As an escaped slave, Hetty
Rhodes helped dozens of people find their own freedom north using her
wits and her magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her
husband, Benjy, still fight for their people by solving the murders
and mysteries that the white authorities won't touch.
When
they discover one of their friends brutally murdered in an alley,
Hetty and Benjy mourn his loss by setting off to find answers. But
the mystery of his death soon brings up more questions, more secrets,
more hurt. To solve his death, they will have to not only face the
ugly truths about the world but the ones about each other.
Perfect
for fans of Victor LaValle and Zen Cho, The Conductors is a
compelling debut by a fresh voice in fantasy fiction that will leave
you longing for more.
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My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey and NetGalley*
Hetty Rhodes escaped slavery and during the Civil War she aided many others, using her talent for Celestial magic as a conductor on the Underground Railroad.
Post-war, Hetty still helps other people alongside her husband Benjy, as they solve crimes.
One day, Hetty and Benjy come across a body in an alleyway who turns out to be one of their friends. The duo work together to find out who murdered their friend, but they may uncover secrets along the way.
Who can Hetty and Benjy trust when their friends are all suspects?
Can they even trust each other?
One of the things that drew me to this novel was the mix of historical and fantasy, it really intrigued me and I'm glad that I read it.
Hetty was a likeable and relatable protagonist. She was brave, wanted to help people, and is someone I would want to be friends with, especially as she was a talented seamstress.
Benjy was my other favourite character, and I really liked the dynamic between the two of them. I enjoyed their scenes together and liked that Hetty wasn't afraid to go against what Benjy told her to.
The setting of post-Civil War was interesting and I liked that there were flashbacks ("interludes") to during the war.
The magic system was one of my favourite things about the novel, especially the Celestial magic, which I would have liked to find out more about. There was also Sorcery, which was magic only allowed to be used by White people, which involved wands.
The plot was enjoyable and held my interest. I did guess something that happened, but there were some things that I didn't see coming. While I did find the novel a little too long, I did enjoy the theme of friendship and thought that the theme of slavery was handled very well. I also found it refreshing to read a novel with magic where most of the characters were Black.
Th writing style was easy to follow and I would read another book by the author in the future.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, unique read that I would recommend.
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