The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones

by Lex Croucher

From instant New York Times bestseller, Nero Award-shortlisted, and TikTok Book of the Year-shortlisted Lex Croucher comes your new dark academia obsession...

Briar always dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy, the elite boarding school that's produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in history, long rumoured to be magical. Briar's best friend, Seb, just wanted them to stay together forever.

When Seb gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn't, their relationship is shattered - until, at eighteen, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the magical junk in Temple's attic, and discovers that quiet, sensitive Seb, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become the villain.

Dark academia meets fantasy in this timely page-turner about a student who fails to gain admission to the UK's only school of magic but then finds their way there years later and unearths the ugly secrets simmering behind its ancient walls - unmissable for fans of Babel by R.F. Kuang and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.

Genres: Fantasy, Dark Academia, Queer, LGBT, Young Adult, Romance, Fiction

464 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 9, 2026

About the author

Lex Croucher grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet, and now lives in London with an elderly cat. With a background in social media for NGOs, Lex now writes historical-ish rom coms for adults (REPUTATION, INFAMOUS) and historical fantasy rom coms for teenagers. GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE is their YA debut.

Reviews

[Mei ☽︎]

Why did I have to find out about this book right now when it's freaking coming out October 2025???? 😭

[Rachel Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ 2.5🌶️

- Dark academia / Magical School
- Magic systems
- non-binary/ queer rep
- Fighting establishment
- Friends-to-enemies-to-lovers
- Slow-burn tension
- Forced proximity
- Trials

Seb and Briar are inseparable, until one day Seb receives a letter to the country’s only school of magic while Briar does not. Years later, Briar arrives at the school on a temporary job contract and discovers their former best friend, the boy they once loved, has become a villain. However, nothing is as it seems…As Briar explores hidden attics, forgotten studies and long-buried memories, they race to uncover the truth behind the school’s ancient walls. They must find who they can trust, as they unearth secrets with far-reaching consequences…

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones is a brilliant, queer, dark-academia story that explores power, longing, and all the complexities of human relationships. It’s an emotional, smart, and powerful read and once I picked it up I couldn’t put down!

The story is intensely character-driven, especially the first half, and slower pacing really gives the characters room to evolve and grow. Every character is flawed, complicated, and carrying old wounds, yet fiercely loyal in their own ways. So many moments broke my heart a little, it completely captures the duality of human relationships in all their beauty and brutality.

I felt so invested in all the characters, especially Seb. The longing, heartbreak, and quiet desperation throughout his story had me desperately hoping for a happy ending!

Also the queer representation is so appreciated, it’s seamlessly woven into the bones of the story rather than sidelined.

The ending was perfect, even if I was a little devastated to realise this is a standalone. I wanted more time with these characters and I’m not ready to let them go!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for the ARC.

[Eleni Chapman]

the blurb is giving school for good and evil vibes and i’m not sure i’m emotionally ready for that

[Liv Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

LEX CROUCHER YOU ARE SO COOL YOUR BOOKS ARE SO GOOD!!!!

this book was one of my highest anticipated upcoming releases and i can say that it without a doubt lived up to all my hopes dreams and expectations. it was SO good. i love dark academia fantasy, and this book is easily a five star addition to the genre. i loved the characters, the plot, the magic, the atmosphere, the writing… everything really. it felt fresh compared to other similar books, having all the best traits of dark academia while introducing something new at the same time. i could keep going on and on about things i loved in this book, but honestly i just think everyone should read it for themselves when it comes out.

thank you so so so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc (i actually squealed when i got approved to read this i was so excited) and thank you icon lex croucher for writing yet another banger of a book

[Kayte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briar Jones is finally going to the magic school of their dreams—as a low-level, temporary employee with no magical ability whatsoever. The bloom very quickly comes off the rose as Briar realizes that what was magical and full of promise as a child is grim, elitist, and possibly murdery (which, fair; most of us do). This is not my first book by Lex Croucher, but was distinctly different to their others. While The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones still showcases Croucher's particular brand of humour (which I adore), it's heavier and more grown-up, even in comparison to Croucher's other adult offerings.

WRITING
Literally no notes.
The magic is explained in a way that makes sense but isn't over-the-top detailed
Excellent balance of humour and gravity
Sentences flow wonderfully; wish I could write half so well.
The characters have FLAWS. They are NUANCED. Good people can do shitty things, especially when they're eighteen and don't have fully developed BRAINS yet.

REPRESENTATION
I've read (and enjoyed) other books with queer and/or nonbinary characters that have at times felt a little bit preachy. Croucher did not bother with this. Briar exists, uses they/them pronouns, and the sort of people you would expect to have a problem with that kind of turn their noses up but it's not the main plotline of the story. The same goes for Westby and Bastian (both queer) and Tate Adams, who is Black and against whom I will hear absolutely no slander (love you, Tatey-poo). "Acknowledge and move on" is my favourite type of representation <3

ROMANCE
Look, I requested this book from NetGalley having read a blurb for it eons ago. I forgot there was romance, so that was a fun surprise for me! This book is not a romance, but has romance in it. It feels a little abrupt, but makes sense in context and is well-developped and not frought for the sake of ✨The Drama✨.

Yaaay I loved this everyone read it when it comes out properly.

[Nrosenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Look, I haven’t had a cigarette since Election Day 2024. For pretty much all of “The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones” I needed one. Fucking hell. This was a lot.

Let’s get my one quibble out of the way. I don’t think this should be marketed as YA. Yes, Briar and Bastian are young adults, but these themes and plot points are… a lot. It’s all the angst and dread from Croucher’s previous works put on steroids. Everything is handled quite well, but yeah… just… a lot. I don’t think I was an emotionally mature enough high schooler to read this. Hell, I’m pushing 30 and I had a hard time reading this.

Anywho, “The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones” was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Thankfully, I was not disappointed. I was so hooked and couldn’t put it down, even when I was so disturbed and upset. The book reminded me mostly of “Let The Dead Bury The Dead” and “Cursed Crown” Duology in that respect. Hooked, but upset.

What mostly makes Croucher’s writing so successful is that we want Seb to be redeemed. Bastian is pretty despicable, but we read about sweet Seb and we want him back.

I loved Briar as a narrator and protagonist. They’re not perfect, but they’re someone we truly root for. I liked a lot of the gender beats and Briar’s own identity. Very strong.

Finally, thank God for happy (or hopeful perhaps) endings. Like I said, I had so much dread for most of this book and the ending healed me a bit. The powers of love and hope and redemption and forgiveness are nothing to be trifled with.

I can’t wait for this to hit libraries and book stores. Will definitely be buying my own copy so I can revisit it. Will be thinking about Briar, Sebastian and the others for a long while. Considering the surprise sequel to “Gwen And Art Are Not In Love”, would be hopeful to see more of this story in the future. Lots of potential.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Lex Croucher and the nice people at Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I’m a big fan of Lex Croucher’s other works and this fits right into the pantheon. A morally grey, queer treatise in the dark academia genre, Lex explores themes of class and caste through Briar’s lens. This book gave me “Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo vibes, but in a ‘hell is empty and the devils are all here’ way. I immediately fell into the world created, and though I didn’t always agree with or even like some of the cast of characters, it is an enjoyable ride. Some bits were laugh out loud witty, and then it flips to devastatingly sad and then becomes an exploration of grief in its many forms.
Highly recommend, I can’t wait for more people step beyond the gates of Temple.

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briar Jones I would die for you, I would kill for you, but most importantly I would bake you cookies and tuck you under a fluffy blanket.

Proper review to come

[ARC from Netgalley]

[Vanessa Hermanns · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars — Unexpected, Clever, and Delightfully Odd!

First of all, as always, thank you so much to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC! I’m honored that you gift me your wonderful books to read and sprinkle my little commentaries all over.

I went into The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones expecting one thing and got something entirely different, and honestly, I *really* enjoyed it. Dark academia is probably my favorite genre and this did not disappoint.

The writing is sharp, clever, and genuinely funny in a way that feels almost unintentional. The whole story was giving, “What if everyone at Hogwarts was a Slytherin, but it was written and directed by Wes Anderson.” energy.

It’s semi-whimsical, a little offbeat, and filled with delicious morally gray ambition. It’s almost like the characters wrote themselves.

What I loved that really stood out was the queer representation. I’ll admit, as someone who’s probably a little too Gen X to process they/them pronouns on autopilot, it took me a minute to fully settle in, but once I did, I really appreciated the perspective shift. I actually enjoy reading stories about characters I don’t personally identify with because I feel like it stretches me as a reader. This queer love story was exquisitely written and will live with me rent-free for quite some time.

Pacing-wise, I never felt bored. I was fully invested the entire time. The book didn’t lag for me at all, which is always a win. It was wonderfully strange in a way that made the whole experience memorable!

[Mukireads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did appreciate this book, and all that Lex conveys there; it's also a beautiful story on love and friendship, and the characters are written with a lot of care and tenderness.

I did however not love it, and I suspect that my position as a subjective reader is to blame for it. I went into this book assuming it would have Lex's usual lightheartedness, and that I would have a good laugh, but this is not what this book is, and I should not have gotten into this book with such expectations, I should have been opened to whatever Lex Croucher wanted to do with their first dark academia book, so this is absolutely my fault!

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

[amie]

I need this soooooo bad

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the eARC!

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones is a unapologetically dark, disturbing and often toxic addition to the genre of queer dark academia. When I heard Lex Croucher - an author whom I love for their banter, queer rep and humour - I was unsure how their writing would play out under a darker tone and adult voice. It turns out I need not have worried, as Lex Croucher took the elements I already love from their work (diverse queer rep, group dynamics and quippy one liners) and simultaneously blended them with a much darker voice filled with violence, yearning and that oh-so-beautiful queer rage.

The relationship between Bastian and Briar is by far the shining quality of this story. From the glimpses into past devotion to the far more twisted reality of their current relationship. The tension between the two; sometimes violent, sometimes wanting, more often than not both, lept off the page and kept me hooked from beginning to end.

My only reason for not hitting the 5-star rating is that the entire book left me wanting more. The main note I gave to friends whilst reading is "I want this book to have 200 more pages". I loved the glimpses into the power imbalances, toxic relationships and violence as a love language; but I kept wanting to urge the book to take it further and lean into those darker elements and fully commit to the malevolent tone so often present in dark academia. I think a longer book would have allowed more exploration into the themes and the larger cast of characters, and provided the opportunity for relationships and emotions to have felt more solidified before the plot moved forward.
Nonetheless, as a first book in this genre, and one which is markedly different from the authors previous work, I think TULoBJ holds up well and offers an really great dark academia story for those who have maybe not ventured into the genre before and would like a taste of the key themes coupled with the guarantee of a happier resolution.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stayed up until 2am to finish this and cracked open the first page at breakfast to read it all again WITH KNOWLEDGE. Currently back home with family and I don’t want to talk to anyone I just want to read Briar Jones.

I will say it again: Lex Croucher is an automatic buy author for me. If they write a sci fi epic in verse next I will buy it. Idc I know they can pull it off.

Jokes aside, this is so masterfully executed. The characters are so rich I felt like I could touch them. When Briar steps into their attic bedroom only to find three rebel scholars I was curious to see how we were going to connect to so many characters in the short period of time they were going to be at Temple. I shouldn’t have worried. Westby, Hadley and Tate are my favourite scooby gang since Buffy (and OG scoobies of course). I would die for them.

I thought Croucher navigated Briar’s complicated feelings with having wanted to belong at Temple so bad, resentment towards the institution that took their friend Seb from them, the fact they STILL want to be a magician despite realising the school is a toxic proliferation of privileged violence is… chef’s kiss.

Briar and Bastian’s best friends to enemies to lovers arc is literally to die for. So much darker than Croucher’s other works and a welcome change. It still felt very much like one of their books. The quippy one liners had me giggling at 2am in my cousin’s childhood bedroom. I’m gonna go back to rereading it now. Bye.

[Hadley Morrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book, and thank you to my friend Lucky for telling me to read this one pronto!

Oh my god this is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year! Come for the magic school, stay for the lessons on classism and and the dark underbelly of elite schools built on ‘tradition’.

Briar’s job listing might be janitorial staff, but Briar’s real job is arms and fighting (their past? the students? the system? Yes to all!)

I was locked in for the entire book and you will be too. There is drama! There is angst! There is comedy (janitor is my new favorite gender)!

(Also Westby has correct opinions on later generation pokemon)

[BookishKB]

🪄 The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

📅 Pub Date: June 9, 2026

[randi rush · Rating 2 out of 5]

*2.5
i wanted to like this more, especially because i’m actually obsessed with the cover. it was interesting enough and there were a couple of mysterious aspects to the story that intriguing, but i wasn’t really feeling it. i just didn’t fully connect to the writing, which made me feel sort of detached from everything happening.

the romance progression was also off to me. the switch from enemies to lovers felt so sudden, where one moment they were literally fist fighting and then the next they were in love, with no development in between. like i get that they were childhood best friends, and it was probably meant to be somewhat toxic, but they didn’t really redevelop their rapport before getting together. i also couldn’t ever gauge how they actually felt about each other, so the whole thing just felt strange. but the side characters were definitely a bright spot in this, and they added a fun dynamic to the cast.

thank you to netgalley and avon and harper voyager for the arc!

[Lucky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting from start to finish, The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones is an incisive and potent exploration of a ruthless system, its intergenerational toll, and those that choose to defy it.

The image this book paints of a magic school captures all the worst and most seductive horrors that elite institutions embody while also feeling inescapably tangible.

Croucher's skill for balancing banter with vulnerability is also on full display, the supporting cast of queer found family being both complex and charming.

The lake-deep yearning between Briar and Bastian is matched only by their shared angst. They are catastrophically messy—both separately and together— and I never stopped rooting for them.

If you like incisive magical dark academia, funny and complex queer characters, or slow burn romance, please read this book. I gasped, I cried, I nearly broke a mug by gripping it too tightly. I am obsessed.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Avon, NetGalley, and Lex Croucher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

What happens to your life when your lifelong dream is stripped away at a very young age? What if the one you cared for most ends up getting everything you ever wanted while you are left behind, or so it seems? This is the premise behind "The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones," an urban fantasy that takes place in an establishment-rich school of magic where all is not what it seems.

Briar Jones, a nonbinary person who uses they/them pronouns, has wanted to attend the Temple School for as long as they can remember. As the U.K.'s premiere school of magic, Temple promises its graduates that the world will be at their feet at the end of their education, with high-earning, high-reputation jobs just ready and waiting for them to grab. When Briar and their best friend Sebastian send off their applications, Briar is certain that they'll both take on this next phase of their life together, escaping the bullying and ostracism that they've both experienced growing up. Instead, Briar is horrified to learn that only Sebastian has been accepted. Heartbroken, Briar continues their humdrum existence on their family's farm, with only a small group of friends for comfort.

Years later, Briar comes across an inquiry for summer help at the school, and still nursing a broken heart and their separation from Sebastian, decides to accept the temporary position. Tasked with basic cleaning and janitorial duties, Briar finds themselves surrounded by the chosen elite and all that could have been. It's only a few days into their new job when they discover a first-year student ("pip") being bullied by the very person they once called their best friend: Sebastian, now known only as Bastian, who has changed so much in the years they've been apart that they're barely recognizable.

Now, Briar must navigate this new school and all its dark and sinister secrets while reconciling the person he once knew with the aloof and vicious person he's become. Along the way, Briar discovers that Temple is far more dangerous than they'd ever realized, and the school and its students will do anything to keep those secrets hidden.

This was my first time reading a Lex Croucher novel, and I was immediately taken by their writing style and subtle humor. Briar, like every character we meet in the novel, is complex and riddled with contradictions, appearing good one moment and dark the next, struggling with emotions they'd thought they'd resolved. Briar never quite understood why Sebastian (or "Seb", as they'd called him) never came to visit on holiday breaks, and appeared to cut Briar out of his life completely. As we learn more about the school and "the work" of magic, the author does an incredible job of showing how power corrupts and tends to remain with those who have had it all along, no matter how lopsided and unfair it is.

The LGBTQIA+ representation in this novel is excellent and one of the highlights of the novel for me. We're aware immediately that Briar is nonbinary, but it's not introduced with fanfare and backstory and used as tokenism; it's simply an aspect of who they are. Queer representation from other characters also shows up prominently in the novel, and again it's shown in a way that is clear and complex, not reducing the characters their sexuality alone.

While the world building in the novel was excellent, it was the deep dives into the characters, their motivations, and their wants and needs that really elevated this novel. At its heart, it is a character-driven novel about heartbreak, loss, and missed opportunities, and the emotional ache resonates profoundly, especially toward the end of the novel.

I think you'll enjoy this novel if you're interested in dark academia, complex characters who don't veer purely "good" or "bad", and the impact of trauma at a young age. Though this novel is a standalone, it leaves the door open for possibilities down the road, and I'd be very interested to see where we meet Briar in another 10 years.

[Izzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

idk why but i kept picturing briar as remus lupin and seb as lucius malfoy.

NOTE: before I start my review I want to talk about something that is quite prominent and I believe is not talked about enough. for actual review, please scroll down to REVIEW
As someone who's perception of the world has changed so much in the last decade, I think it's incredibly important to address something that is often overlooked: the concept of LGBTQIA+ representation in books.
The author does a wonderful job with representation in this book. Briar's queerness was more or less accepted by everyone around them, with just enough discomfort to depict the state of society. This reaction was presented as almost an expectation, which is absolutely correct.
I will admit, as a product of much sheltering that continued throughout my teens, this book was not the norm for me, and so it took some adjusting. This is normal; after all, in today's world, we still see a lot of avoidance of topics as such, which makes presentation of these concepts feel almost strange. What isn't normal, though, is just ignoring these topics, as they are indeed a crucial part of someone else's life, and in order to be able to respect humanity, we need to accept our differences. And that begins with stepping out of your comfort zone to read about a protagonist who might be a bit different.
The point I'm trying to make here is that we as a society need to be more immersed in the concept of being different, until being different becomes our normal.

REVIEW:
This book should've been longer.
PLOT: I loved the concept. Heists? Mysteries? Trials? Literally the recipe for my favorite books (tog and soc im looking at you). The plot was certainly interesting, but the ending was so incredibly rushed. Like there were so many slow parts but the author just... Kind of stuck together words and created the shorted resolution known to mankind? 90% of the book was the buildup, 3% was the climax, and the remaining 5% was the ending and how they fixed the climax. (2% was the acknowledgements + the end of books thingies on kindles). So yeah! We needed at least fifty more pages of what they even DID. But the book was funny.

CHARACTERS:
BRIAR: Oh yes. They are so fucking hot... Like competent buff scholar-reject-turned-scholar-mystery??? YES PLEASE. (can you tell i love academia yet never unfortunately experienced my own academia love... gosh darn it shouldve gone to a prep school). Briar was genuinely smart as hell and... did i mention buff yet! And they were such a perfect book partner like oh my god someone tell my future husband to learn a fucking lesson from this wonderful soul. Okay so bottom line, I love Briar.
SEB: I did not like this guy. He was kind of flat, no character arc, and just boring. Briar was too good for him. Seb was honestly just a well-written plot device. Lex Croucher successfully made me hate him, except when the enemies to lovers part was supposed to happen I never ended up liking him. He made terrible decisions and never apologized for half the bullshit he pulled.
The Trio: They deserved more. Their characters deserved more. We should've seen West's mental health arc, seen Hadley's growth as a person (seriously wtf why was that scene so short my girl deserved better), and at LEAST seen what Tate did afterwards. I will say, this is where the normality of LGBTQIA+ really struck me, as their characters did not struggle with it at all, instead fully owning it. The author actually did so fucking well in this regard. I can't put it into words how much I appreciate the way she represented everything. That being said, we deserve a novella about them growing up after this dang book.
THE MILLION OTHER CHARACTERS: Booooring. Besides Eugenia. I love her. And idk if I'm supposed to hate her wife. And Buck is Buck and I hope he suffers a terrible death.

So yeah. Please let there be a second book or at least a novella.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review

guys I'm so sorry it's long I tried!!!!!!!!! read it plssss

[Y.N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC

I had a nice time with this one. Briar Jones is young non binary person, who finally gets the chance to enter the magic school of their dream. As a temporary employee. The Temple, mysterious magical school, has taken Briar's best friend, Seb, seven years prior. Briar is hurt, sad and angry, both hoping and afraid of seeing him. Of course, they do see him. And have the nasty surprise to see that their sweet, shy best friend as because a nasty piece of work, bullying the younger student as one of the stongest scholar for decades.
Briar also somewhat become friends with last years students and start helping them in their endeavour of undermining the group of students responsible for the younger years Trials. Of course, Seb is one of said bully.

"The unmagical life of Briar Jones" is part dark academia, part romance, part... slice of life? Told in third person, present tense, we follow Briar for three weeks as they work in the Temple. The narrative is quite focused on their own biases, the way they perceive themselves, the world, and of course, Seb. Their broken relationship with Seb is a very important part of the book and their confrontations are one of the strongest moments. Stronger than Briar's actions as they follow their new friend group into undermining the Mons/Capes. These moments are nice, but they would have been stronger with another kind of story structure. Similarly, the in-between moments of daily work and inner thoughts can be a little weaker.

I must admit I had to reflect a little once I had finished reading the book. I wasn't so sure what the main driving point was supposed to be and how I should judge the story. As a dark academia, it kinda work but is bit weak, since Briar isn't that much of a active force in driving the story and the actions "against" the Temple. There are some nasty moments with manipulations and misuse of power that were really well done and impactful, though the story isn't that dark if you are used to dark academia and dark fantasy or horror. And then there's the ending, wrapping a little too nicely and quickly for my taste.
As a romance, it falls into the trap of lacking a more gradual transition from opposition to joining forces. The intensity is there, but since part of the story is elsewhere and Briar and Seb don't see each other that often at first, it's a bit rushed once they really get close again.
The found family element is fun. I enjoyed Briar's friends and their issues. They are definitely imperfect, as are Briar and Seb. This side of messy queerness was delightful and mixed well with the elitist and injust magical school and its secrets.

All in all, I enjoyed this. The writing flowed nicely even if I am not a fan of present tense narrative, with an addictive side to the story. As an exploration of lost dreams and lost friends, found love ad struggle, this story works quite well. I will definitely be checking Croucher's next adult novel! And of course, big shoutout for the non binary rep!

[Dotti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones is a dark academia fantasy novel following a young adult named Briar. Briar and their best friend Sebastian grew up in the shadow of Temple, a prestigious boarding school for magic. When Sebastian got accepted and Briar didn’t, the two drifted apart. Now, eight years later, Briar gets a job at Temple and learns that the school is not the whimsical place they imagined. With a group of new friends, Briar begins to unravel the secrets of Temple and thermalugy for good.

The book was well done, with an excellent focus on the dark academia elements. Briar’s understanding both of themselves and of Sebastian grow throughout the book in compelling ways, reminding us that our childhood selves often are couched in hazy memory. Briar’s friends at Temple, a group of privileged students trying to upend the system, are a layered group; it’s hard to have side characters that feel complex, and Croucher succeeds in that regard.

This story features a queer romance with explicit content as a prominent side plot. The romance storyline is messy and complicated, which fits for a dark academia book. This story does not follow romance tropes or pacing, unlike many of the fantasy books in publishing nowadays.

Briar is a non-binary character and uses they pronouns throughout. The book first treats this as a non-issue, then slowly introduces the complexity of their gender identity. It was a compelling way to experience a non-binary character.

The magic system was a little thin, but as required by the story. Briar is an employee of the school, not a student, and therefore they do not have a typical training arc in which the magic system is explained in depth. Instead, most of Briar’s knowledge comes in fragments, from their own experiences being manipulated to the drunken ramblings of their new friends.

The overall mystery regarding the school was a major element, and often questioned within the story. The answer seemed relatively obvious to me, but I was pleasantly surprised by the detail that our author gave in explaining the conspiracy and its various elements.

Altogether, this was a solid dark academia fantasy novel involving class, gender and sometimes race. The mystery was compelling, and the characters were all well developed. If you’re a fan of dark academia novels and want a side of a (somewhat toxic) romance, this story is for you.

I will note, the cover with the heron, plus bright yellow color and title, made me believe this book would be much lighter than the description implied. The title implies a sort of whimsy, as does the bird. In some senses, it feels accurate; Briar believes that Temple is a magical place full of whimsy and uncovers the seedy nature of the school. But, for casual readers, these elements might imply a more positive book than the one they experience.

This advanced reader copy was provided by Harper Voyager in exchange for my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Heather Pacella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

As children, Briar Jones and Sebastian Wolfe were thicker than thieves, exploring the local countryside, swapping their favorite paperbacks, and planning their future at the elite Temple School of Thaumaturgy, rumored to be an institute of magic and home to some of the most successful politicians and businessmen in local history. Though the existence of magic is up for question, one thing was certain - no matter where their lives would take them, they would be by each other's side, experiencing it together. However, the unthinkable happens, and legacy Sebastian is granted admission while not-so-privileged Briar is not. Their friendship is irreparably shattered, and what follows is seven years of silence between the two.

While Sebastian has disappeared behind the gates of the Temple, Briar has been stuck at home in their village, attending the mundane local school and helping out on the family farm in their spare time. Even so, Briar has never really given up on magic, and they jump at the opportunity to take a summer job at the Temple. However, when they arrive at the school, nothing is as they imagined. The wondrous "magic" Briar and Sebastian dreamed of as children is much more sinister than they imagined, and sweet, shy Sebastian has transformed into the most feared bully at the school. When Briar falls in with a group of students desperate to change the cruel status quo, they find that the knowledge they've been searching for has a devastating price - one they might not be willing to pay.


I really enjoyed the world built by Lex Croucher in The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones - the magic system created here, as well as how it is taken advantage of and gatekept by the elite, was great. Another strong point for me was the depth of the students that Briar made friends with - Tate, Westby, and Hadley jumped off the page. Briar and Sebastian's trauma - and their attempts to grow past it, together - was also beautifully captured. The only thing I was not a fan of was that this was a standalone - because of that, the story read almost juvenile, and it felt at times that the plot was advanced too quickly in implausible ways (especially the ending, when everything was suddenly neatly wrapped up with a shiny bow on top). I would have loved to see this world expanded upon even more, as I felt there was still a lot left to explore. However, I would still highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a book with a unique take on dark academia and strong non-binary/queer representation.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for this ARC!

[Siavahda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars, happily rounded up to 5. Rtc!


*I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.*

Highlights

~spaghetti is not a vegetable
~magic’s messed-up but the problem is Eton
~A++ nonbinary rep
~when you’re sure you know where this story’s going: no you don’t
~no one is doomed by this narrative

I finished this in a single day. A single day in which I had an 8-hour migraine. Really, I should just stop talking now, because doesn’t that tell you everything you could possibly need to know??? That’s how compulsively readable it is; that I couldn’t put it down, even while in stupid amounts of pain. MEGA POINTS FOR CROUCHER.

But if you still want an actual review…well, all right then.

The very first thing I want to say is: THANK YOU, Lex Croucher. I have been waiting a LONG time to see an author write a nonbinary character this way. This is the first book I’ve ever read where the author never outed the nonbinary protagonist’s biological sex. NOT ONCE. Not even in the sex scenes! And I’m so grateful; I am so sick and tired of authors making sure the audience knows what gender their enby was assigned at birth, like that’s information we need to know. We have no idea what’s under Briar’s clothes, and I love it. I want all the allies to sit up and take notes on what Croucher’s done here. I’m not even sure most cis readers will notice, that’s how smoothly, brilliantly, Croucher’s written it, how natural they’ve made the absence of that information. But this nonbinary reader very much noticed, and was thrilled and validated and appreciated it SO INCREDIBLY MUCH.

So. THANK YOU, Lex Croucher!

Story-wise, TULoBJ had me completely unable to predict where we were going. The description on the back of the book clearly wants you to expect everything will go This Way, but almost as soon as Briar has reached the magic school, Croucher deflates those expectations mercilessly. (I am not exaggerating: it is brutal and gutting and excellent.) Up until the final chapters, I had no idea how the book was going to end; for a good long time, I was very nervous that the focus on Stopping The Bullies was going to be the whole of it, that the bullies would be stopped and the book would portray that as a triumph…while leaving the institutionalised evil functionally unchanged. That would not have been a happy ending, by my standards.

I really should have trusted Croucher more. In my defence, this is my first time reading a book of theirs!

You’re going to feel like such an idiot when you don’t know what to say to the vampire without his top on.’

‘Sir, please put some clothes on, this is a school for children.’

TULoBJ is being described as dark academia. Your mileage will vary depending on how you define ‘dark academia’; personally, I think this is much more of a ‘look how fucked-up magic!Eton is, and also Great Britain as an institution’ kind of story. (If that fits your definition, then woo!) The magic here is a pretty obvious metaphor for worldly power, especially generational wealth, and the things it’s good for also align with that – magic is primarily for controlling other people, manipulating them in one way or another. And so TULoBJ is less about the obsessive hunting after knowledge – my own definition of dark academia – and more about how that knowledge is used, specifically how it is used in terrible ways by terrible people. In fact, it’s hard to see how any of this magic could be used for good; every spell overwrites the free will of the person it’s used on – that’s literally what the magic taught at this school is for. Maaaybe you could use the removing-memories magic for helping people with trauma; maybe you could, in an emergency, mind-whammy a panicked crowd to get them to evacuate a burning building or something. But that’s about it. And given that the vast majority of the students are going into things like politics and law, it’s a safe bet that they do not plan on confining themselves to healing trauma and/or emergencies where lives are at stake.

(Our first hint that Briar is not a clear-cut hero is that even as they learn about how horrifying magic actually is – they still want it. They feel guilty about this, but that doesn’t change how they feel. I didn’t question this while I was reading, but now I think it was Croucher laying the groundwork for Briar being a more complicated character than they seem at first.)

In fact, over the course of the book, Briar (and thus the reader) learn that graduates of the academy are kind of the foundation of British politics. Besides being a darkly hilarious explanation as to why so many complete tossers keep getting voted into the English parliament, this also raises questions about Britain’s colonial period. How long has Britain/England been weaponising magic against the rest of the world? It would help explain some of the things they accomplished, wouldn’t it?

Read the rest at Every Book a Doorway!

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This comes out on June 9th.

Briar always dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy, the elite boarding school that’s produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in history, long rumored to be magical. Briar’s best friend, Sebastian, just wanted them to stay together forever.

When Sebastian gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn’t, their relationship is shattered – until, at eighteen, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the magical junk in Temple’s attic, and discovers that quiet, sensitive Sebastian, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become the villain.

The writing in The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones is excellent. Lex Croucher is a master of their craft, their prose striking, their humor sharp, and their characters complex. Their characters are not traditionally likable - all of them deeply flawed, including our main character Briar. Readers will find themselves conflicted about whether or not they should be rooting for these people - I know I did. I grew to care for our main characters and I’m so impressed by how Croucher pulled that off.

Croucher does an excellent job of setting up the world-building and prior relationships without info-dumping. The friendship that Briar and Seb/Bastian had as children was communicated to the reader perfectly, with just the right amount of detail and memories to understand why and how they were so close before it all fell apart. I completely understood their obsession with each other, both as children and 18-year-olds.

Briar Jones is very different from Lex Croucher’s other books. While they’ve had a touch of darkness in some of their previous works, they take it up a notch here. They don’t stray from deeply disturbing or uncomfortable moments. This is a book that I urge readers to check trigger warnings for.

I think readers have to have the right expectations going into this novel. It is not a fun magic school novel, it is dark academia and the magic is unlike what I was expecting. I still loved it but I could see some readers being turned off because they were expecting something lighter (based on Lex Croucher’s previous books) or more fantastical.

I loved the two big revelations of the book and how everything is wrapped up with a bit of an open ending as to how everyone will move forward.

If you enjoy dark academia and complex characters and relationships, I couldn’t recommend this enough!

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a very ambitious book, and the initial premise was extremely intriguing to me: what if you were never chosen for the magical academy but your best friend was? And what if you got to go to said magical academy later, but only as a janitor, and your best friend is now the most feared boy at school? I will say that the strongest parts of this book is the charged relationship between Briar and Sebastian; you intimately feel Briar's pain and resentment over what they perceive as Seb's abandonment of them, but you also can feel how they are still drawn to the other boy regardless. And the driving mystery of the novel is in some ways, how did Seb transform into Bastian, one of the most feared capes of the school? Head bully? Is he redeemable--is any of this understandable?

The setting itself is also extremely rich and detailed, and you can feel both the cozy magic of everything Briar imagined Temple would be like, but also, the sheer rot and privilege underneath.

Unfortunately, Briar makes for an extremely self-righteous narrator of the story, and it's true that the narrative does call them out for it occasionally, but it does get old how many times Briar is utterly shocked that power corrupts and that privileged people get away with nearly everything. There are no rules in Temple (which also seems like a plot hole in some ways, that no one has ever decided to invent a counterspell or something to that effect) and everyone is fair game--but how is that any different from the country lords that Briar has known this entire time?

The pacing of this novel is also sometimes plodding--it's most exciting when Briar is confronting Seb, and much less exciting when Briar is interacting with their newfound friends in Temple. Also, I may be the only one of this opinion, but for a novel that wants to go dark, I actually don't think it goes dark enough.

It's fairly obvious early on that Briar is missing memories, but it turns out their missing memories are only of a Christmas and nearly killing a bully with Seb instead of something to do with Temple. It also seemed too easy in the end to just topple Temple, and a bit of a deus ex machina overall.

Still, this is an interesting novel, and I look forward to more by this author.

[Cass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book early.

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones follows Briar, seven years after they didn’t get into their dream magical school while their best friend did, as they gets a summer job working there and begin to unearth the mysteries behind it.

This book was perfect for me as a fan of dark academia, especially with its unapologetically queer cast of characters. I had so much fun diving into the toxic but obsessively interesting world of Temple and everything Briar uncovered during their time working there. I loved the dynamics between the characters and the friendship Briar began to build with Hadley, Westby, and Tate, and the intensity that was almost palpable in every scene Briar had with their former best friend Bastian. The magic of the world was also interesting and not something I’ve seen before. I also liked how the magic was intertwined with the way the school functioned and how Briar understood the things that happened to them there.

I also want to say that I loved how Briar’s queerness and gender were connected to the story. As a non binary person myself, I’ve been fairly hesitant to read books with non binary characters as I’ve read a few that didn’t feel genuine to me. But Briar was written with such care and even though their gender isn’t a big part of the story, it was still explored in a way that felt entirely right for their personality and I was able to relate it to my own experience as a non binary person.

The only issue I had (besides wanting more from this world) was how at times the writing felt very disconnected from Briar’s thoughts and feelings about the world. Briar seemed to be a very dynamic character from their actions but their thoughts and feelings didn’t always reflect it which took me out of the story at times. But that was a truly minor complaint and I really enjoyed being in this world and exploring the secrets of Temple and Briar’s own mind in this book.

Thank you again to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the chance to read this early.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of advance copy received from Netgalley

Getting an early chance to read one of my most anticipated 2026 releases did not disappoint!

I was immersed from the first page by the world-building, which introduces some complex characters, deep themes, and unexpected humour – all wrapped up with a unique magic system and the intriguing social hierarchies of a magical boarding school.
Both Briar Jones and the Temple School of Thaumaturgy are not as they first appear. The fantastical, ‘dark academia’ environment which Briar (and the reader) might have imagined is quickly revealed to have dark undercurrents.

I loved seeing how Briar’s wry sarcasm and humour belies a depth of emotion (and trauma) which is gradually revealed as the mysteries of the plot thicken, along with romance and queer ‘found family’ in unlikely places.
The book disrupts your expectations of its nostalgic, fantastical setting and brings together a rogues gallery of personalities who grapple with trust, guilt, and their responsibilities to themselves and each other.
I found it refreshing to have a non-binary protagonist whose gender identity is established from the outset, their coming out and experience of gender is not a major plot point as we meet them in medias res. But, it still subtly informs the choices Briar makes and how they interact with their peers. As a viewpoint character, they are funny, compelling, flawed, resolute. I felt I was rooting for them from the outset.

I found that thematic discussions – of class and privilege, sexuality and relationships, violence and trauma, guilt and resolution – were deftly handled and cleverly extrapolated through the lens of the thaumaturgy magic system itself.
Lex Croucher writes such life-like, nuanced characters who make mistakes but, importantly, take action to make things better, not just wishing for a magical fix-all. The plot ties together in a satisfying conclusion which left me wanting more from these characters, and reads as a rallying cry for the importance of perseverance, forgiveness, friendship and community.

[Alex M · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Trigger warnings for child abuse / torment / violence (kids doing it to each other, if that matters to you)

This book was AWESOME, and I say that as someone who does NOT like dark academia / fantasy academia / etc. books.

The magic system is neat and explained in a way that hits that little itch of "this COULD be something that existed in real life...." and there's a great balance of humor and weight. I always enjoy a morally gray or layered character and this has those in spades. All our main characters that we care about are not black and white in any way, and gain more insight into them as the story progresses. It's almost like people can say and do all kinds of contradictory things - what a concept.

The queerness mostly just IS, which is all I want from books nowadays. Oppression is acknowledged a little here and there, but in ways that make sense, and it's never overly done. These kids just get to live their lives and have their drama be about literally anything else, which is great.

The romance is ANGSTY and FRAUGHT and anyone who loves that kind of shit will looovvveee this. It's got a bit of enemies to lovers, except the enemies used to be best friends who maybe were something a little more but were too young / unsure to name it and now they have 7 years of their own independent experiences that have shaped them and are ready to THROW DOWN. (Literally and figuratively, heh heh.)

There's a lot of great messaging in this book around power, patriarchy, identity, and morality - it's much more about that than magic for the sake of magic. (The entire premise kind of hits you over the head with it: very clearly an allegory for every space that's been overtly or less overtly for rich white men, forever.) The ending was a tad rushed but clearly was setting up for a sequel of some sort, or at least leaving room for the possibility of one. But it ends in a very satisfying place.

READ IT!

Thank you to Netgalley for the digital ARC of this title - all opinions are my own.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5!
As a certified Croucher-head™️, it’s no surprise how much I enjoyed this. Croucher’s signature humor and richly layered characters were an obvious draw, but as someone who isn’t always into fantasy, I was deeply intrigued by this magic system and the Temple lore, as well. I really didn’t want to put it down. I loved getting to know the characters and following along as everything slowly unfolded. I also got a heavy dose of action and intrigue that made reading even more compulsive.

I don’t want to give too much away but I really appreciated the way Croucher approached magic and power and privilege in this universe. Such a welcome addition to the dark academia genre! I’m always a huge fan of Croucher characters, but Briar Jones felt unique in the way it presents each character. It’s a darker story where almost everyone gets to be complex and messy and “bad.” It’s refreshing to get characters who are complicated in this way and who feel authentic, especially considering their environment. Also, no surprise considering their other books, but I will always adore how authentically queer Croucher’s characters are.

My only critique (if you can call it that) would be that I wish it was a little longer. I think it could have benefited from a little more time, especially when redeveloping Briar and Sebastian’s relationship. I actually wondered if I was just unaware that this was going to be a series because I thought there was still so much to develop before I reached the end. However, I will say that I can appreciate when not everything is wrapped up with a bow. It feels connected to the way the characters are authentically portrayed in that it’s a little more open-ended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC! The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones publishes 06/09/2026!

I read this to kick off the Trans Rights Readathon!

At age 11, Briar Jones wanted nothing more out of their life than to be accepted into Temple School with their best friend, Seb, and learn how to do magic - what the school refers to as Thaumaturgy. Unfortunately for them, Seb is accepted and Briar is not, causing Seb to end their friendship with Briar almost immediately.

After seven years of being shunned by their old friend, Briar now has an opportunity to go inside the walls of Temple, just not as a student. Instead, they accepted a temp job where they are tasked with sorting through a few archives. Not the most glamorous or dust free job, but it gets Briar closer to finding out why Seb cut off all contact with them and was seemingly able to move on from their friendship without any regret. Briar struggles to come to terms with their lost friendship while trying to make new friends in the process - and some new enemies...all while uncovering some of the school's more unsavory secrets. 

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones takes us into the "hallowed" halls of private schools where politics matter more than education, and the students suffer for their learning in more ways than one. I think the only weak point I have in regards to this book deals with the friendships that Briar made when they were first starting out at the school and how they progressed. Specifically one event that I won't mention due to spoilers, the aftermath was resolved a bit quickly for me and seemingly without consequence. Overall, this was a good book with an interesting premise and characters that left me wanting more - I could follow Briar and their friends for another book while they deal with the aftermath of the events in this one!