I’m gonna start by saying, wow did I love this book! The concept was so fun and interesting, I mean who can resist ex-Conductors in the Underground Railroad solve mysteries in Philadelphia with magic! Sure, the magic system wasn’t fully developed and the big-reveal at the end felt like a Scooby-doo episode, but the characters were brilliant! The friend group in the book is brilliant, plus I would die for Hetty and Benjy’s relationship. Overall, it was an amazing debut that was so fun to read!

Since Deanna Raybourn wrote a cover blurb for this book giving it praise, I got it.
I almost didn't finish it. It started off really slowly for me. It didn't "grab" me right away.
As time went on (I wanted to give it a fair chance), the momentum increased.
Towards the end it was like a snow ball flying down the hill.
Not a perfect book, but filled with rich history blended with magic.
Interesting characters.
I'm glad I finished reading.

Will be posting my review after I get some sleep 😴

EDIT: Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I was really excited for this one after I read the synopsis. It was a real breath of fresh air and I couldn’t stop thinking how lucky I was to be granted a review copy since I was really into these types of stories. However, it unfortunately fell a bit flat for me 🥺 I don’t know if it’s because I set the bar too high or if it’s because I felt disconnected about the first few chapters. Once things did pick up, though, I found that I enjoyed it. Just not enough to warrant a 4-star read for me 🙈

The Underground Railroad conductors use magic - that's a summary of this book.
It's an interesting premise, but I'm not a big magic fan.
I liked that Hetty is a strong female character who can handle herself but also allows herself to feel her heart. I would be interested in reading more books that feature her and her skills.
The mystery was interesting. I didn't figure out who did it until the end.
I'd recommend a better edit. The choppy flow distracted me as I tried to figure out what was happening and where the main characters were at.
The themes of friendship, freedom and teamwork shone in this book. I loved that!

This was a really interesting book about magic and set in a post Civil War America, specifically in Philadelphia. Hetty and Benjy Rhodes were once conductors on the Underground Railroad, helping Black people escape from slavery. Post-war, they have become unofficial detectives. That is intriguing enough, but then you add the fact that in this world some Black people could use magic, and Hetty and Benjy in particular, and this premise becomes irresistible.

When the Rhodes’s friend Charlie, a member of the Black elite in Philadelphia, is found dead in an alley, Hetty and Benjy try to figure out what has happened, and suspect that this might happen again. Secrets are revealed, red herrings are uncovered and as Hetty and Benjy get closer to the truth, things become ever more dangerous for them.

I had a hard time figuring out how the magic in this book worked--how could it be charms that were sewn into clothing and drawn into the air but also manifested into patronus-like creatures that could send messages? I loved the idea of the wand magic vs. the celestial magic and could have read an entire book about that.

The mystery was a good one and there is a great female character with multiple strong, believable motivators. One weakness is the pacing, as the story depends only through the perspectives of Hetty and Benjy to move the plot forward, which necessarily slowed the story down. There were also so many characters introduced early without much backgrounding so I had a hard time keeping the characters apart.

But this was a great story and I enjoyed it and look forward to reading more books in the series.

The Conductors is a sweeping tale of freedom and power set in Black communities of the post-Civil War era.

Everyone in the cast is so interesting, and I love how diversity in roles, backstories, and motivations is upheld here. We have former conductors in the Underground Railroad, slaves who are en route to the market, members of the uppercrust Black society, and so many more. I love how all of them are well-written, and the story goes on to to show how each is flawed, independent, and ultimately human. Glover does not fall on stereotypes to fill each character sheet, which I deeply appreciate.

The magic system, however, is a bit muddy and unrefined. Though I appreciate that it can manifest differently depending on its wielders, I feel so lost trying to figure out the fundamental principles of its magic. What kept me going is thinking of the magic as a concrete metaphor for power and not dwelling on its specifics. I do wish that some rules will be included in the sequel.

I was very excited about this premise, a badass protagonist, underground railroad but make it magical, murder mystery. However, the plot fell flat for me. The first half of the book was at such a slow pace, it took me months to get 60% done. Although I loved Hetty and Benjy, the speed of the plot made it hard to feel fully connected to them. The book finally got interesting around the 75% mark, but then even the grand reveals did not feel that grand. When the mystery is solved and the villian revealed, I want there to be a sense of putting the pieces together myself and thinking, "how didn't I see this?!", instead the main characters had the villian explaining everything they had done and why, without any solving on Hetty an Benjy's part. I rounded down to a 2 star merely because of how long it took me to get through the book, but if I had read it in one go, maybe it would have been more of a 3 star.

A totally unique historical fantasy about a husband and wife team, former conductors on the Underground Railroad, who use celestial magic to solve murders after the Civil War. I loved Hetty and Benjy and their growing close marriage, how they work as one to support each other and their besieged community. And the way author Nicole Glover weaves magic into the narrative is completely addictive. A stellar debut, highly recommended! Out now.

5 of 5 Stars
#TheConductors #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

This was a very well-written and engaging story. I enjoyed reading about the characters, their dynamics, relationships with each other and their inner struggles. In some places, I struggled with the pacing of the plot, but overall the story progressed nicely, and the magic system was a pleasure to read and learn more about. Nicole Glover is a promising writer in the Historical Fiction/Fantasy genre, and I can't wait to see what she writes next. Beware, though, that "The Conductors" deals with some sensitive topics, which were handled with care but may be too much for younger readers.

The Conductors by Nicole Glover is set during the time of the Underground Railroad except in this alternate history, magic exists. The way that magic is seamlessly woven throughout this story (sometimes literally woven into the clothes!) is beautiful and done in a way that feels incredibly natural. Not only is it used to get to the bottom of a mystery, but it's also used for every day problems that I could see happening in my own life. I think it can be tough to write a story that is set in a more fantastic version of our own world, but Glover did a great job.
My only wish is that I had gotten to read more of Henrietta and Benji getting to know each other while working on the Underground Railroad. I found them referring back to this life (and getting a bit of it in flashbacks) and I was so interested in it that I almost wish for a prequel at some point so I can get more of that part of the story.

The Conductors follows the story of Benjy and Hetty, a married couple with magical powers who have used their skills to help those on the Underground Railroad and people in need. When a friend of theirs suddenly is murdered their community is shaken up and they are on the case to solve his untimely death.

This is an interesting novel different from anything I’ve ever read before. It has strong world-building elements that pull the reader in. At times some of the aspects of how the magic and spells were a bit confusing to follow, but I enjoyed learning about the magic system that is described. I thought it was a unique choice of how Glover blends fantasy elements within the backdrop of the Reconstruction period and adds in a murder mystery narrative.

I thought Benjy and Hetty’s relationship reminded me of two companions rather than a married couple. They depend on one another but more in a practical sense. And it was interesting to see how their relationship thrives and dynamic changes during the course of the story. I also liked the interludes and flashbacks to the past from their time on the Underground Railroad. It helps readers to understand the characters better and give a glimpse of all the work they’ve done for others in need. They’ve been through so much trauma and it seems every time they have the slightest moment of freedom or happiness reality always hits them with an ultimatum.

While the fantasy aspects are fun I like how Glover grounds the book by discussing harsher issues of life in that era. People in Hetty and Benjy’s community are grapping with the aftermath of slavery, face overt racism, differences in socioeconomic status, people are still mourning after lost to their family that have been ripped apart, especially hetty. She feels immense guilt because she always promised that she would take care of her sister and has never given up on finding her so much so that it’s put a strain on her relationship with others.

It was definitely an interesting reading experience while reading The Conductors. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements and the fact that magic system is tied into constellations made it unique from other historical fiction murder mystery novels I had read before. Hetty and Benji make really solid lead characters. I liked seeing their development as well as their lives in the present and in the past and seeing how their work as conductors. They are so revered by others but they constantly struggle with those that they couldn’t help save.

I think the magic element is what will really learn readers into this reading the story and I know that’s what did it for me. I’m definitely curious to see what will happen in the next installment of the series and what new mysteries that will have to solve. My only question is about wanting to know more about where is the magic derived from but other than that I thought it was a good read. It’s is an enthralling read for a debut novel and I can’t wait to see where the series goes.

I absolutely love when a book lives up to my expectations! THE CONDUCTORS by Nicole Glover is a hardcore historical mystery with clues, deception, and murder. This novel features rich writing that makes you settle in and enjoy the ride. It also features a bit of magic, and I found this magic system to be intriguing and simple to understand.

Alongside the rich writing, my next favorite aspect about this book were the characters! Hetty is kinda unlikeable, and I love that she lives in this truth. She’s a flawed protagonist, and we see her grow and change throughout the novel. I don’t even know if this counts totally as unlikeable (cuz I happened to like her very much 🤪), but she’s definitely a character who is a bit judgmental and standoffish. Hetty also learns a lot about herself throughout the novel, and it was fun going on that journey with her.

Hetty’s relationship with Benjy is also one that I found myself engrossed in, mainly because we meet them and they are already married. Their marriage, however, is not the one from fairytales, in that it is very much an arrangement that allows them to stay in close proximity to one another and do the job they love. Plus, Hetty’s friendship with Penelope is awesome, and I loved the theme of found family that is strung throughout the entirety of the novel. I can’t wait for the second book, THE UNDERTAKERS, which comes out in November and has already been pre-ordered.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

I absolutely loved this book! A mixture of historical fiction with supernatural magic, it is blunt in its descriptions of what some people sold into slavery went through as well as the inherent racism and white supremacy felt in the years after slavery was allegedly ended.

Hetty and Benji are such fantastic characters, completely three dimensional, with flaws, personality and trauma, and you just root for them as they try to find justice for people of colour who have been murdered.

Utterly captivating and I can’t wait for more from this author.

The Conductors is a historical fantasy set not long after the underground railroad were active. Both racial politics and magic form the backdrop of this story. The plot itself involves murder mysteries and missing people.

This novel had a lot of interesting concepts at play and it also had some lovely relationship moments and growth. Overall, it was quite a slow reading experience despite the murders taking place. I thought this book was well written but it was just an okay reading experience for my personal tastes. I do think that there are definitely people who are likely to enjoy it much more than I did!

This book is so promising, I think the idea itself is great and there are definitely a lot of intriguing parts to this story that will have a lot of readers on edge. I unfortunately didn't love it as much as I had hoped, however I liked it enough that I would be curious to see how this story develops in the next book.

What got me to pick up this book was the premise of a `murder mystery in post-Civil War America, I thought it was super amazing that it followed a Black couple who solve crimes. That was definitely my favorite part of the book. The characters were great!

For me, the pacing felt a bit off at times, which in return would take me out of the story but then great moments would happen to make up for it. Overall, I liked it and would be curious to find out what happen's next.

3.5/5 stars: The Conductors caught my eye because of its unique characters and premise. It was a delightful combination of magical realism and murder mystery following former Underground Railroad Conductor Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, who must get to the bottom of who is killing members of their community before they become the latest victims in post Civil War Philadelphia. I thought that flashbacks to and from Hetty's past were used well. I loved the dynamic between Hetty and Benjy and how they unswervingly support each other no matter what. The subtle way their relationship developed was really nice to see. The mystery at the heart of this novel was really tantalizing and immersive, and I thought that it really spurred on the plot. At the same time, there's a lot of different plot threads in this book while interesting in their own rights, but they just seemed to not be consistent in the plot and made it a little confusing to follow everything that was happening. I also wish that the magic system was explained and fleshed out more. The Conductors though is a vivid and fascinating Own-Voices story about the resilience of former slaves in the post Civil War world and how much power is to be found in community and relationships between two people.

Thank you to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley for providing me with an excerpt in exchange of my honest review.

So, I know this book has been out for a little while and I definitely procrastinated on starting this book but it was most definitely a pleasure to read this. Although, I hadn't read a book in like 3 or 4 months until this, I can't say I was totally in the mood when reading this. Nevertheless, I really did enjoy this book, I enjoyed the characters and the plot.

The characters, Hetty and Benjy were likable on the get go and just gets better from there. Although, perhaps it's because I have a whole new-found love for people who are in love and just so, irrevocably oblivious for either their love or for the other person; I would've loved to see more of it. I can't believe I'm saying this for a straight romance considering how rare it is for me to like straight pairings but I really would've loved to see more of their romance. Just the small moments even or so on. The other characters are just as pleasant to read for.

The plot itself is very engaging, many small and big twists along the ride makes it even more interesting to read as well. The author definitely doesn't have any weak points when it comes to the story.

Also the way the magic is in the book makes it all the more interesting!!! Especially as one that has a constellation tattooed on them, it was a lovely surprise to see constellations be a repeating occurrence during the book.

I would like to start off my review by giving a huge thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Nicole Glover for gifting me this ARC of The Conductors.

The Conductors is a historical urban fantasy about a group of underground railroad conductors and the magic they hold. Being a powerful own voices fantasy, you can see an uncommon perspective on the use of magic in urban settings as well as a fantastic insight into the historical period and certain attitudes. Not only does this novel have all this fun stuff, but it also has a mystery element with some murders occurring with some sigils on the bodies...

This book is excellent - I have no complaints. It's just not the book for me. I felt as though I wasn't close with the characters and couldn't connect to the story, which is super important to me as a reader. I did feel distant but can absolutely see how others would love this book dearly. Unfortunately, because I was reading it in weird chunks, I felt disconnected. If I had read this all in one go, I know I would have loved it. Definitely recommend to anyone who loves historical or urban fantasy!

Synopsis

Hetty Rhoses is a former conductor on the Underground Railroad and a magician. She helped dozens of people to run to the north with her wits and magic during the Civil War in Philadelphia. After the end of the war, together with her husband settled in Philadelphia, and solved the murders and mysteries that the white authorities left unsolved.
One day they find one of their friends, Charlie, murdered in the alley. Since the murderer wasn’t cut, they decide to start the investigation and look for the answers.
During the investigation, they unravel tons of the secrets hidden by Charlie, and the elites of Black Philadelphia. To solve this mystery they need to face the truth that no one can be trusted, even the people that are close to them, but also the secrets they were hiding from each other.

Book Review

Even if it wasn’t the best mystery/fantasy book I ever read, the storyline and the world-building were very original. Main characters weren’t presented as perfections, they made mistakes, and had secrets that weren’t supposed to see the daylight. Moreover, they knew what is important for them, and what their goal in life is. They were looking for justice for their people since no one else plans to do it.

I enjoyed the relationship between Hetty and Benji. They are married, however, firstly the only feeling they had for themselves was friendship. With time, the feeling between them started to grow into something more, however, since they weren’t sure if the feeling were mutual. I think the big breakthrough of their relationship was when their secrets came out.

As good as the world-building is in this book, the characters were lacking some warmth. The emotions like guilt or sadness were quite well described, however, I felt the cold emanating from all the characters. However, the weird thing is that when the author was describing the past of the characters, their happiness could be felt, so this made me think that maybe it’s the author's expression of how the characters changed and became more serious with the time.

The mysterious part of the story was very well managed. Until the end of the book, I couldn’t guess who was guilty of Charlie’s death. Moreover, I like that the reasons for the murderer aren’t as obvious as the main characters thought they would be. It was quite unexpected and I enjoyed reading this part of the story very much.

The side characters in the story were kind of blend. I was forgetting who was who very often since everyone felt pretty the same. Moreover, I think the focus on the magic could be also a little bit bigger. I liked the idea very much, however, it didn’t play as big of a role in the story as I thought it would. Also, a better explanation of the magic would be nice because at the beginning I wasn’t sure what kind of magic it was and what the limits were.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book, however, I don’t know if I will read the next book. There was no cliffhanger by the end of the book, so the book can be read as a standalone. I might take a peek at the second book, what it will be about.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Nicole Glover, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with a copy of this book. It was a great journey full of mystery.

The Conductors is set in late 1800s Philadelphia. Hetty and her husband Benji have been working together for years. First as conductors on the Underground Railroad. Now they serve a different purpose for their clients. They use celestial magic to investigate crimes that no one else can nor wants to solve. These cases are set within the black community and usually have some curse associated with them. Glover uses fantastical elements to examine racism. There is a separation in the which types of magic people are allowed to practice. Sorcery is considered a higher form and is to be used only by white people. Black people with powers are feared. During slavery a collar around the neck would not only signal which slaves possessed these gifts but could also be used by slave masters to incapicitate, torture and punish the slave.

True to the historical time frame we see families that are separated by slavery. One of the plot lines centers on Hetty's long search for her sister. As a whole it is hard to place The Conductors into one genre category. It is a mystery and an historical fiction with strong elements of magical realism. It had a creative premise and compelling storylines. I loved both of the protagonists. Although I am not a romance buff, I did enjoy how Glover builds the romantic side of Hetty and Benji's love. It's not that "love at first sight" thing that you see in many other books but that deeper love that is well-seasoned and provides sustenance over time.

I definitely will be continuing with this series.

Recommended for mystery and historical fiction lovers alike.