3.5 stars I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this book, the dark academia vibes were there but it wasn’t really dark academia. The characters were rounded enough for the story, though I think if the mystery hadn’t been as intriguing I would’ve been frustrated. I did find that chunks of the first 40% or so were wilfully obtuse so I was going back and re-reading the previous section to check I hadn’t missed anything. I like the writing style and am intrigued to see how the story develops in other books.

This book is very reminiscent of A Discovery of Witches and my feelings about both books are almost the same. It's a long book that doesn't move forward very quickly. There's a lot of time spent in one place, with the characters isolated and hiding away, with vague notions of solving a mystery whilst seemingly not doing too much at all. Whilst watching the relationship between Aurelia and Ingram change was interesting, and seeing them open up to each other whilst still dancing around their feelings after such a long standing rivalry kept things a little interesting, I felt no chemistry between the pair so it left the developments between them a little flat for me. Some side characters are intriguing, and there are also a lot of secrets buried within all the characters' stories that only unravel very slowly, which I did enjoy but overall the pace was much too slow for me with not enough plot progression, before everything seemed to come to a head incredibly quickly.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

I had SUCH high hopes for this book. Sadly, it fell short for me - but it might be for you!

The premise: Aurelia, a PhD student at Cambridge, is secretly a witch and strange things are happening with her magic. She attends a party where she begins arguing with her academic rival, Ingram, but they are interrupted when one of their friends (also a witch!) is murdered. Ingram whisks Aurelia away to a remote village to protect her, because it turns out he is also a witch and believes whoever killed their friend is after them, too. While in forced proximity in a small cottage, the pair get closer and their defenses fall, they’re probably going to kiss etc etc.

Sounds great, right?!

I wanted to love this, but I struggled to stay invested and decided to DNF at 46%. The prose itself was decent, but overwritten. At times, I wasn’t sure what the author was getting at, nor was I sure what POV we were really in. I noticed myself skimming to get to dialogue or the next key plot point. I also wanted more background info and higher stakes. I needed to understand WHY these two were rivals in the first place and be shown an example of their rivalry rather than be constantly told about how much Aurelia hates him. I wanted to know more about what her friendship with Magda was like (we get more about her housemate who is literally in the plot for five seconds before leaving). And, of course, I wanted to know more about the magic system, which seemed interesting but wasn’t explained enough.

The setting and vibes are very atmospheric and cozy and great, and the plot is promising, but for me, the odd writing stops it from being propulsive and emotionally resonant. I may keep reading later, but for now I have other books to review this month and this one just isn’t keeping my attention. Bummed!

Thank you to NetGalley and Publishers for letting me read this story.

This was such a fun read. The magic system and the adventure was so fun and kept me interested the whole time.

Rory and Teddy was a great couple I loved their bickering and it just felt like a great academic rivals turn to more. This was giving Howl’s moving castle meets Draco and Hermione. I loved it and I loved them.

Thank you to NetGalley and PanMacmillan for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review!

I read the indie publication version of this novel and absolutely fell in love with the characters, atmosphere and world. I am happy to report that this story is even better than the original.

This book will definitely appeal to fans of character-driven stories, YEARNING and magic. The writing is beautifully detailed. Some could consider it too flowery, too purple but I feel it adds a lush depth to the story. The characters, especially Aurelia, are complex and intriguing. The romance develops slowly, creating tension and anticipation, and the found family dynamic grows over time, becoming stronger by the end. Though some dialogue choices and formatting might take a bit of getting used to for those new to Isabel's style, the story offers emotional depth and sets up a promising continuation!

Isabel Agajanians writing in Modern Divination is just magical, there's something so wonderful about the prose and how immersive it feels and yet I find myself wanting more - it felt like something was missing.

The first maybe 60-70% nothing happened, it's mainly talking about something happening, like when you have a meeting about having a meeting. The sheer annoyance I felt as I waited for something. Like yes, I do get that it was meant to add more depth to the character as we get a 'slice of life' as the go from a to b etc. but when you're waiting for 100+ pages something has to give.

I enjoyed much time we got to spend with both Aurelia and Teddy, but my issue was the 'academic rivals-to-lovers romance', again I felt like the basis of this rivalry was miscommunication. Aurelia had built her hatred of Teddy on a snide remark from four years ago, while Teddy had spent four years genuinely trying to know her. It felt so stupid, which in turn only added to making the whole will the won't they over 512 pages a drag instead of tension filled fun. And because of that I couldn't stand Aurelia, there were times where she made sense but a lot and I mean a lot of her inner monologue for the first 50% was just her pretending to be amicable with Teddy to find a weakness. She hated him because he had money and didn't suffer like her etc etc. It was whiny and for someone who hadn't bothered to get to know they guy beyond that one comment four years ago (which yeah wasn't great) but it didn't deserve all this. Like move on how are building your entire personality around hating a guy who doesn't even know why?

Overall, the writing is great but I just did not connect with Modern Divination in the way I wanted to.

Thank you to Pan Macmillan | Tor for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Modern Divination is a book with stunning prose and an aesthetic that perfectly aligns with Dark Academia, blending fantasy elements with a brooding, atmospheric tone. The writing style is undoubtedly one of the book’s strongest aspects and drew me in right away.

However, beyond the beautiful writing, I found myself struggling to stay engaged. The world-building, particularly regarding the magic and witches, felt underdeveloped. I kept waiting for the story to delve deeper into these elements, but it never quite delivered the depth I was hoping for.

The characters, unfortunately, were my biggest disappointment. Both main characters came across as overly childish in their mannerisms and dialogue, which made it difficult for me to connect with them. While I eventually warmed up to the main female character, the male lead was frustrating, especially with his “I’m doing this for your own good” attitude, which I found grating and off-putting.

The story’s antagonist also left much to be desired. I was eager to learn more about the villain, but the resolution felt anticlimactic and left me wanting more complexity and tension.

Overall, while Modern Divination excels in its atmospheric writing and aesthetic appeal, it ultimately fell flat for me due to its underwhelming character dynamics and lack of depth in world-building and plot.

This was magnificent, I have heard alot of positive reviews regaridng this book-- and my, it completely gave what they said it give. I gave this 4 stars, Isabel served.

I had the pleasure of reading the indie published version a year ago, and loved it, and I’m happy to say that this newly polished version is even better!

The magical world building is so interesting, and something I’m excited to dive more into as the series continues. The slow progression between Teddy & Rory from academic rivals to friends to star-crossed lovers is masterfully done.

I’m going to need the next book asap!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Modern Divination is a contemporary dark academia fantasy novel following Aurelia Shwartz and Theordore Ingram, two academic rivals at Cambridge who, after a deadly attack on campus, flee to a remote small village where they must work together if they want to survive. What follows is a story of magical bookshops, cosy cottages, slow burning romance, and mystery. I adored the autumnal/wintery atmosphere and the beautifully written prose woven throughout. The portrayal of the evolution of the relationship between Aurelia and Theodore was perfectly done and I cannot wait to see more of them in the sequel. I would recommend Modern Divination to those wanting a book to read on a rainy day that combines both cosy fantasy and dark academia.

Cozier than I expected! I loved the slow character development of both Aurelia and Teddy; watching them move closer and closer together was very satisfying. The worldbuilding of the magic system was well done. I'd love to read a sequel!

This book is pure magic!! If you love academic rivals to lovers, slow burn and cozy dark academia vibes, this book is definitely for you. I loved the romance SO MUCH, Aurelia and Teddy chemistry is unreal and I can’t stop thinking about them 😩 Beautifully written and perfect for curling up with on a rainy day, I highly recommend <3

Also…… "Because I like it when you're mean. I think that's when I like you best." HELLO???? I LOVE THEM

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3+ stars for this one but I round it down because of lack of investment from my part. Some reviewers I follow loved this book, while others didn't like it, so I was half intrigued and half scared to start reading it. I had been so excited by the premise since I love witches and I love rivals to more romance, though, so I dived in during my vacation. In a nutshell, Modern Divination was a fine read but I didn't get invested enough, and I didn't like the fmc so much. I did like the mmc/li, though.

We follow Aurelia's point of view who is an American academic now doing her PhD in Cambridge. She is an ambitious protagonist who wants to be the best in her studies and also needs to be revered as such. She hides the fact that she is a witch from her best friend/roommate and hates it, but it is necessary since she isn't sure how they will react. I found her to be unreasonably petty. Sometimes, it felt like her rivalry with Ingram was caused by her and many things were just in her head. She says it herself that she keeps grudges, but I found it over the top. Many times I wondered what Ingram had ever done. Once or twice he was rude, but to be honest, I would be rude, too, toward a person who glares at me and shows very clearly how disgusted they are in my presence.

Ingram was the academic rival and love interest. He appears aloof and collected like nothing reaches him, but I find that these characters are those who feel the most, as well, and wear aloofness like an armor. Ingram was reasonable and logical, striving to do the best he can in his studies and life. He has ton of baggage and yet, he is very likeable. I rooted for him for everything!

The premise was so good, but the plot suffered a lot. We see that Aurelia has had trouble with her magic, but we never really figured out why or how to stop it. I found this a bit weird since it was a big thing in the beginning of the book. The last 20% of the book was...odd. The climax had happened, and it was clear we would not get more serious things happening in the book, so we sort of circled around one event (not explaining to avoid spoilers) and kept talking about it in inner monologues and scenes that didn't drive the plot or character development forward. The antagonist's goal was vaguely expressed, but apart from that and some crimes she's committed, I wouldn't be able to tell you a thing about who she is, her life, or anything else about her.

While I liked many things about this book, I do feel that I didn't get invested in the characters and the story. There was a lot of inner narration and from a mc who I didn't like much. However, I liked Ingram a lot, and I believe that he would make a much more interesting mc. I don't know if I will read book 2. If I do, it will be for Ingram.

DNF at 15%

I gave this a try like two months ago, put it aside and told myself I’d get back to it. It’s been long enough that I’m sure I will not in fact get back to it. I found the characters uninteresting and the protagonist a bit insufferable, and none of the things I was actually interested in were given enough room (establishing motivations? Setting up any kind of character development?? Explaining literally anything???) So yeah. This was not the book for me.

3.5/5 rounded up. I really enjoyed this book! Modern Divination follows two academic rivals, with a slow burn romance. I enjoyed the dynamic and the development of both the main characters Aurelia and Teddy. I did find the book a little slow paced at times in the middle, but overall I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to see what the author does next!

oh this was just PERFECT. this has everything i love and more! from the slow burn pacing to the rivalry and strange magic i loved every bit of this looooong book. this hit the spot after looking for a fantasy that'll have me at the edge of my seat and reaching to pick it up every time i set it down. i can't wait to see what comes of this upcoming series!

Perfect for fans of A Study in Drowning, Modern Divination delivers as a dark contemporary fantasy with plenty to love! Featuring Aurelia and Theodore, rival PhD students at Cambridge, the story weaves an alluring system of magical gifts with the thrill of a power-hungry witch on their trail. It’s an atmospheric, gripping read that had me hooked from start to finish. I can’t wait for the sequel!

As a fan of dark-academia and a love for slow-brun romances, this book was right up my street! I really enjoyed the plot and how it was so character-focused and as some other reviewers mentioned, the plot was of less importance because we are getting to know Aurelia and Theodore. I'll also say that it reminded me of Ninth House in terms of the dark fantasy vibes!

4.5 rounded up. I really enjoyed this book. It's actually my second time reading it - I purchased and read it a couple years ago when it was self published. Its been a while since I first read it so my memory could be off, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it much unchanged, maybe a few tweaks and tighter writing. I loved the characters and the atmosphere its very moody and cozy and mysterious with the barest touch of horror. And who doesn't love academic rivals to lovers, he falls first? Delicious. There is just something missing that I can't quite put my finger on to make it to a true 5 star read. I kinda remember this being my take away the first time around too. So close to perfect. Just at times I had a hard time connecting with the story or understanding the stakes or the motivations of the characters. But for the most part, extremely compelling, a solid 4+. Recommend!

Modern Divination is a beautifully crafted rivals to lovers story. The settings throughout are simply gorgeous, giving the love story an amazing backdrop. I loved the academic vibes and lyrical style of writing that brought this to life. The romance is perfect, it’s full of magnetism and obsession, whilst at the same time utter loathing. There is plenty of longing and the pace is slow and steady before unraveling. The MMC is definitely one to stir the hearts of readers. I loved the FMC as well, who doesn’t love a competitive academic.
The reason I am not giving this five stars is because of the off pacing at the end. I would say the ending felt like it happened but then the story carried on for a while, it was a big build up to then come down again so this affected the wrap up. Overall a stunning read that I think will prove to be massively popular.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.