This book took me a while to get through despite being very excited to read it. It is a YA, mystery, fantasy, romance with a really interesting story behind it. Maeve Abenthy has been running and changing her name for 7 years, ever since her father died and was blamed for a heinous crime. She receives an anonymous letter saying her father is innocent which prompts her to pose as an apprentice at the Otherwhere Post while she tries to find answers. The story follows her journey as she tries to stay alive, keep her secrets, and find out the truth. The beginning of the book started out strong but I lost interest around the time that she arrived at the academy (~25%) which caused me to make little progress over several months. I finally decided to finish it and became invested in the story again around the 60% mark. It ended up being a heartwarming tale of courage and perseverance with an intelligent and quick-witted heroine who redeemed herself as a likeable character by the end. I did find the concept of the magic and the world development to be unique. From an editing standpoint, there were a lot of mistakes in the latter half of the book that will hopefully get fixed before publication. Overall, interesting if you can push through the sluggish parts. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you G. P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the eARC of The Otherwhere Post! All opinions in this review are my own.

I have been waiting for Emily J. Taylor's next release since The Hotel Magnifique! I love the worlds she creates and The Otherwhere Post is no exception!

The Otherwhere Post begins when Maeve receives an anonymous letter telling her that her father was innocent. Now, Maeve must infiltrate the Otherwhere Post and learn who sent her the letter in order to clear her father's name of the greatest tragedy to happen in her world.

Full of dark academia vibes and magic, The Otherwhere Post once again proves Taylor's craft at creating stories full of twists and her expertise in world building.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Otherwhere Post! The concept was fresh and inventive, especially the magic system of scriptomancy, where spells are crafted through writing. It added a creative and intellectual element to the story that I found captivating. The twist at the end about the source of the evil was unexpected and added depth to the plot.

The world-building was immersive and intricately detailed, drawing me into the academic setting and the mysteries of the different realms. The characters were well-developed and relatable, each contributing something unique to the story. Tristan, in particular, stood out with his patience, quiet strength, and undeniable charm—he made an excellent partner for the protagonist’s journey.

While the romance element didn’t fully click for me, the friendships and bonds of loyalty between the characters felt authentic and emotionally resonant. The balance of dark academia, inventive magic, and compelling mysteries kept me hooked from start to finish.

This was a fast-paced yet thoughtful read, with enough complexity to hint at the potential for a series—something I’d absolutely continue. If you enjoy stories with richly imagined worlds, creative magic systems, and character-driven plots, The Otherwhere Post is definitely worth picking up!

A big thank you to NetGalley, G. P. Putnam's Sons, and Penguin House for this arc!

I really enjoyed the book and would for sure give it anywhere between a 3.5 to 3.75 star rating.

This is my first Emily J. Taylor book and I really enjoyed the magic system that she created for this world. The magic of scriptomancy was incredibly interesting and the way that magic can be infused into writing was a new magic system for me and I really enjoyed it. I loved that it could be used in so many different ways from being able to track people down, bring imaginations to life to being able to move across worlds. I also loved that scriptomancy could be used both on paper and on skin, and that something like magical writing on skin was outlawed due to how dangerous it was viewed.

I did enjoy parts of the world building. I liked the idea of the the different overlapping worlds and how each world was dedicated to different types of learning, similar to how V.E. Schwabb did the different versions of London. Inverly was artistic and musically inclined, while Barrow was mathematical and engineering based, and Leyland was for scriptomancy. I also loved the connecting doors to the world and how people could cross into the worlds and how the destruction of Inverly upended the other two worlds and how devastating it was. However, at the same time I wish the worlds had been explored more. We get some insights into the worlds, but not enough to get a clear picture of what they are truly like and we definitely don't get enough insight into how the loss of Inverly really impacted Leyland and Barrow.

When it came to the characters I liked them a lot. Maeve is very wary of everyone around her and doesn't want people to know who she is, due to prior events from her childhood and knowing what her dad was accused of, but eventually finds that the people around her can be trusted and she eventually lets them in. I liked Tristan for how sassy he was and how despite acting like he didn't like people he truly couldn't stop himself from connecting with those around him. I did think his relationship with his dad was weird because he talks about how much he hates him, but we don't truly ever really see that in my opinion. Nan was a super fun character as well. I loved how easy going she was and how she refused to let Maeve keep her distance and was in her corner the entire time. I do wish we had gotten more Nan in the story as she is a pivotal secondary character. I feel she wasn't really expanded upon and I wish that her characterization had been more concrete, especially considering the role she plays as Maeve's only friend really. I also wish the author had been more purposeful in her description of Nan, she is one of two POC characters that play prominent roles in the book, but all we really know about her is that she has brown skin and black hair. So she's very much just kind of skimmed over as compared to the other descriptions of characters in the book.

Now onto the actual plot of the story. I really enjoyed the mystery element of Maeve trying to figure out what really happened that day in Inverly and whether or not her dad was truly innocent. I loved the threatening notes and how scriptomancy was used in those notes. I also loved the Aldervine and how it played into the destruction of Inverly and how the burning of the Written doors impacted everything. Though I do wonder why, at the end of the book, the Aldervine only killed the one character and put the others to sleep. I do think the ending was a little rushed and that things played out a little too easily/too perfectly, but I also understand why it was done that way, but I wish we'd gotten more mystery than what we did and more suspense that what we did. I also wish that we'd gotten to see so much more of the school and the learning behind scriptomancy.

I will also say that in my arc I did count about 35 grammatical errors throughout the book, and yes I know it's unedited, but it did seem like a lot to miss. I also know that my digital arc was only 306 pages whereas Goodreads is stating that it's to be over 400 pages so I'm curious about how different the final version will be compared to the arc.

Otherwise, I did enjoy the book and would love to see more magic like scriptomancy in other books and I'm looking forward to reading the actual finished version of the book and comparing it to the arc.

The Otherwhere Post is a book you will not want to put down from start to finish! It has mystery, slow-burning romance,unique worlds and magic system that draws you in to this story. I loved that I did not have the ending figured out! Great read for fantasy lovers!

The premise of this work was interesting, and it was executed well overall. I enjoyed the concept of magic and how it was used in this work through writing and ink. The use of mail to find people was also interesting and added much to the work. The author also included a number of small details relating to the setting and other descriptions that helped to bring the whole thing to life. The characters were fine but didn’t particularly standout.

There were a few things I didn’t prefer that are somewhat typical of YA these days. One is, of course, insta-love and a relationship that feels founded on nothing. There were also a lot of weird and unusual similes that were unnecessary and didn’t add anything positive to the text. There was also a hefty amount of info-dumping near the end of the work using letters that were written to the protagonist – I didn’t like how this wrapped things up or the amount of telling it relied on.

Overall, if you enjoy YA fantasy that has an academic setting and romance, then you may enjoy this one. My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Otherwhere Post is an ink-stained and magical dark academia YA read that is both tender and mysterious. Maeve Abenthy has lived in the shadows of her father’s crime for as long as she can remember until she receives an anonymous letter that shatters the truth of everything she thought she knew about him: her father was innocent.

On the quest to uncover the truth about her father, Maeve sneaks into her father’s old university and learns the dangerous art of scriptomancy in the hopes of finding the truth, but when a mysterious figure begins threatening her life, she must decide if the truth is worth dying for.

I loved the world-building in this book and Taylor does a remarkable job at creating a beautiful, whimsical and deeply magical story full of love and friendship. I adored Tristan and Maeve’s interactions, as well as seeing Maeve’s blossoming friendships with Nan and Shea. It was a bit difficult in the beginning to grasp some of the magical system but once you do, The Otherwhere Post was such a delightful and enjoyable YA fantasy read, especially for fans of Divine Rivals, I found myself completely immersed and invested.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen Canada for providing this eArc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

Dark academia, haunting secrets, a slow-burn romance, and a fascinating magic system: The Otherwhere Post is a fantastical, nerdy mystery from start to finish, and I absolutely loved it.

Taylor has created a unique world (well, worlds) filled with vivid detail and interesting characters. Top that off with an amazing word-based magic system, and this will surely be a hit with many readers.

Maeve Abenthy is a wonderful lead. She's smart and tough, but she's deeply afraid of her real identity being discovered, and her fear shapes many of her actions. It's good to have a female lead that isn't tough and kick-butt all the time--Maeve isn't afraid to run away when she's scared. But she's also deeply loyal and willing to sacrifice her happiness and comfort to protect those she cares for her, which makes her very likeable.

The secondary characters are also extremely well written. Tristan is the prefect boy next door: he's nerdy, sweet, patient, and unwaveringly loyal, and I loved the development of the relationship between him and Maeve. Nan and Shea are more spirited, and they make good foils to Maeve's serious nature. The four work wonderfully as a team, and I would read anything Taylor chose to write about this crew.

The plot is slow to start, but the suspense builds as Maeve gets deeper into the mystery surrounding her father's death and his alleged destruction of worlds. I honestly had no clue who the "big bad" was, and the reveal was wonderful. The ending overall was fantastic, and I didn't want the story to end.

The Otherwhere Post is fantastical, dark, clever, romantic, twisty, and unputdownable. I devoured this book in a single sitting, and I can't wait for others to read it so I can discuss it more!

4.5⭐️. Lovely! Got this as a digital ARC through Netgalley and thoroughly enjoyed it. I won’t say much here yet as it has not been released, but I am a fan. It holds its own as a standalone. I liked the side characters and the MMC and FMC were easy to root for. Solid!!

Book Name: The Otherwhere Post
Author: Emily J Taylor

ARC
Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group  G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for an ARC

Stars: 5
Spice: 0

Standalone-ish
Fast Paced
FMC POV:
Romantic Fantasy
Similar to Divine Rivals Meets Violet Evergarden

Pros

- I LOVE the Magic System
- Closed Story (Could have more adventures)
- Divine Rivals Meets Emily Wilde Meets Violet Evergarden
- Love the Romance
- Older YA

Cons

- Could have dragged Romance out more
- The FMC was a bit one-note
The ending was TOO quickly wrapped

Maeve Abenthy has been living in the shadow of her father’s crimes for the last seven years under an assumed identity. She knows that if anyone found out who her father was, she would be shunned and unable to care for herself. She finally has enough money to escape the town she lives in when she receives a surprise - a letter from the Otherworld Post, magically inscribed to find its intended recipient, that was sent seven years ago. Reading the letter, her world view changes instantly. An “old friend” of her father’s claims he is innocent. And now she needs to find this friend to be able to prove her father’s innocence. However, in order to do so, she must infiltrate the prestigious Otherworld Post and begin training in the dangerous magic of scriptomancy - the magic that allows the Otherworld Post to enchant and deliver letters, even across worlds. The deeper she dives into the mystery that has branded her father a murderer, the more danger she finds herself in, until she doesn’t know how she’s going to get herself (and her father’s name) out of it.

I loved The Otherworld Post. It was a delightful fantasy novel. I feel it had a great sense of world building in the setting and descriptions of the magic capable. I did find it was quite a bit to juggle at first, and perhaps a glossary or reference note would be helpful in this regard. However, once these are mastered you can expect to speed through the rest of it.

Recommended if you like: YA fantasy

Maeve is the daughter of the criminal responsible for destroying the portals that link Inverly, Barrow, and Leyland - or so she believed, until she receives an anonymous letter that claims his innocence. Her only lead to clear her father's name is through the Otherwhere Post, where she must break in to find the mysterious sender and prove her father's innocence.

I finished this book in a single day, which shows just how much I enjoyed it. I loved the world-building, unique magic, friendships, characters, dark academia, and the writing. The pacing is a bit slow at the beginning, but I did not have any trouble continuing because I was hooked! My only issue is that the romance and world-building were not fully developed and could have used another 50-100 pages to perfect the ending, which felt rushed.

→ 4 stars - would recommend

**I received a digital ARC of this book from Netgalley.**

Once upon a time, there were doors between worlds, portals accessible by anyone traveling between Inverly, Barrow, and Leyland. But when the poisonous, rapidly spreading Aldervine plant invades Inverly, the hasty option to keep it from spreading between worlds is to permanently burn the doors. Now, Maeve Abnethy, who escaped from Inverly to Leyland just before the doors burned, lives with the knowledge that the worlds blame her father for introducing the vine: even though he, too, was lost to Inverly. Desperate to clear his name after receiving a mysterious letter suggesting his innocence, orphaned and incognito Maeve infiltrates the Otherwhere Post, where trained scriptomancers are the only ones who can carry messages between worlds. Maeve is accustomed to going it alone and keeping her identity secret; now, she has people around her that seek her to trust for the first time ever.

This book checks a lot of my boxes: magical travel, multi-worlds, dark academia, strong woman lead character. It was a slow start for me, but I think that was more of a me thing on the timing of starting it. I loved Maeve as a character: books like this often default to the "damsel in distress" trope, and although Maeve required and received a fair amount of rescuing, it was usually because she forged ahead with whatever foolhardy plan occurred to her without all the information she needed to do so. Pretend to be someone else to get into the Otherwhere Post? Check. Lie her way into various situations? Check. Recklessly try magic beyond her abilities? Check. At one point, I actually thought, "I love that she rolls through life with the audacity of a man."

Speaking of men and Tropes, Tristan walks an admirable line between "smug, smirking hot guy" and "awkward nerd with anxiety." I sort of expected to eyerollingly hate him, but actually he's a lovely, complex character. Toss in a quirky roommate-turned-friend in Nan, and it's a perfect trifecta for clichés gone right for once.

Although I'm aware this is an ARC, it had far more errors, typos, and missing words than I usually see in galley copies; hopefully they'll all be fixed for the final printing. There is one rather large plot hole I noticed, but it's a spoiler, so I'll avoid mentioning in detail.

In short, this is a solid addition to the vast array of fantasy books out there, with unique magic based on scribing and interesting characters. I look forward to reading a final copy next year!

Emily J. Taylor is undoubtably emerging as one of my favorite authors. I eagerly requested “The Otherwhere Post” based upon her name alone. Then I read the blurb and was even more excited (so much I went and preordered despite having access to the ARC because I knew a copy would be necessary upon my shelves).

The story is captivating. A blend of dark academia, captivating mysteries, enigmatic characters, and a slow burn romance that gives you all the feels. I was entranced during the entire read.

This was an easy 5 stars and I highly encourage you to dive into Meave and Tristan’s world.

Thank you NetGallery and the publisher for providing me with ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one, but I found the pacing to be slower than I anticipated. While I enjoyed the magic system, I wanted more from the plot and characters.

There are worlds that overlap, and you can cross the barriers at specific points - but seven years ago one of those worlds became infected and overtaken by a deadly weed, and the main portals were destroyed. Now you can only cross that barrier if you have specific training to be a courier, learning the art of scriptomancy. Maeve has spent seven years hiding from the world because everyone blames her father for allowing that weed out... but one day a letter from "an old friend" finds her and, well, we're off to the Otherworld Post and scriptomancy and crossing worlds and discovering the truth behind what happened seven years ago.

There are some things that don't completely make sense (like how you write the script on your skin to cross the barrier and that disappears, but other spells stay on your skin? I think?), and Nan's insistence that she and Maeve would be friends felt a little false, but otherwise this is a charmingly imagined world.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I enjoyed Hotel Magnifique more than I expected. It was a fun ride. I thought the world building was done so well. The descriptions of the hotel and even the rooms in the hotel made me feel like I was there. The setting feels so magical.

On the other hand, I do feel like the writing has room for improvement. It started out so well with the prologue, but got really repetitive and slow.

I do feel like this good is worth a read, especially for fans of The Night Circus.

Emily J. Taylor, the author of Hotel Magnifique, has once again wowed me with an incredible new book full of intrigue! I loved the first book by her so much, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this advance copy

The characterization was top notch! Not only do their actions and words add an extra layer in fleshing each of them out, but she makes sure the reader really sees cares about them, by making them so real and even vulnerable. The world building was well done also. I loved the way the characters could move around to different places.

I feel this is a 5 star book.

Thank you to the publisher and the author for an advanced eBook copy of this book!! I always get so excited to see I am approved for any book here on NetGalley, but this was a highly anticipated book for me, so you can imagine my excitement when I got the email.

I will put more in this review when it gets closer to the release date, but for now I must say I really enjoyed this book. First off, the cover is stunning and that is always nice. But the author also has a way with words that I truly enjoyed!

For seven years, Maeve Abenthy has been running—never making friends, never staying in one place, never using her real name—all to escape the shadow of her father’s notorious crime. But everything changes the day she receives an anonymous letter declaring his innocence.

To uncover the truth, Maeve must deceive her way into an apprenticeship with the Otherwhere Post, a courier system that uses arcane magic to deliver letters between worlds. Once there, she faces a handsome but suspicious mentor, along with dangerous letters that threaten her if she stays. Now, Maeve must choose between clearing her father’s name or risking the freedom she’s fought so hard to protect.

*The Otherworld Post* reads like a blend of fantasy and sci-fi, with plenty of anxiety-inducing thrills. The storyline feels fairly original, and I had trouble pinpointing any obvious tropes. For example, while the story takes place at a school, there’s little focus on classes. Additionally, Maeve and Tristan's relationship doesn’t quite fit the typical “enemies to lovers” or “rivals to lovers” trope—it's something entirely unique.

Maeve is an interesting protagonist. I was either fully in her corner or rolling my eyes in frustration. Most of my frustration came from her difficulty trusting others, which is a key part of her character arc and likely intended to make me feel that way. I really enjoyed her banter with Tristan and the other secondary characters—it was so natural that I almost forgot I was reading.

Overall, it was a fun read. There were a few minor plot holes, but nothing significant enough to detract from the story. If you enjoy slightly darker YA fantasy novels with plenty of twists, this one is worth checking out. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️