The Conductors is the first instalment in the Magic and Murder historical fantasy series, set in post-Civil War Philadelphia. It introduces married couple Henrietta “Hetty” and Benjamin “Benjy” Rhodes, former conductors for the Vigilance Society, a group ferrying dozens of Black slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Settling in Reconstruction-era Pennsylvania, both Hetty and Benjy are famed for their daring and cunning chaperoning of the enslaved from the South to the freedom and relative liberty of the North and the stories of their exploits still circulate today, almost a decade after the end of the war. But the pair are also skilled celestial magic-users, a type of magic involving the use of sigils and that draws its power from the constellations. Now Hetty and Benjy transfer these magic and analytical skills to a new purpose, as the war is now over, as detectives as they solve mysteries, missing persons cases and murders of Black individuals that the discriminatory white authorities would otherwise ignore. In the heart of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward, everyone knows that when there’s a strange death or magical curses causing trouble, Hetty and Benjy are the only ones that can solve the case. But when an old friend is murdered, their investigation stirs up a wasp nest of intrigue, lies, and long-buried secrets- and a mystery, unlike anything they handled before. Their suspicions fall close to home so the couple will have to thoroughly investigate in order to ascertain exactly who in their community can not be trusted and is not who they claim to be.

With a clever, cold-blooded killer on the prowl testing their magic and placing their lives at risk, Hetty and Benjy will discover how little they really know about their neighbours and themselves. This a captivating, compulsive and original mix of vibrant alternate history, magical fantasy, thrilling mystery and an unexpected examination of slavery all tied up in an inventive, imaginative and thoroughly engrossing tale. I was caught up in the story early on and found that the different elements had been so well woven and plotted that they complemented each other exceptionally well; it's a testament to Glover's talents that she manages to craft these diverging aspects into a cohesive and compelling yarn. She also does an incredible job of world-building in this supernatural mystery. Her cast is almost exclusively Black, and the characters are rich, with Hetty and Benjy’s relationship showcased as a lovely progression of romantic ideals. The pace is slow-burn in order to build up the setting and the characters and lay the foundations for the sophomore instalment but Glover ratchets up the tension as it progresses weaving in details that bring the story to life. It's richly-imagined, beautifully written and, at times, a palpably tense read and it had no problem keeping my attention right from the start. This is a satisfying mystery exploring the prejudice against coloured people at the time when white supremacy was rampant. Finally, the conclusion is a deeply gratifying one that highlights just how our past actions can inform the present in unforeseen ways. Highly recommended.

Thanks @netgalley for this ARC

The Conductors tem como cenário uma comunidade negra situada na Filadélfia pós-Guerra Civil. Aqui vamos acompanhar a história do casal Hetty e Benjy. No passado eles eram condutores (pessoas que ajudavam os negros a fugirem) e hoje resolvem casos na comunidade quando as autoridades fecham os olhos.

Narrado em terceira pessoa, esse é o livro de estreia da Nicole e ela mandou muito bem. Pensei que seria somente fantasia, mas na verdade está mais para um romance policial com toques de magia. A investigação policial se dá quando um amigo próximo do casal morre de forma suspeita. Essa investigação foi um ótimo toque na história. A narração é focada em Hetty, mas temos uma gama de personagens interessantes e 100% negros.

Apesar de serem casados apenas no papel, gostei bastante da dinâmica entre Hetty e Benjy. A confiança e cumplicidade entre os dois é algo bem natural e bastante profundo, já que eles passaram por muita coisa juntos. Ao final de alguns capítulos, vemos um pouco do passado deles, o que só complementa a história dos dois.

A questão da magia também é bem interessante, mas senti que faltou um pouco mais de desenvolvimento e explicação. Ao longo do livro ficamos sabendo que há dois tipos de magia e uma série de regras que as pessoas negras precisam cumprir ao utilizá-las. Hetty canaliza seu poder através de desenhos de constelações; cada uma com uma funcionalidade diferente.

Já em relação à investigação, confesso que em alguns momentos me perdi em meio a tantos suspeitos. Isso até poderia ter sido algo ruim, mas acabei me surpreendendo com o culpado e mais ainda por suas motivações. Só sei que finalizei esse aqui já querendo sua continução, The Undertakers

Thank you to NetGalley, Nicole Glover, and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read this book!

The Conductors by Nicole Glover is not only the first book in the Murder and Magic series but it is also a DEBUT novel. The book begins by introducing Hetty Rhodes. She was once a conductor for the Underground Railroad. She used her celestial magic to bring many to safety and freedom. But now The Civil War is over. They have settled in Philadelphia, but just because the war is over doesn’t mean the danger is over. There are still crimes and murders. Hetty and her husband, Benjy now solve crimes that the white authorities don’t seem to worry about. There is always danger about but then one of their friends is found dead in an alley with markings on his body. The more they investigate, the more they realize there are secrets being kept by everyone around them.

This is such a unique story and definitely shows some promise for the rest of the series! It is a complex mix of fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery. The celestial magic aspect of the book is intriguing, but I wish it was described in a little more detail. I have a feeling it will be something more to discover in the future books in the series. The plot is pretty slow-moving. However, keep with it and you will be rewarded with a suspenseful ending! While the main story-line wraps up quite nicely, (No spoilers here!) but it does leave off with the sense of a second book.

The highlight of the book is the characters! Hetty is FIERCE! She is the heroine that everyone will want! I love her quick wit! I love her and Benjy together. Their romance has a wonderful development. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Keep your eye out for this book which hits the shelves TOMORROW!

The Conductors (Murder and Magic #1) by Nicole Glover is a solid historical fantasy debut. I really liked the concept when it comes to the magic system and the post-Civil War setting. I liked the idea of Underground Railroad conductors having magical powers. The story starts off strong and held my attention. However, the book is a little overlong and it drags too much in several point half way through. I also wish we had more detail on the magic system itself and how it works. That said, I particularly liked Hetty. She's quite brave, talented, and determined. I also appreciated getting to see Hetty's relationship with her husband Benjy grow over the course of the story. Overall, this series opener is worth trying if you're a fan of the historical fantasy genre. I have a feeling I'll be back to try out the sequel The Undertakers which is due out November 9th, 2021.

A debut that is hard to define! Part cozy mystery, part fantasy, part historical fiction, part romance... I enjoyed the book.
It was also a great book to read during Black History Month. It is fiction but set in a very specific era - after emancipation but before Jim Crow laws started. I had also just read the chapters in Stamped From the Beginning about the Reconstruction era and was intrigued to read about fictional Black Americans living in Philadelphia in 1871, solving mysteries and still searching for family members they were separated from before or during the Civil War.

The main characters are married but did so out of convenience. However, throughout the book they are basically waking up to the fact that they do love each other, and it's very sweet. They definitely have fully realized personalities, with flaws and stubbornness included, which made them even more likeable to me!

I am not a big reader of fantasy that involves magic, and this book has it. I don't have critiques or some other kind of magic that I like better - but I can say that I thought the magic was interesting and I liked how the magic related to race and history. For example, white people practiced sorcery with magic wands, and it was very powerful. Black people could learn celestial magic, which came from Africa and also Indigenous knowledge in the Americas. Black people were prohibited by law to learn or practice sorcery. Here is a quote from the book towards the end when Hetty is fighting someone who is using sorcery:

"Sorcery overpowered. It devoured. It put people in chains and destroyed nations in the name of gold. It sucked resources from foreign lands in the name of spices and trade routes and allowed untold horrors to continue unchecked. But it was an old magic, rigid and unyielding, and unable to cope with newer magic. Or the unexpected."

The author touches on a lot of things including passing, classism, the giant burden of never showing pain or weakness that is placed on Black women, the complicated politics around Lincoln's decisions about the Civil War, all while giving us an adventurous story involving murder and magic.

I can't say the book is perfect - there are parts that seem a little long or not tied to the plot very well, but overall it's quite good. Plus I read the ARC so it could be tightened up by the final version. I call it a cozy mystery because there was not a big sense of danger to me, even with the murders. The characters also have a strong friend group who were quite likeable and maybe we'll see more of their individual stories in future books.

The Conductors follows Hetty and Benji, who are married and living in Pennsylvania after the Emancipation. They were conductors for the Underground Railroad and once they were free, became detectives of sorts, solving crimes that the police didn’t have interest in working. They also happen to use Celestial magic to help solve crimes. They find the body of a friend in an alley one night and set off to find out what happened. They learn things about their friends, and each other, along the way. I enjoyed it overall and enjoyed the characters and their relationship. I think they were a great team and I was rooting for them. It did lag some in the middle but the ending picked up.

Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for an arc for an honest review.

In a time shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation, Hetty Rhodes and her husband Benji, who once used their skills in celestial magic to free other slaves, now use their abilities to solve crimes in their community. When one of their friends turns up murdered, their investigation makes them question who their friends truly are.

What an interesting debut! This was part fantasy, part mystery which are two genres that blend well together. I had a hard time at first grasping onto the story. There were new characters constantly being introduced and I felt with a few fewer characters, I would have been more invested in the murder mystery aspect. I was not bothered by the minimal explanations to the use of celestial magic as I’ve seen in other reviews-I was happy to know that it existed and let the story move on. I felt it was an interesting premise to the love story and it gave me all the warm, fuzzy feelings (they married each other out of convenience but through the book developed romantic feelings toward each other). Now that I have a “feel” for this world, I’ll be more interested in the books to come.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

The Conductors was quite an enjoyable book for me. It is an interesting story filled with a whodunnit mystery and unique characters. I loved the idea of the conductors of the Underground Railroad having magical powers. Not only that, but the description of the magic was fascinating in itself. Hetty, the protagonist used a style of magic that was new to me in books. She was a great main character with many facets to her personality. Benji, her husband was more mysterious since I often found myself with questions about him.

For anyone interested in a book filled with mystery, magic, and based in a historical period, this book is for you.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had high hopes for this book based on the summary. Sadly, the book fell flat.

The overall premise was interesting, but it felt like the author tried to do a bit too much and didn't successfully carry things out. There was a large cast of characters, which made it challenging and confusing to follow at times. It also didn't allow for much character development, so they were quite one-dimensional. Hetty, the main character, just wasn't as likable as one would expect for the main characters. Some of the mystery components were a bit too unbelievable, and the romance angle was more prominent than expected. The story felt more like a YA book than adult fantasy, as the summary led me to believe. The world building fell a bit flat, as well.

After the Civil War, former members of the Underground Railroad Hetty and Benjy have settled into a comfortable, if challenging, life. Hetty and Benjy are the sort of people who help wherever they can, helping their friends and neighbors find lost loved ones. When a dead body is found in the community of freedmen, Hetty sets out to solve the murder. Magic and the supernatural tingle at the edges of this excellent mystery story, to which I hope there will be sequels. Centering the story on free Black people provides an intimate look at a community with no reason to trust police and a desperate need for a detective, and Hetty and Benjy are charming sleuthing partners. Recommended for fans of Meddling Kids and other scifi mysteries, particularly those who enjoy historical settings.

The Conductors asks the very intriguing question: what if the conductors of the underground railroad had magical powers? Unfortunately, the answer is disappointingly vague. However, I still found myself very interested by the amalgamation of historical fiction, murder mystery, magic, and a bit of romance. Despite the intriguing nature of this mixture, I found that in trying to do so many things and genres, that The Conductors didn’t really succeed on doing any single thing with aplomb.

There was a long history to the art of Sorcery, with convoluted rules about wand waving and chanting strange words that sounded made up….One thing remained consistent: Sorcery was for white folks. Mostly because there were laws that prevented anyone who wasn’t white from learning. Some of those laws were formalities that confirmed what generations of spilled blood already made taboo. A wand in hand, a whisper of an incantation, or even a glance at a spellbook meant losing everything you held dear — and if you were lucky, you died before that happened.

Taking place after the civil war, The Conductors follows husband and wife Benjy and Hetty as they solve crimes in the Philadelphia area that white authorities won’t touch. The novel doesn’t really get to the nitty gritty about why exactly the white authorities won’t investigate these crimes, but readers can infer that has to do with racism. And the racism isn’t limited to these crimes, but also extends to the magic system. African Americans are able to use Celestial magic, consisting of star sigils from the Constellations. Of course, during slavery, this often resulted in worse punishments and control for the magic users, who were forced to wear collars that could suppress magic and punish those who used it. The other type of magic is sorcery, which is illegal for African Americans to use for some reason unknown to me. At first, I thought it was just another means of control that white slave owners used, but even freed African Americans are not allowed to use sorcery, for fear of death or worse, and I have no specific reason why.

“I promise I won’t do anything to you, unless you plan to be difficult.”

“Have you not heard the gossip? I’m always difficult.”

The novel is narrated by Hetty, whom I instantly liked. She is a tough, no nonsense woman who isn’t afraid to use her magic or to ask the tough questions. We learn more about her past and how she teamed up with her husband Benjy through jarring interludes to the time when they were conductors serving in the Underground Railroad. I found that these parts of the novel, which showed them bringing a lot of runaway slaves to safety in the North, sadly didn’t add much to The Conductors as a whole. I was shocked that such dangerous and selfless feats didn’t come with more tension or fear. Instead, Hetty and Benjy using magic to fight their battles seemed to take away a lot of the suspense and risk. These scenes from The Conductors just couldn’t compare to the real-life history or even other straight-up historical fiction novels. All I really got from these scenes was Benjy and Hetty were magic users, which I already knew, and that they had a knack for getting themselves out of very bad situations, which I also knew due to their current notoriety in the present. The only other thing I learned was that they remained close friends and found family with every person they rescued, with all of them settling down in Philadelphia—something I found a bit unrealistic.

As someone who lives in Pennsylvania and has enjoyed visiting Philadelphia on occasion, I can understand the appeal of the city, on the one hand. But the author doesn’t really describe anything about the setting of the city, or why it is so great of a place to live. I would have been interested to hear more about how it treated freed slaves, the kind of opportunities available for African Americans, and just more about the setting in general during the time period. There was nothing about the beautiful cobblestone streets or the appearance of buildings where the characters lived or visited. For a city with as much character as Philadelphia, I felt this was a really big missed opportunity. Surely if everyone Hetty and Benjy rescued from slavery settled down there, it must be pretty great, after all. 

The first person they rescued from life as a slave was Charlie, whom they find dead in alley way with the cursed sigil branded on his body. I was immediately floored by this mystery of who killed Charlie and why, and what the curse sigil meant. But unfortunately this murder mystery does not have the best pacing. Even with the slower pace and the many twists and turns that seem to have almost nothing to do with the mystery at hand, I was really interested in The Conductors, and never wanted to put it down. Sadly, I was less than thrilled with the big reveal of the committer of the crime, finding his/her motive weak, and the final confrontation a bit lackluster. I think the main reason for this was that it was super hard to keep the cast of characters straight, so I didn’t really have a solid idea of who this person was that committed the crime, as they had very little page space in a very interconnected cast. Many of the characters in the found family of Philadelphia were cousins, married, or worked together.  I really could have used some sort of appendix, as it didn’t help that the author introduced many of the characters like we already knew them, telling us simply that Hetty was close friends with them. 

“I wanted him part of every story that could be told of my life,” Hetty admitted, “and these feelings ruin things.”

Despite the fact that it was so difficult to keep the cast of characters and how they were related straight, I really am a sucker for found family and gobbled up these parts of The Conductors. I also really loved the representation in it, which was not limited to an entire cast full of POC, but also included a trans character and gay couple. I also really enjoyed the main relationship of the novel, that of Hetty and Benjy’s. When I read the book blurb, and it said the couple was married, I didn’t expect to have a lot of romance, and especially not a slow burn. But it turns out that Hetty and Benjy simply married for convenience and propriety, as it wasn’t proper for Hetty to be roaming around as a single, unmarried woman. So it was really enjoyable to watch Hetty realize, to her own dismay, that she had caught feelings for her husband, Benjy. I loved watching it unfold, despite the fact that Benjy didn’t get nearly as much development as his wife, and was a bit of a flat character. He may have been flat, but his feelings for his wife were anything but. 


Ultimately, I really did enjoy The Conductors. It was a very interesting reading experience and I especially enjoyed the fresh take on magic, even if it left me with more questions than answers and lacked the explanation of other fantasy novels. I thought that I was mainly reading The Conductors for the historical fiction aspect, as well as that of the murder mystery and magic, but I ended up staying for the characters. The romance was also a pleasant surprise for me. Sadly, I think The Conductors just tried to do so many things at once, that things, especially character development and the magic system, were not given enough time.   I would definitely read another novel by the author Nicole Glover, as this was her debut, and I can only see her writing improving from here.

2.75 stars, rounded up.

This was quite a disappointment, unfortunately. While I love the premise (a murder mystery with magical elements that takes place in post-Civil War Philadelphia), I fear it was too ambitious for a debut novel. The large cast of characters felt very undeveloped and the story did not feel rooted in Philadelphia (in fact, aside from some interlude chapters that take place prior to the Civil War, this book did not feel rooted in place much at all), which was an aspect I was really looking forward to. I also found both the magic system and the mystery elements to be a bit convoluted and confusing to follow and there were some romantic elements that took on a larger focus than I was expecting. That being said, the style and tone of this novel reminded me a lot of C.L. Polk's work, so if you are a fan of hers I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

Thank you to the author and Mariner Books (HMH) for providing me with a free early copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The Conductors comes out this coming Tuesday, March 2.

I was provided a free copy of this from @netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Set just after the America Civil War, we follow Hetty and Benji a husband/wife detective duo. Previously conductors on the Underground Railroad, they now use their skills to solve local crimes (including a sting of murders that begins with one of their close friends). What makes this different than a normal historical fiction is the magical element included! This world, while very similar in most other ways to that era or American history, includes people who can perform different types of magic! Hetty is a very talented spellcaster, which comes in handy for their line of work, where trouble seems to find them a lot!
It did take a bit of time for me to get into it, and there were a lot of minor characters (hard for me to keep some of them straight). But overall I really enjoyed the story, and got invested in the lives of Hetty and Benji, and did not figure out who done it!
If you like mysteries, if you like magic, if you like a good fun story, you'll like this story! It comes out Tuesday (2 Mar), so get yourself a copy!
Bonus: There is already another book planned to follow! 😁
#NetGalley #TheConductors

I really enjoyed this read quite a bit and look forward to seeing where Glover’s career takes her. In fact, I’d love the sequel to The Conductors right now! Glover is clearly very talented and her writing feels like uncharted literary territory, which doesn’t happen often.

The concept of taking the astronomy utilized on the Underground Railroad and turning it into a full-fledged magic system is very creative and works well in the story. I never tired of hearing about the various animals and mythological creatures conjured from the constellations and the unique skills and abilities they each brought to the table. A+ for super cool magic system that makes a lot of sense and is also very original.

The mystery in the story works well, too. The conclusion isn’t some random gotcha moment- it’s logical and makes sense in context of the larger story. Looking back, the foreshadowing and build up are clear, although I never would have guessed whodunnit. Perfect balance, right?

Where this debut struggles is in pacing and characterization. The pacing lags at times and there were moments where I’d wonder where the story was headed. Glover never failed to draw me back in or bring the plot back around, but I can’t say it didn’t wander at times.

There were also some issues with secondary characters being a little flat. There are also several of them and it took me a long time before I really grasped who everyone was. Most of the time I struggled keeping up with who did what job and was married to who and whatnot. On the flip side, this is absolutely not an issue when it comes to main characters. The main characters are clearly constructed and well-defined from the start.

All in all, I enjoyed experiencing Hetty and Benjy’s world. The magic system is incredibly cool, the plot is unique, and the entire experience just makes for a very entertaining read. Would definitely recommend, especially for readers looking for something new and different. Eagerly anticipating the sequel!

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishing team for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ahoy there mateys! This debut novel has really fun concepts that weren't developed to their full potential though I would be willing to try another of the author's books in the future.  I think there were too many pathways in this book and so everything got muddled.

This book follows Hetty and her husband Benjy, former slaves who are in a marriage of convenience.  They used to be members of the underground railroad helping others find freedom.  The Civil War is over and the duo help solve crimes in Philadelphia.  With magic.  But one one of their friends is killed, it becomes personal.

The Pros

- The Characters:  Hetty was by far the best character.  She has a hard exterior but still is caring and lovely.  I also loved Benjy and many of the secondary characters as well.  Penelope being one of them.
- The Magic: There is zodiac slave magic that is super cool.  Herbal remedies also play a fun role at times as well.

The Cons

- The Magic:  I loved the Zodiac slave magic but how it works is not described enough.  There is also Sorcery of the white people that really doesn't make sense at all and was a lackluster plot point.
- The Murder Mysteries:  For being such good investigators, the duo goes about solving crimes in a very ill conceived manner.  Plus I found everything around the murders to be rather boring.
- The Love Story:  The marriage of convenience turns into something else.  That was just fine.  The problem was the lack of communication between the two.  So much could have been solved in many ways if the two weren't hiding things from each other and just talked.  I hate that.
- Too Many Plotlines:  The love story.  The murders.  Missing sister one.  Missing sister two.  Grave robbers.  Boxing.  Gambling debts.  Secret societies.  Friendship issues.  A women who is passing.  Grudges.  People peddling snake oil charms.  Underground sorcery training.
- The World Building: This element just felt underdeveloped and flat.  Hetty manages to go all over Philadelphia with no real issues.  There were some interesting looks into the issues of race and privilege but not enough depth.
- The Pace:  Uneven.  With flashbacks and switching plot lines, the overall story was bogged down.  And there were lots of plot holes and unrealistic incidents.

While this was an okay read, I found the characters to be compelling.  I do think the author has talent and I look forward to seeing what else she writes.

So lastly . . .

Thank you John Joseph Adams / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!

Thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Fantasy and thrillers/mysteries are two of my favorite genres in literature. There are elements of both in this book. The mystery was well done here, it was what kept me interested in the story. But when it comes to the fantasy elements I found it a bit lacking. There is celestial magic, which uses sigils of constellation and is performed by black people and there's sorcery, used by white people with a wand. That is basically all I learned about the magic system and how it works in the book. I hope that the next volumes in the series will bring more on that because the idea for it is very promising.

The historical background was also very good. The book has some Interludes throughout the book in which we learn a bit about the character's past and how some of them met. It was interesting to learn a little more about them and how that affects who they are now..

The conductors is the first book in a series but I think it can be also read as a stand alone, all mysteries are solved here. If you are looking for a murder mystery book with historical and fantastical elements, this might be the book for you.

<I>Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in return for an honest review.</I>

This is one of those books that is the definition of the two star read. Everything about it is okay. The story, the characters, the world building, the magic - everything is simply <I>okay</I>. Unfortunately, it all adds up to a story, that while you're not quite ready to mark it "did not finish", you aren't exactly excited to pick it back up either.

Initially I really liked the the historical setting, the story, and the idea of the celestial magic system. However, the execution of the last two items failed to bring any life to the perfectly adequate writing.

First, the pace of the story is so meanderingly slow and bogged down by generic information dumps that the story itself gets rather lost. Every time the author went to add details into the world it took away from the momentum of the murder mystery while failing to add much to the world itself given how generic much of the added details were. For example, the idea of using constellations as magic was interesting, but its never really explained how it works so even calling it a "system" seems like a stretch. By never giving even the most basic rules for how the magic actually functions, something that should have been one of the most interesting parts of the books becomes mere background decoration.

Further, the slow story pace could have been balanced out by the characters, but our main person is so unkind towards pretty much everyone around her (mainly people who are supposed to be her friends/loved ones) all the time, that even the sympathy engendered by her backstory doesn't last long with the reader. Its difficult to follow around an unlikable protagonist while only occasionally interesting things happen to them.

By the time the story does finally start to pick up, more than halfway through the book, I didn't really care what happened anymore and it definitely felt like just "going through the motions" to get to the end of the story. This is close to the worst possible thing when talking about a book that, at its core, is supposed to be a murder mystery. I'm not sorry I read it, but I find it unlikely I would pick up the sequel.

Highly recommended for fans of Daisy Six. The characters are wonderful. The setting and the plotting were spot on!

This is a fantasy novel filled with magical realism.

Note: I received an advanced copy from the publisher who was kind enough to grant my request to read the novel.

The premise of this book is awesome. The main characters are two former conductors on the underground railroad (they went back south to help people escape and former because slavery has ended). Now they solve crimes in their free time. The crime in this book is murder. Oh and magic. There are two types of magic. You've got celestial magic (practiced by POC) which is akin to witch craft and you have sorcery ... which is wizardry just misnamed to piss nerds like me off.

While I loved the premise, the execution fell short for me. I lost interest in the mystery pretty quickly and honestly didn't care who the murderer was after about 40% (didn't care much at the end once we figured it out either). One of the main points of the plot is the relationship between the narrator and her husband. Apparently they have a marriage of convenience, she only married him because they worked together and it was easier for them to be together all the time if they were married. But suddenly ... many many years later .. she caught feelings for no special reason that I could tell. But she cant tell him that she caught feelings because everyone has to use the stupid miscommunication trope. (guess what trope I hate).

Basically there is nothing wrong with this book, but there also isn't anything special about this book. It just ... exists.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC. DNF at 40%. So, I really wanted to like this book because the historical aspect of it is so dang important and the magic system sounded really cool, unfortunately the magic and the story fell flat for me. The magic, although it was a super cool concept of drawing/using constellations as the source of magic, there was also no rhyme or reason to it. Regarding the story, I found it to be rather boring. If a mystery has me, I want to keep reading to find out the next clue and whodunit but with this mystery it flatlined for me. The pacing was slow, even at 40% in and I found myself struggling to read more than one chapter in a single sitting.