Andrea Tang

I absolutely loved Knives Out and These Deadly Prophecies definitely has the same vibes, with the wonderful added twist of magic. I personally always enjoy stories that have a magical element to them, so it's great that these two worlds are colliding. It's always interesting to find out what the hierarchy of magic is in a new story and the author did a good job of building the world in the first few chapters, with lots more explored later on. From the very beginning, my mind was spinning, show more trying to figure out people's motivations. People who you think are innocent can sometimes surprise you, especially when there are multiple layers of shared history and drama that needs to be unpacked.

Because I've read and watched so many murder mysteries, I had a random theory on who it was, but then it changed twenty times in between. Until the last two chapters, I was captivated by the story and that's what a good murder mystery does. You may guess who it is, but you can't be 100% sure because you don't understand the motivation yet. Beyond the murder, mystery, and magic, there was also a great exploration of family dynamics. It was heartbreaking to see how the sorcery prestige of their father had different impacts on all of the Solomon children, and even the past and current wife. The desire to please the father left them all feeling less than, but also put them all in competition with each other, whether they expressed that openly or not. It was very heartwarming to see that Tabatha's mom was supportive of her choices all along, such an opposite of what Julian Sololmon was.

This was very close to a five star for me, but I guess I had a hard time buying how everything wrapped up in the end. It was believable, it just didn't leave me with a feeling of completeness. I did really enjoy how it was written, like it was a memoir and that sometimes the narrator was speaking directly to you. Overall, a very enjoyable read that kept me on my toes and guessing until the very end. show less

Fresh Storytelling

This contemporary fantasy was a fun ride the entire novel and I couldn't wait to get back to reading when I had to close the book. The point of view character's voice is snarky, sarcastic, and filled with dry humor--all of which I enjoyed. I immediately connected to the first person storytelling which I found fresh and intelligently plotted. At about the halfway point of the novel, I returned to the beginning and reread the first chapter and that's when the imaginative plot show more device clicked.

The mystery was good, not my favorite, but the characters were fantastic. Red herrings were tossed about that made me question everybody, including the narrator. The ending was too neatly wrapped up for me and I felt a bit disappointed when the suspect was revealed.

The romance felt right to me and even became part of the mystery plot which I enjoyed because once again I was questioning everyone's motives. The family dramas were fun too.

Overall, I found the writing style to be excellent. This world in which magical abilities were not only accepted in daily life, but could also become a person's profession, became a believable one to me. show less

Gritty and engrossing are the first words that come to mind when describing this story. Zhong Ning'er lives in the Sixth Ring of a futuristic Beijing, one still ruled by descendants of the general who declared himself the emperor 150 years before. About the only thing that has changed is what often happens when corruption seeps into government and commerce. The rich get richer and more powerful, while those at the bottom just try to survive while feeling more desperate every day.
Ning'ers, show more existence is further complicated by her drug addicted father who has control over her and anything she earns from a part time job, coupled with theft. His desperation even went as far as selling one of her arms and one of her legs. Fortunately, she has been befriended by a man who has stolen plans and parts that enable him to make high quality prosthetics for her. Unfortunately, there have been times when she's reached a level of desperation that forced her to sell even these.
Having just discovered her father has drained her bank account yet again, she's at a crossroads. Unless a miracle happens, there's no way to pay her rent.
Enter that miracle in the form of Someone who wears two faces, one of privilege, the other as the infamous Red Yaksha, a figure who opposes the corruption poisoning the city. It begins when she's hired to steal something for him, but quickly becomes a rescue mission that involves breaking into a facility owned by the huge company that manufactures the drug known as Complacency which is what led to her father's desperation.
That raid and what is discovered during it are extremely shocking, leading to an all out attempt by the bad guys to capture the rebels before they can tell the people what was discovered. Plenty of action, a bit of romance, and an ending that allows for more left me quite satisfied. show less

These Deadly Prophecies was a great read. Andrea Tang did a wonderful job of writing a mystery that pulled me in and held me. The tight and descriptive prose ensured that the book was vivid and detailed without become flowery or allowing the pace, the perfect blend of imagination and detail that held me as an adult reader and will ensure that a young adult is flipping pages weather in print or tapping away on a device.

This cover is a great attention grabber and it truly reflects the book and show more the style of writing. Equal parts fantasy and mystery Tang's voice, style and boom design speaks to all urban fantasy readers regardless of age. They both draw me in from both first glance and first page and then will not let me go. There is a subtle humor to the writing that makes me feel like I'm sitting with a friend and hearing their story firsthand! Just what I like in a book! show less