The Otherwhere Post coming February 25th, 2025 from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers; 416 pages
Content Warning: Death, violence
About the Author: “Emily J. Taylor is the New York Times and indie bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique. Born and raised in California, she’s lived in four states and two continents, all of which have conveniently given her an endless amount of story fodder. She currently works as a creative director in Minneapolis, where she spends the long winters dreaming up glittering worlds to spin into dark tales” (Bio from author’s website).
Find Emily J. Taylor on the following platforms:
The Otherwhere Post is a mysterious dark academia novel that centers around Maeve Abenthy, who could lose her freedom with a single mistake. Seven years ago, a terrible beast attacked one of the three known worlds. To stop the danger from spreading, the Written Doors that connected the worlds were burned. Maeve’s father was blamed for the crime, but after she receives an old letter claiming her father is innocent, Maeve finds herself willing to do anything to discover what really happened that day—including taking the place of an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post. There, she will be taught the magic that couriers use to enchant letters, all while trying not to draw attention to herself. But her mentor is the son of the Postmaster in charge, and when she begins receiving threatening letters, Maeve realizes that she might not be able to hide her identity for long.
The Otherwhere Post kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what new clue would be discovered and trying to figure out what would come next. The blend of magic, academia, and fantasy was the perfect mix. I loved the characters. Maeve is restless and ready to run at a moment’s notice, but she desperately wants to know if her father is innocent, which makes her the perfect narrator. Tristan, her mentor, is secretive and sassy, but I liked the gradual reveal of his past and personality. Both characters have difficulty learning to trust each other, but they want to, which makes their development even more special. My favorite aspect of fantasy books is worldbuilding, and Emily J. Taylor did not disappoint. The magic, scriptomancy, was intriguing, with different forms and ink that can change the effects of the scribing. Maeve learned a bit about how scribing works from her father, but I enjoyed learning how this magic could be utilized as she also learned. It felt like I was growing with her. I also loved the rich history that is infused in this book. There are so many details of how the apprenticeship came to be and how the destruction of Inverly, one of the three worlds, completely changed how scriptomancy was viewed. There was something almost delicate about reading this book—like I was being let in on a secret, which made the experience all the more exciting.
The Otherwhere Post releases on February 25th, 2025.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Hannah Goerndt, Pine Reads Review Writer