18 authors, 18 students. One murder. Mass confusion for this reader.

The good:

Each of the 18 authors did a great job with their part of the story. I'm not sure if it's good or bad that there wasn't any abruptly different, tell-tale difference in the writing styles. Each chapter flowed with the next as far as the "voice" of the storyteller.

The setting was really interesting. I'd like to read more stories set in this school

The characters were diverse--backgrounds and magic.

The overarcing story line carried through each part. No author contradicted something that had already been established by a previous one.

The not so good:

I didn't feel like any one character was particularly well-developed. DIverse, yes, but they didn't have a lot of individual depth. Occasionally, some detail would emerge that made me think "so what?" because it didn't further the story at all, to me.

18 unique points of view was too much. And they marginally overlapped, if they did at all.

The plot wasn't smooth. Some of the POVs seemed to retell what another had already told us about. There were individual climaxes for each, making it hard to figure out where in the arc there was really a climax.

Overall:

I can appreciate there was A LOT put into creating this single story arc anthology. It's an interesting treatment, I just think the slate of authors and stories within the story was too large.

The concept of this book was so good! My expectations were pretty high as I started this book and I was worried that they wouldn't be met. Luckily, they were. This book didn't bore me for even a moment and all of the POVs were interesting. Highly recommend.

Got mixed feelings. Will do my best to break down my thoughts.
Before reading: was thinking maybe this is an actual grimoire of a witch. Blurb is what caught my eye. Looked maybe it be a 4 star book. Not sure who I'd recommend it to. Only way to figure that out is after I read this.
After reading thoughts: so the title is a bit misleading I went into it thinking that it might be an actual grimoire but it wasn't. It was an actual book. I did like it. 4 star book. Not sure who I know would actually read this book.

I am so obsessed with this!! This was the best!! I loved all the different stories and authors. It went so quick and I couldn't get enough of it.
I just reviewed The Grimoire of Grave Fates by Margaret Owen, Hanna Alkaf. #TheGrimoireofGraveFates #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

When a faculty member at the Galileo Academy for the Extraordinary is murdered, an investigation to find his killer begins. The problem? Pretty much everyone despised the man, so the list of suspects is extensive. In a school where everyone has powers and most have motive, this story follows 18 different students (written by 18 different authors) as they work to unravel the mystery.

What I loved about this book – 18 different authors! Each writer brought their own voice to the book while still connecting to the characters the other authors created. Each student had their own talents, insecurities, and viewpoints. The cool thing about the Galileo Academy is that it enrolls students from all over the world, so we get to hear from people of different races, sexual orientations, socioeconomic classes, and cultures. I loved that each author was able to share something of themselves through their character.

While there is some editorial polishing to be done, you should definitely check this book out! It’s such a unique undertaking, and I think the writers, editors, and all involved did a magical job of tying it all together.

This is a really interesting take on an anthology, with each story (following a different character and written by a different author) feeding in to an overarching plot: a professor the illustrious magic school Galileo Academy has been murdered, and several students take it upon themselves to solve the mystery and uncover the murderer before they strike again. Some students work seperately, others band together, and each story either reveals a clue or moves the plot forward in some way. There's a huge level of planning that went into this anthology, and I greatly appreciate the time and effort it took to make this book. That being said, I felt like the plot had an issue with cohesion, there'd be reveals then the next story would jump to something completely different. The plot moves forward haphazardly and it feels like some stories spend too much time rehashing scenes we've already gotten from new povs that don't add much new info. Where this book really shines is the diversity in the students, that was great and nearly every named student was different from their peers in some way. The big reveal was hinted at early on, but the actual reveal itself was lackluster, and I felt like the ending didn't hold up to the suspense the rest of the book spent so long building.

4.5 stars on this one for me! I absolutely adored this magical book and seeing so many authors contribute to build such a fantastic world.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, and Delacorte Pressfor the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review. (Publish Date: June 6, 2023)

“The Grimoire of Grave Fates” was a unique mystery and thriller novel told from 18 different students’ perspectives who attend Galileo Academy – a school for young magicians (very similar to Hogwarts but different in some ways). As the story unfolds, the reader pieces their stories together to figure out who murdered the professor of Magical History.

It was a bit of a struggle for me to get into this book at first because I found the beginning chapters difficult to follow. However, the story quickly became more interesting, and the chapters began flowing together more seamlessly as I continued. I wasn’t sure how 18 different authors could pull this one story off together, and there were some visible struggles, but I enjoyed the multiple perspectives and found some students so intriguing that I would love to read books just featuring them!

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to any teen and young adult who loves a good mystery with a magical “Harry Potter” twist. I hope to see more collaborations from these authors to continue the mysteries from Galileo Academy.

The fact that this book is so unique in how the story comes together is a gigantic win. I was just so intrigued and excited to dive into this book just to see how it would unfold. I absolutely adored this book so much. I love how each perspective really showcased each writer and their style. It made it feel authentic to having different characters written by different people. I found that even though each POV was different it all flowed together beautifully. Definitely one of my favorites this year!

At first I was unsure how the many POVs and different authors would tie together, but I adored The Grimoire of Grave Fates. The mystery was riveting, and the ending satisfying. Despite so many characters only being highlighted towards the beginning of the book, there were enough cameos as the book progressed that arcs felt resolved. Although I naturally latched on more to some chapters than others, as a whole this story works wonderfully. I would love to read more from this universe, and now have a list of new authors to check out as well.
4.5 rounded up to 5

I loved this so much! For 18 different authors to write each chapter, the flow was mostly consistent, although the writing style did feel a bit off for 1-2 chapters. Aside from that, I loved everything also about the story, especially the vibes! I would definitely recommend this.

The Grimoire of Grave Fates is one of the most interesting books I have read this year. I am usually not a fan of multiple authors and story tellers but this book was done extremely well. Each story flowed into the next perfectly, so very well done on that end!!

I am a huge fan of all things magical and witches and extraordinary. This book did not disappoint me at all!! A magical academy with a murder mystery, such a perfect read to stay at home and be cozy during this winter. The cover of this book is also so so pretty, it will be eye catching alone to have people pick it up and read.

Writing: 4/5
Character Development: 3/5
World Building: 3/5

Warnings: None

Themes: Mystery, Fantasy, Dark Academia

POV: Multiple

The Grimoire of Grave Fates is about a series of students in a magical academy trying to solve the murder of their professor. I did like reading from each of the students point of view. Each character was written by a different author. I didn’t really notice a difference in writing styles. It would have been better if there were not so many POV. I did get confused with all the names, especially with only getting a few pages from each student without repeats. The magical world was fun and I would love to read more about it, maybe with less people and have each person with more book time. This book also touched on subjects of racism and prejudices.

I would suggest this book to anyone who loves mysteries set in a magical school with a diverse set of students trying to break the boundaries.

I received a free copy of this book and am leaving an honest review.

I am giving this book a 3 star rating since there are no half stars, however I would personally give it a 3.5. That being said, I will be DNF-ing this book.
I still rate it a 3.5 because I do feel that it has potential, but I am struggling tremendously with the writing style. Some parts are amazing and captivating while others feel like they are written by someone else entirely.
It’s a brilliant concept but at 30% through the book, I personally feel like there’s too much going on and yet nothing has really happened
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to be able to read this. I hope to still be considered for books in the future and truly wish the author successful with this work.

This was an interesting book to reas, but it was a little confusing at times too with all of the pov switches and the different writing styles from each author. The concept itself is awesome and I would love to see more books like this, but the plot itself seemed a bit slow and like it was missing something…some more explanation of different things or the like. I would recommend it to my students, but I don’t necessarily plan on buying a copy.

Most of all, The Grimoire Of Grave Fates made me feel loved.

It’s got murder and magic and a cast of characters I love dearly. It is one of the smartest anthologies I have read, and the massive amount of talent in the lineup of authors shines through clearly. I spent a single chapter with each character, and I came out of every single one connected and invested in every single one of their stories. And a mystery is woven throughout the entire book? Pure genius.

And, I just KNOW how much multiple parts would severely piss JK Rowling off which makes me so happy.

This is the coolest book, well, anthology, ever!!!
What a fantastic idea! Editors Owen and Alkaf worked with 18 well known authors to create a story from multiple writers, characters and perspectives! Each chapters flows into the next seamlessly leading the reader to the murderer!

In Grimoire, we are introduced to the Galileo Academy - a campus of magic that has recently changed its focus to reflect our changing times. One professor, Septimus Dropwork, did not welcome these changes and he continues to disrespect the new diverse groups of student identities and cultures attending school. When he turns up murdered, there are plenty of suspects

Follow all of your favorite authors and root for your new favorite magicians as we hurtle to the end of the book. If you like unique stories, magic and fantasy or just want a murder mystery on a campus, The Grimoire of Grave Fates is magically for you! #RandomHouse

Thanks Netgalley and Delacorte Press for this eARC, these opinions are my own. I think this is such a unique way to tell a story! Each chapter is written by a different author from a different character perspective. But rather than a typical anthology the main plot is the same across all 18 chapters. Galileo Academy For The Extraordinary teaches kids to develop their magical skills, once exclusive to old rich white men, now full of a diverse group of students. Professor Dropwort believes in the schools old way and has no problem treating people he doesn’t think belong terribly. When he ends up dead there is no shortage of suspects. Through these 18 perspectives the reader is given the what, how, when, and why. I loved that there was such diversity in the perspectives of the characters and that there was diversity in the magic that they had! Not just in type but also in the way that these individuals used their magic! Hanna Alkaf and Margaret Owen did a wonderful job editing this story. I loved that it flowed from one character to the next and the reader was still able to get a whole story! It seems like it would be hard to get all 18 writers to collaborate so that there weren’t any inconsistencies but they did it! It’s intriguing and engaging and draws you in! The one thing that made it slightly hard was that there were some perspectives that I really enjoyed so it was sad not to have more of the story from those perspectives! That being said it doesn’t take away from the story as a whole! If you like stories with magic, magical creatures, magical schools, and mysteries you’ll enjoy this one! Highly recommend, can’t wait to read it again!

It is November 13, 2022 at the time of writing this review and i know beyond the shadow of a doubt that no other book this year will eclipse this one. Where do I even begin??? This was the BEST reading experience I have had all year INCLUDING last year. Honestly, I'd put this in the top 10 books I have EVER read. This is something truly special.

OK, so I originally requested an arc of The Grimoire of Grave Fates mainly due to the STUNNING book cover and the synopsis sounded incredibly intriguing. Still, I wasn't sure how I would feel about it because often times I have found myself disappointed after receiving an arc because the synopsis set my expectations too high and I ultimately ended up being let down in the end. From the very opening of this book to the MOST ENDEARING dedication I have read in recent memory, I knew this book was going to be good. I just didn't know it was going to knock my freaking socks off. Expectations were not only met, they were exceeded far beyond what I ever could have possibly hoped for.

I do not want to give any of the plot away, but I will say that Hanna Alkaf, Margaret Owen and every other contributing author to this INSANELY UNIQUE book understood the assignment. I cannot even imagine how much time it took to put this work of art (yes, WORK OF ART!) together.

This book is if you took Harry Potter, Kill Creek and House of Leaves, and blended them all together. I truly cannot emphasize just how fantastic this book was and I am still blown away as I am typing this by just how REAL this book felt. Logically, I know this place does not exist but it felt SO REAL. I was TRANSPORTED and I want to go back right now. The Grimoire of Grave Fates is absolutely on par with Harry Potter and as an older reader, I enjoyed this story even more due to it being more inclusive, more immersive and just overall better for so so many reasons.

I absolutely see this book becoming a classic and I will be the first in line as soon as this book is available in hard copy. 5 million stars for The Grimoire of Grave Fates. Thank you for granting me this arc and allowing me to spend a few hours in this magical world. You did an unbelievably fantastic job and have set a new bar in this genre. Holy cow!

I loved that this was written with multiple writers and still have each chapter go smoothly together. It was what I was hoping for from the description. I enjoyed what I read and it had a great concept and a beautifully done mystery. I enjoyed trying to solve this and was hooked. It does a great job in telling this story and I really enjoyed what I read. I hope there is more in this universe and from this writing team.

"That made you angry, didn’t it? Having that petition denied?” The voice was suspicious, cold. Goose bumps chased themselves up Lola’s bare arms."