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jessemae11's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, and Murder
crystalisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
A+ concept and ideas. I was so excited for this book, but the writing style didn't work for me. Listened to the audio and even Bahni Turpin couldn't save it for me. the magic system was unique and creative but I couldn't find any consistent logic to it. The cast was delightfully black, with the only named white character having a secret of her own. Friendship was a huge part of the story, and I loved the inclusion of a queer couple. So much to like. I just wish I would have enjoyed it more overall.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Death of parent
bbtea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- 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
An amazing premise that I thought, overall, was pulled off pretty well. I love seeing not only black people (especially Black Americans) involved in and using magic, but it involves stars and astrology! I think this is also an era of American History (Post-Civil War) that either is t written about a lot in fiction, or I just haven’t come across personally and it was refreshing and interesting.
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!
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!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Slavery
Moderate: Violence
cj13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and Medical content
y3shua's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The only reason I did not give it a full 5 stars is because the main plot did get muddled at times by other side quests that were added on. HOWEVER I still enjoyed every bit of this book for the wonderful representation that was portrayed. I loved the characters so much and the use of constellations as magic just BLEW MY MIND. Props to this author for having such a wonderful idea and an amazing cast of characters💜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Racism
saemiligr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
4.25
This book has so many things I love, like a creative magic system, in depth characters, and established relationships that strengthen with the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
sadgirlsidney's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- 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
This was a really interesting take on magic users and how that addition would be weaponized during times of enslavement. The magic aspect was also incredibly unique in a lot of ways, I really loved how important sigils were and the use of it in everyday items. The story itself was solid but I feel like it went on a touch too long and had a few too many side stories that drew my attention more than the story at it's core. Overall I definitely enjoyed, I just think I would have enjoyed it more minus a segway or two.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Domestic abuse
rachelreadsrelentlessly's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.5
The Conductors kept me mostly engaged throughout, was well written, and had an interesting magic system. It's three stars for sure in that I have nothing to complain about, but I also have nothing to rave about. Half a point for being engaging and creative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery
Moderate: Racism and Murder
lashette's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'm glad I finally got around to reading this. It was unique in plot, the setting, the romance and the magic system. At least to me. I wish there was more of an explanation for how the magic system for black people worked but I enjoyed this despite that. I was all over the place mentally while reading this so this somehow became a comfort read. I know, don't look at me. Yet this didn't blow me away. The back and forth in timelines threw me off regularly because they weren't that different and I wasn't picking up that we had switched. Speaks to my mental state again. There were quite a lot of secondary and tertiary characters that were named and I got confused with most of them. I was also confused about the relationship for the longest time but that I think was done on purpose. Once I put all the pieces together everything up to that point made sense and was very cute. The case had very cozy mystery vibes. I feel weird saying this about a book set in a time right after the civil war, with slaves still escaping and Jim Crow very much all over the place. But this was a comfort read. And I am looking forward to more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- 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
'The Conductors' by Nicole Glover is a debut murder mystery with a creative magic system and characters that it are easy to care for.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Slavery