I absolutely loved Sarah’s novella, River of Teeth, so I was thrilled to get my hands on their first full length novel! And Magic for Liars definitely did not disappoint me! It is the perfect blend of murder-mystery noir and magic all wrapped in one! And the setting is a magical school to give it even more bonus points!
But this is not a new Hogwarts. Osthorne Academy and this story in general, are much darker than other magic school plot lines I’ve read previously. From the very beginning, when we learn of the murder that sets the story in motion (one of the most terrifying ways to find a body I’ve read about in awhile), we find out real fast that this is not a story for kids. I was completely hooked on the mystery from the first chapter. The main character, Ivy Gamble, is a private investigator and she’s approached by the headmaster of Osthorne to try and solve this horrible crime. Osthorne Academy just so happens to be the same school Ivy’s estranged magical twin sister teaches at.
Ivy’s feelings about her sister and magic in general are complicated and a bit on the bitter side to say the least. Which is understandable when we find out what Ivy has been through. Not to mention finding out at a young age that your TWIN sister is magical and you are not and will never be magical. Ivy’s sister gets sent off to a prestigious school for magic kids and Ivy stays home to go to a normal school and take care of her sick mother and struggling father.
Needless to say, Ivy is dealing with a lot as she is confronting these dormant grievances she’s held against her sister, while also trying to solve a murder. I loved seeing her character development and how honest and vulnerable she was, even when she was just trying to be tough. All of the other characters were enjoyable as well.
The world-building in this story is also really interesting and I loved the way that the magic worked. Reading about the different types of magic styles and the academic way that magic users went about studying and utilizing them was a really fascinating way of looking at magic. It reminded me a bit of the University in The Name of the Wind.
Overall, I absolutely loved this story and the ending was an intense and heartbreaking journey! I will definitely be picking up everything Sarah Gailey writes from now on!
But this is not a new Hogwarts. Osthorne Academy and this story in general, are much darker than other magic school plot lines I’ve read previously. From the very beginning, when we learn of the murder that sets the story in motion (one of the most terrifying ways to find a body I’ve read about in awhile), we find out real fast that this is not a story for kids. I was completely hooked on the mystery from the first chapter. The main character, Ivy Gamble, is a private investigator and she’s approached by the headmaster of Osthorne to try and solve this horrible crime. Osthorne Academy just so happens to be the same school Ivy’s estranged magical twin sister teaches at.
Ivy’s feelings about her sister and magic in general are complicated and a bit on the bitter side to say the least. Which is understandable when we find out what Ivy has been through. Not to mention finding out at a young age that your TWIN sister is magical and you are not and will never be magical. Ivy’s sister gets sent off to a prestigious school for magic kids and Ivy stays home to go to a normal school and take care of her sick mother and struggling father.
Needless to say, Ivy is dealing with a lot as she is confronting these dormant grievances she’s held against her sister, while also trying to solve a murder. I loved seeing her character development and how honest and vulnerable she was, even when she was just trying to be tough. All of the other characters were enjoyable as well.
The world-building in this story is also really interesting and I loved the way that the magic worked. Reading about the different types of magic styles and the academic way that magic users went about studying and utilizing them was a really fascinating way of looking at magic. It reminded me a bit of the University in The Name of the Wind.
Overall, I absolutely loved this story and the ending was an intense and heartbreaking journey! I will definitely be picking up everything Sarah Gailey writes from now on!