I tried I really did. But the story line seemed foggy and not clear path to story line. Way too many different mystical fantasy side notes but trying to stay relevant in normal world. This could have been three different books honestly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for the digital advanced copy of The Book of Autumn by Molly O’Sullivan. This review reflects my honest thoughts and opinions.

Marcella—Cella—has spent years running from her past: grieving the loss of her younger brother, nursing a broken heart, and grappling with the hazy memories of her final year at Seinford and Brown College of Agriculture and Magic. Once the lead researcher in object theory and one half of a magical soul bond known as a dimididm, everything changed when she literally set it fire and walked away. Now, Max asks her to return to the college to investigate a magical murder and possible possession. As Cella digs deeper into the mystery, she begins to question her sanity, and nothing is as it seems—or as she remembers.

I was initially drawn to the book’s concept: a mix of magic and horror with a dash of romance. I was even more intrigued when I read the “Note to the Reader” and discovered that the story is framed as Cella’s research paper, complete with footnotes and journal entries. I love experimental storytelling and books that challenge traditional narrative structures. Unfortunately, this format didn’t quite work here. Rather than enhancing the story, the footnotes and supplemental material often disrupted the flow and made it difficult to stay engaged. I found myself wishing the story had been told through traditional, alternating POV chapters—perhaps with Dani’s perspective before the murder, and Cella, Max, and Luce in the present timeline.

Narratively, The Book of Autumn felt scattered. Descriptions of events and locations were often confusing. I struggled to visualize the campus or even basic settings like Cella’s room. Scene transitions were abrupt, and I frequently realized too late that characters had moved or left a conversation entirely.

The characters themselves were compelling, and I wanted to see more interaction between them—especially Max and Cella. Their connection and shared magical bond should have been a focal point, but they spent much of the book apart. Though Max’s footnotes offered some insight, Cella ultimately felt isolated and emotionally flat. Her motivations were difficult to connect with, and I didn’t fully understand the stakes of her journey—or the depth of her feelings for Max.

Molly O’Sullivan explores several intriguing themes, but they didn’t quite come together cohesively. For example, Cella’s mid-book reflection on the mental health impact of social media felt out of place and was never revisited. Similarly, the book ends with a beautiful message about community and healing, but this theme wasn’t clearly established earlier, making it feel unearned in the final pages.

That said, there were elements I really enjoyed—especially the way magic was described. The scenes where Cella and Max perform magic together were imaginative and vivid, unlike anything I’ve read before. I also loved the concept of magic requiring objects as conduits. Unfortunately, while the story centers on magic, there’s surprisingly little actual spellcasting or magical action. The rules of the world were also unclear. I was often confused about what magic was possible, whether everyone shared the same abilities, or if magic was more individualized, like superpowers.

In the end, I was disappointed. The Book of Autumn presents fascinating ideas and a compelling premise, but the execution left me wanting more. I spent much of the book trying to piece things together, rather than being swept away by the story.

The Book of Autumn follows Cella and Max as they navigate a path to save a fellow magic students soul, while repairing their relationship as well as themselves.
In a book that reads partly like an article and partly like a journal we follow Cella on this journey taking place at a magic school in New Mexico.
I read this book in my Kindle and found the footnotes included in the book to be clunky and often unnecessary as they did not add anything groundbreaking to the story.
The book struggles to have a clear beginning, middle, and end instead moving aimlessly forward without building investment in its characters or magical backdrop.
Overall the book was fine, just not very clear in its vision.

The story follows anthropologist Marcella "Cella," who is called back to her former university by her ex-lover and magical partner, Max, to investigate the death of a student, whose killer is literally floating (yes, really ).
The story is full of mysteries, strange magic, long nights in the library, disappearances, and forbidden spells.
Highlights:
I enjoyed the academic vibe of the book, especially the inclusion of diary entries, spells, and footnotes.
Overall:
The story was engaging and kept me intrigued until the end. That said, some parts could have been executed more smoothly. For instance, I think the footnotes should appear on the same page as the text they reference—not all the way at the end of the book. I kept losing the flow of the story, trying to flip back and forth.
Also, some of the diary entries weren’t clearly connected to the main narrative, which made them feel a bit disjointed. Maybe this reads better in a physical copy. Even as an eBook would make it easier to click through and return to the main story seamlessly (if there were a back button or something).
I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy academic settings, second-chance romance, magic, and mystery all blended into one story.
Thank you to Kensington Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Book of Autumn is the debut from Molly O’Sullivan and it is a dark, twisty and moody good time!

Marcella reluctantly returns to her magic school she’d previously fled on less than good terms, to help get to the bottom of a gruesome killing of another student and what appears to be the possession of another. Along the way she has to face her demons, her past and of course a cowboy ex-boyfriend she has more than unfinished business with.

I’d describe The Book of Autumn as kind of The Exorcist meets Yellowstone meets Chilling adventures of Sabrina and it WORKS! O’Sullivan does a brilliant job of creating atmosphere and tension throughout as well as a real sense of urgency and desperation as the story progresses. The magic system is really interesting, it’s a more emotive take on the use of conduits and with the importance and relevance to the plot it is lowkey genius IMO. I spent a lot of time pondering what my objects would be!

There was a lot of knowledge and history of magic used throughout which made it feel academic but I think at times it lacked that true dark academia feel that I think it was going for. And while there were quite a few side characters… at times they lacked depth, even the ones that played pivotal roles. I’d have liked a lot more from Max TBH… his POV was shared mostly through footnotes… which I’m not a huge fan of… but I think he deserved more than that and perhaps specific dual POV would have suited the storytelling a bit better.

Overall though, it’s mysterious and moody with that cowboy flare that’s very popular at the moment. O’Sullivan gets you hooked early on and you can’t help but keep turning those pages. I had a real good time reading this book!

Thank you Net Galley and Kensington Publishing for sending me (my very first ever) advanced copy of this debut novel!!

Modern day dark academia, magic, mystery, ancient sorcery and a little romance? Count me in!

I really enjoyed the beautiful imagery written throughout the book as I felt it broke up how it was written almost like a narrative academic research paper with the journal entries and foot notes citing personal inputs, religious texts, ancient philosophers and texts! I did however, also enjoy the foot notes because some of that information went right over my head initially!

I do wish there would have been a little more to the romance story between Max & Cella (past and present) and some more chapters with them actually practicing their magic together!

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am so happy to have received an advanced reader copy! 📚✨

2.5
I was really excited about this book from reading the blurb. The story felt unique and piqued my interest.
As someone who reads scientific papers on a daily basis, the layout of this book frustrated me immensely. Sometimes it felt like a novel, sometimes a paper. I feel like it could have given the story some more interest if it had been structured a bit better. But the 87 foot notes really bothered me and interrupted my reading flow. Most of them could have been incorporated into the text in a better way instead. Maybe if it was a physical copy, the whole flitting to the back of the book might have been less annoying but to me it ruined the reader experience completely.
The story in general was interesting but it didn't really catch my interest in a way I hoped it would.
The whole setting of a magical college in New Mexico felt unique. The story in itself felt unnecessary long. The FMC tried a magic spell in the beginning of the book but then their was a huge gap until like 50% where it was mentioned again and I think at 87% was the first actual spell preformed. I wish the magic would have been more spread out throughout the book because now all of it was just in the end. You never got to familiarise yourself with how the magic was truly performed before the end. I feel like this book had so much potential but the execution just flopped. I loved the idea of the FMC and MMCs magic being tied together.
Maybe this book just wasn't for me or I had way to high expectations of it.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

Dark academica with a dash of romance and oodles of mystery... Despite the name of the book, this one takes place on a university campus in the 2 weeks before schools le's out. Considering I'm a teach before summer break myself I can definitely say the vibes are vibing... Whether you end up reading this book just when it's released, smack dab in the middle of spooky season, or like me, in May, when you're desperately looking for a break and you can feel the desperation of the amateur detectives trying to solve the mystery before their suspects all go home for the summer, please please please make sure you don't let this one slip you by.
Even without having to finish this book up before my loan from Netgalley was up, I'd like to believe it would have been just as fast a read. Meaning, I started it one day and finished it the next. The dynamic duo of protagonists with a bitter romantic history at their back grabs you from the beginning and you're along for one wild ride, both trying to discover what is happening on campus and rooting for them to talk things through and make up because it's clear they still care deeply about each other.

Absolutely gripping and immaculately atmospheric. Perfect for fans of the Alex Stern duology or The Atlas Six trilogy.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was really looking forward to reading this one. It has a gorgeous cover, and I was particularly hyped to read something in the line of Ninth House or The Secret History with that dark academia murder mystery line through it. Unfortunately, that’s not quite what I got.

There are definitely some shining pieces throughout this book. Max and Cella, the on-again, off-again protagonists, prove a little frustrating with their romance and character development, but we are gifted with an interesting villain. We see how the use of magic is lined up to defeat our great evil, but the use of it is far and few between, with most of it coming into play for the romance side of things.

On the plus side, the writing style (with interspersed, allegedly non-fiction pieces of work) was really good. I enjoyed the way that all of these fragments were put together, and I think they would work even better in a physical copy. Some of the early and late descriptions in the book are also really enjoyable and well-thought out.

I think one of my main issues with this book is that we learn so little about the characters as people- rather, we learn about them in the isolation of the events of this book, which here means it’s harder to connect with them.

I feel like there is definitely an audience for this book, however, it’s just not me. I was here for a violent and nasty world of magic use and politics wrapped up in academia, and just didn’t get that here.

Okay first off this book is beautiful! Cover alone is going to pull in so many readers but the story itself was wonderful. A dark academia murder mystery at a magical university in New Mexico?!?!? Loved the edition of mixed media format such as diary entries and footnotes. Definitely worth the read!

This was a fun read. It’s a mix of murder mystery and paranormal magic, set at a magical college. The atmosphere was great, and the plot had me hooked pretty quickly. I do wish I’d read it in autumn—it definitely has that moody, cozy vibe. My only gripe is that I just didn’t care much for Cella and Max as a duo. Their relationship didn’t really click for me. But overall, a solid debut and a good mix of spooky and suspenseful.

Tropes:
Slow burn
Mystery
Dark academia
Second chance romance


The way the book was written and set up was interesting. I loved the papers, letters, and diary entries/footnotes as it made it appear as a research paper. It was unique.

There is a magic system in the book however, it didn’t give me enough magic throughout the book. I felt like there was something off or maybe I just missed something in the book.

Max and Cella kept my interest but they both kind of blended in the back for me. Nothing special or “magically” about these characters to me. I do wish for a Max POV tho

An intriguing mystery that kept me hooked. The dark academia vibes were so wonderful and have me the moody atmosphere I love in books

Set in the sun-bleached weirdness of a New Mexico college, The Book of Autumn feels like The Secret History wandered into a desert cult with a broken compass and just enough magic to keep things dangerous.

The structure is part case file, part confession, layering research notes and memory into a slow-burn mystery that turns personal fast. Cella and Max’s fractured magical bond carries real emotional weight, and the magic system: based on energy, objects, and intent - is more grounded than flashy, which works in the book’s favor.

Though the romance is light and the climax stumbles a bit, the setting and voice are so distinct that it’s easy to forgive. If you’re craving dark academia with a Southwestern twist and a little cowboy chaos, this one’s worth picking up.

“In that shadow-space of Magic, he brought the light streaming in, a single beam of sunlight bursting through gray storm clouds”.

A fun magical murder mystery with a dash of drama from a weird cult. From the description I thought there was gonna be more romance but it felt a little like an afterthought.

I enjoyed this book as an ARC from NetGalley. There was a lot of magical lore dropped throughout this which I enjoyed.

It's interesting and draws you in to some extent, but whilst the pace is steady at first, the sudden push to what I assume was the climax felt a little rushed. I thought it was being set up to continue the story and end in a sort of cliff hanger but it ended up tying a neat-ish bow to close off the story. There's still some room to continue I guess with the disappearance of our villain but it would have been better to stick to the pace of the overall book instead of picking up the pace which is what then made it feel like it was rushed. Overall though I enjoyed reading the Book of Autumn as it explored other world theories and magic but I do feel that having the majority of it from the view point of Cella and then throwing in a sudden but extra tiny insert for Max's point of view made it a bit jarring and brought up more questions than giving an answer. I also don't think it was necessary to add. Still it was enjoyable overall but I can't say it's the best book I've read this year.

I requested this book expecting to love it, it sounds like exactly my type of read and while I ended up enjoying it, it wasn’t anything that will stick with me.

The Book of Autumn sets up a promising blend of magic, memory, and mystery against the vivid backdrop of a desert university. The prose is sleek and atmospheric, and the concept of magically bonded pairs adds emotional depth to the narrative. Cella and Max’s strained dynamic has a believable tension that carries much of the book.

However, despite the academic setting, the story doesn’t lean heavily into the dark academia genre. The focus is more on the mystery and the romantic history between the leads than on the intellectual or ideological weight I tend to associate with true dark academia. The murder investigation offers some intriguing threads, but the payoff didn’t quite land for me—after a slow burn of setup, the resolution felt a bit too neat and underwhelming.

This will likely appeal to readers who enjoy romantasy with a side of magical intrigue, but it didn’t quite align with what I hoped for going in.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I received a free copy from Kensington Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date 28 October.

I requested this book mostly based on the striking cover and murder mystery magic academia premise. In The Book of Autumn, Cella Gibbons has been running for years--from her abandoned postgrad studies, her dead brother, and from the other half of her magic, cowboy Max Middlemore. But when a student is murdered at her alma mater, she's called back to use her unique powers to work on the investigation with Max.

Despite the university setting, this is not a very academia-focused book. The bones of the plot are mostly murder mystery, with a B plot focusing on the romance between Max and Cella after their dramatic breakup years ago. The murder investigation dodges my usual bugbears--Max and Cella seem reasonably competent at investigating, and there are a satisfyingly tangled number of red herrings and possible suspects. However, while the mystery setup was solid, it stumbled a bit on the conclusion, which felt rushed and anticlimactic after the slow establishment of possible suspects.

The workdbuilding felt a bit thin overall, and relied on overdone tropes such as the hidden magical school. Likewise, few of the characters besides protagonists Max and Cella get much characterization beyond cliches like beloved librarian, troubled dead brother, or trusty faculty advisor. However, I did like how Max and Cella's bond was developed. It's made clear that their magical attachment is due to a coincidence--being born at the same time--rather than any fated compatibility. Their romance originally developed out of working in close proximity together on magic, rather than being forced by a fated bond.

A solidly enough executed mix between an academic murder mystery and a cowboy romance, but not particularly a standout in a crowded field of witchy/magical romances.

Just finished The Book of Autumn by Molly O’Sullivan and it really surprised me in the best way.

It’s kind of dark academia meets desert magic — set at this weird, mysterious college in New Mexico, where the main character Cella (a former student turned anthropologist) gets pulled back into all the magical chaos she thought she left behind. There’s haunting, secrets, and a little bit of romance with her old magical partner, Max.

The vibes are immaculate — dusty red landscapes, spooky ranch-turned-campus, lots of secret rituals. The magic system is a little hazy at times, but honestly I didn’t mind because the characters and atmosphere totally carried it.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for the ARC of the book x