The Geomagician

The Geomagician Duology #1

by Jennifer Mandula

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

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

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

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

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

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

464 pages, Hardcover

First published March 31, 2026

Reviews

[yuvi • ia · Rating 5 out of 5]

well, is anyone surprised by the rating?🤭🤭

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


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

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


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


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

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

pub. date- march 31 2026
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side note
started - october 13
finished - october 17

[DianaRose · Rating 5 out of 5]

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

wow, i am completely blown away by the fact that this was a debut novel, and especially how the author blended two distinct genres (historical fiction and magical realism) so seamlessly!

i’m scratching my head at all of the lukewarm reviews or readers that dnf’d — while i understand that not every book is for everyone, i can’t help but feel perhaps these readers didn’t give the geomagician a fair enough chance? i think, and this is my opinion, booktok has created a sort of fast fashion among books, specifically in the romance genre, where if there is no smut (spoiler this is not a smutty book yall) then readers become disinterested without the instant smutty-gratification.

the geomagician was so multifaceted: our fmc mary is a victorian woman in stem trying to get into the literal boy’s club so that her achievements may be recognized and no longer stolen by the men she must sell them to so she can afford to live; the religious aspect in science before evolution was accepted; the witch hunt led by religious followers for those suspected with “magic” (there were people who had magic in this book); and protesting and civil rights, just to name a few themes.

i hope readers give this book a chance, maybe by listening to the audio? i was instantly immersed into the story by the narrator’s phenomenal acting!

i will certainly be looking into mandula’s upcoming projects!

——

of course, my libby hold is expiring and i've had the arc for ages, but this sounds like such a fun historical fiction novel with a dash of magical realism: our fmc is a fossil hunter in the victorian era and finds a baby pterodactyl, and protects him with the help of her former fiancé!! sounds like a blast🙂‍↕️🤭👀💗✨

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ★— I love stories about women in science! I especially love reading them when they're set in a past era where women have to face the hurdles of historical misogyny and seeing them succeed in spite of it. And I triply love when it’s science mixed with magic and so, The Geomagician was something so much in my wheelhouse that I was buzzing to read it!

The book begins very well, showing a down-on-her-luck heroine, Mary, a fossil hunter and paleontologist who's been having a hard time sourcing the fossils she usually sells to buyers when she makes the quite literal discovery of the century and finds a living pterodactyl.

From then on, this is mostly set in wider society, as Mary is whisked away to the city, and I was quite entrance as I was reminded of exactly why I love historical fantasy, as I got to see victorians react to seeing a living pterodactyl!

The book features a prominent backdrop of a childhood romance that went sour, with Henry Stanton as the MMC whose romantic history with the main character is revealed as the plot moves along. Through flashbacks the reader learns of their past together, which for me were moments that disturbed the story’s flow quite a bit, and made me wish the author had found a different way of conveying their past. Though I did appreciate that Henry's introduction immediately set up how down bad he still is for her.

But while I found their dynamic interesting at the start, I really felt like the romance subplot lost a lot of steam for me as the middle of the book approached. The author just didn’t manage to pull through with the deliciousness that a former childhood lovers dynamic brings with it! Though Mary and Henry do interact quite a bit, I felt like there really was a distinct lack of real scenes that sold me on their connection, with Henry being absent quite often, and there being a real lack of tension-filled moments between them.

I also generally found Mary to be a heroine that was a bit too passive for my liking. I can deal with characters that are trying to keep their head down and protect themselves, but I found that tendency, while understandable for her as a woman in her circumstances, didn’t endear me to her. Mary sometimes felt borderline oblivious to what was going on around her and those blinders didn’t help in making her a main character I liked following. Much of this is later addressed by the narrative, but it overall didn't help as I still found her a little too submissive for my tastes.

In the end, I did generally like this, but kind of wanted more — more from the romance, more from this main character — which left me feeling more meh than appreciative of this story. I still do recommend this to Emily Wilde lovers, because a magical Victorian paleontologist is too good of a setting to pass up, but I definitely don't feel like it reached the heights of those books!


__________________

Thank you to Del Rey for the ARC.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Parting Thoughts:

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

4.25⭐️| IG | TikTok |

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

[Maeghan 🦋 · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Val ── .✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[justine ⊹ ࣪ ˖ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Geomagician
⤷ ⭑⭑⭑

ִֶָ🥚་༘࿐ We follow Mary Anning from the small town of Lyme Regis, who dreams of securing a seat in the esteemed all-male Geomagical Society of London. After learning about a recent landslide at Black Ven, Mary decides to excavate the area, hoping to uncover treasures or new discoveries. To her astonishment, she finds a fossilized egg, and against all odds, it hatches, revealing a newborn pterodactyl.

Release Date: March 31, 2026 ⟢

⌞ What To Expect: ⌝
⌗ Geomagic
⌗ Baby Pterodactyl
⌗ Victorian Scholars
⌗ Beliefs vs. Morals

Quite an interesting take on the reimagining of the real historical palaeontologist, Mary Anning. I first learned of this book after seeing it being recommended by one of my favorite authors, Heather Fawcett.

This book was marketed as a historical fantasy featuring dinosaurs and a heartwarming second-chance romance. However, it ended up focusing heavily on social hierarchy, politics, and surprisingly religion. It was unexpected to see a blend of magical realism, paleontology, and theology, especially since it initially seemed like a cozy fantasy given the writing style and cover design. Funnily, I was drawn in by the promise of dinosaurs, sans the baby pterodactyl Ajax, but we hardly saw him at all!

Our main lead, Mary, was definitely a complex character whose decisions are quite questionable, and it's really up to us, the reader, to decide whether she's unlikable or the result of the struggles she's had in life. Despite her extensive knowledge of geomagic and her undeniable talent for fossil hunting, her work is frequently overshadowed and disregarded, primarily due to prejudiced perceptions of being a woman. To support herself, she sells her findings to fellow collectors, geomagicians, and ironically, even some members of the society itself. While I occasionally find myself empathizing with her, I mostly find her actions and thoughts very self-centered.

I love historical fiction, and what I love even more are the men in historical fiction. However, Henry Stanton is the exception to this sentiment. I understood why Mary was extremely upset with him, particularly concerning their canceled engagement and his sudden disappearance after he gained fame in the city. So I never understood why he didn't have the decency to explain when they met again. Even after everything, the issue seemed brushed over too. To my surprise, Henry wasn't a major player in this book because the romance was more of a subplot, though I found that I didn’t mind him being a side character that I could overlook.

Getting back to the story, there were repeated references to the conflicts between scientific advances and the magical elements, as well as to how religion was connected. I reached a point where I found everything very repetitive, and, unfortunately, I lost my immersion in the world and its characters. Despite this, I still hope people give it a try and form their own opinions.

*·˚ ༘ ➳ Thank you to Netgalley, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore, and of course, Jennifer Mandula for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Please remember that this opinion is my own. ⭑

⋆˙⟡

update : arc request approved someone hug me 🥹💕

[Fátima Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

An innovative fantasy that blends paleontology and magic.

I'm passionate about History, and about the historical moment this book presents, but I'm not sure if I'm entirely convinced we were in the right time period. Before I start explaining my reasons for giving it 4 stars, I wanted to thank NetGalley and Del Rey for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To begin with, I loved Mary at the beginning; she's a fossil hunter and paleontologist who has been having trouble finding the fossils she usually sells, when she makes the discovery of the century, literally: a live pterodactyl. I loved this premise and loved how Mary dealt with everything (especially in such a sexist society). Unfortunately, I felt she lost a bit of her breath and courage as the story progressed, but I believe that was intentional, mainly because of what Mary herself ends up realizing about herself in the plot (no spoilers, I promise).

The book has a very well-defined and strong political stance and social critique, which surprised me quite a bit. We see a lot of politics, religion, and social hierarchy, and feminism ended up having a certain focus that was very well integrated into everything. I think that's the book's greatest strength, in addition to the unique concept of a magical paleontologist (I only missed seeing a little more of Ajax in the plot).

However, some flashbacks to a previous relationship of the character made me lose immersion a bit at times.

I think my main problem was really the historical context which, despite being quite realistic in how society actually treated women at that time, didn't give me much of that historical fantasy atmosphere, nor did it remind me of the context it should have. I didn't feel anything Victorian, unfortunately.

In the end, I had a lot of fun reading it and read it very quickly, and for everything I've mentioned, I highly recommend reading it and I'm looking forward to the sequel!

Review: https://youtu.be/q-FuH9kz70I?si=yLkxm...

[Alina ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

☆☆☆.5 stars

The Geomagician is a solid debut from Jennifer Mandula, one that shows plenty of promise, even if it didn’t completely win me over.

There’s a lot to like here. The premise is intriguing, and by the middle of the book, the pacing picks up noticeably, which made the story far more engaging and ultimately saved the experience for me. The ending also managed to surprise me, and I’m definitely curious about where the second book in this duology will go.

That said, something felt like it was missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the story never fully clicked in the way I’d hoped. I also went in expecting more dinosaurs (entirely my own assumption, since that’s never actually promised), so that initial mismatch may have affected my reading experience.

Another aspect that didn’t quite land for me was the setting. Although the story is meant to take place in Victorian times, it rarely felt that way. Aside from the characters traveling by carriage, there wasn’t much anchoring the narrative to that specific period, it could easily have been set in almost any pre-digital era.

One undeniable standout, though, is Ajax the pterodactyl. He was easily my favorite, such a fun addition to the book.

Overall, this is a good, if not outstanding, debut. I’m intrigued enough to consider continuing with the series, but I’m not entirely sure yet if I’ll pick up the sequel.

This book is for fans of the Emily Wilde books by Heather Fawcett or maybe even Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell books.

[Nenia Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE GEOMAGICIAN does something very brave, in my opinion, in that it makes the female lead an exceptionalist who firmly believes that she is "not like other girls." On paper, she even says that she feels that she deserves recognition that other women do not get, because she has suffered more and worked harder. She happily pulls up the rope ladder behind her, spurning women for male approval, and part of her journey is learning that working with the patriarchy to benefit the patriarchy... hurts all women, and furthers the patriarchy. That is a hard lesson to stomach, and while many female characters perpetuate this sort of storyline, seeing it acknowledged is... well, satisfying.

This has the vibes of a cozy fantasy novel but it's actually got a lot of really intense themes: the conflict between religion and science, the way boys' clubs gatekeep advancement and higher learning from women, the way that intelligent and ambitious women are used as weapons by the patriarchy for personal gain, and the (often uncomfortable) examination of internalized misogyny and how to go about acknowledging it and then unpacking it and doing the work. I would definitely recommend it for fans of Heather Fawcett, but I think it's a little darker than those books, and more focused on its feminist and theological themes.

For a long time, I did not like Mary. I felt sorry for her and even empathized with her, but I did not like her, and I think it's because many women who have worked hard and succeeded later have felt similar to Mary-- that they deserve this, and they work to rationalize their gains as everyone else suffers. Insecurity fuels competition and sometimes that can get toxic, fast. Owning up to privilege is difficult, and it's very tempting to gatekeep a toxic and maladaptive system when you, yourself profit from it. But I think the author did a wonderful job maneuvering around this difficult subject and making Mary's problematic thoughts part of her character development. She is actually the perfect example of how an "unlikable" character can still be interesting and further the story in an ultimately constructive way.

The fossil magic was unique and incredibly fun. I loved that the fossil research was rooted in history and actual scientific fact, and Mandula really worked wonders creating a magic system that was inherently her own. What nerdy and slightly neurodivergent girl HASN'T secretly wished that she could have a dinosaur as a pet? This was like wish fulfillment fantasy for all of us weird girls who spent way too much time digging in the dirt while playing "paleontology" in our backyards. I also liked the romantic subplot, although I wouldn't really call this a fantasy romance. Henry has a lot of character development needed, too, and I am really looking forward to seeing how these characters change in book two.

3.5 stars

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know who I should recommend this to.
On one hand, it’s a great alternate historical urban fantasy. Then again, the main character really frustrated me and this delved into the difficulties of science and faith which I had not been expecting.

Mary Anning is a 19th-century fossil hunter who discovers a living baby pterodactyl named Ajax. Of course, sexism means she’s disregarded and snubbed until this gives her the opportunity to go to London with her mentor, and former childhood friend and lover.

Mary is the linchpin of change and yet constantly refuses to use her position to help anyone but herself. She’s working class, a woman; yet she often looks down upon others just like her, wives especially. As if being happy with running a household and having children is reprehensible.

She refuses to challenge the system and will only encourage that which benefits only her. She’s a bad friend and a manipulator.

“But not you?” I pressed. “You don’t mind that I am a woman?”
“You are not a regular woman.” He waved a hand dismissively. “You? You are Mary Anning.”

What took me by surprise was how a lot of the conflict hinged on how compatible and complimentary the Church and geomagical science are.
Scripture, politics, and protests overtake the magic and fossils.

However, I think it was handled fairly well. I just bring it up because I think many readers will be taken by surprise like me.

Despite these qualms, the writing was very readable and I liked the mixing of historical and fantastical. Think India Holton.

This is a duology which I hadn’t been expecting. The pacing and marketing led me to believe this was a standalone.
I would say this could be entirely satisfying as a standalone and I wouldn’t have known differently without the author’s note.

Low, unsure three stars.🌟

Physical arc gifted by Del Rey.

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[Sean Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an absolute delight and will appeal tremendously to H.G. Parry fans. And also people who like pterodactyls. Which is all of us, really.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany)]

Not quite what I was expecting! I expected cozy fantasy with romance and baby dinosaurs. I would only call this marginally cozy and it's definitely not a romance (though there is a baby pterodactyl!). It's a historical fantasy with significant religious themes, which isn't mentioned at all in the synopsis. Set in an alternate Victorian England, the Church of England is navigating theology around magic and what is and isn't considered heresy, drawing our heroine into the middle of that, especially as things intersect with misogyny. The magic system is kind of cool and it did some interesting things with the themes, but it's definitely not what I thought it would be. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.75/5

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Kate Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

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

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

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

It wasn't that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is what it made me feel.

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

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

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

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

[Books_the_Magical_Fruit · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this novel, enough to request it on NetGalley. And then I doubted myself a bit, so I started reading with a little trepidation that it might not be good.

Never fear! This was *such* a good book! To my surprise, this fantasy/science fiction tale is based on a true story, and there was indeed a fossilist named Mary Anning who lived in Lyme Regis, England in the first half of the 19th century. Many of the characters were actual persons, although from what I can see, other characters have been added by the author.

I was enthralled with where Mandula took the story. She has a particular talent for describing nature, and I was easily able to picture the cliffs/beach where Anning hunted for fossils. The scene where she encounters pterodactyl fossils is particularly evocative.

Now, fair warning—if you don’t enjoy religion or politics, this is not the book for you. I was surprised at how much both of these subjects appeared once everyone got to London, and it’s something that usually would’ve turned me off, to be honest. However, I found all of the inner workings of 19th century London society very interesting, especially what would be considered blasphemy by the Church, and how geomagic had to toe the line of what theories could be posited and what magic was acceptable. It was fascinating. Plus, once Mary arrived in London, there was so much going on that it held my attention just fine.

Let’s get to the annoyingly realistic part: Mary Anning has had an uphill battle to get to where she is somewhat known and respected as a fossilist. But of course there’s a glass ceiling, even more so in the 1800s, and Anning is often scorned and looked down on, simply because she is a woman. No matter that she discovered much of what is now known about prehistoric creatures—men routinely take her finds and pass them off as their own. Anning’s true dream is to belong to the Geomagical Society of London as an initiated member, but it’s out of reach because she had the audacity to not be born male. When a pterodactyl egg hatches in her hands, Mary realizes that she might finally have a chance to make her dream a reality.

Enter Henry Stanton and William Buckland, who have both figured prominently in Anning’s life.

And then things really get rolling.

I could not have predicted where this story would go, at all, but I really connected with the characters. I loved the relationship between Mary and Ajax, and I enjoyed exploring the dynamics between Mary and Lucy, Henry and William. Mandula described the rising tension between the poor and the wealthy in London so perfectly that you could *feel* what it was like to be protesting in the streets.

My only complaint is that the ending felt rushed and implausible. I *would*, however, like to see where Mandula takes the story, if she decides to write more in this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for gifting me an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

[Lotta Z · Rating 1 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

All systems gooooo!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for reading!

[Aila Krisse · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 / 5 stars
god this was INFURIATING. Because there is so much about this book I love but then there’s a few things that just had me so goddamn annoyed at it and the main character. But also I’m definitely going to read the sequel because I am invested in that Pterodactyl and I need to know that he has a happy ending.

Mary is a class traitor. She only works for her own advancement, not that of other women. The rules of the academic society she wants to get into say ‘men only’ and when she has the chance to change that so both women and men could be members she does not do that, instead she changes it so that it says ‘men only, and also Mary, no other women tho lol’. Are you kidding me. And yeah she realises that this was a big mistake by the end of the book but that doesn’t make her behaviour before that point any less infuriating.

Mary’s ‘friends’ let her wile away in poverty while they live in vast mansions in London. Also Buckland is ‘supporting’ her by buying her fossils, but he is also 100% exploiting her precarious situation for his own gain. Yes, he mentions her as the one who found the fossils, but that’s the barest minimum! He’s still made a name and a fortune off of her discoveries, while she wasn’t even able to get a full education, she was just as smart and brilliant as him, but he never even tried to change anything about the sexist and classist power structure that prevented her from getting her due accolades BECAUSE HE WAS PROFITING (monetarily and academically) OFF HER DISCRIMINATION. And he’s supposed to be one of the good guys???

Her only good friend is Lucy, who actually helps her and cares for her and Mary ends up treating her like trash. But also Lucy’s crusade against slickers is questionable and she doesn’t quite seem to get that just banning a legal, if morally reprehensible, way that the poor can earn money without doing something against the whole crippling poverty thing doesn’t actually end up helping ‘the poors’ all that much. Like, of course no one should have to sell their magic to survive, but if you just ban the selling of magic, it won’t stop the sale of magic. People will still sell their magic if it’s the only way to feed their families, it’s just that now they have to do it illegally, which makes them a lot more vulnerable to exploitation. Lucy is still somehow miles better than every other ‘friend’ Mary has.

There’s some parts that really seemed like plot holes, but then at the very end of the book there’s a revelation that means it actually not a plot hole, but it still doesn’t explain why the main character didn’t ever question this ‘thing’. The main one is the fact that Henry ghosted her for years, during which he lived lavishly in London, while Mary barely managed to stay above water. And when Mary reconnects with Henry she never asks why he stopped writing and broke their engagement, and doesn’t even expect an apology from him? Like girl, have some standards ffs! And yes it is later revealed that Henry didn’t actually stop writing, but that Edgar intercepted both Henry’s letters to Mary and Mary’s letters to Henry, so that both would think the other hates them now or something like that. But neither Mary nor Henry knew that at the time! And yet they still asked 0 questions!

Also Edgar’s whole plan. What the fck was that about.

All of that christianity stuff. I honestly liked the way that the book interwove real religion and the magic seen in this alternate earth, because a lot of historical fiction and historical fantasy especially, just likes to forget about the religious landscape of the time it is set in. Which is fine, I don’t always wanna read about religiously motivated bigotry in my fiction, there’s enough of that irl. But the way this book used actual Christian theories and ideology that would’ve been widespread at the time and interwove it with the theories around magic and history was so good? I was a little weirded out at the beginning though, because initially it seems like the main character is using her fossil findings to support a creationist view of history, which is not what I expected going into this book. But it becomes clear pretty soon that the guys peddling creationism are obviously going to end up being in the wrong and Mary actually isn’t a believer in creationism either but kind of pretends to be to be accepted in her social circle. So yeah that was very unexpected but I ended up really loving that aspect. I grew up non-religious and thus luckily have 0 religious trauma baggage, but a lot of people aren’t as lucky, so I do find it a bit questionable that the religion-element of the story really isn’t mentioned at all in the book’s description.
----
Thank you to Del Rey for the ARC

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really great book. I loved how detailed it got about the paleontology, the magic, the scholarship. I also loved the focus on class and protest. Ajax of course should be protected at all costs. I also thought the character arc for our MC, Mary (Mary Anning, a real historical figure, apparently!) was very unique and interesting. Not the typical arc for a character in this type of book. It did feel a bit chaotic at the end, and it got just the teensiest bit draggy in the middle, which is why the 4.5 stars, but overall I had a great time. Can't wait to read the next one.

[4.5 stars]

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2026: wings on the cover

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

STOP?!? DINOSAURS 🦕 🦖 I. AM. SAT!

3.75*

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Sherwood Smith]

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

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

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

[Beka]

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

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

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

[mj]

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

[✨ tweety ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded to 4

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

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

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

All in all, a delightful read!

Thanks to the publisher for letting me read an ARC.

[Marleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Andria Potter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teenage me would have adored this but adult me was rather unimpressed. I still had a fun time, though. Victorian England plus a baby dragon? Definitely recommend for those looking for a soft fantasy novel with those elements.

Rated: 3.5 ⭐

[Brigitte · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was TRICKED! So this book is not a romantasy, it's a Christian romantasy. Christianity is a major part of the book and seemingly why characters act in sometimes confusing ways.

I bought this book (no ARC here, folks!) for three reasons: 1) Heather Fawcett's recommendation (her praise is on the cover, silly me, they're both working with Del Rey books in the US), 2) the cover is pretty (no dust jacket on the hardcover, it's embossed but soft touch matte so the embossing doesn't have an impact), and 3) baby pterodactyl. Now, between this and Agnes Aubert, Heather Fawcett is on thin ice with me!

The book is about Mary Anning real life person and fantasy fanfics about real people always put me off a bit. I think if it's inspired by a real person, fine, maybe keep the first name as a nod, but this book is "What if Mary Anning was a witch? Well she STILL can't get credit for her work!" Henry Stanton is her love interest in the book and I assume the name is a nod to real Anning's real friend, Henry De la Beche who credited her more than most (though he still let her live and die in poverty while happily building his own career off her work). William Buckland is probably a play on William Bullock who bought Real Anning's ichthyosaur skeleton off another person.

I have so many issues with this book it's hard to know where to begin. The beginning of the book was fine, Mary digs up fossils and sells them to get by, when sales are slow she also has to sell her magic. In this world most (all?) people have small amounts of magic that they store in "reliqs" to use in various boring ways like cooking and cleaning. The most impoverished have to sell the magic stored in the reliqs in "the slicks," and that magic is then sold to rich people.

Mary's best friend Lucy is a witch, meaning she doesn't have to use a reliq to use magic, and, unlike Mary, is super rich. They grew up hanging out together as kids along with Edgar (Lucy's brother) and Henry (Mary's love interest). Mary's father died when she was young and several benevolent rich people (note for later) helped her out so she and her disabled mother still live in poverty, but ... with rich friends who help them a little sometimes. Edgar and Henry went off to school and left the girls behind because even in fantasy girls can't go to college. Henry and Mary were engaged as teenagers but then he stopped returning her letters, leaving her heartbroken. Now they're in their 30s and Henry is one of the richest men in the world. Oh and Mary's discoveries, sold by her to split a bread crust with her disabled mother (not joking), are the foundation upon which Buckland has built his massive reputation (he's also super rich). Cool.

Oh and one day Mary finds a pterodactyl egg and it hatches; she names him Ajax. Because this is a sad fantasy world where nothing has worked out for women, Mary decides to sell the living Ajax to Buckland and the Geomagical Society, which is a bummer. Henry shows up, and then Henry, Buckland, Lucy, Mary, and Ajax all go to London for Ajax's unveiling. It starts to get convoluted here, because sorcery (which involves spoken word) is EVIL and punishable by DEATH, Mary goes through multiple magical Inquisitions (yes, really) including one at the hands of her ex-fiancee, Henry. But magic is fine. Sure. Buckland rubs some elbows with his friends at the church and they spin a story about the Great Flood and how dinosaurs were just sleeping which he knows isn't true because it keeps Mary from being killed and will help him become president of the Geomagical Society. SO WHY EVEN BRING HER TO LONDON?

The issues with this book honestly run so deep I feel like I could write a 10 page paper on it so I need to skip ahead.

Around halfway though Henry reveals that he always knew Mary could bring fossils back to life so he hires her as his assistant. Btw her disabled mother who she takes care of? Never comes up again. Vanishes from the text. Anyway, here was my first yellow flag highlight, "Henry and I were feverish with sketching and measuring and observing, the specimens and me both. I kept careful logs ... along with notes about my diet, sleep, menstrual cycle, time of day, weather, and my personal mood (237). Menstrual cycle? The idea that her menstrual cycle somehow impacted her magic ... I was side eyeing. Do you think Henry's "mood" is in his records? I don't. Up until this point the book seemed feminist. There was a lot in there about people getting ahead on her work and that being bad. And then I realized that it wasn't being said with her full chest - that men were the ones getting ahead - it was "people" (in general): "Once again, someone else would make their name and reputation on my work" (198).

Then we find out that Mary's is GASP not a girl's girl!!! She gets other women into a meeting of the Geomagical Society (it's still the member's wives and daughters, nepo guests, all) and some of them ask Mary to teach them for free presumably because they're all rich so why compensate her, to which Mary says no, "I hadn't asked some other woman to put her own ambition aside to help me with mine. What reputation I had, I'd earned myself. They could surely do the same" (298). Then she learns she's wrong (sort of) and offers to "learn with them" once she's been drummed out in disgrace and doesn't have any reputation to lose, anyway, so not really heart warming. Also, she's right? This seems like Mary isn't being a feminist, but it's really ignoring the massive class disparity between them, where rich women are asking the actually starving Mary to tank her only chance at getting out of poverty by making her work about all women. Can you let her get the job first? Meanwhile, Elizabeth, Bucklands absolute brat of a daughter who hates Mary, knows that in doing this Mary will fail, but the door will be open for her.

And here's where we get to the weirdest theme of the book: "benevolent" rich people using Mary to further their social cause of choice, and Mary being the bad guy for not wanting to take the fall for them. The men are using Mary for her science, the bros are using Mary for her magic, and Lucy is labor organizing because watching Mary sell her magic "like a prostitute" just made her rich little heart so so sad. Then when rich miss Elizabeth asks Mary "what have you gained for others?" when Elizabeth has never known poverty, hunger, or illness, and Mary is like YOU'RE RIGHT!? I'm out. I am OUT.

And then we have the Age Gap Lesbians. I don't even know what to make of this. Mary and her friends are in their 30s (can't find an exact age though it may be in the book). Lucy starts dating Buckland's daughter, Elizabeth, who is EIGHTEEN: "Elizabeth was the oldest daughter, at eighteen" (119). Why? Why Jennifer Mandula did you put in such an insane "barely legal" age gap relationship!? No reason. I'm more forgiving of age gaps in HR but it has to be handled well and this is just not. It's also not clear if Lucy actually cares about Elizabeth, who is obsessed with Lucy (bad type of age gap alert!).

This review is already way, way too long so I have to just do a spoiler for how it goes Off The Rails, Supervillain Style. If you DNF'd the book and you want to know what happened, here you go.Henry becomes president of the Geomagical Society and amends the charter so Mary can join, there's an election and she barely wins, but does. During her initiation she finds out that the reliq juice that powers that magical world is Made Of People, Soylent Green style (it uses the bones of unclaimed bodies aka poor people), in response Mary says nothing. Then they do SORCERY and Mary is like "But I'm a Christian!" and the men tell her to be cool so she just does the sorcery. Then she overhears Henry say he sold manifold reliqs (super powered) to the cops and Lucy - who is trying to get the sale of magic banished even though she's rich and she has an infinite supply of magic so none of the consequences will impact her - is in danger. So Mary runs away to try to save her, there's an explosion, and a cop - he's a good guy! - saves a bunch of people but has no magic left for Lucy. Copaganda? The cop helps her take Lucy to Edgar's house where they heal her but then Edgar drugs them both because he's ... Evil?!?! Mary wakes up in the factory where Henry makes the manifold reliqs and Edgar forces her to bring a dinosaur back to life so HE can use the dinosaur's magic to cause an earthquake because natural disasters create witches and then the poor people will have their own magic (some will die, but he's cool with that). Yes, it's very convoluted and there's so much to unpack, I don't have time! Turns out Henry and Edgar knew Mary was a witch since they were teenagers but they didn't tell her, instead concocting an elaborate plot to use her to make a bunch of poor people into witches so their poverty is ... less bad? Mary inspired them! Who cares that they let her live in poverty this whole time (Henry, again, is literally the richest man in the world). Also there's this thing where Mary has to tug at the "thread of life" to awaken a fossil, but Edgar just slams her wrist into the dinosaur and it wakes up. Whatever. Anyway, they all fight, Elizabeth and Buckland are there, I don't even know what side everyone is on anymore, there's an earthquake, and Mary finally puts the dinosaur back to sleep. Then, fast forward, Edgar is in custody for sorcery and Mary is like "I hope they let him go, he's still my friend!" Girl he drugged you, used you, and tried to kill a bunch of people, what the heck? Henry has disappeared because reasons. Buckland CHOOSES to take the fall WITH Mary because he's a Good Guy. CHOOSES?! I'm sorry but all this was YOUR fault my dude. They decide to say Ajax was a hoax, Mary gets kicked out of the Geomagical Society in disgrace, but they give her some hush money so she doesn't have to be quite so poor anymore. Henry then shows up and reveals that Edgar never gave him Mary's letters so they broke up for no reason, but Edgar probably was trying to do a good thing they conclude. They'll probably get back together. WHO CARES. Oh and Mary almost turns Ajax back into a fossil but decides to keep him.

Anyway, I'm so mad. "The martyr's path is a noble one, but lonely" is legitimately a line from this book, spoken sincerely (438). I think all the weird contradictions, the incredible passivity of the main characters, the mixed messages about class and gender, all of it can be tied back to this book being Christian. The last line of the acknowledgements reads "And thanks be to God - who I firmly believe appreciate a good theomagical debate - for His grace" (452). Boooooooooo.

Oh, and you're reading it for the baby pterodactyl, he's in a cage almost the entire time.

[inês · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Del Rey, Jennifer Mandula and Netgalley for providing me an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book reminded me of the EMILY WILDE series but with the stakes and social commentary of THE LANGUAGE OF DRAGONS. So, I would say if you are a fan of both, you'd probably enjoy this book as well.

I adored the world-building. I thought the magic system in this one and how it relied on artefacts (in particular, fossils) for its functions was really well conceived. It felt both unique and fresh, especially in how it impacted society at large in 1820s/30s England. I appreciated how history was molded in order to still contain the appropriate structures while relying on different ways of exploitation that would have considerably eroded the social contract upheld then. It made for a rather explosive backdrop to our character since it raised the stakes to every choice she made.

The main character was complex enough that she felt realistic. She has her own struggles and is far from being perfect. I appreciate how hyper focused she is on her dreams that she makes extremely selfish choices, while staying self aware enough to feel guilty about them. Her character arc was masterfully done and I felt that her evolution made perfect sense to me, even if I didn't always enjoy her.

The plot itself is simple, but there are enough twists and turns to keep one tied to the page. I always felt like I needed to know what could possibly happen next, especially as I grew attached to Ajax. I just wanted to make sure he'd be alright, mostly. I really appreciated the side characters and how crucial they were to the narrative. However, I never liked Henry.

Henry is our male love interest, but honestly he was suspicious from the get-go. I never really trusted him or his words. I found him quite distant and cold most of the time. And there was a period of time when I thought I could change my mind but he became unredeemable by the end. SO, the romance was a massive failure in my opinion, which sucked because it had the right pieces to make this a fun one to follow.

Another weird thing is that I just don't think this reads very Victorian. I know it's nitpicky of me, but I don't really think this is set in peak Victorian years so it shouldn't really be advertised as such.

Will I read the second one? Absolutely. I need to know Ajax will be alright.