Emily J Taylor knocked it out of the ballpark with her second novel, The Otherwhere Post! A unique magic system + romance (not spicy) + well-written, amazing characters = a fantastic read that will stick with me for a long time! This novel was the perfect mix of dark academia, whimsy, and mystery. Taylor's writing drew me in with each page while the story kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to find out the next twist. Absolutely brilliant!

The novel follows Maeve Abenthy, who's running from her dead father's crimes until a mysterious letter is delivered to her. She goes undercover at the Otherwhere Post to figure out what really happened on that fateful day and prove her father's innocence.

There is some world-building at the beginning of the novel, but the reader really dives right in to Maeve's story and learns more about the magic system as our FMC learns about it. I liked that the FMC wasn't the classic depressed and down-on-her-luck archetype. The readers could really experience how tough things were for her but also how hard she was working to make things better for herself and to repair her father's reputation.

And our male love interest was a perfect counterpart! Mysterious, good-looking, and smart- yes please! His character development was well-balanced and added an extra layer to the story that was needed. His character arc complemented the plot well and helped to drive the story forward, all while pulling on my heartstrings. Dare I say, I have a new favorite book boyfriend??

I really enjoyed this novel and will be highly suggesting it to my friends and followers!

<i> Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC copy. This review is my own opinion.<i>

*Full review to be added closer to publication!*

The Otherwhere Post is just as magical and spellbinding as its cover reflects. This book has such an enchanting and intricately detailed world that Emily J. Taylor absolutely brought to life. There's a lot of mystery to get lost in, as well as a bit of a slow-burn romance. We follow Maeve Abenthy, an exceptionally determined protagonist who stops at nothing to find the truth. There's some wonderfully developed characters, friendships, and a really fascinating magic system to explore. Taylor really succeeded in creating an immersive story and I really had a great time with this one! I will certainly be reading more from Emily J. Taylor!

I really wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me. The opening is great, but the pacing slows below what I like to read. The worldbuilding of what I did read was really well shown and original, but it simply wasn't enough to draw me in.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily Taylor is a delightfully cozy YA novel about a Maeve, a teenage girl who has been hiding for most of her life, dodging the shadow of her dead father's crimes. She lives under false names, moving from place to place, never letting anyone know her. She's just about to move on to the next place when she receives a mysterious anonymous letter that tells her the impossible: her father was innocent. Despite herself, she embarks on a journey, faking her way into the Otherwhere Post to be trained in the magical art of scriptomancy - at which her father had once been adept - overcoming her own terror to find the truth. Along the way, she is forced to do the one thing she has avoided doing in years - trust.

This book is sweet and cozy, a fun read even as it relies on some YA tropes (an instant connection with her handsome, secretive mentor, an MC who is gorgeous even though she doesn't know it, peers who befriend her even when she runs from them). It reads well as a standalone novel, which is an added bonus, though I would be more than happy to read a sequel detailing Maeve and Tristan's adventures after the events in The Otherwhere Post.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this eARC!

Thank you @penguinteen #partner for the gifted copy of this book!

Five start alert! This book blew me away. I didn’t even know I needed this book until I devoured it. Trust me when I say this, this book will be a TOP young adult fantasy of the YEAR in 2025! Did I call it in 2024?! Yep! 😂 Just watch! 👀

This book gave me similar vibes as Ruthless Vows BUT was different at the same time. In this book we follow a character named Maeve who is running from her past and has assumed a different identity. Her father had been accused of heinous crimes and so she is always on the move and never getting too close to anyone. One day, she receives a letter that changes everything, claiming her father was innocent. Of course, she must find out the truth! She does so by stretching the truth of who she is, becomes an apprentice in scriptomancy, which is a letter career that allows her to deliver secret magical letters between different worlds. Of course add a love interest and some high stakes adventures and what you end up with is a bingeable tale with spectacular storytelling. I am obsessed with this uniquely crafted atmospheric journey that I simply didn’t want to end. I will 💯be running to the store to get my hands on a copy for my shelves as soon as I can! Did I mention, you NEED this book too?

I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review.

This book was unexpectedly phenomenal, after a little bit of a slow start. I am hit or miss when it comes to fantasy novels, just not really my genre. However, I was very excited when I heard about this novel and it was quite intriguing. I like how this story unfolded and the antics that Maeve was pulling to try to solve so much of her own family mystery. I also appreciate the friendships she finally learned that ARE valuable and leaning on Tristan and her friends more. I really liked the splash of a love story that was not too overwhelming and did not take away from the story. Her roommate and her antics were absolutely hilarious and ridiculous, she is the kind of person who I would want as a friend.

Like with this author's first novel, I feel like the ending felt a bit rushed, albeit was SUPER unique with spilling all the tea that has occurred through letters being written. I actually quite enjoyed that and found it to be an interesting way to tell the story. My one real annoyance was literally the last page and how it ended, I felt like it just.....cut out. Drops this one line and then....Author's acknowledgments. Um, what? Not a fan of that so much.... this is an advanced copy so maybe there will be a little bit more sprinkle of salt on the end there...one would hope anyway. Regardless, totally worth the read and I quite enjoyed this adventure!

I can definitely see this being enjoyed by teens. It’s a true YA with kissing only, and a bit of touching. (Nothing descriptive) The magic is interesting. However, it’s not a magic with much depth. Just as the world building is a little lacking, for me. As a YA, it’s not too bad though.

I really enjoyed the magic system and the world that Emily J Taylor immersed us in. I hadn’t read Hotel Magnifique yet when I picked this one up but you can bet I will be reading it after the experience of this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the E-ARC.

This was fantastic. I loved the world-building, the characters, the mystery. Just an absolutely great time. I would love if this was a series so I could live with these characters a lot longer. I want to see them fix all the bigger problems and just watch them grow up and do all the scriptomancy!

The premise is good but the execution is meh. I found myself struggling to connect with the story from chapter 1 because of so much exposition, and I can’t say I cared much about Maeve toward the end. Scriptomancy is supposed to be this super complicated magic form, but she’s somehow able to master it and weasel her way into the school despite having no prior formal training. It all just felt very lackluster and when the end came, I was mostly glad to be finished.

Extremely well written and I will continue to read this author. The opportunity was an honor to read and I see this being booktok next obsession.

Fun book to read. Even though it’s YA, it kept my attention till the end. It’s like a fairy tale, but darker and more exciting. The characters were great, especially Maeve. Tristan felt a little odd, but that seems to fit his role. Some might compare it to *Harry Potter*, but it stands out as unique. Definitely worth reading!

Thank you, Net Galley!

This book was so much better than I expected. I could commit to a big long series about scriptomancy and would love to have it expand on the other characters in future books. Between the magic system and the mystery and the suspense and romance, it will be one I go back to in years to come to just be able to be in that world again. Thanks to net galley for the Arc. Everyone needs to read this book when it is released, especially if you liked Hotel Magnifique!!! You won’t be sorry.

It took me a bit to get into, but I enjoyed the story once I did. Maeve is suddenly given a letter from seven years previous that may change what she thinks she knows about the day her father died and the whole world changed. I especially enjoyed the interactions with Tristan. A nice story.

3.5 🌟

this story follows maeve who lost everything seven years ago. she receives an anonymous letter saying "your father was innocent" and so she goes on to live under a fake name to find out the truth. this book was so fun & the magic system was unique, focusing on hand-written writing infused with magic.

this had fantasy, mystery, magical letters, dark academia vibes, & a little bit of romance. the pacing was a bit slow at times but overall i really enjoyed this story. tristan was my favorite part of this book 🥹

thank you penguin group & netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!

Not being a Fantasy reader I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I loved the magic and the story and can see myself diving into this genre more. I can also totally see this being a series. I can only imagine how much more I would have loved this if it was an adult novel.

Thank you netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Premise: Maeve Abenthy has lived a life of uncertainty and fear since the death of her father, who she believes was a killer who unleashed dark magic, causing destruction and the opening of doors to other realms. Forced to hide under false identities, Maeve is isolated and distrustful of everyone. However, everything changes when a Courier delivers a letter from an anonymous sender, claiming her father is innocent. With this revelation, Maeve’s mission becomes clear: she must uncover the truth about what happened the day her father died by finding the mysterious sender of the letter from seven years ago.


My Thoughts: The story is rich with dark academia vibes, beautiful writing, intricate world-building, and a captivating mystery. Maeve’s personal journey is compelling, as she learns to trust others and confront the pain and betrayal from her past. However, while the twists and suspense keep the reader engaged, the book isn't without its flaws. The romance feels forced for much of the story, lacking chemistry between Maeve and Tristan until the final act. Additionally, some lingering questions about the world-building remain unanswered, and the ending feels rushed, leaving a few loose ends.

Final Verdict: Despite some issues with pacing and romance, the book offers plenty of intrigue, mystery, and magic, making it a compelling winter read for fans of dark academia and thrillers.

A very immersive and imaginative dark academia mystery/thriller!
All Maeve Abenthy has known since her father has died is that he's a killer, unleashing a dark magic upon the worlds, and causing destruction of the doors to move from realm to realm. Lost, abandoned, saddened, she had been forced to into hiding in new, unassuming identities, and was ready to begin a new in another town. She doesn't trust anyone, is alone in the world. Until one day, a Courier gives her a note from an anonymous sender telling her her father is innocent, and she has a change of plans. Find the sender of the letter from seven years ago and get her answers. She will have to lie and infiltrate her way into a prestigious school in order to search for her answers, digging up her past, and finding out the truth of what really happened that fateful day and who her father really is.
But, finding out those answers will become more and more dangerous the closer she gets to the truth, as someone is well aware of what she has done. So now, not only is she hunting down the sender of the letter, someone who knew her father, she is searching for the person who may hurt her if she were to find out the whole truth. Should she proceed or go back into hiding?
Along the way, she accidentally gets closer to a boy with secrets of his own. This boy would become her mentor, and little does she know, that their pasts are more entwined then they both realize.
The writing is beautiful here, the world-building very intricate and well-thought out. I enjoyed Maeve's journey as she gradually goes against her nature and learns to trust people, as she has been hurt so much in the past, both by what happened with her father and the hatred that soon came after.
So why four stars???
A few questions remained for me that I never felt fully satisfied with, as much detail as Taylor went into this world she created. Also, the romance felt mostly forced for more than half the book, even though by the third act, I was on board. The chemistry was a little lacking as Tristan and Maeve got closer, which was limited to Maeve getting turned on when Tristan was just near her. This part could use some work.
Also, the ending felt kind of rushed.
Still, there were plenty of twists and turns, mystery, horror, and just a touch of magic to keep me engrossed, making this a great magical winter read.

A unique magic system, an university setting, and a well paced storyline that kept me guessing till the end with a dash of romance? Who could ask for more!

This had some Harry Potter-like vibes. Good concept and world-building, but does need some serious editing. Not just for typos, but for some storyline/logic gaps. Otherwise an enjoyable read, with a tough heroine.