The Geomagician

by Jennifer Mandula

When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him with the help of a fellow scholar—her former fiancé—in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy.

Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician—a paleontologist who uses fossils to wield magic—but since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she’s stuck selling her discoveries to tourists instead. When an ancient egg hatches in her hands, revealing a loveable baby pterodactyl Mary names Ajax, she knows this is the kind of scientific find that could make her career—if she’s strategic.

Mary contacts the Society about her discovery, and they demand to take possession of Ajax. Their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, a distinguished (and infuriatingly handsome) scholar... and the man who once broke Mary's heart.

Henry claims he believes in the brilliant Mary, and that he only wants to help her obtain the respect she deserves. She knows she can't trust her fellow scholars, who want to discredit her and claim Ajax for their own—but can she even trust Henry, who seems intent on winning Mary back?

Now Mary has a new mystery to solve that's buried deeper than any dinosaur She must uncover the secrets behind the Society and the truth about Henry. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she’s willing to go to finally belong—and what her heart really wants.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical, Fiction, Adult, Historical Fantasy

464 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 31, 2026

Reviews

[yuvi • s.ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

well, is anyone surprised by the rating?🤭🤭

ONE THING, THO:
WHERE WERE THE DINOSAURS!?😭😭😭
Y'ALL PLEASE NOTE THAT PTERODACTYLS WERE NOT DINOSAURS😭😭😭 (NEITHER WERE PLESIOSAURUS AND ICHTHYOSAUR (did i spell that right?😭) FOR THAT MATTER)


well, despite that, i absolutely adored this book.
This had such a unique and interesting premise (so much so, that i was afraid that it sounded too good to be true) but oh, did it deliver!
while the writing was not PHENOMENAL, it was still well written, and it completely hooked me from the start! i was so invested from chapter 1.

Ajax and Mary's bond tugged at my heartstrings (I would've liked to see more of Ajax!) ngl, i want a baby pterodactyl of my own too 😭😭


however, i don't think that this book is for everyone, cs the main focus is on politics, fossil research, and faith( i was so surprised by the latter). While i enjoyed every moment of it, i get why some might find it repetitive or even boring.


i noticed that the blurb hints at a romantic subplot, but if you're here for the romance, then i'm afraid that you'll be slightly disappointed bc henry was a side character-at most.
like, there is some romance, but it's not the main focus of the book.
(tbh, i couldn't care less if there had been no romance at all either. i was reading it only for ajax). but, it was cute. Henry is a likeable character-
Mary did get on my nerves quite a few times, but it's okay.by the end, she kinda grew on me.

The unique premise and the execution of it all completely caught me off guard, so much so, that I was so surprised when I got to know that this is Jennifer Mandula's debut!
suffice to say, I WILL read the second book the SECOND it comes out🥹

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
side note
started - october 13
finished - october 17

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dinosaurs, magic, mystery, and a splash of romance in a victorian setting with a headstrong FMC and baby pterodactyl.

This book had me at dinosaurs, and I stuck around for the mystery, magic, and romance!

Overall I had a really good time with this book and I definitely think it satisfied my need for a dinosaur book. I went in expecting a historical romance with magical elements based on the synopsis emphasis on Henry - but really this book reads closer to women’s fiction with a romance subplot. I think if you dive in with that in mind you’ll have a good time with this one!

What’s to love…
- Surprisingly easy to binge for its length!
- swoony romantic subplot
- lies and secrets
- shocking reveals
- MAGIC!
- DINOSAURS!
- Victorian setting
- Themes of self-discovery and acceptance and faith

What’s not to love…
- I wanted more romance! What we got was top notch in tension & banter but we didn’t get nearly enough!
- ending felt a bit rushed

Parting Thoughts:

This book leans in heavily to the theme of (christian) faith with the magic in the world being contributed as a gift god and the overall message that faith and science can coexist. I can certainly appreciate the overall message, but without any marketing or information in the synopsis to forewarn me I was about to dive into a faith heavy book — I was a bit caught off guard.

4.25⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you Del Rey for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!

Now I know this will find its public, but I sadly have to dnf this at 30%. I was really excited for this. I thought this was going to be a new favourite but I wish it focussed on the scholarly aspect/dinosaurs more than the religious themes.

Before I start with my review, I just want to state that I do not enjoy reading about religion. I don’t want to be choked by religion in my Fantasy books.

Now that this is stated… I’ve read quite a few books with the same scholar setting. Some of them my favourite books of all time - especially with the historical setting. But this novel’s execution was lacking in a lot of aspects. For starters, it didn’t feel like a historical setting… other than religion and misogyny ; the characters spoke how modern people would… and the fantastical elements were barely put forth. The characters lacked any charm at all, and I kept wondering how the fmc could act like she did in the opening scene (throwing a fit at a customer) and then switch to being a complete doormat to everyone else? A lot of things just didn’t make sense. The mmc was extremely rich but he somehow wouldn’t have married in that time frame? The magic system was so disappointing because it was barely touched.

The fmc’s apathy towards her friend Lucy was simply jarring. Their interactions were stilted and you wouldn’t have believed they were friends for 15 years. She wasn’t interested in her friends life and that was just a bit weird for me. Another thing that simply didn’t make sense to me was how the fmc mentioned a few times that she wasn’t interested in politics but her problems were DIRECTLY tied to politics. And other than politics… her faith was strong but the other reason she kept facing lock doors was because of said religion…

Honestly, for me to have such strong dislikes about the novel in only 30% makes me believe I wouldn’t change my mind as it went on. I’m deciding to put it down and let others enjoy it. Reading is subjective.

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75/5

The Geomagician knocked it out of the park with the premise. This is a Victorian fantasy centering around Mary Anning, a talented magical paleontologist with hopes of being inducted into the exclusively male Geomagical Society of London. When she finds a fossilized pterodactyl egg that magically hatches and comes to life, she's thrust into the world she's always dreamed of, but soon unearths secrets and corruption that could change the world.

The way Mandula takes advantage of the magical elements of this story is its biggest strength. Magic isn't just shoehorned into an otherwise ordinary depiction of London; it's a powerful tool that affects the characters' perspectives on history, politics, and theology, and reflects the real-world social issues of the Industrial Revolution. My only complaint is that it seemed like the rules and specifics of how the magic system worked were a little glossed over and difficult to understand, despite the strong execution of the big picture.

Throughout the book, Mary's alliances shift frequently as she tries to figure out who wants to help her and who wants to take advantage of her achievements. Most of the characters (including herself) act in a morally gray area, convincing themselves they're doing what's best for both The Society and society at large, and I appreciated that for the most part, there wasn't necessarily a "good guy" or "bad guy" to blame. With that in mind (and without giving too much away), I think some elements of the ending seemed a little cartoonish and over the top, and weren't quite treated with the same nuance as the rest of the story.

Naturally, I can't end this review without mentioning the sweet relationship between Mary and her emotional support pterodactyl Ajax; animal companions are my weakness in any fantasy, and this duo is no exception!

Overall, this is a strong debut from Jennifer Mandula, and I look forward to reading the conclusion of this duology.

Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖]

⋆˙⟡

update : arc request approved someone hug me 🥹💕

[Lotta Z (Not active due to sickness) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for this ARC! All thoughts are my own!

I really wanted to read this book! I really wanted to like this book! Let’s start there!

The premise looked so exciting to me! Mary Anning, a palaeontologist, who makes a discovery of a pterodactyl egg that magically hatches and comes to life seeks to join the Geomagical Society of London - which due to the Victorian fantasy setting of the book - is currently failing to admit women to the society. Mary, quite rightly too, is working hard at her studies and collecting all the fossils she can to save herself from destitution and to aid her in gaining admission to the Society.

The story looked good. Check ✅
The vibes were vibing. Check ✅
It was being portrayed as a historical fantasy romance. Check ✅

All systems gooooo!!!

BUT ..... this fell completely flat for me! My attention was not grabbed. The book’s setting did not feel Victorian to me. The book did not have the epic dinosaur moments that I wanted. The plot was unexciting. There were so many interesting things that could have happened due to the amazing premise and plot setting … and yet nothing great happened.

AND what really irritated me about the FMC was that she thought she had so many friends in this story … She really does not! None of the side characters in this book are really her friends. They would not have left her living like that if they were! They knew she was struggling and facing destitution and possible prostitution as well! I did not like a single character in this book. Even the cute pterodactyl could not save this story for me.

Plus, don’t even get me started on the NOT romance situation going on with the FMC. What an earth was that rubbish?

Just for full transparency I did not finish this book. This book was a DNF at around 200 pages. The life began to fade from my eyes at that point so I decided to stop for my own wellbeing.

Something else that I did not understand from the author is why the lesbian relationship was added between two of the side characters. My viewpoint on this is that it did not suit the Victorian vibes at all, and also, the relationship as far as I can see did not serve the plot in any meaningful way. It was actually quite jarring to the views and points that the author was substantiating in the story. The gist of it being that women in this society had no social standing without a husband/father/brother. This pulled me out of the story completely and made me question how these two women were now going to function in this society? The FMC was barely - just barely - surviving as a single woman and she was incredibly gifted. These other two were both from affluent backgrounds and would have no idea how society would turn on them and outcast them it seems. The FMC was isolated from her single status and parts of society were made unattainable for her due to the fact of her being a woman. I don’t know, this just didn’t sit well with me in this story. It did not fit the vibe, time period, or plot, and there was no signposting that this was going to be included in the text either. I feel like the author was struggling to deliver on the initial premise as it is and this additional anomaly just raised too many other questions for me that pulled me out of the story.

I can see from other reviewers that they have enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, I cannot understand their viewpoints as this was completely not to my tastes.

Just a side note: Others have also mentioned this is a faith-heavy book ... fear not! There is nothing relating to real faith in this book. The faith in this book is as fictitious as all the relationships, plots and setting points.

Thanks for reading!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

STOP?!? DINOSAURS 🦕 🦖 I. AM. SAT!

3.75*

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc of my most anticipated 2026 release!

I like to think I am wholeheartedly at fault for this not getting 5 stars. I heard dinosaurs and immediately went feral and assumed I would be getting an adventurous book of scholars and dinosaurs in plenty.

Unfortunately, this book did lack the hoped amount of dinosaurs (there do be a few, dw!).

For the first 25% of this book, I was convinced that this was gonna be 5 stars and my favourite book of 2026!

But then it became so incredibly repetitive with the dialogue and Mary’s inner thoughts. I would go days without picking it up, and yet would not worry about forgetting anything because i knew it would be repeated in the next chapter anyway. The conversations about magic, fossils, and church and state just because so redundant I lowkey wanted to just give up at certain points.

This was not helped along with the fact that the book features an unlikeable fmc, whose only redeeming quality was her conviction to become more than her gender deemed she should, but even this was so egotistical and selfcentered.

The chemistry between Mary and Henry seemed a bit lackluster at times and I truly did not feel the desired amount of passion between the two to warrant a qualification as a ‘romance’.

Overall, the storyline was driven forward mostly by the political aspects presented in this book to a point where it mostly overshadowed everything else that I was looking forward to unearth on this journey along with Mary.

Enjoyable read, the last 5% of the book did drag up my rating from a mediocre 3* to a 3.75*.

Will be reading the second one, as I do believe after the establishing of society in the first book, the second might delve more into the aspects of what I did enjoy about The Geomagician.

[Beka]

One thing you may not know about me—I love dinosaurs. So dinosaurs in a historical fantasy romance? GIMME.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very nearly didn't pick this up, because practically all of the existing reviews were about how excited the reviewer felt, more than about the book itself, and that's usually a sign that it's not for me. But I took the risk, and I'm glad of it. It has sound emotional beats, and more thought has gone into it than is often the case with period fantasy, particularly about the social impact of technology - a huge factor in the real 19th century - and the role of religion, which also features in a way largely realistic for the period. (Taking into account that this isn't exactly our world, where nobody would have been under threat of execution for heresy in early 19th century Britain.) It isn't just set in a scenery-flats-and-costumes version of 19th-century Britain for the sake of the aesthetic; it uses real concerns of the period, and the speculative element, to drive the plot, which is what worldbuilding should do. I will say, though, that relationships between individual men and women (as opposed to men in general and women in general) feel more 21st-century than 19th-century.

It's set in 1829, which in our world was after the former Prince Regent had succeeded his father as king, but before Victoria. The name of the monarch isn't mentioned, but it's a queen, not a king. I'm choosing to believe that this isn't the author starting the Victorian era eight years earlier by accident, but instead part of the difference from our version of history. This England does have a similar technology level and a similar society to the England of our 1829.

The fantasy element is that everyone has at least a small amount of magic, which can be concentrated into "reliqs" and then used by them or someone else to do useful things, like create light or heat, or clean things, or separate different substances, or heal. Fossils, for some reason, make particularly good reliqs, and the main character and narrator, Mary Anning, is a fossil hunter from Lyme Regis (based on an actual historical figure, I was surprised to discover in the afterword, as are several other characters). She has, through the support of a "geomagician" named Buckland - who studies fossils, and buys them from her - received some informal training in paleontology, taught herself a lot more, and become very knowledgeable, and she now wants to become the first female member of the Society of Geomagicians. To do this, though, will involve a lot of politics, complicated by the fact that her mentor and her ex-sweetheart are rivals for the presidency of the Society.

The ex-sweetheart, Henry, who gradually and quietly ghosted her while he was away being educated, is wealthy and initially comes off as arrogant and untrustworthy, seen through Mary's eyes at least. They were both friends as teenagers with a brother and sister, of whom the brother, Edgar, is now a viscount and in the House of Lords, while the sister, Lucy, is a witch (someone who can work magic without a reliq), also living in Lyme Regis; Mary's best friend; and heavily involved in the Prometheans, who oppose the whole system of people selling their magic for others' use as being contrary to human dignity. The four are still friends and allies to varying degrees, apart from the fact that Mary now can't stand Henry.

All of this supplies plenty of potential for conflict, and when Mary, on one of her fossil expeditions, brings a pterodactyl egg to life and it hatches, it precipitates a sequence of events starting with Mary's mentor Buckland and Henry coming on behalf of the Society to buy the creature. Mary demands nomination to the Society as part of the price, and they all head to London, where there are political, scientific, religious and social conflicts aplenty. Not to mention that Henry takes Mary on as his assistant, and they start secretly studying her ability to bring fossils to life - secretly, because it's theologically fraught, and she could, at least in theory, be executed if things turn the wrong way.

The book raises some important questions. If the system works in a way that disadvantages you and people like you, is it better to try to force your way into it - and end up beholden to people who benefit from it and who you had to ally with in order to get in, and also benefiting from it yourself - or to work against it from outside, perhaps having to ally with people who want to tear it down, have nothing to put in its place, and are fully prepared to do harm, even to the people they supposedly support, in order to bring about change? What's more, should you sacrifice a place you've earned in order to open the way in the future for others like yourself? Is it right to suppress the truth or actively mislead others in the cause of self-preservation or a greater good? There are no easy answers given here; it's not setting out to resolve those questions, but to explore them, and show how struggling with them impacts people, especially people who respect or love each other but disagree on important points.

On the downside, it has the usual level of Americanisms (such as "fall" for "autumn" or "a few blocks away"), anachronisms ("boycott" - the term originated in 1880; "psychological break"; "workstation"), and malapropisms (most frequently "clamored" for "clambered," but also "toothsome" to mean "toothy" when it actually means "appetizing") that I generally see in books by 21st-century Americans set in 19th-century Britain. Also several of the other common mistakes that practically everyone makes, like frequently putting commas between adjectives that aren't coordinate, putting the apostrophe in the wrong place when referring to a family's home by the name of the family ("the Buckland's" where it should be "Bucklands'"), and sometimes (though not nearly as often as many writers) writing in the simple past tense when it should be past perfect. Also, practically every hyphen in the book is between an adjective and the noun it modifies, which is a place no hyphen should be.

There are a couple of outright cultural errors, too, like treating "pence" as if it was singular and referring to a member of the House of Lords as a "Member of Parliament," a term that only applies to the Commons. It needs another go-through by a really good copy editor, in other words, and perhaps, given that I saw a pre-publication version via Netgalley and this is a major publisher (Penguin Random House), it will get one - though that's never guaranteed. Also, the author gives a long list of people who I take to be beta readers at the end, and thanks two editors (though they might not be copy editors), and it has got this far with these issues uncorrected.

While all of that annoyed me, it was still better edited than average (the average is quite low), and the story itself was a big step above that again. If you enjoy period fantasy set in Britain, and can set aside, or don't notice, the occasional anachronism or Americanism, and especially if you appreciate a narrative that takes actual concerns of the period and makes them central to the plot, this is probably for you. I hovered between assigning it to the Gold or Silver tier of my annual Best of the Year, because of the editing; in the end, I gave it the benefit of the doubt that the more significant errors would be fixed by publication, and, considering the depth and complexity of the story and its relationship to the premise and setting, put it in Gold.

[mj]

this cover ?? this plot ?? give it ??

[✨ tweety ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded to 4

The Geomagician is a novel about the life of paleontologist Mary Anning, the first female fossil hunter of the XIX century. The story mixes fiction with reality, so a few things from her biography have been edited or removed to suit the narration.

The story is set in Lyme Regis, the real place where the real Anning lived and made her discoveries. But back to the Mary Anning of The Geomagician... she is having a hard time because even though she finds a lot of interesting fossils that she sells to tourists and scientists alike to study, she is not happy. Her desire is to get into the Society of Geomagicians, where she could work full time to research her fossils. The chance presents itself when she finds an egg of a pterodactyl... but it won't be easy.

I liked the story enough, even though at times I found it predictable. I liked the fantasy spin added to the story and how it mixed with the reality of the time. The romance was more of a subplot but I was okay with that. What made me give 4 stars instead of 5 was that the ending seemed rushed a bit.

All in all, a delightful read!

Thanks to the publisher for letting me read an ARC.

[Kate Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy for my honest review.

I won't lie, this is going to be a brutal review, read at your own caution.

I went into this hoping that it would be a mix of the mummy x dinotopia about a women struggling to fit into a male dominated field.

It wasn't that.

There was one positive thing about this book, it had me riveted and I couldn't put it down, I read mostly in shock at one point, almost threw my kindle out the window at 70% and it made me feel so many emotions, the strongest being white cold, numb rage.

I don't think I can honestly say I've ever read a book where I have liked not one single character until now.

I mean, I liked the Pterodactyl, but the blatant mistreatment, neglect and lack of remorse that the main charactery Mary put that poor creature through deserves divine punishment.

I also don't think I could say I've ever experienced disliking the main character more and more as the book progressed, but Mary exceeded in that aspect.

Mary is a woman struggling in a field dominated by men and when other women looked up to her and went to her for help, what did she do? Nothing, because... what would the men think if she helped other women, it would ruin all her hard work, and the women should work hard like her if they have ambition and not ruin her hard efforts.

While there is romance, it is a subplot at best, which is my favourite kind. But I would have preferred Mary to kick Henry out on his ass.

From the get-go, I assumed that there was a massive misunderstanding and was curious to why Mary hated Henry so much, they were engaged and he just stopped writing. I thought there must be some big plot and someone was sabotaging their love and there would be a great explanation why he stopped writing before she could forgive him let alone kiss him again and why she thinks he is such a selfish and horrible person, but no this was dragged out endlessly with no real explanation, they had already reconciled before figuring it out in the very last few pages where and it honestly no longer mattered and shouldn't have made a different to her opinion on Henry and his character.

Mary's childhood friendship with Lucy and Edgar was weak at best and horrible at most, I will leave that rant alone.

I'd love to know what was the story that Jennifer Mandula was trying to tell?

Was it that people in power use and abuse the people who aren't?
The poor suffer at the hands of the rich and that when there is change its only slight and then gets revoked and sets everyone back about 100 years.
Women's rights don't matter and God forbid other women help other women.
Friends who are really your friends, aren't and would rather see you sell yourself over helping you, regardless of your pride.
Or, that women forgive everything douchebag men do.

This is what it made me feel.

I feel maybe Mandula tried to do so much in one book, it was mostly focused on religion vs science which was surprising since that's not something that's really mentioned at all.

I feel that Mandula missed an amazing opportunity to weave a tale surrounding the history of women's achievements being stolen by men.

I've read so many great books about people struggling with their ambition and morals and honestly, I don't understand what the point was with this one, I don't need anything tied up in a bow at the end, but I just felt like this fell flat of any kind of conclusion except that no one got what they wanted the world sucks? (which tracks for reality I guess)

Mary did reach out to those women at the end apologising for her shitty behaviour, never got to know their response... but I hope they told her to go shove it.

[Sherwood Smith]

The story is based on the life and work of Mary Anning, who was was a professional fossil collector and dealer in the first half of the 19th century. She was actually a paleontologist, but of course being a woman, she was basically brushed off until after her death. Possession of a womb made her automatically that wasn't officially ineligible to join the Geological Society of London.

The author gives Mary a new life, living in a world with magic, in which fossils are the best medium for storing magical power. Such totally cool worldbuilding! The worldbuilding is the real star of this book; if you're okay with that going in, you should really relish this tale as our heroine goes looking for freshly exposed fossils after a landslide. She is thrilled to discover a pterodactyl skeleton — and then one of the fossilized eggs comes to life and hatches in her hands! Meet Ajax, the second best character in ths novel.

I enjoyed the way the author followed out the what-ifs, including a dash of romance along the way. (If you're reading for hot scientist action in the earlier twentieth, you might pass right on by, but if paleontology and a charming critter and lots of cool ideas floats your boat, go for it!)

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting a more cozy dinosaur magic romance with a paleontology focus.

The Geomagician is actually a discourse on Christianity vs science. In this book science is synonymous with magic. Hand in hand. I’m on the side of science so that wasn’t a problem. The problem was that it was 450 pages of people arguing their side and being unlikeable. And their arguments were not persuasive. None of the characters were likeable during this long shouting match. Except for Elizabeth, who is a side character. I wanted to see Mary standing up for herself and other women sooo much more.

I did like that it was a unique premise and I’ll always pick up a book featuring pterodactyls. If you like fossils and fantasy this still may be the book for you, it just wasn't the book for me.

(Also why does the description say Mary is actively trying to solve a mystery? All she’s trying to do is get into the Geomagcian society. I wish she had been more like a detective. The “mystery” solutions are just handed to her by men.)

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Val~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy of The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula, to be published on March 31st, 2026. This book has a compelling premise that the author develops in a very interesting way; a magic system that not only shows geomagicians, but also witches, sorcery, and of course, Ajax! This is a speculative fiction book mostly in an academic setting, with plot twists that change the course of events in spellbinding ways. There's also a bit of romance, but it's not the main focus. You'll find beautiful illustrations at the beginning of each chapter too.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was loving this in the first half! Our main character has her struggles, but she has a passion, we get a short introduction on some magic and a lost love (second chance romance) and there’s a baby pterodactyl. Love!

Towards the halfway point my interest started fading a little. I wasn’t really a fan of the mc (I realised at this point she was very passive and the little decisions she does make, turn out to be horrible choices.) and there starts to be a focus on this Society’s politics and actual politics. We also find out that Mary is very much not a girl’s girl (which only gets addressed and tackled right at the end).

But then shit went crazy. Wtf was even happening towards the end? A strange turn of events and weird — and inconsistent even — world building. I got confused.

I think, mainly, it just tried to do a little too much in the end. It went from dinosaur fantasy to historical romance to political riots to Christianity but with witchcraft. Also commentary on class differences which didn’t quite come to fruition.

Final thoughts: fuck Henry. Don’t let that fake feminist anywhere near you, girl.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher from granting me with an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Holli D.W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary is a Victorian era fossil hunter and scholar who runs a small shop selling fossils to pay the bills, but dreams of becoming a Geomagician. One day she unearths a pterodactyl fossil that includes a nest of preserved eggs.
This sets things into motion and soon Mary is on her way to London and enters a world she’s only ever dreamed of.
This book has just the right amount of Victorian society vibes, “nerdy” science talk, ancient reptile fossils, witches, magic, sorcery, love, and betrayal.

Thank you NetGalley, and Del Rey, Random house worlds, Inklore for the chance to read this Advance reader copy.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for granting me this ARC.

Quite frankly, I saw fossils and magic and immediately knew I had to read this book. The magic system is so interesting, not to mention having it exist in harmony with religion. I admit I'm not the biggest fan of how much religion played into this book but I do acknowledge it was probably apropos for the time period. I went in thinking I'd be in for a fun, magical romp with dinosaurs (or at least a pterodactyl) which I did get, for a bit, but then we really focused in on social issues - poverty, discrimination, feminist issues, etc., and it got my blood boiling (with the characters) and heart twisting (if any harm befalls Ajax I swear to all the gods...) through it all.

This book hasn't even officially been published yet and I already need the sequel.

[Kaja Makowska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reminiscent of A Natural History of Dragons and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries, this novel is a lovely cosy fantasy with some high stakes, tackling the links between history, politics and magic. If you are looking for a gripping read with a victorian background and a badass female lead, definitely pick it up!
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an arc.

[megs_bookrack]

You had me at 'baby pterodactyl'. Thank you for the ARC, Del Rey. This synopsis definitely has my attention!

[anjaRUok · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐️

i'm a little torn between 3,5 and 4 stars but ultimately decided to round down because overall this was somewhat of an up and down kind of read for me.

after the first few chapters i was set on not liking the book, because i was annoyed that the premise is yet another story of a woman starting at less than zero and having to fight for even the tiniest of crumbs to get by, and i thought: why can't we just for once start from a point where female characters already have what they deserve and choose a different narrative?
however, i had no idea that mary anning is an actual historical figure whose life (or parts of it) are the basis for this story. knowing that, the narrative made much more sense to me.
overall, i liked the whole idea of fossils as carriers for magic and the fantastical spin on a historical era of scientific discovery versus religious beliefs. being a scientist myself (and a palaeontology enthusiast in my free time) i would've even liked for those parts of the story to be more extensive.
the parts about the societal and political consequences of this magic system were intriguing as well, but i feel like these two parts of the whole were not balanced in a satisfying way, because both sides felt too shallowly explored, which is totally fine as a casual read but unfortunately not more than that for me.
on top of that i'm a little torn about the end. on one hand, i like that it's not a classical happy end, but on the other hand, i am very dissatisfied with how things turn out for certain characters and the reasons behind that. as a standalone i just would have wanted a little more.

all in all it was a refreshing read, especially since the characters are actually fully grown adults and the magic system offers a cool blend of science and magic, which is right up my alley, and let's be honest, i love geeking out about fossils and wish i also had a pterodactyl familiar 😭

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds and Inklore for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Keila · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique premise that I grew to love! I love the worldbuilding that surrounded geomagic (and the other types of magic) in this version of London. The conflict Mary faces as she chases her dreams of becoming a geomagician is very layered and complex, which is something I very much appreciate. I'm glad that the story tackles themes like class struggle, gender discrimination and academic elitism even with all the magical things going on. Not to mention the yearning between Mary and Henry haha, though I would love for that to be mooooreee. The author only gave me crumbs!

I love how Mary went on from having a singular goal in mind (becoming a geomagician) to realizing that there's more to do than acheiving her dream.

I was also surprised by the presence of Christian theology in the mix, but it somehow worked with all the dinosaur and magic stuff, plus the debates that came along with it. If you guys learned about evolution and what science and faith/religion had to say about it in school, it was just like that in the book but with dinosaurs, and the nerdy part of me loved it. Ajax as Mary's companion was too cute! One could seriously hope nothing bad happens to him...

My only peeve was that the journey to the ending and the ending itself felt a little too rushed. It's already a long book but I believe the resolution could have benefitted for a few more pages, just so there aren't strings that are not tied up and us readers are not left hanging for more crumbs.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own.

[Mela · Rating 2 out of 5]

*dnf at 50%*

I really thought this one was going to be a favorite for me because cozy fantasy is one of my favorite genres and this seemed to be one, however it didn’t feel like one. I wish it focused more on the pterodactyls and the magic behind fossils than politics and religion, the first 20% was like that and then it completely switched. My two biggest issues with this book were Ajax and Mary. I thought Ajax was going to be a focal point of the story, but he’s not even a side character. Also he’s treated as an object by everyone, especially Mary who supposedly loves him, but only uses him as a trade to enter the society. Mary was my other issue. How are you struggling as a woman in the workforce and turn your back to all the other women in your life? Also she’s just full of herself and rude to everyone from the first couple of chapters with clients, to the other people in the society and even her friends. I really tried to push myself to finish this, but this was just not the book for me.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc copy in exchange for an honest review.

[tai ⋆☀︎. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Publication date: 31st March 2026
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Review rate: 4.5/5
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Thank you Jennifer Mandula, Del Rey and Netgalley for eARC and the opportunity to read and review this title!

I loved how this book awakened my childhood dream of searching for fossils, which greatly contributed to the overall great vibe I had while reading. The magic system, which relies on fossils, was very unique and well thought out. I enjoyed discovering more about it with every page turned. I’ve seen many people describe this book as cosy fantasy, but for me it leaned much more toward historical fantasy, especially due to the importance of the political plot. Thanks to the author's writing style, the book was quick and pleasant to read.

The FMC had a few moments where I just sighed, shook my head, and moved on—but thankfully, those moments were rare. Ajax, however? Absolute MVP of this book. My precious baby. I desperately wish I could have one of my own now.

If you’re picking this book up expecting a “classic” romantasy, I’m sorry to disappoint: the romance is very much a background subplot (a second-chance romance, at that — which I’m personally not a big fan of).

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the folks at Del Rey publishing for providing this ebook via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!!
***

I didn't know Mary Anning was a historical figure until I read the acknowledgements. I am such a terrible feminist, history student and dinosaur/paleontology fan. Fortunately, this book helped me with that.
I loved the fantasy and the magic system is lovely. The romance was enthralling too, but my favorite relationship was between Mary and the wonderful pterodactyl Ajax. I also loved Lucy, Elizabeth and Buckland.
Definitely recommended if you like period pieces with a warm touch of cozy fantasy.

[A Mysterious Gabe Appears · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC!

This book really was a whirlwind and kept me on my toes.

Here are some highlights:
- Fossils
- Geologic history
- Social issues (politics, gender discrimination, theology, and science)
- Fantastic subplots (protests, magical violence, the Inquisition)
- Plot twists (a lot of them honestly)
- Second chance romance
- Forced proximity
- So much deception

Criticisms:
- Not enough build up towards the twist at the end
- Very minor historical inaccuracies

Despite some of my current criticisms, it's still earning a 5-star rating from me. It was so much fun reading about fossils in a world that depends on them. I loved the history. I loved all of the places this duology might go in a sequel. It was a truly fantastic read.

[LadyoftheBlade (Britt) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of The Geomagician. This book was incredibly fascinating and actually prompted me to look-up the actual real-life Mary Anning. (I definitely recommend you do the same!)

The Geomagician is centered in a fictionalized version of the 1800s, in which everyone has a type of magic they can harness using something called a reliq. The most common type of reliq is ammonites and/or other fossils. This is how Mary Anning makes her living; by selling her fossil and shell finds to local tourists. Mary has her sights on becoming a Geomagician with the Geomagical Society of London. Unfortunately, it is an impossibility. Not due to her lack of wealth or education, but because she is a woman. Her dream changes to a more tangible reality when she finds (and subsequently) hatches a ptyerdactyl egg.

Upon her discovery, she is whisked away to London with her mentor (Buckland) and her best friend (Lucy). Mary's goal is to leverage her discovery of the ptyerdactyl (lovingly named Ajax) into becoming the first woman geomagician. However, it's not as simple as she hopes. Her goal becomes much more complicated when Henry Stanton (a man who broke her heart 15 years ago)comes back into the picture.

Henry has ambitions of his own. He has his eyes of becoming president of the Geomagical society. (The same position Buckland has promised to use to get Mary nominated into the society.) Mary has to choose whether she can trust Henry again or whether she is hearing up for heartbreak all over again.

I absolutely adore this novel. I did expect more dinosaurs going into it, but I was fascinated by the talk of fossils and archeology. I love how the author weaved in the real Mary Anning's life story into her novel. All of that being said, I was not prepared for how focused the plot was on the church and scripture. Theology (specifically Christianity) plays a huge role in the plot due to Ajax's discovery. I did not hate it, but I was definitely unprepared.

The novel is also heavily a political one. The subplot focuses on Lucy's efforts to help with reliq reform (and/or the abolishment), so that people can rely on their own magic. The subplot does eventually weave into the main plot. Honestly, I'm glad this is a duology because I'm interested to see the political plot be expanded upon.

That is not to say this isn't a satisfying stand alone. Frankly, it reads as a complete novel. I loved that Mary was an abrasive and flawed main character. It made her feel real. Her romance with Henry is fine. I don't think it made or broke the novel in any significant way. Alot of their issues could have been solved early on if they actually spoke.

Overall, I'm excited to see where the duology goes next. I hope you all are as excited to meet Ajax as I was!!

[badger baddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF (thanks to netgalley for the ARC) because of some early issues with the main character. I don't mind an abrasive fmc, but I do mind a dumb one, and that's what I felt like I was getting here. No thanks.

[Nico bookreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for the copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
What can I say? the book is amazing, it travels the story of Mary Anning and her love of fossils in a world that is not quite our own but has some heavy similarities with this one, we can see a very career centered woman discover there is more to life than surviving and being respected, which is honestly the dream of every academic on the field, but we see her discover the strength and power of friendship, of knowing our own hearts and eventually even become more than just a common scholar.
I saw in this book many things that might not be suitable for everyone like the technicalities of dinosaur fossils, and the hyperfocal interest/genius of research, we also have a glimpse into a field trip of the paleontologist, the long and difficult grieving of parents, with all the kinds of friendship, romantic and career relationships, strange and entangled magic, career driven life, and mentorship, did I mention Dinosaurs? well some very interesting companions of the witches!
I adored everything and I also love Mary, for having evolved beyond what even she believed possible in the first s chapters, for her impressive journey and for never abandoning Ajax even through the hardest part, I believe in Henry and gods I can't even explain how much I love Lucy! I too believe that friendship is a whole experience utterly unpredictable, and the whole academic world in the book would cause me to live in defiance.
Thank you author, I really enjoyed this read and couldn't stop reading.