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Magic for Liars

A Novel

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Magic for Liars

By: Sarah Gailey
Narrated by: Xe Sands
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About this listen

Sharp, mainstream fantasy meets compelling thrills of investigative noir in Magic for Liars, a fantasy debut by rising star Sarah Gailey.

Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.

Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.

She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.

Ivy Gamble is a liar.

When a gruesome murder is discovered at The Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, where her estranged twin sister teaches Theoretical Magic, reluctant detective Ivy Gamble is pulled into the world of untold power and dangerous secrets. She will have to find a murderer and reclaim her sister—without losing herself.

“An unmissable debut.”—Adrienne Celt, author of Invitation to a Bonfire

 Detective Fantasy Fiction Mystery Supernatural Suspense Thriller & Suspense Women Sleuths Women's Fiction Magic Murder Crime Paranormal Magic Users

Critic reviews

"Throw in some narration by award-winning narrator Xe Sands and you’ve got one deliciously entertaining listen."
-BookRiot

Praise for American Hippo: River of Teeth, Taste of Marrow, and New Stories:

Gailey's [novella] is a gift of violent, unexpected glee." —Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author

"River of Teeth packs one hell of a gold-plated bite." —Charlie Jane Anders, author of All the Birds in the Sky

“Weird and wonderful, River of Teeth proves handily why Sarah Gailey is a writer to watch.” —Chuck Wendig, New York Times bestselling author

"River of Teeth is a wonderfully original." —NPR
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Neo noir with a touch of magic, I really liked it.
Xe Sands did a good job with the narration.

neo noir with a touch of magic

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My first thought when I finished Magic for Liars was: ‘Wow! That was great!’ But, in hindsight, a lot of the novel felt like wasted potential. It could’ve reached lofty, heady heights with lots of unexpected twists and turns, but it never quite got there. The characters were likeable and fleshed-out, the story was very well-written, it did a lot of what you want and expect. But it just never surprised. Never thrilled. So, it was good. It was VERY good. But not great.

Almost great…

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Everything is blurry in this book, and I love that it refuses to fit neatly into one box - it's a bit of fantasy swirled into a noir murder mystery with a touch of psychological thriller on the side. The magical school element is just the backdrop, and I loved that the main character is not magical - it felt bittersweet to be on the outside with her, looking in.

This is by no means YA fantasy, as I initially thought. Nor is it a basic whodunit following the murder trail and not much else. It's grown-up, and smart, and thought-provoking and achingly real. The feelings of inadequacy the main character experiences, her internal conflict and hopeful lies kept me hoping for a happy ending but again, this book is all grey lines and blurry contours. It has shades and layers and a dark but oh-so-human core.

And the narration is exquisite - it's soft and velvety and full of secrets 🔮
Keep on writing, Sarah 🤞

Quirky and delicious from start to finish ✨

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Magic, mystery, crime and a fantastic narrator. Easy to go back and listen again to.

Great all round

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main plot was great but main character acted and thought out younger than she should

Good plot but

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