I wanted to love this, but for me, this wasn't quite what I expected. It reads a lot younger than I expected, even for a YA book. It was an interesting story, a murder mystery focused on sorcerers; however, the magic was a lot less important to the story than I thought it was going to be. The ending also didn't quite sit right with me, and I'm not sure why. Those going in with the right expectations might have a better time with this. 

I did, however, think it was well written, it was fun to read, and I liked the characters. 

Side note: I have also seen some criticism of the queer representation in this book, and I do have to agree. It is such a minor detail, but it didn't settle well with me as to how it all went down.

I love a good murder mystery, but add in some magic, and I'm onboard from page one. I absolutely loved Tabatha! She's such a dynamic and relatable character, and she's the kind of YA character I love to see in books: strong, opinionated, and clever. The plot is fast-paced which makes it easy to pick it up and read it in one sitting - I didn't want to put it down after I started it. I wanted a bit more worldbuilding when it came to the magic, but I think Andrea Tang gave us just enough for what the plot required. The ending wasn't quite what I was hoping for either, but it fit the general feel of the book and was a clean ending that made sense despite being a little bit expected. I'll definitely be buying a physical copy!

Maybe more of a 3.5.

This one has been on my radar for a while coz I read the same some time ago and thought it was fun. I waited till I could get the audiobook and I wasn’t wrong in my initial thoughts.

This is actually my first by the author and now I should checkout what else she has written. Because this book has a very witty writing style which made for many a wry smiles, despite it being essentially a multiple murder mystery. It’s also very fast paced and I just rushed through it. The stakes never did feel too high though and danger levels didn’t feel anxiety inducing, just more on the fun and exciting side. The revelation of the murderer was also quite the scene and while I had some suspicions, I didn’t really predict it.

The main characters are also nice with Tabatha being the typical Asian American child trying to find her dreams which is completely opposite of what her mom desires for her, and Callum being the youngest child of a very popular sorcerer - a father who really didn’t see his children for more than their potential for sorcery. They make for a cool pair together, investigating the murder, with some budding romantic moments sprinkled in between.

The sorcerer Solomon dies pretty early in the book but his presence nevertheless looms large throughout the narrative. Angelique was shown as this fiery hot tempered but powerful sorcerer but we don’t really get to see those powers. Felix and Circe both only get a few scenes to showcase their presence. I felt more impressed by the both the moms - Rowena and Anne-Marie are both not sorcerers but strong in their own right, doing whatever necessary to keep their kids safe.

Overall this book was a fun and quick read, and I also enjoyed the parts I listened to on the audiobook, narrated very neatly by Katharine Chin. The characters others than our protagonists didn’t really get much page time, but our main couple had very cute moments between them, and I loved following along with them on their Nancy Drew style mystery solving.

3.5 Stars
The was a story of sorcery magic gone wrong. It is a magical murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. It took me a bit to get into this because I had a hard time liking the main characters. About halfway through it got really good though I was rooting them on. I liked the ending and would love to read another book about this family if one was written.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Young readers group for the opportunity to read this book.

I'm completely sold when I saw that this book is pitched as magical Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games. And yes, this did not disappoint because I had so much fun reading this one.

I first read Andrea Tang's Rebelwing years ago and it did not work for me but I decided to give this one a try because the synopsis and the blurbs sounds so exciting.

What I expected from the synopsis waa met because I ended up enjoying the eARC at all. It was enticing to know how Tabitha will navigate the mysterious world surrounding the death of her former boss that followed the exact prophecy that the boss foresaw.

Love how even if the major element is the murder mystery, the author was able to blend magic and fantastical things (and a bit of romance!) without sacrificing the integrity of the mystery plot.

Overall, such an enjoyable read. The only thing that I can say is an area for improvement is the ending because with everything that happened, I want a stronger conclusion with an unforgettable finish. 4 stars!

The comparisons to Knives Out are apt - this is a snarky, fourth wall-breaking urban fantasy that probably isn't as clever as it tries to be and has a rather rushed and anticlimactic ending. That said, it can be fun if you like distrusting outsider leads and a lot of twisty turns (many of which can be predicted, some of which cannot).

Story: Tabatha came from the wrong side of the tracks - and was fortunate to catch the eye of (and become an assistant to) a sorcerer of Solomon's level. Solomon can see the future and has predicted his own death by "his most beloved." When the event actually happens, an irate detective has Tabatha in her sights, as well as Solomon's unloved brood: two sons and a daughter. All Tabatha knows is that she is supposed to work with Solomon's youngest son closely in order to find out who performed the murder. But Callum's half sister and brother may or may not be working against them. Certainly, their mothers have their own issues with Solomon.

This is kind of fun in that you have the hugely dysfunctional Solomon family - magical and non magical wives, lovers, and former employees. Tabatha looks on at the working of the rich and famous with bemusement and not a small amount of disgust. Most of the characters are completely over-the-top and the author has fun with the roles.

At the same time, Tabatha was hard to like. She never came off as particularly intelligent and it was hard to see what Solomon saw in her so that he made her his apprentice (other than that she is persistent). I would have liked to see more intelligence behind her decisions rather than going mostly off the cuff as she tries to figure out who her allies are and aren't - all the while dodging jail herself as a suspect.

While this was by no means a terrible book, I still was left underwhelmed. Consider it more of a murder mystery with all the quirky characters so loved in the Knives Out movie. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

This book includes fantasy, a murder mystery, realistic but acceptable characters, and betrayal. I simply wish the characters were fleshed out more; this novel kept me guessing and intrigued. It isn't the fantasy book I was expecting. It had a perfect balance of magic; it wasn't too much, where it was simply based on magic, and it wasn't too little, where there wasn't enough magic in the story; it was just right, and the author is absolutely amazing for that, as well as for offering such depth. My favorite character is Tabatha because she is so driven and motivated, especially to clear her name, and she is so confident in her abilities and feisty. I prefer this author's writing style. I understand her plot and how she presents her story.

Thank you netgalley and penguin group for the ARC

3.5/5 ⭐

Witty and humorous with dark magic sprinkled throughout. I really liked the female and male MCs. It was easy to see where their relationship would go but I liked following them on their journey to solve the murders together. I feel like the ending was a bit too anticlimactic for my liking, especially since the majority of the book was quite enjoyable up until that point. Overall the book was well written and fast paced. I had a good time with this one and wouldn't mind looking for more from this author in the future.

I could not have been more excited to hear this book is for fans of Knives Out and The Inheritance Games because those are two favorites of mine! These Deadly Prophecies follows a teenage girl named Tabatha as she defies her family’s expectations and becomes an apprentice to an infamous Sorcerer instead of a more ‘lucrative’ career. When Tabatha’s boss, Sorcerer Solomon, predicts his own death and then it comes true, she becomes a chief suspect. Tabatha must team up with Sorcerer Solomon’s youngest son Callum, who is also a suspect, to find the true killer and clear their names. But all is not as it seems!
A great plot and storyline that has me hooked from the very beginning. The characters are interesting but I feel as though I only get surface level information, especially from our two mains. The story was a fun mystery but there was no way I could have guessed the ending because many important clues aren’t revealed to the reader. I’m not sure if this is due to the length of the book being so short or a writing preference. Although the plot is wrapped up very quickly at the end I was very entertained the whole time and really enjoyed the read! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

This book stands really great as a standalone, boasting a quick-paced narrative with a dash of magic and romance. I personally am not one for magical realism, but I would definitely recommend it to the lovers of the genre.

In These Deadly Prophecies there's this wry humor. This conversational, reflective tone, which hooks the reader immediately. These Deadly Prophecies mixes a story that feels introspective as it navigates prophecies and free will with a murder mystery. There's just the right balance of humor and heart. Tabatha is a fun character from the very first image we have of her.

Tabatha Zeng wants nothing more than to become a sorceress. Her parents are less than thrilled but still supportive. When she is fourteen, she earns the opportunity to become an apprentice to one of the most powerful and well-known sorcerers, Sorceror Solomon.  She diligently studies under his direction for three years when her dream of becoming a sorceress takes a dark turn as her mentor, Sorcerer Solomon, is found murdered by magic.

Tabatha forms a wary alliance with Sorcerer Solomon's youngest son, Callum, to unravel the murder. As the investigation moves forward, Tabatha learns more about the secrets of the Solomon family. The ending is twisty but satisfying. I especially love the narration of Tabatha throughout.  Recommended for readers who love a good mystery with suspenseful elements.

Thank you to Andrea Tang, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced eBook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Penguin Teen and NetGalley for an eARC.

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Prophecy, Amateur detectives, Classmates to Lovers, Urban Fantasy
YA Mystery with a dash of Romance

"Because lying like a discarded doll, tossed to the side of the foyer-and clearly long separated from its owner- was a single, beautifully tattooed human hand with familiar, matte black nails."

This was such a fun story! I really liked that there were twists and turns that put you off the scent of who actually murdered the sorcerer.
The Solomon family has such complicated dynamics, between the three kids, two moms, and a murdered father- then throw in two sorcerers apprentices... and chaos ensues.
I enjoyed the urban fantasy aspects of this story and that magic wasn't a secret from the masses. It had an added twist that a lot of urban fantasies don't have.
When Knives Out was released as a movie this style of book/story seemed to become more popular since it was a hit- and honestly I love that. I was a big Nancy Drew reader when I was growing up so I enjoyed those references.
I think that the prophecy is convoluted in this story, maybe more so than others, added a little bit of intrigue and helped with the twist of who actually did the murdering.
I liked Callum and Tabatha's relationship- while Felix was a major side character I also think his relationship with both MCs added to the story and I enjoyed him.
I wish that there had been a little bit more about the police side of the investigation because I feel like it was just randomly talked about.

This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it.

I liked the premise of the book (kind of a magical Inheritance Games), and I loved the narrator's voice and personality, but I had a hard time getting through this one. It was pretty slow, and then the solution to the mystery came out in twists and turns without many clues leading up to it that made it feel earned.

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚑𝚎𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚐𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚜.”

📖 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖 𝙏𝙖𝙣𝙜

Tabatha is an apprentice to one of the most renowned sorcerers, Julian Solomon. Solomon gift is in prophecies and when he ultimately predicts his own death at the hands of his most beloved, everyone in his family is a suspect. When the prophecy comes true, Tabatha must solve his murder. She also promised him she would stick close to his youngest son, Callum. Tabatha and Callum dive deep to solve the mystery of who killed the sorcerer. The murderer is out there, and Tabatha might be the only person standing in their way of what they truly want.

This story gave me The Inheritance Games and Knives out vibes! It was full of twists and turns. The ending got me, I did not expect it. Ultimately, I felt like the narrative dragged on and talked in circles a bit. I was expecting more displays of magic, but there really wasn’t much. For a young adult book, it was clean and a fun mystery overall.

Tropes:
☠️ Murder Mystery
🫣 Suspense
🪄 Magic
💞 Young Adult Fantasy

Thank you NetGalley and Bookish First for my free advanced copy of this story! 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙨 is OUT NOW!

This was a fast-paced and exciting YA read. As advertised, it is great for fans of Knives Out & The Inheritance Games, but add magic.
I liked the mystery/prophecy aspects, the characters, and the pacing overall. Would highly recommend to young readers. At only 250ish pages, this is definitely a bingable read.

Thank you SO much, Penguin Teen, for the ARC!

This had an interesting murder mystery and some cool prophecy magic set at a nice pace. I liked the main character Tabatha and her Nancy Drew/Joe Hardy partnership with Callum, they're a grumpy/sunshine pair and the bit of romance was cute.

I think the worldbuilding was lacking and didn't really explain how magic works very well. I also thought the mystery could have been a bit more exciting, especially at the end.

Still a fun book overall and I can see where the Knives Out comparisons come from.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the copy.

I’m a sucker for a whodunnit mystery especially if it’s advertised as Knives Out and Inheritance Games with Magic sign me up!

I did read this while I was sick and it played out like a fever dream in the best possible way. It is one of my favorite reads of the month.

Happy Publication Day!

These Deadly Prophecies is perfect for readers who enjoyed The Inheritance Games. Tabitha has always wanted to be a prophet and is currently an apprentice to one of the best prophets in the world, Sorcerer Solomon. However, when Solomon predicts his own death, it soon becomes Tabitha's responsibility to find the murderer.

I loved Tabitha's narration of this book and feel that it would be a great audiobook. I enjoyed the investigation into the Sorcerer Solomon's death and felt that the characters were quirky and fun. Each character seemed to have their motive in why they wanted Solomon dead, and, in the end, I was still surprised on the culprit. If you are looking for a fun, quick mystery read, I would highly recommend reading this book.

These Deadly Prophecies is out today!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing for the opportunity to review These Deadly Prophecies. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I picked up the newly published THESE DEADLY PROPHECIES by Andrea Tang because I had not read much young adult fiction lately. This clearly fits the label with several main characters in their teens and plenty of romantic angst as well as rebellion against authority figures. It is an unusual mystery in that the murder victim foretold his own death: Julian Solomon was a skillful and powerful prophetic sorcerer who made his apprentice, Tabatha Zeng, promise to help protect his youngest son, Callum, who attends her high school. Studious Asian girl thrown together with popular white jock try to solve the mystery. They are hampered by the involvement of Callum's older siblings, Felix and Circe, as well as interference from Julian Solomon's two wives and also the chief detective of the local occult crimes unit. If readers can deal with the numerous sorcery references, the story is laced with humor and moves along fairly well for its intended audience, with Tabatha and Callum having to decide if they trust each other or not. A diverting blend of mystery and magic that seems to fit in the newer "romantasy" genre. 3.5 stars