Not being a Fantasy reader I was pleasantly surprised by this one! I loved the magic and the story and can see myself diving into this genre more. I can also totally see this being a series. I can only imagine how much more I would have loved this if it was an adult novel.

Thank you netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for my honest review!

The Premise: Maeve Abenthy has lived a life of uncertainty and fear since the death of her father, who she believes was a killer who unleashed dark magic, causing destruction and the opening of doors to other realms. Forced to hide under false identities, Maeve is isolated and distrustful of everyone. However, everything changes when a Courier delivers a letter from an anonymous sender, claiming her father is innocent. With this revelation, Maeve’s mission becomes clear: she must uncover the truth about what happened the day her father died by finding the mysterious sender of the letter from seven years ago.


My Thoughts: The story is rich with dark academia vibes, beautiful writing, intricate world-building, and a captivating mystery. Maeve’s personal journey is compelling, as she learns to trust others and confront the pain and betrayal from her past. However, while the twists and suspense keep the reader engaged, the book isn't without its flaws. The romance feels forced for much of the story, lacking chemistry between Maeve and Tristan until the final act. Additionally, some lingering questions about the world-building remain unanswered, and the ending feels rushed, leaving a few loose ends.

Final Verdict: Despite some issues with pacing and romance, the book offers plenty of intrigue, mystery, and magic, making it a compelling winter read for fans of dark academia and thrillers.

A very immersive and imaginative dark academia mystery/thriller!
All Maeve Abenthy has known since her father has died is that he's a killer, unleashing a dark magic upon the worlds, and causing destruction of the doors to move from realm to realm. Lost, abandoned, saddened, she had been forced to into hiding in new, unassuming identities, and was ready to begin a new in another town. She doesn't trust anyone, is alone in the world. Until one day, a Courier gives her a note from an anonymous sender telling her her father is innocent, and she has a change of plans. Find the sender of the letter from seven years ago and get her answers. She will have to lie and infiltrate her way into a prestigious school in order to search for her answers, digging up her past, and finding out the truth of what really happened that fateful day and who her father really is.
But, finding out those answers will become more and more dangerous the closer she gets to the truth, as someone is well aware of what she has done. So now, not only is she hunting down the sender of the letter, someone who knew her father, she is searching for the person who may hurt her if she were to find out the whole truth. Should she proceed or go back into hiding?
Along the way, she accidentally gets closer to a boy with secrets of his own. This boy would become her mentor, and little does she know, that their pasts are more entwined then they both realize.
The writing is beautiful here, the world-building very intricate and well-thought out. I enjoyed Maeve's journey as she gradually goes against her nature and learns to trust people, as she has been hurt so much in the past, both by what happened with her father and the hatred that soon came after.
So why four stars???
A few questions remained for me that I never felt fully satisfied with, as much detail as Taylor went into this world she created. Also, the romance felt mostly forced for more than half the book, even though by the third act, I was on board. The chemistry was a little lacking as Tristan and Maeve got closer, which was limited to Maeve getting turned on when Tristan was just near her. This part could use some work.
Also, the ending felt kind of rushed.
Still, there were plenty of twists and turns, mystery, horror, and just a touch of magic to keep me engrossed, making this a great magical winter read.

A unique magic system, an university setting, and a well paced storyline that kept me guessing till the end with a dash of romance? Who could ask for more!

This had some Harry Potter-like vibes. Good concept and world-building, but does need some serious editing. Not just for typos, but for some storyline/logic gaps. Otherwise an enjoyable read, with a tough heroine.

The plot of this book sounded amazing and it definitely did not disappoint. The mix of fantasy and mystery were done so well, especially given those are two of my favorite genres. The magic system was so unique and the characters were so well fleshed out, I could not put this book down it was so good. I would highly recommend this to anyone and everyone!

I liked this book and thought it had a cool concept and gave me darkest shades of london vibes. i really did like it but the writing style felt a bit choppy and bumpy and because of that it was hard to feel connected to the the other characters in the book. i thought the end was super rushed and it was hard to follow the end. I would read more books set in this world.

The details put into this story are just phenomenal. The world building is fast paced & very intricate but Emily J. Taylor paints such a clear picture for the reader. It felt like a Divine Rivals x dark academia crossover to me and I -loved- it.

I actually anticipated this being left on a cliffhanger considering how complex the storyline was, but everything was concluded so nicely by the end!

Full review to come. I'm still unsure how I felt about this one. Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this while on Read Now.

Beautifully written!! I loved loved loved the magic and world building. I’m not typically a fan of YA, but this one gripped me from the get go. It was unique while also incorporating some of my favorite fantasy themes, such as dark a academia. Also dear Maeve was a lovely character to lead the story. It did slow down a bit in the middle, but it wasn’t enough to put me off. I see this one being a future hit! Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the fantastic experience of reading this novel!

4.5 out of 5 stars.

The Otherwhere Post is a delightful mix of mystery, fantasy, and romance. In this story, Maeve must became a courier for the Otherwhere Post, or someone who can travel between worlds to deliver letters. She must find out who murdered her father and framed him for ending travel to other worlds for anyone that is not a courier. I really enjoyed the plot and the mystery aspects of this book, similar to Emily J. Taylor's first work. The magic was very interesting and involved scribing on letters. I enjoyed Maeve and her group of friends, and the mystery also kept me guessing. I will say I was left wanting a bit more- I would have appreciated more description of the magic system as it was very unique, but it was a bit hard to visualize.

I could have read hundreds of more pages of this wonderful world! If you enjoyed Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor, this one is just as great and stands on its own. I highly recommend it to any fellow young adult fantasy readers.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the amazing opportunity to review this book. This is my honest opinion.

What a truly beautiful, beautiful book.

The Otherwhere Post follows the story of Maeve Abenthy, who is desperately trying to prove her father's innocence after discovering a mysterious letter that sets everything in motion. Determined to uncover the truth, she infiltrates the Otherwhere Post and poses as an apprentice.

The world-building is magnificent. The magic system is so unique - it's created through writing! How could I not love that? While the book starts at a slower pace and takes some time to gather momentum, once it does, it's packed with action, and I simply couldn't put it down. It's so beautifully written that, despite my initial struggle, I can't give it anything less than five stars.

I absolutely adored the main characters. Although romance isn't the central focus of this book, it is so well executed that my heart raced every time there was tension between Maeve and Tristan. They are perfect. Per-fect.

Even the secondary characters were brilliantly crafted. Each one served a distinct purpose in the story, and none were overlooked.

Now, the ending—I did not see that coming! I was utterly delighted by how it unfolded. The conclusion is so perfectly written that it moved me to tears.

This book warmed my heart in ways I never imagined possible. Thank you, Emily, for creating this magical world that I will certainly revisit.

4.5 stars. First off thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this eARC. I quite enjoyed this story. The author really has a way of telling a story and sucking you in with the intrigue. This story has magic, mystery, murder, dark academia vibes, and a smidge of cute little romance. The characters were all likeable and well developed and the plot was great. I would definitely recommend to readers if this is your kind of genre.

I really enjoyed the concept of this story, with the traveling between the worlds and the letters! This was fun, but I found some parts at the beginning a little slow which put me off from reading, but I still really liked the story. I also liked Maeve and felt she was very grounded, especially at a certain plot twist that changes her whole worldview. Overall, a solid read!

Absolutely no notes.
I wish I could describe how much I am obsessed with this story. The more I learned about this world, about the intricacies of the ink magic system, about Maeve and her father, the more I craved. It was so beautifully crafted.
Ink magic has a special place in my heart and to see it done so well had me grinning to no end.
There is so much potential for more in this world. I would happily take a sequel or a prequel.
But for now I will be satisfied with just this. February can't come soon enough. I want this book in my hands so I can relive it all over ever again. Everyone should experience the magic.
I want to sincerely thank Emily J Taylor for writing this amazing story. And of course also a thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Randomhouse for sending me the arc to end all arcs.

glittering, twisty, strong romance, unique magic, and full of really fun aspects. wouldrecommend a lot. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

"The Otherwhere Post" is a captivating blend of mystery, magic, and suspense. Maeve Abenthy’s world was shattered seven years ago when her father’s crimes ruined her life. Living under an assumed name, she receives a mysterious letter declaring, Your father was innocent. This sparks a dangerous journey to uncover the truth, leading her to the world of scriptomancy—a magic that lets couriers deliver enchanted letters to other worlds.

Maeve is a compelling protagonist: fierce, resourceful, and driven by a need to clear her father’s name. Her evolving relationship with her mentor, a secretive and enigmatic figure, adds depth and tension to the story. As Maeve digs into her father’s past, she faces increasing threats, with the stakes growing higher with each passing moment.

The world-building is rich, the plot fast-paced, and the twists keep you guessing until the very end. "Seven Years" is an enthralling read for fans of magical mysteries, emotional depth, and high-stakes adventure.

4.75 ⭐️
I absolutely loved this book! The plot and the magic system were both super unique and interesting. The world building was done super well; easy to understand and follow along. I was hooked from pretty much the first chapter. The characters were all fun and all their interactions were great. It’s been a while since I read a book and didn’t want it to end, but that’s exactly how I felt with this one. In fact my only issue with this book is that I wouldn’t have minded it being split into two so some plot points could’ve been expanded on. I thought the book was well paced, but quite a lot happens in a short period towards the end, and I would’ve enjoyed it stretched out even more. I have a feeling this book will be very popular (similarly to divine rivals; very different plots, but similar whimsical fantasy vibes). I truly had such a fun time reading this and can’t recommend it enough.

Thank you NetGalley, Putnam and.Penguin Young Adult Books for the copy that I read.

Book Rating : 3.5 Stars rounded to 4
Reader Age: Appropriate for a Middle Schooler with just a touch of mild realistic and age appropriate cussing, an excellent mystery, and very mild slow burn romance (kissing only)

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor was an original and intriguing Middle School Style Dark Academia / Romantasy read. I was a bit surprised by how slow the beginning of the book was, but with all the world building and the establishment of a very unique magical system with Scriptomancy that is needed, this pace is understandable. In this vivid and detailed book, Taylor needs to establish quite a lot of context and backstory for the reader to understand how Maeve's world operates; however, I would have enjoyed a more of an immersive presentation of all this information and to have this paced out a little more, because at some points this establishing information felt overwhelming and it caused to to break from the story to process it all. At some points, I just needed stop watching Maeve's world be created around me and begin experiencing it for myself. Although I wonder if part of this could have been my age and experience as a fantasy reader which gives me more context than a younger reader would have. However, once I was abput a thrid of th way into the book, and I was instructed into into the of Scriptomancy and the mystery behind Maeve's Father, i was able to see the value of that world building and explore Maeve's story. At that point the character development and the detailed world building came together and the book did draw me in. Again, this was a fun read that my younger self would have adored.

This was an appropriate book for a younger reader and the hints of first love and romance between Maeve and Tristan would be appropriate for that younger reader, something that I did factor into my this review and rating.

A Note About This Review: I understand that book I am reading is an early review copy, and with a little more editing and attention to early pacing, I can easily see this book being the start of an enchanting new Magical World that any reader, adult or young adult will fall into

I finished this book in 2 days because I loved it from the beginning and couldn’t put it down. Safe to say I would recommend this to any YA or adult reader who wants a dark academia/whimsy story with lovable characters.

I’m excited for this book to be released so I can discuss it with others and recommend it. Definitely a great little fantasy from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for this amazing eARC in exchange for an honest review.