A review by oldladysadie
The Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu

dark funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

I absolutely love Ropa, her Gran and her Zimbabwean magic using the mbira. I wish we got more of that, or at least saw more of the Scottish magic system in use throughout the book.

At times, it felt like this book was trying to be two different stories at once. There was the supernatural mystery with Nicola and the search for Ollie, and there was the titular Library of the Dead (which didn’t factor into the main narrative nearly as much as I expected going in, given it’s the title of the novel).

I still feel like Ropa, Priya and their respective magics are a breath of fresh air, and will most likely read further in the series. I hope future installments spend more time exploring the magic systems that have been set up, though, and that we get more time with the side characters to really get to know them.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings