Returning to the world of The Book of Doors is an absolute pleasure, and this story delivers adventure, intrigue and imagination in abundance.

A secret society in London has spent decades guarding magical artefacts, meeting quietly in the basement of a bookshop to keep both the objects and the wider world safe. When word reaches them of a powerful new item in Hong Kong, Magda Sparks is sent to investigate, setting off a thrilling chase across continents that unearths dangerous secrets and a family legacy that changes everything.

Magda is a strong and engaging lead, resourceful and determined, and the action moves with pace and energy.

The mix of mystery, magic and danger works perfectly, and the settings, from the busy streets of Hong Kong to the deep south of the United States, are vividly drawn. The story expands the scope of this world without losing the intrigue that made it so appealing in the first place.

The ending is satisfying and leaves the way open for more. A captivating and imaginative read from start to finish.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

The story:
Every 6 months, a secret society meets in the basement of a London bookshop. Their aim is to protect seemingly ordinary items that have extraordinary powers – the unknowable objects. For decades their role has been one of watching and waiting. But when bookshop owner and chair of the society Frank Simpson learns that a potentially magical item has been located in Hong Kong, newest member of the group Magda Sparks is keen to be trusted to retrieve it.

But the society is not the only one on the hunt for unknowable objects... When Magda's mission brings her face to face with a professional killer, she realises some people will stop at nothing to wield their power. But there are also secrets closer to home… What has Frank been keeping from the other members of the society? Can Magda trust him? And if not, how can she prevent the unknowable objects falling into the deadliest of hands?

My thoughts:
It was great to be back in the world of author Gareth Brown, following his very enjoyable debut last year, "The Book of Doors"! In "The Society of Unknowable Objects", we are once again in a world very like our own, but one in which magic is real. Not that most people know that – and it is the responsibility of the members of the society to keep it that way...

The society was founded 80 years ago by the parents and grandparents of the current four members, and newest member Magda only learned of its existence following the death of her mother. The society's mission is to protect magical objects from the world (and the world from magical objects). However, not all members of the group are convinced of this, and Magda would be keen to do more than keep the objects hidden away (in the very pleasing sounding Clockwork Cabinet, which is where they are kept!).

When this story begins, very little has happened in the society for many years, other than their twice-yearly meetings to chat and eat biscuits. So, when news of a magical object reaches them, Magda jumps at the chance to travel to Hong Kong to retrieve it. But once there, she runs into a very dangerous man – one who also knows all about the existence of magical objects and will stop at nothing to get back one that was stolen from him 10 years before.

I loved the characters Brown introduced to us in his first book, and once again we have a very endearing lead character here in the form of Magda. I also loved the fabulous sounding Henrietta (another member of the society), who has secrets of her own and a dislike for authority! As the story goes on, we learn more about the origin of the magical items, and I enjoyed discovering more objects and the various powers each possessed.

This is a fight between good and evil, but there are also grey areas – is it right for the society to hide these objects away where no-one can benefit from them? And what does Frank know that he is keeping from the rest of the group?

Overall, this was another great, magical adventure and we even got a cameo from one of the characters from "The Book of Doors" at the end – I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a team-up in a future book!

Having read Gareth Browns first book I was excited to get stuck into this one. This didn’t disappoint. The Society of Unknowable Objects centres around a group of four people whose purpose is to find and hide magical objects lest they fall into the wrong hands. Each member of the group is descended from or nominated by previous generations of members.

An outside holder of an unknowable object gets in touch and it sets off a sequence of events that will forever change the members lives.

I really enjoyed this book and I really like Browns writing so I will be sure to continue to read his work. I found this didn’t quite live up to his first book but it also didn’t disappoint! It was pure escapism and I would recommend it fully. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed Gareth Brown’s first novel, The Book of Doors, so I was really looking forward to his second book and I had high expectations.
I enjoyed The Society of Unknowable Objects. It has an interesting premise and believable characters. I loved the magic system the author created.
The book flowed quite nicely and had a satisfying ending; however, I didn’t find it very gripping.
It was a good read overall and I will definitely read other books by Gareth Brown.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC of this book.

Society of Unknowable Objects is every bit as captivating as Gareth Brown’s first masterpiece, The Book of Doors. It’s packed with mystery, surprises, and twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. I genuinely couldn’t put it down. Gareth’s storytelling is rich, imaginative, and utterly addictive, I found myself racing through chapters just to see what happened next. I absolutely loved it and am already eagerly waiting for book three.

As many of you know, I’m a big fan of The Book of Doors, so I went into The Society of Unknowable Objects as blind as possible. I knew it was loosely linked to Door of Doors but not a direct sequel. This didn’t disappoint. It was a magical trip of a book. It reminded me of a John Marrs novel in its fast-paced and surprising turns, though this time the twists came from magical realism rather than a tech thriller.

I loved the characters, especially the ultimate villain. He was such an enigma and very different from what I expected. The book is packed with magical surprises and a secret society whose mission is to protect us, yet it is so much more than that. It’s fast-paced, more straightforward than the first book, but also more fantastical and out there. I especially loved all the rules and the endless possible combinations that could arise from future novels in this universe. Gareth Brown has built a world that feels limitless in potential, and I’m ready for the next adventure.

An unpredictable story, well written and developed with vivid imagination. This is a novel that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The love for books and new discoveries is undeniable and fills every pages. Highly recommended.
It’s also Quokka Bookstore’s Book of the Month (Fiction) for August.

Magda Sparks has been attending the secret society meetings since her mothers death, the Society of Unknowable Objects sole purpose is to protect the world from magical objects of immense power. They are stored away in their special cabinet and Magda has only seen one when she first started attending the meetings. Frank Simpson, the oldest most knowledgable member of the society has called an emergency meeting to discuss the finding of a new artefact in Hong Kong. Magda volunteers to investigate whereupon she is plunged into a dangerous adventure where she finds not everything is as it seems. Exciting adventure but I found the ending a bit predictable

The Society of Unknowable Objects is the follow up to Gareth Brown’s debut The Book of Doors. While The Book of Doors had a series of magical books as a source of power, in the follow up magic comes from a range of magic objects. Although this is a direct sequel to The Book of Doors and the connection between the magical books and magical objects is one of the strands of this story. While no knowledge of The Book of Doors is required to enjoy this tale, it will make more sense of this connection and the final stinger.
The Society of Unknowable Objects is a group of four people based in London who protect a group of objects each with a unique magical power. Magda is brought into the society when her mother dies on a mission to recover more objects. The others are also descendants of the original members of the Society although when the book opens one has essentially quite the group. Magda is dispatched by the group to recover a magic item in Hong Kong and there runs into someone else dangerous who is also looking for object. Then it turns out there is yet another player, a person who was present at Magda’s mother’s death, who is also hunting the objects. This pressure on the group splinters them further as Magda starts to suspect that the history she has been told may not be the whole truth.
The Society of Unknowable Objects has a similar feel the previous book with plucky characters trying to stop evil forces getting hold of potentially dangerous magical items. In some ways, though, while there are twists, it has much more straightforward and linear plot. And those twists, when they come, are fairly predictable. But that does not prevent this book from being an enjoyable, page-turning adventure and a great set up for the next book in this series.

Having read Mr Brown’s first book, The Book of Doors, I was interested to read this one. His first book for me was a little slow in the beginning and coming to a great conclusion. This one started much better and just kept on giving. At times I thought it was aimed at young adults or children with the magical element and then it became a horror story. I could feel the anticipation for the ending building and it did not disappoint. I am hoping that this may be the first of a series of books about the Society! Great for anyone who loves a bit of magic and reality being suspended for a while

The book of doors was one of my favourite reads last year. When I got an invitation from Bantam to read this newest book through Netgalley I therefore didn't hesitate. I was really curious about this new story.

Where the Book of Doors was exactly the kind of book I wanted and needed at the moment, I didn't have the same click with this book. That makes sense. Like the author states in the afterword, this book is a lot more straightforward. It's also a lot more about the plot and a lot less about the growth of the characters. This book is more of an adventure story. I think that therefore most readers will eventually have a preference for one book over the other.

The pacing in this book also feels quite fast. There's a lot happening, we're getting a lot of point of view characters and there's most of all a lot of magic. I was personally hoping for some sort of connection with the book of doors and I was really happy when that connection was indeed revealed. It was almost a pity that the epilogue of the book was relatively short. I'd be really interested to read more. However, I'm sure the author can write in this world forever and ever.

What I personally missed in this book was the emotional depth and character growth. Although a lot is happening to the characters and some life lessons are learned, it's not an emotional journey. I personally think that at times the story became a little too gruesome and I'm not entirely sure if the horror elements were needed. I did like one of the last chapters of the story, though. A lot of things come together and hard choices have to be made.

Although I liked this book less than the previous book, I will keep an eye out for the next one!

Another beautifully written magical escapism. The book of doors was great, the society of unknowable objects is outstanding. A must read for fans of fantasy and magic

Loved loved loved this, loved the book of doors and this was just as good if not better, not a part I didn’t enjoy sheer genius ❤️ loved Magda and her friends and backstory and this was such a joy to read and I pray there’s another just like it soon I’d love a sequel 😜

I loved this book from page one with clever, descriptive writing. This is my second novel by this author. The character development is excellent. Brown's plot, characters and writing draws you in, holds tight and doesn't let go! This novel has atmophere, mystery, suspense, magic and murder. The protagonist, Magda Sparks, is a dedicated member of the Society along with Henrietta, known as Henry, Frank and Will. They are all members swore to protect the artefacts and keep them safe from the wrong hands. The character of Frank Simpson, owner of the book shop, has secrets he wants to keep hidden from the other members of the Society. His book shop is where all the retrived artefacts and kept safe and out of the wrong hands. Magda becomes curious about the collected artefacts and wants to learn more about them.

This is a novel you will not be able to put down and I would recommend.

I give a 4-star rating.

The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown is an urban fantasy that poses some very interesting questions about morality and power. There are some loose ties to his previous book, The Book of Doors, and readers who enjoyed that book will find plenty to like here, but this book absolutely stands on its own and easily works on its own merits.
The Society of Unknowable Objects is a secret society comprised of only four members, and it has been protecting the world against magic for years, an easy task since no new magical objects have been found in decades. Members inherit their roles, passed down from parent to child, even if at times the child is less than willing. When bookseller Frank, the longest standing member of the Society convenes an extraordinary meeting it infuriates the sceptical and introverted watchmaker Will, while author Magda hopes it means there is news of Henrietta, the fourth member of the society who vanished mysteriously a few years ago. It turns out that a new Unknowable object may have been found in Hong Kong and the Society needs to send Magda to investigate and if needs be bring the object back so it can be safely stored with the rest of the Society's collection What Magda encounters on her trip shocks and terrifies her. It seems that Frank has been keeping secrets from the rest of the Society. and now those secrets could place them all in mortal danger. It they are to have any hope then all four members will have to work together , something that at first seems impossible.
I fell in love with the premise of this book and even if I was not familiar with the author I would have been intrigued enough to pick it up, The fact that I loved The Book of Doors just cemented my excitement to read this one, and it did not disappoint. There is a great blend of action and exposition, and some truly dark and disturbing moments that take the book almost into horror territory. The fact that virtually any object could be magic is really fun to think about and leaves so much more that could be explored if the author so chooses. In some ways the book read like a magical thriller with it's cat and mouse structure and fast pace that kept me turning those pages. I did find the character of Frank to be particularly frustrating, his continuing obfuscation and reluctance to come clean to the rest of the Society got a little repetitive as the story played out. I found the discussion of the ethics of using magic to be very interesting, especially given the parallels to other, more real kinds of power.
Potential Spoilers***
I was strongly reminded of Frankenstein at some points in the book, especially in the latter part of the story, and for me it is rare to see a character who is portrayed as a villain be so sympathetic, it was incredible how well the author was able to manipulate the reader's emotion and while I was not exactly rooting for the character I was still saddened by his fate. This character is one that will stay with me, and I suspect with many other readers too.

A good book makes you think while it entertains you, and this is a really good book and one that I absolutely recommend to fans of the fantasy genre.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I read The Book of Doors recently and loved it so had high hopes for Gareth’s new release and was not disappointed!

I love how seamlessly Gareth crosses genre boundaries and includes something for everyone, this is a truly unique and enjoyable read.

After reading The Book of Doors early this year, this was one of my most anticipated reads, and I thought it was spectacular.

The way this book was woven in with The Book of Doors was brilliant. I wasn't expecting that. (Although this can still easily be read as a standalone)

I thought the world building was done so well. I really felt as though I was in the book experiencing everything alongside the characters. Whilst there were lots of characters and so much happening, I never at any point felt lost or confused.
It had the perfect amount of magical realism and mystery with a touch of creepiness. Perfect.

I’ll be honest… I think I picked this up at the wrong time. I plan to revisit this again towards the end of the year. I just don’t think I was in the mood for this.

I really struggled with the pacing of this book, it took me ages to get into this. I’m mostly a fantasy reader so the pacing wouldn’t usually bother me but I don’t know why I struggled so much with this.

For now, I’ve DNFed but plan to revisit. I really loved the authors writing style but I don’t know if this just isn’t for me or I just don’t like it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF this book at around 60%. The premise is fantastic a secretive group protecting magical, unknowable objects and the themes around the responsibility of magic are truly compelling. However, the pacing didn’t work for me. The story constantly switched between fast-paced, action-filled chapters and slow, exposition-heavy ones. This disrupted the flow and made it hard to stay engaged, even though I liked the writing style and characters.

I do plan to finish it later this year, as I’m still curious how it ends. But it’s not a book I can read in one go.

Gareth Brown was my breakout author of 2024, after I absolutely devoured his debut, The Book of Doors, which ended up being my favourite read of 2024. From the moment The Society of Unknowable Objects was announced, I couldn’t wait to dive into this new magical story from him. I was so excited to see whether it would live up to The Book of Doors for me. I went into this book with sky high expectations and he smashed each and every one. This book was absolute perfection and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I absolutely raced through it as I couldn’t put it down.

The Society of Unknowable Objects is a magical realism novel set in modern Britain but where there is magical items, such as books, necklaces and such. In this novel we are following the story of Magda, a member of The Society of Unknowable Objects, a secret society who are tasked with finding magical items and storing them somewhere safe, so they do not fall into the wrong hands. I loved learning about all of the different magical items that has been created and Magda and co’s hunt to finding them. It was so fascinating to see what sort of items people were using and what powers they would hold. I loved the idea of just a random household item being magical. I really adore books where it’s just normal life but where magic exists, it’s just that not everyone knows it.

This book is fast paced and action packed and really high stakes for a magical realism book. I don’t know if it’s just me but I tend to consider magical realism books as whimsical and really just slow paced and here for the vibes. The storyline in this book is so strong and I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I was dying to know what was going to happen. When Magda is on the hunt for a magical item, she ends up being chased by an assassin who is also after the magical items. It’s a definite race against time and I was flipping pages as fast as I possibly could. It was action packed and just honestly fantastic. The Society of Unknowable Objects is filled with secrets and twists and turns around every corner. I was gobsmacked by how incredible this book was. I couldn’t wait to see what all the secrets were when they came to light, some I guessed and some I definitely didn’t. I remember at one point messaging Gareth via Instagram to express all of my ‘what the fuck’ reactions to some of the revelations. It really was a fantastic ride reading this book.

Gareth Brown has cemented himself as a favourite author and I cannot wait to see what he writes next. While this is definitely not a series, there were little hints throughout the book that there was going to be more with these characters and I am desperate for him to turn it into a fully blown series. I loved the little nods to his first novel, The Book of Doors, and I really hope that we do end up in an interconnected series sort of situation. I’m obsessed with both books and I definitely need more. I honestly cannot recommend Gareth’s work enough. The Society of Unknowable Objects was everything I was wanting and more. I loved every word of this fantastic novel. If you’re a fan of magical realism with high stakes and a fantastic diverse cast of multi-dimensional characters, this this is a must-read. You won’t be disappointed.