I absolutely loved this book. It is so beautifully written, and the way that the magic fits in with a modern setting is beautifully done. Also the slooooooooow burn was devastatingly beautiful, I was burning with them.

I honestly would recommend this book to anyone who loves witchy vibes, slow burn, rivals to lovers, small town, dark academia, it is just so beautifully written . I cannot wait for book 2!!!!!!!!!

Unfortunately this wasn’t the best read for me, I had to dnf as I couldn’t get into the book. I found the girl Aurelia really irritating, so I couldn’t bring myself to finish. Maybe I’ll give another try in the future but for now it’s not for me!

A witch at Cambridge must team up with her academic rival to investigate the death of her friend and figure out why her magic is fading. This book had a lot of potential and a great cover, but was badly executed. The writing is clunky, the magic inconsistent and the main character extremely unlikeable. Not one for me.

I find it really hard to do this but I have to for the sake of my sanity.

DNF @ 22%

My main issue- and I honestly couldn't get past this- was the prose. It felt... unnecessary. I'm a prose girl but this one was just severely overwritten. I think I would have loved it otherwise.

I truly think this is the most perfect sad-girl fantasy romance with lush atmospheric writing and heaps of yearning that will have your heart aching for these characters.

This book felt like a Hozier song - it was everything. Teddy was SO tortured and multi-faceted and Aurelia had so much depth to her, I found myself really caring about them as characters. What an absolutely stellar debut novel.

I will say the plot is a little slow and does lull around the 50% mark, however it is worth pushing through because the last third was perfect. I will be thinking about these characters long after I've turned the final page.

Reviews to follow on my TikTok.

Beautiful and messy and perhaps not entirely to my taste, but I ate it up anyway because the prose was gorgeous. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future. Thank you for the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.

It was an ok read. I didn't particularly like Aurelia I found her annoying. One minute she hates Ingram then the next she can't decide why. I didn't particularly care for Ingram either. He didn't seem totally believable.

It needs another read through for editing at 30% a sentence doesn't read right "suddenly aware of the pink freckles on his side of his torso." There doesn't need to be two his'. Also at 75% there is a random e in the middle of a sentence " am I supposed to believe that you show up e after..."

I do like that they become friends/lovers but I could kind of see this happening. I find Alaric intriguing.

This is real rivals-to-something-more done right.

<b>”Because I like it when you're mean. I think that's when I like you best."
</b>
Aurelia Schwartz is a witch with a green thumb, capable of making plants grow. She’s attending Cambridge as the top student in the Medieval History programme, careful to keep her magic a secret as it can get her killed.

Aurelia spends her days warring for the favour of her professor with a tall, dark-haired boy called Theodore Ingram - her rival, her nemesis, the centre of her resentment.
They’re thrown together despite their mutual dislike in a tentative alliance when they see a witch get murdered at one of their department parties.

Aurelia’s vehement opposition to Ingram seemed so absolute. They lived to be at each other's throats with extended claws and venomous words, him epitomising everything she hated yet coveted.
This did sometimes feel frustrating at the start as it becomes clear Aurelia had festered this grievance against Ingram for years whilst he never even knew it existed. Of course he would react to her simmering contempt with similar behaviour.

<b>That was the difference between men who grew up coddled, spoon-fed success until hunger formed only from its loss, and women who'd reached success by clawing through their own flesh.
</b>
The writing in this was beautiful. Lyrical, yet also filled with modern British terms like Tesco, sloshed that directly places you in an urban fantasy setting filled with magic, whimsy, and mystery.

<b>It was not a love story after all— between Icarus and the sun-but an obsession, a chase.
</b>
Whilst I would classify this under the sub-genre of academia, I would also caveat it with the fact only the first 20% primarily occurs in the College. After that, they retreat to an isolated countryside cottage.

The last 20% did not to be there. The climax happened and then the plot just stopped and meandered and it felt more like fanfiction or an extremely extended epilogue.
For that reason, I’m tempted to give it a three stars, but ultimately I enjoyed the first 75% or so: 3.5🌟, but it would have been 4 if not for that last part!
I also don’t feel compelled to pick up book two when it comes out.

I very much wanted to enjoy this book. The plot I thought was fun- I love stories about women who are more powerful than even they realise. However, I found it really overwritten. Every other sentence was a metaphor, often with at least two parts, which undermined what the author was trying to achieve with it.

I first read (and loved) Modern Divination as an indie-published book, and I was thrilled to hear that it had been picked up by Macmillan for traditional publication. I'm happy to report that Isabel Agajanian has achieved what seemed impossible: this new version is even better than the original, which was already excellent. The prose feels richer, more emotional, and more mature. I immediately noticed the new sections and revisions compared to the indie version, and I’m amazed at how Isabel has elevated the book to such an extraordinary level.

Modern Divination is a contemporary fantasy featuring academic rivals at Cambridge, Aurelia Schwartz and Teddy Ingram. Without giving too much away to avoid spoilers, I'll just say that both possess magic, and at some point, they're forced to work together to save not only themselves but others as well. The plot masterfully balances mystery, a touch of dark academia, magic, and romance. It also delivers one of the most delicious slow burns in fantasy — the amount of pining between the two characters is indescribable. Isabel’s portrayal of Teddy and Aurelia’s evolving relationship — how they slowly realize they need each other and are stronger and better together than apart — is simply brilliant. They’ve become one of my all-time favorite fantasy couples.

That said, I have to spotlight just how wonderful Teddy is as a character. While Aurelia is fantastic in her own right, Teddy completely stole my heart. I’m so weak for Howl-coded characters in turtlenecks!!!!

You might think it’s impossible to experience the thrill of reading a favorite book for the first time again, but that’s exactly how it felt reading the traditionally published version of Modern Divination. This book is perfect for those who already know Isa’s work from their indie days, as well as new readers looking for an exquisitely written, atmospheric fantasy with characters you wish you could meet and a romance that stirs all the best emotions.