot cards to guide the book and while I think that’s a very interesting concept, I also felt the lack of a true roadmap to the story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
December 4, 2025
3.25/5
A cozy and whimsical small town story that leads to a world of fae and mystery.
I just loved the visual of the museum, I thought that was so cool. I wanted to stay there longer!
This has fae and witchcraft and magical artifacts and magical drama.
This definitely reads as YA (if that matters at all to you), but not in a bad way.
This is a very easy book to get through, but I did want a bit more from the ending. I am very excited to read the next book though, to see how this story expands.
I didn’t love the characterization of our FMC, I thought some things didn’t quite make sense. She doesn’t know about the fae, but also knows more than them? I was a bit confused by her inconsistency. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s a me thing.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
A cozy and whimsical small town story that leads to a world of fae and mystery.
I just loved the visual of the museum, I thought that was so cool. I wanted to stay there longer!
This has fae and witchcraft and magical artifacts and magical drama.
This definitely reads as YA (if that matters at all to you), but not in a bad way.
This is a very easy book to get through, but I did want a bit more from the ending. I am very excited to read the next book though, to see how this story expands.
I didn’t love the characterization of our FMC, I thought some things didn’t quite make sense. She doesn’t know about the fae, but also knows more than them? I was a bit confused by her inconsistency. But I don’t know. Maybe that’s a me thing.
Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
April 8, 2023
3.5 stars
This began as an e-serial where each chapter was published and the readers decided what would happen next. And it shows. There’s a disjointed feel to this which spoils an otherwise engaging and fun story.
The author also based each chapter on a tarot card, which I like, but it didn’t really add to the story. Also the grammar is occasionally jarring for the non-US reader e.g. the use of ‘drug’ instead of ‘dragged’. Drug is a noun, not a verb, in many English-speaking countries. However, there was nothing that a good editor couldn’t have fixed.
Although I enjoyed the story and am curious to know what happens to Emma and Puck, the sequel is also being written as an e-serial. That is enough to turn me off buying it.
This began as an e-serial where each chapter was published and the readers decided what would happen next. And it shows. There’s a disjointed feel to this which spoils an otherwise engaging and fun story.
The author also based each chapter on a tarot card, which I like, but it didn’t really add to the story. Also the grammar is occasionally jarring for the non-US reader e.g. the use of ‘drug’ instead of ‘dragged’. Drug is a noun, not a verb, in many English-speaking countries. However, there was nothing that a good editor couldn’t have fixed.
Although I enjoyed the story and am curious to know what happens to Emma and Puck, the sequel is also being written as an e-serial. That is enough to turn me off buying it.
February 28, 2025
It was just okay. My main criticism is that the plot was very rambling and all over the place. Nunerous plotlines are picked up then abandoned, the story suddenly lurching in totally different directions. The author acknowledges she used tarot cards, coin flips, and dice rolls to choose among different story outcomes and it shows. The end result was just not very satisfying. About halfway in I started glancing at page counts and hoping to get through the rest quickly. But when the end finally came, the story didn't feel resolved even for a book with an intended sequel.
Positives include the character Puck and the fact that it's about witches. That's always fun.
I also enjoyed the shoutout to The Black Cauldron. I love that movie and the book series it was based on.
Positives include the character Puck and the fact that it's about witches. That's always fun.
I also enjoyed the shoutout to The Black Cauldron. I love that movie and the book series it was based on.
November 8, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and TantorAudio for the advanced audiobook.
2.5 stars rounded up.
This was a fun, magical time. The narration was spectacular, and the English, American, Irish, and Scottish accents were perfect.
At times, this read more like a middle grade than YA, which made it a fast, playful listen. But at times too cozy and too low stakes to sustain interest. It also moved at lightning speed, which is usually good, but before we can be gripped by the plot, we should care more about the characters and what happens to them.
I appreciated the lessons, especially surrounding loneliness and embracing the power of ancestors who are always with us, supporting our power, our magic.
2.5 stars rounded up.
This was a fun, magical time. The narration was spectacular, and the English, American, Irish, and Scottish accents were perfect.
At times, this read more like a middle grade than YA, which made it a fast, playful listen. But at times too cozy and too low stakes to sustain interest. It also moved at lightning speed, which is usually good, but before we can be gripped by the plot, we should care more about the characters and what happens to them.
I appreciated the lessons, especially surrounding loneliness and embracing the power of ancestors who are always with us, supporting our power, our magic.
November 13, 2025
Emmi’s grandfather has gone missing, and a mysterious stranger named Puck suddenly appears. Can he help her find her grandfather? And more importantly—can she trust him? After all, he’s a fairy, and everyone knows you can’t trust a fairy.
I listened to The Museum of Magic as an audiobook, and the narrator did a great job conveying the tone and atmosphere of the story. I really appreciated all the knowledge the author incorporated about fairies and witchcraft—it added an authentic touch to the fantasy world. I also loved the creative chapter titles!
The story ends with a few unanswered questions, which makes me hope there will be a book two.
Thank you to Tantor Media and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
I listened to The Museum of Magic as an audiobook, and the narrator did a great job conveying the tone and atmosphere of the story. I really appreciated all the knowledge the author incorporated about fairies and witchcraft—it added an authentic touch to the fantasy world. I also loved the creative chapter titles!
The story ends with a few unanswered questions, which makes me hope there will be a book two.
Thank you to Tantor Media and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
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