Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy of “The Society of Unknowable Objects” by Gareth Brown in exchange for an honest review. Put it on your list for when it comes out in August!

“The Society of Unknowable Objects” is a terrific follow up to Brown’s “The Book of Doors,” which I described in a review as a cross between Harry Potter and Babel. Similarly set in a world in which a younger generation is inducted into a secret world of magical items, also with a young female protagonist, the society of unknowable objects is revealed to Magda Sparks, 10 years after her mother‘s untimely death. Created in order to shield magical objects from those that might use them for nefarious purposes, the society‘s members are at crossroads when danger comes knocking.

A theme running through the book is the power of friendship and the danger of loneliness, intermingled with the magical occurrences in a very earthbound world.

While I very much enjoyed this sophomore outing by Gareth Brown, it didn’t dazzle me quite so much as The Book of Doors, which I absolutely adored. Still, I give this one four solid stars and I will be looking forward to the next book in this series.

This book definitely lives up to its title. It’s strange, abstract, and full of ideas that make you pause and wonder. I appreciated the unique world building and the haunting tone throughout. There’s a quiet beauty in how the story unfolds, and parts of it felt genuinely original.
That said, I never felt fully connected to the characters or the emotional core of the story. At times, the surrealism felt more disorienting than thought provoking, and I found myself wishing for more clarity or momentum, especially in the middle. It’s the kind of book that might hit harder for someone more drawn to philosophical or experimental fiction, but for me, it ended up being more interesting in concept than execution.

"From the author of the internationally bestselling The Book of Doors, another fantastical, stand-alone novel in which a trio of seemingly everyday people are members of a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects - ordinary items with extraordinary properties.

The world of unknowable objects - magical items that most people have no idea possess powers - has been quiet for decades, but the three current members of a secret society have remained watchful, meeting every six months in the basement of a bookshop in London. They are pledged to protect their archive of magical items hidden away, safe from the outside world - and the world safe from them. But when Frank Simpson, the longest-standing member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, hears of a new artifact coming to light in Hong Kong, he sends Magda Sparks - author by day and newest member - to investigate.

Within hours of arriving in Hong Kong, Magda is facing death and danger, confronted by a professional killer who seems to know all about unknowable objects, specifically one that was stolen from him a decade before. Magda is forced to flee, using an artifact that not even the rest of the Society knows about.

Returning to London, Magda learns hers is not the only secret being kept from the other two members. And that the most pernicious secret is about the nature of the Society's mission. Her discoveries will lead her on a perilous journey, across the Atlantic to the deep south of the United States, now in pursuit of not an unknowable object, but an unknowable person: the professional killer she first faced in Hong Kong. In doing so, Magda begins to understand that there are even more in the world who are chasing these magical items, and that her own family's legacy is tied up in keeping all these secrets under wraps.

Magic has always been too powerful to reveal to the world. But Magda will learn there might be something even more powerful:

The truth."

For fans of The Librarians and Warehouse 13.

Dnf at 40%. This book has a super interesting premise, but I dont feel its executed in the best way. I'm someone that needs to feel connected (or care about) to the characters, and i didn't get that feeling so far at all. It was a lot of forcing myself to read the book, which is never a fun way to spend time. I may revisit it at a different time, but right now its not something I can finish

An interesting novel which centers on magical items that appear to be everyday things; the optimum phrase being appear to be. The Society of Unknowable Objects is a secret society consisting currently of only four people that find and secure these things so they and their magic are not used by the wrong people for evil purposes. But, surprise, surprise, there is most certainly at least one person looking for the objects to be used for their own evil purposes.

Being a super huge fan of The Book of Doors (one of my top 3 out of 70 something from last year), I was beyond thrilled to get an ARC of The Society of Unknowable Objects. Both books started out the same for me, where I questioned whether or not the book was up my high fantasy standards. But all of a sudden, the story really gets going, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!

At the opening of this book, we meet two main characters, mother and daughter, Imelda and Magda, who are both in the magic object finding business, to keep the bad guys of the world from using the objects for evil deeds. Both books have intense bad guys, and it seems as though the good guys truly have their work cut out for them, and I’m scratching my head about how they will manage it.

This book was set up in a very similar way to the previous one, and follows a similar storyline which wrapped up really nicely in the end. There are themes of friendship, family, and loss in both, and the main characters are relatable. I definitely think this one is not nearly as good as the first one, but I still feel like it’s a five star book and I will anxiously wait for the next installment. There was one big scene in this book that was like wow!! The visual imagery was so different and easy to form in my head, and like I said this book falls in line with the first one, but it is unlike any other fantasy book I’ve read. What I also loved about both books is that there’s no R rated / inappropriate scenes. I definitely think this book is fine for older teenagers but equally fine for adults and I find that’s a very hard balance that this book achieves easily.
I highly recommend this one! And like I said, as soon as the next one comes (which I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that it does) I will be first in line to get it! Many thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this wonderful book before publication.

Here's a copy/paste of my Goodreads review! I really enjoyed this, thank you!! Would love to see more books about this universe

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thank you William Morrow Books via netgalley for the ARC!

Like many I loved The Book of Doors so I was excited to get my hands on this one. It was a great read! Loveable characters dealing with their issues, fun concepts around the magic in this world, and a nice enjoyable read overall. If you liked The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches you may enjoy this too there are some similar elements :)

This book completely pulled me in and didn’t let go—well, almost. There was a stretch around the 60% mark where things slowed down a bit, but that dip was brief and easily forgiven once the story picked up again and powered through to the end.

What I loved most is that the story is simple in the best way. It’s not trying to be overly twisty or complex—it’s just a solid, imaginative tale that keeps you turning the pages. The characters stand on their own and carry the story with ease, each one adding something important to the overall experience.

And the best part? It feels like this is just the beginning. The ending leaves just enough open to hope for a sequel (please!). I’d gladly spend more time in this world and with these characters. If you like stories that are a little mysterious, a little magical, and a lot engaging, give this one a shot.

Another incredible read from Gareth Brown. I loved Brown's debut last year, and immediately knew I needed to pick up his latest offering. I was not disappointed and Brown has solidified himself as an auto-buy author for me!

The Society of Unknowable Objects occurs in the same world as the Book of Doors, but offers an entirely new cast of characters and a new type of magic for us all to wish truly existed. At least until it all goes wrong. Brown does an incredible job writing magical realism thrillers. Just enough magic in a very real world, with very real world implications. I truly felt the characters' internal battles between being fascinated by the magic and watching the real world effects of that same magic. Magda was a very relatable character for me, but I also really appreciated the perspective of Will as a character - the ever practical skeptic who is a necessary foil to reign in the enthusiasm of us magic lovers in the world.

As for the villains, I do reach my one (minor) disappointment - there was no possibility of redemption offered to the villains. I so desperately hoped for any sort of softening of these characters, but both of the major villains remained (or became) hard hearted in the face of any opportunities they had to turn around. I say minor disappointment, because this made them true villains. There were opportunities for them to make different choices, and they chose to continue down their spiraling paths of destruction.

I absolutely loved the Easter Eggs from Book of Doors, and I can't wait to see what gets added to this universe next.

Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for my eARC to review!

4.75🌟

Rounded to 5 because I loved it so much, and especially the world of magical books! I liked it even more than the first one.

The storyline is tight, and I loved all the characters. I was rooting for Magda the entire time. If I were nitpicking, I’d say the relationship with her mother could have been shown a little more at the beginning. :)

If you like a mystery with twist and turns and a writer protagonist in a world of books, this one is for you! Do not miss it!

Thank you, NetGalley, Gareth Brown, and HarperCollins for the e-ARC.

A really great sophomore book. I was a bit nervous, as I loves Brown's debut, but this was nearly as good. A fun, Warehouse 13 vibe, but still unique story. I found the characters interesting and relatable. Highly recommend diving in.

At it's core, this is a book of secrets: a secret society with secret objects who's very members are keeping secrets from each other. It's a story of trying to protect the truth from falling into the wrong hands and of the challenges that protection brings. Ultimately it's a story of deciding what truths should be told and to whom and what happens along the way. In the society of Unknowable Objects, magic is real, artifacts are kept hidden and never used in order to insure they can't cause harm, and society members are constantly on the lookout for new (dangerous) objects to collect. But when the society learns that someone else knows about them, a new artifact comes to light, and there is a desperate killer trying to obtain it; it's up to Magda Sparks to find it first. What follows is a global race to recovery what has been lost, stop a killer, and figure out what to do when truth finds you.

I love this author's imagination. This story is at once heartwarming (the relationship between Frank and Magda) and creepy (no spoilers, just trust me); and I enjoyed both parts in equal measure. With a bit of romance thrown it and some really intriguing magic, it's really a can't miss for fantasy fans who also enjoy some high stakes adventure and some really nasty villains.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

Not quite a full 4 stars

I’d LOVED Book of Doors, so I was super excited to read this. Like the previous book, this story is at turns mysterious, dangerous, bittersweet, brutal, and adventurous. But it’s lacking some of the same heart I found before.

These magical objects turn out to be pretty dangerous, and at times, this book veered almost into horror because of it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, and the stakes and the tension were so high. I just didn’t completely love or connect with the characters. Magda, our central character, puts way too much faith in her mentor, whose secrets are incredibly frustrating. James is nice, but he seemed to just be blandly there to be a love interest. Plus there are kind of 2 bad guys. I was horrified by what was happening, but also not emotionally invested.

Anyway, I would still recommend this if you’re looking for a bit of a thriller. I also really liked the Easter eggs from Book of Doors.

A sort of sequel to The Book of Doors is just as good if not better. Set the same universe but with different characters and different magical objects but also includes it’s own magical book. I know there’s going to be a third book and I can’t wait.

What if magic is used the wrong way? Who gets to decide who should use magic? How does magic even happen? In Gareth Brown’s book, “The Society of Unknown Objects”, these topics are explored, experienced and pondered upon. Magda Sparks is given the task of retrieving an unknowable object - a magic object. In her travels she will have to answer these questions and more.

The idea of magical things is intriguing. Thought I enjoyed this story, I found the flow of it a little disjointed. I did like how at the conclusion of this book, a tickler of another possible adventure is dangled in front of us. I feel that this book would appeal to readers who like to push the bounds of known reality.

I wish to thank William Morrow, a division of HarperCollins Publishers for providing this book and selecting me to review it on NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

After falling in love with The Book of Doors, I couldn’t wait to step back into Gareth Brown’s mind—and The Society for Unknowable Objects did not disappoint. This story whispers magic through the cracks of the everyday, making you question just how ordinary the world around us really is.

Following Magda Sparks—a writer turned reluctant artifact-hunter—this standalone mystery-unfolding-as-magic tale had me hooked from the first flicker of candlelight in that London bookshop basement. Brown has this rare talent for blending quiet intimacy with cinematic scope. One moment, you're strolling through dusty archives; the next, you’re ducking bullets in Hong Kong or chasing secrets across the American South.

What I adore most about Brown’s storytelling is how contained and intimate it feels, even when the stakes are massive. He doesn’t rely on flashy magic—he builds wonder through atmosphere and subtle power. Every magical object feels like it could exist in the real world… if only you knew how to look for it.

This book pulses with quiet tension, philosophical questions about knowledge and control, and a touch of the gothic. And while the plot delivers thrills, what stayed with me were the emotions: the weight of secrets, the loneliness of power, the fragile ties between people trying to do good in a world that often doesn’t reward it.

Brown once again proves he’s a master at weaving speculative fiction with soul. The Society for Unknowable Objects is strange, lyrical, and quietly explosive. If you like secret societies, slow-burn suspense, literary magic, and stories that peel back the edges of reality—this is a must-read.

This isn’t just a story about magical artifacts—it’s about legacy, hidden truths, and the weight of choosing what (or who) gets protected. And Magda? She’s the kind of heroine who earns your respect slowly, word by word, action by action.

If you love:
✨ Secret societies
✨ Found family vibes with tension beneath the surface
✨ Ordinary objects hiding extraordinary magic
✨ Slow revelations and aching truths

…this book belongs on your shelf. Gareth Brown has officially become an auto-buy author for me. I closed this book feeling like I had touched something sacred—just out of reach, but unforgettable all the same.

Thank you William Morrow, Gareth Brown and NetGalley for the eARC!

This is clearly connected to Brown's first book, The Book of Doors. I have not read The Book of Doors, and you don't have to have read it to read this one, though the epilogue is a very clear line between the two just from reading the description of The Book of Doors.

I am usually pretty leery of modern fantasy, but this one was very good. It actually reminded me a bit of Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs, which I loved. Protagonist Magda quickly finds herself in over her head when retrieving a magical item for the Society of Unknowable Objects, but there are LAYERS to the trouble. I think the "solution" to the problem is pretty transparent to the reader early on, but the journey was still very enjoyable. I loved the idea of the different magical objects and what they could do, and this does cross the line into having some horror elements at times that really amped up the stakes. I enjoyed Magda as a protagonist AND her band of misfits; I honestly didn't think a single character failed in their story-driven purpose here.

I am definitely looking forward to going back and reading The Book of Doors at some point after finishing this one!

I really enjoyed reading this it had that element that I was hoping for and enjoyed the idea of this book. It was everything that I was looking for and thought was a great use of the secret society, it had that romance element that I wanted and enjoyed getting into this story. The characters were so well done and was invested in what was going on. Gareth Brown has a strong writing style and am excited for more.

This book was fast paced and fun and an absolute joy to devour. Part of me wishes I had read the Book of Doors first, but it definitely stands on its own too! The characters, the setting, the premise - it all melds so perfectly together that it played in my head like a movie (not something I can say for every book I read). This is a highly anticipated release and it is easy to see why!

Plot:
Does magic exist? Yes, in common, every day objects with unknown abilities. In London, there is a group who specialize in these exact objects: the Society of Unknowable Objects. Cloaked in the mystery of a quaint bookshop, the three initial characters agree to take on a search for one of these objects that will change their worlds entirely... Magic, while beautiful and promising, is also too powerful to be given to just anyone. It is up to the society to keep the magic hidden, so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Unless..... The potential: limitlessly cursed.

Thanks:
Thank you to Gareth Brown, William Morrow Books and NetGalley for this ARC!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown is an engaging blend of fantasy and reality that pulls readers into a world where magic exists just beneath the surface of our everyday lives. I especially enjoyed the magic system—it felt fresh and imaginative without being overly complex. As someone who loves fantasy rooted in the real world, the urban elements added a groundedness that made the story even more compelling.

The characters truly shined in this novel. Their dynamics felt natural and layered, and the pacing of their individual journeys built a strong emotional core. The plot is enriched by how Brown intertwines the characters’ histories with their current challenges, allowing the story’s emotional weight and twists to unfold organically.

I will say that the major action and most vivid descriptive climax seemed to happen a bit earlier than expected, making the final resolution feel slightly less intense by comparison. That could just come down to personal taste in how tension builds, but it stood out to me.

If you’ve read Brown’s previous work, you’ll really appreciate this one—it showcases his signature depth, atmosphere, and thoughtful storytelling while introducing fresh elements that make it stand out.