A review by codeflawed
Magic for Liars by Sarah Gailey
5.0
I was a little nervous about this book. When I opened it up and saw that it was written in first person, I immediately recoiled and worried that I wouldn't be able to immerse myself in the story. I've always had that trouble with most first person stories. It takes a lot of talent to tell an engaging story in first person.
Sarah Gailey absolutely NAILS THIS .
From the moment the book started I was hooked. We open in a library where someone is hidden among the books. A horrible crime scene, a heart wrenching tragedy, and magic in the most mundane setting. Gailey has an ability to tangle you in a story in an instant.
Ivy Gamble is such an intriguing character. Despite her bitterness and frustration, she's easily relatable. You can feel her anxiety and her worry as she takes on a case that she's not sure suits her, a case that she's not even sure that she'd be able to solve. Murder and magic? Neither are up her alley and aren't something that she has experience with.
Her sister's the one with the magic.
Gailey uses their words to paint a picture and take us through each brush stroke. We feel everything Ivy feels, see the world through her eyes, understand her so deeply it's as if we've stepped right into her skin. We feel the hairs standing on her skin when she realizes she's not alone in her office, the anxiety churning in her stomach as she takes on the case and realizes that there's so much more to the story than she could have ever imagined.
We feel her hope, her eagerness, her fear, and her heartbreak.
The reader grows with Ivy over the course of the story. Magic for Liars is as much about solving a magical murder as it is about finding yourself, letting your walls down, and embracing the things that make you you. It's done wonderfully and doesn't resort to typical tropes you find in mass market mystery novels. We get the chance to follow Ivy as she tries to repair her relationship with her sister, struggles to come to terms with the not being magical, and understanding that not everyone leaves.
My only complaint?
There's not a sequel.
Sarah Gailey absolutely NAILS THIS .
From the moment the book started I was hooked. We open in a library where someone is hidden among the books. A horrible crime scene, a heart wrenching tragedy, and magic in the most mundane setting. Gailey has an ability to tangle you in a story in an instant.
Ivy Gamble is such an intriguing character. Despite her bitterness and frustration, she's easily relatable. You can feel her anxiety and her worry as she takes on a case that she's not sure suits her, a case that she's not even sure that she'd be able to solve. Murder and magic? Neither are up her alley and aren't something that she has experience with.
Her sister's the one with the magic.
Gailey uses their words to paint a picture and take us through each brush stroke. We feel everything Ivy feels, see the world through her eyes, understand her so deeply it's as if we've stepped right into her skin. We feel the hairs standing on her skin when she realizes she's not alone in her office, the anxiety churning in her stomach as she takes on the case and realizes that there's so much more to the story than she could have ever imagined.
We feel her hope, her eagerness, her fear, and her heartbreak.
The reader grows with Ivy over the course of the story. Magic for Liars is as much about solving a magical murder as it is about finding yourself, letting your walls down, and embracing the things that make you you. It's done wonderfully and doesn't resort to typical tropes you find in mass market mystery novels. We get the chance to follow Ivy as she tries to repair her relationship with her sister, struggles to come to terms with the not being magical, and understanding that not everyone leaves.
My only complaint?
There's not a sequel.