THE OTHERWHERE POST

A teenage girl is inadvertently embroiled in a dangerous mystery.

“Your father was innocent,” the letter reads. Is it the truth? A trap? Either way, 18-year-old Maeve Abenthy is unnerved by this message, signed by an anonymous “old friend” and delivered to her by an otherwhere courier seven years after it was written—and seven years after the Written Doors were destroyed and the citizens of Inverly were lost. These events were all thanks, allegedly, to the evildoing of her father, a once revered scriptomancer. Maeve has since been living under various aliases, terrified that she’ll be found out and punished for being an Abenthy. She knows that otherwhere couriers, the only people able to travel between worlds, use the magic of scriptomancy to deliver the post. A courier she questions about discovering the sender’s identity reveals information that sets in motion her quest for the truth about that fateful day—and her father’s involvement. Bestselling author Taylor’s transformative talent as a world builder shines in her sophomore novel, an epic dark fantasy tale of love, justice, the delicate magic of finding connection, and the complex art of scribing. The prose moves quickly while at the same time incorporating great detail. The main characters are layered, their pain and humanity on par with their abilities to tackle the puzzle before them. Redhaired Maeve is light-skinned; her father had “wheat-colored” skin, and there’s some diversity in skin tone in the supporting cast.

A magically thrilling, gripping, and thoroughly enjoyable read.