The concept of this one was really incredible. I did feel that it fell a little flat on the execution. The pacing felt a little off for me, starting out slow, and then having moments of pick up just to drop out again. I did really enjoy the murder mystery aspect, and I found the magic system to be really interesting, so that kept me reading! All in all this one was okay, but I think would be a great one for folks who don't read a lot of fantasy but want to dip their toes into the genre.

I enjoyed this historical fantasy and thought the characters were interesting and worth learning more about. I did not mind that we were dropped in the middle of the story and the magic system was interesting if a little confusing at times. The mystery was interesting, but the “red herrings” ended up being more interesting than the actual solution and I feel like a lot of threads got dropped at the end. However, there is apparently supposed to be a sequel so maybe some of those will be picked up then. I needed a book set in Pennsylvania this month for reading each state this year and this one provided an interesting look at what it was after the Civil War and how things were both the same and different from the South.

Okay so first of all,,, THIS COVER OMG ITS GORGEOUS!! Next, this magical book is so amazing and I highly enjoyed reading it!

The premise of this book is fantastic and the magic system is interesting. The mystery itself wasn’t the most page turning, and I would have appreciated some more worldbuilding, but overall this was an enjoyable read.

Unfortunately had a hard time getting into the story and ended up dnf:ing it. I might go back and read it in the future.

Magic and Black American history mixed together into magical realism history (non)fiction title.
I can't wait for the second part.

I was really intrigued by the idea for this book. I’ve read short stories of N.K. Jemison with similar stories but I was excited to see this fleshed out as a sort of mystery novel with a nefarious plot in the middle. I really liked the commentary and ideas about magic being segregated, where Black magicians relied on astrology magic and weren’t trained the way white magicians could be.

However this one wasn’t really for me. It took me along time to get through and I kept dropping and coming back to it without ever really getting hooked on the plot. My high expectations weren’t really met as there was a lot of character dumping and the focal point mystery just wasn’t all that interesting. I wanted to learn more about the people and the character which we did get, but it took over halfway through for it to finally get interesting.

I will probably read the sequel to see what’s going on but it wasn’t a top read for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

A little dry, and in some spots it's unclear what the story is trying to say, but ultimately I think it's got good history, a cute romance, some exciting action scenes, and a good mystery.

I gave it a try, but this was not for me. As I’ve seen echoed in other reviews, the way we’re dropped into the middle of what’s going on and never really given any explanation makes it difficult to get into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy. I DNF'ed this 100 pages in. The story was not compelling enough to keep me interested, and I felt thrust into the story without a lot of explanation of what was going on. Maybe this would have improved as the story progressed but I needed a little more world-building and information at the beginning.

I am a member of the American Library Association Reading List Award Committee. This title was suggested for the 2022 list. It was not nominated for the award. The complete list of winners and shortlisted titles is at <a href="https://rusaupdate.org/2022/01/readers-advisory-announce-2022-reading-list-years-best-in-genre-fiction-for-adult-readers/">

Dnfed at 50%!
I gave this the best shot I could but I had to give up. Now I wouldn’t say this book is bad but it feels kind of unpolished. The story is all over the place and I think it’s lack of development with the characters, world and magic system.
I got half way and I still don’t understand the rules of the magic system.
It feels like the magic was a second thought to the main story and honestly if this had been a mystery/thriller with no magic I might have been able to get through it. However like I said I just wasn’t connecting to the characters and they needed more fleshing out! The subject of the book was the most gripping part and if it had been a bitter faster paced then maybe I could have finished it.

Tried to get into this book but it was ultimately a DNF for me. The world building and pacing were too slow.

Quick read with interesting main character. Mostly liked the setting to this story because it felt very natural.

This has a very interesting and original magic system. As a historical fiction reader the mixing of the genres was fantastic. I think if you’re a historical fiction or fantasy fan you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the digital galley. All thoughts are my own.

A fantastic adventurous story, with really interesting underlying commentary. I loved the direction this story took and I can’t wait to see what else Nicole Glover writes.

This was such an interesting historical fantasy novel that I mostly enjoyed reading. The workings of the magic system were creative, and it wasn't something I have encountered before in historical fantasy. It's so hard to
explain this book because of how many genres it features: the story revolves around a murder mystery in a historically-inspired setting where magic is possible.

Where the book fell short for me was its pacing. It took me over two months to finish because of how much exposition and descriptions we got, rather than learning more about the actual plot. At times I forgot about the murder investigation because I was getting SO MUCH information about the characters and their past. While this isn't necessarily bad, it did affect my reading experience.

This was a solid debut. I really enjoyed the magic system, especially the difference between Sorcery and Celestial magic. I found the magic system using stars and constellations to be super interesting, and the descriptions of the different constellations and their uses were my favourite part of the story. I enjoyed both Hetty and Benjy, especially their dynamic. The only issue I had with this book is the pacing, which is often the case with debut authors. I found that the middle part of the book dragged a lot, and at times it was hard to be invested in the mystery.

I'm far more used to reading fantasy with a little bit of historical fiction and not the other way around but I still liked this one! I’ve read a few historical fiction stories that are set in this post Civil-War America, I liked how this one still continues to look back at the events prior to the war and how it affects the characters in the book. You can tell from the subtle nods to enslavement and the war that this is still fresh in the characters’ minds and how their decisions are sometimes based on the world they used to live in.
Full review to come on YouTube.

The Conductors is an imaginative plot that asks, What if magic existed during the Civil War? Slaves with the ability to conjure spells quickly found themselves as brutal targets and their magical abilities clamped and silenced through the use of magic-stopping collars. After the War, Black men and women were allowed to use magic, but only under the strict guidelines within the law. White members of society were allowed to possess wands, and yield magic as they saw fit.

At the heart of this dramatic historical fantasy world lies Hetty, a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and her loyal husband Benjy. During the war Hetty and Benjy, both wielders of magic, use their abilities to bravely free numerous slaves. But the one person Hetty couldn’t save was her sister, who remained in captivity while Hetty found freedom. Hetty is haunted by this moment, and it acts like a thorn in her side as she devotes her life to a new calling as a detective within the Black community post-Civil War.

She and Benjy are the “go-to” crime solvers in their community. When an injustice occurs, they are the ones who solve the case and restore justice. Now a sting of murders has left them confused and their community scared. But Hetty refuses to give up. Her resolve and Benjy’s strength compliment each other from the start. Their relationship blooms throughout the pages, and their delicate love story woven into the backdrop acts to anchor the plot against the violence standing center stage.

While the plot slows from time-to-time, there are interludes peppered throughout that pick up the tension and quickly recapture the reader’s attention. Within the plot lies threads addressing racism, discrimination, “white passing” Black members of society, the horrors of slavery, and reconstructing a life when starting with nothing. This compelling read is perfect for those looking for a fresh genre bending mystery with a strong female lead.