What a magical story! This absolutely captivated me, and even though I am not a musician I found this story to be so immersive!

I loved the prose and the meaning behind the details. For a quick read there is a lot to learn from this novel. Though it is classified as YA it is very mature.

A very interesting book with high potential.
I wanted until the end to have the possibility of giving it more than 2 stars but...no. I adored the idea of myth and indigenous background, Brazil, people of the forest and all.
The plot was so misunderstood since the beginning... the characters appeared so fast without any connection to each other. I could not follow how everyone appeared all of the sudden without any connection and like magic. I do think that the story, written a little different could have been amazing.

The Musician is a novel written by Brazilian Author Heloisa Prieto. It's a short novel, and is inspired by close contact Prieto has had since childhood with the Indigenous Guarani people of Brazil. The story features a musician who is seemingly on the autism spectrum and who also can see musical spirits...and whose gifts seem to connect him to others who can feel the spirits. And when a rich privileged professor, who seems to be a cult leader and maybe something more sinister, lures him to his mansion, those others - led by a Guarani girl - have to act to try to save him.

It's a short story with veins of horror at times in the actions of its villain, with some decent themes, although it has one trope which we probably should be moving past these days in how it treats an autistic person as a "Savant" in part due to his own condition. A solid read nevertheless.

More specifics after the jump:

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide and Suicidal Thoughts - nothing superfluous here, but as backstory and as part of the mental manipulations of the antagonist.


---------------------------------Plot Summary-------------------------------
Thomas was orphaned as a child by a car accident, but has always grown up in the company of musical spirits that seemingly only he can see. Those spirits guided him in his learning and playing of music, which carries him through life.

But when one day he goes to a fountain to play music on his guitar, he comes into contact with others who can sense at least these spirits - Forest Girl Marlui, who can seemingly see them and influence them, boys André and Miguel, who are able to connect to him in dreams and draw them, and even their mother, scriptwriter Gabriella. It's a company Thomas feels at home with and never could have expected.

But there are two others there whom Thomas can't look away from: a Professor Dr. Alonso and his beautiful daughter Dora, who offer him a chance to come back with them and see a rare lute. Captivated for some reason he goes back with them...but Dr. Alonso has sinister intentions for Thomas and his gift, and Thomas may not be able to shake free of his own bewitchment in time to get away....unless his kindred spirits who he'd never met until just a day before can work together to save him....
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The author (Prieto) of this book is not indigenous herself, but admits in the afterword of how much this book is inspired by both her own growing up with a father who was close to the Guarani people and from talking with Daniel Munduruku, an indigneous author who wrote a book about some of their traditions. Prieto has apparently translated and curated books about such traditions before writing this one, but here is attempting to give homage to their traditions about the spirits and ways of living life based upon these influences.

And while the basics of this plot and its themes are well, basic - the indigneous Forest people here have a clear better understanding of nature and how to connect to the spirits to have something more than the privileged cult leader professor who just wants to steal from those with such gifts - the writing of it and how those people see things in a better way is done in a way that feels real and particular. You can see Prieto's work at understanding and expressing these traditions and beliefs through her characcters - although as always, I cannot judge if she gets anything wrong here, as is always a danger with a non-indigneous character writing indigenous ones. And even though Prieto's underlying themes are basic and done before, she makes clear to avoid certain pitfalls of older books - for example, the Forest people here have and are fully aware of modern technology, even as they embrace the spirits and the multiple worlds they see through their traditions.

There isn't however a ton here of depth, and characters meet the protagonist Thomas, are immediately entranced with him, and well he with them - especially Marlui - without really any character development. This is a short novel, almost a novella, so there's little room for that, but it does feel like things happen really abruptly. More annoyingly, the book plays up the savant trope that mistakenly assumes someone who is autistic is naturally gifted - and even quotes that trope by name - which is a discredited trope for a reason. Thomas is a very enjoyable protagonist who you will easily care for, but the use of his autistic traits is not done very well.

Still, there's enough here in its themes and its portrayal of indigenous South American ideals against colonizing thieving ideals for The Musician to work and be worth reading, even if it never has enough depth to really stand out too much.

Ever since he can remember, Thomas has had a magical relationship with music. When he plays, magical creatures appear and keep him company. At eighteen, Thomas is suffering the loss of his parents; his music and the magical creatures his only friends. Thomas enjoys playing his guitar in the square of São Paulo, Brazil. One fateful day, his music captivates several people around him, some friends and some foe. Maruli, an Indigenous Guarani, is attending school in the city and can also see Thomas' magical beings around him. Young brothers, André and Miguel can also see the magical creatures and recreate them out of toys to bring to Thomas. Dr. Alonso, a college professor and his daughter, Dora, an influencer, want Thomas for his talents and lure him to their compound. Thankfully, Thomas' new friends realize he is in danger and come up with a plan to help him out of Dr. Alonso's grip.

The Musician is a unique story of magical realism, music and friendship that is craftily blended together. I really liked the idea of this story, a group of people bound together by a higher connection of music, fully using our senses and connecting to nature. All of the characters were very interesting and had different backgrounds. Told mostly through Thomas, we get to know him the best. I was very intrigued by Maruli, a Guarani native and her ways of life. One of the other themes within the story was Indigenous, natural living in alignment with the world and how to combine those principles with the modern world. The writing dives right into the action with Thomas' talents, a chance meeting with others in the town square and then him being taken by Dr. Alonso and Dora. I felt like I just needed to know more about each of the characters, their backstories and motivations before they jumped in to help or harm a man they had just met. Thomas' time at Dr. Alonso's was disorienting, as I'm sure it was for his character. I was very interested in the Orphics and their origins. Every part of the story was meaningful and well written, I just kept feeling like it was a little rushed and needed more context. I would have loved to be immersed in the fantastic world of music, magical creatures, the Brazilian forest and even the Orphics.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Group of stranger brought together in one afternoon at the park because of the beauty of the music played by the musician – modern day Orpheus, they said. But of course this beauty also lured the evils who wants to take away the musician's gift. With the force of indigenous knowledge, spirit of nature, and compassion between friends, would they be able to save him?

This has been an enchanting story, combining the indigenous knowledge of the forest people and the modern twist of Greek Myth–Orpheus. The narrative has taken me in entirely, I can't even put the book away. It was beautifully written, and each of the chapters that focused on each of the characters perspective was greatly done as an opportunity to dwelve more into their thoughts. The story has been conforming yet daunting at some point, but it reminds us to get back and listen to the nature/mother earth as morale story.

I wish books with the characters imagined fantastical beasts/spirits came with illustrations. I understand why they do not but I do so love seeing the artist’s interpretation of the author’s written creatures. I thoroughly enjoyed the unique blend of Greek mythology with Brazilian folklore. The Guarani and the connection between them and the world was my favorite part of the book. The other was the innocent and endearing relationship the boys have with Thomas.

When you love again, it will be different, and that’s right, but it will also be the same, because the true nature of love never changes.

All of the different POV’s right at the beginning of the story made the start a little rough and confusing. The accelerated timeline and choppy characters were really what kept me from enjoying this book as much as I would have otherwise. The concept and characters were interesting but I believe this book would have had 5 star potential had more time been spent on character and world building. I was really not a fan of Thomas’ relationship’s with Dora & Marlui- they felt really shallow, which I would expect with Dora but Marlui’s felt like a disservice to both. Everyone cared intensely about random strangers (for the most part) way to fast for it to come across as believable.

They were obviously very wealthy, and she’d known so many people like them — housed in wonderful manors yet filled with boredom, emotional misery, and empty souls.

I would like to thank Books Forward PR and Köehler Books for the opportunity to read this book – all opinions are my own. Rounded from 3.5 stars.

The Musician by Heloisa Prieto is a new young adult fantasy novel with a wonderful concept. It focuses on young Thomas, a musician who has a gift to see and hear beings of music who inspire his art. He meets several new friends, some of whom can see these spirits of artistic creation like him and some who cannot, and encounters a rich man and his daughter with shrouded goals.
It is a novel that intently examines the creative process and what it means, how it is used. The message on creativity and artistic inspiration is a lovely one to give to the target audience.
A great part of the novel was Marlui, her grandfather, and her people. They are indigenous characters, and their worldview, life, and culture are treated respectfully by the narrative. When more skeptical and western oriented characters insult or question them, Marlui and others are quick to shut it down and correct.
However, the very large cast of characters did not help the novel. Though the cast of eleven named characters helped support the intended themes, none of them were able to truly breathe and fell like anything but tools for the themes. The large number of characters also contributed to making the plot feel slow and plodding in the first half.
The prose often felt stiff, especially when the children spoke. Which brings me to a problem I noticed through out the book. Occasionally there are asides where the young boys’ brilliance is attributed to them being potentially autistic or when the antagonists’ are, in one instance jokingly and another seriously, are referred to as a having or developing “split personality disorder”. As well as a few other times when mental health got brought up, these instances often felt clumsy and, in the cases of the antagonists, felt strangely mean and ableist for an otherwise positive book.

I loved the experience of reading this book because it feels so different from books set in and written by and written for people in the United States. The way the people were characterized and the way they interacted felt different. For me that was enjoyable.
The dialogue felt a little too simplistic at times, but it has been translated. So that feels like a nit picky issue. The other parts of the prose are very well done and I felt like the dialogue got better as the book went along.
This book is hard to categorize as a specific genre. There is a bit of magic realism that is presented as an alternative way to see reality. There is some romance and some thriller parts as well. My recommendation is for you to read it if you want to fell like you are in a very different place with very different people showing you their lives.

Thank you netgalley + co for the arc. Keeping this review short.

This book is fine. Like other reviewers have pointed out, there are a few inconsistencies and typos. The prose is simplistic, but sometimes this works against the novel when it’s too stilted or jarring. It reminded me of a middle grade novel, which isn’t a bad thing, but I do wish there was something there to elevate the material a little bit. The cast was too extensive, and if there were less POVs, I think the author would’ve had more room to play with the ideas they introduced. The second half is much easier to read than the first, a lot more engaging, and I really enjoyed the insight into indigenous cultures.

There were a few off moments where characters would bring up “multiple personality disorder” or compare something nothing like fascism to fascism that violently yanked me from the book. I understand the style of prose and how it’s meant to reflect like our core thoughts and be truthful in a way but stuff like that left a bad taste in my mouth.

Thomas lost his parents as a child, and all the wealth or talent in the world could never replace them. His only friends are the musical creatures that no one else can see, and music is his connection with them. When his secret is revealed to a group of strangers, they want to steal the creatures. Dr. Alonso and his daughter Dora trick Thomas into joining a cult, and he’s unlikely to ever escape it. However, the Guarani shaman Marlui senses the danger around Thomas and vows to protect him from Dr. Alonso. Can she save Thomas before he gives in to Dora and loses his musical powers?

We’re introduced to Thomas as a young man who sees the shadows move and dance in time with music. It had been chalked up as imaginary friends as a child but set him apart. Excerpts from his journal between chapters show that he definitely doesn’t think the way average eighteen-year-olds do. He lists indigenous tribes, various senses, song titles, random questions, and maintains a sense of childlike wonder. In fact, he befriends two young boys with the same easy enthusiasm of early elementary school years. Marlui grew up in the rainforest, connecting to spirits and her ancestors, living between both worlds. There are fewer POV chapters from her perspective than Thomas’, but despite growing up in the rainforest she still strikes me as having a lot more common sense than he does! Dr. Alonso from the start is pushy and hardly gives Thomas a chance to think as he barrels his way into the conversations Thomas struck up with the people listening to him play. He and his daughter come across as really creepy as I read their introduction, and that impression doesn’t improve with time.

Heloisa Prieto is well known in Brazil as a children’s and YA author, researching myths and legends of her country. Knowing that, of course, I’d want to read this book, her debut in English. Some phrasing is different from what English-speaking readers may be used to as a result of the change in language (such as “the beautiful dream he experienced had been erased from his mind” in the second paragraph). Even so, her use of language is very lyrical here, adding to the sense of folklore. Chapters are short and switch POV between various characters so that we see different perspectives of the same morning and how people are affected by music. As the story progresses, we see how they’re linked to each other. It really feels like a fairy tale, with music as the magic to bind people together and allow them to show their true selves.

This book is not going to be for everyone. It feels a lot like a fairytale, myth, and philosophical cautionary tale. It touches on prejudice, biases, and environmental issues. I think with the style of writing and length of the book the author didn’t get the chance to really delve into more emotional depth of the characters. They are drawn to each other and there is some insta love and they don’t really get the chance to grow into deeper and more authentic feeling relationships. The writing is very poetic and lyrical. It’s a fast short read an a good introduction to this author.

This story had so much potential and I wanted so badly to love it. I was so excited to find a story by a Brazilian author that includes indigenous characters. As a Brazilian, I am always searching for books by Brazilian authors. The description had me captivated, but the story really fell flat for me. It felt scattered and confusing, and I constantly had to go back and reread things to try to understand what was happening. The dialogue came off as weird and repetitive at times, and the characters spoke to each other so simply and matter of fact. I wish we could speak this way to people in real life, but this didn’t come off as realistic at all.

The sequence of events was confusing, especially relating to Thomas’ time inside Dr. Alonso’s house. It was never clear what time of day it was or how long he’d been there until he finally specified he’d been there for two nights already. The passing of time felt dreamlike, which may have been intentional, but was still very confusing.

I loved Marlui and Popygua the most. The way this story centered and honored indigenous people, knowledge, and traditions was beautiful. I would read a whole novel just about them.

The ending was really anticlimactic. Maybe this is to set up for another book or to leave things a bit open ended on purpose, but I found myself disappointed that there was no final confrontation. I thought it was building up to one more big clash, then the story was over before anything happened.

Also the ARC had some big issues with character name consistency. The little boys are André and Miguel, but sometimes Miguel is Manuel and the name just keeps switching. Gabriella was also sometimes Gabrielle. I’m sure this will be resolved and won’t be an issue for the final version.

One other thing that bothered me was when one of the boys was singing in his sleep and the parents were thinking he might be sleepwalking. They explicitly said for nobody to wake him up or touch him, then in the very next scene Gabriella is hugging him and brings the whole family in for a group hug surrounding him while he’s still in the same state he was in before. It made no sense that they explicitly said not to touch him and then immediately all touched him.

The magic and the culture and the characters in this story had endless potential.

This was absolutely not the book for me. Good writing but I don't know that I really grasped what was going on and it felt very scattered.

The Musician follows a young Thomas whose only companions are the musical creatures only he can see. As a famous musician, he’s able to hide the lingering pain of his childhood using music as a form of connecting with the rest of the world. But when people find out about his magical creatures, they plan to steal them for themselves through seduction. With the help of Marlui, a young Guarani shaman, Thomas must face down his demons in this offbeat love triangle.

A captivating read and one I enjoyed reading.

So I'm kind of going to give my thoughts chronnologically in this review to see if the "parallel to my reading experience" approach is cool! Wish I could give this one 3.5/5 stars.

The preface was a really beautiful rumination on personal identity, musicality, and storytelling. I was a little disconcerted by the formatting of Thomas's journal pages at first, but their inclusion improved throughout the book. Right from the start this book reminds me of the 'bardcore' aesthetic and is very similar to The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom.

Thomas has some really cool/interesting vibes; I like imagining the musical spirits around him. Marlui is a beautiful contrast to him, and the differences in their mindscapes is clear in how the author distinguishes their voices.

The Musician has lots of flowery prose that is typical of high fantasy, but it has great subtle allusions to a more rural contemporary world (in this case Brazil). I have been loving indigenous novels of various heritages for a while now, and very often their philosophies really align with how I like to view the world as well. Marlui's animist nature really resounded with me, and Gabriella's chapters as well appealed to my inquisitive nature.

Mostly this book was really well copyedited although there were some inconsistencies early on with Manuel vs. Miguel.

The extended courtyard scene was great with quick chapters in succession although it worked primarily because they were all in the same location at the same time. The common areas of the town are great for congregating and this may be more realistic in hyper-small communities but it did seem a little too convenient at times for how quickly everybody got together at times, and how quickly they decided to socially band together.

I personally loved the addition of the French poem although it might not be very accessible/ would disrupt the flow of the book to readers who aren't familiar enough with the language to read it through.

At first I really was not a fan of Dr. Alonso and Dora. They were, at first, sort of stereotypical villains but they became more compelling once the Orpheus cult stuff came into play.

A serious problem with this book is the continual use of dissociative identity disorder as a flippant and scientifically incorrect hypothesis for Alonso's duality. Not only is it named by two pejorative and outdated titles (multiple personality disorder and split personality disorder) but it is brought up thrice in a way that stigmatizes the disorder as unreasonably volatile and evil. Dora's continual violating Thomas's consensual boundaries is also alarming and I do not think these things need to be or should be perpetuated.

The high stakes scenes in this novel were few but written well! I did enjoy the introspective nature of the book. Especially Vera's more mature reflections. Highlights also include Marlui's relationship with her grandfather which reminded me of the Moana dynamic.

The chapter called "Manuscripts"--absolutely amazing and one of my favorites! I am an opera singer and musicologist by trade and this could all have been dialogue I'd run into on the daily.

Other notes: Marlui is doing the WORK re: decolonization. That's great to see. Let's let some of the others follow. Also adore the Greek mythology twist; and Hades is SO much more compelling than his host. Thomas seemed naive as hell at times considering the deep honest and contemplative nature of his character. I also don't understand the basis for his and Marlui's eventual connection and so not a fan of its execution--I think they would have an equally strong dynamic as friends. Also, Dr. Alonso deserved worse.

BEST QUOTE: "When the world is ravished due to human foolishness, indigenous people will be the new leaders because only they can follow the path of the stars."

Overall, I loved this book's animist qualities and how it highlighted beliefs of Brazilian indigenous peoples. It lifted up the importance of music, nature, and storytelling which was very appealing to me as an artist and a reader. The mystical prose of this is a pleasure and with such a diverse cast of characters there is someone for many people to identify with!

I love Gabriella's sons. Their connection to Thomas is great and I feel like the two boys could get their own. book. Gabriella's and Jonas's marriage is also so wholesome and their discussions about trauma are very touching.

The cover initially drew me into the story, but being made to see the magical music creatures that dance in the wind made me stay. The story was whimsical with its magical creatures, and impactful with its thought-provoking message of being able to see without sight.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the e-ARC of #TheMusician. I was concerned when I began this book that there were too many (seemingly) unrelated characters and that with the chapters so short, I wouldn't really get to know them very well. While that is still somewhat true, the book did come together in the end in a beautiful way. Prieto's prose is lovely, especially when describing the Guarani people (indigenous to to South America) and culture; it is with these characters that the book really shines. In contrast, the other characters seem a little flat and their dialogue a bit stilted. I can't tell if that's a result of the translation (which I believe the author did) or if they were meant to be written that way. The "villains" of the book were unsettling and scary, in the way that cults usually are. The magical realism in this book is lovely, but I wanted more. This was an easy, short read that I definitely recommend to others. Just know that by the end of the book, you'll be disappointed you didn't spend more time with the forest dwellers.

I loved what Heloisa Prieto wrote here, it was what I was hoping for from the description. It was great to see the Brazilian mythology within the story and I was glad how it was used. The characters were really well done and I was glad I got to know them. I was invested in what was going on and loved the use of scifi in this story.

"My grandfather speaks as you do. He says his healing power doesn’t belong to him at all. It flows from the earth; his hands and herbs are mere tools. He says he belongs to the earth and calls himself an earth keeper.”