Let me start by saying the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous, it was one of the main reasons why I decided to request this book as it caught my eye straight away!

On the whole, A Conventicle of Magpies was an excellent read and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that we were taken on throughout this book.

From the start I loved the vibe of this book, there is a very Victorian/Jack the Ripper kind of feel throughout the first chapters which grabbed my attention. And all credit to the author as they kept this theme going throughout the whole book, which definitely kept me hooked onto this one.

I found A Conventicle of Magpies to be really easy to read, and that is in no way a criticism! It just flowed so well through the plot and before I knew it I was halfway through the book, I was so desperate to find out what would happen next that I just kept on turning the pages.

Whilst the idea of two sides being opposed to each other and one trying to remove the other from society isn't the most original plot, the way the author wrote made us feel like it was a brand new trope. The introduction of the authors own groups (the Saosuíasei and Avanish) only helped that feel.

And with the introduction of Rook's sister being missing, Billy Drainer our Jack the Ripper-esque serial killer and the bloodskill aspect (discussed further below) this book was not short of other interesting layers to elevate the story to a higher level.

I would like to praise LMR Clarke for the bloodskill aspect within this book. I've seen a lot of magic/fantasy ideas as to how people gain their skills but never through bloodwork, so that was a nice new introduction.

I have to say though my favourite part of this book was the Magpies, the way this book was very female led, and how strong and supportive they were of each other and the Saosuíasei people around them. It's nice to see some female representation!

This isn't to say that the Jaguar and every other character in this book wasn't excellently written, it's just that, for me, Rook stole the show.

The ending of this book was absolutely excellent too, it rounded the story off perfectly but also left it open for later books to be written. And I, for one, will be picking up the next book in the series when it's written.

A Conventicle of Magpies by LMR Clarke is a Victorian mystery adventure that leaves the reader wanting more.
The tale follows Rook, a girl who lives an alternative lifestyle as a pickpocket and much more. She belongs to a Conventicle of Magpies thieving group to help provide for her sick mother and sisters at home. The city is being hunted by a serial killer, draining his victims of their blood because, in this world, blood is a valuable commodity. No one is safe from the killer, not even Magpie’s girls.
The city is at war. The poor and rich hate each other and show it throughout the book. The impoverished steal from the rich and the rich turn their noses up when the poor are near. The police will not help the poor when they become victims of the killer’s blade. So, the only hope they have is Magpie’s girls and the Jaguars. It’s a race to try to survive in this hard-tough industrial world where everyone is out for themselves.
I felt Clarke brought a fleshed-out world to life with the darkness and despair around every corner. Rich with Victorian style and flair that would make Sherlock Holmes feel at home, this would be one mystery he would be intrigued to find the killer.

FML i just spent a half hour typing out a discourse on why authors shouldn't feel forced to write all kinds of liberal progressive content into their books, on top of the review, and the app crashed.

The point was that when the author feels forced, it feels forced to the reader, such as the case with Kestrel. I got it and accepted the character the first time it was mentioned, then after that I felt like the constant penis reminders were unnecessary for both the character and the reader. Just make it integral, that's all

I do want to read book two solely to see what happens to Mama Magpie and Billy Drainer, my two favorite characters.

Maybe Rook will learn how to ration her Skill and not be snuck up on so much. Maybe not. I firmly select Crake as my getaway partner though, not Rook. It's good that Rook wasn't perfect but if she is supposed to be the best member of the gang, I want at least two of them on any jobs they do for me!

I liked the setting and gas lamps, I'm not sure how well some of the modern technology fits into this Gaslamp and steampunk mashup, but if you don't think too hard it all fits together well enough. I think the magic needed a bit more development but it's a good idea, it's hard to go wrong with blood magic. The only thing that would have made the book absolutely 100% better is a pronunciation key for all the Irish sounding names that I bumbled through!

I did post to goodreads and Amazon but will not be bringing the book to my blog or instagram

** spoiler alert ** I hate rating books poorly, so I usually just don't rate a book if I didn't love it. But I got this one from Netgalley, and I promised my honest opinion.

The hardest thing about this particular book is how hard I was rooting for it. I wanted it to be good. But there were a lot of problems here.

Bloodskill, or "skilling", is a huge part of the world building, but almost no time is devoted to explaining what it is or how it works. So it just feels like a cheat. The internal logical framework just isn't there. The heroine gets in an impossible situation so she "skills" her way out of it by giving herself an on-the-go blood transfusion. Lots of books find devices to explain physiology and technology that doesn't exist in our world in a way that makes it feel authentic to a fictional universe. But this book didn't do that for me.

This is intended to be a duology which explains some of the loose ends. But as a standalone novel it has no payoff. Pit isn't worth Rook's time, but she suddenly forgives him, and we don't have any reason to believe he's pulling one over on her, although I think that would make him more interesting. Rook has three different encounters with a notorious serial killer and some kind of big reveal is hinted at, but nothing is actually revealed. I hope when the second book brings the story to a conclusion, the characters will feel more complex. Because characters seemed to be strictly in their good guy/bad guy boxes, except Pit who flipped unceremoniously from a bad guy to a good guy.

The dialogue is stilted. Sometimes phrases are used repetitively in a way that is probably how people actually talk, but isn't how we want our fictional characters to talk. For example, 75% of the way through the book Rook steals a motorcar and there are three lines of dialogue in a row that call it "this thing". Then she calls it a car and makes me cringe.

One star because I really wanted to like it. The plot and setting had potential.

One star because Rook and Kestrel's friendship was lovely, and there wasn't any love triangle strong armed into it, thank goodness.

I had the opportunity to receive a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I will preface this by saying that the book was OK. This is the first book I have read from this author and that it is well-written, but it really did not capture my attention. The premise was intriguing: a girl trying to survive in a dystopian society, rebel groups that use "bloodskill", the sharpening and enhancement of ones abilities brought about by blood, and a battle that could end either side. Where to start? my inner scientist did cringe a little (Ok, no, it cringed a lot) when I read about the bloodskills, although this being a YA fantasy, I could forgive the lack of the barest of scientific rationale for that. However, this book is said to be set in the Victorian era and it has also been dubbed a gaslamp fantasy. My issue with both statements, is that in general, settings defined as Victorian, allude to some London-like city. I did not get that at all from the situations, the speech of the characters and the descriptions, which I though were more in line with modern times. To me, the story could have happened anywhere. I also think that there is some confusion about the chronological appearance of inventions during Victorian times. In the book, everyone is using gaslamps, but there is also mention of a motorcar and telephone. I am no expect in all things Victorian by any means, but by the time that motorcars and telephones were available, gaslamps had been replaced by electrical light bulbs... I would have simply called this book a dystopian fantasy. The book is also a cliffhanger, my least favorite type of ending in the world. Like I said, it was OK; not sure I would like to read the second book.

This novel was a fun take on dystopian segregation. I loved the creation of the Conventicle and that it was a female powered organization. Rook was a determined heroine; and I enjoyed her as a character, but I felt like she wasn't as flawed as she could have been. The novel had a lot going on; and I almost wish it was a little longer so that we could build the enemy a bit more.

So we have a few issues happening right off the bat, Billy the Drainer is on a murdering rampage, the drive by the Governor to wipe out their entire community, and then a bit later we have a missing sister, a rescue mission, and potential experimentation and collection of blood. Lots going on!

We only got one little glimpse of the Governor who seems to be the driving force of the hate against Rook's community but I didn't feel like I could enough of his character or the lifestyle difference to really develop my own hate of him as the reader. I actually found myself more concerned with the Jaguar and even Ozdo's brief appearance was questionable, I thought she was going to have a bigger role than she did.

Billy the Drainer had a very Jack the Ripper feel; and yet it seems he is going to be set up to be someone important. I'm not sure I can see an excuse for his murders to make him redeemable if this person is who we are led to believe it is at the end of the novel.

There were a few pacing flaws, and as much as I appreciate the conscious effort to be inclusive, I felt like Kestrel's trans status was placed there just to have a representation. I felt like if the story was going to include this trans character and give her a leading role, that we should have been a bit more open with her life-struggles rather than just briefly mentioning a fear once or twice.

Aside from a few little issues that I think will be taken care of during a final edit; I think this was a solid novel and I am looking forward to book 2.

A Conventicle of Magpies by L.M.R. Clarke, the first book in The Bloodskill Duology set in the town of Stamchester, this world where people categorized by their blood and the Avanish enslaved the Saosuíasei.

"If its war, its war the Avanish have brought on themselves, they have only themselves to blame."

A Conventicle of Magpies is a group of women run by mama Magpie. They have hired to do something that cops don't do for the Saosuíasei. Most folks engaged the services for one reason, to take back something stolen from them, but they are not in murdering business. Rook was the best finder, acquire, and thief in Magpie's employ and everyone knew it.

"I couldn't let you kill that soldier, once you take a life, there is no going back. you can't undo the death."

There is a male group called the Jaguars runs by Dru, a handsome man who asks Magpie about several matters, they try to free themselves from the Avanish. From this point, the story goes fast and fantastic, Rook goes as an insider maid and happening a little prison break.

Also, there is so much more than that, Rook's sister Ishie, the secret of a serial killer, somebody is killing Saosuíasei women and drain their blood. The corpses aren't bloodless for no reason, Blood is money, more valuable than gold.

"Billy Drainer stalks the night,
Ready to give you all a fright.
Seven swift knocks to your head,
Drains your blood and then you're DEAD"

I love this exciting book, well written, fast-paced, and adventurous. The characters are strong, wanting to know what will happen next, looking forward to the second book.
Thanks to Netgalley, I have given an honest review of A Conventicle of Magpies by LMR Clarke (The Bloodskill Duology Book 1).

** spoiler alert ** I was looking forward to this one, I'm incredibly weak when it comes to beautiful covers and after reading the synopsis, I assumed that it's a clear new amazing ARC to read. Well, let's say that it didn't deliver what I wanted out of it, as selfish as that sounds, dropped at 50%.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Netgalley and Books Go Social for the opportunity.

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To begin, I'm going to say that this is one of the most interesting magic systems I've seen in a while. Blood magic, and having it be used as something akin to doping is interesting to me. However, I had hoped that we got to see a bigger system to it than just have it, in the end, be similar to doping. Especially since, there are people who are capable of using it and people who aren't. This exclusivity being a thing and not making it apparent is a missed opportunity in my humble opinion.

My issues lie in the inner workings of the book however, Rook is the best of the best, and they want me to know that with how many times she or the others elude to it. I don't mind if a character is powerful, no, I mind it if the character is powerful, yet there is nothing in what's happening around her that shows that. She gets overpowered by normal skilled people like the retrieval of the silver incident, she gets discovered quite easily when she's sneaking around to eavesdrop and when she meets Billy Drainer, she doesn't come out a winner as much as I would have hoped. In this particular way of characterization she reminded me of the main protagonist in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Mass. That is also a series I didn't continue past the first book for multiple reasons, characterization being one of them.

Moreover, she spends a long time in the book being angry at anyone and everything while, she keeps describing how she could hurt them. Just like Celaena spends the majority of that book doing, also, for no good reason. I thought because she's in the slums that Rook will have to adopt this tactic to survive, but then she goes and does other things that show that she's not very cautious.

Specifically, the first encounter with Billy Drainer. The reasoning behind that is admirable, it's a nice mentality to have, but not in a place where you are supposedly killed for existing. Where there is also a serial killer targeting your people as well, this exact moment is where my own feelings about the book shifted to meh. Where did the logic go? why did that have to be the way they meet? Couldn't he have just attacked her if he's so above the law as implied?

I still continued because the espionage plot line and how that will proceed sounded great, I also didn't want to miss any applications of magic. However, there are weird choices here as well. First her chosen name for the infiltration, Rook is her code name in the Magpies, so she obviously has a real name. So why in the world would you ever use your REAL name when infiltrating????? That's not where it ends either, she ends up using her magic on a petty servant who was akin to a highschool bully, why though? Your guess is as good as mine.

By now, I wasn't really excited to continue, which made it all the more fitting when there was an actual plot hole in the narrative. She ends up eavesdropping on a meeting, and they mention that the accent of Billy Drainer is Saosuíasei and then for some reason Rook concurs:

“There was no denying his accent was Saosuíasei.”

Here's the catch, she never heard him speak. She only saw him. I actually went back to check and for sure, the guy didn't utter a single word while she had her encounter with him. I went back to where she was eavesdropping to see if accent here was used as a way to describe Drainer's appearance (as it is the thing she comments on in her encounter with him), but those in the meeting were definitely talking about his speech.

At this point, my interest was hanging by a thread, as I liked the magic and I liked that the secret societies were men only and/or female only. I mean how cool is that? Doesn't that sound freaking amazing? It did to me.

Through the book, or at least the 50% I read of it, we meet or learn about a character named Pit who happens to be the love interest for a character named Kestrel. Pit happens to be Rook's brother, not by blood, but her sickly mother is in the habit of collecting strays to add to her 10 children, Pit and Kestrel happen to be two of said strays. Anyway, he ends up joining the very force hunting down the Saosuíasei, and I have to listen to Rook continuously tell me how he's not to be forgiven, how he's not wroth it (This she says again and again to Kestrel) and how he's a traitor. Fine, I don't care for redemption arcs anyway, so I didn't care about him either as he was still not that relevant to me.

Imagine my surprise when the espionage attempt fails, technically because of him doing his new job, he goes and begs for a meeting with Kestrel and Rook where the latter completely and utterly forgives him in the span of two seconds because he cried and is therefore, really really sorry.

Wait... what? Better yet, why?

I had the suspicion that this was closer to YA than anything as I started it, and even though I'm trying to leave that demographic to the bare minimum, I continued. But, after 50% of it, I see no reason to stay, which no one is more saddened about than me.

I did read this book knowing it was outside of my comfort zone of Adult Fantasy Sci-fi however, I did end up enjoying it. I left it wanting to know how it would politically turn out, not to mention how other obvious problems are resolved. I didn't exactly appreciate so many unanswered questions though I am glad what did turn out fine was fine at its resolution.
This is assuredly a younger read for me but it is a nice palette cleanser from epic fantasies.
The magic system IS something I have an issue with but I feel as though it may be clarified in a later novel at least to the extent that would be satisfying. Basically blood doping is used (adding blood to a person like what athletes do) and blood can be 'burned off' to create power the boosts existing strengths, sense of smell, sight, things like that.
Overall I liked it, I'd continue with this series if it did indeed continue.

A Conventicle of Magpies
(The Bloodskill Duology Book 1)
by LMR Clarke
BooksGoSocial Publishers
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read the book! What a delicious delight!
This is such a lot to unpack I don't know where to start! It's in an alternate Victorian era but racism is very much alive to the point of thriving uncontrolled! Sexist ideas are present but probably the same as it was back in Victorian times which was bad enough!
There are Skilled and Unskilled people. Skilled are people that can inject blood into themselves and get a boost of power or skill such as quick speed, strength, jumping high, etc. Blood is in high demand.
The story is based around a group of women of the underdog group that steal, spy, but not kill for pay. They are good at what they do. They are called the Magpies. They are a secret society. Their male counter part is a group called the Jaguars. The Jaguars have no qualms about killing. The Magpies' leader is someone who the Governor wants very badly!
There is also a serial killer picking off the minority group. The Governor is happy about it since the killer is killing off the people he hates.
The Governor has thought up other ways to torment the poor and the minority. When he puts his plan in place things get drastic! Lots of action, suspense, thrills, unpredictable situations, and frightening what ifs! I was terrified for the gals!
It ended with some loose ends and plenty more to do so I can't wait to read the next book! I would not call it a cliffhanger. It did conclude this story but it just dangled more trouble to solve in the next. I loved this book!
It is a great female, and females, solving problems, fighting evil, they are the underdogs, and helping others. One gal has a slight romance going but mostly it's about a family of unrelated girls, and some family, bonding, trust, and good vs evil. These girls rock!

A Conventicle of Magpies is one of those novels that demanded my attention, right from the start. No, I take that back. It was before I even started reading it. The cover, theme, and description were enough to captivate me.

I went into this novel with a lot of high expectations, which may not have been entirely fair of me. I say that because I want you to understand just how much A Conventicle of Magpies blew me away. I was captivated, by the characters, the trials they went through, and the mystery at hand. It was the perfect storm as far as my imagination was concerned.

A Conventicle of Magpies is the first novel in The Bloodskill Duology, and I am going to sit here eagerly awaiting the next installment, as I’m quite desperate to find out what happens next in Rook’s journey.

First, the cover of this book caught my eye and then after reading the description I just had to read it. I was not disappointed! I loved this story and I can't wait for the second book in this series!

Disclaimer: I received a review copy of the book

Rook works as a thief with the titular Conventicle of Magpies to help take care of her mother and sisters after the death of her father. In her work she must contend with a serial killer and the Avanish rulers of Stamchester who look down upon the Saosuiasei who live in the Shambles. But when the Avanish accelerate their plans for Stamchester, will Rook be able to protect herself, let alone those she cares about?

Clarke writes an interesting world that seems to be influenced by their Northern Irish upbringing. Rook and her best friend Kestrel are strong and capable heroines, but not without their own weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and flaws. A lot of the plot tension come from the complications that arise from Rook sticking to a conviction that fighting against oppression must be done the right way, not just the easy way, lest she and her friends make themselves worse than the Avanish rulers.

The story is fast paced, and I kept reading on and on wanting to know what happened next. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the second book.

I had a hard time getting into this one. Something about the world and the characters turned me off early on: I had a hard time feeling connected to either.

I loved the concept here, but it was a little flat for me. The characters and world just didn't have the depth they needed. I appreciated the diversity of the characters, and loved that they were original. All in all an entertaining read, and I will likely read the next one, I just won't be holding my breath until then.

Will be updating my review closer to my tour stop

Rook is an unapologetic thief, determined to do anything to ensure her mother and siblings survive the squalid and dangerous streets of Stamchester.

Rook slips, like a shadow, in and out of the homes of the ruling elite, the Avanish, and steals what she needs. She feels no regret, afterall, the Avanish have enslaved her people, the Saosuíasei, and worse, have now determined the Saosuíasei to be disposable and worthy of nothing other than death.

However, Rook is not the only shadowy figure in Stamchester. And far more deadly one haunts the filthy streets, striking fear into Avanish and Saosuíasei alike. A serial killer who drains every ounce of blood from his victims, and satisfies the elite's demand for blood to burn in the magical art of Bloodskill and enhance their own natural, and sometimes unnatural, abilities.

I didn't finish this book, because the writing wasn't for me. I think that the premises are really good, the setting seems interesting enough, and usually, I am always happy to see thieves as main characters but... But I was bored. A lot. I have really tried but I couldn't find a spark of interest and so I decided to just give up after 60 something pages.

First of all, I wanted to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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- “How can anyone hate us just for who we are?”

“People hate what they don’t understand, and what they think is lesser than themselves”

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I was really hooked by the concept of this book. It’s set in a Victorian-esque era and follows Rook, a strong, resourceful and intuitive Sasouíasei woman. Rook has to deal with a lot, she’s struggling with grief and pain but finds solace in the arms of the Conventicle of Magpie’s gang, run by Mama Magpie. Her job is to steal from the rich Avanish, and give what is owed to the Sasouíasei employees who are underpaid and overworked. This isn’t exactly an uncommon occurrence, Avanish have always shown their discrimination, hatred and ‘superiority’ over Sasouíasei people. Magic in the form of Bloodskill is prevalent, something Billy Drainer is quick to jump on, draining Sasouíasei women of their blood, to sell for a high profit.

However, this isn’t Rook’s only fear, the Avanish have become incessant in their ploy to exterminate Stamchester of the Sasouíasei race. The Conventicle Magpies must now to the inevitable, and team up with rival, infamous gang, the Jaguars. Together they must try and prevent the killing of the innocent Sasouíasei population.

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I found it quite a struggle to start with, I just felt like I couldn’t really get into it and keep myself engaged in the story. It could be quite confusing at times because of the multiple storylines unravelling at once.

However, I found the pace picked up quite quickly and I was engrossed for a time. Sometimes I lose track of what’s going on but it’s really action packed, so it quickly draws you in.

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This book contains a lot of side characters, namely the fellow Magpies, and Rook’s family. As much as I enjoyed the aspect of the side characters, with how fast the plot moved it became somewhat difficult to visualise or pinpoint who was who.

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I did find the inclusion of race and pillaging of land a good addition to the story, touching on something so important in reality. The Avanish taking over Stamchester from the Unténsians and shunning them and the Sasouíasei races to the slums. Even though the Unténsians built up the city. This shone a light on an important truth, it’s often found that races that see themselves as ‘superior’ due to their skin colour alone, will pillage the land and kick indigenous people from their homes for the ideal that they’re better and more powerful. It’s disgraceful and it’s something the world needs to open their eyes too, so I’m glad this was touched on.

Furthermore, I really enjoyed Kestrel as a character, she was so protective, loyal and fierce. I do wish she’d been included in the storyline more than she was, I think she had a lot to give and a strong personality that could’ve been fleshed out more. I do feel like her character hopefully, will enlighten others to the ideal that transgender individuals deserve the same love, support , respect and loyalty as anyone else.

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Overall, I think this is a really good concept for a novel, there’s a lot going on, so a lot of plots to be tied up in the next novel. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get into it the way I wanted to, which was so frustrating for me. I’m so glad more authors are including real world phenomenons in their writings to open people’s eyes and hopefully undo some of the desensitisation around certain situations that are happening around us everyday.

I’m sure this book would be a perfect fit for anyone interested in YA fiction revolving around; rebellions, mystery killings and fighting for justice for those who’ve been oppressed.

So for the reasons above, I have to give it 2.8/5 stars (rounded up)

An exciting and well written story that kept me hooked and I thoroughly enjoyed.
Excellent world building and character development, a plot that flows.
I can't wait to read the second part of this duology, this one is highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the story of Rook, a woman who belongs to a marginalized group in her Victorian-esque society. Seeking some form of protection in a society where she is unvalued and often targeted, she joins a street gang known as the Conventicle of Magpies. With the looming threat from the elite group as well as a serial killer stalking the slums around her, Rook must rely on her friends and use all of the skills available to her if she is going to survive and keep her friends and family safe.

There is a lot going on in this book! It is very action-packed and the plot moves quickly. Rook is courageous and determined, and I liked her a lot. There were a lot of things that I was intrigued by--the conflict between two people groups, the element of magic involving blood, and the mystery with the serial killer--but I never felt like any of those were well fleshed out within the story. In addition, there are a lot of characters, but I had a hard time keeping all of them straight.

Overall, I was never bored as I was reading, but I do feel like this book could have benefited from a little more focus on certain areas. Hopefully the second book in the duology will be a little more clear and focused!