This was such a twisty and fun book—exactly what I love in a thriller. A blend of history, high stakes, and a bit of fantasy.

The Cartographers was a fun read filled with magical realism, mystery, magical maps, secrets, lies, and an interesting premise. This was an addicting read and I was hooked soon after starting it. I enjoyed the characters and was thoroughly invested in the plot up until about 50-60% in after which it seemed to drag and the ending wasn’t one I was fond of.

Overall, The Cartographers had a unique and promising plot, but I felt it could have been delivered better.

This was an enjoyable read. A very plot driven book that gives readers a fun adventure. As a New Yorker, I do love the inclusive of NYPL and their archives. Who doesn't love a fun library mystery. I don't always pick up adventurous books, but I am glad I gave this one a shot!

This book was nothing like what I was expecting and I loved it even more for that. I didn’t really know what I was going to get but the Indiana Jones, treasure hunting, hint of romance story that I did get was really captivating. This story straddles the line with magic and reality and it only made me want to keep reading.

I’d read more from this author and I’d read a sequel to this story if one was ever written. But, I’d also be satisfied if the author chooses to leave it as a stand alone because the ending left me with just the right feeling of wanting more and closure.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2.5
This is a plot driven novel. I prefer character driven novels which may be why I didn't enjoy this one very much.
When the characters are not well-developed it's hard to feel empathy or attachment to them. The plot is original, but there were places when the plot and dialogue felt predictable as well. While the novel isn't without merit - the writing is decent, action takes place in the New York public library, and there are a lot of characters and events - I feel like it missed the mark and could have been much better.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this book. I thought the premise was interesting - especially knowing it is based on a real cartographic phenomena. The story kept me engaged, but I just didn't love the ending and how it came about. Would recommend as a book club read - I would love to discuss this one with people!

Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.

I LOVED The Book of M. I read it in 2019, and it ended up being my favorite book that year. I still think about it from time to time, especially that plot twist. So, when I saw Peng Shepherd had another book out, there was no doubt I was going to read it. I’m so glad I was able to get this from NetGalley. And, as is my preference, I went into this entirely blind. I had no idea what it was about.

From Goodreads: Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and also exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence… because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way. But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discover the true power that lies in maps…

Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V.E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history, and magic—a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.

This story starts out as just a regular mystery adventure book. Whereas Book of M starts in the fantasy world from the first page. So, I was a little surprised this one was so, well, normal. But as I kept reading, small mysterious things just kept happening. As the story unfolded (much like a map, haha), the magical part of the story became much more evident. As we follow Nell, we also hear other perspectives telling her stories from the past, which fill in many of the backstory gaps. But these stories occur naturally within the plot rather than feeling shoehorned in. I really loved this book, although I did see this plot twist coming about halfway through the book. This one is easily another five-star book. I will definitely be eagerly anticipating her next book.

This book was a great idea with bad execution. It was predictable and filled with plot holes that i just couldn’t ignore.

While this novel has a slow start, it is well worth sticking with it. There is a wonderful sense of foreboding and suspense that reveals a surprising twist.

I really enjoyed this book! What an exciting concept - a mysterious map and an unraveling secret history tied to it. I would call this book fiction, as does my library and the description from the publisher, but it does have fantasy and magical realism elements to it. The synopsis doesn't hint at this, and anyway I had read the synopsis ages before I actually started reading. I didn't realize this until about a third of the way through the book when I had to stop and check what genres Goodreads uses to see if it was actually going in the direction I thought it was going!

The concept is so interesting and completely believable for magical realism or urban fantasy - it's not too outlandish. I won't spoil much about the fantasy elements, because they really don't start happening until about 40% of the way into the book, but just know I really loved them. 40% in does feel a bit long to me, but I guess it's supposed to reflect the main character learning and discovering that what she thought was an ordinary world isn't. It gives time to introduce the characters and the setting.

I'll also note that this is definitely a plot-driven book rather than character-driven. There is some emphasis on characters - the main character is often described as stubborn and "just like her father" in order to justify choices she makes, and there's a web of characters from the aforementioned secret history that share stories with the main character. Even so, the characters just share clues to further the plot, the romance isn't a priority, and there isn't much (if any) character development.

That being said, there's nothing wrong with a plot-driven story and there's definitely nothing wrong with this one! The plot here is fantastic and I loved the way everything unfolded. I really liked the format of the other characters sharing their stories in a first person POV chapter as though they're telling it to the main character, while the rest of the story is told in third person.

Overall, I really liked this one. I would have liked a bit more fantasy in the beginning, but overall I thought this book was great and I would recommend it.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC!

While a fun premise, I felt it fell flat on execution. There was too many complications and random digressions that took away from a potentially fun story.

I sadly wasn't able to finish reading this one by the archive date. But I was so intrigued and was enjoying what I did read, so I bought myself a physical copy. I cannot wait to share my thoughts. I have high hopes for this one and I don't think it will let me down.

Thank you so much for the gifted copy.

Nell has a dream internship at the New York Public Library alongside her father, head of the map division. When she finds a box of old, apparently unimportant maps in storage, he berates and fires her. She is shocked and can't understand why, especially after she finds it among his personal possessions after he is murdered. Flashback to her father's college days when he, his wife, and schoolmates decide to create a map for their final thesis project. They graduate as cartographers and decide to keep working together to create a one-of-a-kind type of map. While renting a cabin in upstate NY, something magical happens while they are holding a cheap, local roadmap, but it will end up tearing the group apart. Nell is determined to discover why this old map her father fired her over is so important and why someone is murdering people to get it.

The Cartographers is an intricately plotted fantasy novel set in the present and past. The premise of a magical map that makes a town appear when you're holding it will appeal to fantasy readers, but this novel also reads as a mystery/thriller because Nell is trying to find out why the map is important and who wants it so badly that they resort to theft and murder. But the reasons for wanting the magical map and protecting the map are either not explained well or don't make sense. There is a subplot of an on-again-off-again romantic relationship between Nell and Felix, but they dismiss each other so easily that the reader may not root for them. There are so many characters in this book that it may be hard to keep them straight. Some characters tell their stories in first-person narrative, while others in third-person narrative. The action starts early and moves along through the book, although the pace is often slowed during the chapters that take place in the past.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the DRC.

The premise of "The Cartographers" is definitely catchy - a woman finds an old highway map among her father's belongings after his death and uncovers a secret society of sorts - but the execution just fell flat for me. I found myself skipping ahead to get to the action. The slow burn was just too slow for my taste.

I adored this book. I wasn't the biggest fan of Peng Shepherd's deputy THE BOOK OF M. I am so glad I gave this one a shot because it is nothing like its predecessor. This book built a lush story with many layers and was a joy to read. I literally got lost in its pages. I cannot recommend this book enough.

As soon as I heard about this book I was intrigued. This book is incredibly unique. I love the focus on maps and map-making. It is not something I have read about before which really made this book stand out! I love when a book can teach me something as well as keep me entertained. It is fast-paced and a much lighter read than I was expecting. I loved all of the characters, they were nerdy and fun and every character was distinct. I struggled a bit to understand some of the character motivations at times. I also just wasn't a fan of the romance, Overall, it was fun and engaging but leans a bit towards forgettable. I would still recommend it if you're looking for a unique read!

Nell Young has loved maps for as long as she can remember and pursues this passion all the way to a PhD, like her parents before her. Landing an internship in the maps division of the NYPL with her father, it's a dream come true, up until the Junk Box incident. Seven years later Nell is persona non grata in the academic cartography world and is working at a shop that will re-create famous maps (but will add a kraken or two) and is just existing. After her father is found dead in his office at NYPL, Nell discovers a map from the Junk Box incident and is plunged into the mystery of why her father held onto this seemingly worthless map for years. Things just get crazier and more dangerous from there as Nell uncovers more about the map, her parents and her parents college friend group. Peng Shepherd has written a very good novel with a very intriguing premise that is based on a map maker's custom to avoid copyright theft. As the story unfolds and Nell meets more of her parents past compatriots she learns much about herself, her family and that the maps aren't just static pieces of paper showing you where to go. I enjoyed this book and absolutely devoured it in a day. Thanks to NetGalley & William Morrow for the free e-book.

I found this book to be so delightful. I'm a huge fantasy fan and this was so new and unique. As well, the fact that the cartography field and library field are hand in hand makes my heart flutter. It was beautiful. As well, at it's core, it's about love. Love for family, not matter how far or distant or patchwork, and maps. I hope Shepherd leaves this as a one off. It seems to be the type of book to be one off, but there are possibilities. However, I feel that would take away from the magic. A lot of key players are gone and the main mystery is solved. This is beautiful as is.

Throughout The Cartographers, by Peng Shepherd, characters frequently ask each other, “What is the purpose of a map?” Answers range from the obvious (to find things) to the philosophical (to orient ourselves in relation to the world) to the near mystical. This book takes us deep into the world of rare maps and cartography to deliver a mystery that is a lot stranger than anyone could’ve ever expected. I love a story that starts in an archive and ends up somewhere magical.

Nell Young hasn’t worked at her beloved New York Public Library’s map division for seven years, ever since the “Junk Box Incident.” Before the incident, Nell interned there under her father’s direction. She got to work with rare, pre-modern maps along with her boyfriend. Then she finds a box labeled junk in the backlog of uncataloged donations to the library. Along with a handfull of very valuable maps, Nell finds a mass produced map that is so worthless it has to have been put in the box by mistake. Strangely, her father is incensed by the appearance of the worthless map and fires Nell. After seven years of exile, Nell is called back to the NYPL with news that her father has died.

Things start to get very weird after Nell visits the library to visit an old family friend/colleague. (The map world is apparently very small.) Reminiscing at her father’s desk leads to a rediscovery of that old junk map, a map that turns out to be the source of someone’s deadly obsession. The Cartographers turns into a steeple chase at this point: underground map sellers, suspicious black cars, break ins, murders, creepy tech moguls, family secrets. It all culminates in a secret that delighted me, but that I’m definitely not going to tell you about because it would ruin the book.

The Cartographers is a treat for readers who enjoy mystery and whimsy with an academic flavor and some outstanding character development.

A page-turning literary mystery with a dynamite premise and a little bit of magic.
Seven years ago, cartographer Nell Young lost everything—her career, her reputation, her
fiancé, and her family—because of an argument over a cheap gas station map. After her
esteemed cartographer father unexpectedly dies, Nell learns he’d been working on some
sort of secret project connected to the map, which isn’t junk at all but an incredibly rare
and hotly sought-after artifact—and her knowledge of its existence may put her very life
in danger. A sophisticated scavenger hunt ensues, leading Nell to a secretive and powerful
band of mapmakers called The Cartographers, and to closely guarded secrets held by her
own family. A gripping and inventive story of family secrets, found family, second chances,
and cartography, set against the backdrop of the storied New York Public Library.