Tag: t l huchu

Book Review: Secrets of the First School – T L Huchu

Book Review: Secrets of the First School – T L Huchu

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: Edinburgh Nights #5
Release date: October 16 2025
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 400
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

I’ve had my arse kicked more times than I can count

Ropa Moyo is dead, banished to the Other Place by the reanimated spirit of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville of Scotland. Turns out being on the losing side sucks worse than being skint.

Now, the Cult of Dundas intends to ascend to godhood, spreading their corrupting reach from Edinburgh to all of Scotland’s schools of magic. Ropa must find some way to escape the Other Place, save her sister and gather allies across the country before Edinburgh falls.

A royal plot, a family secret and a stolen body. As Scotland descends into petty in-fighting, Ropa’s only hope lies in her grandmother’s final the first school of magic.

An ancient power is returning . . . and is hungry for revenge.

Review

T. L. Huchu is back with the final instalment of the Edinburgh Nights series – and it’s a wild ride.

Following on from the events in book four, we follow Ropa as she finds herself dead and banished to the otherlands. The Cult of Dundas is determined to ascend to power, and Ropa must find a way to return from the dead, save the ones she loves, and stop the country from falling. But with so many secrets and so many lives at stake, will Ropa succeed?

I’ve loved every instalment in this series and Secrets of the First School is no exception. Fast paced and incredibly engaging, I couldn’t put this book down.

Ropa has such a strong narrative voice, and I have absolutely loved seeing her grow as a character over the course of the five books. She’s brilliant and sarcastic and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks, but she’s also loyal and brave too. She’s joined by a really compelling cast of characters, and I would love for there to be a spin-off series with some of the other characters.

As this is the final book in the series, I won’t say too much about the plot, but there were lots of twists, secrets finally revealed, and overall, the series comes to a really satisfying conclusion. I love the Edinburgh setting, but I loved that we traveled to new places in this installment, including the Isle of Iona, which is my favourite place to visit.

Huchu has done a magnificent job of bringing the series to a close, and if you’re looking for an engaging fantasy series full of adventure and mystery, I highly recommend the Edinburgh Nights series.

Book Review: The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle – T L Huchu

Book Review: The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle – T L Huchu

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: Edinburgh Nights #3
Release date: July 27 2023
Publisher: Tor Books
Pages: 336
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

Ropa Moyo is no stranger to magic or mysteries. But she’s still stuck in an irksomely unpaid internship. So she’s thrilled to attend a magical convention at Dunvegan Castle, on the Isle of Skye, where she’ll rub elbows with eminent magicians.

For Ropa, it’s the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate. Trapped in a castle, with suspicions mounting, Ropa must contend with corruption, skulduggery and power plays. Time to ask for a raise?

Review

The third installment in T L Huchu’s thrilling Edinburgh Nights series follows ghost talker Ropa Moyo as she’s sent to help out at a magic convention at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Hoping she’ll get the chance to rub shoulders with the magical elite, Ropa finds herself in the midst of a dark mystery when a magical scroll is stolen and a librarian murdered. Can she uncover who’s behind it all in time to recover the scroll and help her mentor before its too late?

This is the third installment in this series and I’ve enjoyed each one immensely. I really enjoyed that this one was set on the Isle of Skye and it was interesting to see Ropa in a different environment. Trapped in the castle, this is a fast paced mystery and I definitely did not guess who was behind it all. Huchu’s writing is compelling and the story is clever, complex and entertaining. The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle features much more politics and scheming than the previous novels and it was really fascinating seeing the different magical organisations and schools attempt to out manoeuvre each other.

Ropa as always is a brilliant protagonist and you can’t help but root for her. She’s so full of attitude but she’s also determined to succeed and do what’s right. This installment sees quite a bit of character growth in Ropa as she sticks by Callender and has to deal with her anxieties. One of the things I love about this series is the unique approach to magic and I loved getting to explore that a bit more in this book. I definitely feel like I could read lots more books about Ropa’s adventures and I can’t wait to see where Huchu takes the story next.

Blog Tour: Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments – T. L. Huchu

Blog Tour: Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments – T. L. Huchu

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: Edinburgh Nights #2
Release Date: 8th March 2022
Pages: 368
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: Black Crow PR kindly sent me a copy to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

Some secrets are meant to stay buried

When Ropa Moyo discovered an occult underground library, she expected great things. She’s really into Edinburgh’s secret societies – but turns out they are less into her. So instead of getting paid to work magic, she’s had to accept a crummy unpaid internship. And her with bills to pay and a pet fox to feed.

Then her friend Priya offers her a job on the side. Priya works at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies, a very specialized hospital, where a new illness is resisting magical and medical remedies alike. The first patient was a teenage boy, Max Wu, and his healers are baffled. If Ropa can solve the case, she might earn as she learns – and impress her mentor, Sir Callander.

Her sleuthing will lead her to a lost fortune, an avenging spirit and a secret buried deep in Scotland’s past. But how are they connected? Lives are at stake and Ropa is running out of time.

Review

T. L. Huchu’s Library of the Dead was a book I absolutely adored so I was incredibly excited to pick up the sequel. This time we’re following Ropa as she gets a job at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies in order to pay her bills. There she hears about a new illness that is resisting all remedies – both the magical and non-magical kind. Ropa must do everything she can to uncover what is causing the illness, but discovering the truth will cause her to delve deep into’s Scotland’s past.

There are so many things to love about this series. Huchu has created such a fascinating world – this dystopian, magical future is completely unlike anything I’ve read before. Huchu puts in an incredible amount of detail into the depiction of Edinburgh and I love seeing all the streets and places brought to life. The story is excellently paced, with plenty of action and mystery to keep the reader intrigued. Just like the first book I was captivated right from the beginning and in all honesty, I didn’t want this book to end.

Where this series really shines is the brilliant cast of characters who you can’t help growing attached to. Ropa is full of attitude, but she’s determined to do what’s right and help those around her. While Ropa is the star of the show there are plenty of other clever characters and I loved both Priya and Jomo. If you’re looking for a dark, fast-paced fantasy read, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments will have you engrossed until the very last page. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and I cannot wait to see where Huchu takes things in the next book.