Kristen’s Take: Deathbringer by Sonia Tagliareni

Deathbringer was an incredibly fun and twisty murder-mystery-meets-dark-academia debut novel brought to us by Sonia Tagliareni. The plot centers on Viola, a Mortemagi who loathes her death magic, being forced to navigate the world of magic after her sister, Olivia, is killed in a suspicious manner. In parallel, we follow Sylas, a skilled Aspieri, as he works to simultaneously solve and prevent his brother’s murder. The two have a shared hatred of each other but accept  that they must work together in order to figure out just what is going on at Gorhail, the magical institute where they study.

This novel felt very reminiscent of the Harry Potter universe, but with fun adult twists to it. While at times I could have sworn I’ve read this book before, I also found it to be a fun and unique take on the dark academia genre and ultimately I couldn’t put it down. After having read a lot of b2ooks that felt like they were too fast-paced, the slower, more deliberate pace that Tagliareni brought to Deathbringer was a breath of fresh air. I felt that the characters were very well established and I understood their motives, and the relationship building between Viola and Sylas was beautiful. I truly felt like I was watching these two enemies come together and build something unexpected.

I would say that the climax of the book felt a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book, but so many exciting things happened that I am counting down the days until the next book in the series drops. If you’re in the mood for an addicting journey through a magical institution with a fun, unique magic system and some adult themes, then Deathbringer is it. 

Spice: 2/5
Vibes: 4/5