Magic For Liars was not the book I was expecting it to be, and I finished reading it with the feeling that it was exactly the book it should have been, if that makes any sense. This is one of those cases where a publisher’s or a reviewer’s blurb is not only wrong, but actually does the story a disservice. “Harry Potter for Grown Ups” is one description I read somewhere, and while I understand the basic sentiment, this book is so much more. The story takes place in a school for kids who are magic, but the focus is on a non-magical adult who is forced to confront her past in an emotional journey of self discovery.
Ivy Gamble is a private investigator, estranged from her sister Tabitha. Tabitha proved to be “magic” as a child, while Ivy turned out to have no magical abilities whatsoever. This caused a rift between the sisters, as Tabitha went off to magic school while Ivy had to attend a school for regular kids, much to her chagrin. One day Ivy is approached by the headmaster of the Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, where a teacher was found dead. The coroner’s office ruled it a magical mishap, but the headmaster isn’t convinced. She thinks the teacher, Sylvia Capley, was murdered, and she wants Ivy’s help to find the killer.
Ivy is reluctant to visit the school where Tabitha now teaches, but the lure of a hefty retainer convinces her to leave her humdrum PI job and tackle murder for the first time in her career. When she arrives at Osthorne, she finds a place full of secrets, hormonal teenagers and mean girls, and most of all, strange magic everywhere she turns. As Ivy delves into the lives of the students and teachers, she begins to uncover the truth, which is more horrifying than she could ever imagine. And in the midst of discovering what really happened to Sylvia, Ivy comes face to face with feelings for her sister and the resentment that’s been festering for years.
There is plenty of magic here, but surprisingly, it’s not the focus of the story and is more of a background device than anything else. Magic For Liars is a damn fine mystery, as Ivy uses her PI skills to trick the students and teachers into telling the truth. We’re presented with a gruesome murder in the beginning chapter, and it isn’t until the last pages that all the pieces finally come together, so in true mystery fashion, the pacing worked perfectly for me. Gailey’s story has a sinister tone to it that I wasn’t expecting and made me uneasy in more ways that one, not only because of the murder, but because one student in particular has the ability to use “magical manipulation” to get whatever she wants.
The magic within these pages is odd and strange and disturbing. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read, in fact. These aren’t wand-waving teens performing levitation spells. These mages use chemistry and math to figure out magic, like changing pool water into sparks, for example, and magical theory is just as important as performing actual magic. I wish I could go into more detail about the magic that killed poor Sylvia, but revealing those details could be considered a spoiler, so I won’t tell you here. Let’s just say that it was a bit shocking and graphic, but makes perfect sense when you think about it.
I was surprised how emotional Magic For Liars turned out to be. Gailey’s story is so well rounded, and I loved Ivy’s emotional growth as she confronts her feelings for Tabitha and tries to work past years of resentment. If you love stories about the bonds between sisters, especially bonds that are strained by jealousy and estrangement, then you won’t be disappointed. Ivy tells us she’s a liar in the very beginning, and we find out as the story progresses that she’s lying to herself as well as to others. She’s trying to convince the reader that she isn’t bothered by her lack of magic, but we can read between the lines, and it’s quite clear that she is bothered and is simply trying to convince herself otherwise. Her constant protesting is a little too much at times, but I thought it was honest. If you’ve ever wanted something desperately that you know you’ll never have, you’ll probably relate to Ivy and her state of mind.
And I’m so glad I’m reviewing this book in June, because it’s a perfect read for Pride Month, if you’re looking for more queer reading. There are several F/F relationships, one between two students and the other between two teachers. Ivy herself is hetero, and she has a relationship with one of the male teachers at Osthorne, so there’s quite a mix of all types of love in Magic For Liars, and isn’t that what we want to see in stories these days?
The ending comes with a rush of revelations about Sylvia’s murder and some surprises as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book on so many levels, and I’m excited to read whatever Sarah Gailey writes next.
Ivy Gamble is a private investigator, estranged from her sister Tabitha. Tabitha proved to be “magic” as a child, while Ivy turned out to have no magical abilities whatsoever. This caused a rift between the sisters, as Tabitha went off to magic school while Ivy had to attend a school for regular kids, much to her chagrin. One day Ivy is approached by the headmaster of the Osthorne Academy for Young Mages, where a teacher was found dead. The coroner’s office ruled it a magical mishap, but the headmaster isn’t convinced. She thinks the teacher, Sylvia Capley, was murdered, and she wants Ivy’s help to find the killer.
Ivy is reluctant to visit the school where Tabitha now teaches, but the lure of a hefty retainer convinces her to leave her humdrum PI job and tackle murder for the first time in her career. When she arrives at Osthorne, she finds a place full of secrets, hormonal teenagers and mean girls, and most of all, strange magic everywhere she turns. As Ivy delves into the lives of the students and teachers, she begins to uncover the truth, which is more horrifying than she could ever imagine. And in the midst of discovering what really happened to Sylvia, Ivy comes face to face with feelings for her sister and the resentment that’s been festering for years.
There is plenty of magic here, but surprisingly, it’s not the focus of the story and is more of a background device than anything else. Magic For Liars is a damn fine mystery, as Ivy uses her PI skills to trick the students and teachers into telling the truth. We’re presented with a gruesome murder in the beginning chapter, and it isn’t until the last pages that all the pieces finally come together, so in true mystery fashion, the pacing worked perfectly for me. Gailey’s story has a sinister tone to it that I wasn’t expecting and made me uneasy in more ways that one, not only because of the murder, but because one student in particular has the ability to use “magical manipulation” to get whatever she wants.
The magic within these pages is odd and strange and disturbing. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read, in fact. These aren’t wand-waving teens performing levitation spells. These mages use chemistry and math to figure out magic, like changing pool water into sparks, for example, and magical theory is just as important as performing actual magic. I wish I could go into more detail about the magic that killed poor Sylvia, but revealing those details could be considered a spoiler, so I won’t tell you here. Let’s just say that it was a bit shocking and graphic, but makes perfect sense when you think about it.
I was surprised how emotional Magic For Liars turned out to be. Gailey’s story is so well rounded, and I loved Ivy’s emotional growth as she confronts her feelings for Tabitha and tries to work past years of resentment. If you love stories about the bonds between sisters, especially bonds that are strained by jealousy and estrangement, then you won’t be disappointed. Ivy tells us she’s a liar in the very beginning, and we find out as the story progresses that she’s lying to herself as well as to others. She’s trying to convince the reader that she isn’t bothered by her lack of magic, but we can read between the lines, and it’s quite clear that she is bothered and is simply trying to convince herself otherwise. Her constant protesting is a little too much at times, but I thought it was honest. If you’ve ever wanted something desperately that you know you’ll never have, you’ll probably relate to Ivy and her state of mind.
And I’m so glad I’m reviewing this book in June, because it’s a perfect read for Pride Month, if you’re looking for more queer reading. There are several F/F relationships, one between two students and the other between two teachers. Ivy herself is hetero, and she has a relationship with one of the male teachers at Osthorne, so there’s quite a mix of all types of love in Magic For Liars, and isn’t that what we want to see in stories these days?
The ending comes with a rush of revelations about Sylvia’s murder and some surprises as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this book on so many levels, and I’m excited to read whatever Sarah Gailey writes next.