TL;DR

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments solidifies T.L. Huchu as an author to follow. The Edinburgh Nights series has become a must read for me. Don’t miss this urban fantasy. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu

Second books are as much make or break for a series as the first. Not only does the author have to reintroduce the characters and world from the first novel, but they also have to reveal new aspects to both. The characters must be deeper and richer. The world must be larger and more mysterious. Often, the author will have been working on book one for a long time to get it noticed by an agent and then by a publisher. Book two will usually have a shorter drafting time, but the author will also have leveled up their writing skills simply by working with publishing professionals. This is why often the second, or even third, book in a series is the best. When a first book is as high quality as The Library of the Dead, the bar is set high for the second book. In Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, T.L. Huchu sailed over that high bar. While maintaining the same cast of characters as the first book, Huchu opens up the lens on Ropa Moyo’s world. As much as I liked The Library of the Dead, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments is the better book and solidifies the Edinburgh Nights series as a must read for me.

At the end of The Library of the Dead, Ropa has just begun to explore the larger world of Scottish magic. At the start of Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments she’s interviewing for an internship with one of the pillars of Scottish magic, the Society of Sceptical Enquirers. Her mentor, Sir Ian Callander, wants her not only to study under him but also to work for him. The interview goes okay-ish. Ropa lands the job barely, and it’s converted into an unpaid internship. Since Ropa is constantly hustling to support her family, the loss of the salary benefit is devastating. But Ropa isn’t one to dwell in her sadness. Her friend, Priyanka Kapoor, called her about a mysterious illness threatening a young man’s life. Ropa goes to Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments and finds an opportunity to make some side money as a private, supernatural investigator. This is a step up from The Library of the Dead, where Ropa mainly acted as a messenger from spirits to the living. Ropa searches for what exactly the boy was doing to contract a supernatural illness. Along the way, she stumbles into a plot to upend Scottish magic for all time.

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments is a first person novel. It’s the second in the Edinburgh Nights series by T.L. Huchu. This urban fantasy set in an alternate Edinburgh starts off fast and doesn’t slow down. Ropa has moved out of her safe space of simply being a ghostalker and is now involved in the politics of Scottish magic. Being that she’s not got the formal education of other highbrow Scottish magicians, Ropa is an outsider. In this book, she struggles against classist reactions to her earning such a prestigious position as Sir Callander’s protege. Where The Library of the Dead was focused on Ropa and letting the reader get to know her and her abilities, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments zooms out to let the reader experience more of the magical world surrounding Ropa. So much lore is hinted at in this book, and when I finished the last page, I began to wonder at the history hinted at in these pages. Huchu has put enough threads in this book that I want answers to.

Cast of Characters

As I said earlier, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments expands the spotlight to allow some of the side characters to shine. Gran and Izwi added to the first book by being motivation for Ropa; here, they get fleshed out more and feel more three-dimensional to me. Gran, especially, has a larger role to play in the series overall. I imagine that we’ll get books exploring her backstory in future installments, and I’m looking forward to them. She, and her magic, seem poised between the official Scottish magic and the wild magic of the Travelers. Since her magic seems to have African roots, it won’t surprise me at all to find out her magic is both older and more in touch with the natural world than Scottish magic. But right now, Gran doesn’t want to expose Ropa to that magic. Is it because of what happened to Ropa’s parents?

Izwi gets more of a personality in this book. In the first installment, the most I remember about her is that she played games on Ropa’s phone. Well, here, we learn about her temper and how she reacts to Ropa constantly running off without her. At this point, I can’t see a role for Izwi in the larger story, but there’s definitely possibility for her to move from background to foreground character.

Sir Ian Callander is a proper Scottish man from the upper crust’s upper crust. Despite all the prejudices built into those ranks, Callander sees something in Ropa. He genuinely cares for her, but it comes across in the paternalistic way of the upper class. He provides her opportunities, instruction, and shelters her from certain office politics. But when she’s scrambling for money, she’s on her own. It’s not clear what role Callander sees for her, but he does see her potential. And he does take his role as mentor seriously. With the hints at a larger backstory between him and Ropa’s gran, Callander is man whose past readers need to know.

While the above characters provide for intrigue and questions, the heart of the novel comes from Ropa’s relationship with her friends Priyanka Kapoor and Jomo Maige. These relationships played a small role in The Library of the Dead, but they come to the foreground in a large way. I loved it when these characters got together. Their friendship felt earned, not just a plot device. I can imagine them hanging out between books. Readers see a bit more about both Priyanka and Jomo’s skills in this book. It’s a good reminder that they’re farther along in their studies than Ropa. How this trio evolves will be an interesting part of future books.

A Larger World

In addition to Calton Hill Library, in this second book readers get to see other important spots of Scottish magic, including, strangely enough, the Royal Bank of Scotland and its archives. Ropa also makes a trip to the Edinburgh Ordinary School for Boys, one of the only four accredited magical schools in all of Scotland. Ropa also takes readers to a Traveler’s camp. Each of these locations hint at a much larger world beyond Ropa’s narrow perspective.

We also get to see more magic than ghostalking and traveling to the everyThere. As Ropa begins to move in circles with more licensed magicians, readers begin to see more of how magic is used. Huchu posits some uses that I never thought of but make complete sense. For example, one of the background characters does magic as effects for movies. Ropa’s Edinburgh is a dangerous place, and magic isn’t the only thing that will protect her. But I imagine as she grows in skill, she’ll use it more and more, leaving her slingshot and dagger behind.

Conclusion

T.L. Huchu’s Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments solidified the Edinburgh Nights series as a must read urban fantasy for me. Huchu balances excellent story telling with intriguing world building. If you’re an urban fantasy fan, this series is not to be missed.

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments is book 2 in the Edinburgh Night Series by the talented Tendai.

The book follows the main protagonist from The Library of the dead Ropa who is now doing an unpaid internship and while trying to remain true to her calling (or is it?). In the book she is investigating a mysterious illness and Tendai does a wonderful job of capturing the audience , setting the scene and engrossing the readers into the story. It was brilliantly written and it is okay if you have moments of hair tugging because of Ropa.It is a great read.I recommend it!

I received a complimentary copy from Macmillan and all opinions expressed are my own

I first want to thank Macmillan/Tor Books for sending me this ARC, it was definitely a read I couldn’t put down. Make sure you grab The Library of the Dead today, and order Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments tomorrow (or just preorder right now 😉)That being said…

I think I might hate Ropa. I love Huchu’s narrative structure and appreciate the voice of the story but… sis gets on my nerves. As an advocate for honoring ancestral practices I cringed throughout The Library of the Dead, and continue to cringe, as Ropa disregards her innate power for the ways of Scottish scientific magic. This novel picks up after Ropa’s battle with The Milk Man as we get deeper into the dark side of Scotland. I see the value in the series and the themes and it’s giving so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me.

Even though I hate Ropa, I love this book. And I can’t wait to see granny do her thing. If you haven’t started this series please do I look forward to seeing want Huchu does with the rest of the series.

T.L. Huchu's second book in the Edinburgh Nights series was just as delightful as the first. This book sees our intrepid ghost talker, Ropa Moyo, leading an investigation into a mysterious illness affecting a student of one of the Scottish magical schools while navigating more of Edinburgh's magical community. Ropa works to balance her new internship, the ever constant need for income, friends and family all with the complexities of a world of magic.

I loved seeing more of Huchu's Scotland and learning more about the alternate reality of the series. Huchu handles world building in my favorite way, only giving the reader enough to follow each book, which makes every detail included in the world feel more organic. Even then there are different understandings of what has happened and clear differences in how Ropa sees the world than those around her, for more reasons than just her age. I love Ropa and her voice. As much as I adore the mystery and story that Huchu unfolds through out the book, it is Ropa's voice and how she describes everything and everyone around her that made me devour this novel, and I can't wait for another.

Exceptional Follow Up

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T. L. Huchu is the second spellbinding book in the Edinburgh Nights series.

"Stupendously engaging." – Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Rivers of London

Some secrets are meant to stay buried

When Ropa Moyo discovered an occult underground library, she expected great things. She’s really into Edinburgh’s secret societies – but turns out they are less into her. So instead of getting paid to work magic, she’s had to accept a crummy unpaid internship. And her with bills to pay and a pet fox to feed.

Then her friend Priya offers her a job on the side. Priya works at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies, a very specialized hospital, where a new illness is resisting magical and medical remedies alike. The first patient was a teenage boy, Max Wu, and his healers are baffled. If Ropa can solve the case, she might earn as she learns – and impress her mentor, Sir Callander.

Her sleuthing will lead her to a lost fortune, an avenging spirit and a secret buried deep in Scotland’s past. But how are they connected? Lives are at stake and Ropa is running out of time.

Wow!

What a great follow up to the first book! Ropa returns in this thrilling adventure as she guides more souls to rest, with new friends and foes, this book was a wild ride!
As I expected, T.L Huchu's writing was impeccable in this sequel. Reading about the new-Edinburgh, almost apocalyptic world was so refreshing once again. Ropa is sassy, sharp and just knows where her gut leads her will be to her destination. I wanted more from the library of the dead from the first book, and that's just what we got! I love these characters and this world so much!

i need moreeeee!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Mr. Huchu, and Tor Books for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I read, and very much enjoyed, Mr. Huchu’s first book in the Edinburgh Nights series, the Library of the Dead. In Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments we are treated to the return of the irrepressible Ropa Moyo.

This book takes place very soon, if not immediately, after the last one. I vaguely recalled that Ropa had been offered an apprenticeship with the Scottish Magician’s Society by her sometime mentor, Mr. Callander. It turns out, after Ropa “fails” her entrance exam (I assume by not controlling her magic well enough, and please correct me if I’m wrong), that Ropa has landed an unpaid internship rather than the (paid) apprenticeship she had counted on. Much of what happens in this book has to do with choices Ropa makes because, frankly, she had counted on earning money and now she is… not. It’s easy to forget that underneath her tough, streetwise exterior and ready posturing, Ropa is only a teenager. A teenager put in the unenviable position of providing monetarily for her younger sister as well as her grandmother, as well as paying protection money to the local gang.

There’s a lot going on here. The first mystery harkens back to the title: Ropa’s friend Priya has called her because there’s a patient in Priya’s clinic (Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments) who isn’t responding to treatment and whom Priya suspects is ill due to supernatural causes. Then there’s Ropa’s internship with the Society, and Ropa’s issues with her Gran and sister Izwi. Lastly, Ropa gets involved with helping an out-of-town man find out the truth about his family history and the possible theft of millions of dollars (pounds?) hundreds of years prior.

It surprised me a little that the various threads are left spinning separately for so long, and that Ropa takes a relatively long time to put all the bits together. But honestly, I think it’s appropriate: Ropa has a bad habit of playing her cards very close to the vest (and who could blame her, considering she’s been functioning as an adult with adult responsibilities for years now) and not asking for help, nor confiding in Mr. Callander. Of COURSE it takes her a while to connect the dots.

I’m very intrigued by Cruikshank, the semi-sentient scarf, and by whatever is going on between Ropa’s gran and Theodosia Lovell. I’m also enjoying the way Mr. Huchu is expanding the magic in the worldbuilding; it feels very organic. It would be remiss of me to omit the way this alternate Edinburgh is described; it’s practically its own character. The various accents of the characters, as written, feel very authentic. I was also very excited to see more of the LIBRARY!!!!, in which I was very interested in book #1 but felt I didn’t see enough of.

Looking very much forward to Ropa’s next adventure in book #3 👍

3.75 stars

The follow up to The Library of the Dead, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments returns the reader to Edinburgh and to the adventures of Ropa Moyo, a street-wise ghostalker trying to look out for her family and make ends meet. Ropa has landed a sweet gig at the Society, hoping it can replace her ghostalking business as her primary source of income, until she learns it happens to be an unpaid internship. This convinces her to accept the job offered by her friend Priya over at the private hospital Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments. A young magician, Max Wu, has fallen into a coma, but no one can seem to determine why. Ropa is hired to trace Max's last steps before falling ill and see if she can discover what, or who, has befallen him.

After general 'meh' feelings about the first book in this series, I was apprehensive about the second installment, but I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first! It had all the great trappings of a mystery novel set upon a magical Edinburgh. I love Ropa's interactions with her friends Priya and Jomo and even laughed out loud a couple of times. I wish we could explore more of the magic system in this book because I find it so unique and fascinating! Oh, and in this one, we finally get to figure out why it's called The Library of the Dead, and it's grotesque and incredible.

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

I could not read this book as it was agalley proof and all the type was too small.

I could not read this book as it was agalley proof and all the type was too small.

I could not read this book as it was agalley proof and all the type was too small.

The first book was gripping and highly entertaining, this one is even better.
We are back in a dystopia Edinburgh and there's a lot going on a world so similar to the one we live in: social disparity and how the haves look down on the not-haves, mysteries, and a great heroine who's fighting to improve her position and facing the social stigma.
I loved this story and read it as fast as I could.
The storytelling is excellent, great world building and character development.
It's an entertaining book with plenty of food for thought.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Being a ghostalker never exactly brought in the big bucks and “certain shenanigans which I daren’t recall saw that business go kaput.” But now Ropa is seeing dollar signs. She’s just scored an apprenticeship at the General Discoveries Department with her mentor, Sir Callander. Fancy.

Only, before she even begins, her apprenticeship is downgraded to an unpaid internship. Dammit!

Ropa’s not one to sit around waiting for the money to find her. There’s some mysterious goings on at the appropriately named Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, the clinic where Priya, Ropa’s friend, works. Max Wu, a student from the Edinburgh School, has an illness of unknown origin and Ropa’s particularly skill set is just what the doctor ordered.

‘Snooping around’s my thing, and if the kid’s parents pay well, then that’s me sorted’

In between scoffing as many Jammie Dodgers as she can get her hands on, Ropa begins her investigation. It involves the Monks of the Misty Order and the One Above All, and takes her all over Edinburgh, from a school and a bank to a whole other realm. Ropa may not have a fancy magical education but she has street smarts, River (her vulpine companion) and a scarf called Cruickshank.

While she’s tough as nails on the outside, Ropa’s heart goes all mushy when she thinks about her family.

“Me, Gran and Izwi. That’s my real fortune, and I wouldn’t place it in any bank in the world, ‘cause I keep it right here in a vault in my heart.”

Come to think of it, this family makes me a bit mushy too. I also love Ropa’s friends: Priya, who has some brilliant moves, and Jomo, who works in the Library.

Now, you know this series had me at ‘library’. This one keeps getting better and better. The location is fantastic, the card system is unique and the books really want you to read them.

‘I will meet you at the Library.’

I am enjoying getting to witness how magic works in Ropa’s world but it very much feels like I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s possible. I’m looking forward to seeing how the new developments with Gran and Izwi unfold and want to spend more time with the Hamster Squad. Obviously I also need to learn more about the Library of the Dead.

Favourite no context quote: “I don’t think anything in life quite prepares you for the experience of trying to load a stiff onto a tricycle hearse on a hot summer’s night in Edinburgh, that’s for sure.”

Readers with emetophobia may have trouble with a couple of scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to read this book. Bring on book 3!

2.5 stars // Overall, this was a good continuation of the first book in the series. Love the premise and the world that Huchu has created. I've really grown to love the characters. The biggest downside to this book for me was that it was about twice as long as it needed to be. I would definitely read another book in the series if there will be one!

Huchu’s (Hairdresser of Harare) second “Edinburgh Nights” novel (following the tumultuous The Library of the Dead) finds ghost talker Ropa Moyu in even deeper trouble. She’s broke, unemployed, and indebted to both the Director of the (official) magical society and the leader of the criminal gang that controls Edinburgh. She’s been roped into finding the source of a magical ailment affecting young men who went somewhere they shouldn’t have via astral projection. Meanwhile, her gran is predicting the end of the world and the society’s snobs are relentless in trying to kick her off the tiny foothold she’s gained in scientific magic. It’s all in a season’s work for the intrepid Ropa, however, who is doing everything in her power to learn as much as possible, save whatever she can, and keep her family together—regardless of the cost.VERDICT Everything rides on the shoulders of young Ropa in this post-apocalyptic, near-future Edinburgh where magic, science, and monarchy all hold equal sway. Ropa, at only 14, carries an adult’s burdens and responsibility with equal parts can-do spirit, stubborn energy, and kicking herself and her friends as necessary. This twisted Edinburgh tries its best to keep her down, but she never stops.

I was very much looking forward to this second installment in this Edinburgh Nights series. I wasn’t in love with the first book by the end only because I wanted it to be built on and continued in this second book. Unfortunately the story so full of slang that is not fully explained and hard to understand. It is a very dark story with little hope for the character or for her future in the business she was doing. The main character is likable and I love how she is but I’m not sure she was developed to a way that is possible. The magic is lacking and the dread is too overpowering.

🎉 Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Books for the opportunity to review this advanced copy!

As soon as OUR LADY OF MYSTERIOUS AILMENTS popped onto my radar, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The Edinburgh Nights series has been a steady highlight of my urban fantasy reads, and I'm loving the chance to see more of the world T.L. Huchu is building!

As a sequel, it's nice to get to know Ropa and the rest of the cast of characters more, but OUR LADY OF MYSTERIOUS AILMENTS felt like a much larger world to me than LIBRARY OF THE DEAD. There's more hints about the state of the world post-catastrophe, and more characters (helpful or not) involving themselves in Ropa's life.

I found this to be just as engaging of a read as LIBRARY OF THE DEAD - absolutely devoured it - but I wouldn't be surprised to find some readers struggling to keep track of the layers of intrigue Ropa is untangling. It also seemed to me that there was far more slang in this second volume; a possible double-edged sword, as the narration feels absolutely true to Ropa and gives us a better sense of this young woman, but could be a stumbling block, especially for non-Scottish readers.

I've already been hyping this book to all the folks who read LIBRARY OF THE DEAD on my recommendation, and I'm looking forward to hearing their thoughts on this sequel! This will be a welcome read for urban fantasy readers who want a fresh take on a magical city, and a narrator with a sharp eye towards injustice.

I had the same problem with Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments that I did with The Library of the Dead. I seriously could not focus on this book. I think I’ve targetted the reason though — the voice the book is written is extremely…vulgar? I guess? It’s not quite the right word, but I’m not sure how else to put it. These two books are written in Ropa’s voice, and she’s fifteen in a post-apocalyptic style Scotland. It’s written with Scottish slang, and well, it’s hard to follow.

The world within the Edinburgh Nights series is still fascinating, but I do wish there had been slightly more revealed in this book. The world — and not just Scotland — seems to have gone through something catastrophic. However, we are given absolutely no hints as to what might have happened. I wish there had been even a tiny clue. Was it climate-related? Was there a war? Why doesn’t Ropa talk about it or even think about it more?

The plot of this book was hard to follow — something with banks and an owed inheritance and there’s ghosts too? It was all rapped up in the monarchy as well, and I just could not follow it at all. I’m sad to say that I enjoyed this book very little. While I enjoyed some of the characters, most of this book was gibberish to me. I think I’ll be skipping the rest of this series.

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments (OLMA for the rest of this review) was an exciting followup to TL Huchu's previous installment, Library of the Dead. Huchu's Edinburgh set urban fantasy was for many reasons a hit last year and I think OLMA will be a solid follow-up in that regards while moving the series forward in some interesting ways.

Ropa is a great character and the book's successes owe a lot to Ropa and her actions. Her ghost-whispering is great and I really enjoyed learning more about her and how her power gives her a unique way to interact with the world. The Edinburgh of this world also continues to be an immensely interesting world and I'm excited for any subsequent opportunities to spend some time in it.

The slang is heavy (maybe even more heavy than the first book) so that'll take some getting use to and the mystery element of this book doesn't quite hold it's own weight but Ropa and the continuing exploration of Huchu's weird Edinburgh is enough, in at least my opinion, to make up for that. Ultimately, I think if you liked the first book, you'll probably love this one too.

Rounded to 4.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: murder, blood

This was such a fun and interesting book that I couldn’t wait to start. It’s been a while since I read book 1, and I remembered that there was a lot that happened, so I had to start with a reread of that one before starting OLMA. And I’m so glad I did, because there was so much that I forgot.

We pick up shortly after the events of book 1, and Ropa is still on her grind — trying to support herself, her younger sister, and her disabled grandmother. And just when things start to look up, she manages to get herself caught up into a few new things that derail her plans.

Let’s start with Ropa. She’s such an awesome character — brilliant, snarky, and hilarious, as well as incredibly loyal to the people she cares about. She’s always ready to jump on an opportunity, although she doesn’t always think through the consequences fully and always seem to wind up in trouble. This time, she gets hooked up with an apprenticeship at the Society of Sceptical Enquirers and a lucrative side job, but things definitely don’t go as planned.

Ropa relies on the help of her two besties, Jomo who works in the Calton Hill Library, and Priya, a healer, to make headway on her missions, both for the Society and the side job. As well as getting roped into another case involving an unexplained illness affecting several students at the Edinburgh Ordinary School for Boys. We really get to know more about Priya in this story, and how truly awesome she is. Priya is probably the most badass character in the story, and never lets her wheelchair get in her way — in fact, there’s a scene with her rocking out at a skatepark.

There’s a lot going on in this story, and it made for a fast read because I simply couldn’t put it down at all. I was always wondering what would happen next, and how everything tied together. And no matter how hard I tried, I was always surprised by the next plot twist, which I never successfully predicted. There’s a lot of Scottish slang involved in the story, and while I had to stop and look up a few words, I was mostly able to figure it out through context.

I love this series so much. It’s innovative, incorporating elements of a dystopian society with paranormal elements and magic, which made it completely unusual, at least in terms of the books that I typically read. It strongly reminds me of a younger version of Rivers of London, another series I love. It’s hard not to fall in love with the characters as well as the story, and I am really hoping for more books in this series.

This is T. L. Huchu's second entry into his Edinburgh Nights series about a teenager named Ropa who lives in a near-future dystopia and scrapes a living out of talking to the dead she can see and charging their living loved ones for the messages. Except in this book, that business seems to dry up, and Ropa delves deeper into the world of magic she was first exposed to in The Library of the Dead.

While the writing often reads more like middlegrade to me, the content is most certainly mid-YA. The world is fascinating and Ropa is written to be plucky, but the world she lives in is often quite dark. Ropa deals with parentification, grief, poverty, hunger, misogyny, racism, and overall lack of support from... anyone or anything.

This book develops more of Ropa's world, brings in new characters, and has another paranormal mystery to solve. It is a fun romp into a dark could-be future with a heaping dose of magic mixed in.



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Mystery books usually leave you little clues to follow, right? This had no trail or clues for me to follow. Ropa just seemed to remember things that all ended up tied together.
I don’t fully understand the magic system or the world building- references to the great catastrophe but no info on what it was or who it effected. I feel like by book 2 those things should be clear. Thick Scottish references throughout the book. Back references to kings and societies I couldn’t follow.

Some references to book 1. I think you could follow this one without reading book 1 if it came to that.

I’m not too interested in any of the characters. It’s a cool idea, I think it was just taken in a different direction than I like. Took me longer than I thought it would to read.

Check content warnings

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan- Tor/ Forge for this digital ARC.