Ivy Gamble is a cynical private investigator who lacks the magical abilities her estranged twin sister, Tabitha, uses to teach at the Osthorne Academy for Young Mages. When a faculty member is found dead in a gruesome, magically-induced accident, the school’s headmaster hires Ivy to conduct a discreet investigation. Ivy must navigate a world of teenage cliques and arcane secrets while pretending she belongs in a place that rejected her. She balances the puzzle of the murder against her own deep-seated resentment toward her sister’s charmed life.
Readers who enjoy subversive takes on the magical boarding school subgenre will find a grounded perspective here. It appeals to those interested in how sibling rivalry and childhood envy shape adult identity. The book avoids whimsical escapism, focusing instead on the practical loneliness of being an outsider. Readers finish the story with a realistic look at how people lie to themselves to protect their fragile sense of belonging, rather than a traditional resolution of good versus evil.
- Published
- 2019
- Language
- EN
