Tabatha is an apprentice to Sorcerer Solomon. After a prophecy that he would die at the hands of his best beloved, he is murdered. Tabatha teams up with his youngest son, Callum to be the Nancy Drew to his Hardy Boy. Deception, intrigue, and danger abound as the two of them try to learn to trust each other and get to the bottom of the mystery. ( )

I really enjoyed the start of this book, and thought it did well introducing the main character, and introducing her to the murder mystery. It's a contemporary setting with magical elements; magic is a normalized part of life and it's a really interesting take on the genre. It focuses on the magic of prophecy specifically, as in this world it's rare. The main character, Tabatha, is apprentice to the most famous sorcerer in the world, and he dies, after prophesying his own death. She teams up with his son, Callum, to figure out who did it. This was so interesting! I was really excited to read more. The rest of the book didn't meet my expectations, though. It was really fast-paced, but the book felt short. The world building was lacking. I was hoping for more focus on the characters and the relationships forming. I did like the book, but I didn't love it. Also, the ending was just... frustrating!

Tabitha is serious about learning from the best when it comes to sorcery, particularly the art of prophecy. Her apprenticeship to Sorcerer Solomon has become her be all and end all. When he shares a strange prophecy regarding his imminent death by his 'best-beloved, she's upset and can't believe it will happen...Until it does. Then all heck breaks loose. She is continually suspecting someone new, but at the same time is becoming more attracted to the younger brother, Collum, who also has the ability to create prophecies.
Add in a bizarre seance, another murder as gruesome as the first, car chases, and a fight over who inherits the sorcerer's things and heritage, a spell gone wrong, and you have a fun, but slightly gory romp. ( )

These Deadly Prophecies is a contemporary YA fantasy and mystery. The story follows Tabatha Zeng, a high school student who is the apprentice of a renowned fortune telling sorcerer from an old and wealthy magical family. Her mentor is brutally murdered, and Tabatha becomes a suspect since she is one of the last people to see him alive. She finds herself attempting to solve the mystery by teaming up with the sorcerer's youngest son, Callum.
I really liked the idea of a world in which sorcery is another career path and magic has been integrated into society, however the world building was weak, and the magic system was not explained. The pacing at times could be very slow with a lot of internal monologues and telling rather than showing. The pace picked up in the last 25% with a good twist at the end.
The tone was light and fun, and will likely appeal to younger YA readers. Thank you to BookishFirst for a copy to review. ( )

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 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. ( )