The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

Edinburgh Nights #3

by T.L. Huchu

Everyone’s favorite fifteen-year-old ghostalker, Ropa, arrives at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference just in time to be tied into a mystery—a locked room mystery, if an entire creepy haunted castle on lockdown counts. One of the magical attendees has stolen a valuable magical scroll.

Caught between Qozmos, the high wizard of Ethiopian magic; the larger-than-life Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe; England’s Sorcerer Royal; and Scotland’s own Edmund MacLeod, it’s up to Ropa (and Jomo and Priya) to sort through the dangerous secret politics and alliances to figure out what really happened. But she has a special tool—the many ghosts tied to the ancient, powerful castle.

Edinburgh Nights series:
Library of the Dead
Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments
The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook, Magic, Young Adult

389 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 27, 2023

About the author

T. L. Huchu has been published previously (as Tendai Huchu ) in the adult market, but the Edinburgh Nights series is his genre fiction debut. His previous books (The Hairdresser of Harare and The Maestro, The Magistrate and the Mathematician) have been translated into multiple languages and his short fiction has won awards. Tendai grew up in Zimbabwe but has lived in Edinburgh for most of his adult life.

Reviews

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a series I’ve loved so far, but this was by far the weakest.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really can't gush enough about how delightfully entertaining this series is.

Unrelated: I am very sorry for making you think about me gushing, which can't make for a pleasant mental image.

In conclusion: please read this series. It's fantastic.

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Well, I have finally finished this book. Life has been a series of obstacles preventing me from concentrating on it. But I was determined to get to the end and return it to the library tomorrow with a selection of other books due soon.

Perhaps it was the stop and start nature of my process, but I really didn't enjoy this third installment as much as the previous two. I also think I was missing Ropa's Gran, her fox friend, and her home environment of Edinburgh. Ropa gets an enormous responsibility piled on her in an unfamiliar place, the Isle of Skye. Despite that, she makes a pretty good showing against the bureaucracy of the Scottish Magical Society.

The ending left room, should Huchu choose to write more adventures for Ropa Moya. If those are forthcoming, I will read them. She's a good character with an interesting perspective on the world.

[Billie's Not So Secret Diary · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle
by T.L. Huchu
Edinburgh Nights #3
YA Fantasy Paranormal Dystopian
Ages: 15+
NetGalley ARC
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Tor Publishing Group

Ropa, a fifteen-year-old ghost-talker is attending the Society of Skeptical Enquirers' biennial conference, both to work and as an intern of the Library. While there, a magical scroll is stolen, her friend is hurt, and a librarian is murdered. Enlisting her friends to help, Ropa finds that the politics among the leaders of the magical world are cutthroat, and they won't hesitate to throw anyone, from the lowest of people to their most respected magical leaders, under the bus.

I understand that this story takes place in Scotland, and Ropa grew up there, but once again the story is littered with slang. (I listened to the audio of the first two books, and the narrator, her accent and flat tone was even harder to understand.) I like slang, and it's cool to see/hear the terms from other countries, but too much is too much! Sure, Ropa is only a teenager with a limited education, but she talks like an '80s valley girl, even though she is (like) trying to prove her (gnarly) worth to the (gag me with a spoon) uptight male (dude) dominated magic society.

I do love how she will only take so much of their BS before speaking her mind, but at the same time, nobody is going to respect a 'nobody' teenager who acts like a ten-year-old in a professional setting.

The plots of this series are terrific, the world and the people are interesting, and I would like to read more, but it's the immaturity of Ropa that makes it hard to respect and cheer for her in the professional setting she is trying to be a part of.

It was a quick read, though some of that might be due to the skimming I did because of the slang and constant rambling of Ropa.

2 Stars

[Kai Spellmeier]

still very much love this world and the characters but as a locked room mystery this didn’t fully convince - too many characters, too much detail that had little impact on the plot and bogged it down, and it all needed more suspense. On to the next instalment!

[Hanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one, but if not for the ending I’d given it a lower star rating. Overall this book feels like a filler in the series intended to redirect the main character and refresh rereads interest. I was hoping for ghosts to help solve a murder mystery as promised in the synopsis and finally learning the identity of the mysterious villain Tall Man/Dark Lord, but there were barely any ghost interactions and we are not learning anything new about the Dark Lord. Instead I got a lot of history snippets into the confrontation between Scottish clans, England and Scotland, British Empire and Ethiopia and a lot of colonizers hatred that still persist in this distant dystopian Scotland.

The whole story takes place on the Isle of Skye that was isolated from the rest of the world by a magic barrier for a murder investigation. Ropo as always is a delightful full of character and personality narrator. But we only get a glimpse of Ropo’s adorable family. We learn quite a bit about Sir Ian Callandar one of Scottish Magic’s most important people who apparently also have an adorable family. And we find a much wider array of different characters. The English Sorcerer Royal happened to be the most fascinating player for me and as it is hinted we are going to be seeing more of him in the future.

Overall it is was just good enough for me to keep reading the series and I hope for more action along the main storyline in the next book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, rats. I liked the first 2, but I really wanted some personal growth from Ropa, but nope. She's the same. (She is still scoping out the goods to see what she can pawn. Get a grip, Ropa! You're in magic school now) And this one was just dull. A lot of magic political talk, and I don't even like REAL political talk. I will continue the series because I'm committed. 😆

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle is the third in the Edinburgh Nights series, but is set on the Isle of Skye rather than in Edinburgh. The situation is the same as Foxglove Summer in the Rivers of London series: our intrepid city-dwelling protagonist is sent to the countryside to solve a crime. Of course I missed Edinburgh, as there is such charm to finding locations that you've very familiar with in a novel. Nonetheless, setting the action in and around an isolated castle during a magicians' conference created considerable tension. Trapping everybody in a magic bubble was ingenious and the specifics of it suitably unsettling. The person who cast the spell can't sleep or it will collapse; neither air nor water can pass through the barrier. This conference made a good pretext for worldbuilding. I was intrigued by the introduction of magic lawyers, Scotland's difficult history with the fae, and Ethiopian magical traditions.

Ropa continues to be an excellent protagonist. She is wise and pragmatic beyond her years, yet also inclined to periodically lose her temper in a realistically teenage manner. It's also good that the traumatic impact of previous events isn't neglected; her panic attacks were vividly and sympathetically depicted. I can't believe how much work she gets stuck with for no pay! As she observes, in this grim dystopian future unions have been banned and it sucks for the workers. While I enjoyed The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle due to Ropa's wonderful narration, it did seem to be largely setting up the next book. Hopefully the Edinburgh Nights books will settle into an overarching plot arc as the Rivers of London series did. I look forward to following Ropa's progress through the world of magic and being delighted when she walks past the same places I do.

[Maven_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by T. L. Huchu is about ghost‑talker and magical intern Ropa Moyo’s fraught journey to a high‑stakes magical conference at a haunted castle, only for a librarian to be murdered and a priceless scroll stolen, forcing her to unravel a dangerous conspiracy under lockdown with every magician as a suspect.

From the moment I reopened this series with Ropa, I felt the familiar pulse of tension and possibility but this time the stakes are higher and the walls (quite literally) close in. The change of scenery to Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye gave the story a fresh, atmospheric weight. As Ropa, accompanied by her friends Jomo Maige and Priya Kapoor, navigates ghosts, shifting alliances, and mounting suspicion, I found myself rooting for her not simply as a detective of the supernatural but as someone fighting to belong in a world that often dismisses her. Huchu does something I especially appreciate: he mixes looming suspense with sharp social dynamics, class, prejudice, power plays among magicians in a way that gives magic a political edge, rather than treating it as mere spectacle.

What stood out most for me was Ropa’s voice: witty, unpolished, occasionally vulnerable, yet resilient. In a story full of grand magics and startling betrayals, her humanity, her fears, her anger, her hope grounds everything. Huchu doesn’t shy away from the cost of ambition or the pain of being underestimated. While the political machinations and the large cast sometimes made the mystery feel sprawling, the payoffs, sudden betrayals, ghostly clues, moral reckonings kept me turning pages late into the night.

If I’m honest, the third book leans more heavily into politics and intrigue than into the pure detective‑mystery or ghost‑horror vibes of earlier installments but I think that works, because it mirrors Ropa’s own growth and increasing awareness of the world she’s trying to survive and transform.

Rating: 4 / 5. The novel delivers a gripping mystery wrapped in a richly built magical world, carried by a protagonist you genuinely care about. It’s emotionally engaging, clever with its themes, and suspenseful till the last page, the biggest “con” is that sometimes the breadth of characters and politics slightly overshadows the central mystery.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ropa Moyo, as unpaid intern to Sir Callander, attends the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers' biennial conference on the Isle of Skye. She's excited to be hobnobbing with the best practitioners, but Frances Cockburn, who still treats Ropa mostly like a stain under her foot, has the teen working hard with other juniors to set up Dunvegan Castle, seat of the MacLeods, for the influx of visitors. Thankfully, her best friends and partners in investigation Jomo and Priya are there, too.

Tempers and tensions start rising when the uninvited MacDonalds arrive, as well as the English Sorcerer Royale. Things only go downhill from there when the Ethiopian delegates' incredibly valuable scroll, The Book of the Shaded Mysteries of Solomon as Recounted by the Queen of Sheba, is stolen, and shockingly, Jomo and Librarian Sneddon are attacked, with Sneddon dying. He was the only librarian who treated Ropa with respect and kindness, and this is a terrific blow, as well as international incident, at what was to be a ceremony of sharing and respect.

Sir Callander erects a magical barrier immediately (a working of immense power), preventing escape by the thief, which also has the effect of trapping everyone inside the castle and its grounds as well. Ropa is tasked by Sir Callander to find the thief, and she immediately gets started asking questions and poking around the castle and its gardens. She unfortunately receives insults and arrogance from the supposedly best of the best magicians of Scottish magic, and views with some disgust the petty politicking and maneuvering for status and power amongst the suspects.

Disenchanted, but determined, Ropa discovers who is actually loyal to Sir Callander (not many), and who actually cares about what has happened. The more she digs, the less enamoured she is to join the ranks of these small-minded, overly privileged, and frankly awful people. Meanwhile, the Sorcerer Royale watches Scottish magicians backstab each other with glee.

Ropa also gains a bit of an education over her time at Dunvegan Castle with respect to the conduct of European magicians over the centuries, and unsurprisingly learns of racism-fuelled conquest, destruction and theft of precious and sacred artifacts.

And she does, with Priya's and the Ethiopian translator's help, uncover the culprit, but in the process, earns more censure from the very people who tasked her with solving the problem.

This was such a good entry in a fun and often wryly funny series with its captivating protagonist. She is so tough, but is beginning to experience a delayed panic response to her terrible experiences conducting previous investigations. Thank goodness for the redoubtable and stalwart Priya, one of the few people who sees Ropa for who she is and what she is dealing with. Unlike the magicians who claim to be the cream of Scottish magic.

Ah well. Ropa has her katy, Cruikshank, her dagger, the awesome coat her grandmother used to wear, her friends, her fox, her Gran, Izwi, and an interesting new path to follow, based on the incident at the end of this totally entertaining book.

[David Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm grateful to the publisher for providing me with an advance e-copy of The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle to consider for review.

In this, the third book of the Edinburgh Nights series... Edinburgh doesn't feature! Rather, ghostalker Ropa Moyo and her friends and enemies are attending a magical conference at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. The duties are irksome, and Ropa's still not actually being paid for her work (she's an intern) but she plots a bit of casual larceny to help support her, her grandmother and her sister.

Before Ropa can carry that out, however, everything goes wrong. Despite the presence of some seriously powerful and significant guests in the magical world - England's Magician Royal makes an appearance, allowing Ropa to explain a lot that was previously hinted at about the position of Scotland and its magicians in relation to a revanchist England - a serious crime is committed (no, not by Ropa) leaving her with limited time to sort things out before her world, and that of her boss, Sir Callander, implodes.

I enjoyed this change of scene for Ropa. While she has allies at Dunvegan - especially Priya - she's away from her home turf and has fewer resources to draw on, especially as she is, more than ever, under the eye of the snobbish, entitled masters of Scottish magic. That means she has to be even more ingenious than usual - as we know, Ropa is a formidable person and no respecter of the puffed up and self-important. She doesn't care what feathers she ruffles, and it's magnificent to see her cut a swathe through her lords and masters and right a few wrongs as she does.

The mystery here is also intriguing and apt to be solved through a close understanding of Scottish magical society, the sort of understanding that Ropa has had to develop to ensure her own survival. So her commentary on events and persons has a sort of subtext, paving the way for an eventual solution.

Behind that, though, I had a sense that things are getting more serious in Huchu's magical world. There is a big postcolonial theme in this story, with a stolen artefact from abroad at the centre of things and unhealed wounds from the past a main issue. That arises in a number of ways: the treatment of non-Western societies, but also the basis and roots of Scottish magic. We now learn this is grounded in the dispossession and even imprisonment of the Fae of Skye, those who came before, making the whole enterprise essentially a colonial one. There seems to be a historic injustice there which Ropa won't tolerate for long, but what can she do about it?

The bargain that Ropa has made with the principalities and powers of Edinburgh magic is already strained - their fault not hers, she's only trying to do her job and investigate what's gone wrong - but that cuts little ice. It was always an unstable situation and now seems to be coming apart with loyalties tested and Ropa's future in doubt. If that wasn't enough, alongside the plentiful action there's a bubbling drama that will surely eventually come to the foreground of these books concerning Ropa's history, her future and the survival of magical society.

Huchu is definitely shaking things up - this series shows no sign of bedding down and becoming formulaic, and I'm on tenterhooks for what will come next.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ropa should be on cloud nine, helping organize the Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference and hobnobbing with all the bigwigs of Scottish magic. But when she’s left scrambling to investigate a politically charged theft, she begins to wonder if the world of magic is more trouble than it’s worth.

This is the third book in the Edinburgh Nights series, which follows teenage ghostalker Ropa as she investigates magical crimes in a politically uneasy Scotland. In this book, we seem to shift from the individual mysteries we’ve seen so far into the start of an overarching plot for the series. Ropa wins some but loses plenty, and there’s some pretty big shifts in the status quo.

I continued to enjoy following Ropa and her friends on their adventures; they’re all likable yet distinctly flawed, and their blind spots make them feel real. The world-building, always intriguing, expanded in leaps and bounds here as for the first time we get a clear look at the incredibly fraught situation between Scottish and English magic, as well as how magic and politics interlace. Tension remained high throughout the story, ramped up by all the twists and turns that the author throws at us.

However, there were unfortunately some growing pains as a result of the story expanding its scope. I felt like some characterization fell a little by the wayside – Ropa says and does some things that I would have expected of her in the first book, not the third, and minor characters we met in previous books act startlingly different here. The central mystery of the missing scroll was also given short shrift through chunks of the book as the political situation is elaborated on. I wished there was a little more balance.

Still, the ambiguous ending left me on tetherhooks, and I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm a broken record when it comes to these books. And by now we can also discuss if my reviews are still fair, we can for sure debate if my star ratings are still fair, however, for some reason the writing bothered me less in this book than in the previous two books. Maybe because Ropa was spending less time in the outskirts of Edinburgh. She was now constantly surrounded by the magical elite and that reflected in her conversations. It also feels like this plot was a little more forward. The goal was clear, there were not that many confusing side plots. And, for the first time the book ends with a true cliffhanger. I'm even a little excited about the next book now!

[Marquis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliffhanger.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep—I’m thoroughly into this series. Really looking forward to the next installment. Great characters that I care about just trying to by in a crazy post-calamity Scottish magic world.

[Dr. des. Siobhán · Rating 4 out of 5]

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

"The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle" is not the first book in the series which I did not know when I picked up my advanced reading copy. But it did not matter. T.L. Huchu's wildly imaginative urban fantasy series with a kickass Black protagonist called Ropa Moyo makes it easy for you to catch up on previous events. This book could be compared to Rivers of London to which is seems quite indebted but funnier, more detailed and with an unrealistically vocal teenager as protagonist who not only challenges all the white men at Dunvegan Castle where a crime has been committed and she needs to solve it, but also the elitist magic education system itself. Entertaining of course totally unrealistic especially in connection to the protagonist's age and one can see that the author has put in a lot of research. As somebody who has been at Dunvegan Castle a lot, I enjoyed it as a setting. 4 stars

[Runalong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great instalment of the series exploring the politics of this magical world but a locked haunted castle mystery on top. Really good plot and Ropa is a brilliant lead character

Full review - https://www.runalongtheshelves.net/bl...

[Christa Schönmann Abbühl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is so good, and I enjoyed this newest installment so much I would have given five stars, if not for the open ending. The wait for the next volume will be hard on me.

My listening experience has improved to an astonishing degree by my newly acquired knowledge of Scottish geography! I have not been to the Isle of Skye, but I now get most of the geographical references.

[Jennifer Zillich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun Ropa mystery.
Didn't like it quite as much as the first 2 but was an enjoyable read. The cliff hanger at end took me by surprise. Hope I remember all the details by the time the next one comes out...😄

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel was slower than the first two in the series, mainly because the MC Rupa was in magical college. There was far too much magic politics, and it got rather slow and dull at the beginning. But after Rupa started doing her thing, it picked back up some. That interesting ending makes me wonder where the author will take this series, next.

Kimberly Mandindo Was again the narrator for the audiobook version of this novel. I absolutely adore her accent, but for some reason this time, her tone was quite flat throughout most of the novel. That didn’t help me keep engaged with it much, or connect to the characters at all. I hope things go better for Mandindo next time, and that Edingburg Nights and Macmillan Audio both give her another chance to continue with this series. Changing narrators now would be a death knell, for me… I hate when that happens. Kimberly IS Rupa Moyo.

Anyway, 3 stars. And I will probably continue with this series, if there is another one.

[Siavahda · Rating 3 out of 5]

My least fave of this series so far, but the writing is still compulsively readable and Ropa continues to be one of my favourite protagonists. (Although I continue to be baffled at how much responsibility all these adults keep putting on a 15yo. ???) The prose did a lot of heavy lifting for a pretty boring plot, but the ending was fab and promises for a much more interesting book 4 (hopefully).

[Maddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best of the series.

[Bina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another engaging instalment, Ropa is fantastic company! I need book 4 asap and lots more in this series, please!🙏🏼

[Veronica ReadsandRecreation · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this more. The first two books in the series are so good; this one lacks the same excitement and air of danger. I’m hoping with the ending that Ropa might have more exciting adventures in her journey ahead.

[Mark Redman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery at Dunvegan Castle is the third book in the Edinburgh Nights series. I enjoyed reading about Ropa the main character, she is a tough and tenacious girl who uses her street smarts to solve paranormal crimes. Ropa, Jomo, Priya, etc. are holed up at Dunvegan Castle, a dilapidated family seat of the MacLeods on the island of Skye. Invited to an annual magical conference with delegates from all over Scotland and guests from the proud and powerful magical nation of Ethiopia. As usual, Ropa has to deal with the snobbishness of the establishment, the elite magical schools, with all its backstabbing, feuds and manipulation. The situation takes a turn and becomes more complicated when the Sorcerer Royal pays an unexpected visit, a valuable loan goes awry and a librarian is murdered.

The plot is more focused than in the first two books. This gives the story a more streamlined and cohesive narrative, a definite shift from the paranormal elements of the first two books. Worldbuilding is expanded from the first two books. The mystery aspect was well done and kept me hooked. The magical duel towards the end was action-packed and unputdownable. The themes covered are; socioeconomic, class status, power, money, and magic.

This was another excellent book in the Edinburgh Nights series and there is a shift coming in the next book. My thanks to both Netgalley and the publisher for an honest opinion.

[Fraser's Fun House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lowly magical apprentice Ropa can’t think of anywhere she’d rather be than being bossed about as she helps to set up a magical conference at the dilapidated castle of the MacLeod clan on the Isle of Skye, but she knows it’s a means to an end. Used to being downtrodden and forgotten about she’s determined to get something out of her time at Dunvegan Castle even if it means being a little ‘light-fingered’ along the way. But when a librarian is murdered in cold blood and a coveted magical Ethiopian scroll presented by the conference’s special guest is stolen right under the magical society’s nose Ropa has to put her own plans on hold. With a magical force field surrounding the castle and it’s grounds tensions amongst the delegates are running high and everyone is a suspect, but will Ropa be able to solve the mystery before time runs out?

This instalment of Edinburgh Nights has a significantly different feel to it, but I absolutely loved it none the less. Despite being away from the city and the familiar backdrop of the trailer park where Ropa lives we still have all her friends from the magical society on board for the new adventure and I really enjoyed being privy to and gaining a better understanding of the hierarchy and systems in other parts of Scotland and over the border in England too. I found this book an easier read in the sense that the second book, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, was quite content heavy, teaching us the magical understanding and intricacies of the world, subsequently allowing us as the reader to continue the series without the need for further explanation.

Whilst the previous books also had mysteries at their core the locked in/closed room style of Dunvegan’s puzzle was even more compelling as the suspects were laid bare from the beginning and left me questioning every little scenario and turning the page right up until the story’s ‘whodunnit’ climax. I loved that the plucky, fearless and outspoken Ropa is back with a bang and is trusted to take the reins in this story, both growing in confidence and also learning her worth within a society where she has always come bottom of the pile. Ropa’s character has definitely become one of my all-time favourites, her sarcasm and humour has me sniggering to myself throughout!

My only real miss of this instalment was the inclusion of Ropa’s Gran and her sister Izwi who I hope will feature more heavily in the next book as I loved to read about their character’s as well as the wonderful dynamic the trio share. It’s clear though that whatever is going to happen next in this story is something explosive and thrilling as the ending left me with that dull, exciting ache of expectation and I’m just sad that I’m going to have to be patient and wait to find out what’s next for Ropa! If you like the sound of this book I’d highly recommend reading the series in order as you would definitely struggle to understand some of this books content thanks to T L Huchu’s superb world building from the previous books – also what are you waiting for……run, don’t walk to the bookshop and jump straight in to this magical world you won’t be disappointed.

[C.L. Jarvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Book 3 of Edinburgh Nights, our incorrigible heroine Ropa is caught up in a murder mystery/theft far away from home, on the bleak island of Skye. With the elite magicians still looking down on her, can she solve the mystery before Scottish magic is plunged into disarray?

While the first two books in the series wrapped up nicely, book.3 feels more like a bridge novel: a lot of questions about Ropa and the forces opposing her are left unanswered. Ropa’s interactions with her family and the troubled ghosts of Edinburgh are the “heart” of the previous stories, and we got almost none of those interactions here, sadly. However, I liked learning more about Ropa’s mentor Sir Callendar. He’s been (mostly) on her side throughout the series, albeit in a distant way, so it’s nice to see their partnership strengthen. I also thought the tight focus on the stolen artefact/murder made this a more cohesive story than book 2.

Basically, if you enjoy this series you’ll enjoy spending more time in this world. If book 4 is the last in the series it has a lot of ground to cover and questions to answer…but I’m curious to see what happens!

I received an advance copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a few.

[Shinyfluff · Rating 5 out of 5]

love this entire series and also this book! Ropa is such a magnificent character and i love the deepening friendship between her and Priya. I loved in this book that the fractures between white supremacy in magic "organizations' is being made evermore obvious in relation to Ropa's grandmother's magic. the disillusionment upon being admitted to the 'inside' of this magical society was very realistic. as well, the integrated way disability is normalized and honored is refreshing. looking forward to the next one as always

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first 2 in the series. Think it suffered from being away from Edinburgh and in turn some of the established side characters not making an appearance. Also felt like it took a bit too long to get going.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I really enjoyed this 3rd book - in spite of still not really liking the narrator.

If she could somehow nail the attitude of Ropa and express it better - plus have some sort of timing when bantering or mental sparring is happening - I would forgive a lot of other issues.
However, mostly she manages to make the sassy bits and bantering sound a bit off key.

Those scenes just do not flow properly.
I can completely imagine how they could and should sound, but they just don't.
And that's too bad, because I adore her accent - and the actual content of the book was the strongest so far in the series.

I did find the last showdown to be somewhat too predictable though.
I've never mentally shouted "IT'S A BLOODY DIVERSION!" so many times before in my life, at any book. 😂

Ropa is young so I can excuse her for not seeing it coming miles away. Her lack of experience can be believed to be at fault here. However, at least one grown-up (one not sleep-deprived) should have had a bit more sense when it comes to spotting the very obvious. (Duh!)

When the entire book series rides pretty heavily on the premiss that the 14 (or was it 15?) year old girl with street-smarts for brains is the cleverest person in the room, this does become somewhat of a glaring weakness though. At least for a reader over 20 (a.k.a. me).

It yet again amuses me how the nerdy references made within the book all seem to come from a brain born and raised during the 80s.
(One Google search later and I've now confirmed Tendai Huchu was indeed born in 1982.)

All the references score goals straight into my entire childhood, no matter the media. Movies, games, music, books, whatever! They are all in here.
But just like in the previous books I find it funny how Ropa is supposed to be so very young - and not living in a fictitious version of 1990-2000-ish. It just feels a bit odd.

Sure, Ropa is meant to be odd, but I feel like the author is revealing his age rather than targeting young readers. I don't even remember a single reference to something ... modern.
Now I feel old, dammit. Let's call it: Newer!

However, if the intended audience is actually other 80s kids then, heck yes! Mission accomplished! I grin with glee every time I spot a reference. 😆

Anyway: I hope there's a 4th book coming.
I will endure the narrator (but will probably never get over how I think it almost sounds like "ghost-stalker" rather than "ghost-talker" when she says it) for plenty more books to come if they improve in terms of content like this one. Fingers crossed! 😁