Member Review

Maeve Abenthy lost everything when the doors that connected worlds were closed and it was all blamed on her father. She's spent the last 7 years running and hiding. But a delayed letter from another world telling her her father is innocent has her posing as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she'll learn the magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. There's more than she could have imagined to uncover, even as dangerous and threatening letters put her life and those of anyone close to her in danger. Can she learn to trust her mentor and accept the help he offers, or will the truth and her life be drowned in ink?

This one's a great read from beginning to end. Sure, there are times when the plot is super predictable, but it's in a way that works with the characters and still makes for captivating reading. And it's the characters that carry it. Maeve's fully justified inability to trust in people makes for some frustrating moments, yet it's that bullheadedness that makes her such a compelling character. You want her to succeed on her own, even as you're mad at her for not accepting help from those who offer it.

It contains excellent character arcs and perfectly timed twists that kept me turning pages despite having a pretty good idea of where it did eventually end up. Read it for the journey more than the whole and you'll have a brilliantly excellent time.

Special props to the author for being nice enough to make this stand-alone book, when it could have been expanded into at least a duology. I appreciate it when authors finish a story when it needs to end, rather than extending it, and feel that it's so rare that it needs to be praised when it happens

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the twisty read!