I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

3.75 stars. I liked the slow burn between Maeve and Tristan/her relationships with her other friends as well as the dark academia vibes but something about the pacing was just off for me. I think maybe because of the way the first half felt like a lot of information and less storytelling.

I really enjoyed this one, especially the magic system of writing magic! The worldbuilding in the beginning of the book was a bit shaky and confusing at times but as I got further in it all came together nicely!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. For fans of A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid comes a new mystery/fantasy with all the same lyrical dark academia vibes. A perfect read for fall!
The characters were strong and personable, the storyline was perfectly paced, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. The Otherwhere Post is not one you will want to miss!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advance reader copy!

The Otherwhere Post is a part dark academia, part mystery set in a fantasy world where there is power in writing. The story follows 19 year old Maeve, who has lived her last 7 years on the run following a horrible event that left an entire world (Inverly) to crumble, and many lives lost. Her father Jonathan was blamed for what happened to Inverly, and became notoriously hated overnight. Jonathan ended up perishing during the tragedy, leaving Maeve an orphan.

Maeve cuts all ties to her father and begins to live a life of secrets. One day she gets a letter that was meant to be delivered to her in the days after the fall of Inverly. The letter is from "an old friend" and speaks of her fathers innocence. She vows then and there to uncover the truth about her father, which starts with a plan to find the sender of her letter.

What follows is a series of lies and deception as Maeve manages to infiltrate the Otherwhere Post as a scriptomancer apprentice. She tries to investigate her letter in private, but as she slowly builds relationships with those around her, such as her roommate, Nan and her mentor, Tristan, she finds it hard to keep up the lies. Only through building trust and friendship will she be able to expose the truth about what really happened at Inverly 7 years ago.

What I loved about this book:
1) The mood. The worldbuilding, mood, and overall atmosphere of this book is top notch! I'm not very good at putting myself into the world of books that I am reading, but Taylor did a great job with descriptions of events and places. I really felt as if I was walking through the woods of an old college campus, or traveling traveling between worlds using the written word as magic. This would make a wonderful read on a crisp fall day with a hot cup of [insert your beverage of choice here].

2) The character development! I tend to be more critical of poorly written characters than poorly written plot, and the characters did not disappoint. I loved getting to know more about Maeve and Tristan, and I adored watching their relationship develop. There is also something wonderful to be said about the friendship that builds between Maeve and Nan. I did not like Nan when she was first introduced, and by the end I was so happy to see these two become friends!

What I felt could have been better:
1) Plot exposition. The first few chapters were rather heavily exposited (telling of the story rather than showing). Most of this "telling" was centered around Maeve and Jonathan's backstory. Luckily, this quickly faded after Maeve arrived at the Post (much more show vs tell), so this was the least bothersome for me.

2) The magic. I wanted more of the scriptomancy magic! Sometimes it felt like it was used solely as a plot moving device. I think it would have added so much to the mood if it was used more frequently/developed in greater detail.

3) Plot inconsistencies. There were a couple of instances where the plot contradicted itself. The ARC that I was provided is an early, pre-review copy so I am hopeful that these will be caught prior to publication. If they are then I will edit my review and star rating!

The Otherwhere Post is not without fault, but I genuinely had a good time reading this! The characters and the vibes were great. I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a dark, YA fantasy/mystery/slow burn romance.

I adored Hotel Magnifique by this author and was elated to discover her upcoming novel. Honestly one of the most unique fantasy books I’ve ever read! The magic is so incredibly unique. I mean magic created through writing? How could I not love it. While the magic system and world building take some getting used to and understanding, it makes it all that more wonderful. The author has done a phenomenal job crafting this amazing world and the magic it holds. There was so much heart in this story. It is definitely an ode to the art of writing. Speaking of writing, the writing is this was wonderfully atmospheric. There was some amazing autumn and winter imagery. The descriptions of the university buildings, the smell of parchment and ink really immerse you into the world. I loved the characters and the overarching mystery in the story. This was such a delight. 5/5 stars for me. Looking forward to reading another book from this author again. The story left such an impact on me. I will be thinking about this world for a long time.

As a devoted fan of dark academia, eccentric world-building, twisty mysteries, and a delightful touch of magic blended with slow-burn romance, this book was music to my soul! I loved it with every fiber of my being!

I highly recommend adding Otherwhere Post to your reading list and grabbing a copy as soon as it’s published. It’s definitely one of the best YA fantasy/mystery reads of 2025, and I can honestly say it surpassed my expectations.

The character development, complex world-building of different realms, academic setting, and the creative magic system of scriptomancy left me speechless. I also adored Tristan—patient, caring, sweet, capable, melancholic, and the perfect partner in crime!

Now, let’s dive into the plot: the story follows 19-year-old Maeve Abenthy, whose life was forever altered seven years ago by a tragic event in Inverly that claimed the lives of many innocent people. The disaster was caused by a dangerous creature that burned down the Written Doors. Maeve was left an orphan at the doorstep of Sacrifict Orphanage, where she was bullied and imprisoned, but she eventually escaped. To make matters worse, she was revealed to be the daughter of Jonathan, one of the most notorious criminals, who was blamed for the deaths in Inverly. Jonathan, a powerful scriptomancer capable of enchanting letters, was accused of unleashing Aldervine, a deadly plant with crawling branches that killed many, including Maeve. Although she was saved at the last second by a mysterious man, she witnessed the death of her aunt years ago.

After running away from the orphanage, Maeve constantly changes her name and location, taking on odd jobs to survive. When a courier delivers a letter from seven years ago, written before the Written Doors closed, she realizes that someone knows she’s alive. The contents of the letter are shocking—it claims her father is innocent, and the sender is a friend of his, but who?

Maeve’s path crosses with the mysterious courier who tells her the only way to trace the sender is by accessing the archives, a privilege only couriers have. To solve the mystery, Maeve decides to infiltrate Otherwhere Post by faking her credentials, references, and stealing another applicant’s identity.

During her dangerous plan, she once again encounters the courier she met earlier—Tristan, the son of Postmaster Bryne, who is also her mentor. Tristan quickly discovers she’s faking her identity but, instead of exposing her, he’s intrigued and offers to help.

Can Maeve trust this boy when she hasn’t been able to trust anyone for years, not even revealing her true name or walking down the street without looking over her shoulder?

Maeve must find the person who sent her the letter and prove her father’s innocence. But with danger lurking around every corner and someone threatening to expose her secret identity with ominous letters written in special ink, can she accomplish this perilous mission?

Overall: This is a twisty, smart, heart-pounding, and unputdownable journey that I thoroughly enjoyed! It’s undoubtedly one of the best fantasy reads of 2025, deserving of five scriptomancy stars!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group/Penguin Young Readers Group/G.P. Putnam’s Sons for Young Readers for providing this incredible digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Publishing Group for granting me an Advanced Reader's Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion.

Maeve is living a nomadic life thrown upon her because seven years ago, her father became the most hated man of her magical world. She lost everything that fateful day and has learned very quickly to never stay in any given place for long and never ever reveal who she truly is. Her world seems to unravel again for a second time when she receives a mysterious letter telling her that her father was innocent.

Full of magic, mystery, and a little bit of love, this novel is a definite read!

Easily 5 stars one of the best books I’ve read this year.
I finished this in 7 hours in one sitting. Out of the 158 books I’ve read this year it’s tied for 1st place.

The Dark Academia vibes are one of my favorite types of fantasy/young adult books so I was really excited to read this

I absolutely loved all of the characters, Maeve had so much personal growth throughout the book and I always tend to like the shy sweet female main characters. She started out lonely and became so brave and a real hero. Sometimes you don’t need to be strong from the beginning and these types of characters feel very real and human to me.

Tristan has become one of my favorite male love interests. Also sweet, misunderstood and although powerful very humble. They had a slow burn relationship but it was well paced and I was giggling at their conversations and slow build up to what they ended with.

Tristan and two of her other friends, (Nan + Shea) also showed Maeve how to trust, she never felt that and never opened up people and by the end of the book she knew she had people who cared about her and she didn’t have to do everything alone.

The plot was very complex but not confusing, I normally can predict a lot. But everything was surprising to me and there were many great plot twists. The magic system was also one of the most unique I’ve seen in awhile.

I don’t want to give spoilers but not many books make me feel the way I did reading this. I genuinely believe it will be as popular as some of the major books the last few years.

I did get this as an ARC early and doesn’t come out until February 25th. But I promise it’s worth the wait. I am brutally honest with my reviews but genuinely have nothing bad to say about this book, I’m also glad it is a standalone because it ends well and is satisfying. I know so many people will love this book.

The magic system in this book is one of my favorites ever, a magic system based on writing is such a fun one. I also found the prose in this book to be absolutely beautiful and I loved the rain-stricken setting but unfortunately I didn't feel any connection with the main character. I think it was really easy to resonate with her since she's bookish but I think starting out the story was rather info dumpy and I felt like I was halfway through and still knew little to nothing about Maeve. Overall I think this was a fun read and I did enjoy it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the advance reader copy!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵 follows Maeve, running from the death of her parents and destruction of her world on the infamous day the Aldervine was unleashed upon Inverly. The world, including Maeve, blames her father for the terror and loss, and she lives a nomadic lifestyle under fake names to ensure her survival - until one day when her world is shattered with the arrival of a letter claiming her father's innocence.

Maeve must infiltrate the Otherwhere Post, posing as a scriptomancer apprentice while investigating her father's secrets and avoiding her handsome mentor, who isn't fooled by her act. As her search deepens, she finds herself in more danger, both from evil forces and her heart.

This spellbinding YA standalone features an intriguing plot with a tender romance story. It has a magical academy setting with an epistolary element, making it the perfect book for fans of 𝘋𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘴 to pick up when it releases next year!

I enjoyed Emily's storytelling, and this book delivers on YA fantasy expectations. I wanted a bit more tension and pining from Maeve and Tristan's dynamic, but I was satisfied enough with the character development, plot, and world building. This is a strong story, but likely one that won't leave a lasting impression on me in the years to come.

This was an enchanting story. Maeve is trying to figure out what's going on with her father when she receives an anonymous letter saying that he was innocent. But how on earth will she be able to prove it?

As she works on the case, her mentor realizes something amiss, and watching the two of them navigate it was so much fun. I didn't expect the ending to be what it was!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

The Otherwhere post is an enchantingly whimsical and daring story with adventure, romance, and captivating characters.

I had so much fun with this one! It was moody and atmospheric, with lovely Edwardian dark academia vibes. I adored the characters and their wonderful development. The romance was excellent and beautifully tender. The pacing was great, and the prose was gorgeous. After finishing Hotel Magnifique in 2022, I desperately needed another spellbinding story from Emily, and TOP delivered. I highly recommend this beautiful YA fantasy!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ARC!

There were so many aspects of this book that I liked, and I think every aspect was done pretty well. There's a unique fantasy magic system/world, a school setting, some romance, and a mystery at the core of it all. I didn't really like the ending and the person behind it all, but still enjoyed the full journey to get there.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.