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  • Magic for Liars: A Novel

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Sarah Gailey
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Magic for Liars: A Novel

by Sarah Gailey (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 out of 5 stars (2,517)
Editors' pick Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

A 2020 LOCUS AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL

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

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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  1. Print length
    331 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Tor Books
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    June 4, 2019
  6. File size
    3.5 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for Magic for Liars

"A private investigator takes a job investigating a murder at a magic school in California. Our PI never developed magic ability, much to her dismay―so we enter that world with the same longing for specialness that she does. Whether it’s the 'murder investigation' part of that summary that grabs you or the 'magic school' part, this winsome, clever book will definitely engage you."--Veronica Roth, #1 New York Times best-selling author of the Divergent series

“A queerer, older, quicker-paced Harry Potter, concerned with the childhood grudges that adults can't get over.”―Refinery 29

“We can’t wait to see what Sarah Gailey does next!”―Crimereads, the most anticipated crime books of summer

“With winks to multiple genres, Sarah Gailey’s Magic for Liars shows that their talent has no trouble extending to a full-length novel.”―Culturess

“In a very short time, Sarah Gailey has distinguished themself as one of science fiction's best new writers.” ―BoingBoing

“The world has little mercy; but it does have heart, and like Ivy, it carries on despite its scars.”―NPR

“Magic for Liars is a perfect, spare, delectable novel that features a masterful narrative structure, terribly human characters occupying realistically magical settings, and more. The prose is spot-on and paints an intimate, flawed portrait of how a world like Gamble’s would function, from the moment she tells the disbelieving bartender magic exists to the moment she walks out on her sister. I can’t recommend it highly enough.” ―Tor.com

“There's something for almost all readers here... Gailey shows us that humans are humans, even when they are magic, and they are still flawed, damaged, and oh-so-interesting” ―Booklist (starred review)

“Clever and fast-paced... a wonderfully quirky mystery filled with inviting characters and gripping surprise twists.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A poignant and bittersweet family tragedy disguised as a mystery but with a magic all its own.” ―Kirkus

“Veronica Mars with a bit of Harry Potter” ―The Nerd Daily

“Sarah Gailey mashes hard-bitten detective noir into the magical YA world of Harry Potter in Magic For Liars… a Syfy series waiting to happen.” ―AV Club

“The sharpest female protagonist of the summer”―The Mary Sue

About the Author

Sarah Gailey is a Hugo Award and British Fantasy Award winning and bestselling author of speculative fiction, short stories, and essays. Their nonfiction has been published by dozens of venues internationally. Their fiction has been published in over seven different languages. They have written comics for Marvel, EC, and BOOM! Studios, including multiple original series. They are the editor and publisher of Stone Soup and Love Letters: Reasons To Be Alive. You can find links to their work at sarahgailey.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07GV95CWZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Tor Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 4, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.5 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 331 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9781250174604
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1250174604
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Best Sellers Rank: #211,802 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars (2,517)

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Sarah Gailey

Sarah Gailey

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Hugo award winner Sarah Gailey is an internationally published writer of fiction and nonfiction. Their nonfiction has been published by Mashable and the Boston Globe, and they are a regular contributor for Tor.com and Barnes & Noble. Their most recent fiction credits include Fireside Fiction, Tor.com, and The Atlantic. Their debut novella, River of Teeth, was published in 2017 via Tor.com and was a 2018 Hugo and Nebula award finalist. Their adult novel debut, Magic For Liars, was published by Tor Books in June 2019. Their Young Adult novel debut, When We Were Magic, will be published by Simon Pulse in Spring 2020. You can find links to their work at www.sarahgailey.com; find them on social media @gaileyfrey.

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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
2,517 global ratings

Customers say

Customers enjoy this magical mystery novel, praising its well-woven plot and great twist. The book features relatable characters, particularly those who are gay or bisexual, and customers find it an engaging, fast-paced read with terrific writing. The atmosphere receives mixed reactions, with some customers finding it evocative while others describe it as depressing.
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61 customers mention story, 51 positive, 10 negative
Customers enjoy the story of this book, describing it as a well-woven magical mystery with great twists.
This was a great story. Murder mystery with magic, teenagers, mostly non hetero couples, and grit. Written well and kept me interested!Read more
...An interesting magic system I want to know more of. A good mystery, of course, and a good exploration of interpersonal dynamics.Read more
This was an interesting mystery that kept me guessing, but in some ways the mystery was just a subplot, and the story was Ivy rethinking her life...Read more
This was a fun mystery, nothing mind-blowing, but the whole ride is really fun if you like Harry Potter type stuff.Read more
51 customers mention content, 47 positive, 4 negative
Customers love the content of the book, with one describing it as a wonderfully crafted novel and another noting it's a delightful peanut butter of magic school.
Great book, but if you are one of those people Who wants your books to end instead of just abruptly stop maybe look elsewhere.Read more
Amazing bookRead more
I loved this book! I was hooked from the the very beginning....Read more
I loved everything about this book. Highly recommend reading. The story line is so unique that I couldn't stop reading.Read more
45 customers mention engaging, 41 positive, 4 negative
Customers find the book engaging and entertaining, with the whole ride being really fun and the intrigue keeping them absorbed throughout.
...Interesting characters and situations. A good read.Read more
Who done it with a twist of magic. Easy and fun read. If you like murder mysteries, this has some unique twists.Read more
...Will Ivy be able to solve the case? This was an interesting cross-genre novel....Read more
I really enjoyed this book....Read more
29 customers mention character, 24 positive, 5 negative
Customers appreciate the characters in the book, finding them relatable and well-developed, with several reviews noting the inclusion of gay and bisexual characters.
...Being set in a magic high school didn’t detract from interesting characters and insightful writing.Read more
...The characters are interesting, but this is a book about relationships at its core, and the relationships are why i couldn't put Magic for Liars...Read more
...It did not disappoint. The characters are real and charming and flawed. An interesting magic system I want to know more of....Read more
...Well written, complex characters, great story!Read more
20 customers mention readability, 18 positive, 2 negative
Customers find the book highly readable, describing it as compulsively readable and a fast read, with one customer noting it can be read as a stand-alone.
...Politics aside, it's a great read, it's great fun, and it's a really interesting look into a sort of Harry Potter world that coexists with ours.Read more
...It was smooth and easy to read, and fast too - I devoured the whole thing in about 30 hours...Read more
I loved everything about this book. Highly recommend reading. The story line is so unique that I couldn't stop reading.Read more
...I also liked the ending. This can be read as a stand-alone but I would like to know what happens with the Chosen One and where the theoretical magic...Read more
18 customers mention writing quality, 15 positive, 3 negative
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer particularly appreciating the noir style and another highlighting the well-crafted murder investigation scenes.
...I also love true crime, so it had a little bit of everything I love! Well written, complex characters, great story!Read more
...Sounds cheesy, yes. But it's a very well-written book and a very fast read. I look forward to more books by the author!Read more
Great prose with a heartbreaking hero wrapped up in a wild, magical mystery....Read more
If you like detectives, amazing writing, and a serious case of "just-one-more-chapter-itis" pick up this book as soon as you can....Read more
9 customers mention relatability, 8 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book wonderfully relatable, with one customer noting how it captures human relationships and emotions, while another appreciates how it explores complex family dynamics.
...A relatable, entertaining noir story.Read more
Great prose with a heartbreaking hero wrapped up in a wild, magical mystery....Read more
...come together in a way that feels new and fresh, and it's told in an intimate and honest way. Ivy totally won me over, poor bastress....Read more
I love, love the Ivy. Her loneliness and struggle are relatable. Her morale is suspect too, but in the end, she proved to be the winner....Read more
12 customers mention atmosphere, 8 positive, 4 negative
Customers have mixed reactions to the atmosphere of the book, with some saying it evokes emotions while others find it depressing, with one customer noting it captures a depressingly millennial atmosphere.
...this in one go today, and it was completely absorbing and heartbreaking and addictive....Read more
Really kind of depressing.Read more
...secrets of Sarah Gailey's is a complete joy that left me laughing, crying, and squealing with joy....Read more
...Witty, sad, entertaining and feels real in a way books about magic rarely do, Magic for Liars wants you to care, to understand and to enjoy....Read more
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