A fun and unique story of the hunt for the book of sex magic.

Lily is a book dealer. She used to be a writer, but since her husband's crippling disease left him in a vegetative state, she lost her inspiration and drive, focusing instead on doctor consultations and scraping up enough money to survive. Until she's commissioned to track down and procure a book of the most precious substance, which sets off a chain of events that will change her life completely.

I think this book will stay with me for a while. I enjoyed the originality of the idea, the plot structured as a trip in search of the elusive book of sex magic that may or may not grant your wish if you complete the acts it describes. From one destination to the next, from one potential seller to another, Lily rediscovers herself, finds joy in life again and gets more tangled up in a strange web of eccentric millionaires, witches and anonymous book collectors. This story was a tapestry of unusual events and illustrious characters, self-discovery, determination, danger and sex. I'm pretty sure I loved it.

Lily had the perfect life, her book was receiving great reviews and she was went on globetrotting book tours, her partner Abel seems to be perfect in every way. Then tragedy erupts in her life when Abel starts to show signs of dementia. In order to survive, Lily starts to sell her book collection and leaves behind her writing life and becomes a full time bookseller. When another bookseller gives her a tip that there’s a buyer looking for one of the rarest occult books, known as The Book of the Most Previous Substance, Lily stars another adventure seeking down the book, seeing the money as a way to solve most of her problems.

I found out about this book as it was listed under ‘horror’ and ‘mystery and thriller’. The first few chapters of this book had me absolutely hooked, detailing Lily’s life and her selling books. I found it interesting and engaging right from the first page and just wanted to know what was going to happen next. I thought I was in for something quite special. Then as the book continued it was much more erotic than I was expecting, and I couldn’t find anything that I would class as horror in it at all.

Perhaps the biggest issue with this for me, is that I didn’t like the characters. Lily is a fine character at the beginning, but as she’s influenced by the magic within the book she’s seeking, she becomes much darker. Her business partner, Lucas, is supposed to be very charming, but I found him very slimy and unlikable. He didn’t come across as someone with the charisma that he was supposed to have.

The ending, is also a little poor. I could see most of it coming a mile off, and I found the twist a little rubbish. Then the final chapter wraps things up with one nice bit in the garden, which I thought was really well done, but it was an underwhelming ending to the mystery. Around halfway through the book it just fell into a formula of finding someone who had either owned a copy of the book, or knew someone who did, and just asking them for the next lead, as they were pretty much all willing to help.

I think overall, the book just wasn’t for me. It was well written, but I didn’t enjoy it. The mystery was pretty simple and hidden under a sex-filled shadow, that took up way too many pages. There are plenty of other reviews that have praised it, but if like me, you’re looking for a horror mystery, then this ain’t it.

I really wanted to like this book and quite enjoyed the first few chapters but it changed from a sub-Dan Brown introduction to a quest into something that I personally found quite difficulty to continue with. The blurb doesn't really talk about the book being about sex/black magic and I found those subjects quite off-putting

Loved the steamy scenes, the humor and overall I just love Sara Gran books so this one was a definite must for me and it didn't dissapoint.

"I never worked with other dealers. I never went chasing after ridiculous books. I never counted money before it was in hand...It was like the book already had me, and was leading me exactly where it wanted."

What an absolutely wild ride this book is - completely strange and out there, but still written to be consumed quickly, almost greedily, it's a triumph of weird and sensual fun.

Lily Albrecht is a rare book dealer, who is reeling from her husband's rapid decline to early onset Alzheimer's. When she hears about "The Book of the Most Precious Substance", the rarest of books, and a client who is willing to pay six figures for it, she is enraptured, and goes on a mission to find it. She needs money, yes, but also the allure of the book's power is tempting, too.

This book is one it is best to go into blind - the reveal of what the book is, and does, is superb, and worth being kept in the dark over. It's not really a thriller, per se - once we learn what the book is, much of the mystery dissapates - but you can see where Gran was influcened by the thriller genre. Pacy writing, hooks aplenty, and an economy of language make this a tight little novel with plenty to keep the reader entertained.

I found Lily - successful writer turned bookseller, desperate partner to a very ill husband, lonely and enraged - deeply fascinating. She is obviously not coping with the loss of her husband, and her repeated, desperate attempts to bring him back broke my heart. But then Lily hears about the book and all is turned on its head. She goes on a very-unlike-her flight across the country in search of the book - and finds herself in the process! Hell yeah!

It's not all sunshine though - the novel is told in the past tense, with Lily adding hindsight in certain passages, reflecting on the book's impact on her life. Spoiler alert: it's not all good, though why is not revealed until the very end of the novel. This element didn't really work for me - I always view this kind of writing as akin to spoiling the plot - but it does add depth and complexity to Lily as a character. She is consistently portrayed as more than just her desire to capture the book; the potent rage, desperate sadness, and fierce grit she shows make her a very engaging central character. So when *that* big twist takes place, we nearly end up rooting for her, although maybe that was just me...

I listened to an interview with the author where she discusses the book as not just a search for treasure, but a story about sexual awakening, and that's certainly true. There are a lot of Big Bold Sex Scenes in this one that had me blushing a bit. Overall, they are well-written - except for a couple of clunky lines - and add to the narrative rather than just titillating the reader.

Page-turning, addictive fun with added layers of complex story and interesting women - this book cements Sara Gran as one of the most original writers working today.

Lily Albrecht was once a celebrated author with an intelligent, handsome and successful husband to match. Their world revolved around life’s great pleasures- travel, writing, reading, fine food, and lots of sex.

A shock diagnosis throws this into chaos, and Lily's life now revolves around doctor's appointments and being a full-time carer. Unable to find the motivation or inspiration to write, she becomes a dealer in rare books, buying and selling hard-to-find tomes to wealthy collectors.

A request from a fellow bookseller to help track down a mysterious title known as ‘The Book of the Most Precious Substance’ seems like the answer to her woes-the money she makes from selling this book will cover her husband’s expensive medical care and allow them some financial breathing room.

However, the deeper she delves into the heady world of the book, the more she realises that perhaps the price she’ll pay is not worth it...

As a bibliophile, I love a book about books - this is actually referred to within the story, which I found meta and amusing (the book title itself is the title of the rare book that Lily seeks). I was under the impression that it was going to be an exciting dark academia type adventure/thriller a la The Da Vinci Code meets Indiana Jones meets The Secret History, and it partially is, however it is also very Eyes Wide Shut- I was not expecting so much sex! The synopsis I read gave no impression at all that this was erotica, so be warned if that’s not your thing. This is definitely a book about sex, and copious amounts of bodily fluids are exchanged.

There were also plentiful descriptions of food and hotel rooms in New York, LA, New Orleans, Paris and Munich, which I enjoyed as a fan of all of these things-it felt a bit like a travelogue cum cooking show in parts and captured the decadence of the lives of her rich and famous clientele. It did get repetitive at times, but I find this is the formula for many of these quest-type thrillers.

The story is written in first person present tense, but Lily foreshadows events to come, so you feel a sense of foreboding as you wait for whatever disaster is to befall her. One of the reasons I wanted to read this book was because it was also classed as horror, and while some parts were gruesome, and there was a black magic/fantastical element to the tale, I wouldn’t class it as a horror.

This was my first Sara Gran book and I really enjoyed the style and tone of her writing. I found her heroine to be likeable, smart, human and charming. Gran's use of language is wonderful - clever without sounding verbose.

Thank you to NetGalley and Faber and Faber Ltd for the ARC.

Grief, pleasure, magic, relationships, sex, books, quest
#thebookofthemostprecioussubstance #saragran #netgalley #faber

This really is a weird and wonderful book with a storyline to match and that combination is what makes it worth reading!!

Takes a while to get to the "meat" of the story, a book about sex which gives this tale its title. The annoying part for me is the continued use and the consequent dumbing down by a surfeit of unnecessary expletives. Oddly, there is relatively a lot of sex but most of the expletives are in the rest of the text.

Would have scored 4 Stars but I intend to continue to mark down every book which I consider damages the art of communication by the use of totally unnecessary expletives.

Read the book as it is worthwhile but complain about the dumbing down.

Well this was quite a different read for me. I can't say I'm normally the biggest fan of erotic thrillers but as soon as I saw that it involved rare book selling and a hunt for a particular lost manuscript, I thought I had to try it.

Lily Albrecht is a writer whose difficult life circumstances have meant that she is forced to focus on working as a rare book dealer to make ends meet. When she is put on the trail of a mysterious ancient book about magic, lifechanges rather abruptly for her.

I can't deny that the book was exciting at times but I have to be totally honest and admit that the whole idea of sex magic was a bit of a turn off for me, somehow I just found it vaguely comedic rather than thrilling. Sorry about that, but it did become a bit of a laugh knowing the next bit of sex magic act was coming.

I think maybe I'm not the target audience, but I can appreciate that it was more of an erotic thriller than I had expected. So it's a sort of 3.5 stars from me.

Rare books? A mysterious 17th century manual of the occult arts?? Risking everything in the search of said manual??? I have secret suspicions that The Book of the Most Precious Substance was written for me, since it ticks literally all of my boxes. While I needed to get into the tone of the book initially, I was gripped by it quickly. Thanks to Faber & Faber and NetGalley for prodiving me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Special gratitue for the stunning hardback version!

I am not so low-key obsessed with the rare books world. As a teenager I spent hours, and probably an unreasonable amount of money, at my favourite second hand/antique bookstore in Utrecht, called Aleph. Even though I was there at least once a week, I could pore over the bookshelves forever, picking up books at random, discovering topics, themes and authors I'd never have dreamed of, and always walking away with at least one book. As such I have collected quite an array of curiosities, in my eyes at least, which probably aren't worth a whole lot but all have a fascination for me. Some are also quite old! Now that I am a Medievalist by trade I also encounter quite a few manuscripts and really old books and so my passion and my job have come together. As such, the world that Sara Gran creates in The Book of the Most Precious Substance holds a major seductive attraction for me. I love browsing book fairs, I love rare books, and I am intrigued by the people behind it. (As a Medievalist I am however not a fan of rich people buying up special books and manuscripts because I'd much rather we could study them and preserve them properly in an archive!). Anyone with a love for books, an understanding of the magic of words, and a desire for adventure will enjoy Gran's book.

Lily Albrecht's life has turned into something she hardly recognises. Or perhaps she hardly recognises who she used to be. Once, she was a successful author, with an exciting life, and a partner with whom she shared a deep love and understanding. Now she is trying to keep her head above the water by selling rare-ish books so she can afford his 24-hour care. So when she receives a tip that someone will pay the big bucks for a rumoured occult manual called 'The Book of the Most Precious Substance', she grasps the chance to change her life. Only 'The Book' is much more than she imagined and she is drawn into a world of big money and big stakes. I was immensely, but delightfully, surprised by how sensuous and sexy the book is. What the most precious substance is I won't tell, but you may want to read parts of The Book in private, with a glass of wine. Between the eroticism and high stakes of the rare book world, however, is the story of a woman who has completely lost touch with herself. Without being entirely aware of it, Lily has entirely shut herself off from life, just so she can forget the hurt and grief. As she gets closer and closer to 'The Book', however, she also gets closer to the answers about who she is and what she wants.

This was my first time reading Sara Gran and initially I had to get into the writing a little. Gran is very straightforward in her writing, in the sense that she doesn't stray away from the point she is making or add florid details where they don't fit. As such, we get to know Lily in an almost blunt way, confronted with her rather unhappy outlook on life. But as Lily opens up, as she gets closer to 'The Book', the writing becomes more expansive, includes, to use a cliché, more colour and vibrancy. It is so subtly done that I have to assume Gran did this on purpose and I majorly enjoyed the experience. As Lily finds herself exploring the world, traveling from city to city, meeting people, and re-assessing her own life, she also takes more of a shape for the reader. Once she begins to notice details and put things together, who she used to be comes to the forefront and the tragedy of that loss also feels sharper. I also enjoyed the sense of foreboding that hangs over The Book, done through some more and some less obvious hinting and foreshadowing. Although I saw parts of the ending coming, I was nonetheless utterly intrigued and read most of the book in one sitting. Striking a balance between sensuous mystery and contemplative self-discovery feels impossible, but yet I think Sara Gran has managed it very well!

The Book of the most Precious Substance is a delightful read, full of mystery and eroticism, but also with a deeper message to be uncovered. Join Lily on a book hunt where the stakes are constantly rising!

A totally unexpected book about a book with Lily, an author turned rare book dealer, and her friend Lucas on the trail of a 17th century, extremely valuable book. Apparently there are only 3 copies in the world and she travels to Europe and America on her quest.

This book had everything from murder, magic, the occult and a lot of sex with the 'Substance' linked to the last named! Whilst travelling she meets a few varied and interesting characters; the author gives very detailed descriptions which I enjoyed. In fact, the book is well written with the erotic episodes teaching me a few things!

Really enjoyable with a rather limp ending.

Thanks to Net Galley and Faber and Faber Ltd. for the chance to read and review.

I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

A bit out of my normal taste to choose an erotic thriller but I saw that it involved books and had to try it. It’s ok, rather dry I found, the main character is such a cynical cold individual even with an understandable backstory, she never really changes. A bit hard to get into when you feel there is no growth, and the thrill is kind of tame honestly. I did find it chilling when lore was being discussed surrounding the all-important book, it was well thought out and it does deliver on what it promised. Perhaps more a personal taste in the way of review.

Well this is a very original story and one unlike I have ever read before. Part thriller, part erotica, part horror (not really), this is basically about a couple of book dealers who traverse the world looking for the rare, old, book about “the most precious substance”, promising power and riches if you follow its “recipe”.

It certainly kept me interested throughout despite me having to suspend disbelief in “magic” and “spells”. The originality of the story and arcs around the difficulty of caring for a loved one with dementia take this into literature rather than pulp fiction.

The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran is the story of former author turned rare book dealer Lily and her hunt for a rare and incredibly valuable ancient tome. The book, if it even exists, is rumoured to be the most powerful book of the occult ever written so its value lies not only in its age but also the knowledge it contains. With some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the world keen to get their hands on it, the hunt will take Lily around world and will force her to expand her horizons and take risks she could not ever have dreamed of. If she does find it, will she be able to withstand the temptation to use it to obtain her hearts desire and will the price be greater than she is willing or able to pay?
The premise of this book sounded fantastic and the stunning cover caught my eye immediately. Everything about the story sounded right up my street and I was looking forward to reading it. Unfortunately the book itself was pretty average, and at times it felt almost dull. and rather repetitive which is the last thing I was expecting from the description. It started out strong but my interest dwindled as the book continued and I found the ending to be entirely predictable.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

A somewhat unusual book in that while it gripped me enough to continue reading to the end I'm not entirely sure that I really enjoyed it.

I possibly expected there to be a bit more of the mystery/suspense in the tracking down of this most rare of books but it would throw in what I suspect was supposed to be mild erotic fiction style writing and it didn't really work for me. The general idea of tracking down this book and the travels around the world to do so were quite appealing, however the reality of this book was less so.

Definitely not one that I would consider reading again and would not recommend to others.

This was a gothic, haunting and atmospheric story that I couldn’t put down. It was gripping and engaging the whole way through with a level of suspense and unpredictability that added an extra layer to the storytelling. It was a chilling read that has stayed with me since I read it. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no large gaps between words some text written has been typed in red and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book therefore a star is lost for this.

3.5 upped to 4
This is a book that I loved and dislked at the same time.
I loved the concept of an occult book, the descriptions of the world of book and rarities. i disliked Lily that I found flat.
It starts in a very strong way and my expectations were high, it became a bit boring as it was a sort of we-go-there-do-that and let's have sex.
The author can write and I liked the style of writing in the first part.
This is my personal vision and I think it could change if I re-read it.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

This is a great read, digested it in one sitting! Such an easy book to follow, and did not want to put it down!

This is a book about a book. An ancient, very rare, very valuable occult book that is said to have magical powers if used correctly.

A pair of book dealers (Lily and Lucas) team up following the sudden death of a colleague to find the infamous book for a wealthy buyer, hoping to make themselves rich in the process, and perhaps learn the powerful secrets contained in its pages for themselves. What follows is a dangerous treasure hunt that takes Lily and Lucas across the USA and Europe where they come across some very colourful characters, including artists and witches, with plenty of very erotic encounters along the way.

A sexy romp of a read with a smidgen of the supernatural.

This was not what I expected at all. Two book dealers travel through Europe on the hunt for a very rare occult book. They have a buyer lined up and this sale will make them very rich and happy. But this isn't just any old book....really enjoyed it. Its a bit horror/erotica/occult/emotional/and some more.

Shortly after Lily Albrecht agreed, for a third of the profit, to help a fellow Bookdealer trace a valuable manuscript he was murdered. Coincidence? Lily is a bookdealer by accident. Her first novel had been very successful and her husband, Abel, was also a well-known, academic, writer. However, he had developed a rapidly developing case of early dementia and their life had collapsed. Abel is now in a persistent vegetable state looked after by a dedicated care worker and essentially a burden to her. In downsizing she had had to sell off their personal book collection and so drifted into the world of book dealing. She learns about the death from Lucas, a University purchasing librarian and a wealthy book collector in his own right. The dead man, Shyman, was a military history expert and he’d sought Lily’s help because she was a generalist with a wide range of contacts. However, he hadn’t told her who his buyer was and his notebook only contain nicknames, so she is at an impasse.
Feeling that she has a moral duty to try and find the book, if only so that his family will benefit from the sale of the book which is possibly worth a million dollars, she asks Lucas for advice because he knows a little about the specialist area of esoteric, occult books. However, neither of them knows the actual title of the book, or its content, or how rare it might be. Neither moves in the circles where people believe in the power of magic, and certainly don’t know buyers who can spend millions on their avocation. Fortunately Lucas knows a man who does, and he sets them on the trail. He also knows details about the book, which is of course titled “The Book of the Most Precious Substance”. It is a true manuscript hand written in 1614 and only five copies were made, of which three remain. It is a grimoire which describes a sequence of five sex acts which, carried out in the presence of the book, and with the application of appropriate bodily fluids to symbols in the book and the recitation of magic words brings infinite power to the user. Lily and Lucas embark on the search.
The book, i.e. the book you are reading not the fictional (I hope) grimoire, becomes a classic hunt story in which the protagonists meet someone, learn something, move on to the next someone, getting ever closer to their goal. Initially driven by the money she will make, Lily, gradually becomes subverted by the magic, or is she just diverted by the increasingly adventurous and climactic sex she is having. Lucas’s initial motivation is less clear, perhaps he just has a yen for Lily, but becomes the same obsessive desire for increasingly erotic sex. There is quite a lot of sex and it is mostly erotic, although some of it is sadistic, and much of it is disquieting. Here is also a strong epicurean vibe as they travel to various cities in various parts of the world and enjoy first class travel and accommodation and wine and dine on the finest haute cuisine. The whole thing is well written and the cast of characters are entertainingly drawn. I did feel that some of the scenes were overwritten, the author enjoying her considerable descriptive skills. However, it doesn’t really slow the action too much.
I would like to thank NetGalley, the publishers and the author for providing me with a draft proof copy for the purpose of this review.