The Otherwhere Post is one of my favorite books this year. The cover captured my attention immediately. The story of Maeve, a girl afraid to even say her own name out loud because of the treachery of her father, forced to lie, cheat and disappear over and over to stay safe was heartbreaking, but her pluck and bravery made me want to cheer. This was a fast paced book with twists and turns all along the way. The story's climax had me anxious for a happy ending.

This book appears to be a stand alone, but could have a sequel. I would recommend it to middle grades on up. There is some mild swearing, a closed door romance, violence and death.

𝘔𝘢𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘸𝘢s 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘭𝘶𝘮𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭.

Right off the bat we are plunged into this intriguing world, or worlds rather created by @emilycanwrite. I loved her debut novel Hotel Magnifique and was pleasantly charmed by this release. Maeve is an Inverly orphan trapped in Leyland after the doors between worlds were burned down. Hiding under an assumed identity the moment her father was declared as a murderer, she receives an anonymous letter 7 years later declaring his innocence and sets out on a mission to prove it.

As Maeve enrolls as a courier apprentice - the only known profession that can travel between worlds, she meets an assortment of characters at The Otherwhere Post, all or whom either hold secrets to her mystery, or secrets of their own. It made for challenging guesswork trying to figure out everyone's motive and who actually held the clues she was looking for, and there were plenty of misdirects.

The action and pace were well thought out, even with the world building and I could visualise myself in the settings so easily. I loved that her love interest was bespectacled, and that her roommate was challenging the boundaries and expectations that were set for herself. The dark academia setting is lush though there wasn't further deep details on the magic system - especially since there were other characters who could create their own variations within the magic system.

As with Hotel Magnifique, I was extremely curious about the backstory and lore of this world and wish I knew more considering this is a standalone novel rather than a series.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor is a fantasy mystery centered on Maeve, who almost died seven years ago and her father is known as a murderer. She receives a letter stating he is innocent and she becomes an apprentice at the Otherwhere Post to find out the truth. This magical world involves the use of scriptomancy that allows the writer to travel between worlds. The banter and chemistry between Maeve and her mentor, Tristan is quite magical too. He is a talented scriptomancer with secrets of his own, but he is supportive and protective of Maeve.

I would recommend this book for fantasy and young adult readers. I could not put this book down, I wanted to stay immersed in this world as long as possible. I would love to stroll the cobblestones around the school and old town, browse an inksmithy, and stain my fingers with ink while traveling between the worlds. The descriptions are quite lovely and atmospheric in this book, you will delight in the turn of phrases.

Thank you Penguins Young Readers Group and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I don’t even know how to summarize my feelings in this book. It had familiar magical vibes while being its own unique world and magic system. Everything was fantastic: the characters, the world building, the mystery. I’m torn between hoping this is a standalone book so there’s no potential of taking away from this story vs hoping it becomes a series so I can enter this world again. Highly recommend.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for gifting me this ARC. I've been eager to read this book since it reminded me of Divine Rivals..

I really enjoyed the cozy fantasy vibes, along with the subplot of romance and mystery woven throughout the story. The magic system was particularly intriguing, especially the letters and the magical doors.
Maeve was a standout character; her stubbornness and recklessness drove her quest to uncover the truth about her father. Tristan was funny and caring, but I wished there had been more moments between Maeve and Tristan to fully flesh out their romance. Overall, I really enjoyed this story!

I really enjoyed this book! It kept me interested from start to finish and I was invested in the relationship between the FMC and the MMC. Some portions of the book felt rushed or not fully developed, particularly when the FMC runs away from the school (Why was this so simple to achieve?). I would’ve appreciated more backstory on the professors and the different worlds, but overall it was an exciting read and a unique fantasy that kept me entertained.

Seven years ago Maeve lost her aunt in a horrible crime that wiped out an entire other world with a dangerous vine that was set loose there. Maeve's father was the one blamed for the crime and died while committing the crime. After living years with a false name, Maeve has received a letter stating that her father was innocent and she is determined to find out if this is true, so she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post to get to the truth. Will she survive the threatening letters she receives after arriving to the school, can she trust anyone around her including her roommate and her handsome mentor, and will she find out the truth before anyone else gets hurt.

This book sucked me in as soon as I started reading and kept me wanting to turn pages all the way to the end. The characters are very relatable and the chemistry between Maeve and Tristan is great. The slow burning romance is fade to black and leaves enough to the imagination that I would be comfortable placing it in a middle school library. A great read that I will be adding to both my middle school and high school.

This was really good! Albeit not partially special, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It wasn’t very memorable unfortunately, as it’s been a few days and I’m struggling to remember anything about this book. It was entertaining, but fades into obscurity among all the other similar young adult romantasy books.

The story was well written, and the characters had a lot of depth. I liked Tristan as a character and for the way that even though he and Maeve didn’t initially get along, he treated her so sweetly from the very beginning. I loved them together, it was cute. The way their relationship progressed felt very natural and not rushed at all. Honestly there’s not much to say.

The Otherwhere Post was a great book in the moment, but I recall VERY little about it just a few days later. I’m not sure if that’s a fault of my own or of the story. Definitely worth checking out though!

I found this book to be enjoyable and a fast read. You are entertained by this other world, a well written plot twist, a dash of mystery and a slow burn romance all rolled into one. You have entered a world of writing which makes magic happen for the characters in this book. The magic and the connection between Maeve and Tristan were what captivated me, and I couldn’t wait to see how Taylor ends this story. I highly recommend this book. 19-year-old Maeve who has been on the run since her father was accused of the destruction of the Written Doors and Inverly. She has just planned to move again before any finds out who she is when she receives a long-lost letter, stating that her father, Jonathan was innocent of these crimes. She decides to investigate and gets herself inside the Otherwhere Post into the scriptomancer apprentice program, where she believes that she will find the person who wrote this letter. This is when adventure, friendships, romance and much more happen to Maeve. Read to find out whether Maeve finds evidence to clear her father. Thank you, Netgalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for providing me with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

I chose to review this book not having read the author’s previous work, but simply by the short description on NetGalley. From the moment I started reading this book I was absolutely captive to the plight of Maeve and her horrifically tragic backstory. She is an incredibly adaptive main character who has learned what she must do to survive until her world is upended with simply a letter. Everything she thought she knew she must question and then is forced to drudge up the worst moments of her life over and over again.

This book is by far one of my absolute favorite reads of this year, even though it won’t be published until February 2025! The author is masterful at multi-world building and invoking layers upon layers of intricate details that not only enhance the experience of reading this tale, but make it truly feel as if I was trying to solve the mysteries right along with Maeve. More than once, when I thought I knew who was behind something, was I wrong and felt the acute disappointment that only brilliant writing can achieve. I felt lost, afraid, abandoned, hopeful, and terrified all in the span of cover to cover. I recommend this book to anyone. Everyone. This is a book that will scribe itself upon your soul, one silver letter at a time.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

He is the most hated man in the world, his actions led to the destruction of a city and the deaths of everyone in it. He’s dead, and she’s hated him for 7 years - and he is her father. Maeve has been hiding her identity to protect herself from her father’s horrid reputation. One day, she receives a mysterious letter saying that her father is innocent. She must risk everything to uncover the secrets that could change everything.

“The Otherwhere Post” is a dazzling, enticing fantasy filled with romance and mystery. The world-building and magic system were unique. I loved Emily J. Taylor’s storytelling in this tale, quite different than “Hotel Magnifique,” which I also enjoyed. Both of these stories have in common the curiosity spark and the dark but yet whimsical magic element. I do think fans of “Divine Rivals” would enjoy this book.

For those who love:
💌 Letter writing magic
💌 Mysterious Letter
💌 Hidden Identity
💌 Academia
💌 Found Family
💌 Political Intrigue
💌 Perplexing Mystery
💌 Standalone Fantasy

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Absolutely loved this book! The academic setting seems unique and refreshing. The romance and the friendships kept me invested and wanting to know what would happen. I love a good standalone that truly gives you an ending and doesn’t leave you guessing.

I loved Hotel Magnifique and the world Emily J. Taylor created and could not wait to read this story.
It's a bit more YA but The Otherwhere Post is a great story about a whole new type of world.

Our protagonist is Maeve Abenthy who needs to live under an alias as her father was blamed with destroying the doors between worlds. In this universe, communication between worlds is via couriers who are trained in the magic scriptomancy and Maeve has managed to herself invited into the school to be trained to be a courier.

There's a love interest, plenty of obstacles and tons of interesting world building. If you love a syfy romance, a universe of words or just want to root for a wonderfully strong and true protagonist, this book is for you!
#Penguin #GPPutnam #theotherwherepost

LOVED this book, I would honestly love to see more in this world with these characters. I don't want to spoil a thing, but it was truly something that I could not put down. I thank NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to read the ARC of this novel. Emily J. Taylor is not someone that I had heard of before, but I am ready for another. She truly built a world with a great backstory, mystery, fantasy, and character progression. I will buy a copy of this as soon as it is released!

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor completely swept me off my feet. From the moment I read the description, I had a hunch that it would be a good story, but I never anticipated falling head over heels for it the way I did. This is the kind of book that engulfs you entirely. I savored every single word.

This book is a captivating blend of dark academia, richly detailed world-building, enigmatic mysteries, enchanting magic, a slow-burn romance, and unwaveringly loyal friendships. If you savor immersive storytelling that weaves these elements, this book is an absolute must-read!

I became deeply attached to the characters, the worlds, the magic system, the subplots, and the overall storyline.

Maeve captivated me with her strong, fierce, and cunning nature, making her feel like a kindred spirit. I found her character's transformation throughout the narrative to be incredibly satisfying to observe, and her poignant encounters with grief deeply affected me, leaving me feeling utterly engulfed. Equally remarkable was Tristan, with his unwavering strength, loyalty, and demeanor, which seemed flawlessly suited to him. The dynamic tension and playful exchanges between these two added an extra layer of perfection to the story. The friendship between Maeve and Nan was a standout element for me, along with Nan's mentor, Shea. I appreciated how each character had a distinct role in the narrative, adding complexity to the plot.

The world-building and magical aspects of the story are phenomenal. The magic system was my favorite part of this book. Its components were engaging, fascinating, and incredibly unique. I can't go into that many details without spoilers, but it is truly one of a kind.

I have a feeling some may find it to have a slower start, but trust me when I say that it will whisk you away. All of the above, plus the added mystery component and twists, will have you hooked. I truly wish I could experience reading this book for the first time all over again. It's a twisty, mysterious, heart-pounding, and utterly gripping story that will leave you in awe. It was whimsical and enchanting; every story element was executed with sheer brilliance. If I could give it more than five stars, I would. It's an all-time favorite, for sure. I'd gladly read this book again and again. ✨

Thank you, Penguin Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books, for this ARC!!! Literally amazing. Undoubtedly, this will be one of the best fantasy books of 2025.

Publication Date: Feb 25, 2025 - GO PREORDER THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW! You absolutely need a copy of this book. I'm praying this one gets a special edition because I need it and every edition that gets published.

If I could give this book ten stars, I absolutely would. The Otherwhere Post by Emily J Taylor will be an instant best seller and if you enjoy dark fantasy and it’s not in your TBR, do yourself a favor and put it there now. This book is easily one of the most unique and exciting reads I’ve had all year. I could not put it down.

The story opens up with 19 year old Maeve Abenthy, a loner skirting the edges of society— because she has a dark secret that could destroy her if known: she’s the daughter of a mass murderer. Her father was responsible for the death of the world of Inverly seven years ago and she’s been on the run ever since until she gets a anonymous letter insisting her father was wrongfully accused and promising to tell her everything if she’d meet up with this person on a date seven years prior. Terrified to hope it’s true, Maeve will stop at nothing to unravel the mystery for better or for worse.

One of the best parts about this book is how unique the world is, but as it’s nothing like I have ever read, it did take some time up front to settle into. It is a thousand percent worth acclimating to and leaving it, my only complaint was the books being too short! I saw where the author says this will be a standalone novel, but I’d love it so much if it were made into a series. Immediately upon finishing, I knew I needed a physical copy, so I preordered a beautiful hardback and I can hardly wait for February!

I’d like to thank Penguin Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received this book as an ARC.

I was a bit hesitant to read this book simply because I assumed it was a mystery/thriller. However, this book blew me away.

I really enjoyed this story and the adventure it took me on. I loved the tenacity of the FMC and the relationships that she reluctantly built. I wasn’t sold on Nan at first but grew to enjoy her and Shea. And Tristan was a refreshing MMC who didn’t play games with Maeve and showed his cards from the beginning.

I would happily read more books from this author!

The Otherwhere Post follows our main character Maeve as she poses as an apprentice to enter the world her father grew up in as she attempts to prove his innocence.

My favorite thing about this book had to be it’s magic system. I loved that it completely revolved around writing magic -scriptomancy. It was not only super fun to read but it was very unique as well. I was also pleasantly surprised by how the magic system helped build the dark academia aesthetic as that wasn’t something I was expecting going into this.

I will say though, this took awhile to become invested in. The pace started out fast and so I had been expecting that pacing to carry on throughout the story, but it actually slowed down a lot until the end. A little too much if you ask me. From about the 10-60% mark nothing very engaging was happening, and so at that point things started to go in one ear and out the other a bit for me. Despite the boring middle it did pick back up a bit at the ending, but it still didn’t change the fact that I spent a good chunk of this book bored.

Overall, I would say this was a step up from the authors previous work and worth giving a try. It may not be something that sticks with me long term but it was pretty enjoyable while it lasted.

~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆~

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!