The Conductors

Murder and Magic #1

by Nicole Glover

Introducing Hetty Rhodes, a magic-user and former conductor on the Underground Railroad who now solves crimes in post–Civil War Philadelphia.

As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Hetty Rhodes helped usher dozens of people north with her wits and magic. Now that the Civil War is over, Hetty and her husband Benjy have settled in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries that the white authorities won’t touch. When they find one of their friends slain in an alley, Hetty and Benjy bury the body and set off to find answers. But the secrets and intricate lies of the elites of Black Philadelphia only serve to dredge up more questions. To solve this mystery, they will have to face ugly truths all around them, including the ones about each other.

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Historical, Fiction, Adult, Historical Fantasy

422 pages, Paperback

First published March 2, 2021

Reviews

[Chelsea Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

"Who are you people?" Elle stammered. "You summon birds, walk into gunfire with little pause, and make people vanish into the air."

Hetty held out a hand to the girl, much as she'd done many times before, and said, "Someone here to help."

The Conductors is a debut novel from Nicole Glover full of substance and emotion, and I am in awe of her creative prowess. Combining the history of the Underground Railroad with a magic system is both unique and inventive, especially due to the fact that there are two types of magic at hand, sorcery and celestial. Married couple Hetty and Benjy are the main characters in the story, investigators or "conductors" solving disappearances and murders that the police won't seem to take an interest in. We also meet a full cast of vibrant characters that support Hetty and Benjy in their business, and I adored and felt as close to the supporting cast as I did with our leads.

The beginning of the book takes place after the Emancipation Proclamation has been issued, but there are many flashbacks giving us insight into what Hetty and Benjy were doing before they began their business as magical investigators. Part of the book is the investigation into the present day murder, and part of it gives us glimpses into where the characters came from and how Hetty came to be separated and searching for her sister. I love how the author set this up for a series, and I'm eager to continue on with these characters throughout all their various ordeals.

I did struggle a bit with the pacing; I love a good slow burning novel, but the story felt like it stalled a bit in the middle. Also, I did feel that the magic system was a bit confusing and not fully developed, as there was never really any explanation into exactly how celestial magic works. Aside from those two issues, I was engrossed in the story and feel like Glover's strong suit is definitely in creating lifelike and memorable characters. I'm so grateful she chose to write this book, and I cannot wait to read The Undertakers when it is released.

*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

[Fran · Rating 3 out of 5]

1858. Boykin Farm, South Carolina. Hetty (soon to be Hetty Rhodes) was the best seamstress in the county. Her Mistress gained favor by lending her out to neighbors. Hetty was forced to wear a collar around her neck, a sign that she could perform magic. "The night she broke and removed her collar, she escaped with Esther [her sister] using a map and song she had memorized...Going North...We follow the stars...their luck ran out...Esther was caught. Benjy was never supposed to board the transport to safety. Benjy didn't even know Hetty's name when they set off. Hetty and Benjy Rhodes, a marriage of convenience, Conductors of the Underground Railroad, living in Philadelphia's Seventh Ward, in the aftermath of the Civil War. Hetty, relying on herself, sending letters, telegrams, and posting newspaper advertisements trying to locate her sister Esther, missing in the chaotic South.

After the Civil War, Hetty and Benjy Rhodes started to solve mysteries and murders in their community, crimes ignored by the police. They were soon to place their lives at risk to solve the murder of a friend. Do you really know your friends and neighbors? What secrets, lies or smoke screens might they erect?

XIII Amendment of 1866
"All persons...slaves and free persons of color...have the right to perform acts of magic...permitted as long as they are performed within the constraints defined by local authorities...unlawful to possess or use a wand...persons so offending shall face imprisonment no less than one day or more than ten days..."
-Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

"Sorcery was for white folks. Laws prevented anyone who wasn't white from learning...A wand in hand, a whisper of an incantation, or even a glance at a spellbook meant losing everything you held dear". Hetty's magic was "a mixture of lore brought over from Africa, from the West Indies, and even from the native peoples of this land. Mingled together, it created a magic system...that found ways to brew magic with herbs, to enchant candles for protection, to use song to rejuvenate...to develop sigils from the constellations...Sigils were even stronger once grounded on a surface...It kept the magic alive longer to be used at a later time...Hetty sewed sigils into the band at her neck...[keeping] a reserve of magic at her fingertips...at her touch, sigils unbounded themselves from the fabric".

On the night of a dinner party, Charlie Richardson sought Hetty out, concerning trouble he felt unable to handle by himself. Hetty, not in a hurry to field his request, was slow in delivering the message to Benjy. A late night knock at the door revealed a frantic man telling the duo that a drunk had been found in a nearby alley. Oh no, it was Charlie! Someone had killed Charlie Richardson with great deliberation, his well cut clothes removed and hobo like, torn clothing was substituted. What did the murderer want? Did Charlie have gambling debts? There will be many suspects, among them close friends. Hetty and Benjy are determined to try to solve the crime.

"The Conductors" is an ambitious undertaking by debut author Nicole Glover. Genre blending of history, mystery, fantasy and magic seemed to be a most difficult task, especially for a first novel. It was frustrating to this reader to try to understand how celestial magic worked. Hetty and Benjy, as protagonists, didn't appear very sharp, missing clues and proceeding at a sleepy pace. The secondary characters needed to be more fully developed. "The Conductors" was an average read. I would be interested in exploring what author Glover has planned for a future novel.

Thank you John Joseph Adams/ Mariner Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Emetis · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 30%

A big thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with an uncorrected proof of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book. I can’t say I hated it because there might be a slight hope for this book. I just hope that it gets polished a bit before the release date.

Reasons why I didn’t like this book:

The magic system. When you start reading it, it becomes clear that only POC can access magic and because of that they were punished and enslaved.
They use constellations, and each constellation has a different use.
Besides that you get nothing. And through reading reviews did I discover that they draw constellations in order to use magic; it wasn’t clearly explained in the book.

I tried so hard to like it and told myself constantly that if I only get through 100 pages then getting through the rest would be easy. However, I couldn’t even get through 100 pages.

I didn’t understand what was going on most of the time and my brain got fuzzy when I was reading this book. I couldn’t concentrate on the story and I wanted to start another book because this one wasn’t able to hold my attention for more than five minutes.
The timeline certainly didn’t help either. It jumped through decades and it didn’t continue from where it had left of.

The characters were bland and one dimensional.
I think the author wanted to make this book more exciting for the reader and therefore decided to forgo a character development. Yet in my opinion the book wasn’t even exciting; yes there is a murder mystery but it was done very poorly.

I understand that it is her debut novel and I think if she were to write another book, I would read it because I think her story did have some potential. But unfortunately for this book, it’s a big no from me.

[Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW - Slavery, period-related racism (including racist slurs), violence, torture, death of a loved one, mention of miscarriage, discrimination and bigotry

Have you ever read a more fantastic premise than this : the year is 1871. Hetty and her husband, magic users and former conductors on the Underground Railroad, are swept into a gruesome murder investigation that will force them to question the friendships they nurtured since the end of slavery. I dare you not to ache to learn more - as for me, I couldn't look away. Indeed I've always had a soft spot for Historical Fantasy novels, and the ones centering Black people are sadly so rare. I, for one, am very happy to see it's changing, but let's face it - it's slow, way too slow still. Please, publishers, enough with the white-centered dull stories we've already read a thousand times!

In this post-Civil War America, magic is a fact of life : while white people rely on wands to practice sorcery, Black people wield constellations to develop powerful sigils. Although it took me a while to get a grip on the mechanics of the magic system, once I did I absolutely loved how imaginative it was. I do wish that it had been more developed, and I hope it will be in the sequel. Seriously though - I can't help but think that it would make for a fantastic tv show: I can already see how gorgeous the constellations would be. But despite this fascinating addition, The Conductors' world is very much like our own : full of racial discriminations and bigotry, and our main characters are forced to navigate between racist micro-agressions and full-on violence.

I won't lie, I struggled at the beginning: the pacing was slow, and it took me a while to get invested, around 25%. From then onwards however, the story never came back to its rather dull start but on the contrary, kept me interested until the very end. The flashbacks were something I dreaded at first - fair to note: I don't like flashbacks as a rule, so it's more of a personal preference - but as my investment in the characters grew, I learned to appreciate them for what they were - little windows into their past that helped shed light on what shaped them. 

More than anything, the characters made this story for me. Both Hetty and Benji are so fierce and loyal, so intent on hiding their vulnerabilities - I loved them together. Their marriage is one of convenience, but despite their claims it's quickly clear that they care deeply for each other. Stubborn fools. *shakes head fondly* Throughout the story, they slowly realize that what they share is a love so bright, they can't ignore it and this is the kind of quality content I am 100% here for.  But their relationship isn't the only one that I grandly appreciated: indeed The Conductors also pictures a full set of secondary characters I'm eager to learn more about. The found family and community theme that radiated from every page made my day.

As for the writing, it's compelling despite some abrupt sentences and weird phrasing at times. As I read an arc, it's fair to expect that the sentences that bothered me have been edited out, so I didn't take them into account in my rating.

Bottom Line: I'm very glad I gave The Conductors a chance, and I will definitely read the sequel.

ARC provided by the publisher —John Joseph Adams/Mariner Books— in exchange for an honest review (thank you!). The quotes in this review are subject to change upon publication.

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel has an interesting fantasy element in the story of two ex-slaves who act as conductors for the Underground Railway in the 1860s, helping other slaves escape to the North. They are able to use a system of magic to help them evade those hunting for them.

Following the abolition of slavery in the US in 1865, conductors Hetty and Benjy are now living and working in Philadelphia. Hetty as a seamstress and Benjy as a blacksmith. They also help those who escaped slavery look for their relatives left behind in the south and now freed. When one of their friends, Charlie Richardson, is found murdered and mutilated in an alley they also become involved in hunting down his killer.

I wanted to like this novel more than I did. It has a great premise for a fantasy novel with a historical setting but unfortunately the world building and system of magic was poorly developed. We’re told that some white Americans are able to use sorcery but that black Americans are banned from using wands and learning sorcery. Black Americans are allowed to use a system of magic called celestial magic where they call up star signs to perform different acts. Although we see this in action many times, it’s never explained how this works and it’s also not clear if white Americans can learn this system of magic if they want to. Hetty is also able to sew charms and wards into clothing to use as magic or protection. I would have loved to learn more about celestial magic such as what the various sigils could do and I wanted to learn more about how white people used sorcery and also what Philadelphia looked like in this magical world.

While Hetty is the main character in the novel and we do get a sense of her nature, I felt the other characters could have been given more substance. Despite being her partner, Benjy is very shadowy and just seems to be there to help her when he could have been much more interesting. Likewise, Hetty’s friends are depicted rather vaguely and I had trouble distinguishing them as individuals. I also found that the two time lines didn’t work as the flashbacks didn’t give any extra context to the ongoing story and might have been better delivered in a linear format rather than as annoyingly interruptions to the main narrative.

This is the author’s debut novel and shows a lot of promise. I can see a sequel working well with a more in-depth exploration of the systems of magic and deeper character development.

With thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for a copy of the book to read

[Thistle & Verse · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a witty and opinionated protagonist, creative magical system, and historical references, there's a lot to love about The Conductors. Full review here: https://youtu.be/27MxdQFSfEc

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a hard one to rate for me, because there are a lot of interesting elements going on in this book that intrigued me and I thought were successful. The premise (murder mystery in post-Civil War American following a Black couple with magic who solve crimes) was really intriguing and had moments of delivering me what I wanted. I think this book ultimately didn't fully come together for me, as I thought the pacing was just all over the place and it kept me from fully connecting with the characters. There were high moments, but it did not fully deliver on the promise of the premise. That said, there were enough moments of interest to keep me going, and I will be watching for what the author does in the future, as I believe this is a debut

[Kyra Leseberg (Roots & Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hetty and Benjy Rhodes were once Underground Railroad conductors, using courage and a touch of magic to bring dozens of people to safety in the north.
With the Civil War over, Hetty is still focused on locating her sister Esther from her new home base in Philadelphia. Hetty works as a dressmaker while Benjy is a blacksmith but together the couple solve crimes in their community that white authorities have zero interest in. When their friend Charlie is found dead in an alley, Hetty and Benjy search for answers in the city’s elite Black society, learning secrets they’d rather keep buried.

This story holds so much promise! I was intrigued at the idea of magic woven into a story about Underground Railroad conductors turned detectives. Unfortunately, the execution was lacking in several areas.
First, we’re introduced to a number of characters at the very beginning of the book and I had trouble keeping up with them all since there isn’t a ton of back story or development throughout.
Next, readers are told that some Black people have magic but it’s all too vague — there’s no explanation or insight into how/why/when this came about or its parameters. All we know is that constellations are used as sigils by those who have magic and they work as spells. I’m still confused about it; the magic just feels random.
The mystery is interesting and finally pulled me into this story after the vague and rocky start. Then, I became frustrated that there was much more telling than showing. Instead of action or first person narratives to offer insight, readers must rely on dialogue between Hetty and Benjy as they work out clues, motives, and discuss the unfolding of events.
I can enjoy a well-executed slow burn but this one didn’t work for me as much as I would’ve liked it to. For me personally it felt like the story tried to go in multiple directions, focus was lost, and that hurt many of the unique concepts within. The Conductors is historical fiction with speculative fiction/fantasy elements in a post-Civil War mystery. Still, the ideas here are fantastic, original, and hold so much promise that I cannot give it less than 3 stars.
Thanks to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review. The Conductors is scheduled for release on March 2, 2021.

For more reviews, visit www.rootsandreads.wordpress.com

[The Artisan Geek]

29/11/19
So intrigues by the premise! A black murder mystery set after the civil war, about former conductors of the underground railroad, featuring black elites AND it's fantasy?! Wild. Going to have to read this one!

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[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really well written for a debut novel. Let's jump right into the details today:

Characters
Our characters are adults whom are in committed relationships. No weird love triangles, first time love, or overdone romance. It's so rare to have a married couple (whom we didn't see meet one another at first) be the focus of a first book in a series. I love how their relationship grows and changes over the course of the book. As someone in a relationship of 13+ years their interactions, nuances, and treatment of one another felt very genuine. It's relaxed, but caring; and very understanding at the end of the day, much like my own. This gave it a nice real feeling which is something I always appreciate given how many over-the-top and ridiculous love stories there are out there.

Magical Systems
The two magic systems in The Conductors are unique and interesting (although I wish we had learned more about how they work). I loved the use of the constellations as our characters 'good' magic (if you will). I do wish I understood more about the sorcery or 'bad' magic as I am still not quite certain what makes it less desirable or why it lends itself to evil. Regardless, it didn't take away from the overall story, nor did it seem a big deal to not have this context. I just like knowing the intricacies of how an author has imagined complex magical systems and uses.

The Setting
Set shortly after the USA abolished slavery The Conductors is interesting as it demonstrates how unfair the country continued to be. Without a doubt (look at today to see proof) the sudden freedom people experienced did not necessarily improve their lives. Although it gave them a fighting chance; as we all know, change is much, much slower to truly come around. And I would think it clear that the world has still not achieved equality between races, cultures, religions, etc. Sad as that may be.
I was intrigued to see how scattered so many families and friends were at that time. This is something I had not really thought about very much before. The idea that you could be married to someone and your 'owner' sells them off to someone else is not only heartbreaking but unduly cruel. No person should be a commodity to be benefited from as someone else sees fit.

The Underground Railroad
I loved the snippets and little stories told of the Underground Railroad. I actually wish the whole book was written about our two main characters and their time as Conductors! With any luck more of these events are also told in past tense in book 2 of this series. This is a great introduction to what was being done, and the risks people took to save themselves and others around them. However I would say that Nicole Glover barely scratches the surface of what she could likely write about when it comes to the Conductors and their challenges, successes, and failures as they led people to freedom.

The Plot
The murder mystery was intriguing enough. I'm not really into murder mysteries; so I was far more engaged by the relationships, people, setting, and magical infusion in the novel. Ironically the plot of the story is the murders and their mystery; and yet it’s the part I cared about the least. It comes together fine, I was neither blind-sided, nor did the ending feel cheap; so for me that is a positive (if not resounding) approval of the main story.

Overall
I would definitely recommend this as a great (fun at times) read. If you are looking for details about the function of the Underground Railroad, it's Conductors, or in-depth look at the circumstances of the slaves I would say this is not really for you. Certainly the abolition of slavery is important here; but I didn't feel like I learned anything new or gained any greater introspective from what I had prior to reading The Conductors. All that said I quite enjoyed this book and will certainly check out the second one; and anything future Nicole Glover reads.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Dianthaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more reviews on my blog www.dianthaa.com

This was one of my very anticipated releases for 2021 and my spidey sense were right, because I loved it. It’s a mystery novel starring a married couple, who used to be conductors on the Underground Railway. While the book does a lot of things, it’s a mystery novel, then there’s the story of Hetty looking for her sister, the relationship between Hetty and Benjy, the magic that exists in the world, I think the mystery is the main focus. I noticed a lot of reviews mentioning a rough start, personally, I was into it from the beginning, though it did take me a while to keep names straight, so YYMV. The main character’s a seamstress and that’s one of the things makes me very excited in general.

The mystery
I don’t read a lot of mystery as a genre, especially non-sff, so my opinion may be uninformed. But, I loved it. It had so many small clues, one clue leading to another and the characters and the reader piecing it all together, I liked the parallels and mirroring. Some red herrings here and there. Lots of things turning out to be connected. A list of suspects to be questioned. Real danger for our protagonists as they get closer to the truth. They also had a map on the wall where they pinned locations, and got hidden messages, it was all a lot of fun. There was a lot of who do you suspect, who can you really trust that always had me guessing and second-guessing. I read it all pretty quickly over one weekend, so it was easy to keep on top of things, and uncharacteristically for me, remember what was going on. There were some clues that the MCs missed for a long time, but it all fit in with the uncertainty of not knowing who to trust, and always being so stressed and tired.

The married couple
MORE MARRIED COUPLES IN SFF PLEASE. I love it when books acknowledge that established relationships exist. It seems like such a mundane thing but it’s so rare. That was the detail in this book’s blurb that sold me on it instantly. I liked that it turned out completely different than I was expecting, and it was surprising and still had a lot of relationship development. I also liked how we got some flashbacks of them before getting married.

The characters
Hetty – She’s the MC and we follow her PoV, I think for the entire book. She is a lot. She’s independent, driven, close to her friends, maybe she keeps a grudge a bit well, a skilled and creative seamstress and a great storyteller. People gravitate to her and listen. She’s also the best celestial magic-user in town. I found her great to be around and liked it when some of her traits came back to bite her. She’s very driven to find her missing sister and we get flashbacks of how she’d go searching for her before the Civil War.

Benjy – the more analytical of the pair, puzzling out mysteries, also in some ways a mystery himself. He tries to keep Hetty safe but also respects her agency and independency, and that’s some sexy stuff. Overall I can’t say I was his biggest fan, but he had his endearing moments.

The friends & social circle – Hetty and Benjy are kind of oddities, they’re respected and well known for their work as conductors but a lot of the friends they’ve helped escape slavery want to distance themselves from the past. So our main couple doesn’t quite make it to the highest level of their society and some old friendships are very strained. At the same time, other friendships are strong and sturdy. Penelope and Oliver and the two that help out most. Penelope through her healing magical salves and plentiful cousins, and Oliver who’s the sort of friend that would help you hide a body, and put on a funeral too. He’s also missing his partner and I liked how even though it’s historical fiction people are accepting of a same-sex relationship and all his friends support him when he’s lonely. There’s also a mention of a trans character that’s very casual and cool with it.

The magic & setting
I admit I’m kinda confused by the other reviews I’ve read. Because I didn’t find the magic that weird or hard to grasp. Celestial magic is the main kind Hetty uses, it’s like glyph magic only with constellation sigils, and they can be small ones that are 2d and work like a simple alarm spell or ward, or if they’re infused with more power they can be full 3d translucent creatures able to affect the world around them. There are also ways to brew potions and salves, and enchant candles for protection. We’re not told what each constellation does and how everything works because Hetty isn’t learning magic, that’s not a point in the book, she knows it and she’s very good at it. It’s not a story of the wonder or discovery of magic, it’s just a tool that people use. It’s like there is a hard magic system at work in the world, but we’re not let in on the rules, which I’m ok with. There’s also a separate, in some ways stronger, or at least more combat-useful, magic system that is called sorcery and only white people are allowed to use, there’s mention about how that played into colonialism, but we don’t get a lot of details there.

I was worried at first, because the MC had this great hook of having been conductors, and then the story is set after that. But there were a lot of flashbacks to their conducting activities, and they tied into the characters from the present story, so I was happy with that.

Recommended for: mystery & historical fantasy fans, fans of Dread Nation that are looking for an adult, less zombie more optimistic post-Civil War book

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a complicated book to review. The things that it does well are great and the concept is very original. I am definitely interested in reading on in the series. However, it's painfully obvious that this is a debut and there are some issues (which we will get into) with the writing and the pacing. That said, I hope people will give this a chance (with measured expectations) and that the author gets to hone her writing in what could be a very cool series.

The Conductors is a historical fantasy/murder mystery set in post-Civil War Philadelphia and following a couple who used to be conductors on the Underground Railroad and are now sort of amateur sleuths in their community. This is an alternate history where magic exists and part of slavery involved controlling the magic of Black people, with ongoing oppressive laws that limit their access to certain types of magic use. We get periodic flashbacks to when the MC (Hetty) was enslaved, after her escape, and some of her time helping others escape. In the current time, people are dying one by one, leading Hetty and her husband Benji to investigate.

Hetty and Benji have a marriage of convenience but clearly have grown to love each other and seeing the progression of their relationship through the story is very sweet. And once things with the mystery and investigation really get going, I found it to be really interesting and satisfying. The problem is, this book is much too long and the pacing is VERY slow until about the 66% mark when things pick up a bit. There are lots of unnecessary scenes, excessive explanation and description that really drag down the pace of the plot. With this genre, you want something that hooks the reader in quickly and keeps them turning the page. Unfortunately, this book you really have to commit for awhile before you start to get a payoff. I think part of the problem is the author was trying to do too many things and address too many issues. For instance, we see a lot about the microagressions Hetty and others experience, spend time on the class separations even within the Black community, and see a lot of the social interactions. All of which is important and fine in moderation, but for a book that is intended to be in the mystery genre, there is far too much of it. If this wanted to be a historical fiction or historical fantasy that was really about those things, that's fine. But for this genre you really need to keep up the pace and this fails to do that for about the first half of the book.

That said, once things picked up I was really into the way the author wrote the mystery and scenes of danger and tension. I like Hettie as a heroine and liked the way this handled the complexities of female friendships as well. I would love to read more in the series, hopefully in a book with tighter editing and a faster pace. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[charlotte, · Rating 4 out of 5]

On my blog.

Actual rating 4.5

Rep: Black cast, gay characters, trans side character

CWs: period typical racism, descriptions of slavery, murder, gore

Galley provided by publisher

You know when you make the mistake of reading an ARC a full seven months early and so you can’t really discuss-slash-yell-about it except obliquely? Well, that’s the case with this book. By the time this review goes out, it will, obviously, be released or closer to release date, so you’ll just have to take on trust just how restrained 7-months-ago-me is being.

The Conductors follows husband-wife duo, Benjy and Hetty, who make it their business to take on cases that white authorities won’t touch. When a friend of theirs is found murdered in a back alley, they feel they have no choice but to investigate.

It’s always hard to review a book you absolutely loved, and that’s no different here. Breaking this review down into different sections wouldn’t help either, since all I could say would be a series of gargling and/or nonsensical noises aimed at showing exactly how much I love each aspect, while telling absolutely zip. But, I shall try.

Let me start with the magic system. Or systems. The idea of using constellations as a basis for spells was something I loved. And the fact that they were sort of like creatures (for want of a better word) that came forth when called. Seeing what authors come up with when creating magic systems is probably my favourite part of reading fantasy. I also loved how here there were multiple magic systems, so Hetty and Benjy used their star-based system, while there was also Sorcery (using wands and, in this world, reserved for white folks) and a herb-based system. I’m saying “I love” a lot here, I know, but how else am I going to express just how much I adore seeing what magic systems authors think of. Especially magic systems in worlds which are, otherwise ostensibly, exactly like our own.

Right, so now I’ve had that little geek-out, I’ll move on to something else. Namely, the plot. I’ve said before how much I love mysteries, and particularly historical mysteries, and this was such a good mystery. I was hooked from the start, from the worldbuilding, and then the mystery came along, and I didn’t realise it was possible to get even more hooked on a book, but I did. I read the entire thing in a single sitting, because I didn’t want to put it down for one moment.

And now we come to the characters, a.k.a. my favourite part of this book, although only by a whisker because, as I said, I loved everything else too. There was a kind of found family aspect to the book, with Hetty and Benjy, as well as Penelope, Darlene, Oliver and Thomas (and Eunice later on). And I just loved that. And, obviously, I also loved their relationships, namely Hetty and Benjy (each loving the other and thinking it’s unrequited like, hello), and Hetty and Eunice (I do love a good developing friendship). I think the relationships were what really elevated this book for me. I mean, historical fantasy mystery is good. Historical fantasy mystery with a good romance and found family is great.

So, if you haven’t yet been convinced to read this book, well, don’t worry, I won’t let you get away with not reading it. In fact, by the time you read this review, I might well have spent 7 months annoying you into doing it.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Conductors is a unique fantasy whodunnit with a historical setting and a whole lot of heart!

Hetty is a marvelous protagonist to spend a book with. Strong, yet vulnerable, caring, yet guarded, independent, yet willing to admit when she needs help and to accept that help graciously. Benji, her husband, was more mysterious to the reader as we don't get his point of view. And yet, I found myself grinning at their dynamic by the final chapters. As much as this book is about solving a murder mystery, it is also about solving the mysteries of Hetty's life - and by the end, these personal mysteries held far more weight than learning whodunnit (though, the final confrontation did not disappoint and had me on the edge of my seat!).

I loved the combination of fantasy elements and the historical fiction setting of the underground railroad. The magic system was unlike anything I have personally read, and I loved that the different types of magic seemed to have personalities of their own. I also can't stress enough how lovely it was to see so much diversity in the main cast of characters. An entirely Black cast, but with varying degrees of connection to their past and heritage (including one woman passing for white), a loving relationship between two men for which their friends and community give full support, and a trans man who is never treated as other or less than.

The flashbacks to Hetty and Benji's time assisting escaping slaves were incredibly high stakes and had my heart pounding. The social commentary subtly woven through this book was so well done and will stay with me for a very long time. And the ending, bittersweet yet full of hope and love, had me quietly sobbing.

The Conductors was one of my favourite reads of 2020, and I can't wait for the rest of the world to get their hands on it! I am so impressed by Nicole Glover and am so looking forward to reading more of their work.


Trigger Warnings: murder, violence, slavery, racism


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


VIDEO REVIEW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEUKd...

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[Ms. Woc Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's important to note I listened to the audiobook which I received via Libro FM for this while reading alongside an advance copy that I was sent by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Nothing really changes between them outside of some grammar and sentence structures. While I usually don't like Bahni Turpin's narration I thought it flowed steadily here.

As the first book in the series we are introduced to a lot of characters. And like many fantasy stories you're thrown into the world rather than eased in. And there's so many different moving pieces to set up the series.

This story follows Henriette "Hetty" Rhodes who alongside her husband Benjamin "Benjy" have worked to help Black people escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. And even though the 13th Amendment has been passed and ratified by Congress for some that freedom exists solely on paper. The story opens with wanted ads for Negro runaways. As well as an ad for Hetty and Benjy who are wanted dead or alive for stealing slaves.

In this world some Black people do practice magic and previously were forced to wear collars to identify and restrain them. They are now permitted to use magic do so but with restrictions defined by the local authorities. But they can only use one type of magic and are not permitted to use the sorcery that white people use which includes magic wands and is considered a more powerful form of magic.

The particular brand of magic that Hetty and Benjy use is a celestial magic brought over from Africa and passed down through generations. It incorporates brew magic with herbs, songs, and sigils from constellations. Magic users often draw these sigils into the air, dirt, or other objects. Hetty sews them into her clothes as well as Benji's so they always have a reserve of magic ready.

This magic aided slaves on the plantation to aid in tasks such of picking crops or to making healing balms for wounds. You are reminded throughout that these people are not far removed from slavery with flashbacks to life on the plantation and how Hetty had to use her talent in sewing to survive. The transition to free life and how different people in the community fit in. We meet a character who is passing as white which meant cutting family ties and living in fear of being discovered. And some people did it to aid others in their communities while some did it to advance themselves only.

There's a killer on the loose and unfortunately one of their close friends falls victim and because white folks don't care about Black lives they must take the investigation into their own hands. It's not talked about enough especially since our history books like to paint them as saints but white people in the Union also saw Black people as inferior.

Hetty and Benji as a couple have a very interesting dynamic because their marriage started off as a way to be easily partnered together without drawing suspicion and question of honor. And even though they've been together for a few years they're finally addressing their feelings towards each other.

At times the mysteries got lost in the other plots but I enjoyed this story and it kept me enthralled and I couldn't always keep up with the cast of characters. Hetty and Benjy had an easy chemistry and work well as a unit. And I think as this series progresses there will be a more seamless blend of the magical, mystery, and community aspects. And the ending left for some interesting new opportunities to arise for the duo. I look forward to reading The Undertakers later this year.



https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....

[Fadwa]

Thank you to Libro.fm an the publisher for providing me with an early listening copy

hmm...hMMM...I had high expectations for this book that weren't quite met, because it took me over the halfway mark to truly get into it but I ended up overall enjoying it.

The things I liked:
- The concept of magic. I loved that in the world Glover created, anyone could do magic in some capacity, it just had to be harnessed and depending on every person's beliefs, this magic took a different shape and form. Celestial magic, which is the one Hetty uses and thus the one developed the most, was really interesting. I loved the way it relayed on both known and made up stars, constellations to be crafted.
- The found family aspect. I loved how perfectly imperfect Hetty and Benjy's relationships with all their friends were. There was conflict, butting heads but also a lot of love which truly made them all feel like a family.
- Hetty and Benjy's established relationships. I'm a SUCKER for those so finding out at the beginning of the book that they were already married was a bonus. Especially since it was a friends marriage of convenience which gave the comfort of an established steady relationship but also left room for it to develop.
- The audiobook narration. It was top tier and truly brought the characters to life!!

The things I didn't like:
- The way the characters were introduced. It felt like a character dump at first and it was really hard to tell them apart or even keep track of them at first. Once I got used to them though, they were pretty easy to tell apart. But I feel like the introduction would have been smoother if it were slower and I would have started enjoying the book earlier.
- The mystery element of the story. Which is pretty much the central plot. I didn't actively dislike it but I wasn't really interested in it, I was more interested in the character dynamics, and learning more about these people and their history, together and apart. The reason I ended up enjoying this though is because this is more of a character driven story so I didn't mind at all.

Am I reading the sequel? Very probably. I want to know what mischief this group will be getting to next. And hopefully the next mystery will be more interesting to me.

[The Captain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ahoy there mateys! This debut novel has really fun concepts that weren't developed to their full potential though I would be willing to try another of the author's books in the future.  I think there were too many pathways in this book and so everything got muddled.

This book follows Hetty and her husband Benjy, former slaves who are in a marriage of convenience.  They used to be members of the underground railroad helping others find freedom.  The Civil War is over and the duo help solve crimes in Philadelphia.  With magic.  But one one of their friends is killed, it becomes personal.

The Pros

- The Characters:  Hetty was by far the best character.  She has a hard exterior but still is caring and lovely.  I also loved Benjy and many of the secondary characters as well.  Penelope being one of them.
- The Magic: There is zodiac slave magic that is super cool.  Herbal remedies also play a fun role at times as well.

The Cons

- The Magic:  I loved the Zodiac slave magic but how it works is not described enough.  There is also Sorcery of the white people that really doesn't make sense at all and was a lackluster plot point.
- The Murder Mysteries:  For being such good investigators, the duo goes about solving crimes in a very ill conceived manner.  Plus I found everything around the murders to be rather boring.
- The Love Story:  The marriage of convenience turns into something else.  That was just fine.  The problem was the lack of communication between the two.  So much could have been solved in many ways if the two weren't hiding things from each other and just talked.  I hate that.
- Too Many Plotlines:  The love story.  The murders.  Missing sister one.  Missing sister two.  Grave robbers.  Boxing.  Gambling debts.  Secret societies.  Friendship issues.  A women who is passing.  Grudges.  People peddling snake oil charms.  Underground sorcery training.
- The World Building: This element just felt underdeveloped and flat.  Hetty manages to go all over Philadelphia with no real issues.  There were some interesting looks into the issues of race and privilege but not enough depth.
- The Pace:  Uneven.  With flashbacks and switching plot lines, the overall story was bogged down.  And there were lots of plot holes and unrealistic incidents.

While this was an okay read, I found the characters to be compelling.  I do think the author has talent and I look forward to seeing what else she writes.

So lastly . . .

Thank you John Joseph Adams / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt!

[Thushara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Librofm for the Advanced Listening Copy in exchange of an honest review.

4 stars

The Conductors by Nicole Glover is an alternative historical-fantasy set in post-Civil War America following Hetty and Benji, slaves turned conductors, who use their celestial magic to free other slaves.

Hetty held out a hand to the girl, much as she'd done many times before, and said, "Someone here to help."

The magic system is what makes the book stand out. Even though the original magical world was a hit, there is a part where the book missed the mark. To me the main issue was the pacing. It was uneven and I had to push myself sometimes through the book. Nevertheless it was an amazing journey. What I loved the most other than the magic system was the characters themselves. The Conductors have proved that Nicole Glover can write, and I am excited for her books!

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I loved the premise of this historical fantasy a little more than the actual execution. The story was very slow and not particularly suspenseful. This book reminded me a bit of Dread Nation, but just not as good. The plot and narrative was just unfortunately very weak. However, I did like the couple at the centre of the story. I would recommend listening to the audiobook version because the narration really uplifted the story for me. 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this audiobook via LibroFM. 

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fun historical fantasy adventure, with a fantastically real-feeling cast of characters full of rich personal histories, a beautiful magical system, and a husband-and-wife crime-solving team that is only too horrified to realize they're actually falling in love (several years after their very practical marriage)! I hope there are lots more books to come in this series.

[Amanda Hupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Nicole Glover, and Mariner Books for the opportunity to read this book!

The Conductors by Nicole Glover is not only the first book in the Murder and Magic series but it is also a DEBUT novel. The book begins by introducing Hetty Rhodes. She was once a conductor for the Underground Railroad. She used her celestial magic to bring many to safety and freedom. But now The Civil War is over. They have settled in Philadelphia, but just because the war is over doesn’t mean the danger is over. There are still crimes and murders. Hetty and her husband, Benjy now solve crimes that the white authorities don’t seem to worry about. There is always danger about but then one of their friends is found dead in an alley with markings on his body. The more they investigate, the more they realize there are secrets being kept by everyone around them.

This is such a unique story and definitely shows some promise for the rest of the series! It is a complex mix of fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery. The celestial magic aspect of the book is intriguing, but I wish it was described in a little more detail. I have a feeling it will be something more to discover in the future books in the series. The plot is pretty slow-moving. However, keep with it and you will be rewarded with a suspenseful ending! While the main story-line wraps up quite nicely, (No spoilers here!) but it does leave off with the sense of a second book.

The highlight of the book is the characters! Hetty is FIERCE! She is the heroine that everyone will want! I love her quick wit! I love her and Benjy together. Their romance has a wonderful development. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars. Keep your eye out for this book which hits the shelves TOMORROW!

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Conductors by Nicole Glover is the 1st book in her "Murder and Magic" series.
While I love the premise of a murder mystery with magical elements set after the Civil War, I found the many characters (except for the two main protagonists) to be confusing.
Hetty and her husband Benjy used to work as conductors on the Underground Railroad. They used their magic to help people escape slavery. Once the Civil War was over and slavery abolished they used their magic to solve crimes in their Philadelphia community.
I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

[Zana]

DNF @ 80%

I absolutely LOVE the worldbuilding! Historical fantasy with magic during the Reconstruction Era? Hell yeah!

But my god, could the characters be any more boring??

This should've been Hetty's life as a conductor during slavery instead of whatever this boring ass cozy murder mystery is supposed to be. I tried paying attention, but my mind started zoning out to the point where I didn't care about any of the characters anymore.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicole Glover's The Conductors takes readers to a post-Civil War America divided not only by race, but also by magic.

A few of the "rules" governing this world—

1. Whites can use wands to do magic, called "sorcery," and which has all the negatives that name implies.

2. Any white with a wand had the power they need to engage in sorcery.

3. Some, but not all, Blacks are able to engage in celestial magic, which doesn't require a wand, and instead uses "sigils" representing different star constellations.

4. Celestial magic derives from an ability to see and channel the magic in all creation.

5. The existence of magic does nothing to undercut the inhumanity of slavery or the inequality that was still a force in the post-Civil War U.S.

Our two central characters—Hetty and Benjy Rhodes—are both capable practitioners of celestial magic. They met as conductors on the underground railroad, married more out of a shared sense of purpose than out of any great passion. Now that the war is over, they've become private investigators in Philadelphia, focused on crimes against Blacks that the white-controlled law enforcement system isn't interested in pursuing.

It's good to have the above information before you start reading. No spoilers, just a few basic facts that will allow you to slip comfortably into the complex narrative web Glover weaves. In this book, which I sincerely hope will be the first of many, Hetty and Benjy are investigating a series of murders. Victims are marked with a curse sigil, clearly a warning—but of what and for whom is unclear, which makes investigating nearly impossible.

One of the reasons that I have hopes for more volumes featuring Hetty and Benjy is that The Conductors brings readers into their lives in media res. A lot of mystery series start with a first case. Hetty and Benjy have clearly been doing their PI work for a while. They reference past cases, both major and minor, and know what strengths (and weaknesses) each of them brings to their partnership. If Hetty and Benjy can talk about past cases, I'm hoping that means that Glover has many more narratives to share featuring the two of them.

I'm also hoping for more volumes because the community around Hetty and Benjy is fascinating in its diversity and mix of individual histories. Some of those community members can do celestial magic, some can't. Some of those community members grew up in the North as free Blacks; some were freed or were able to purchase their freedom before the war; some freed themselves by escaping to the North; and others are only beginning to taste a bit of freedom now that the war has ended.

I just want to write a letter to Glover begging, "Please, please, tell me you'll give me another chance to spend time with these people. Please."

The conductors was released in early March, so it should be easy to find a copy at your local independent bookstore or your local library. Get it, read it, join me in anxiously waiting for the next volume featuring Hetty and Benjy.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher; the opinions are my own.

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

2021-10: Decided to listen to this to remind myself of what the characters and their best friends are like. Of course, Bahni Turpin's narration was terrific.

2021-02: Escaped slaves and former Conductors in the Underground Railroad, Hetty and Benjy Rhodes used their magic and wits to help slaves escape and evade pursuit by sorcery-wielding hunters. The Rhodes’ Celestial magic, and those of many other slaves) is spell-based and is invoked through sigils, and is forbidden and punished by slave owners, and sneered at by whites, who believe their sorcery is far superior.
Hetty and Benjy bear scars from their years of slavery and from wearing magic-inhibiting collars, which they shed once they escaped. They live together in Philadelphia, and are married for convenience. Hetty works as a seamstress and dress designer, and Benjy as a blacksmith.
Their friends, many of them former slaves, too, are amongst the different economic classes in Black society in Philadelphia. In addition to their jobs, Hetty and Benjy look into various matters for their friends, including mysteries.
This story has them investigating when one of their friends, Charlie, is found murdered, and the two begin using their connections and skills to search for answers. And like all investigations into the past actions of their dead friend, Hetty and Benjy unearth all sorts of resentments, secrets, and problems amongst people they thought they knew.

I was a little surprised to find as many editing errors as I did in this ARC, and these kept taking me out of the narrative, which was a pity, as this is an enjoyable story for its two main characters, and its historical details.
I liked Hetty with her prickliness, her self-confidence, her care for her friends, and her doggedness when protecting others or searching for answers. She’s not the easiest to get close to, and her tendency to dismiss or judge prevents her sometimes from seeing or understanding the actions of her friends, which does affect their investigation.
Benjy is sweet, really strong, perceptive and good humoured, and he loves to read (so of course I love him).
The two have a good working relationship, with their comfortable interactions showing a mutual respect(and maybe something more?) and their respective physical, mental and magical skills nicely complement the other’s. And that becomes critical as they’re faced with many lies and threats as they attempt to figure out who could be committing the murders.
I really liked how author Nicole Glover worked the mystery together with the magical, historical and economic details, with nothing overwhelming or detracting from the narrative.
I liked this story a lot, and would love to spend more time with Hetty and Benjy, and their community.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hetty Rhodes and her husband Benjy were celebrated conductors on the Underground Railroad, famous for their prowess in magic and for never losing a person. The war has ended, and both are making ends meet in Philadelphia, solving murders and mysteries the white authorities won't touch. But when a friend is murdered, all signs point towards something nefarious in their inner circle of friends, particularly among the elites of Black Philadelphia.

I really, really enjoyed this.

A bit messy at first (so many characters to keep track of, and an odd present/past storyline), but it all came together quite nicely.

"I've mourned."
"You have not had even a spare moment to do so. They expect you to be strong, to not show a bit of weakness no matter what you're going through."

Hetty was utterly fantastic. She has spent her entire adult life searching for her sister, who she lost while the two were escaping to freedom. Her search has formed the impetus for her entire career—as a conductor, as a magic practitioner, and as one-half of a crime-solving duo. Her life, however, has essentially been one of non-committal, because how can she commit to anything fully when at any moment she might discover her sister's whereabouts and need to go?

Her relationship was Benjy was much the same—a marriage of convenience, with both really loving each other but reluctant to say the damn words. They are the best of friends, but the ghost of Esther and Hetty's refusal to accept and move on are firmly wedged between them, which leads the two to hide truths and secondary lives from each other.

However, when the hell has Hetty even had a minute to mourn, or been allowed for a second to let herself be perceived as weak? Glover's take on the Strong Black Woman stereotype is fascinating, and the implications of this stereotype permeate every single Black woman in the book. No one can be weak, no one can show weakness or reveal pain, or face being perceived as other or lesser. And so everyone carries on, chin up, forward momentum, hiding their hurts and wounds from each other.

"Burdens lessen when they are shared. Or will you better understand this with a story?"
He snorted. "I'm curious at how you'll tell it. Would it be a story told with animals? Of mice banding together to scare off a lion? Or ants that carry a bounty of food home? Oh, I know just the one: It'll be about birds that roll a pumpkin home?"
"It'll be a story about three impossible tasks the husband can't figure out until the wife shows him the trick."

I also ended up liking a lot of the secondary characters (and casual queerness—including a trans masc character and a gay couple!!!!!!!), despite being overwhelmed at first by how many there were and how they were related to each other. I loved how Glover documented and explained the lives of those who had escaped slavery and tried to move on—how they moved on, how they processed it (or didn't), and how those who had been born into freedom revolved around those who did not. And yes, that's a lot of trauma, but there was also SO. MUCH. JOY. It was a fascinating and well-researched insight into reconstruction Philly, and I really, really enjoyed reading about it.

The theme of community was so strong in this book—of people opening up, making themselves vulnerable and becoming stronger because of it. That is why there were so many secondary characters, because Hetty's world was a community and a network of friends and non-blood family, all connected, for the most part, because Hetty and Benjy led them all to freedom. They all shared a bond they could not forget, even those who wanted to move past their beginnings and start fresh. And while Hetty expresses this sentiment of becoming stronger together, she doesn't truly seem to understand it and embrace it wholly herself—she is an island, braving the ocean alone, occasionally visited by other ships in the night who ask of her resources and time.

I also liked the addition of the magic systems. There is the white-dominated system of Sorcery, which uses wands and a labyrinthian set of rules that is never really explained (mainly because I don't know if Hetty herself understood it, or cared to understand it). Wand-owning is banned for Black people, and during the war Black people with magical talent wore slave-collars that inhibited their abilities and kept them tied to the farms/plantations, which was an insidious depiction of white supremacy and systemic racism of this world. And then there was the magic of constellations, a magic debunked by whites (and denigrated by non-slaves) and used mainly by former slaves to subvert the system and covertly inform others of what was happening.

While this is a murder mystery at its heart, it's mostly a book about community and moving on and finding peace and love after a horrific series of events and trauma. Of becoming stronger together. Because the mystery itself ended fairly quickly, with a mustache-twirling monologue and all plot threads neatly tied up.

"Don't you think it's funny," Benjy said, "that after all the time you spend asking so many questions, in the end the answer just appears right in front of you?"

Overall, this is definitely a must-read.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

[Rosava Doshchyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It was a quite good debut. 3.7 stars from me.

The novel is designed as a town mystery in historical settings with some fantasy elements. Married couple Hetty and Benjy are solving a crime of their friend’s murder. It’s post Civil War times and police wouldn’t be very interested in the Black people cases so they took responsibility for helping their community with major and lesser problems. The strange death of the respected though shrewd Charlie is totally their work.

The story is told from the Hetty point of view. She is good with Celestial magic, a talented dressmaker, a captivating storyteller, and a very strong-willed woman. I very much liked how she was portrayed though sometimes I felt like she had been missing some small faults here and there. Nevertheless, I find her perks interesting. She judges a person by the clothes he or she wears in a professional way and she is very passionate about her magic. She can’t stand not using it. For her, it’s the essence of life like breathing is. “The magic is the world and it moves through us,” she says.

The main plot’s pacing is a bit slow. Especially at the start of the book. It’s good there are interludes to quicken it. New faces and all the talking become too much sometimes. To be honest, I feel confused there. I like that author describes this transition to a free life. Different people deal with it differently, trying to pose as a white person or taking an active part in politics or running some business and schools. They expect a better life now that they are free but the evil and prejudice aren’t gone with slavery. And Hetty’s talking to all of them is the logical way of conveying this narrative. However, these talks shift a focus from the investigation to community life far too often than needed.

There are things that I loved. Interludes are really great. They tell us how it was back then and why conductors were so important. I also appreciated the humor in the dialogues. I can recall the specific one that had taken place at Charlie’s funeral. It was about a man who once had a wife who was sold. “When people were sold they were good as dead”. So after the freedom, he married the other woman. And then his first wife found him and made a fuss. “Did he choose the past or the present?” “From what I can tell he’s taking time to choose his future carefully.” I was pleasantly surprised that it appeared to matter later.

But the strongest point of this novel is a romantic subplot. I rarely enjoy romance but this was done spectacularly. Hetty and Benjy married out of convenience not expecting to fall in love at all. They were partners who had gone through many trials as conductors together. I enjoyed 14th chapter immensely when Hetty realized her love for her husband. The author did a good job portraying their love through small things like a special pin Benjamin presented to Hetty.

The investigation subplot was mostly OK but I was disappointed by the culmination. Clarence is missing a crucial part of a good villain. It was clear he isn’t nice based on his relationships with Eunice. But I couldn’t see his hatred from his previous interaction with Hetty and Benjy. The final fight was a bit far-fetched in my opinion.

Finally, the magic system. It was fresh and fascinating. I liked how Celestial magic and Sourcery were compared. The magic was also used as a separator between white people and people of color. Though I’d like to know if it’s a truth that wands are made from celestial magicians’ bones. )

Celestial magic itself is a strong concept for a fantasy world. Apparently, you can even sew sigils into clothes or carve them into the wood or steel. This magic should be learned too so it isn’t obtained easily.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I congratulate the author with her debut.

Відгук українською тут.

[8stitches 9lives · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Conductors is the first instalment in the Magic and Murder historical fantasy series, set in post-Civil War Philadelphia. It introduces married couple Henrietta “Hetty” and Benjamin “Benjy” Rhodes, former conductors for the Vigilance Society, a group ferrying dozens of Black slaves to freedom along the Underground Railroad. Settling in Reconstruction-era Pennsylvania, both Hetty and Benjy are famed for their daring and cunning chaperoning of the enslaved from the South to the freedom and relative liberty of the North and the stories of their exploits still circulate today, almost a decade after the end of the war. But the pair are also skilled celestial magic-users, a type of magic involving the use of sigils and that draws its power from the constellations. Now Hetty and Benjy transfer these magic and analytical skills to a new purpose, as the war is now over, as detectives as they solve mysteries, missing persons cases and murders of Black individuals that the discriminatory white authorities would otherwise ignore. In the heart of Philadelphia’s Seventh Ward, everyone knows that when there’s a strange death or magical curses causing trouble, Hetty and Benjy are the only ones that can solve the case. But when an old friend is murdered, their investigation stirs up a wasp nest of intrigue, lies, and long-buried secrets- and a mystery, unlike anything they handled before. Their suspicions fall close to home so the couple will have to thoroughly investigate in order to ascertain exactly who in their community can not be trusted and is not who they claim to be.

With a clever, cold-blooded killer on the prowl testing their magic and placing their lives at risk, Hetty and Benjy will discover how little they really know about their neighbours and themselves. This a captivating, compulsive and original mix of vibrant alternate history, magical fantasy, thrilling mystery and an unexpected examination of slavery all tied up in an inventive, imaginative and thoroughly engrossing tale. I was caught up in the story early on and found that the different elements had been so well woven and plotted that they complemented each other exceptionally well; it's a testament to Glover's talents that she manages to craft these diverging aspects into a cohesive and compelling yarn. She also does an incredible job of world-building in this supernatural mystery. Her cast is almost exclusively Black, and the characters are rich, with Hetty and Benjy’s relationship showcased as a lovely progression of romantic ideals. The pace is slow-burn in order to build up the setting and the characters and lay the foundations for the sophomore instalment but Glover ratchets up the tension as it progresses weaving in details that bring the story to life. It's richly-imagined, beautifully written and, at times, a palpably tense read and it had no problem keeping my attention right from the start. This is a satisfying mystery exploring the prejudice against coloured people at the time when white supremacy was rampant. Finally, the conclusion is a deeply gratifying one that highlights just how our past actions can inform the present in unforeseen ways. Highly recommended.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoiler Free Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MAMd...

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this book.

This was an incredibly fun murder mystery fantasy story. When I read detective stories the thing that really helps me enjoy it is less about the mystery but more about the character interactions. My favorite thing is to have a team of people working together and Hetty and Benji are an amazing duo. They are up there with some of my favorite tv drama detective pairs and following them solve this case and unpacking their relationship was my favorite part of the story. I also really loved the community in this book. Initially I was a bit overwhelmed but by the end of the book this part of Philadelphia felt so real and vibrant. The weaker parts for me were the fantasy and mystery elements. I did really like the two magic systems and didn't mind that it was a softer magic but would have loved to see more of how it works. We get to see Hetty and Benji as experts and I wish we got to see a little bit about how they know which sigils to use, but in general I really liked it. The mystery was good at facilitating the relationships that I was invested in but in general it wasn't what kept me reading the story so if you are a mystery reader this element might let you down. In general I had a really great time and would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of detective story.

[Leanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great historical fantasy book that I really enjoyed reading. I loved the magic system; I love how the author integrated both sorcery and celestial-based magic. It felt very fresh and original, and not something I’ve read about before. This book is a captivating blend of genres; traditional fantasy elements mixed with a murder mystery, all in a historical setting. The premise was certainly fascinating; African Americans living in post-Civil War America, with the protagonist and her husband solving crimes that the white authorities ignore. This isn’t a time period I’ve read much about, if ever, so I appreciated getting a glimpse into what life would have been like during this time.

I also loved Hetty, the protagonist; she was clearly a smart and determined woman. I liked the way her relationship with her husband, Benjy, developed — they were an arranged marriage, but as the novel progresses, she realises that she genuinely loves him, and it was sweet to see.

However, I feel like the pacing was too slow. At times, it felt sluggish - the author spent too much time building up the relationships and back stories, to the detriment of the murder mystery plot. While this is important in creating a well-rounded story, I think a better balance should have been struck, with a bigger focus on action and actually solving the mystery.

Despite this, I still really love the concept and premise of this book, as I think it is rather unique. I would still recommend this book to fans of fantasy and historical fiction, as long as you are someone who does not mind a more slow paced plot.