A Hundred Vicious Turns

The Broken Tower #1

by Lee Paige O'Brien

The heir to an arcane bloodline must outwit their ambitious rival to stop a ruthless magical adversary in a YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of A Lesson in Vengeance and Hell Followed With Us
  
Rat Evans, nonbinary heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines in New York, doesn’t cast spells anymore. For as long as Rat can remember, they’ve been surrounded by doorways no one else sees and corridors that aren’t on any map. Then one day, they opened a passage and found a broken tower in a field of weeds—and something followed them back.
 
When Rat is accepted into Bellamy Arts, all they want is a place to hide and to make sure they never open another passageway again. But when the only other person who knows what really happened last year—Harker Blakely, the dangerously gifted trans boy who used to be Rat’s closest friend—turns up on campus, Rat begins to realize that Bellamy Arts might not be as safe as they’d thought. And the tower might not be through with them yet.
 
Soon, Rat finds themself caught in a web of secrets and long-buried magic, with their friend-turned-enemy at their throat. But the closer they come to uncovering the truth about the tower, the further they’re drawn toward the unsettling powers that threaten to swallow them whole.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Queer, LGBT, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Magic

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Edelweiss
TW: PTSD
3.8

I love a good portal fantasy, I love a good friends to enemies to lovers, and I always enjoy a nonbinary lead. I was really excited about this one!
In some ways I do absolutely get what I was here for, though in some places things did fall a bit flat.

For one thing, the portal vibes are spectacular. I would recommend this book to fans of The Wayward Children series- glimpses at other worlds, post-portal mental health, danger mixed with whimsy mixed with yearning. And I also thought that Rat's door based magic was really, really cool and fairily well utilized. I definitely want to know more about it and what it means.

The romance, too, was killer. The tension is genuinely thick enough to cut with a knife, and I think the way the backstory plays out nearly parallel for the beginning and the way O'Brien chooses to reveal what's going on both past and present was a super effective choice. You feel not just the history between them and the expectation of support, that phantom limb feeling of having been able to assume someone was going to be there for you- but you also absolutely 100% feel the coldness there. In some dynamics like these it's really a question why these characters are in this kind of a predicament, because as far as you can see they're close to reconciling from the start, they love each other and it's one good conversation away from being patched back up. That is not the case here. The resentment and the defensive walls put up feel so real and so foreboding, they meet that other wave of care and they don't crumble- far from it- but it's perfectly matched so that you can root, but you honestly can't tell what way things are going to go.

However, where things let me down a bit, was in the big picture itself. The interpersonal stuff is great, but nothing really goes deep enough. I wanted more from the past storyline, I wanted more world building, I wanted bigger strides in the actual present-tense storyline instead of a lot of running in place. There's more explanation of the same handful of things, and then a stage set for the character's feelings towards each other, than there is real plot progression for the most part.

And along with that, the main plot of finding the map never felt like actual main plot. The map's importance is debatable, it never feels like a real stake, and the riddle is so obvious it feels like a footnote. This is really just another example of plot not taking center stage throughout.

I did like these characters, and the atmosphere is good. I just wanted more actual story and world.

Pre-review comments below
"following the nonbinary heir to a powerful magical bloodline with the unsettling ability to find doorways that no one else can see, who finds themself drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse at an elite magic university when a malevolent force follows them back through the passages" yeeeeeeessss

Update COVER REVEAL?????

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

A teenager who can follow unseen paths into new realms, a magic academy filled with hidden passageways and secrets, a looming danger, and an angsty ex-best friend drama?? Y'all, I need you try this book.

Concept: ★★★
Plot/Pacing: ★★★ 1/2
Unique take on magic: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★

A Hundred Vicious Turns is the kind of young adult fantasy that I LOVE discovering in the bookstore. When I saw this cover in the stacks, I was intrigued. Then I read the blurb, and I was hooked. It's not often you find a queer YA fantasy with a dark academia atmosphere, multiple realms, and the concept of endless magical doors. (That last one is a particularly favorite trope of mine.)

Rat Evans is the heir to two magical bloodlines in the Northeast United States. They are a relatively timid and nervous teenager who has Been Through Some Stuff. That stuff happened last summer, with their ex-best-friend, Harker, and involved some dark magic, a tower, and some truly terrifying things that Rat would rather forget.

(Rat can never forget. They see the Tower in their dreams.)

But the summer is over, and Rat is enrolled at Bellamy Arts, an exclusive boarding school for the magical bloodlines to hone their magic. Rat doesn't practice magic anymore and actively tries to suppress their affinity for maps and mapmaking, but they know that Bellamy Arts the safest place for them to be—they need an impenetrable home base with wards that keep everyone—and everything—out. So off to school they go, with the plan to ignore their magic and just survive their way through the experience.

But Bellamy Arts and the scary things in Rat's past aren't going to let Rat coast through school unscathed. And neither is the unexpected appearance of Harker, whose hatred for Rat seeps from his pores.

The clock tower is chiming, the walls are closing in, and Rat's seeing doors and passageways out of the corner of their eye that no one else is able to see... and the corners are beckoning.

Don't open a door that you can't close...

Ahhhhhh this was so much fun, folks. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this debut and, as a testament to how much this novel gripped me, I stayed up way past my bed time to read it.

The great: the concept, the setting, and the wholly unique take on magic structures and societies tied up in an interesting multiverse/realm concept that had me in a GRIP. I also loved the angsty drama between Rat and Harker, and the delicioussss slow burn friends-to-enemies-to-reluctant-partners-to-??? that they had going on. I came for the magic, I stayed for the relationship drama and the serious desire I had to discover what was going on at the heart of this story.

The not-so-great: Ok, this debut had some struggles. The worst offender was the clumsy balance between the Big Plot (Rat's relationship to the tower, the antagonist, and the doors into realms) and the entire rest of the novel(the school, the side quests, the scene transitions, the "filler" for depth). There was so much to unpack with the Big Plot that the rest of the novel did suffer a lack of supplemental depth, explanations of the mundane, scene descriptions, and just soft content to pad the real-world attempts of the academy setting. To me as a reader, I didn't care overly much about the filler—it would have catapulted this review from a 4-star to a 5-star favorite, but I didn't need that to make or break my general enjoyment. I loved what I got with the unique magic + Rat's personal journey + the relationship drama.

Overall, a very exciting YA debut from a queer writer to watch. Eagerly looking forward to the second book in this duology so that we can get some answers—I can't wait!

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[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don‘t know. It was okayish? Didn‘t really get into the story and the ending was strange.

[shatterinseconds · Rating 2 out of 5]

The only thing I liked about this story was the trans rep.

Everything else was... not good. Half the time I was so bored that I didn't absorb anything while I was reading.

Rat felt like they had little to no agency throughout half the book, very flat for a protagonist. The school setting wasn't utilized to its full potential. Harker was probably the most interesting out of everybody, not connected to a major family and having made a deal with Isola, but he was barely in this book despite being set up as the main's rival and future love interest. It was very frustrating.

I hate to be harsh on a debut but I struggled to get through this and can't think of many positives.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

thanks to abrams/amulet for the arc! all views my own!

4.5 stars! finally a complex queer norm dark fantasy magical boarding school! loved it! got a little confused at some points but keep reading it’s worth it and i am very excited for the sequel!

[Aly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love this cover and the synopsis sounded fantastic, especially the LGBTQIA+ rep and the magical school. Unfortunately, I didn't end up enjoying the story and it took me weeks to get through it.

The pacing is incredibly slow and not much happens overall. The world building is barely there, with just a bit of information that some people have magic and go to magical schools. I have no idea about the rest of the world and if magic is widely known or not.

Rat's only personality trait is being sad and withdrawn and I needed more from them to keep things interesting. The side characters are a bit better, but not well explored or developed. In the end, I just wanted this to be over.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Amulet Books for the copy.

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me summarize A Hundred Vicious Turns for you. Rat is the victim, and Harker is the villain, while Jinx smirks up a storm on the side. That’s it. That’s the whole book, or at least that’s what it felt like.

I think there were too many secrets. By keeping so much to themself, everything felt less scary. I didn’t understand what Rat was afraid of, and I struggled to care.

The two stars are for the trans rep, the only thing that didn’t disappoint me. (In addition to the MC, there were trans side characters!)

Bottom line: I know I’m a hater, and I’m accepting it.

──✒ pre review initial thoughts
this may have made my reading slump worse...

⸻ᥫ᭡
my blog!

[Will Sandkvist · Rating 4 out of 5]

A queer fantasy with quite a unique form of magic taking place in a dark academia setting; do I really need to explain any further why this book caught my interest? And overall I would say I got what I wanted from this debut novel. The setting was definitely a classic- old boarding school on the countryside where students are taught magic while studying in the old library and sneaking around dark corridors- but mix that with an ability to not only see so called “dead passageways” but also the ability to step through doorways into different planes of reality and the old campus grounds suddenly reveals a whole lot more possibilities. And the Tower is one of those planes that holds an extra bit of importance to the story and to Rat as our main character. However, since the Tower is mentioned quite a lot throughout the story with very little backstory to what it actually is I did find myself questioning more than once if I had somehow missed a prologue story to this one. I was still able to enjoy the story but I do wish that the author would have explained it a bit more deeply, not only to give a history of it but to also help paint a clearer image of both Rat’s, and his friend/enemy Harker’s, motivations.

The characters overall were all interesting and set apart from each other, and I really liked that their querness was clear but without making it their whole personalities that I have noticed in a few other YA books. And I’m really interested to see how the relationship between Rat and Harker develops in the next book. I also think the author did a great job with the plot twist at the end, as I passed the halfway- mark I had started to suspect a few of the characters and I was pleased to find out I had actually been wrong in my suspicions.

Another little note I had was that the book didn’t quite have that natural flow to it. I personally feel like some parts flew past while others felt outstretched and the two didn’t always fit well together. There was a bit of filler that could have been cut without impacting the overall story too much and it might have helped the story flow a bit more smoothly. But with that said, I still think that A Hundred Vicious Turns was a great first debut and I’m looking forward to reading the second book.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC of this book from the publisher, Amulet Books, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.*

1.) A Hundred Vicious Turns - ★★★ ½
2.) Untitled - ???

“They wouldn’t be the first person to steal from the tower. When they were finished, they would make sure they were the last.”

This book had me at magical universities. A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O’Brien is a queer, young adult fantasy novel that sold me as soon as I first laid eyes on it—I mean, have you seen the cover?—and read the plot—a nonbinary heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines in New York who has the uncanny ability to find passageways no one else can, drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse to outwit their gifted friend-turned-enemy to stop a dark force who followed them out of a passageway. I mean, this book features secret, magical passageways, buried magic and buried secrets, a magical university, and a diverse cast of characters, not to mention friends-to-enemies-to-lovers(?) vibes, to sum it up this book was basically full of many aspects that I tend to adore. However, I couldn’t help myself from wanting more from this book—more plot development, more character development, more worldbuilding, just more.

The plot itself really intrigued me from the beginning. I mean, this entire novel was set like a nesting doll of secrets, mysteries, and twists for Rat to uncover and enemies (and frenemies) to outthink and outmaneuver (plus past stories for us, the readers, to uncover, namely the falling out that Rat had with Harker). Between the mystery of the stolen Holbrook Map (which I really wish played a bigger role in terms of its actual usefulness) and the tower as well as the race to outpace Harker and unearth his secrets, the novel had so many twists and mysteries and, while not all of these mysteries were fully solved or explored by the novel’s end (answers I hope to receive in the sequel), I enjoyed navigating the various twists and surprises thrown Rat’s way (even though some of them were a bit easy to solve). What I didn’t love in terms of the plot was how the story was paced—the book itself was quite slow-paced up until the third act, which, considering the mystery and Rat’s chase to outmaneuver and stop Harker, I was not really anticipating. I mean, I’m all for slower-paced books, but the book seemed to drag a bit and it felt like not a whole lot really happened until the ending (the book was almost “stationary” in a way until bigger inciting incidents occurred). And the pacing and development of the past was not much better. I felt as though the past (Rat’s connection to the tower, Rat and Harker’s falling out, etc.) was kind of thrown at us in chunks and could have been better developed, especially when it came to Rat’s aversion to their ability to find secret passageways as well as their entire tension with Harker.

One of the biggest draws of this book for me was the magic. Magical universities. Magical passageways. Magical powers. And the novel definitely delivered. I loved witnessing Rat’s ability to find and open passageways and the whole “portal magic” was so cool (I just wish Rat wasn’t so (rightfully) averse to their powers because I would have loved to have seen more travel through the passageways). I also really enjoyed how Rat’s powers were explored throughout the novel and I hope to see more of them coming into their power in the next book. I also liked seeing the powers of the other characters, such as Harker’s fire casting and Jinx’s water manipulation, and just how varied the powers of the characters were. I was, however, disappointed with the lack of actually seeing Rat attending their classes—I mean, the book is set at a magical university, I wanted to see some magical classes and magical lessons. The novel takes place over the course of a couple of months and in those couple of months, we only see Rat go to class maybe three (or four?) times and the same class for a matter of fact. Not to mention the fact that for only about half of these classes do we actually see any lessons and teaching going on, the other half is just a means for Rat to be in the same room as Harker, Jinx, and Agatha. And yes, I’m aware that as someone averse to magic and not actually doing any magic themself, Rat has zero interest in magical classes, but come on, I wanted to learn more about the different types of spells even if Rat didn’t.

In terms of the characters, I really enjoyed them. I liked Rat as the novel’s protagonist. Being one the only non-magical students on campus and traumatized by their past with the tower, Rat was a really easy character to feel for, and, honestly, I kind of just wanted to give them a hug throughout the entire novel. I enjoyed seeing and learning about Rat’s powers (and again, honestly wanting to hug them when they saw a door that wasn’t there and literally had to ask one of their friends if the door they saw was real or not), and, as previously stated, witnessing Rat explore their powers a bit more as the novel progressed and learn more about themself in the process. I also really liked the various friendships and dynamics that Rat formed with the characters around them. Their entire dynamic with Harker? Perfection. So much tension. So much angst. (I saw another reviewer point out how Rat has “phantom limb syndrome” when it comes to Harker, seeing him as someone who always used to be there but is now someone that they “hate,” ugh the angst) Speaking of Harker, he was probably my favorite character. Having to fight tooth and nail for his spot at Bellamy as someone not from one of the magical families, Harker has a huge chip on his shoulder and is willing to do whatever it takes to secure his spot in this world. Harker is literally the three “M’s”—magically gifted, mysterious, and murderous on Rat’s mental health as Rat spends a majority of the book literally thinking about Harker (y’all just kiss already). While I enjoyed Rat and Harker, the other characters felt a little bit flat for me. Jinx and Agatha were such interesting characters in their own right, but I wanted to see more of them (especially Agatha who I feel was the least developed of the core four). Not to mention Rat’s best friend Will (who is probably the definition of a supportive, cinnamon roll-esque best friend) who I really liked, but barely had any page time.

Overall, while this book fell a bit flat for me I still really enjoyed it and found it to be a pretty solid, albeit a bit underdeveloped, debut. And I plan on reading the sequel because that ending? I need to see what happens next!

[Sophia Dyer • bookishly.vintage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Amulet Books for an advance copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

This book very much feels like a right person, wrong time type of book. I am so fascinated with the story at hand, but I really struggled to stay invested in the story and felt like it slogged at times. This book is perfectly moody for the autumn season, with a mystery that slowly unravels and a memorable cast of misfit characters to boot.

I do wish some of the reveals came sooner though - at one point I was wondering if I was reading a book two, and that I had somehow missed something I was supposed to know had already happened. Some reveals could have been dropped sooner in the story without taking away from anything, and then I feel I would have a better understanding of the characters motivations.

This is one of those books that I think would be fun to see on a big screen! There is magic, but it isn't really used throughout the story, but I can imagine just how beautiful it would translate in a movie. Plus I feel like I would understand a few parts here or there if I could physically see it, because there were times where I was not 100% sure what was happening.

The use of a nonbinary main character felt unique, and I like that the love interest is a Trans man as well. This book has representation! I could definitely see this book turn into a small series, longer than a duology, but I am interested in seeing how the story ends. I would definitely be open to rereading this book at a later date, and definitely read the sequel when it releases.

Overall, I loved the concepts in this book, and the small cast of unique characters, but I ultimately struggled to be invested in the story. Definitely a right book, wrong time sort of deal. The authors writing feels unique, and I enjoyed watching the story unravel before me. I could see this being translated on the big screen, but also as a series longer than a duology. Until next time!
Content warnings: violence, bullying, self harm, broken bones/body horror, gaslighting, confinement

[✧ iva · Rating 3 out of 5]

why would you choose rat as a nickname?

3-4

[Kerensa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It Is Finished.

You can also read this review on my blog!

My experience reading this book was a lot like trying to hold onto a handful of sand. No matter what, the sand always trickles away. In much the same way, the things this book promised never quite seemed to materialize, no matter how much I tried to hold onto them. A lot of elements in this book feel half-formed, like I can tell that in the author's head everything's there, but what's on the page just doesn't click for me. Which is a bummer, because I really wanted to like this book.

A Hundred Vicious Turns is a duology-opener as well as the story of Rat, who is gifted with a rare ability to wayfind passages that aren't supposed to (currently) exist. Prior to the beginning of the book, Rat made contact with an otherworldly being in a space between dimensions (or in a separate dimension, maybe - it doesn't matter much, I think) who wanted to spirit them away. Rat turned to classmate Harker for help, but then Rat's mother found out, things went wrong, and Harker now hates Rat, hence the synopsis talking about Rat having to face off against their rival.

That's all backstory. The book actually opens with Rat beginning to attend Bellamy Arts, a magical college with powerful wards. They are hoping that the wards will keep them safe from the otherworldly being who they think is still after them. It turns out that Harker is also going to Bellamy Arts, and has befriended two girls, Jinx and Agatha. Rat immediately decides that Harker is Up To Something and begins blowing off other friend Will (yes, poor Will) to try to figure out what Harker is up to. This involves ingratiating themself with Jinx. Jinx is also the Mysterious New Girl in a school of trust fund babies, even though she actually is just as well-connected as everyone else. (Harker is the only character who actually lacks magical familial connections).

This book starts off pretty slowly, but I was okay with that at first. We were building atmosphere, hinting at backstory, introducing characters. I'm very amenable to a slower-paced story. But then things started to feel circular and kind of boring. It seems like a lot of this book is Rat being anxious in their room, going out to meet someone (often Jinx or the rest of the group), there's a little bit of spooky other dimension stuff, the characters might discuss the thing they're trying to find, and then everyone goes back to their rooms and the cycle starts anew. There's a significant chunk of this book where it feels like the plot is just treading water.

(Also, this is a magic school story where the characters literally never go to class, which is a pet peeve of mine. If it's a school story, I want to SEE the school parts! It's not enough for them to just be on a campus.)

And again, I could have been okay with the plot taking a backseat if the writing had been beautiful or the character interactions had been standout. I don't remember there being a ton of plot in the Raven Cycle, but Maggie Stiefvater's character writing is so good that it carried even when nothing is happening. That wasn't the case here, at least not for me. All of the characters had the potential to be interesting, but it felt like we didn't spend enough time on developing any of them. Even Rat felt kind of flat after the millionth anxiety-ridden "Rat [did x} and hated themself for it" we got in the narration - not to mention the numerous times Rat starts typing out texts to people and then deletes them. I really wanted more of Agatha, or more interactions with Harker that didn't just boil down to him and Rat glaring at each other.

On a writing note, I think this book also had the somewhat rare problem of over-relying on pronouns? Since the four main characters mostly use different pronouns (except Agatha and Jinx, who are both she/her), a lot of the time the narration refrained from restating character names more often than I personally prefer. At one point, there was a half page of conversation between Rat and Harker at the end of a chapter where Rat's name is used twice and Harker is only referred to via pronouns. It may not sound like a big deal, but it did affect my comprehension, and it would easily be fixed by just using the characters' names a bit more often.

By the time I was halfway through the book, I was starting to lose steam and I began to get increasingly frustrated with the pacing. Sometimes it felt like the characters would just stand around and take forever to make a decision; other times the action and resolution of things felt weirdly fast. Someone who was still enjoying reading the latter half of the book probably wouldn't have been as bothered as I was by these things, I fully admit.

I do think this book has an interesting premise and is tackling some kind of interesting ideas. The whole premise of Rat and Harker's dynamic is that they currently "hate" each other because they used to be so close, and Rat is constantly dealing with the fact that part of them still defaults to Harker when they need someone to talk to, etc etc. There were some genuinely interesting moments between them that made me wish I liked the way their backstory had been set up more, because I was pretty meh on the execution of it all. Additionally, the dynamic of Harker not having the same connections everyone else does and having to deal with assumptions that he MUST be using people because his family isn't rich was intriguing, although there could have been more exploration of it in my opinion (Give me the full Adam from the Raven Cycle experience, c'mon!).

Plus I like otherworldly/interdimensional stuff in general, combining it with a magic school setting seems sick, and Agatha and Jinx both seem like very interesting characters in their own right.

While this book fell flat for me, I think there's probably an audience out there for it. I can see some people loving this book and being able to look past the flaws that prevented me, personally, from loving it. I did enjoy the concepts in this book and it was cool to read a book with a nonbinary main character and a trans love interest (even if I ultimately wished that Agatha or Harker had been the main character).

Oh well. I hope someone likes this book. I didn't.

[Cheyenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐ CW: violence, cursing

A Hundred Vicious Turns by Lee Paige O'Brien is a YA dark academia fantasy with a magic school. I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this! It was a solid YA read with a friends-to-rivals trope, and chock full of queer characters. Our MC is nonbinary, and we also get bisexual, lesbian, and trans male rep.

We follow Rat Evans, heir to a powerful magical family, who has strange powers that allow them to see "dead passages" or other hallways and doors no one else can see, that takes them to other worlds. We are led to believe that Rat had a traumatic experience in one of these other worlds, and now is afraid of the power they have and chooses not to use it, even though they will be attending an elite magic school in upstate New York.

While there, we learn about Rat's rivalry with ex-friend Harker, a caster from no notable bloodline. When Rat finds out that someone has stolen a map his father made when he was alive, Rat makes a hasty friendship with Jinx, Agatha, and tentative allyship with Harker to figure out what is going on at the school. This was a fun story that kept me on my toes with suspense while also making me love the characters. Jinx is my favorite, and I hope to learn more about the rest of the characters in book two. I do wish we had gotten a bit more world-building since we don't really leave the school.

Luckily, we didn't end on a huge cliffhanger, but we are set up for the second book in a way that makes me wish I hadn't read this so early so I can read the sequel already lol.

[Bunderlai · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Received an ARC through NetGalley***

I first heard about this book from its spotlight blurb in Tor.com’s “30 More SFF Titles to Look Foward to in 2023.” Specifically the lines, “There’s a certain sub-sub genre of fantasy novel, typically YA but not exclusively, written by largely queer and trans authors who grew up reading That Series and are now wielding their own magic.” That hooked me immediately. But the book isn’t just in conversation with past works, it stands beautifully on its own. Rat, Harker, and the other students in their cadre are all so well-drawn and I was pulled into suspense of the novel from the first page. The casual but meaningful inclusion of Rat’s, and to a lesser extent Harker’s, trans/non-binary/queer experiences especially brought me joy. If you enjoy found family, dark academia, architecture magic, and spiteful friendship, there’s a lot to love here. While some plot bogginess in the middle kept it from being a 5-star for me, I am incredibly interested in seeing where this series goes, especially with that cliffhanger ending.

[Gv · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars.
Did not expect to enjoy it so much! Some details of the plot still feel a bit fuzzy but... somehow it did not take away from the enjoyment. I can't wait for the sequel. There is nothing super new about the story (or the relationships), but the world-building and character interactions were sturdy enough to keep me interested.

[Fabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot wise i’m very intrigued and i can see potential. Pacing was a little slow for me and it took me too long to get through. Still can’t get over the name Rat, that also took me out of the reading flow. I will, however, read the next book and see where this story goes.

[Rowen H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't have a very intelligent review in me but I'm obsessed with this

[Ani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will mark when I get into spoilers!

Picked up this book bc the cover art and synopsis were promising. Unfortunately, I didn't know it was part of a series initially, so that might have skewed some of my first thoughts.

This book is very 50/50. I found it really easy to get through the first half. Everything felt nice and mysterious, and I was very curious to see what happened next. Some of the characters *cough, cough, Jinx, cough cough* really irritated me, but it wasn't a deal breaker, so I went on.

I found the climax and falling action to be beyond confusing. Once the twist was revealed, I found myself questioning the motivations of all the characters, which really seemed to be weak/ non-existent.

- SPOILERS NOW! -

- WARNING -

- I WARNED YOU -

- SPOILERS! -

Oh my God, Will is the only reasonable character in this whole book, and that's just because he has an actual motivation that is strong enough to justify his actions.

Will is childhood friends w Rat and wants to connect with and help them -> he continuously reaches out and when he realizes Rat is in danger, he protects them. (Although, considering he's barely in the book, this doesn't do much)

How I view and rate the other characters' motivations is:

Harker: I want to gain power for my magical family name -> I'm going to look for the magical archive to find out things that are long forgotten (3/5- I don't really understand how that helps you and why you want to die for it, but okay)

Jinx: there's this cool legend about the Holbrook map -> I'll look for the archives (1/5- she should have given one look at those terrors and said hell no. Why did it matter that much to you???)

Also, I kind of hate Jinx. She was so irritating and mean for no reason. And then she just stopped???

Rat: everyone hates me for doing everything but the audience isn't allowed to know why -> I'm gonna start doing things that the audience doesn't understand because of the reasons the narrator hasn't told the audience (-1000/10 WHY DOES EVERYONE HATE RAT??? AND WHY DO I NOT UNDERSTAND A SINGLE CHOICE THEY MAKE???)

Overall, there's too many things that are kept from the audience to the point that it's unenjoyable. I'd read a bit of a memory at the beginning of the book and wait for it to be explained later, just for it to be forgotten.

Also, I understand why Evening was the twist villain, but I still found it incredibly irritating. In fact, most of the things that happened in the last 100 pages were either irritating or so slow paced I almost fell asleep.

I'll look out for the next book, but idk if I'll actually continue this series.

[trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this entire book and yet I’m not entirely sure what the entire plot was about? Why are they hunting for some books or a map? Who really knows. There’s some vaguely evil knight that is “getting them” but the worst thing she does is hold one of their arms and tell them to come with her.

Overall cool world but eh not for me. The MC also has like 0 agency and spends the entire book being so scared and frightened of both themselves and everything around them.

Great trans and nonbinary rep tho!

[Soren Everest · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to be generous and say that I mean three stars, when I think I've gotten down to a 2.5 in my actual rating, which is a shame, because the premise of this book really pulled me in. In execution, I think it could have gone through a few more rounds of workshopping before publishing, because so so so many times, I had to pause and ask myself "did I miss something here?" Especially when it came to character motivations and plot.

In terms of plot, there were times when I was questioning why the goal that had been established was so important to the end goal, and even what the end goal was. We are told before we even read the book that some mysterious force has followed Rat, the main character, out of some mysterious ethereal passage ways, which is so interesting and what pulled me in in the first place. But the book is so cheeky with giving us information that I was lost in what the characters were actually trying to achieve in the first half, why they needed a map so importantly, and what it would lead to. The second half of the book is not much better in this regard, unfortunately. Despite now knowing what the goal is, the way they get there feels a little messy and ungrounded in what has been established about the world, or just logical progression of events.

The worldbuilding feels barebones. The Author sets up a rich world with deep history, and compelling questions like how the passageways work, and what more could be in them, but only gives us what is absolutely necessary to move the plot along, which is fine, I suppose, but disappointing. This world is unique! Show me how unique!

The characters have the same problem of me asking "did I miss something" as the plot. For two of the major characters, their personal stake in the larger plot is never really explored, or even touched on. The way they treat each other (Especially Harker, but I have more to say about that specifically) is antithetical to the development of a compelling conflict, or just to how relationships would progress after certain information is revealed. For example Rat has a best friend, Will, that they completely blow off the entire book, which is never touched on. Will has so much patience for them, when he should have been even a little bit upset at his BEST FRIEND not responding to his texts. He feels more like a prop than a character.

But anyway, all these issues seem to come to a head with one 0f the main characters, Harker, and how he is treated like garbage throughout the book. Throughout the first half of the book, we learn that Harker and Rat had a falling out, with the most information we get is that Rat abandoned him in some way. So it makes sense that he would not want anything to do with them, and would be short with them. It also makes for a compelling conflict and character moment seeing Rat act as if they had been wronged in any way, and creating a rivalry from this. Fine, cool set up, and granted, this does compel me towards more information. However, when we get the information that Harker had been REALLY wronged by Rat (Rat's entire family accused him of being power hungry, which is especially important to his character for not being part of a powerful family, which basically tarnished his reputation, and Rat did not do anything to defend him despite him helping them, and actually came to believe his reputation, despite nothing in the book ever really supporting it?), but he is also traumatized and actively being manipulated by the big bad of the book. This should change how he is treated, perhaps lending more sympathy to him seeing how he had been hurt by both the main character, and is in this situation eh can't realistically escape from. This could also be a turning point in their relationship, seeing as how they are love interests. Well, no, Rat is going to continue to think that Harker is some power hungry asshole who's entire motivations revolves around beating them at some game (Which I also don't really know what is. Is the game trying to survive being bound to an ancient powerful evil because that was the only way to escape dying to the big bad evil. That isn't really something to base a rivalry on, Rat...). And somehow, the other characters and the book itself start to believe this too, to the point where Harker says that Rat doesn't owe them an apology. Like EXCUSE ME?!??! Rat owes you several apologies, man. There was no real reason for the book to villainize him like this, and when it wasn't doing that, it was being wishy washy on how it wanted to portray him to the readers.

Additionally, the romantic chemistry in this book was misplaced. It was set up pretty well between two characters, but completely pivoted to a relationship that had only been established as a rivalry, with zero (even hateful) attraction anywhere. By the time we get somewhere, its too little too late for me.

I feel bad tearing into the book like this because its debut, but honestly, I'm struggling to find positives that don't have a negative counterpoint that could have been workshopped. The premise was great, and there is honestly the foundations of a good book in here. But things are established and developed very messily.

I will say, the queernorm was lovely, and the adventure was fun enough once I got past everything said in this review. If you are looking for an adventure with trans characters, and don't need a masterpiece in prose, then I would recommend this one to read.

[Dilliemillie · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's a stunner of a cover - wow!

The book itself is a little less impressive. The story ideas are intriguing, but the writing flounders rather vaguely through a slowly paced plotline. For as many things as seem to be going on, by the unresolved ending not much has actually happened at all.

There's so much promise in a world populated by rich old families with distinct magical gifts and how the teenage children feel about the glitzy magical society they're part of (or in one case, ostracized from). Place all those skilled teens in a prestigious school to learn about magic, and you've got a fantastic setup!

Unfortunately, background outlines are all that's ever given. The families are name dropped without filling in detail and certain characters never get more than the briefest of introductions. (Why does Will try so hard for Rat when their only tie seems to be previous proximity? Who is Elise exactly and why is she responsible for Rat?) There's about two classroom scenes before the premise of school structure is dropped altogether and it becomes a location that otherwise could have been anywhere.

The book's magic covers a whole range of abilities from elemental magic to scrying, but the limitations or even the basic capabilities of the magic system are never explored. Main character Rat (btw I'm sorry Rat but I absolutely hate that as a person's name) can see and open "dead passages" though what those are isn't really explained.

A lot of buildup about the Tower and the Knight and a dramatic event last summer turns out to be pretty anticlimactic there's a crumbly structure in another plane where a scary woman grabs a kid's hand and then lets go and they return home. That's it. That's the whole event. The story wants to be intense and foreboding, but manages mostly to describe the characters feeling afraid without crafting a convincingly scary narrative.

What is great is the presence of nonbinary characters. Rat's identity in particular is something they are noticeably still figuring out and learning to be comfortable with, even with only brief mentions on page. Though I may have misheard, I thought their pronouns change occasionally in what may have been random typos but could have been intentional (particularly in one dressing scene).

Speaking of hearing, the audiobook version of this book is not my favorite. The narrator sounds very much like they're reading a script. If I pick up the second book (which I assume is coming) I'll look for a physical copy instead.

Ultimately there's a lot of story here that the author wants to tell and it has wonderful potential! The author clearly has a vibrant imaginative tale in their head which loses itself in some vagueness during the translation to page. I'm rooting for the series to continue and to improve from its debut! 2.5 stars

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

I had a hard time with this book; it ended up being so disenfranchising that I never got into (or even liked) any of the characters. I can't help but feel the writing was the problem: the mystery is told in a way that is confusing rather than intriguing, the characters react/overreact in ways that really don't feel natural or logical, and even the sentence syntaxes made it very hard to understand what was happening most of the time.

Story: Rat Evans is being sent to a prestigious magic school despite having very little magic. They are the child of prestigious magic users yet their only talent appears to be in randomly creating magic portals to places no one should ever go. But the school has a secret, Rat's dead father is intimately involved with it, and everyone will turn to Rat to help find a lost/hidden powerful magic cache that could spell extreme power to the person who controls it.

The worldbuilding was a bit of a let down: very hard to follow despite being overly simplistic. We kept getting all kinds of weird hints to the backstory or world but they were written in a way that they were inscrutable and annoying rather than making us eager to solve the puzzle. The school is fairly standard, we have the usual adults who are too stupid to live, and we don't even get to see much of the actual school happening.

In the same way, the characters were really hard to like. Rat spends most of the book being a victim or expecting others to rescue them. Every other situation was, "I can't do magic, oh noes! Don't make me!" and it got old fast. All the other characters were similarly annoying. From the mysterious new girl Jinx who spends most of the book smirking or being smug to the love interest/previous boyfriend who now has some random grudge against our main character that seems petty and kind of silly - one of those things that a 2 minute talk could easily solve. I really did not get into the romance at all - it felt more codependency than love.

It takes half the book before something interesting actually happens. But with unlikable characters, odd worldbuilding, and very confusing writing, there just isn't enough there to really care. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

[Ashley Dang]

A nonbinary heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines finds themselves enrolling in magic college, facing their ex-best friend turned nemesis, and trying to hunt down a magical map all the while running from a mysterious entity that wants to capture them. Rat Evans is the heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines and has refused to cast spells anymore. Their magical talent allows them to find doorways and paths that no one else has ever seen.... but when they open up a passage to a broken tower and face a mysterious entity... they know they are in danger. Rat is now going to attend Bellamy Arts, a magical school that promises to offer protection for Rat and make sure that Rat doesn't encounter anymore passageways. There's only one problem with going to this school, Harker Blakely, a dangerously gifted trans boy who used to be Rat's closest friend and was the only person who knew what happened to Rat when they encountered the dangerous entity, but now absolutely hates Rat. Rat realizes that the entity is closing in on them and now they have to solve dangerous secrets and figure out what Harker is truly up to if they want to survive.

For a book titled A Hundred Vicious Turns, the only vicious turn this book had was how boring it got. This book features a gorgeous cover, has great representation, and offers a magical school, which should be the formula to a great book I would love right? Wrong. I found this book so boring and I honestly slogged through it, and the worst part is that it's not even that long but it felt like forever. Rat is suppose to be an interesting and complex main character but I found everyone other than Rat to be an interesting character. Heck, even Harker was a more complex and interesting character, I was more invested in the side characters than I was ever invested in Rat, and that's just devastating. I really wanted to like it, but it just fell flat. For a book featuring a magical school, it sure didn't feel magical at all, they were barely even doing school work or school things half the time. Seriously this was such a let down and I won't be continuing with the series after this. The premise was promising and the cover was stunning, but beyond that, this really doesn't have much to going for it.

In the end, if you are looking for a magical school mystery featuring lots of rep, give this one a go, maybe you'll have a better time with it then I did.

*Thanks Netgalley and ABRAMS Kids, Amulet Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[Burcu · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounding up for queer/trans teens and because I want the he/theys in the world to win.

If you like cozy, low stakes, queer magical school stories and have an MC who does not use their powers in a world where everyone has them, this is the book for you.

This was so low stakes that the stakes were underground. Sadly, this didn’t make it cozy or enjoyable to read, but very boring.

This book wasn’t for me. I do not care for stories like Carry On (Simon Powell) / So let them burn (Kamillah Cole) where the author decides to tell us the entire backstory of everything that happened a year ago, 5 years ago. It's not the vibe. Please for the love of god, you’re the first in a series. DO SOMETHING with it! Don’t just ‘tell’ me what happened, show it to your readers. Give us atmosphere.

While it's nice that everyone is very understanding of our MC Rat, the way they’re getting handled so delicately and full of understanding just does nothing for me. I’m all for queer joy and happiness, for queer MCs to not be defined by all the hardships in the world. But the continuous ‘are you okay? Oh its fine you’re fine. Let me know if you need anything’ is grating.

“Then one day, they opened a passage and found a broken tower in a field of weeds—and something followed them back.” wish this would have been conveyed to us in a good storytelling way. But no, we’re getting told how this happened. And its boring.

There’s hardly any dark academia vibes for me. I’m sure people might have different opinions on what that should entail, but this book really doesn’t have any of it. There’s not even an atmosphere whatsoever. Oh and ‘friends to enemies’. Baby girl, if they don’t try to kill each other, they’re not enemies. They just don’t wanna hang out anymore.

I cannot remember why I picked it up. I do think it was a rec on booktube, but I never note down who recs what and why. Tho when I do hear about trans teens, I want to support the book and the author.

Will give the second book another chance in physical form. The writing is fine, but the audiobook narrator does nothing in terms of distinguishing the voices of the other characters.

I also absolutely didn't care for the ending. It was an unsatisfying last bite of a nothing burger.

My final gripe: if I had two nickels for every queer magical school book that has a side character named Agatha, I’d had two nickels.

[Kit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be my new favourite book. It's certainly up there. I loved the premise and was delighted by the execution, and would gladly recommmend this to anyone who likes books with a queer main cast and magical schools.

I'll admit, what first caught my eye about this book was the cover (how could it not, it's gorgeous). It caught my attention enough that I went and read the blurb, which in turn had me hooked sufficiently to preorder. Let me tell you, A Hundred Vicious Turns did not disappoint.

Firstly, nonbinary protagonist! I always love seeing nonbinary characters and don't think we can ever have too many, and Rat was very much my kind of enby. I related to them in a lot of ways and loved the way they were written. The way that queerness was handled throughout the book was something I really appreciated, too. It was present and it was talked about and the characters joked about themselves, but it was never a source of conflict or drama. It simply was, and that is always my favourite kind of queer rep.

One thing I really found fascinating about this book was that two of the main characters, Rat and Harker, already have a relationship with each other, the history of which is revealed as the story unfolds and as the other mysteries unravel. It ties in a lot to the mysteries they face over the course of the book, and it feels as though not everything that there is to tell has been told yet, so I'll be intrigued to see if this is explored further in the sequel. I also appreciated that though there were hints at romance between a few of the characters, it didn't overwhelm the mystery plot, which remained the focus throughout.

The mystery itself was interestingly written, not least because half of the mystery comes from information being clearly alluded to but not revealed to the reader - the aspects of it that relate to Rat's past. I very much liked the way that it was done and how it developed.

I found the story rather fast-paced. I read it quickly and enjoyed it all immensely, there wasn't a dull page. I very much look forward to its sequel.

[Karin (msmadeinchina) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rat Evans is heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines, but they don’t cast spells any longer. They have seen mysterious passages that don’t show up on any map their entire life—and one such passage lead them to a broken tower with a history they can’t even begin to imagine. Something has followed them back through the passage and now all Rat wants to do is hide at Bellamy Arts, a prestigious magic school, and hope no more passages show up.

But their world comes crashing down when Harker Blakely, the only person who knows what really happened with the tower, shows up at Bellamy Arts and Rat knows that they aren’t as safe as they once believed. They soon find themself in a race against time to find out the truth behind what is hiding at Bellamy Arts—and how to stop it before it destroys everything they love.

I was incredibly excited to dive into a story that prominently features trans characters. Though it was a bit tough for me to get into the story at the beginning, I found myself sucked in by the end and anxious to see what happened. I will definitely be picking up the conclusion to duology to find out how everything ends.

The highlight of this book was the portrayal of Rat’s anxiety throughout. As a highly anxious person who overthinks everything, it was easy to relate to their internal monologue, especially when it came to interactions with other characters. Even the way that they developed feelings for certain characters felt incredibly relatable and I could see a lot of myself in Rat.

While some plot points felt inflated in importance, the character work made up for it. Rat’s little found family of sorts really warmed my heart and made me stick around even when I wasn’t 100% feeling the plot. Add in a sprinkle of romance (that I hope develops further in the next book) and a new magical world to explore and there is plenty to enjoy with this book.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to ABRAMS Kids and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have mixed feelings about this book, and I'm sad about it. I think it had significant promise and the lead character shine through as the highlights, but it just never got beyond a half-formed plot that never quite felt as urgent as it needed to.

Plot: Rat Evans is the heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines in New York, but has never been much of a spellcaster. In fact, when they join Bellamy Arts, they attend with the caveat that they will not be using magic at all. Rat has always had the ability to see doorways that no one else can see, leading to passages that no one else can access - and one day they and their one-time friend, Harker, paid the price for this ability. But something followed them back, and with Harker as their now-enemy and someone intent on digging up an ancient trove of magic on campus, it might just be up to Rat to use their abilities to save the day.

The lead characters are absolutely the highlight of the book. Rat is an interesting lead, especially being a (mostly) non-magical character at a magical academy who is traumatized by the events of something that happened before the start of the story. And their abilities, to see doorways that don't necessarily exist in the real world, are fascinating as they are revealed throughout the course of the book and how they play into the overall plot.
But I think Harker, the trans boy from a non-magical family with a chip on his shoulder and Rat's friend-turned-enemy, is the true star of the book. He's prickly and strong and mysterious and I found myself so absolutely fascinated by everything about what he was doing. More, though, it's interesting to see the reveal over time of how their friendship fell apart before the story started, and how Harker became the person that we come to know. Their relationship is a bit gut-wrenching, because you can feel that phantom love of feelings that once existed and were torn away: the friend that you would text first and can no longer reach out to, the one you want to ask for help who wants nothing to do with you.

Middling: The mystery of Rat's father, who shares their gift with doorways.

On the other hand, the plot that we follow through the book itself is... meh. I never felt the sense of urgency that I wanted to, and I solved who the Big Bad was early on. Really, the sense of mystery just wasn't quite there. If more energy had been spent on the story of the Tower and what had happened to Rat and Harker prior to the academy, I think I would have been more interested, but the mystery of the map just... didn't have my attention. And the other characters, Jinx, Agatha, and Will (I had to look up his name, that's how little role he plays in this story for all that he's supposed to be a great friend to Rat) just fall flat.

Overall, this book had its strengths and its weaknesses, but I'll be curious to see where the followup goes before I decide one way or the other!

[Riot · Rating 5 out of 5]

"how are you still alive?" "generational wealth?"
(yes i chose that quote because it made me laugh too much)

oh my gods i dont even know how to process everything that happened in this book- a hundred vicious turns is an amazing debut filled with representation, fun and heartbreak.
a hundred vicious turns managed to have me on the edge of my seat from the start with intriguing magic systems and world building. and not gonna lie im so annoyed that i read this now and not when the second book was out because i need to know everything that happens in this story right now- like there is so many questions i have thats left unanswered and i cannot wait to dive further in to this story
furthermore the amount of characters in this that were morally gray in some way was amazing- like give me more of that gods-
normally when the romance isnt front and center i honestly find myself wishing it wasnt there- but the tension in this was palpable and fuck did i want to yell at them sometimes(in the best way possible-) i adored them so much, but i was also happy that it did not need to be in the front-

i have no clue how much of this review makes sense right now because i have so many thoughts- but point is that i need more right now and that it was so good omg

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Amulet Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. This book was very exciting! Rat's magic is unique, they can see doors that no one else can. But their magic can also be dangerous so they have decided that they will not actively practice magic. Even though they are going to one of the top Magic Universities in the world! To make things more complicated Harker, their friend who they haven't spoken to in a long time, is also attending the school even when he wasn't supposed to be. Things go even more wrong when something follows Rat back from behind one of the doors. Can they keep disaster from happening? Will they be able to reconnect with Harker? I enjoyed the magic of the Lee Paige O'Brien's world! A fast paced story that keeps readers intrigued and needing to find out what happens next! Rat is kind and caring and I fell in love with them! Can't wait to read this again!

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. But I do have some gripes with it.

There were a couple things that I did not like about this book. I think that this book was a little underdeveloped in terms of the magic system. I was a little confused in certain times and thought those aspects would be clarified later in the book but they were not. I really liked the concept of the magic system and wish it were explored more in depth. There were a couple side characters that needed more depth for me. They seemed a little one dimensional. I also feel like there was so much that was just happening to the main character Rat and the side characters were mostly the ones driving the plot.

I did like the representation and I also really enjoyed Harker. I really liked the writing style. The pacing was okay, it did get boring sometimes but overall it was pretty plot driven.