I’m grateful I was able to read this early, I enjoyed this story.

I need to state for the record that academic rivals is becoming a new favourite trope. Mixing this with an enemies to lovers vibe and magic is superb. This story had some darkness to it, the villain of the plot Leona actually creeped me out a lot.

This isn’t an ordinary story of magic, it was unique and layered with so much more to say. I really look forward to a continuation of the story and our characters hopefully.

I feel very conflicted about this book. On the one hand, the romance EATS. It has the most immaculate yearning and the characters are fleshed out so incredibly well they feel real.

On the other hand, this didn't even feel like it had been edited. I have so many issues with the pacing and I found myself having to reread sentences constantly to try and puzzle out what Agajanian was trying to say. Some of the language was beautiful but near nonsensical.

Saying that, I loved the ending and it does a good job of getting you excited for the sequel. Rory and Teddy have my heart, but I can't give this book more than 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine and are freely given.

3.25/5 stars

I think this book will work really well for readers who love character driven stories, flowery prose, and tortured MCs. Based on everything I had seen about this book, I expected it to be exactly what I wanted to read, but unfortunately it didn't work for me basically from the beginning. I went in expecting a wonderful found family/romance book with witches, a murder investigation, a Howl coded MMC, and more. And while technically it had all those elements, they all felt forced and stilted and I had a really hard time getting through this book, let alone enjoying it.

The prose throughout the entirety of the book, but especially the first 30% felt way too flowery/overdone and it made it feel longer than it should. It also made everything the characters said to each other feel out of place/almost disingenuous. I didn't feel connected to the characters through the majority of the book, especially Aurelia. She held everyone, including the reader, at arms length. In doing so, her connection to the other characters felt lacking. I believe part of this is purposeful, but it's never really explained. One of the main plot points that's spoken of in the blurb of the book is that witches aren't supposed to tell anyone that they're witches, and that there's grave consequences for doing so, but that also maybe that's wrong. We are told that covens exist, but we never see any. The main characters have basically zero witch friends, and there appears to be no way to actively seek out any fellow witches when you move to new places, or really at all. So we get the knowledge that the covens *exist* but in this nebulous aspect where the main characters don't have access to them in any way. It was just one of many instances where it felt like a gaping plot hole that could have resolved so many things had it been fixed.

The found family was lukewarm at best. Everyone seems to dislike each other and keep each other at arms length until the end of the book, when suddenly they're all super close knit? The romance felt both too slow and too rushed. We see Aurelia's thought process, but the author "shows" us Teddy falling through Aurelia interpreting his glances and words, rather than us getting any real substantive information from Teddy himself. We only get I believe 3 chapters from Teddy's POV, and they don't give us a lot to go off of. Instead we get the author telling us Aurelia's interpretation of his actions, words, and glances, and are made to feel like this is supposed to be enough/be FOR SURE Teddy's feelings. At the end I do feel like we got to see how much they cared for each other, but it felt like too little, too late, and it also felt like we had had all this build up, angst, pining, and tip toeing around each other, only for them to sleep together one night, and then leave each other rather than trying to do any form of "long distance" even though they really aren't that far away from each other and could likely see each other frequently.

The Leona plot thread didn't feel urgent throughout any of the story, and then got wrapped up at an odd point in the book, while also leaving so many unsolved plot threads. There were so many things that happened that should have resulted in consequences, but we as readers are never shown them. It's definitely being set up for a 2nd book in my opinion, but literally nothing is concretely wrapped up in this book except Leona, which felt so rushed, and also felt like it isn't totally wrapped up either.

There were also a lot of dialogue heavy moments where things ran together and made it difficult to distinguish who was speaking. Aurelia would say something or be spoken to and would respond out loud and then have a secondary inner response and I frequently had to reread to make sure I didn't misread things. The book also uses ' instead of " for dialogue which was just confusing to me but I was able to get used to it. There were also quite a few tense changes that I'm assuming will be fixed before release date?

Overall I'm honestly really disappointed in myself for not liking this book more, and wish I'd gone in with lower expectations. It had so many elements that I liked, but none of them were executed in a way that made sense to me. I will be interested to see how the final version ends up, and may try getting through the library/Libby, but don't think I would pick this up otherwise.

Finally!! Real yearning for your nemesis is back.

Modern Divination is the dreamy, witchy, autumnal slow-burn academic rivals book of my dreams. From the start I was absolutely enthralled by Agajanian’s gorgeous and evocative prose and wanted to do nothing else but live in this beautiful world they have created. The characters feel extremely real - they are flawed and raw and messy - and I adore it. Aurelia is a fantastic protagonist, and I love the time and effort the narrative takes in allowing her to develop at her own pace. This then being paired with Teddy Ingram (and his own development), one of my favourite love interests for SUCH a long time results in the most scrumptious yearning and hauntingly beautiful relationship!!!! I could talk about them for hours. Their banter!!!!!!!!

Do yourself the biggest favour and read this book when it’s dark outside and you're under a blanket with a hot drink. It is how it is meant to be read.

Excited doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel about book 2. I can’t wait for this book to be [traditionally] published in Jan 2025 so we’re one step closer to returning to these characters.

Thank you to Tor, Pan Macmillan, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

I first read Modern Divination about a year and a half ago when it was indie released, and have thought about these characters regularly. I literally squealed when I found out it was picked up by Tor for traditional publishing, and immediately contacted everyone I could think to about an ARC because I was that desperate to read it again. I finished it last night, and I think I loved it even more than I did the first time. This book is the most prime example of slow burn and pining. Teddy and Aurelia are the moody couple of my dreams. And that is all on top of an excellent, enthralling plot that will keep you guessing. One of my favorite books growing up was The Magic of Reason by Justine Larbastier, and the magic system in Modern Divination is the closest resemblance to that I have found. I absolutely loved this book, and I hope that it garners all of the love and support it deserves. I can't wait to read the sequel when it releases. Out in the UK January 30th. Out in the US May 6th, 2024.

This is a slow burn story of academic, rivals and magic. At times I did feel it was a lot and quite confusing but ending with the potential of a second book.

ahhh!!!! i was exactly in the mood for a book like this, so this perfectly delivered on all fronts. the elements of the book where i would've usually been a bit annoyed—repetition, pacing, etc. were all irrelevant to me because the romance, atmosphere, and world was truly so fun. i believe i wouldn't have enjoyed this as much if i wasn't in the mood for it, and i do hence have to take off one star from my rating, but otherwise this was a wonderful debut!

Unfortunately I DNFed this book, I really wanted to enjoy it and it was one of my anticipated reads. I loved the academia setting and the character building but the pacing was a bit slow and confusing and I found myself losing concentration and struggling to grasp what was really happening. However, I know a lot of people enjoy this book so please don't let my opinions sway you!

This is a story of academic rivals, magic, family and power. It took me awhile to get into and the story often feels chaotic and confused. However the main characters are compelling and I do want to know what happens next so will in all likelihood seek out the next book when it is published.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book. My review is freely given and in my own words.

A nice slow burn fantasy book with the right amount of spice, I enjoyed reading this and getting to know aurelia and teddy, however, I do feel it didn't really go anywhere...potentially leaving an opening for book 2 but it felt lacking

This was so much fun!

And I genuinely think that the only thing I really need to say to convince you to read this book (because it's all the reasoning I needed) is "academic rivals to lovers." The end. Happy reading.

But seriously, I love rivals to lovers, I think it's so much fun. So much tension and bickering and drama. And that's always so much fun especially when you throw in the other stakes. And it's a slow-burn!

The vibes and ambience are incredible and I do agree with the Sophie and Howl comparisons. (I love Sophie and Howl so much.)

There were a few pacing and explanation issues every now and then (but that is certainly not uncommon in fantasy books for me). But it wasn't distracting or annoying the way that sort of thing can be.

I will definitely be reading the sequel and I very much am looking forward to it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Academic rivals, magic, and a dash of romance as they try to figure out who is trying to kill them and if they can stop arguing long enough to trust each other... and maybe... possibly, fall in love. Aurelia Schwartz has keeping her life in a carefully maintained way, separating her magic powers from her very human best friend and roommate. All she wants to do is defeat her academic rival, gain academic prestige, and hang out with her best friend.The only hiccup is that her powers are fading and it’s getting harder and harder to control and keep hidden from humans. So when she runs into another witch, which is very rare for her, she finds herself being threatened and the only person there to help her is the last person she ever expected or wanted... Theodore “Teddy” Ingram... and he just happens to possess magic of his own. Soon Aurelia is forced to the one person she can’t stand because he has a better grasp on what is actually happening and he is the only one she can turn to but Teddy is hiding his own secrets. Forced to spend the holiday with Teddy at his own home while trying to figure out why a witch is hunting them down and what she wants, Aurelia and Teddy will have to face their past hurts and answer the question of why they dislike each other so much and if they can even live in the same house together. It does not help that despite how much they argue and bicker, there is something else there growing between them. Magic, slow burn romance, enemies to lovers, angst, academic rivals, and a touch of Howl’s Moving Castle and what you get is a fantastic start to a series. To say I fell in love with this book is putting it lightly, it’s got everything I could ask for and the way Isa writes is just beautiful. The chemistry between Aurelia and Teddy is PALPABLE. This was an amazing slow burn romance, filled with so many memorable moments and honestly, I WOULD DATE BOTH OF THEM. I HAVE TWO HANDS, LET ME DATE BOTH OF YALL. I can’t wait to see where the second book goes and how Aurelia and Teddy grow!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

"To be genuine was an exhausting thing."

Ah, Modern Divination. How I wish I loved thee. I did love the settings of the novel; everything felt very cosy and right for the season. The gloominess of the weather mirrored my reality very well while reading, which was nice.

While this was the case, I do think the plot slightly lacked for me. It felt slightly back and forth at one point, and I was just waiting for something to happen. The tension didn't feel as (for want of a better word) tense as I needed it to, and it lead to a somewhat unearned climax. It felt like we'd been slow burn building, and then it was all over in a chapter. The "big bad" wasn't given as much gravitas as it should have been, I think. I wanted to be afraid of Leona, but I just... wasn't.

I also did feel slightly lukewarm to Aurelia. I'm not sure why? I can't quite put my finger on it, and I liked her, but I never fell over into outright loving her. I did love Teddy, though, who felt real and complex and weighted. Sometimes I felt the depth of their relationship was unearned - like the devotion he had to her was just... Not proportional to what had happened?

Modern Divination was not a bad book by any means - the execution just slightly lacked for me. It felt over-edited in places where we needed more (the climax) and while beautifully written, it felt under-edited in some of the transitory sections.

I'm just sad I didn't like this one more! I am looking forward to more from this author though.

I wanted to give this a chance. I am still trying to learn to love romance books, and this had looked one that could help me ease into it. The plot had seemed interesting and I had thought that the plot would be the main focus with the characters learning to love each other in spite of it. Instead the characters relationship was the man focus and honestly the FMC was too obsessed with the MC for my liking. This was going out of my comfort zone so just because I didn't like it doesn't mean that others won't.

I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me. Which is such a shame as I loved the premise of it so much, I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and found it moved at a rather slow pace which is understandable as it is more of a character driven story but I just felt there wasn’t enough to keep me fully engaged.

I did really like the writing and found it easy to understand within the way the author was creating the setting but I just really felt so disconnected throughout that I wasn’t able to fully appreciate this book.

I DNFed this book, which was unfortunate as I was really looking forward to it. the premise and work building was really intriguing, however, the pace + the relationship between the two main characters was a bit off-putting and it was becoming difficult to pick this up again.

The story is set in a cozy small town where witches secretly coexist with humans, creating a dark contemporary fantasy atmosphere. I had high expectations for the book, drawn in by its intriguing plot and well-developed characters. However, as I read, I noticed that the pacing felt slow and some sections became repetitive, which made parts of the narrative a bit boring. Despite this, I found the ending to be satisfying, leaving me with a sense of closure that didn’t completely disappoint me.

Rating - 4.75⭐️

If you love Ninth House and Howl’s Moving Castle then I think you should give this book a try!

I’d say this is a dark contemporary fantasy set in a modern world where witches exist but they hide their identities from humans. Majority of the novel takes place in a small unknown town and it had a very cosy atmosphere.

This is a very character-driven story so the plot is very slow-paced and quite low-stakes but I honestly didn’t care because I loved the characters and they really took the spotlight.

I loved Aurelia’s and Theodore’s rivalry with their constant bickering and teasing. And yet🥹, they see through each other and understand each other so well. The cosy domesticity that naturally grew between the characters was so wholesome, it added years to my life😌.

And the slow burn? It was BURNINGGG‼️ The yearning in this book was so exquisite😩. I was devouring every single page of it. I kid you not I was LITERALLYY giggling and kicking my feet while lying down, on my stomach, in my bed reading😙✌🏻.

It’s always book boyfriend this, book boyfriend that, FORGET book boyfriends because Theodore Ingram is literally HUSBAND MATERIAL‼️ Every fricking page I read, especially the last quarter of the book, I had to stop & close the book to SQUEAL because the things he would say drove me insane🧎‍♀️.

The writing style is absolutely incredible. Just be aware that it’s purple prose, I understand it’s not many people’s cup of tea. I will admit, it did take me around 150 pages to get used to it but once I got the hang of it? I had so much admiration and appreciation for the writing. I was also tabbing every other page because the quotes and passages are literally perfection😌🤌🏻. You know when the writing is so good you end up gasping in awe? Yeah, that happened to me so many times in this book🙂‍↕️.

Overall, I’m already so excited for the sequel to release so I can read more of these characters.

'Modern Divination' by Isabel Agajanian feels like a cross between dark Accademia and fantasy romance. In it, Aurelia Schwartz and Teddy Ingram are brought together despite being enemies. Having spent 23yrs trying to hide that she has the gift of green magic, Aurelia suddenly is at risk of the same fate as her university friend (killed by a sword in the midst of an academic dinner) and with the surprising help of Teddy, she must go into hiding.

Whilst I typically enjoy both genres, this novel wasn't for me and I didn't end up finishing it. Whilst there were good parts, overall it felt over written, wordy and confusing. What appears to be the main focus - the relationship between Aurelia and Teddy - felt like a rehash of many romantic novels, with Aurelia misunderstanding arrogance and aloofness as indicating lack of feelings, only for this to be proved wrong. I think the novel would have been improved by pairing it back a little, and focussing more upon the murder and the power hungry witch attempting to steal others powers.

Modern Divination is a fantasy that incorporates witches, academia and dangerous love. In other words, it’s exactly what Romantasy fans are craving.

I was so excited to read this book because it has one of my favourite tropes- magical, academic rivals. This is such a specific trope, but recently multiple books have come out that have this dynamic between the main characters. As someone who has spent a lot of time in academia, I love to see that world in a more supernatural and fantastical context. And I think that the author did a great job of writing this dynamic between the characters and building an eerie, intellectual setting. I think that my favourite parts to read were the bits of dialogue between the main characters and the descriptions.

That being said, this was not a perfect book. As you may know, this was originally a self-published book, but it recently got picked up for traditional publishing because of its popularity. This means that it suffers from some of the same problems as other self-published and even debut books. There is some showing rather than telling and some strange sentences. Nonetheless, I think that this is a really strong first book. Some incredible authors, like Olivie Blake and Allison Saft, started their careers in the same way so I can’t wait to see what Isabel Agajanian does next!

Also, just as a final thought, does anyone else think that it’s a shame that they changed the book cover? I think that the dark and mystical atmosphere of the self-published cover was so fitting. Either way, you have to love a book with dark ravens on the front.