Armor for Liars by S.E. Grove

 

Oh my gosh, it has been a MONTH since I finished this book and it is still resonating for me! I guess this is my attempt to pretend like I am not woefully behind in my reviews. This is the first New Year's resolution I have ever kept and it is so close to slipping through my fingers. I go back to work Monday and I plan to do so with a completely clear google sheet with all reviews completed. Dare to dream, Barb.

So back to the book at hand, It was spectacular! I was predisposed to love it because I had read Grove's THE WANING AGE and adored the world building. This one also had a fascinating setting. I started reading it when I was taking a history class at the Boston Athenaeum and even though it is set in Salem and Beverly (and the Lynn Woods) the Athenaeum was the perfect spot to begin it. 

Okay, so the opening scene is SO evocative! There is a carriage going down the road, it is stopped by a seemingly benign person who ends up ruining EVERYTHING! I am not sure if I can do the magic in this book justice, just allow me to say that it is intricate, but not to intricate; scary but not too scary; and perfectly described. It boils down to an alternate North Shore in the early 1900s and Clem is disguising herself as a boy to attend the Commonwealth School to learn magic. The magic in this world is very anti-woman, anti-poor person, basically, anti-anything that isn't a white, rich guy with no conscience. I read a review on Goodreads that said, "I adored this book because it’s an excellent example of what happens when someone gets right that part of Fantasy novels that almost every book gets wrong: The actual magical system itself." and that is absolutely true. The magic is an entirely new type for me and it is perfect. And I don't even usually really like the magic! I am all about the drama and the interpersonal relationships. Grove gets those right too. There is a strange friendship between the young woman in question and a dead boy who is trying to help her. There are family obligations, and there is a delicious quest for revenge. It doesn't move fast (until it does) but the build up is really compelling. Even though the story is fairly straightforward, there is a ton of subtext about equity, entitlement, and communication, 

I have to admit that I got a thrill seeing the action take place in my own stomping ground, but I would have loved this if it took place in Ottumwa, Iowa. I should also mention that S. E. Grove is a local writer and is actually doing a kick-ass event at the Beverly Public Library in October so I will get to tell her in person how much I loved this book. I am not going to nag her about writing a sequel because the book ended without the need for one. But I would really love to read more stories set in this world.