The Grimoire of Grave Fates, co-authored by Margaret Owen and Hanna Alkaf, is a thrilling and darkly beautiful addition to the world of young adult fantasy. The story is set in an intriguing world of magic and mayhem, where the dead can be summoned and bound to do the bidding of the living. The authors skillfully weave together two distinct narratives, each with its own unique flavor and voice.

The first narrative follows Amira, a young woman who has been forced into the role of a ghoul-summoner by her oppressive society. Despite her reservations about the morality of her work, she has no choice but to continue performing her duties. As she begins to uncover the dark secrets of her society, she must choose between loyalty to her family and her own sense of justice.

The second narrative follows Leo, a young man who has been cursed with the ability to see ghosts. He is haunted by the ghost of his brother, who was killed by a ghoul-summoner. Leo's journey takes him on a quest for revenge against the ghoul-summoner who killed his brother, but he soon discovers that his mission may be more complicated than he initially thought. The authors tackle issues such as oppression, colonialism, and the ethics of necromancy with a deft touch, never shying away from the difficult questions that arise.

With rich world-building, complex characters, and thought-provoking themes, The Grimoire of Grave Fates is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy.

ARC was given by NetGalley & Delcorte Press in exchange for an honest review.

This review is being published before the release date (June 6, 2023)

When I heard there was going to be a fantasy, murder mystery anthology released this year, I really wanted to get my hands on an early copy. Needless to say, my wish was granted! Truly, 2023 is the year that's blessing me with all the spooky reads and I'm thriving. This anthology is pretty unique to some of the other anthologies I've read. There's a lot of mixed media thrown all throughout this book to help piece together some of the evidence, but the real highlight of this anthology is the diverse cast of characters and authors. There are so many BIPOC characters, there's disability rep, queer rep, lots of discussions surrounding mental health, and so much more! However, though there is many things to love about this anthology, I want to emphasize that this is an anthology more geared towards the younger side of the ya genre than it is for those who are older. Still, this is a high three stars for this book and I even found some new authors I'm eager to read more from!

As always for my anthology reviews, below you'll find some thoughts, feelings, quotes, and content/trigger warnings at the top of each short story!


🦇 2: A.M.: Wren Willemson, 16, Swords by Marieke Nijkamp ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Bullying, mentions discrimination against lgbtqiap+, mentions abusive parent, death, graphic injuries

"Necromancy wasn't just strictly forbidden; it was considered horrifying. But Wren didn't understand how anyone could be scared of this. This was beautiful.This was where Wren wanted to belong."


Necromancy, gargoyles, and a non-binary main character, what more could you possibly want? I really enjoyed this story and the determination Wren had to prove that they truly belonged at Galileo Academy. The way their magic is described and how they don't see Necromancy as being a bad kind of magic, they find comfort in it, was such a beautiful way of looking at Necromancy. Plus, their little companion was so precious!

🦇 3:00 A.M.: Diego Sakay, 17, Coins by Randy Ribay ⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of murder, talk of feces, talk of colonization, brief mentions of war, mentions racism & discrimination

Ah, I was hoping to love this one a bit more, but that's okay! It's still an interesting way to tell a perspective, told in a recorded interview format. There are few discussions of racism in a school setting and we see a few scenes of a person, who's in a position of power, use that authority to be aggressive and try make things go their way. I think the only reason I didn't like this as much as I thought I would was because of the one character who is called a "glorified cop." Their whole character just wasn't the kind of tone I was looking for this this story, but I do recognize the importance of their role.

🦇 4:00 A.M.: Jameson "JB" Brig, 15, Coins by Kwame Mbalia ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Fire, mentions bigotry (in the past)

"But just before the message completely disappeared, one last comment filtered through, filling JB's chest with pride and purpose, two things he'd never realized he wanted and needed until that moment. "Show them what a Brig can do."


Wow, okay, I really loved this and the idea of smoke-witches! Plus, I may be assuming, but our main character, JB is either Bi or Pan, which is always lovely time to see that rep in stories. So I might be a little bias with this one. I also loved how there's a conversation of self-doubting oneself and whether or not you belong somewhere, but finding the flames in your passion to prove others wrong. The way this story concluded, it was everything, it really warmed my heart. Between JB's determination and the way it's the little things that can make all the difference in our times of doubt, it was really lovely story. Plus, secret notes, that's all I'll say.

🦇 5:00 A.M.: Taya Winter, 16, Swords & Wands by Darcie Little Badger ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of death & murder, violence

"Great news: she'd identified the artifact. Terrible news: she might not survive to warn the others."


I might be a little bias with this short story because it IS Darcie Little Badger, after all. In all seriousness, I was really invested in where this story was going to go. We often see tales of following a chosen one, but this story follows Taya, as she sets on a quest to identify an important artifact and warn the chosen one, and of course everyone at Galileo Academy. There's some mixed media in this story, but also themes of a deep love for where one comes from, and the desire of following one's destiny. I also found myself chuckling to some of the moments I found humorous. It was a really fun time, one I wish we could have stayed longer in!

🦇 6:00 A.M.: Keturah Austin, 18, Wands & Swords by Cam Montgomery ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Brief mentions of generational trauma, talk of racism, talk of death

This might be the second or third story I've ever read that has a main character with vitiligo, but also, she loves true crime-podcasts! That aside, I just didn't love this story the way I thought I would. The first page or so definitely caught my attention, but the overall tone of this whole story felt like it was trying too hard to fit in with the young crowd with all the slang being thrown around. It really hindered my enjoyment and focus of the story.


🦇 7:00 A.M. Bhavna Joshi, 15, Swords by Preeti Chhibber ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions of bullying, talk of loneliness

"So... I belong here, because I'm here? Nurse Smith's skeletal grin seemed to get wider. "You belong here because you belong here. Fitting in or fitting out doesn't mean you're not supposed to be somewhere. It just means there's more to come." Bhavna grinned."


Okay, this was super wholesome in a plethora of ways. Wow, I love Bhavna so much! Not only does Bhavna read and isn't a morning person, but their magic revolves around dancing. I really want to see some fanart of that because it would be stunning! I also love how there's a side theme about how you can be in a place you want to be and feel like the biggest outcast, feeling like you don't belong somewhere. I really loved that and I loved how Nurse Smith and Bhavna had such a wholesome moment. It make my heart feel so full. I also have to note, I died cackling because Bhavna used a floating spell to escape her crush. It was amazing and I need more scenes that are like this.

🦇 8: A.M.: Jia Park 15, Undecided by Kat Cho ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions of racism, mentions loss of a loved one (heart attack, in the past), talk of murder, talk of loneliness

"It's not that Jia disliked Layla. It's just that whenever she was near the girl, her skin felt all itchy and her chest got all tight. It made it hard for her to think, and since Jia's brain was her pride and joy, she rejected anything that muddled it."


I have really been loving Kat Cho's writing! There's just something about it that gets me excited and I know I'm going to love it. And I really enjoyed my time reading this story! I loved that we got to meet Jia's cousin, Changmin and see their relationship, while they search for Changmin's Samjogku. It was so precious and wholesome! I also like how there's a minor theme about the pressure of feeling like you have to be perfect all the time and how exhausting it can be, and how sometimes that you can feel like that's the only way you feel worthy of love or not being alone. Plus, as a side note, we meet Professor Ayala, who's a queer, non-binary sorcerer that prefers magical creatures over people. It just stole my whole heart! I wish we had more of this, but I will say it was nice to see this story end with a date!

🦇 9:00 A.M: Irene Seaver, 16, Cups/Coins by Kayla Whaley ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of death, dangerous premature birth recounted (in the past), abelism recounted (in the past), talk of chronic pain

"The ocean had chosen to spare her, had saved her for some reason when it should have swallowed her whole. She had a debt to repay and a mission to accomplish."


I really absolutely loved this story! Our main character, Irene is disabled and she's a freaking firecracker! I loved her so much and how she knows exactly what she wants. There's also a brief conversation about how finding places that have accessibility for those who are disabled is really hard to find, how many people treat those who are disabled poorly, how many disabled people especially youth feel like they have to shrink their needs because of their disabilities. Also, the ending with Irene's mom, chef's kiss!

🦇 10:00 A.M. (Or earlier? Maybe later): Sydney Meeks, 16, It's Complicated by L. L. McKinney ⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Depictions of panic attacks, scene of abduction

I really had high hopes for this short story especially considering a lot of the stories before this one, but it just didn't work for me, and the overall vibe of this story just didn't seem to fit with the rest. The only reason this story ties in with everything else is specifically the ending. However, I did enjoy the concept of dimensional portaling, that had me excited! So if it weren't for the ending and the dimensional portaling, this story would have been two stars.

🦇 12:00 P.M.: Mariam Abidin, 16, Wands by Hafsah Faizal ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Talk of blood, hallucinations

Out of all the stories, this is a true two star read for me. Honestly, when I saw what character we were following in this story, I thought we would be seeing Mariam racing to find Sydney or something, but what we got was entirely different. This was an okay read, I liked Mariam and Diego talking, and seeing more of Mariam as whole character. I think I was just expecting more from this story.

🦇 1:00 P.M. Xander Wilson, 15, Undecided by Julian Winters ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Verbal abuse recounted, loss of a parent (in the past)

This was such a sweet, wholesome read that holds your attention to the end! I really loved Xander's magic in this story, how his magic revolves around music, mostly lyrics and singing. I think musical magic is one of my favorite magic types to read about. To top this off, Xander is doing everything he can to solve this murder, out of love and to continue spending time with the boy he adores. It was really sweet and this story left me all warm and fuzzy inside!

🦇 2: P.M.: Nadiya Nur, 15, Wands/Arcana by Karuna Riazi ⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions of anxiety attacks

The premise of this story was very interesting and I was waiting for us to finally have Nadiya's point of view, but sadly, I feel a bit disappointed with this one. Our main character deals with a lot of anxieties and worries that tie in with her magic, which was a unique concept that I really liked. However, I just wanted more from this story. The ending felt predictable and I just didn't really care about Nadiya's perspective. There was one moment where Nadiya talks about her future and the uncertainty of it because of the the murder, and the worries from her parents, that I finally felt a little connected to our mc. Other than that one moment, this just felt like an okay story to help propel the bigger storyline along.

🦇 3:00 P.M.: Delores "Lola" Cortez, 16, Coins by Tehlor Kay Mejia ⭐⭐⭐

"She thought of her life, her life at home. None of it had made sense before Julietta. Loving this girl had been the key that had come along to unlock everything she'd never dared to dream of."


I was so excited for this short story and I'm a little salty that I didn't love this more. We've been seeing bits and pieces of Lola in all the previous stories, but she didn't have her own story till now. So I was very excited to learn more! However, I don't know it was from the clues in the previous stories or just the fact it was so obvious how this story was going to unfold, but I ended up predicting the whole "twist" of this story. It was sweet that everything unfolded in the name of love, but the biggest thing of the story was just too obvious and it dampened my reading experience.

🦇 4:00 P.M.: Maxwell Aster, 16, Cups by Mason Deaver ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions of abandonment

I absolutely adored this story. Actually, this might be my favorite of the whole book because of how much I loved it. Our main character is trans and as a deep connection with the gargoyles! Oh, my heart, I loved this so much. I also loved that the sign of Gemini plays a little bit of a role in Maxwell's backstory and I really loved the bond/connection Maxwell has with Nora, his head of house and professor was so wholesome. In a way she's like a parental figure for Maxwell and learning more about their friendship and how Nora truly cares for Maxwell's well-being made me feel so soft. Plus, we get more scheming and secret letters, it's just a fun time!


🦇 5:00 P.M.: Jamie Ellison, 17, Swords by Victoria Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Transphobia, mentions of depression, mentions poisoning, deadnaming

There's so much to unpack with this short story. First off, I flew through this story. I was really captivated because we have another necromancer! You know, I love a story that has some necromancy involved. Even though this is a short story, there are some really important discussions of mental health and what trans youth deal with while their transitioning. I really appreciated that these two themes were included in this story because they're so important and I know that there will be readers who feel very connected to Jamie's character. Lastly, I loved Shivanya and how she just accepts Jaime for who they are, and they have this instant friendship. It was so wholesome and humorous at times!

🦇 6:00 P.M.: Delfina Moore, 16, Cups/Swords by Yamile Saied Méndez ⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Anxiety, talk of spiders, grief, mentions of PTSD, brief mentions of poverty, mentions of bullying (in the past)

I think this is the first story in this book to make me gasp so many times. Let me just say, this is a high three stars and the only reason I docked a star was due to the heavy blow at the end. Granted, it doesn't happen until the end of the story, but oh, I felt that in my bones just because this story truly doesn't end on a good note. I feel so sad and heartbroken for Delfina especially because early on you find out she truly doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. This just ended on a very sad note and I'm hoping by the end of this book we at least get to see Delfina find a place where she belongs.

🦇 7:00 P.M.: Ivy Barta, 16, Coins by Jessica Lewis ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions murder & death (in the past), mentions bullying, death recounted

"No one has ever interrupted her explanation and finished her deduction. She had to convince Delfina to be her detective partner. Or maybe marry her."


Ah, the plot thickens, in this story! We find out some juicy secrets that had me wiggling with excitement. We find out who Ivy truly is in this story and we're even reunited with a past character. There's even a few humorous moments about Ivy wanting to marry Delfina that had me chuckling. I was full captivated with this one. However, I will say, the "twist" for this story... I predicted early on. This would have been perfect if I hadn't been right with my suspicions. I still had a fun time reading this though and the ending left me giggling, so that's a plus!

🦇 8:00 P.M.: Lupita Augratricis, 16, Coins by Natasha Díaz ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Content/Trigger Warnings: Mentions loss of a loved one (in the past), kidnapping, forced imprisonment

I was wondering how everything was going to come to a finale and I must admit, this story took me by surprise. I wasn't expecting this to turn out the way it did, I was wondering who exactly this character was and what role they were going to play, but I really enjoyed how this turned out. This is the one story I truly can't say a lot on because this is technically the concluding story, but it was really enjoyable.

I gave The Grimoire of Grave Fates 3 stars overall, because out of the possible 90 stars (5 stars being possible for all 18 stories) this anthology accumulated 62 stars (69%)!


The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

All thoughts, feelings, experiences, and opinions are honest and my own.

Thank you so much to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so very excited for this book -- a murder mystery involving magic? Sounds absolutely amazing. And the concept was! There were definitely parts of this that worked very well, and parts of it that didn't.

First, I want to go through what I did enjoy about this book

⭐ the diversity! it was so nice to see such a diverse group of characters.
⭐ the writing. All of the writers in this anthology are supremely talented, and that made the book fun to read!
⭐ the magic aspects. I love how the magic drew on both cultures and general magic ideas. It was hugely varied and so interesting. I would have loved to delve deeper into some aspects of the magic
⭐ the idea of a murder mystery at a magic school

While I liked all of these things, there were some issues with the books format itself.

⭐ 18 characters is a lot, especially 18 POV characters with shorter chapters. So there was a kind of underdevelopedness to them as you only got to be with them so long.
⭐ linking the stories together, it was a bit jarring to switch from character to character
⭐ which leads to the pacing of the book, which was a bit of a struggle, because each writing style is different and therefore...feels different.
⭐ the cohesiveness of the story suffered

I feel like this could have been a great idea, had there been fewer POV characters, where we follow only a select few. The many different characters made it sometimes difficult to follow the plot, and when you tried to focus on one, you lost your grasp on the other.

There were some funny moments throughout the book, and all the characters really felt like teens -- it was easy to imagine them as actually existing. Again, that is to each individual author's credit.

I just think as a whole, cohesive murder mystery story, it just didn't work for me.

It’s a magical thing when a whole host of talented authors come to tell the same story, each with their own unique spin. The Grimoire of Grave Fates follows a Howl’s Moving Castle-esque magical school, it’s collection of students with various extraordinary abilities, all bound together by the mysterious murder of a not-so-liked professor. The initial premise was super interesting (I love magical schools and murder mysteries!) and I really enjoyed the mixed media format of the various chapters. The host of characters and authors were all from diverse and marginalised backgrounds and it was great to see such wide representation! Overall, I found the story intriguing and fast-paced and really loved how each authors strengths really shone through in their chapters. Anthologies that follow the same story can sometime feel disjointed and jarring with the different writing styles, but this wasn’t the case at all here. Everything was very smooth and the narrative was cohesive throughout. I did find a few elements hard to follow and wish we would have followed characters for more than one chapter, but overall The Grimoire of Grave Fates was a great anthology for readers who love magical school, sinister books and a gripping plot!

Okay I’m gonna be completely honest here and say that this book just ended up not being for me. It was okay, it just didn’t wow me.

The project of this anthology is a compelling one, and I found it interesting to read stories that are all connected through a murder mystery. It does read a bit on the younger end of the YA spectrum, which contributes to its overall readability and the speed with which I finished it; overall, kept me interested till the end.

DNF. Just couldn’t get into this one. The synopsis sounded amazing but it just didn’t live up to my standards. I’m sure others might enjoy it better than I did. All views and opinions stated are solely my own. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

The cover is stunning, and this anthology is a fun read. Lots of different perspectives for a murder mystery.

I tried, but the "they" gave me problems reading the book. My brain still wants a singular word for a single person. I gave up it was no fun to read

I was really intrigued by this anthology because it was edited by two favorite authors and I have to say they did an amazing job with the overall story! I loved the magic and murder mystery vibes a lot! Obviously as with any anthology I have a hard time writing a review that makes sense since every short story has a different author and therefore has a different writing style. Some hit and some miss for me. There were quite a few stories that I was mostly just skimming because I didn't have the same connection and just wanted the plot to move forward. It definitely picked up about 75% of the way through and I read the rest pretty quickly.

While this book has a good murder mystery throughout, it wasn't as interactive as I like my mysteries because of the anthology style. I was able to gather some clues here and there but I was mostly relying on each separate character to finally reveal the murderer because they weren't really known to us the whole time, if that makes sense. Usually when I read a murder mystery I like to try and guess before the reveal but this format didn't really allow that as much in my opinion. But overall, I do think that based on the format and the storytelling technique, this was fun and I would still recommend it!

What a cool and interesting concept! Honestly, I didn’t really love this book, but I think that was my own issue. I couldn’t keep up with some of the stories and I lost interest about a quarter through. However, I did find all the writing to be really well done.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for providing me a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All the views and opinions in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

I loved this book so much! It was full of mystery full of magic. It’s an intriguing multi-point book that is easy to follow when they switch views. The story was amazing and such a fun and fast read. Would recommend this to a friend!

The Grimoire of Grave Fates by Margaret Owen and Hanna Alkaf is a captivating and thought-provoking exploration of the power of fate and destiny. Through a series of compelling stories, the authors explore the idea that our lives are predetermined by forces beyond our control. With vivid descriptions and engaging characters, this book will leave readers pondering the mysteries of life and death.

This book was so well done. A murder mystery at a school of magic that moves around the world. A racist professor who many wanted gone. 16 magical teens trying to solve his murder. Because of the set up of this book, where each story was written by a different author, each character was easy enough to remember because they were so different. I really appreciated how much diversity this book included. There were students of color, a student in a wheelchair, neurodivergent students, non-binary and trans students, and LGBTQ+ students. The magic system was fascinating, because each student had their own method. They created spells through math, dance, lyrics, nature, and much more. It was cool to learn about all of the different ways each student cast spells and for the most part, it was related to their culture, which really added so much depth to the story. Many of these students reflected on the different ways that they didn’t feel like they belonged at the school, whether it was because they hadn’t yet made friends, their family doubted them, or they struggled to master their magic. Many of them struggled with these very real feelings of self doubt, but yet each student was integral in finding the murderer. They all set out to work independently, but ended up supporting each other. It was nice to see earlier characters pop up again in someone else’s story. Overall, I really enjoyed the set up of this mystery. It was new and exciting and fun to get to know each character.

Murder? Magic? Mystery? Incredible! The muli-POV allowed for such a dynamic story, however it did become a little overwhelming with the amount of characters involved. The diversity was refreshing. I know many of my teen readers will enjoy this, so I will be recommending for purchase. Plus the cover is gorgeous!

This book is FREAKING EVERYTHING I HAVE EVER WANTED!!! The representation. The freaking premise. The 18 different students POVs. It sank its teeth into me and would not let me go. Honestly this is in my top 5 reads of the past year. I want…. No. I NEED MORE. Harry Potter who? This is the magical academy I want. I am totally buying this and shoving it into peoples hands.

Wonderful book. The characters and storyline was phenomenal. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a great story.

A professor has been murdered and everyone at the magical academy known as the Galileo Academy for the Extraordinary is a suspect. Eighteen students, 20 hours, and a murderer to catch. Told from 18 different students, along with evidence, interviews, and notes, the mystery and events unfold all leading up to who killed the despised professor Septimius Dropwart and how each of the students could be involved. This was such a fun and magical read, especially when you get to see the events fold bit by bit from each student’s perspective all leading up to the events of the professor’s death and who could be involved. The mystery is revealed in tidbits and overall, it was a fun mystery read told in a unique format that definitely was an undertaking. i would highly recommend this for fans of mystery and fantasy reads! The students all had possible motives and all of them had some connection to the event. With so many unique perspectives and personalities, all the students were interesting to get to know and the overall villain was a fun one to figure out. Seriously, what a fun read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

As a thought experiment about a different kind of magical school with a diverse set of characters, this book succeeds with flying marks. As a murder mystery, or indeed simply as a book with a coherent plot, less so.

The advantage becomes the disadvantage, as can be the case with a project this ambitious. That we spend only one chapter in each character’s head is the whole idea, but it means connective tissue is easily lost when the torch passes from one to the next. The reader gets some Big Reveals multiple times, which lessens their impact. The Biggest Reveal is predictable in the general whodunit sense, but simultaneously impossible to foresee in its specifics since you don’t meet the key POV characters until quite late in the game, which I found unsatisfying. It’s also frustrating to get attached to a character and then never see them again.

Too, I wonder how much editorial work went into “smoothing out” the overall feel of the book. Very few of the individual authors’ voices are distinct, which is a bummer, because in a book like this, I’m hoping for something to send me off wanting to read their other works. With the voices so similar, though, I have no such indication, nothing to spur me on to find out when my TBR is already so full.

Ultimately, an interesting idea, but I find myself wondering if a novel was really the right vehicle for it.

To say that I've been eagerly awaiting this book is a massive understatement. I've had this on my TBR ever since it was announced and I was so thrilled to get an early copy! I love everything about the set up of the world from the inclusivity of different cultures to the reminder that magic belongs to all. As a reader with terrible memory, it was a little tricky for me to connect to the narrators. I loved each chapter while I was in it, but once I was onto the next it was hard for me to recall who I'd already met and who was new (this is also why I'm terrible at mysteries LOL). Each story flowed so well from one to the next that it felt like one cohesive story, which I can't even imagine how much work that must've taken. Overall, this was a fun, easy to read anthology that I plan to go back through and annotate to see if I can catch all the clues!