Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc before the publication date.

This book was really interesting. In good and bad ways. The book was definitely interesting, but a little chaotic. The world building felt too abstract in my opinion, and I wish things had been more fleshed out because a lot of times I was confused.

If you read the book summary and feel like it 100% resonates with you, I would say read it. If you're iffy after reading the summary, I would honestly say maybe pass on this.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for a free ARC of 'The Memory Hunters' for my review.
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Key has been blessed by her ancestors by being able to dive deeper into blood memories compared to anyone else alive. All she wants to do is make a breakthrough contribution to the museum of memories. Vale is her protector from those with murderous intent and her own ambitions.

The concept of mushrooms holding memories was really interesting to me. As memory hunters consume blood chalices (a type of mushroom) to relieve the past memories of someone's elses life. They need an anchor typically the guardian who can sing them out of the memory otherwise hunters they can lose parts of themselves and find themselves slipping into the memories.

I also found the concept of the museum of memories unique with it storing memories or the mushrooms(?) To preserve the past.

The storyline was rather slow for the first 100 pages and the world could have been a little bit better fleashed out as it took me a while to understand the magic system and world.

Personally I struggled to connect to Key, she felt too spoiled and pushy and straight up annoyed me.

However I absolutely adored Vale's journey, especially the banter between Vale and her mentor. The sapphic slow burn was nice.

The book is definitely set up ready for a sequel and I would recommend it for those wanting to get into a dystopian sci-fi with queer representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing to read this book in advance with a digital copy.
I wanted to like this way more than I did in the end. The premise is fascinating: after what can be interpreted (not much is said about it) as a climate catastrophe, coastal cities are plagued by storms while the Spine and its cities thrive and rely on the Museum of Human Memory and its hunters to retrieve and store memories from the past to reconstruct what got lost. Unfortunately, much about the worldbuilding is left to speculation by the reader, which made the setting look a bit weak - as if the author had not put every detail in place before writing this story. Mushrooms, tabs, laboratories - it’s all cool in theory but, in the end, leaves too much room for interpretation, a constant guessing game that starts to get tiring at about half of the book.
The plot itself unravels at a very slow pace, the revelation that the MC is looking for gets pushed aside too many times - sure, we get flashbacks that pinpoints other characters’ motivations and all, but some of it feels unnecessary.
The characters themselves, especially the two female MCs, try to stand out amongst the crowd with a lot of internal reflection - too bad it gets repetitive and dull, especially the fourth time we’re reminded the girl is proud and hurt and struggles to get help and self respect.
Overall, this is a book I didn’t like for its structure and writing, and because the initial premise to me was betrayed by a couple of predictable turns of events and a lack of explaining.

The concept of this was too abstract for me - taking hallucinogenic mushrooms to travel back in time, to retrieve and catalog ancient memories, to preserve in part of a cultural museum and religious rite. I didn't love being immediately thrown into the heart of the story - the whole concept of memory diving, Key's lineage and her importance in it, and their whole society's religion were very confusing to me, and I still don't understand after finishing the book. Maybe some readers learn through immersion; I don't.

The relationships between the main characters seemed artificial, then forced, and the "twist" towards the end was predictable. I thought this was better than ACOTAR, but to me, that's not saying much. I HATE giving bad reviews, but I would probably recommend passing on this one.

I give this a 2/5.
This ARC was provided by the publisher via @netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the arc!

Honestly, I nothing this book. It was fine, but I never felt connected to the characters. As such, I also never felt connected to the story. Also key just pissed me off. -3 stars

I think that parts of this book were really interesting. Namely, I liked the idea of the mushrooms that basically let you trip into memories and a museum dedicated to archiving and preserving them--the memories, not really so the mushrooms (I think). The problem is that this was just... really bloated with plot and not all of it got resolved in a way that felt satisfying. There were actually a few instances, in my opinion, that you could cut out entirely and have zero changes to the story. I won't delve into any spoilers, but I will detail a few of the things that really didn't work for me.

For starters, I think the religious aspect of the book was... a little confusing and, honestly, didn't seem to really end up mattering in the end. It had a consequence, certainly, but the resolution just didn't work and seemed almost tossed aside. I really think the book should have just focused on the memory museum and the way that certain institutions gatekeep memories and memorabilia from the people that deserve access to them.

Then, there's the main relationship between Key and Vale. I think it probably could have worked if: 1. their friendship had been more firmly established; there was a lot of telling that they were friends and that they had a crush on one another, but there were a lot more instances that seemed to run counter to that; and 2. the story didn't continually reiterate how much the two of them didn't trust one another. Both of these things made a lot of the deeper emotional moments ring false. I just couldn't buy or care about the romance. Doubly so because Key was a level of selfish that, given Vale's established character, seemed to be something that she'd actively dislike. I almost wish they'd have started as enemies or antagonistic to one another before moving on to something more.

This just seemed like a case of too much plot, not enough space for it all to go. I don't know if it will bother anyone else, but I definitely struggled with this one. It's definitely creative, though.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

While the summary is intriguing, it’s obvious here that the author decided that she wanted to give a tone to her book by using “big” words. Unfortunately she wasn’t able to do so: this is not an academic paper where you need to use latinate words in every sentence and the most obscure synonym that you know. It felt too forced and fake to really be effective and I couldn’t really appreciate the story.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Net Galley for a free DRC of 'The Memory Hunters' by Mia Tsai!

"Not everything belongs in a museum and not everything needs a museum"

I absolutely inhaled this book and have been thinking about it long after finishing it. The memory hunters has such an interesting premise that hooked me in from the beginning. The world building is amazing and the story is beautifully written.

"It's hard not to curse the ancestors whose deeds, it's said, led to so much destruction, hard not to think of the earth as vengeful when many of it's gifts are poisoned"

I loved the dynamic between Key, the memory hunter or diver, and Vale, her guardian and protector - especially the balance between their will they/won't they friendship and complicated professional relationship (and particularly Vale's character who feels she doesn't belong in the city and in the academy for guardians). I also loved the exploration of the history of the temple and Keys role within this as a 'resifix' - a role that is kind of royal and has been passed down her generations.

"Shed soaked the pillow with tears, then vowed from then on not to show weakness in front of these strange city folk, these people who wore their climate privilege like their own skins, who stood upon an invisible support of money, power and knowledge, who shamed her because she had none of these things yet stole into their hallowed spaces and had the temerity to stay"

Other reviewers have explained this much more eloquently than I could - but the overarching story and message about museums and their power was so thought provoking, especially around ownership over information that is not their own. I also loved the exploration of the contrast and similarities between museums as an institution and black market memory hunters and how memory diving is implicitly morally ambiguous.

"The people who would take a magnifying glass to their speech to inspect it's construction, who would rip apart every stitch and seam until the language could no longer hold its own soul, then pin it up like a bug under glass and style themselves as experts."

There were many questions unanswered that I am excited to hopefully play out in the sequel as there is so much more that this series could flesh out in a really exciting way!

My only criticisms are that the pacing is a little slow at the start of the book compared to the rest of it (although this felt somewhat required for me with the amount of world building and magic system explanation that there is) and that, as above, there were parts of the story that I wish had been fleshed out more in this initial book.

The Memory Hunters by Mia Tsai is a captivating blend of mystery and fantasy, where the past and present intertwine in unexpected ways. Tsai’s vivid world-building and intriguing characters make for an immersive read that keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

This is a really solid second book from Ms. Tsai! We have a pair of girls, one who uses mushrooms to recover old memories from the distant past, and the other her guard. There's a really good dynamic between the two of them, but unfortunately this ends up falling apart a bit towards the end; it's almost like the author was hoping for a longer or at least a second book, as the wrap up comes a bit suddenly and glosses over a lot of things. Still definitely worth reading this summer.

The Memory Hunters by Mia Tsai is a captivating blend of urban fantasy and mystery, offering a unique take on memory manipulation and the power of the mind. Tsai’s world-building is intriguing, full of magical elements that feel both fresh and familiar. The main characters, especially the protagonist, are relatable and complex, making it easy to connect with their struggles and growth.

However, the pacing can be a bit uneven at times, especially towards the middle, where some sections feel slower than others. Still, the rich, atmospheric writing and emotional depth kept me hooked throughout.

Overall, I’m giving it a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars. While I thoroughly enjoyed the concept and characters, I felt like the plot could have been tightened up a little more to keep the momentum going. Still, it’s definitely worth the read for fans of fantasy with a touch of mystery and a lot of heart.

Thank you Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. My review is my own and not influenced by others.

‘Inception meets Indiana Jones in this propulsive fungal science fantasy following a headstrong academic and her equally stubborn bodyguard as they unearth an ancient secret that rocks the foundations of their society—and challenges their unspoken love for one another.’

The description sounded so good! But the writing style, world building and plot were so confusing that I had to DNF this book and spent my time with books that are much better to read.

Wow! Fantastic can’t wait for sequel. I loved the intricacies and twists and turns of this book. Female lead, magic and fantasy. Slow burning relationships. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I really enjoyed this fantasy adventure featuring an archaeologist-adjacent scholar who does fieldwork excavating for memories for a museum. Indiana Jones was an apt comparison; I also caught vibes of Selah/Tair of Sargassa in the main pairing of Key and Vale. Spoiled, selfish rich girl with a heart of gold and earnest innocence paired with a poor, scrappy servant with an impossible power dynamic and slow-burn lingering glances.

The Memory Hunters centers around a society in which memories can be extracted through a complicated process involving mushroom fillaments that humans have evolved to do and made part of their spiritual practice. Key is a rich kid memory hunter who works at a museum but is destined to become a spiritual leader at her family's temple; Vale is her guardian. Key is reckless, brash and always right, and Vale, despite having a milquetoast boyfriend, is hopelessly in love with her and along for the ride.

I was confused about how the memory extraction process worked and while this was billed as a science fantasy, I didn't see much science in it and these researchers acted more like Indiana Jones than actual scientists. I would have appreciated a more thorough and immersive description of how memory hunting worked, seemed like they just took a tablet infused with mushroom juice and I was confused from there. Even the spoiler of the true source of the ability didn't offer much elucidation. The worldbuilding was a little light on this, but I found it fascinating and wanted to know more, for such a long book.

But I absolutely loved Key and Vale and their slow-burn romance. I appreciated the pressures that Key was under that made her seem like a self-absorbed brat; she changed and became a better person through her bond with Vale. I need more princess-bodyguard sapphic romances like this.

I appreciated how Vale was a scrappy, tough kid who was always underestimated, but what was unique about her was her fierce devotion to her big, loving family back home and how she tried to recreate those links with her boyfriend and friends but was betrayed by her new support system at the end. I wish there had been more closure with her boyfriend, for him being such a large part of the story; I appreciate the bi rep but I wanted the focus to be on the main sapphic couple. Vale was so cavalier about the kiss and emotional affair; I wanted more of a conversation or a realization from her instead of her just seeing her man turn on her. I am tired of sapphic romances with bi women cheating on their boyfriends.

The slow burn between Vale and Key was epic, though, and they definitely took center stage as the main love interests. The boyfriend bit bugged me because I couldn't understand Vale's motivation for staying with him other than a thinly veiled excuse for tension. Anyway, by the end I was rooting for Vale to finally dump him but she never really did. Another side pet peeve.

Overall this was a fun, refreshing adventure and while some parts were predictable (I dislike guessing what will happen ahead of the characters) I was drawn in by this world and the fascinating ethical dilemmas of museum collections vs taking artifacts that belong to the cultures that originated them. I will be paying attention to this author's future work and hope there will be a sequel; it was certainly set up for one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

There's some books that come into your life at the wrong time. Everything about this book is something I should like but I find myself wandering at times while reading. It wasn't action oriented (which is fine) but without a more clear inciting event and hook it was difficult to get myself to want to come back to it. Overall, the ideas expressed and discussed in this novel were deeply thought provoking and enjoyable but perhaps my mind needed to be ready for the writing style and story structure.

This book wasn’t for me. From the blurb I was expecting a more action adventure type of story with less sci fi elements. I don’t enjoy sci fi as a whole so it may just have been me. The writing was too heavy for my taste and the plot too circular.

I was looking forward to this book as the mention of Indiana Jones as well as dark academia and natural disasters had me intrigued. I did finish the book but I felt like it didn’t quite live up to the pitch unfortunately. I couldn’t connect with the main character very well, she came across as quite selfish. The world itself was interesting and it was good to learn about the magic system but it felt like it took a while for anything to actually happen.

Visceral, thoughtful, exciting, and sci-fi dystopian novel about a world where memories are both a commodity and artifact to be extracted and remembered in the Museum of Human Memory. In the world of The Memory Hunters, history and the arts are revered, and certain gifted individuals or memory divers do field collections of important memories through absorbing them from found objects or specimen. They can also have their memories erased when they get overloaded. The question is what makes a memory significant and worth remembering and who gets to tell the story? The book also dives into how forgotten memories can lead to misinformation or benefit institutions. This book has strong Brave New World and The Giver feels - two of my favorite books.

The protagonist, Key - “the blessed one” is a memory diver, who is strong-willed, independent, but empathetic. Vale, as her guardian, was also fierce and interesting character foil. This was a mysterious and fascinating read at the same time, and the world building around the museum, temple, and outside world is phenomenal. Beautifully written.

Special thanks to Kensington Publishing, Erewhon Books, and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest, independent review.

THE MEMORY HUNTERS is a gorgeous, haunting dystopia that will infect your blood with its hyphae and fruit inside your heart. Tsai is a master at building romantic tension, even as revelations unfold in a cascade of "oh shit, OH SHIT, OH SHIT," amidst a plot as complex as the story's world. The story surfaces deep questions of culture and institutional preservation, and who has the right to remember things. The yearning of Tsai's characters is exquisite, and the worldbuilding rich with detail and meaning. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time.

My thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for a free DRC of "The Memory Hunters" by Mia Tsai.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025 because of the comparison to "The Fifth Season". I will be transparent and say there is one similarity : natural disasters, but not on the same scale.
"The Memory Hunters" is a Fantasy with some SF elements that had a impactful start and it promised a lot of mysteries and complex relationships.
My biggest difficulty was relating to the main character, Key. She was the embodiment of an extremely selfish, self centered rich person. But because I could relate to the second main character, Valerian, I continued my reading journey.
From the initial strong start I did feel that the narrative went in circles for a while and we learned a bit more about this world, magic and much more about the politics, but I did not felt that the story progressed in a significant way until we got closer to the end.
In conclusion I got invested in this Appalachian-influenced setting, in the intriguing world and magic, thought that some of the relationships were interesting and it was worth getting to the end.
While I an mot as satisfied as I anticipated, I would still recommend this Adult Fantasy to advanced readers of the genre that want to experience an original world with some political background and a some sapphic yearning.