Cover Image: These Deadly Prophecies

These Deadly Prophecies

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. I’m not a huge YA fantasy fan but this book definitely held my attention and I found myself being transported into the story. I would love to read more about these characters.

Was this review helpful?

I truly enjoyed this book! It was a fun urban fantasy/ mystery mash up, and it kept me hooked until the end! I did not see the ending coming! I couldn't stop reading once I started it! I was definitely invested in the story and seeing how the mystery was resolved. I felt the narration was genuine. I definitely agree that it's Knives Out meets Inheritance Games with magic, and I'd add Nancy Drew in there as well.

Tabatha was a great main character, and I really liked Callum and Felix. I loved how Tabatha was committed to choosing her own path, and I appreciated how she stuck to that. I'd like to see more with these characters and where their story takes them, even though the story wrapped up nicely here.

I'd certainly recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

This is an entertaining murder mystery. Tabitha is apprenticed to a great sorcerer who specializes in prophecy. He prophesizes that he will be killed by his best beloved. It's all fun and games until it actually happens, and she must team up with his son, Callum, to uncover what actually happened.

Was this review helpful?

If you are looking for a fun, quick read, These Deadly Prophecies will do that for you.

Tabatha is an apprentice under the world's most famous sorcerer, Solomon. When he foretells of his death with a prophecy, it now leaves a lot of questions as to who did it. He prophesized that he would be killed by his most beloved. I appreciated the vagueness of this prophecy because in addition to trying to uncover who murdered Solomon, it was also about understanding who or what was his most beloved. The plot is fairly linear and it's easy to read. I didn't feel like there was a lot of character development or growth, but the storyline was fun and fast-paced. I enjoyed Tabatha and Callum's uneasy trust and alliance as they worked to figure out who killed his father. The hints throughout the story that lead to the killer were well thought out and woven into the plot well.

Overall, it's a good book. Not great, but worth giving it a go if you want a quick, fun, murder mystery with a little sorcery.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

These Deadly Prophecies is a twisty, fast paced young adult mystery/thriller. I like that we are thrown in quickly to mystery of who killed Sorcerer Solomon. Once you start you will want to continue the ride to try and solve the mystery. I liked the length of the story. I think it is a good book for reluctant readers. I will be purchasing this for our high school library.

Was this review helpful?

Super interesting mystery/thriller novel that will appeal to both teens and adults!! Interesting plot, but I wished I got more from the overall experience!!

Was this review helpful?

The story was interesting and quick moving. I was invested in the characters and thought they were well developed. Great read!

Was this review helpful?

These Deadly Prophecies was such an amazing book. It definitely helped get me out of a reading slump. It was a fresh, fun, and magical read.

This book follows Tabatha Zeng, an apprentice to one of the world’s most famous sorcerers. One of her most challenging jobs as an apprentice is to solve the murder of her mentor, the Sorcerer Solomon. Sorcerer Solomon predicts his own death and tells Tabatha that when it happens she needs to stick close to his son, Callum.

With both Tabatha and Callum being suspects, the two must learn to trust each other so that they can find the real killer. The more they dig into what happened, the more secrets they bring to life. And that makes trusting each other even harder.

I really loved the world building in this one. Tabatha and Callum were standouts in a sea of eclectic characters. Everyone had their own uniqueness that made everything come together. The magic system is pretty cool too. The different sorcery types were each so different and I really couldn’t decide which one I’d want to be.

I recommend this book for anyone who loves, magical reads, enemies to lovers, and just an overall fun read.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Take Knives Out, age it down for a YA crowd, add magic, and you get These Deadly Prophecies. As someone who absolutely loves Knives Out and fantasy, this book was right up my particular alley and I had a blast reading it. It's quick (only 244 pages), and packed with action, magic, intrigue, and a little romance. My only slight issue was when the homage to Knives Out occasionally veered too closely into a near copy-paste situation (that seance scene especially), but overall this was was an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion and likable characters.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I don't think I was expecting to have as good of a time with this book as I ended up having. Urban fantasy murder mystery? All buzz words. Somehow kind of reminiscent of the mid-2000s movie The Sorcerer's Apprentice? HUGE draw for me, I love that movie lol.

Tabatha is the apprentice to the most famous prophetic sorcerer in the city....until he's violently murderered and she's among the pool of suspects (along with his entire dysfunctional family). She teams up with his son Callum, a boy from her class, to try to find the REAL murderer and clear each of their names.

This was as cute as a murder mystery can be, seriously. I laughed out loud several times and kind of saw the twist at the end coming, but the path we took to get there completely blindsided me and had me doubting everything! I think this is a standalone but I would read more about Tabatha after this for sure!

Was this review helpful?

This book honestly grips you right from the start! It is such an interesting world, mixing modern day with sorcery and magic. It was like the Salem Witches were a real thing and this book stems right from that. I also think that Tang did such a great job balancing the story with building this world in our minds. One thing I was not expecting when going into this book was the Knives Out vibes I got. In this book there is this familial battle going on after the head of the fortune dies, expect in this there are these extra stakes of magic. It was so fun and I loved getting that surprise. I really did enjoy reading from the main character's point of view. I felt I could relate to her in how she reacted to things. I also felt so bad with her at times because she went through a lot and I could only imagine the anxiety she had, going from simple apprentice to actively putting herself in danger. I also loved her name! Tabatha is such a witchy name so it fit the vibes perfectly. Callum was precious and also so entertaining. Right from the start I could tell that he was a good guy, and I got so attached to him and the way he interacted with Tabatha. I loved getting to see their relationship develop throughout the book and I think it was done in an amazing way. I will say, I didn't love the ending and how cheesy some of it felt. But other than that, I really enjoyed reading this book and I will be recommending it to people.

Was this review helpful?

This story forces readers to suspend belief...and not because of the sorcery. We are supposed to believe that two teenagers are going to solve a magical murder while the magic-hating detective interrogates them without their parents or a lawyer present, and that this detective is on a first name-basis with one of those teenagers (who she suspects of being the murderer) and calls the other suspect's mother a bitch with no personal or professional repercussions. Then add a boring main character and the constant reminders that she is Asian while the antagonists are rich and white. Overall, not what I was hoping.

Was this review helpful?

Loved her previous two books, and will soon start "Kingdom of Without"

This particular book didn't wow me as much as I expected, based on the Knives Out comparison anyway.

While I liked Tabatha, and the premise, the first half of the book was a bit of a drag for me. I enjoyed the sleuthing but lots of it seemed repetitive.

If this was published already, I would be tempted to give it a 2 "it was ok" but am going with a 3 assuming there might have been tweaks that would make the first half move a bit more quickly.

And perhaps make the ending a bit more satisfying as well.

Was this review helpful?

While I enjoyed the plot and the magic, I didn't so much enjoy the characters. The ending was kinda of ho-hum and anti-climactic. So it gets a 3 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Andrea Tang, NetGalley, and Penguin Group for an eARC of These Deadly Prophecies!

I really enjoyed this book! It felt like a fantastical version of Truly Devious and The Inheritance Games.

Things I loved:

The overall plot - A sorcerer dies mysteriously and his apprentice and child have to figure out who killed him before either of them gets charged with his murder. High stakes, but fast-paced and fun!

The diversity - I liked reading about a hero who wasn't a young white girl. The author subtly mentions her Asian culture and I liked hearing a different perspective about how parent's from another culture would handle a situation like this.

The silly banter - Callum and Tabath are adorable. Tabatha is a smart girl, determined not to be swayed by the easy-going jock. But we all know what happens when these two are forced to stick together! Their witty conversations, flirting, and general awkwardness had me laughing.

I like reading Young Adult novels because they are faster paced, easier reads and generally great palette cleansers that can clear your head and ready you for another heavier book. This book definitely succeeded in this task. 4/5 stars.

Was this review helpful?

This was a really unique YA fantasy novel, with great characters, and a well written plot!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you for the eARC! Took a second chance and had to try really hard to get into it. You know those drinking games you play where you drink whenever a character says something? I would be super drunk if I were drinking to every time Tabitha would mention she’s the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. I love the idea and vision this book had but it didn’t meet what I expected to read.

Was this review helpful?

I wanted to like this so much but unfortunately it really did not work for me :( I very strongly did not like the writing style and that made the entire thing unenjoyable to me. I hesitate to say that it felt "young" because there are plenty of MG books with beautiful writing. Rather, it felt "unpolished" or "cheesy". The dialogue felt unnatural and inconsistent throughout. I wish this could have worked better for me!

Was this review helpful?

Perfect for fans of Knives Out and the Inheritance Games, apprentice fortune teller Tabitha must work to solve her mentor's murder, but between the powerful magic at play and her mentor's rich family nothing is as it seems in this fantastical murder mystery.

I really enjoyed this novel! I have been reading so many epic world building fantasies, it was nice to read a standalone urban fantasy. This book introduces the reader to the world quickly and explains everything very well. I was never confused about the world building aspect or how magic worked in this one.

I loved the mystery element in this novel and I genuinely could not figure out the murderer in this until it was revealed! I really enjoyed the main character, Tabitha as well as her relationship with her mentor and her mentor's family, especially the brothers.

This spellbinding tale is perfect for fans of Knives Out who love fantasy books with magic, murder and mayhem.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely captivating! This book exceeded all my expectations. The characters were incredibly well-developed, the plot was gripping from start to finish, and the writing style was simply superb. A definite must-read for anyone looking for a riveting story that stays with you long after you turn the last page. 5 stars without a doubt!

Was this review helpful?