Wow! I really hope this gets made into a movie. I’d love to see the spell casting in action. On the downside, the novel deals with the everyday racism faced by the main characters. This seems very relevant to events happening today and we see how little some things have changed. Overall, I enjoyed the book’s blending of history, crime solving and magic. I hope there’s a sequel.

This story is a fictional history two conductors from the underground railroad shortly after emancipation. Magic is used in different forms throughout.

I personally liked the characters and their individual battles.

I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all.

This book, totally a work of fiction, is timely for events in 2020.

The book blends magic and history - offering a version of what Black life was like when the Underground Railroad was a necessary, dangerous part of life.

The characters are brave, sometimes ethical and morally true to how we might want to rewrite history.

A great read.

I received an ARC in exchange for a review.
I wanted to like this more than I did, I really can't give it more than a 4 or 5 /10
I liked the two main characters, although I found their relationship bizarre for several reasons, they are supposed to be in a marriage of convenience (that of course will end in romance) but I just never felt any emotion between them.
I liked the way the magic system was put together but it would have been more interesting if the author gave us some detail on her ideas of magic vs. sorcery in the world.
It took me quite a while to figure out what the main plot was; I think the book would have benefited from fewer side-plots. As mentioned by other reviewers, the secondary characters are mostly just confusing, and not well distinguished from each other.
I think that there's a lot of potential, and I hope that there is some serious editing before publication. There're A LOT of sloppy grammatical errors, and there are swathes of the text that could use clarification and clipping; if the publisher has decided it's worth publishing, I hope that they give this first-time author some help.

The Conductors is a very slow paced murder mystery set in post-Civil War Philadelphia. Main characters, Hetty and Benjy Rhodes, are former underground railroad conductors turned neighborhood sleuths that solve problems for their friends and neighbors. The Rhodes also have the ability to practice "celestial magic". The novel doesn't provide the origins of the celestial magic, its purpose or the function of each spell. Some spells seem to do the same thing, which can be a bit confusing. Hetty married Benjy for companionship and to stop idle gossip about their relationship. While working to solve the murder of a close family friend, Hetty begins to realize her love for Benjy is much stronger than she'd like to admit. This novel is rich in fantasy, mystery, and romance. It provides a unique perspective on post-Civil War life for black people in Philadelphia with a touch of magic.

It’s only been recently that I have started reading more in the realm of historical fiction, but I’m finding I am enjoying it more and more. In The Conductors, Ms. Glover — in her debut offering, by the way — weaves an intriguing tale of a very closely knit community in Philadelphia; loosely tied together by their traditions, a heritage of stellar magic, and two former conductors on the underground railroad who now spend time solving some of the mysteries of this community.

Interspersed with looks back to pre-freedom times, and how a fair number of the primary characters came into the orbit of Hetty and Benjy (our crafty protagonists), one cannot help but see the comparisons to Octavia Butler’s Kindred.

This novel, however, very much stands on its own two feet. With the introduction of a mysterious murder of someone close in their circle, the two main characters — Hetty and Benjy Rhodes — begin an investigation that uncovers intrigue, shame, lies to one another, and lies to oneself.

Above all, though, I find The Conductors a story of love and self-discovery. Even without the wonderful booster of magic, sorcery, and the acceptance and acceptable use thereof; this novel would still reach its intended point. The magic, though, makes it all that much more interesting.

While the premise of this book is interesting, it's unfortunately bogged down by several "debut novel" issues.

- The worldbuilding feels flimsy. Part of the problem is that the author spends a little too much time describing things that don't really matter and adds extraneous details about her characters that are intended to deepen their character development but just sound weird in the context of the story. For example, in one of the early chapters the main character describes the various skills (teaching, apothecary/brewing magical medicines, tailoring) that she and her friends have. But then she says something like "even though the gowns she made were worn by the richest people in town, she didn't do it for the money, she liked to clothe her friends for free". This is a weird humblebrag to drop in the middle of an early chapter, and it doesn't really go anywhere after that.

Another issue is that the magic system is basically completely unexplained until about 20% of the way through the book, and you have no idea what the parameters are for spell casting etc. It's only when you're decently far along that you learn that spells are based on constellations... which opens up a whole slew of questions that don't get answered either. I never really felt immersed in this setting and didn't feel attached to any of the characters.

- The writing is clunky. Aside from descriptions that go from overly detailed to overly bare, the pacing of the story drags. Dialogue is stilted and flips back and forth from period-specific phrasing/cadence to modern phrasing/cadence. Sometimes characters would talk in paragraphs, other times there wouldn't be enough dialogue. I think more editing could really improve this aspect of the story.

- The plot was ok, but difficult to get into because the narrative is interspersed with news articles/wanted ads from different times than the central mystery is taking place in. Especially early on, the articles/ads are mainly used to shortcut the worldbuilding process and it just seemed weak to me. I think most of these could have been cut without losing anything and combining these cuts with some restructuring of the story to frontload an explanation of the rules of this world, would have strengthened the book a lot overall. I was also more interested in Hetty's time as a conductor on the Underground Railroad than I was by the murder-mystery.

Overall, this was an ok read with an interesting premise and weak execution. I didn't hate my time with this story, but I didn't love it either.

*****
Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for an uncorrected/unfinalized ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A truly special detective tale with writing that leaps off the page and world building that is truly magical and multi-layered. I hope this is the first in a series, as I am eager to read more of Hattie and Benjy's adventures.

I really liked the premise of this book--magical conductors on the Underground Railroad turned crime fighters. I enjoyed watching the marriage of convenience slowly blossom into love and the use of magic with astronomy, however the long flashbacks were sometimes confusing and the list of characters with similar names was hard to keep track of and follow their mingling storylines.

I liked the opening amendments. Several girls have gone missing when Hetty and Benjy discover Elle. I liked the descriptions of events. I liked the characters but couldn't get hooked on the story.

I loved this book. It took me a little bit of time to get very involved with the story, but, once I was, I was all in and couldn’t put the book down. It was a fun and clever murder mystery with magic. The post emancipation world with magic was intriguing. This was an awesome #ownvoices book with a really engaging story. I can’t wait for more from this author.

Thanks so much to the publisher and to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

It was plot heavy and seemed more focus on the characters. The interplay of magic and Black people in whatever time period is, but it fell a bit flat for me. Maybe I will enjoy it upon more reflection.

I had really high hopes for this books. The premise sounded amazing and I'm a sucker for a good historical fiction novel with bits of magic thrown in. And, for the most part, Glover met my expectations. The characters are well-developed and interesting. The story line moves at a good pace and keeps the readers engaged. What fell short for me was the magic. I guess I wanted more development in that aspect of the story. I didn't quite understand it and how it worked. I do think this is a book teens will enjoy and I will happily recommend it to readers.

I loved the atmosphere and setting of this book. Additionally, the way celestial magic is constructed is fascinating. I want to learn more about it and how it is different from sorcery! I really appreciated seeing a different part of society than historicals usually highlight. I did enjoy the mystery but at times I felt that particular plot line was a little meandering, and I'm not sure I understood all the pieces/clues that were scattered throughout the text. But the characters and setting were both still engaging enough that I felt completely engrossed in the story!

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.

This book sounded absolutely amazing, with both historical context and a magical system that sounded really entrancing. However, I didn't end up loving it as much as I had hoped for- the magic system was a little patchy, and there was also an issue with the characterisation. I felt like the main character was really well developed and well-thought-out, but the other characters simply didn't have as much bolstering of their character. I wanted a lot more from this, and I would have appreciated a plot that didn't jump around as much either- there was a lot of plot jumping and I wish there was a bit more of a focus on the plot pieces that were stronger.

With that said, I think the concept of this book is incredibly solid. I really liked the ideas that this book had, it was just how they were written that there were issues. I really think this story has incredible potential, it just needs some more fleshing out and character development and it would be absolutely wonderful.

I couldn't get on with this book and I'm frustrated with myself. I like the concept behind it and I want to see where it goes but I'm finding the characters really frustrating. Only half a review as I can't finish this at the moment, this book and I are on "on a break" while I cheat on it with a different book. Hopefully when I come back Hetty and Benjy will be magicking at murderers and I won't be able to put it down.

I was first entranced by The Conductors because of the absolutely beautiful cover featuring Hetty, standing resolute and knowing, and then by the blurb, which promised an interesting setting and story. Hetty Rhodes was once a conductor on the Underground Railroad, using magic and her wits to ferry people to freedom, but several years after the end of the war, she and her husband, Benjy, solve mysteries in Reconstruction era Philadelphia. The Conductors feat. a marriage of convenience (or is it??), an intriguing astrological magic system, a rich tapestry of friends - all of whom appear to have secrets as a murder mystery strikes at their core.

Hetty uses Celestial magic, a beguiling system based on astrological symbols and merged from African, Native and other magic systems, which she uses in interesting ways throughout the novel. Black people are banned from using Sorcery, the colonising power, and based on wands - in most of America, it is a hanging offence, the lingering effects of slavery living on in new laws. I would have preferred seeing more about the different magic systems, but I do a weakness for worldbuilding.

The story had a slower start, as Glover established the setting and characters, before diving into the mystery. I was really moved by Hetty, a compelling story-teller, skilled seamstress, talented magic user, and legend amongst the Black Philadelphian community for her efforts. Interwoven throughout the novel are interludes to prior events and how Hetty and Benjy gained their skills and abilities under extremely trying circumstances, and forged a friendship built on trust. I really enjoyed how Glover depicted the strong bonds between Hetty and Benjy, even when it was tested by the circumstances of the story.

However, the year is 1871 and Glover deftly moves between how different characters have thrived and survived in different ways after the Proclamation and the end of the war. The tensions between the Freed and the born Free are explored, how the legacy of slavery lives on in the torn-apart families, including Hetty's own sister, Esther, who she has never given up on searching for. I did appreciate that Glover decided to center the story around the Black Philadelphian community, and while white characters appeared, they were fleeting and largely unnamed.

The Conductors also is themed heavily around the found family concept. Hetty has gathered together a diverse group of friends together, with Glover including LBGT+ representation, though that isn't the focus of the novel. Hetty and Benjy worked for years together, before agreeing to a marriage of convenience - with benefits. I enjoyed this rather forthright depiction and how after years, Benjy and Hetty fell in love, another central theme of The Conductors.

The Conductors was an engaging mystery-fantasy-romance-historical story.

“Brimming with celestial magic and an enduringly fierce heroine, The Conductors is a new vision of the Underground Railroad.” Cecelia Beckman Sheaf & Ink

My Review: The Conductors
The beginning of this harrowing tale is notably atmospheric— you can envision a white hand plastering up reward and wanted signs for runaway slaves, one after the other. Feel the tension rise like chills as the demand and stakes on those signs grows higher and higher. An acrid taste of disgust burning in the back of your throat like bile at the truth of the lengths slave owners would go through to keep slavery from ending.

Glover’s way in addressing and depicting a brutally dangerous time in just the opening three pages illustrates her mastery of her writing. Her prose painted with soul-filled magic even when the landscape is one of pain and suffering. It is thought proving and riveting as she depicts the Civil War along with the present. The Conductors has this fervent pace from the very beginning along with the driving force of the narrative: Hetty Rhodes.

Seeking freedom left many scars and Hetty has her share as she sought freedom at whatever cost. Long after Hetty’s journey to freedom and the Civil War, Glover weaves the present with the past seamlessly. This elegant dance between Hetty’s past and present, blends the story together like music. Adding new weighty notes with each turning page. Creating an unforgettable cadence for the overarching melody.

My one concern was the ending. Without giving too much away, there is a plot reveal that I felt would have been better placed earlier on in the novel. Had Glover presented this piece of the story sooner rather than at the very end, the aftermath and scope of the detective thread of the story would be portrayed as a catharsis of what Hetty ultimately finds in the end of the novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Conductors. Readers will appreciate the found family, the slow burn between Hetty and Benjy, and the astronomy magic flowing through this story making this debut one you don’t want to miss.

Happy Reading Cece

This is a very interesting historical fiction mystery with a twist of magic. Hetty and her husband Benjy are known as The Conductors, helping runaways escape to freedom in Philadelphia. Using their magical powers, drawing sigils and symbols against white wand beaters they’ve earned quite the reputation as saviours in their town. People come to them for help of all sorts, and when the body of their friend is found with a cursed sigil burned onto his body Benjy and Hetty take the case. What follows is a tangled web of social circles that leads to the pair investigating and questioning even their closest friends.

This was an interesting little mystery with a lot of moving parts, characters, and side plots. The unique aspect of this novel is the addition of magic in such a tumultuous historical era in the USA. The magic itself was explained in an easy to understand way. My only criticism would be that there were too many characters with not enough substance, they appear and disappear then reappear and become critical. But other than that this was an enjoyable and interesting read. Thank you!