bbtea's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I also LOVEEEEEEEEE the characters so much. Hetty and Benjy have my entire heart and I care about them so much. Their dynamic was so easy and sweet and realistic and endearing. I wanted them to succeed at all times, cheering them on from my seat in reality.
My main gripes really come in two things—
1. I think the book is a little too long? I think it could 100 or more pages shorter, especially since the beginning is kind of…slow.
2. The solution to the overarching mystery fell kind of…flat for me? Which was disappointing to me personally, but didn’t ruin the overall finale. I felt satisfied and also looking forward to experiencing the sequel.
Overall, I highly recommend it!
Graphic: Slavery, Racism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Violence
cj13's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Domestic abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Medical content and Slavery
sadgirlsidney's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I think Bahni Turpin might be my favorite audiobook narrator. They do such a good job at voicing individual characters, it's just so good to listen to.
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse
rorikae's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Hetty and her husband Benjy were once Underground Railroad conductors but they have traded that life for solving mysteries in Philadelphia. When one of their acquaintances turns up dead and with a cursed sigil on his body, they are pulled into a murder mystery that has them questioning their own friends.
'The Conductors' is an engaging murder mystery that suffers from some pacing issues. The mystery at the heart of the story is intriguing, especially as it is used as a vehicle to learn more about Hetty, Benjy, and their friends. Many of the chapters feel a bit disjointed as some are very long and cover Hetty moving from place to place, while others are much shorter and encompass only one scene. The stakes were there for the mystery but they never felt particularly high. Even so, it was a relatively engaging read that kept me reading. The two best parts of this story are the characters and the magic. Hetty and Benjy, along with their relationship, are what cement this story and it works well. Peeks into Hetty's past and her search for her sister do a great job of fleshing her out and making the reader care for her. The Celestial magic in this story is also really intriguing and something that I hope to learn more about in book two. Mostly, I think where this book suffers it only suffers from being a debut and with her character and worldbuilding work, I have faith that Glover's books will only get better. I will be picking up book two as I am interested in seeing where Hetty and Benjy go next and how their relationship continues to blossom.
Graphic: Grief, Murder, Racism, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Slavery and Domestic abuse
karcitis's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Moderate: War, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Blood, Addiction, Bullying, and Gore
Minor: Sexism, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Infidelity, Infertility, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse
lauraglovestoread's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Violence, Murder, Slavery, and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Medical content, and Racial slurs
Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, and Domestic abuse
ncoletti's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Racism, and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse
nullandvoidlibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Slavery, Death, Violence, and Racism
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Gun violence, and Blood
Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility
mandkips's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Moderate: Death, Slavery, Torture, Gore, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Grief
thebakerbookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Secondly, this book has a lot of elements to it, but I think it’s primarily a mystery story. There’s not a ton of world-building or explanation as to how this magic works, and it’s not the main focus. It’s more like Hetty is a detective who happens to do magic also. I would have liked a bit more exploration into the magic side, but I think the story still works as it is. Just don’t go into it expecting a big fantasy story.
The characters are all great but I especially loved Hetty and her relationship with Benjy. We get flashbacks throughout the story of Hetty’s past and their history together, and I loved slowly learning their story at the same time that Hetty is discovering new feelings and truths about herself in the present. I’m a fan of this romance 😍
This book does end neatly (no cliffhanger), so I was excited to learn there will be a sequel out later this year! I will definitely be reading it because I want more Hetty and Benjy 🙌🏼
Thank you to Libro.fm, the publisher, and the author for my ALC!
Read if you like: historical fiction, mysteries, detective duos, Philly.
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Murder, and Racism
Minor: Blood, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, and Violence