Really enjoyed the academic texts mixed with the general story - it's always fun to get something different in books, and it reminded me of author Emily Wilde's books (which I also enjoyed!).

Slow, sometimes creepy, very autumnal, and a little bit of romance in the mix too. (Although honestly I would have loved more romance).

Not for everyone but definitely something I enjoyed. More details to come closer to publication!

A magical World within our world where everyone can access Magic, if you can learn how.
Cella has left magic behind and wants nothing to do with that world, until Max reappears in her life asking her to come back home and help him unravel a mystery. A girl is dead and the killer looks possessed. Cella and Max team up to figure out what happened at the Seinford and Brow College of the Three Arts before the school year is over and Danika has to pay for what she did. Somehow, without knowing this girl Cella feels connected with this case and refuses to stop until she finds an answer.
There is magic, there is romance, there is miscommunication ( the feeling that if the characters were honest with each other their life’s would be immensely easier) and my favourite part of the book there is a cult , yes your read right., and secret society with thousands of year behind it.
I’ll be honest here, I had a hard time getting into it, and Cella is annoyingly blind to how her actions affect others, also she lives with this incredibly heavy guilt that at some point becomes a little bit too much. I loved that is focused more on the why things are happening rather than the who is behind everything. And I wish that the fungus research had more space on the page. But overall it was an enjoyable read. I don’t know how easy would it be to read on a physical book because it does have a lot of footnotes so there is that aspect to consider.

Thank you to Netgalley, Molly O'Sullivan, and Kensington Publishing for providing me with this Arc.

I am afraid this one fell a little... no, quite flat. It started slow, and then I thought, let me give this a chance because it sounds new/ different.

Sadly, I regret it. There was no part of this story and the way it was written that pulled me in. Every chapter was a constant "telling" situation from Cella. She woke up this. She did that. She saw this. I get that she is trying to solve something, but in no way was this intriguing enough as a mystery goes.

I am very disappointed with how flat the magic system felt. One reason I was excited is that it wasn't the typical fairy world magic and whatnot; this was new, and I was ready and willing to learn about it. I understood nothing, and even if I did, it was...boring?

I hate having to criticise a book like that, but it truly is how I feel. Sometimes the main character doesn't do it for me, so I turn to the side characters, and what about those in the book? Flat again.

The plot was pretty straightforward forward, but in my opinion interrupted by Cella and the way she is constantly explaining something, going into her head.

I had the wonderful opportunity to read an advanced copy of this debut. A huge thank you to the author and Net Galley!

'The Book of Autumn' is not only a debut but a refreshing debut filled with academic-style texts and as someone who has been in the field of science all his life, reading this story was very remindful of the days where I enjoyed writing academic papers. And to merge both the academic-style and storytelling in this manner was very invigorating.

Against an autumn backdrop, the vibe was really nice and creepy at times. A total slow-burn page turner reminiscent of stories like The Conjuring or even The Exorcist.

For anyone looking for a great book for this year's Autumn/Halloween season, you really want to add this to your reading list.

It's pretty rare that I DNF a book that indicates a witchy, autumnal, dark academia vibe, but man, I just could not get this one to hit. Might give it a shot again as an audiobook if/when that happens.

Ooh how I wanted to love this book. I’ll clarify that I was so intrigued by the concept - as an autumn enthusiast who adores a spellbinding read, especially one promising dark academia vibes, I expected to come away from this read with a new-found favourite.

There were positives: I really like the format. Written as a research paper (similar to the Emily Wilde series, which is literary perfection) I enjoyed the footnotes and that a debut novel put so much effort into doing something that isn’t often done.
I think we can also all agree that the cover and title are glorious.
What I struggled with was that it felt very written, as debut novels often do. There was information stuffing and it just lacked the depth I was hoping for… I’m put off books by obvious tropes. Max and Cella’s relationship was slow-burn, which is a positive, but I never really felt that invested.

I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy of this book, so I'll be reading and evaluating that instead!

Try as she might, anthropologist Marcella Gibbons can't escape the fact that she's a dimidium, one half of a formidable pair of Magicians, forever tied together to enable the other's powers. After a tumultuous final year at Seinford and Brown College of Agriculture (and Magic) in rural New Mexico, Cella felt more than a little uneasy about returning to the sun-drenched desert campus ever again. She'd cut ties with her other half—the charming and rugged rancher Max Middlemore—and sworn off Magic, academia, and heartache for good.

The Book of Autumn promised a dark academia murder mystery with a struggling romance to feed that love story need. It offers a unique format in that the narrative is littered with diary entries, religious texts and footnotes (an academic research paper). But, unfortunately for me this just didn't hit the mark.

I was promised magic, but felt that until the last 25% I didn't really get any, and at that point it was almost blindsiding. I also felt that the mystery wasn't unravelling how I expected it to, and not in a good way. Unfortunately, I also really struggled with the pacing on this one.

It wasn't one for me, but I can see that it will definitely appeal to some dark academia fans!

My first time reading this author. The cover art is beautiful and the premise sounded intriguing, but unfortunately, the writing did not live up to my expectations. Although the main characters were in their late 20's, they were very immature and it seemed geared toward a teen audience? The mystery was awkwardly handled and the paranormal/magical elements not completely explained.

When I first heard about this book, the concept and tropes sounded so promising! Unfortunately, it fell a bit short in the execution. I really enjoyed the unique formatting and the way the story was told—it definitely kept things interesting. But it was frustrating how uncooperative the characters were during the investigation. It felt like it dragged things out unnecessarily. I was also really looking forward to diving into the magic system, but it took a long time for that aspect to actually show up in the plot, which left me a little disappointed. All in all, it was a solid read, just not a standout for me.

Thank you Kensington and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

At first glance, The Book of Autumn looked like it might be a cozy fantasy/mystery read—but by the end of chapter one, I was getting some delicious horror vibes: possession, whispered voices, a desert college for magical study, and a former dimidium pair (magically bonded academic partners) forced back together to solve a deadly mystery.

Set in an alternate version of New Mexico where magic is taught like any other science, this book blends fantasy mystery with spookiness and a hint of romance. The world building is immersive, especially the detail spent on philosophy and history - the author clearly put time into their research which then informed the fantastical bent given to things with roots in the real world (I’m always a sucker for this kind of depth).

The story is told as a formal report with footnotes, marginalia, and other narrative interjections. While I liked the concept (especially the glimpses into the broader magical world), the constant flipping for footnotes sometimes interrupted the flow more than it enriched it.

Cella is a compelling lead—guarded, self-critical, and clearly carrying grief and trauma beyond what’s on the surface. Her dynamic with Max is complicated, and while there are some charged moments between them, their romance could have been better developed. Their emotional reckoning comes late and doesn't get quite enough space to feel fully satisfying. If you're here for romantasy, just know it's very light on the romance.

Still, the mood is excellent. If you enjoy spooky academic mysteries with big questions about power, legacy, and grief—and like your magic systems built with care—this one delivers. There’s a strong twist late in the book, and even if it didn’t all land perfectly for me, I stayed intrigued throughout. This is a thoughtful, eerie magical mystery that may appeal to fans of Ninth House or Blood Over Brightwater. Just don’t expect a romance front and center.

CW: referenced suicide, possession

Mia moved halfway across the country to escape the memories of her brother’s untimely death and her broken relationship with her magical partner. However, a mystery and a young woman in danger draw her back to the red soil of New Mexico and the school she hoped to never see again.
“The Book of Autumn” has a wonderful premise of dark academia paired with the somewhat unusual stylings of an academic paper, complete with footnotes and journal entries. The imagery of the book is beautiful, and the author does a fantastic job of creating atmosphere. And the setting of a dark, magical academy in the desert of New Mexico is not only well-written, it’s a refreshing change from the dim forest of most academia novels.
Mia, as a protagonist, is a fairly well-rounded and developed character. Her partner, Max, however, feels a bit flat and leans heavily into the trope of the handsome cowboy. Their relationship has great chemistry, and the author does a great job of leading the reader into the trouble that divided them without giving it all away at the start. As the reader, you begin to root for them to find one another again.
The magic system of this book feels incomplete. There’s no real explanation of how or why people have magical abilities. And, truthfully, there’s very little actual magic in the book. The primary characters are expected to solve the mysteries occurring at the school, but are given very little to work with, are stymied at every turn, and the reader is left wondering why they were chosen for this task in the first place.
In the end, the book wraps up nicely, and the author does a commendable job of tying up many loose ends. It's a fun read and kept me engaged. I believe the author has the skills to create good work, and I look forward to seeing what she creates in the future.

A thrilling magical mystery! A deep exploration of grief, loss, and family ties set in a magical murder mystery.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. The story was good; the pace was a bit slow for ny taste, I could not finish in one or two sittings. Details were a bit much and could be organized better. No mispellings within the text. The color palette of the cover could be better. I dont know what to change but something was missing. Thanks

Reading this book I almost had whip lash from the various pacing throwing me around. At times the pace was hectic and then we slammed on the breaks and jumped ship to another spot, in another area. Resulting in the reader - Me - flicking back and forth between the pages.

If you are reading on a e-reader this book and the very important footnotes (which also jump around erratically at times) are difficult and cumbersome to read. Without reading the footnotes you may feel that there are massive plot holes across the story. The footnotes are diary style writting on this book was at times a distraction and took away from the storyline that was desperatly trying to find it's way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the eARC! As always, in exchange, I’m offering my honest review.

The Book of Autumn is a moody, genre-blending debut with undeniable atmosphere and a structure that alternates between clever and chaotic. Set at a college for magic tucked into the mesas of New Mexico, the story follows anthropologist Marcella “Cella” Gibbons, reluctantly reunited with her ex, Max, for a murder investigation tied to their shared past and their unusual magical bond as “dimidium,” two halves of a single magical unit.

The book is presented through a patchwork of academic papers, footnotes, journal entries, and field notes. This literary collage evokes the scholastic chaos of Ninth House and Babel. While this approach adds texture and fits the dark academia tone, it occasionally undermines momentum. Footnotes, in particular, range from illuminating to intrusive, sometimes breaking the emotional thread of a scene for the sake of exposition or quirk.

O’Sullivan’s greatest strengths are her sense of place and her willingness to grapple with complex themes: grief, mental illness, institutional complicity, and the difficulty of returning to spaces that once defined you. The New Mexico setting feels richly imagined, rooted in both myth and realism, and there are glimmers of brilliance in how she ties magical theory to broader philosophical questions.

But the book struggles to balance its ambition. The mystery at the heart of the narrative unfolds unevenly, with revelations that feel either telegraphed or abruptly delivered. The magic system is intriguing in concept, object-based, metaphysical, and vaguely animist, but is repeated often without deepening our understanding. As a result, it becomes more opaque than immersive.

Cella herself is a prickly, grief-haunted protagonist, and I appreciated her cynicism and internal conflict. However, her decisions often feel reactive rather than character-driven. Max, meanwhile, lacks the emotional texture needed for a second-chance romance. Their chemistry never quite sparks, and his dismissiveness toward Cella’s past trauma, particularly surrounding her brother’s suicide, undercuts the arc of reconciliation the story seems to aim for.

Still, The Book of Autumn is a compelling debut with a strong aesthetic and a distinctive narrative voice. If you are drawn to fragmented storytelling, dark academia, and melancholy magic, this may resonate more fully than it did for me. I am interested to see where O’Sullivan goes next, especially if future works allow her ideas to breathe without quite so much scaffolding.

I was pretty bored reading this. The over the top unnecessary descriptions of every tiny detail give JRR Tolkien a run for his money. I liked how it wasn't your average run of the mill fantasy book and there was a murder mystery that needed solving, but the FMC was too whiny and also pretty dumb sometimes.

4.5 ⭐

The novel was really captivating; it had a compelling plotline and enough mystery and intrigue to keep you engaged. However, the magic aspect of the felt almost nonexistent because it is only ever mentioned in passing and rarely ever demonstrated, but that does not impact the story too much in my opinion.

The romance was the only qualm I had about the book. There was no chemistry between the characters, and from an outsider's perspective, you would not even be able to tell that they were exes. I think the story could have been much more impactful had they been platonic soulmates or best friends, given their history.

But all in all, fantastic read and something to look forward to in the fall.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing an early proof in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advance copy of this book, it's always a pleasure ❤️

I've never read anything from Molly O'Sullivan, I was captured from the title and the cover, must admit that and I think I was gonna expecting a very different book, when we said as a matter of fact "don't judge a book from the cover" I guess is really really true ahahah
However, I approached the book with a blank mind, because I was thinking to be as objective as I could on this to be the most honest I could

The story is captivating from the beginning to the middle of the story, more or less. It follows Cella and Max who are linked together by a magical bond

The plot was easy to follow, the writing style also easy even for me that I'm not a native English reader, so this is a really good point about this book. Also, the plot has a really great mix of tropes, and some of them like the dark academia or the murder mystery happens to be two of my favorite tropes in stories

The point is: both the protagonists, Max and Cella, are impossibly stupid. And I was so frustrated with their choices because, cmon how can a person be THAT stupid? And that's was my biggest issue with the story, because that makes me lose interest in the character and their development

This book has a ton of potential, the structure is creative, interesting and possibly really captivating but something didn't work out, something didn't clicked in the right way

Even tho, I was invested and I've completed the reading, I was happy but not *fully* happy, you know?
I'd recommend it because it's a good debut novel, the author has GREAT potential so I hope she's gonna continue to write and make her to her true best, she deserve it!

Thank you again for the ARC ❤️

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the advance copy of The Book of Autumn in exchange for my unbiased honest review. As always, it is a pleasure.

All I had to see was "for fans of Olivie Blake" and I was fully invested and I can see where the comparison was made, in theory.

The story follows Cella and Max, who are forever linked together by a strange magical bond. They had previously gone their separate ways, when Max returns asking for Cella's help. The story follows the two as they navigate an investigation into a string of murders tied to their past, all while trying to mend their fractured relationship.

The story is unique in that there's a curious mix of tropes happening simultaneously. It's dark academia, fantasy, murder mystery and a touch of cowboy romance. It was a lot going on, but they actually all worked really well together. I loved the blur of genres and the originality of the story. Very cool. I also had never read a book set in New Mexico, which gave the whole thing a fresh and intriguing element.

The plot is consistent and easy to follow, supported by prose that is also very straightforward. I think where the Atlas Six comparison comes in is in the structure of the writing, which reads like the plotting of a research paper. Admittedly, the choice was distracting at first, however, I eventually found I settled into a rhythm, which helped the read flow more easily.

The book has a ton of great potential, as the bones are really creative and interesting, but isn't all the way giving what I felt was promised. Although magic is supposed to be a central theme, it is strangely absent from a large portion of the book. Likewise, Cella and Max are both frustratingly obtuse and Max, in particular, lacks the charm you'd hope for in a romantic lead. Neither character feels fully fleshed out, which for me, weakened my buy-in and the emotional stakes of the plot. I found myself wishing for all the mores... more magic, more romance, or just more concise depth to propel the story forward.
Ultimately, the book has a ton of things going for it and I did enjoy the read, I just wished for a bit more exploration of the bigger themes and character arcs.