Book: The Anatomy of Magic by Alexis L. Menard
Reviewed by Your_bookish_fantasy
Rating: 4/5
๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข
โ๏ธ๐ป๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐ ๐- The Anatomy of Magic
๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ, Bookouture Audio ๐๐ง๐ NetGalley ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ, ๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฌ ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค.
โ๏ธโ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค-
๐ฃ ๐ก๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟs Savannah Thomas โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ & Sean masters โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ (my rating scale is at the end)
๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.75 / 5
๐ก๏ธ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ซ/ 5 -๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฆ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐
Which books have I also given this same rating? (๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ค๐)
5โญ๏ธ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5โญ๏ธ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4โญ๏ธ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3โญ๏ธWe Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
โ๏ธ๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ :
Genre- Fantasy Romance
๐ง 14 ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ 54 ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ (I ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ 1.45 ๐๐๐๐๐)
๐ 477 ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐
๐น๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ dual ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฉ / #๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ- 30 June 2026
๐ฃ๐น๐ผ๐ or ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ driven? ๐ซ๐โด๐
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ & ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ป๐ผ- Darkest Divine book 1
๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ on ๐๐จ? โ ๐ดโฏ๐.
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ- fast
๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ? โ ๐ดโฏ๐
๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง? (Disability, plus size, mental health etc...)โ
โณโดโด๐น๐; ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐พ๐๐๐๐, ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ป๐๐๐๐ & ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐พ๐น ๐พ โฏ๐๐ฟโด๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐?โ
๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ ๐พ ๐โฏ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ฝโฏ ๐โฏ๐๐ ๐ทโดโด๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐ ๐โฏ๐๐พโฏ๐?โ
๐ฒโด๐๐๐น ๐พ ๐โฏ๐ถ๐น ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐ โฏ๐๐โฏ ๐ท๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฝโด๐?โ
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐? People that love this setting and prefer a more plot driven story.
โ๏ธ๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค:
๐ฆ๐๐๐๐จ๐จ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐ค๐ฌ/ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ
๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง
๐ซฆOแดแดแดsษชแดแดs Aแดแดสแดแดแด
๐ก Enemies (he literally shoots at her 3 times + gets her framed for murder & thrown in jail) to reluctant allies to lovers
๐ก๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐, ๐ธ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ, ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐
โ๏ธ๐โ๐โ๐ผ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ค & ๐น๐๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐๐ค
๐ชงPแดสษชแดษชแดแดส Iษดแดสษชษขแดแด
๐ชฆ๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐งฌ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
๐งฉ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โจ Vampire-ish broody MMC with tragic backstory
๐ แทแฉแTแดแ
โ ๏ธ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐...
๐งจ๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ช ๐ฝ๐โ
๐คฌ Feminine Rage
โณ๐๐๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
๐คทโโ๏ธUnique Magic System
๐ฒ Frankenstein Elements/Vibe
๐ steampunk with advanced technology
๐ช unique magic system
๐ญ sacrifice
๐Cliff Notes Review-
The story is pretty fast paced with a short timeline.
Chapter one opened with a quick and steamy meet-cute between the FMC and MMC, complete with immediate flirting. The way the plot unfolded- I knew early on I was invested in this book. It was Plot heavy, with a unique magic system that on the whole was very intriguing and twisty but it had little character development or emotional connection so I wasnโt fully drawn into the book. I was intrigued, but not overly impressed.
โ๏ธ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐น๐ฌ๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐, ๐ณ๐ฐ๐บ๐ป๐ฌ๐ต ๐๐ ๐๐?โ๏ธ
(๐โ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก- ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐ข๐๐๐?) AUDIOBOOK!!
โ๏ธ๐ธ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐น๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ:
The duet narration style really elevated the entire experience. I was already hooked by the writing and plot, but the narrators added another layer of intensity and emotional engagement that made the story even more compelling.
This audiobook was Absolutely, and unequivocally, perfectly cast. Savannah Thomas, as always, absolutely delivered. She brought so much emotional depth to her performance that the FMC felt very real. She brings an authenticity to the delivery of the characters, using wide range of vocal inflections, tones, accents and genuine feeling to all characters she narrates, that makes every thought they have and every emotion they feel believable.
Sean Masters was equally strong. I admit I am a huge fan of his voice. He did an excellent job differentiating the MMC from the other character voices. That distinction made it easy to follow conversations and stay immersed in the story. Again the ranges in his voice, the gasps, breathy whispers and pure feeling in his words created a truly authentic experience, especially At the end of the book, when it was like I could feel the MMCโs pain due to Seanโs narration talent. Very well done.
"If his threat was a storm, I wanted to linger in the lightning, no matter the risk of the damage it might cause."
๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐:
This is a steampunk sort of fantasy but with advanced technology that predominantly shines in elements of magic, found family and rivalry and a tortured and traumatised MMC who has it bad with self-hate and 'I don't deserve you or anything good' vibes.
The plot was unique, the Frankenstein coded storyline was fascinating. The setting had a corrupt, archaic Venice vibes -imagine a dark early 18th century steampunk setting, with canals for travel (and waste removal), and class divisions so striking that the lower class will do anything for coin. The romance was flirty, mystery and tension filled, and this book had a very unique magic system rooted in science, particularly medical science. the antagonists were gods awful, and the ending was shocking/devastating.
Magic system-I couldnโt grasp this at first, I would have preferred more history and detail around the limits and restrictions, the magnitude of skills and the academy.
The magic was tethered on science. The blend felt very unique and well executed, It kept me engaged and following along with interest. -You have the original magic which is tied to Archetypes that is passed down through generations, the magic that is gifted in a ritual to only those who graduate from The Academy and then you have the Cursed who are forced to steal magic through drinking blood (so I think theyโre vampires?) in order to use it. The way the magic is described, with the rules and the costs made it incredibly interesting, which I think, is why I was so frustrated- I wanted to know more.
It took me a bit to adjust to the world building/magic system as I did find it confusing at times, but once everything started making sense I could not stop listening/reading. The sheer mystery, the action sequences, the banter, the tension, the plot twists and the secrets, were All brought to life by two incredible narrators was so real and they are what kept me going when I was confused or lost in the world building.
But- the storyโs execution is just not there. i also got frustrated with how much telling instead of showing was going on, and while i understand that complex worlds have historical contexts the reader needs to know to understand the magnitude of the storyline, i just feel like there needs to be a more creative way to introduce them. Perhaps this was because of the way the plot was carried with such ease and development, i just expected the characters and lore/history to have this same effortless grace.
I was intrigued, but not overly impressed.
"Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you see me. Really see me."
๐งโโ๏ธ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ค:
This book falls flat in character development, romantic attraction/tension and emotional depth . The dynamic between Max and Nina did not work well for me. I thought that their relationship was more tell vs show and their romantic tension and clash didn't land organically. The tension was there, but it felt like the author didn't know what to do with it or how to explore it. Their feelings sprung up out of nowhere and their proclamation of love felt unnatural. One moment they are avoiding each other- pushing each other away or lying, then, the next moment he tells her he is in love with her. To me, they had zero emotional depth. There was no meaningful conversations, no openness- nothing in the story that emotionally pulled me in. Max was closed off and Nina never prodded. The author tries to torture us by making us wait all the way until past 70%, I really felt this book lacked yearning, tension, and propulsion.
The MMCโs attraction to the FMC and the โchaseโ added most of the tension. Around the 40% mark, we learned more about the MMCโs traumatic and abusive past, which added emotional depth and understanding to his behavior, subsequently making more sense of some of the tension and why he stopped the connection between them at times.
โIs my heartbeat the only one you hear?โ I asked him, curious. โItโs the only one I listen to.โ
I appreciated the way the author created empathy for both MCโs. I found myself constantly flicking back and forth- understanding and empathizing with both, while at the exact same time, I wanted to yell at them both for not talking to one another and instead, making stupid choices. Injoyed the wa that even though this was a solo pov for most of the story, we got to see the reasons and motivations behind the characters choices. This internal push-pull of feeling bad for the MFC while also thinking โthese are the consequences of your choices,โ was really well done. The author created a situation where both perspectives felt valid, even when they contradicted each other.
The FMC, Nina, is so relatable and cunning, she was fierce, resourceful, selfless and feisty and I just love the way she approaches and overcomes all of the obstacles in her way.
However, the FMCโs behavior started to pull me out of the story. She frequently reacted with juvenile tantrums. the hypocrisy is what irritated me the most. The FMC was AWFUL when it came to hypocrisy, at least during the middle of the book. She kept secrets but got angry when the MMC did the same (to the point she had a tantrum), she prioritized her own goals but resented him when he did likewise, and she ignored his warnings repeatedly, ultimately putting him at risk, but got mad when she felt others didnโt listen to her. It became especially frustrating because many of the conflicts stemmed from her refusal to listen or reflect.
I was highly irritated by the imbalance: the MMC continually supported and protected the MFC, but for a while there she responded with anger, said hypocrisy, or extremely poor decision-making.
The MMC, Max, also had his moments. Constantly pushing the FMC away because of his trauma and fear response with not a word or explanation. I could not blame the FMC for being irritated by the fourth or so time this happened. However, when the FMC FINALLY understood the MMC and addressed his trauma, it was beautiful. She met him where he was at and gave him what he needed to feel safe and start healing. When she met him with empathy, not anger, of course that was when he finally opened up.
โCareful, Ace. Where Iโm from, we use threats like that as foreplay.โ
So, then- Max. His character is complex and deep with a truly devastating backstory that will pull at your heartstrings, His character was however, not well explored because you donโt get much of this until further on in the story. It rather frustrated me because of how distant he appeared. In the beginning of the book, we were told about who Max is and where he came from, but it was quickly brushed under the rug and not explored until much later in the book-and even then it was short and quick. This transition left a wide gap in the storytelling that left me with many questions and answers that were not fully explored.
โณ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐-๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?
I wonโt be re reading no,but I would recommend to the plot (rather than character) lovers of this style of book.
"I finally figured out why you terrify me so much. Because now that I have you, I don't know what I'd do without you. I'd be so lost without the sound of your heart and the peace it brings to my chaos."
๐ชง๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค:
This is highly recommended on audio, but not so much in book form. The narrators bring this story to life and fill in that strange gap that is created by the books tell not show vibes and less than stalls character development. The unique magic system and brilliant plot are the backbone of this book, and perhaps with one more round of editing this could have been great in all formats. If you like these tropes and this setting and youโre more of a plot person then this is a book you will love!
๐น๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ;
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
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๐๐ช โ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ค:
โญ๏ธ DNF
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
๐ฅโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐ฅ
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
๐ถ๏ธโ segsual language and a little on-page action
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธโ a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธโ a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ โ super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ โ Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.