When I first looked at this book, I expected a magical adventure story centered on the Underground Railroad. While there are vignettes of Hetty and Benjy's prior exploits sprinkled throughout the novel, the plot focuses on mysteries happening in Philadelphia where they've made their home post-Civil War. There's murder, magic, complicated friendships, and even a little romance thrown in for good measure. I must say, I absolutely adored this book. I found the magic system super interesting and honestly would have loved to learn more about it. The mutable nature of Celestial magic fascinated me, especially in how it could be combined with physical manifestations like stitching. The mystery itself managed to be both expansive and small, perfect for the rest of the story. Honestly, I wasn't trying too hard to solve it since I was enraptured by the world Glover created. If you're looking for a magical historical mystery, look no further!

There's an idea in writing called 'kill your darlings'. It's the concept of eliminating certain aspects of your work, though they may be precious to you, in order to liberate the final product. The Conductors suffers, as many debut novels do, because Glover did not kill her darlings.

There is too much going on here, and little of it is sufficiently fleshed out. There are so many great ideas, but the execution is wanting. I absolutely adore the concept of former Underground Railroad conductors solving crimes in post-Reconstruction Philadelphia using magic, but actually reading the story I was both frustrated and bored.

I wish there was more explanation about the magic and its parameters - it seemed like magic could do just about anything, especially Celestial magic, and I wanted a better understanding of how sigils and the constellations worked. I wanted a much stronger sense of place from the setting - aside from a few descriptions of taverns and dresses, there wasn't anything to tie the story to its location and time, no evocation of old Philadelphia in the scenes. It could have been truly magical (pun not intended) but the action could have taken place anytime, anywhere. I wanted a better mystery - I found the main plot itself uninteresting, and not because I'm not a particular fan of murder mysteries.

For most of the book, Hetty and Benjy went around the city talking to their friends. Ostensibly this was to solve the murders, but I couldn't even tell you the content of most of those conversations. They rarely picked up clues from those talks. A great deal of the book was exposition through dialogue, which made for a rather boring read. Not a lot actually happens in terms of plot. They go to an 'excursion' where Hetty enters into a bicycle race, an explosion goes off, and she falls into the river and almost drowns. And I was so bored I didn't care. There are also several scenes where Hetty, ostensibly in pursuit of a suspect, hears some gossip and then claims that she doesn't care about the case at all because she's suddenly too wrapped up in her own drama. I liked that she was strong-willed and courageous, but I also found her needlessly judgmental and easily distracted.

The copy of the novel I received was riddled with errors as well. It's an uncorrected proof, but receiving the ARC so shortly before publication I was hopeful that it'd be a cleaner version. Alas, this was not the case. Words were frequently missing from sentences, and often the opposite term was used, utterly changing the intended meaning of the phrase. As a close reader, I found the frequent errors to be distracting, and I hope it's not an issue with the final publication. I'd be interested in picking up a published copy to see whether any of the issues I had with the book were resolved prior to publication.

I received a free electronic copy of this historical novel from Netgalley, Nicole Glover, and the publisher Houghton-Mifflin, John Joseph Adams, Mariner Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. The root of the tale, the Underground Railroad and those 'conductors' who escorted runaway slaves and others needing the amnesty provided in northern states or Canada is well presented and an interesting slant on these folks not often showcased. I did not, however, feel comfortable with the 'magic' aspect of this work. I felt it detracted from the story, rather than enhancing it.

I want to say thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for giving me free access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

There is a lot to love about this book. What initially drew me in was the meeting of historical fiction and fantasy. I personally have never read a book that has done this and I greatly enjoyed it. I also found the concepts of the types of magic in this reality very interesting. I definitely found myself invested in knowing what the outcome of the story would be and wanting the main characters to succeed. There were many points where I thought I knew where the story was going, but very often Glover last minute revealed that actually, that is not the truth, just want the characters (and readers) had been lead to believe.

All that being said, I think the book still needs a lot of polishing from the version I read. Though, since the eARC I received is well over half a year old, I do have high hopes that such changes will be made prior to the publication of the book. I do feel it would be not fully honest to comment on these points, though. There were a large number of grammar errors as well as some places where there didn't seem to be consistency when it comes to words and actions on the parts of characters. While there is a feel that Glover has fully constructed the rules for magic within this reality, I feel that it was not conveyed as clearly as I would have liked seen since it is so interesting and different from other books with magic I have read.

There is a large cast of characters, so it did take a lot of effort to remember who was who and what variation of names different characters went by. And I think it would take a second read to more fully have a handle on everyone in the story.

Whether you are person who enjoys historical fiction or someone who likes fantasy, I would suggest picking it up and reading the first few pages to see if it's for you.

Really wanted to like this, as the concept sounded interesting, but I just couldn't get into it. It is not described as YA on the Netgalley page, but the writing is very YA, which is not the type of book I typically enjoy. Those who typically enjoy YA may find it more appealing.

The Civil War is over, but Hetty's memories of the Underground Railroad and her time as a conductor there remain. Now in Philadelphia with her husband Benjy, Hetty tracks down the truth and solves crimes that the authorities leave by the wayside. This new role hits very close to home when a friend turns up dead, and when Hetty and Benjy start turning up stones to unearth why their friend was killed, it all begins to point toward the elite of Philadelphia. Using magic drawn from the stars above to guide and protect, Hetty is ready to take on the powerful, and to find the truth for the sake of justice and peace, no matter what it takes.

I really enjoyed the premise of The Conductors, and the story that was built around Hetty. A former seamstress turned Underground Railroad conductor, who then moonlights as a detective in reconstruction era Philly? I wanted to know where this story was headed, and once I started, I found the magical system to be intriguing. Pulling power from the constellations, and being able to harness that power for later use so long as that power was stored in an anchor object such as clothing was pretty cool. I do wish there had been more explanation of this magical system, and the competing magical system(s) within the story. For instance, some people are allowed to carry magical wands, and others aren't, and that's all wrapped up in matters of race, but not a lot is done to fully explain where the social limitations end, and where there might be cultural or racial boundaries alone that limit magical ability within these magical systems. These distinctions would have been valuable.

Because the story is set in the reconstruction era, there is a lot of happiness for those who have newfound freedom, and there is also trauma for those who for so long wished and hoped for freedom. The story covers both the present and the past of Hetty and Benjy's life, as detectives and as conductors, and in many ways how past traumas inform the present. With that mystery is also corruption, and the pace picks up as Hetty uncovers more of why her friend was murdered. If you've ever wanted a reconstruction era story in an alternate reality with magic, this is it, and I recommend The Conductors to anybody who likes a good mystery interwoven with history.

3.5 ⭐ rounded to 4⭐

Thanks to NetGalley, I had the pleasure of reading an advanced digital copy of The Conductors.

This debut is one that you absolutely do not want to miss! Nicole Glover does an amazing job navigating between the past and present of the main character Hetty, a former Underground Railroad conductor who used her wits and magic to help dozens flee north. Post Civil War, Hetty and her husband Benjy work together solving mysteries and murders that would otherwise be ignored by white authorities. The death of one of their close friends leads the detective duo on a journey to find answers, but every answer leads to more and more questions.

This gripping story is essentially an alternate history with fantasy and magical elements. In the acknowledgements, Nicole Glover says this story exists because she thought to herself “What happens if I added magic to a story about Underground Railroad conductors?” I’m so glad this thought occurred to her because a speculative fiction based on the Underground Railroad + astronomy magic + mystery + a slow burn romance...YALL I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! The mystery keeps you on your toes and I really enjoyed the main characters. Especially Hetty. She’s fierce! I would love for this to be picked up as a series or movie. I highly encourage you to add this to your tbr now.

The only changes I would’ve liked is for the magical system to be more developed and I think it would be better with less characters. Other than that, this is a great story.

3.5 stars - This book flip-flopped in terms of rating for me throughout this experience. The historical fantasy aspect was amazing as it follows to ex-slaves after the abolition of slavery in the US who now live and work in Philadelphia - while also solving mysteries at the same time. However, I think the fantasy aspect of it was underdeveloped. The magic system (while interesting because it was based on zodiac signs (which I have never seen before!)) was really hard to both understand and visualize just because it really was not explained and just there. The main characters are also able to put magic into objects (sewing them into clothing, for example), but that too is not explained. I think Hetty and Benjy were really great main characters who had a lovely little marriage of convenience to romance relationship that made me smile and I loved how they really worked together to help each other solve the murders occurring in their community. I really enjoyed how Glover wrote about people who escaped slavery and how they processed the trauma of escaping. Most of them were happy and healthy and even though their were a slew of murders going on, the community aspect was lovely. Throughout most of the book, I was expecting to this to be a 4 star read because I was just really enjoying the read, but I think the murderer is fairly obvious 40% of the way through, and I was just uncertain why Hetty and Benjy were not catching on. Even though the mystery is a little predictable, I still highly recommend this debut and I am very keen to see what Glover publishes next!

Hettie and Benjy Rhodes are former slaves and legendary members of the Underground Railroad who work part-time as self-declared detectives in a magical world based in Philadelphia in the antebellum era. The murder of a close friend kicks off the main mystery of the novel which sets upon a long and winding road to resolution. Ancillary mysteries surrounding missing persons (including Hettie’s sister) and kidnappings were weaved within the novel which showcased our protagonists' ability and honed their craft with each adventure.

This is a debut novel and while the premise piqued my interest, the execution was a bit disappointing. While I enjoyed the tidbits of American history that were sprinkled within the story, there were a few minor issues that detracted from the reading experience: There were a lot of characters to track. Whenever someone was introduced, I had to refer to my notes to ensure I understood their relationship to the main characters, their occupation, their magical skill(s), if any. The author had a habit of delving into a backstory as soon as someone new was introduced - while the info was helpful, it got to be a somewhat predictable interruption of the story’s cadence. Many of these characters were inconsequential and easily forgotten. The other nit was the pace and style of storytelling - I found it to be a bit slow and elongated with a lot of “telling.” Hettie and Benjy were sympathetic characters and noble in their efforts, but they weren’t endeared to me as much as I think the author wanted.

This was an earnest debut and I would be willing to consider her next release.

The one word I keep repeating for this book is ‘unique’. The cast, the magical system, the points of views, the time it is set in… so many things about this book made it a new experience for me. This book has been compared to Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files so if you have read either of those, you will probably be more familiar with the feel of the book. Personally, I will admit the cover was a major draw for me to choose this book. The murder mystery mentioned in the synopsis was a good hook as well.

A number of Fantasy books have recently made me think about the balance between the number of characters and the plot. At first, I struggled a little bit with the sheer number of characters in this book but once you explained to me that African American communities are usually quite tightly knit, that automatically took away my stress. I appreciate the depth to which each character was written and the clue cards that the author shared on Twitter and her website were really helpful in adding more grounding for me.

Many thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary copy of the book with a request for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! I thoroughly enjoyed The Conductors. Hetty was such an awesome character and I admired her. This story follows Hetty and her husband Benjy who were conductors of the Underground Railroad. Now settled in Philadelphia they stumble across their murdered friend and know they must unravel the mystery surrounding his death. There's also constellation magic along with other magic involved which certainly added to the intrigue of this story! This one kept me on my toes and I loved that it was historical fiction interwoven with fantasy.

This one is a bit of a mixed bag. There are some things that are done quite well, I loved the setting (post-American Civil War with magic) and most of the characters. The relationship between Hetty and Benjy, who have a marriage of convenience growing into love, is very sweet and the female friendships are complex and interesting.

However the pacing is a bit all over the place, especially for a murder mystery. I think the author tried to put a bit too much into this first book, introducing a lot of secondary (and recurring I guess) characters, showing the class dynamics in the city at large but also in the black community itself and adding subplots that didn't tie extremely well into the main intrigue. This made the whole mystery case too slow for my taste.

That said, the ending is satisfying and I enjoyed parts of this story enough that I'll probably give a chance to the second book in the series to see if it gets better.

First of all, thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Conductors is a magical realism set in the world years after the abolishment of slavery, following a young couple who were conductors and helped free slaves. Now? They're helping solve a strong of murders.

I made the strange mistake of thinking this was YA going into it, and that's not accurate-whoops! The writing style did take some getting used to, but once we hit about 1/4 of the way through, I really started to enjoy it. I did wish we'd gotten a bit more background on the magic, but it was a good visualization to see how the Black community is discriminated against.

I do think this was a great read, and really important rep in historical fiction!

So many things drew my attention to Nicole Glover’s upcoming The Conductors. I’ve been trying to read more books by Black writers and realized how many books I had read set around the Civil War and the experiences of escaped slaves had actually been written by white authors. I also really enjoy when fantasy elements get layered into historic fiction. The Conductors manages to bring magic into the post-Civil War years in truly brilliant ways, losing none of the racial tensions or stakes at play while emphasizing the unique issues faced by the freed population.

Hetty and Benjy Rhodes are famous in their Philadelphia community. Powerful practitioners of Celestial magic, they used their skills as they helped lead others to freedom on the eve of the Civil War and even through the fighting. In the years since the war ended, the married couple have become the go-to pair for their community in matters requiring investigation where the local authorities aren’t trusted (which is most cases). But when a late-night call to examine a dead body in an alley turns out to be a friend of theirs and his corpse bears a legendary cursed mark, Hetty and Benjy begin questioning how well they really know their circle of friends.

I was intrigued by the ways that Glover brought magic into this particular period of history and still managed to maintain what I can only think to call the “historical integrity” of the period. By tying magic and how it’s practiced to culture, she is able to keep true to the history of the period with all its social power structures and prejudices. It shows that magic alone is not something that could have solved the existing issues of social structures rooted in such deep fear and prejudice. Before even being introduced to the main characters, readers see an abridged 13th amendment that both abolishes slavery and limits the rights of those freed people to practice certain forms of magic.

Even with the murder mystery driving the plot of the story, the tension that rang loudest for me was around reconciling the past with the present and moving into the future. Most of the circle of friends at the heart of the story met as Hetty and Benjy directly helped them escape to freedom or were part of the Vigilance Society that helped those efforts along with settling freed people into their new lives. Only a few years later, many are still searching for and reconnecting with those who had been separated because of slavery and it doesn’t always end happily. Some loved ones cannot be found, others have died, and some have moved on with other people. Beyond the people from the past and the unpredictability that comes from possibly having loved ones out there, there are also the lingering effects of what they’ve all endured and how that affects each of their lives. For those with stronger magic like Hetty, the methods used to control and dampen their magic have left physical as well as psychological marks.

When I began reading and saw how so many came to Hetty and Benjy with cases to work on, I thought that perhaps The Conductors was going to be the first novel in a series around the pair of them as they solved murders or something. That might still be Glover’s plan and I will happily read more about the found family she’s created here if it is the plan. However, as I reached the final pages I myself eager to see more standalone stories set in this universe but scattered across American history (for example, I would love to see a story in this universe set during the Civil Rights Movement).

The Conductors by Nicole Glover will be available for purchase March 2, 2021.

The Conductors, was an enjoyable read, I really liked the combination of genres. The book has magical elements and historical fiction elements, this combination made this book stand out from other fantasy books as I could picture myself in the world. I found the main character Hetty was an intriguing person, she comes across as a strong individual whose not afraid to use her magic. If you are a regular reader of historical fiction and fantasy novels then I would recommend getting this novel. Looking forward to reading more from Nicole Glover and congratulations on your debut novel.

This novel has an interesting fantasy element in the story of two ex-slaves who act as conductors for the Underground Railway in the 1860s, helping other slaves escape to the North. They are able to use a system of magic to help them evade those hunting for them.

Following the abolition of slavery in the US in 1865, conductors Hetty and Benjy are now living and working in Philadelphia. Hetty as a seamstress and Benjy as a blacksmith. They also help those who escaped slavery look for their relatives left behind in the south and now freed. When one of their friends, Charlie Richardson, is found murdered and mutilated in an alley they also become involved in hunting down his killer.

I wanted to like this novel more than I did. It has a great premise for a fantasy novel with a historical setting but unfortunately the world building and system of magic was poorly developed. We’re told that some white Americans are able to use sorcery but that black Americans are banned from using wands and learning sorcery. Black Americans are allowed to use a system of magic called celestial magic where they call up star signs to perform different acts. Although we see this in action many times, it’s never explained how this works and it’s also not clear if white Americans can learn this system of magic if they want to. Hetty is also able to sew charms and wards into clothing to use as magic or protection. I would have loved to learn more about celestial magic such as what the various sigils could do and I wanted to learn more about how white people used sorcery and also what Philadelphia looked like in this magical world.

While Hetty is the main character in the novel and we do get a sense of her nature, I felt the other characters could have been given more substance. Despite being her partner, Benjy is very shadowy and just seems to be there to help her when he could have been much more interesting. Likewise, Hetty’s friends are depicted rather vaguely and I had trouble distinguishing them as individuals. I also found that the two time lines didn’t work as the flashbacks didn’t give any extra context to the ongoing story and might have been better delivered in a linear format rather than as annoyingly interruptions to the main narrative.

This is the author’s debut novel and shows a lot of promise. I can see a sequel working well with a more in-depth exploration of the systems of magic and deeper character development.

2.5 stars

Nicole Glover’s debut brought the magic but left me dissatisfied.

Hetty escaped from slavery and made a name for herself by helping others make their way up north. After the war, Hetty and her husband lent their talent and bravery to help solve anything from missing persons to murders. It was when a friend turned up dead that the two had to look closely at those around them to determine the motive and the murderer.

I was drawn to The Conductors because I hadn’t come across too many historical fantasies, but the magic system left me with questions. It’s clear that Black people had magical abilities, but I didn’t understand how it worked. Along with a frustrating magic system, I couldn’t connect with the writing. While the time period was interesting, I never found Glover’s writing compelling. The writing felt like a series of statements and lacked emotion which took away from my enjoyment. I appreciate the creativity of the world, but it never led to a solid story or intriguing characters, including Hetty herself.

The Conductors had an interesting premise but the writing never worked for me.

This book was absolutely fabulous. A seamless mix of fantasy with a twisty-turny mystery. The historical setting was rich and real, delving into real-life struggles and the day-to-day difficulties or race, class, friendship, fitting in, and finding home. The magic system was unique and captivating. Hetty was a wonderful protagonist, smart and strong, but complex and layered, with her own vulnerabilities. A stellar novel that will have cross-genre appeal.

Hetty Rhodes and her husband Benjy were celebrated conductors on the Underground Railroad, famous for their prowess in magic and for never losing a person. The war has ended, and both are making ends meet in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries the white authorities won't touch. But when a friend is murdered, all signs point towards something nefarious in their inner circle of friends, particularly among the elites of Black Philadelphia.

I really, really enjoyed this.

A bit messy at first (so many characters to keep track of, and an odd present/past storyline), but it all came together quite nicely.

"I've mourned."
"You have not had even a spare moment to do so. They expect you to be strong, to not show a bit of weakness no matter what you're going through."


Hetty was utterly fantastic. She has spent her entire adult life searching for her sister, who she lost while the two were escaping to freedom. Her search has formed the impetus for her entire career—as a conductor, as a magic practitioner, and as one-half of a crime-solving duo. Her life, however, has essentially been one of non-committal, because how can she commit to anything fully when at any moment she might discover her sister's whereabouts and need to go?

Her relationship was Benjy was much the same—a marriage of convenience, with both really loving each other but reluctant to say the damn words. They are the best of friends, but the ghost of Esther and Hetty's refusal to accept and move on are firmly wedged between them, which leads the two to hide truths and secondary lives from each other.

However, when the hell has Hetty even had a minute to mourn, or been allowed for a second to let herself be perceived as weak? Glover's take on the Strong Black Woman stereotype is fascinating, and the implications of this stereotype permeate every single Black woman in the book. No one can be weak, no one can show weakness or reveal pain, or face being perceived as other or lesser. And so everyone carries on, chin up, forward momentum, hiding their hurts and wounds from each other.

"Burdens lessen when they are shared. Or will you better understand this with a story?"
He snorted. "I'm curious at how you'll tell it. Would it be a story told with animals? Of mice banding together to scare off a lion? Or ants that carry a bounty of food home? Oh, I know just the one: It'll be about birds that roll a pumpkin home?"
"It'll be a story about three impossible tasks the husband can't figure out until the wife shows him the trick."


I also ended up liking a lot of the secondary characters (and casual queerness—including a trans masc character and a gay couple!!!!!!!), despite being overwhelmed at first by how many there were and how they were related to each other. I loved how Glover documented and explained the lives of those who had escaped slavery and tried to move on—how they moved on, how they processed it (or didn't), and how those who had been born into freedom revolved around those who did not. It was a fascinating and well-researched insight into reconstruction Philly, and I really, really enjoyed reading about it.

The theme of community was so strong in this book—of people opening up, making themselves vulnerable and becoming stronger because of it. That is why there were so many secondary characters, because Hetty's world was a community and a network of friends and non-blood family, all connected, for the most part, because Hetty and Benjy led them all to freedom. They all shared a bond they could not forget, even those who wanted to move past their beginnings and start fresh. And while Hetty expresses this sentiment of becoming stronger together, she doesn't truly seem to understand it and embrace it wholly herself—she is an island, braving the ocean alone, occasionally visited by other ships in the night who ask of her resources and time.

I also liked the addition of the magic systems. There is the white-dominated system of Sorcery, which uses wands and a labyrinthian set of rules that is never really explained (mainly because I don't know if Hetty herself understood it, or cared to understand it). Wand-owning is banned for Black people, and during the war Black people with magical talent wore slave-collars that inhibited their abilities and kept them tied to the farms/plantations, which was an insidious depiction of white supremacy and systemic racism of this world. And then there was the magic of constellations, a magic debunked by whites (and denigrated by non-slaves) and used mainly by former slaves to subvert the system and covertly inform others of what was happening.

While this is a murder mystery at its heart, it's mostly a book about community and moving on and finding peace and love after a horrific series of events and trauma. Of becoming stronger together. Because the mystery itself ended fairly quickly, with a mustache-twirling monologue and all plot threads neatly tied up.

"Don't you think it's funny," Benjy said, "that after all the time you spend asking so many questions, in the end the answer just appears right in front of you?"


Overall, this is definitely a must-read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

The Conductors is a wonderful historical and magical murder mystery. I was hooked on each clue, and I was really interested in all the cast members and their different goals and motivations. The main character, Hetty, has convincing depth to her, and she helps push the plot along. I like the pacing of the plot between present day and memory interludes, where we learn how each character met and how they became more of a community. The magic system is unique and I especially loved the constellation nature of it. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a bit of magical flair, along with anyone who appreciates a whodunit mystery.