Mystery Royale is a book with magic, mystery and intrigue. Kaitlyn Cavalancia does a great job setting the scene and landscape. The book starts by introducing Mullory Prudence. She lives with her sick grandmother because her mother ran away since burning down their house the previous year. Her life is quiet and fairly lonely, she hates her job and is bullied in school and outside because of what her mother did. But before he rmother left she told Mullory to avoid the strange!!!.

Well the strange found Mullory. She started getting letters in her house, balloons started popping up in weird places like her refrigerator, letters stuffed in unopened dog food bags at her job and the list goes on and on. Mullory listens to her mother's warning and refuses to open the letters. Until a person from the state comes to her house, basically threatening to report her to the state unless she opens the letter.

And then the games begin. Mullory is dropped in the middle of an inheritance game to the death of sorts. Recently Xavier Stoutmire died. This is a game to determine who will get his financial inheritance and magical powers. Mullory is not a person with magic and is plunged into a world she is unfamiliar with. She is thrown into an environment where people are not afraid to kill each other to increase their chances of winning. Especially since most thought the inheritance would have been given to his nephew.

It's a game of every man for themself. Magic is at stake. The invited guests must find out who killed Xavier Stoutmire, why he was killed and all within a weeks time or no one wins. Now, it is a game of cat and mouse, especially since someone is out to kill Mullory. Will she make it? Will the guest be able to figure out who killed Xavier? Who will be named the heir to the Stoutmire estate?

As I read this book I noticed a few things. It starts off rather slow. It took me a little bit of time to get through the book. Mullory seems rather whiny at the beginning of the book, but her character does begin to build a little bit of a backbone towards the end of the book and stands for herself. I think kids just getting their feet wet with mysteries and suspense books will enjoy this the most. I recommend for the middle to highschool grades. The scenery is descrbed beautifully, especially the magic scenes.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this ARC. It was an honor to read and give my honest opinion.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that magic uses you, not the other way around. Despite the price, no one can seem to get enough."

Her whole life, Mullory Prudence has heard her mother tell her "run if the strange finds you". When mysterious letters start showing up, Mullory does her best to ignore them. She is unable to ignore them forever and finds she has been selected to participate in a mystery royale game to figure out who will win the inheritance & magical powers of magician Xavier Stoutmire. Of course there are others, more magical and important than her, competing for the prize. This book takes place over the course of one week so it's high stakes and fast turnaround allow you to be sucked into the mystery.

Things I Liked:
-I am always a fan of magical stories! There is something so mystical reading about magical powers I can never hope to have. I love seeing how different authors take the idea of magic and tweak it to fit their characters and plotline. I am intrigued at how magic passes through bloodlines and how it's mostly unnoticed by the average human in this world. I love the idea of Mullory being able to "become" magical simply by winning the Mystery Royale game. What does this do to the reputation and standing of magical families? Such an interesting question!

Things That Didn't Work for Me:
-There are primarily three characters who tell the story: Lyric (male), Mullory (female), and Ellison (female). (There are a handful of chapters told from another secondary character). I am always fine with multiple characters telling the story. It makes for a more interesting and well-rounded experience. I am not thrilled with how the audiobook "powers that be" chose to cast these voices. There are only two narrators. Yes, the same narrator who reads the part of Mullory also reads Ellison. While she does do some things to change the voice between Mullory and Ellison, I found it incredibly difficult to tell who was telling what part, especially at the beginning of the book. I had to start this book over multiple times because I was so confused. This could have easily been avoided had a third person been hired to read the part of either Mullory or Ellison. A big mistake, in my opinion.
-Because of this confusion about who was telling which chapter, I found I didn't care all that much about this mystery. The concept of this book is an interesting one and one that should be right up my alley. Unfortunately the execution of the book lost me along with my interest. I just.. didn't care by the end. I doubt I read the sequel.


Thank you to Disney Audiobooks, Hyperion, and NetGalley for an advanced listener's copy (audio) of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was so good! I highly recommend it for any middle schooler. It was like a more advanced version of Lemoncello's library.

**3.5-stars rounded up**

Mystery Royale is a game. More specifically, an inheritance game for the large estate of Xavier Stoutmire, a wealthy and powerful magician without a direct heir. Of course everyone in the Stoutmire Family had assumed that Xavier would end up leaving his vast fortune and captivating powers to his youngest nephew. However, tricky old Uncle Xavier had something else in mind.

The invitations are sent, but not just to those within the Stoutmire family eligible to receive the inheritance, but also to two outsiders: Mullory Prudence and Mateo Cruz. These two seem to be completely random strangers. They're the wild cards of the whole affair.

The goal of the game is simple. To be the first to solve the mystery. What mystery, you may ask? Well, who killed Xavier Stoutmire, of course.

Mystery Royale was definitely a lot of fun. This is like if The Inheritance Games was set around the LeStrange Family from Harry Potter, instead of the boring-ole, non-magical Hawthorne Family.

I enjoyed Cavalancia's writing. It was fluid and kept my attention, however, I did feel at times it was hard to track whose perspective you were in at any given moment. Nevertheless, I loved the mystery and set-up behind it all. I think ride-or-die fans of The Inheritance Games may feel this is a bit of a rip off, but for us folks who enjoyed that series, but didn't necessarily shout from the rooftops about its glory, this can still be an entertaining romp.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories involving magical games, with riddles and puzzles aplenty. The setting of this is also fabulous, the private enchanted mansion. What's not to love about that?

The audiobook had fantastic narration, and although that's not an option here on Goodreads yet, it's definitely available, because I listened to it. I would absolutely chose that format if you have access to it.

Thank you to the publisher, Disney Audiobooks, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from this author!

This one had me guessing until the end. Mystery Royale, a YA mystery, has many twists and turns and dark secrets. Don't trust everything you see.
This would make a great Netflix TV supernatural drama. I enjoyed all of the characters, their backstories, and their family histories.

*Mystery Royale* was such a great read! The plot was full of twists that kept me hooked from beginning to end. I really enjoyed how the story was built up, with just the right amount of suspense and surprises. The characters were compelling, and the stakes felt real throughout. My only downside? Now I have to wait for the sequel! Definitely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next. Highly recommend it for anyone who loves a good mystery.

As for the comparisons to *The Inheritance Games*—another book I absolutely loved—they were spot on! But what really sets *Mystery Royale* apart for me is the fantasy twist. It adds an extra layer that made the story even more exciting!

I also listened to the audiobook, and I have to say, the dual narrators really brought the story to life. Both the male and female voices made it so easy to follow, and I could clearly picture the characters in my mind based on how they were portrayed. It made the whole experience even more immersive. I’d recommend both the audiobook and the physical book to others, depending on your preference. Both formats are fantastic!

I have to say that this is 1 of the very 1st Audiobooks that I have downloaded from Netgalley and I really appreciate the opportunity to get to listen And review it. I have recently been diagnosed with a autoimmune disorder And have found that audiobooks are wonderful way to transition at times when my eyes cannot read Things from a page... I apologize for my review because I am having to use a microphone and getting used to it. I highly recommend this book Is a great Deal of fun to listen to.

While I am grateful to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook, it was a miss for me. The main character's name is dreadful: Mullory Prudence. She really didn't have much going for her aside from some intelligence. The story felt very flat, familiar, and predictable. Younger readers of YA may feel differently.

Such a fun fantastical spin on a mystery! Riddled with seemingly impossible to solve clues, family secrets at every turn, and the overwhelming threat of danger throughout, Mystery Royale was a wonderful listen! I can't wait to see where Cavalancia takes these characters next!

Holy smoke! Such a captivating story. I was hooked from the get go. I normally listen driving back and forth from work, but I woke up Saturday morning and just listened until I finished it. Loved the narration, but wish it had 3 so each girl could have been different.

Mullory Prudence has been taking care of her sick gran since her mom took off after burning their house down. But Mullory is offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the chance at not only billionaire Xavier Stotmire's fortune but also his magic, which one of his son's is supposed to inherit. Thus begins the mystery royale, ad the Stoutmire family and Mullory seek to solve the mystery of Xavier's death and find out who will inherit his fortune and magic.

The story here was an interesting one. I enjoyed the puzzles and following Mullory and Lyric as they tried to solve the mystery. One thing that was a bit off putting was some of the dialogue. Not gonna lie some of it was kinda cringe. And I know the trope is grumpy/sunshine here, but Lyric was laying on the grump far too thick for my taste. Yes, I get it. You're sooooooooo grumpy. I didn't hate this book, but I didn't love it either. I only wish the dialogue would have been as good as the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ALC. James Babson and Emily O'Brien were good narrators. I only wish that since there were more than 2 POV chapters, there had been more than 2 narrators.

An intriguing and multi-layered mystery with characters that are unlikeable in all the addictive ways. Well, expect for Mullary. She is the Avery of the Inheritance Games, the Katniss of the Hunger Games and the true heroine we all want to win the game. The game Xavier has set up is a murder mystery-his own! The blood lines of magical families make this murder extremely curious. There are so many likely suspects, no one you can truly trust, and some that you want to disappear entirely. However, the piece that keeps the reader turning pages is the relationship between Mullary and Lyric. They should be enemies and despite the baggage they both bring to the game, they find a partnership. This changes the rules for the rest of Lyric's family. However, it also draws out some truths about the honest feelings Lyric's brother and sister have for him. Some old debates are brought to rest and many secrets are revealed. This is a tricky book to share a review without a spoiler. Let's just say if you like magic, potions, parties, secrets and family then you will enjoy Mystery Royale.

This was sheer chaos. Like if Caraval and Knives Out went out on the town and got sloppy drunk. And I kind of love that. It did get a tiny bit confusing in all the magical chaos, but the story was well done! The characters are really quite something and I enjoyed the little romance.

The summary: I think my age is showing if I say this felt like a cross between The Westing Game and Harry Potter.

A girl who knows nothing about magic gets named as a possible beneficiary to a man’s money, estate, and his magic. All she has to do is solve his murder. And beat the other possible beneficiaries in naming the murderer correctly, first. Among the potential beneficiaries is Lyric, a guy with a chip on his shoulder who thought he was inheriting his uncle’s magic outright, and Lyric’s estranged siblings.

What I liked: the audio is narrated by two people. The story mainly jumps from three points of view: our main character, Mullory, who is, for lack of a better term, a Muggle; Lyric, the third child, with the aforementioned chip on his shoulder; and his sister Ellison. I loved the way that Lyric and Ellison were written and narrated. Lyric exudes bitterness, and I likened Ellison to Regina George, but she’s got some quirks thanks to Trauma.

The world that the author has built was AMAZING. I loved the idea that magic is inherited, so it is unwise for parents to have more than two children (which is part of the reason Lyric is the way he is). I enjoyed the author's attention to detail in regards to the smells magic leaves. I enjoyed the twists and turns, even if I did successfully predict them (because I am an adult reading an YA novel and I know an Easter egg when I see one). I loved listening to Lyric catching feelings.

I didn’t love: Mullory’s character. I still can’t decide if it was the narration (especially because the narrator’s portrayal of Ellison was PERFECT), or if it way she was written. She’s supposed to be clever and doesn’t care about her appearance (which are things I usually love), and she appears serene on the surface, while being a bit manic inside (which I also usually love), but she came across a bit like the screaming blonde in a horror movie (even though she is definitely not blonde) in the audiobook.

All that said: I was not prepared for the ending. I like when everything is tied up in a neat bow, and this…did not do that. However, I noticed that the sequel is slated to come out in 2026. I am invested enough in the characters and I want to see how the loose ends get managed to read that.

The dual narration is perfection! Both narrators did an excellent job at capturing the characters and maintaining the suspense.

9 days, 5 parties, 1 mystery. Death will be the grandest party yet!

“Run if the strange finds you” was the last message Mullory received from her mom. She’s reminded of this message when she receives a suspicious letter. The letter turns out to be an invitation to participate in the Mystery Royale to win the inheritance of Xavier Stoutmire. Xavier doesn’t have an heir and once he realizes he’s dying, he puts a game into motion with hopes of keeping his magic flowing.

Mullory takes a chance on the game with high hopes of winning the prize to be able to take care of her Gran. This has a nice blend of magic and mystery in this book that kept me engaged. I would agree with the sentiment that this is similar to Inherit.

The characters aren’t necessarily likable, but they had good descriptions and I was able to keep the family tree straight! Lots of family secrets, etc. I would say it is accurate to compare to Inheritance Games.

Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. Release date 1/7/25!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this twisty murder mystery infused with magic. It is a "locked room" mystery. It was fun and I enjoyed the multiple points of view. Then ending leaves you wondering and hoping for more.

Mystery Royale is a fantastic magical mystery! The narration was spot on. I wanted to both love and hate the main characters. Fantastic read! Recommended for all YA collections.

Mullory needs money–her mother left, her house burned down, her grandma is sick with cancer. Lyric has been left to live with his rich uncle, who suddenly passes away. Both are swept into the fantastical game of Mystery Royale, in the hopes that they will win and be awarded the large inheritance of Xavier Stoutmire.
This book had big shoes to fill, as it was advertised as The Inheritance Games meets Hotel Magnifique. For the most part, I think it came close. However it is hard to find the same intrigue when those books have already been read, and for that reason, this was just another book for me (numerous letters appearing out of nowhere is a Harry Potter thing as well). Good–yes, but new and outstanding as those others were–unfortunately, no. One issue I had was in the audio version, it was hard to keep all of the characters straight. I definitely think this would not be an issue if reading the print or ebook versions. Still recommended for readers who love a good puzzle mystery.

If you like riddles, puzzles, games, or mystery, you need to read this one. Mystery Royale is fantasy meets The Inheritance Games in all the best ways. Fans of The Inheritance Games will gobble this one up. I thought, "I'll give this one a chance" and luckily I had it on audiobook and was able to multitask because otherwise I would have done nothing the entire day while I binged this one. I could not put it down. The alternating perspectives add to the intrigue and suspense in the plot. The fantasy element enhances the mystery and suspense as the players stumble upon trapped memories the deceased left for them. Similarly to The Inheritance Games, there's a romance element but there isn't a love triangle which I was grateful for. The elements readers love in mystery shine in this one -- clues sprinkled throughout, a spiraling mystery, twists and turns, and betrayal around every corner. Even though I read this the first week of the year, I have zero doubt this will be one of my top favorites of the entire year. I can't wait to add this to our high school library. Since there aren't any explicit scenes, I think this could span middle school and high school. Highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!