A 2020 LOCUS AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL Sharp, mainstream fantasy meets compelling thrills of investigative noir in Magic for Liars, a fantasy debut by rising star Sarah Gailey. Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it. Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life â?? or at least, she's perfectly fine. She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister. Ivy Gamble is a liar. When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sisterâ??without losing herself. "An unmissable debut."â??Adrienne Celt, author of Invitation to a Bonfire At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) appl… (más)
This was a fun, quick read, made all the more enjoyable by reading with friends. I'm generally a fan of Gailey's style, so I expected to enjoy this and my expectation was met. I enjoyed Ivy, the main character, and her snark. I was kept guessing by the mystery right up until the end and Gailey did a great job of making me feel sus about pretty much every character.
The ending, however, was pretty weak. Not the reveal of who the murderer is, but what happened afterwards. The more I thought about it, the less it made sense for Ivy to act the way she did. It felt a little rushed and sloppy, compared to the rest of the book. It was still fun to read though, so only 1 star off for the bad ending. ( )
Magic For Liars is an interesting tale of a PI investigating a murder at a high school for magically gifted students. The use of magic is unique in this well-written tale, some magical scenes veering very much into body-horror territory. The narrator is the PI, Ivy Gamble, and while she's perhaps not self-loathing, she certainly doesn't like herself very much. The story is as much about Ivy's relationships and personal journey toward loving herself and allowing herself to be loved by others as it is about magic and murder. An intriguing and unique read. ( )
3.5 rounded up. This is a lot of fun, but also really sad and like, disillusioned? It's like the Harry Potter kids who grew up and are depressed now. The world and premise are great, the investigation of a murder at a magic school, the investigator who doesn't have a grasp on magic, and the obvious cover-up going on are all so fun. It's just the tone and ultimate plot reveal are such a bummer. I like being a child in a magical world, not an adult on Zoloft. ( )
A 2020 LOCUS AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL Sharp, mainstream fantasy meets compelling thrills of investigative noir in Magic for Liars, a fantasy debut by rising star Sarah Gailey. Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it. Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life â?? or at least, she's perfectly fine. She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister. Ivy Gamble is a liar. When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sisterâ??without losing herself. "An unmissable debut."â??Adrienne Celt, author of Invitation to a Bonfire At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) appl
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The ending, however, was pretty weak. Not the reveal of who the murderer is, but what happened afterwards. The more I thought about it, the less it made sense for Ivy to act the way she did. It felt a little rushed and sloppy, compared to the rest of the book. It was still fun to read though, so only 1 star off for the bad ending. (