As someone who enjoyed The Book of Doors, I was so excited to see the author come out with another book this year. This one has a very different vibe than Book of Doors, in my opinion, but if you were a reader who enjoyed the magical realism aspect of The Book of Doors, you will not be disappointed.

I adored this book. I loved Brown's first book, The Book of Doors. I"m so excited to say this one is just as excellent, if not more. A really entertaining, big-world read, and I adored the concept of these magical objects out there. Really loved every single character, which was drawn so well. Just so excited for everyone else to read this book and can't wait for more from Brown!

Thank you Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for my opinion.

Magda is a member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, a society dedicated to the protection of wonderful magical things. The society is small and meets only twice a year and during her time no new object have surfaced, until now. And Frank, the head of the society has tasked Magda with tracking down the object!

The premise f this book is intriguing! Magic realism always get me. I think this book starts off really well and I was invested in hat was going on. However, I do feel like it was a little sluggish in a few areas before it really picked up again. But overall I really enjoyed this. I know that Gareth Brown is an author I will be following very closely!

Thanks for the ARC!

3.75 stars. Almost 4 for sure. I loved that this ended up being set in the Book of Doors world. Should I have known before?

This book was slowing going at first. The character interactions seemed fake and forced and I was tempted to DNF initially but it felt cozy and magical so I kept going. The characters did seem a little flat. They were each almost too specific, and made me think they were like puzzle pieces that were fit into place just to make it work. Finding out about "The Book" was very exciting though and gave me a second wind. I loved The Book of Doors. I will continue to read this series if more books about books keep coming.

i've had so much fun with this book. it's cozy and international and jaunty with a fun premise. i feel like the author has a great handle on story sequencing and world building and am excited to see him continue to hone his craft. looking forward to his next work.

Wow! 4.5 stars. I actually had not read The Book of Doors before reading this one and was attracted purely based on the book description. I was so pleasantly surprised with this book and devoured it in just about a day!

It read like a fun fantasy action movie - fast-paced, exciting twists, and compelling characters (good and bad). I often found myself so excited about what would happen next that my eyes would wander ahead a few lines. The magic system is fairly simple and easy to understand, but magic was used both creatively and judiciously. It was of course central to the plot, but not so complicated that it was hard to understand.

Gareth Brown has a compelling writing style that keeps you on your toes. I will admit that I'm not that type that usually picks up on too much foreshadowing, but I truly could not predict what was going to happen next - just twist after twist! The story concludes itself well without giving you so many clues along the way that it spoils the ending.

There were a few instances where the main character made decisions that frustrated me and a couple of convenient plot holes where it seemed like simpler solutions could've been employed by the characters, but nothing egregious to the point where I was annoyed. Overall, it was exactly what I wanted - a fun story with believable characters and creative use of magic. I'd highly recommend this if you like modern-world magic or need a thrilling palette cleanser.

This was such a unique and engaging story, I could not put it down! The characters are complex, the writing style pulls you in, and the ending was such a surprise! I always here good things about books by Gareth Brown and I am so glad I started with this bad boy.

This is a great mystery book with action and a different magic system! There's a secret society and multi-POV, good and evil and consequences! Add this to your TBR!

Absolutely amazing! I was entralled with the story from page one and couldnt put it down. I didn't expect any less from this author!

And yet again, another unputdownable book from Gareth Brown.

There’s something about his writing style that hooks me from the first sentence and his second book hit just like the first.

Engaging story, complex characters, a surprise ending, this has everything you need & love in a great book. Highly, highly recommended and I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.

Just stepping foot back into the world Gareth Brown has created, just feels like coming home. I was so excited for another book by the author of Book of Doors. Gareth writes magic in such a believable way I find myself nodding my head in agreement on how things play out in the book. Would I have ever thought that was the direction something was going? No. However, the way he writes it, I feel like, but of course, that’s how it is supposed to go. I enjoyed this book so much and it lived up to all the hype of his first for me. I cannot wait to read whatever Gareth has in store next.

"The Society of Unknowable Objects" is a thrilling globe-spanning adventure with a relatable and engaging cast of characters and a simple yet effective magic system. I enjoyed Garth Brown's writing style, and the story keeps me hooked until the end!

For people that want mystery and action tied together in a wonderful story!

I wanted to thank Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gareth Brown, and William Morrow for allowing me access to the e-arc.

4.75 stars

I devoured this book! It was such a fun and binge-able read. The magic system was not like anything I had read before. I’m a sucker for a secret society. I loved that we got different POVs that added to the story. The exploration of what truly is good and evil was very interesting. It showed that not everything is so cut and dry. We have to live with the consequences of the choices that we make. I would have loved more discussions of grief. But regardless I loved this book. I can’t wait to buy a copy. I highly recommend it!

I did not read the prequel (of sorts, the main character (I think) pops up in the end of the book) but this wasn't particularly well written. The main character is a Mary Sue cardboard cut out who lucks in and out of every situation. There was a lot of exposition for a world that could have been made a lot more interesting. Having characters provide letters that explain things is the laziest writing technique and I would not suggest this book to anyone. Also, the title is stupid. Eventually you KNOW what the object is.

High praise for the creativity the author used for the magical items in the book. They were unique and fun to read about. Unfortunately, the items were more interesting than the characters. It took longer than usual for me to finish this book, which tells me it did not grasp me the way other books have. I was looking for more depth from fewer characters. Also, some of the story came across as too dry for my tastes.

I think others may enjoy it more than I did, so I would recommend it.

Magda is in a secret society that protects powerful enchanted objects, each with unique magical abilities. When tasked with retrieving a rook from Hong Kong, she finds herself caught in a world of mystery, danger and hidden magic. Led by Frank, the society is determined to keep these artifacts out of the wrong hands.

Filled with intrigue, friendship, and wonder, this book proves to be an even more compelling read than its predecessor!

While I loved Gareth Brown's novel The Book of Doors, this one just didn't grab me. I found Magda very annoying from the beginning, and none of the characters really made me care about what happened to them. It also felt like a much longer book than it needed to be. It started to get interesting about 80% through, which is much too long to wait in my opinion. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I think Gareth Brown's storytelling/writing style just does not work for me. Once again, as with The Book of Doors, I was immediately drawn to the gorgeous cover, the provocative title, and the intriguing blurb. Once again, the book started with a bang and drew me in immediately, only to find my interest slowly flagging as the pages progressed. Once again, about a quarter of the way in I found myself forcing each page turn... It is very frustrating and do not know what it is exactly, but something about his writing just doesn't connect with me as a reader. The concepts are fabulous and again, I cannot say enough good things about the gorgeous cover art, but the execution falls flat for me every time...

The storyline of this book was so intriguing. I completely ate it up and felt like I was there watching everything unfold. The world building and detail is absolutely phenomenal. The magic was creative and easy to follow. I enjoyed following Magda on her journey and her passion for protecting the magical objects whilst learning about the history of the secret society and going through every emotion along with her

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this ARC!
Publishing on Aug 12, 2025

3.75

The Book of Doors is one of my top reads from the last couple of years so I was very excited when I saw that The Society of Unknowable Objects was coming out. I was very pleasantly surprised when, upon reading, finding out that the stories are interconnected. Love that!

This author has a particular talent for writing antagonists. In both books I have been truly disturbed by these characters he's created. Bone-chilling bad guys. The detail of characters feeling physically sick or uncomfortable when they look at Lukas, I felt it myself. Exemplary character work, really.

As far as concepts go, I really enjoy exploring this one. The magic is intriguing and I love seeing it in action and how it manifests in the world. I have mixed feelings though, because of all of the possibilities I found myself feeling that if the magical objects had been used a little more effectively it would have improved things. Perhaps there needs to be more of a real consequence to deter the items being used as anything but a last resort. Besides just the conscientiousness of the society members I mean.

I'm intrigued about the soul/wing aspect. Is this going to be further explored in subsequent books?

I liked this book quite a bit, and it read fast once I got into it. It was very good. But I liked every aspect of The Book of Doors just a little bit more. Will definitely still be recommending to customers and followers and I am very interested in this author's future works, especially if it's connected to this same world!

Thanks for the opportunity to read this early!

The Society of Unknowable Objects focus on a group of individuals who meet monthly to protect a cache of magical objects. The magical objects can grant all kinds of power to people who possess them, so the society works to make sure they remain out of use and out of the hands of those who would use the power for evil. But when a new "unknowable object" is discovered in Hong Kong, Magda, the newest and youngest member of the society, goes to fetch it. And then things go wrong...

I enjoyed the unique magic system in this book and the main character. However, the pacing was off to me at times - sometimes it was slow, but other times, I felt like I could barely keep up. I do think the book pushed beyond just fun fantasy though, as it forced the reader to think about moral questions that the story and the main characters grappled with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this gifted eARC in exchange for my honest review.