Thank you so much Netgalley for this arc.

Modern divination follows Aurelia Schwartz who has spent twenty-three years maintaining the equilibrium between her carefully curated human life and the magical one that she endures in secret. When her gift of green magic begins to fade, she enters into an unexpected alliance with her dreadfully arrogant classmate and goes into hiding among a peculiar family of witches, where she discovers that the secret to their safety requires breaking the rules she has followed all her life.

This book was unexpected in the best of ways. By the synopsis alone, I knew I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't know just how much until I started reading it. And once I did, I could not put it down. That's how much of a hold this book has on me.

This book is everything academic rivals lovers dream. It was magical and mysterious and had a bit of a cozy vibe, which is always appreciated.

Modern divination was an atmospheric book. It relied quite heavily on that itself, and it was absolute perfection. It made this book so much more than it was, and it was one of the reasons why this book was so much fun to read.

Overall, I thought this book was incredible. It had such beautiful and complex characters and was an incredible tribute to fantasy.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan and Tor for the advance reader copy. These opinions are my own.

Modern Divination begins with an academia background, and I always am interested in that. Unfortunately, the setting shifted, and very little actually took place in that setting. Instead, much happened in a small town far removed from the university.

The mystery gets started early, right from the prologue. Someone is hunting witches, and we have a bit more sense of what's happening than the main character, Aurelia. But not much... At the start, I didn't know who to trust and whether the main male character was the villain, love interest, or a mix of the two. The tension was delightful.

However, once the setting changed, so did the pacing. I found the later portions of the book slow and unwieldy. It failed to keep my interest and I had to push myself to finish.

3,75⭐️

Modern Divination shines through its compelling, human, and complex character. Though I wish their rivalry was seen more on page, and even if Rory was a bit frustrating at first, I loved seeing her and Teddy work through their issues until their relationship evolved to a romantic one. The yearning was chef’s kiss!!

The prose was beautiful, and I loved how organic the dialogue was, but the book felt overwritten at times. I adored their time in the cottage, but since it’s a drop in pace from the beginning, the stakes’ urgency dwindled, especially because the actions they took to figure out who was targeting them and why were sporadic.

I found the worldbuilding too light, and the antagonist felt a bit cartoonish and was underutilized. The final encounter didn’t deliver on the tension set up by the triggering event, which is a shame because they could’ve added so much to the overarching plot.

Overall, it was a lovely, slow-paced, character-driven story, with an immersive atmosphere and perfect cottagecore vibes!!

Modern Divination is a fascinating and fresh take on the world of magic and mysticism. The blend of contemporary settings with ancient practices creates an engaging mix that feels both new and nostalgic. The characters are well-crafted, each bringing something unique to the table, and the story has a nice balance of intrigue and discovery. While the pacing is generally good, there are moments where things slow down a bit, but overall, it’s an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. If you're into stories with a touch of magic and self-discovery, this one’s definitely worth picking up!

Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian is a lush, slow-burning fantasy that blends witchcraft, academic rivalry, and aching vulnerability into a story that feels like curling up in a haunted library with a cup of tea and a secret.
The novel follows Aurelia Schwartz, a green witch and medievalist at Cambridge, whose carefully balanced life begins to unravel when her magic starts to fade, and witches begin to disappear. Forced into an uneasy alliance with her arrogant academic rival, Theodore Ingram, Aurelia finds herself hiding in a remote cottage with his eccentric witch family, where secrets simmer and feelings grow dangerously tender.
This is not a high-octane fantasy - it’s a character-driven, atmospheric tale that leans into dark academia and cottagecore aesthetics. The romance is all slow-burn tension, stolen glances, and emotional unravelling. The magic system is subtle but intriguing, and the writing is often lyrical, though occasionally dense.
If you’re looking for action-packed plot twists, this might feel languid. But Modern Divination will cast a spell on you if you love found family, rivals-to-lovers dynamics, and stories where the real magic is emotional intimacy.
Perfect for fans of Divine Rivals, The Atlas Six, or anyone wanting to fall in love in a crumbling manor full of secrets and spells.

This book slapped me with “how do you even know what’s real?” energy and refused to let go. We follow a tarot-reading witch, hovering between conspiracy mess and surreal mystic buzz. The imagery is absolutely *trippy*—phone screens bleeding into dreams, tarot cards that feel like your personal haunt playlist, and prophesies that smack you harder than your morning espresso. It’s fresh, unnerving, and packed with cosmic whispers and demonic footnotes, practically daring you to keep turning pages at 2 a.m.

But let’s get messy: the writing flips into abstract mode so often I needed a second cup of coffee just to stay grounded. Some twists felt like “surprise, here’s another layer” without enough payoff, leaving me scratching my head instead of leaning in. A few characters pop in, drop one-liner spells, and vanish—blink and they’re gone. Yet, despite the occasional brain-fry and dropped threads, the overall vibe stays magnetic. It’s like staring into a tarot deck on acid—confusing, addictive, and you might get lost, but damn if it isn’t entertaining.

**Verdict:** A wild, dreamy trip into witchy conspiracies and modern mystic mess—brilliant when it lands, bewildering when it doesn’t. Bring your metaphysical toolkit and an open mind (and maybe a snack), because it’s one hell of a ride.

Aurelia is a witch and she can make anything grow she has spent her life hiding her skills.
Her friend Magda is killed and she is offered help by her enemy/rival Theodore (Teddy).
She goes with him for the holidays as he says she will be safe there.
I found the book a bit slow and at times.
I did like Teddy and Aurelia's relationship and the plot but it took me a while to get into it.
I persevered but I'm still not entirely sure what I thought. I didn't love it.
I like a book to grab me and it didn't.
I am not sure I would have finished it if it hadn't been for the review to Netgalley and the publisher.
Thank

I read the original indie pub version, and the traditional pub version is even better! Teddy and Aurelia are two of my favorite characters in modern fantasy/romantasy, and I am hopeful that a sequel is in the offing. Come for the gothic, moody and unique magic system, stay for the witty banter and relationship between the two main characters!

“Because I like it when you’re mean. I think that’s when I like you best.”

Calling all my academic rivals to lovers and slow burn fans. Meet Aurelia Schwartz and Theodore Ingram. Or Schwartz and Ingram as they bitingly refer to each other. These two LOATHE each other. But when a classmate is murdered at an academic party, Ingram convinces Schwartz to escape to a small town with him where he says they’ll be safe.

Why do they need to hide out? Oh because they are also witches. And the killer on the loose is a deranged witch who is killing other witches for their power.

While I went into this one thinking it would be more focused on why this bad witch was doing very bad things, the whole focus on the book was Teddy and Rory and how they maybe, actually don’t despise each other and how they maybe, actually might be in love.

If you’re a plot driven reader, this is not the book for you. If you love character driven books and are fans of slow burn (like sssllllloooooowwwww burn) and yearning (so. much. yearning.) then this book is for you!

“We’ve spent so long hiding behind our indifference that I’m not even sure I know how it feels to say yes to you.”

The payoff when Teddy and Rory finally get their sh*t together is incredible… but it took way too long for my liking. I do think this book would be excellent on audio. The writing is gorgeous but I found my brain wandering at times when eyeball reading it.

Thank you @panmacmillan for the #gifted eARC of MODERN DIVINATION. The rerelease of MODERN DIVINATION is out now!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7529254155
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Modern Divination reads as if the writing of Divine Rivals was mixed with an occult dark academia. These two were so oblivious head over heels for each other but refused to admit it to themselves; watching them slowly fall in love was beautiful.

Modern Divination is a urban fantasy set in a world where witches live secretly among humans. The story follows academic rivals Aurelia and Theodore Ingram, who get dragged into a dangerous mystery after a fellow witch-classmate is murdered in plain sight.

Despite distrust and bruised egos, Aurelia teams up with Ingram to hide in a nameless town but danger lurks closer than they realize. As they grow closer, they’re forced to confront not just the killer but their own emotional baggage—risking their lives and Ingram’s found family along the way.

The writing is undeniably beautiful—poetic, with some stunning lines and descriptions. But… it wasn’t as immersive as it could’ve been. The narrative felt murky, and the plot harder to follow than the premise suggested. Perspective shifts had no clear markers, leading to confusion and constant rereading (not the fun kind). Some scenes felt like they were missing half the info needed to fully get them. Writing alone can’t save a story if I have to work this hard to understand what’s happening.

The characters are complex and flawed and it took forever for them to develop, I'm not much concerned about that looking at that age being 23 but Aurelia and Ingram spend half the book headbutting over a petty rivalry (he said something bad about her to an ex? what exactly? I still have no clue!) and class resentment.

Aurelia’s bitterness over Ingram’s wealth and privilege felt childish at times. But I liked her more once she started seeing the real him beneath the snark and money. Her growth when living with Ingram’s found family -Gemma and her daughter, Louisa was satisfying—until neither she nor Ingram could communicate their feelings like adults (again they are 23 and maybe they're learning to be adults).

Ingram starts off more sensible, but once he falls for Aurelia, Emotional chaos ensue. I admired his love for his found family, but his grudge against his parents felt underexplained—his stepmother was cold, sure, but his father clearly cared and loved him and so his unwillingness to their hep felt unjustified. Also, his weird assumption that Aurelia wasn’t interested in a real relationship? Ugh. The last third of the book spiraled into lack of proper communication central.

Secondary characters? Mostly undercooked. Kenny’s (Gemma’s son and Ingram’s lover) death and Ingram's guilt and self-blame over it when he wasn't even their at the time of his death felt vague and confusing. While I liked Gemma, her disappearing randomly when danger looms, leaving her 7-year-old behind, makes zero sense and it is loose end that wasn’t tied by the end. Alaraic is caretake of witches, apparently part of some elite group in the witch world… but we never really learn what that means or how that system works.

Leona, the villain, is introduced mid-book with little backstory beyond “power-hungry bad witch.” She didn’t felt that dangerous and that motivation doesn’t add up.

My biggest issue? The world-building and key plot points felt half-baked. There’s barely a proper introduction to the witch world, leaving so many blanks for the reader to fill in. Critical events were murky and underexplained. Like, that climax and fight with Leona— it was a total blur. What spell did Ingram cast? Where did the flames come from if he’s supposedly bad at common magic? I was left flipping pages trying to piece it together.

And the emotional resolution was frustratingly incomplete. They didn’t talk things out, didn’t fully resolve anything—it just fizzled. I wanted to love this bittersweet, no-HEA ending, but too many loose ends robbed it of impact.

Overall, Modern Divination could have been stunning—a beautiful, bittersweet, dark urban fantasy—but it needed tighter plotting, clearer world-building, and fewer narrative gaps.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I feel like this is a book for people who enjoyed Addie LaRue and other slow-paced, slow-burn novels of that ilk. While I was engaged by the narrative enough to finish, there were definitely times where I wished it would hurry up and get to the point! Also I saw a couple of the twists coming a mile off. Not bad, just not my cup of tea.

I liked this book quite a bit. I loved the world building, the characters, and nearly everything else in between!!

DNFed at 60%

I think this one just wasn't for me. My expectations definitely did not fit what this book actually is - there's a murder mystery, but it's more setting for the conversations the leads have and the changes in their relationship. There's academia in that they're both at Cambridge, but only for a few chapters, and then it's not really central to anything. The 60% I read was mostly circular conversations and repetitive internal monologues in a writing style far too overwritten for my taste. I lost patience with it when the author made a metaphor about the love interest's coat settling around him as he sat down on a train.

I quite liked this book. It's definitely a slower read than most fantasies I usually read, as it does take a large part of the book before the pacing picks up, but I did enjoy the relationship between Rory and Teddy, and I do like the exploration of grief's many forms. Overall, it was enjoyable, and I would read something else written by Isabel.

Aurelia Schwartz is an ambitious student pursuing Medieval History at Cambridge University. But she is not the only top student in her department, as there is one other person who seems to constantly be in her way: Theodore Ingram. Their distance from each other is forced to be smaller however when one of their classmates gets murdered during a department party.

A new tentative alliance is formed between them as they address the one topic that Aurelia had hoped no one would find out about – her green magic. No longer in the academic setting and safe refuge of her apartment and roommate, Aurelia is now whisked away to a small cottage town to hide with Theo’s other family. It offers Aurelia a glimpse of Theo that she would have never encountered otherwise. And her absolute resentment toward him starts to trickle away, making her wonder why she even hated him in the first place.

I am enamored with the author’s style of writing. At times it can feel disconnected or distracting but when it snaps in place it can be so intricate and charming (wait till you see the way our broody boy Theo speaks). Modern Divination is very much a character-driven type book. And although I normally have a lot more difficulty completing books with more vibes than plot, Isabel is able to convince me to just be in the quiet, cozy, and autumnal moment. As much as I did not like Aurelia in the beginning with her insecurities and personal projection toward Theo, I did appreciate seeing her flawed portrayal and her growing with her vulnerabilities as she becomes more comfortable around him.

There are a few things I am conflicted with the book. One is how intangible the villain feels. For someone who is behind the violence and puts the situation at such high stakes, I was kind of disappointed with how underwhelming her encounter was and how it was resolved toward the end. I’m also not sure I agree with [redacted]’s disappearance based on her strong family values. I have a lot of lingering questions with how the magic system functions and with Theo’s family history and witch lore. But needless to say I am immensely curious about book two and perhaps the answers lie there.

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for the arc!

I really enjoyed this book! Modern Divination is a dark academia fantasy that will forever be my favorite kind of fantasy. Aurelia Schwartz is a witch with green magic, she can make anything grow, however her powers are waning, and she isn’t sure why. When her academic rival, Theodore Ingram, helps keep her safe during an event where a fellow student is murdered, Aurelia isn’t sure what is happening or why Ingram is helping her.

The book is a slow-burn romance and a bit slow-moving in the middle, but once the action picks up again, it’s worth the wait. Aurelia and Teddy are forced to work together and deal with the push and pull of their relationship. This book will appeal to all dark academia and romantasy lovers!

Modern Divination by Isa Agajanian is complex and emotional, especially the thorny relationship between Aurelia and Theodore. Each character is stubborn and careful, each in unique ways and when they must help each other with the person hunting them, that relationship gets even more complex and emotions rise.
I love how the world is built, in particular the secrecy of the witches with their gifts and how that magic is written. The details of the story weaves a spell, engrossing the reader in the narrative much like Aurelia coming to know Theodore and his family, as the bonds of affection begin to affect her even as both of them try to hunt down their hunter. The relationship and the magic is visceral and powerful. The ending sets up more to come even as it leaves the reader’s appetite whetted for more of the world and the relationship.
If you like stories of witches and magic, of emotions and love, this novel is for you. It is complex and emotional with an ending that doesn’t leave everything tied up in a nice neat bow for readers. While I like a happy ending, I also like that the author resisted the urge to have everything be perfectly ended. That dynamic adds to the complexity of the story. And there are some wonderfully visceral scenes between Aurelia and Theodore that will get right under your skin. While the ending is bittersweet in ways, I can’t wait to read more of the characters and the world.

Modern Divination
Isabel Agajanian
3.5⭐️

SYNOPSIS:
Aurelia Schwartz has always had to carefully balance her human life with her secret magical one. With a place at Cambridge university, she almost has everything she wants. Aurelia's gift of green magic is starting to fade. Worse still someone is hunting witches and stealing their powers. Reluctantly Aurelia needs help of a fellow witch - and dreadfully arrogant classmate - Theodore Ingram. Together they seek refuse in the remote corners of a desolate town. But as she grows closer to Theodore, the power-hungry, witch-killer draws ever nearer.

THOUGHTS:
I enjoyed this one, I really liked both Aurelia & Theodore and the relationship between them and how it grew throughout the book. It definitely felt like a rivals to lovers done right. I did feel that book felt a little too long for what actually happened (not too much), but I really enjoyed the atmosphere, it felt very autumnal England - and to me that is the best time of year.

Modern Divination delivers on atmosphere and character interplay, offering a cosy, tea-steeped journey through academic halls and hidden magical enclaves. Yet its structural inconsistencies, underexplored magic system, and uneven pacing limit its impact. For readers drawn to reflective fantasies and slow-burn romances, there is much to admire here; for those seeking a tightly woven mystery or fully fleshed mystical lore, the novel may feel unfinished.