This book have such a cool dark academia, Gothic horror vibe, and the short chapters make it a quick read. I just had a hard time keeping up with the characters, and sometimes they feel two dimensional. However, the author does an excellent job of delivering a rich, atmospheric setting, so if you enjoy books where the vibe takes center stage this could be a great fit for you

Oh wow - I really don't even know what to write. This book absolutely blew me away - the suspense, the secrecy, the "visions", the hiding, the history, the romance - all so incredibly well done and I can honestly say that I was absolutely blown away.

The characters, oh the characters; Fiadh stole my heart from the beginning & her overpowering love for her cousin Muriel was just a beautiful thing. There were times where I thought that it was more guilt than anything else leading her on the path she took, but when it really comes down to it - you do feel guilty when something has happened to one that you love, but that does not make the love any less important. The rest of the characters were all phenomenal in their own ways, and I truly loved the found family that was found within them - they all needed each other for it all to work out the way it was meant to.

I don't want to say much about this one, as I don't want to give anything away - go into this book blindly if you can, and just get ready for all of the twists & turns & fun along the way!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tara O'Toole for this absolutely incredible arc in exchange for my honest review.

The Lost Apprentice by Tara O'Toole is a fast-paced, quirky, and hilarious tale that keeps you guessing and wanting more. I could not put the book down from the moment I started reading. O'Toole's descriptive language mesmerized me, immersing me in Ireland's landscape. This book has everything from a mysterious disappearance, secret societies, romance, hilarious and loveable characters, and magic. The first 30% of the book can be a little confusing as O'Toole creates the setting in a short period of time and leaves some holes that left me curious and wanting to know more. The great thing about this book is that the holes or aspects that O'Toole left out or included add to the quirkiness of the story. You just have to accept what's given to you and roll with it. I really hope there are squeals to this book as I want to know more about the magic system and the characters who really made the story wonderful to read. Each character is funny, intelligent, and vibrant, banding together to face a series of emotional and physical challenges.
Thank you, Tara O'Toole, for a fantastic read, and thank you, Net Galley, for this early-release copy.

☆ ☆ ☆.

This one took me by surprise, I was looking for a quick read to finish in an evening and I definitely chose well with this one, it was fun, witty and quick paced!

This story was good, there’s a fantasy aspect to it but not too much to the point where it gets complicated and the magic system itself is fun and original, the mystery part is also interesting and kept me hooked throughout the story. The plot is your typical YA novel plot but it’s done very well, it’s very fast paced with quick chapters so you get right to the point of it which I appreciate in a novel this short, there’s a lot of dialogue in between the characters which I also thought was great. The characters itself were well written they each get their own witty personality with their own backstory that are all interesting and actually add to the story,I enjoyed this novel and I’m glad it was not just another “pretty cover and dull story”.

Now onto the parts I enjoyed a bit less, the villains fell a bit flat for me as their motives were quite unclear, I will say that it did not give me “dark academia” vibes at all, I know the author tried to instaure it with the uniforms, the victorian mansion with stained glass and some other stuff that I can’t remember for the life of me right now but it just did not serve the dark academia vibes I was promised. I also could’ve lived without the “spice” part, I think it was totally unnecessary and felt forced,it actually did not add anything to the relationship of the characters involved and last but not least… feck,really ? you have character of twenty years of age and older and they say feck ? I did not buy it.

Anyway, it was fun I liked it, it’s YA, it’s quick and actually good plus you can read it in a day so thank you netgalley for giving me free access to this book I had a great time.

“The Lost Apprentice” was kind of a great mix of dark academia, mystery, and fantasy. It kept me hooked right from the get go.

The story is set in a Dublin law firm, just one of a handful involved in a secret magical society, with games of power and deception happening behind the scenes.

Fiadh is an interesting protagonist. She’s determined and clever, and driven to solve the mystery of her cousin’s disappearance. I really enjoyed the weird tension between Fiadh and one of the other apprentices - Keefe. It added some interesting dynamics to the story.

The magic system, which has a basis in legal deeds and contracts, felt original and it played well in the plot. The book reminded me a little bit of The Atlas Six with its own Irish twist.

I enjoyed the mysterious atmosphere and the tension between characters, and it had just enough twists and turns. I’m rather hoping for a sequel!

If you like dark academia and magic, then you should read this!

The Lost Apprentice by Tara O'Toole presents an intriguing premise, blending mystery with adventure in a world where secrets and hidden talents drive the narrative. The story centers around a young protagonist discovering their powers while navigating the complexities of their world, but the execution falls short in some areas.

The pacing of the novel is uneven, with certain sections dragging on while others rush through important moments. The characters, while likable, are somewhat one-dimensional, and their development is not as deep as one might hope for in a story like this. The world-building, though creative, feels underexplored, leaving many questions unanswered that could have enriched the plot.

While The Lost Apprentice certainly offers some enjoyable moments and has potential, it doesn't fully deliver on its promises. It's a fun read for fans of the genre, but it lacks the depth and complexity needed to make it a standout. A solid three stars—entertaining, but not groundbreaking.

The Lost Apprentice is a perfect mix of dark academia, mystery, and magic, set against the lush, atmospheric backdrop of Ireland. Fiadh joins a cutthroat legal apprenticeship to uncover the truth behind her cousin’s disappearance after he joined the program the year before. The magic system is unique and plays a key role in the mystery, making it an exciting part of the story.

The characters are rich and complex, each one flawed but deeply interesting. The group Fiadh becomes involved with is dynamic and full of tension, with relationships that keep you guessing. The Irish setting adds to the book's dark, immersive tone, and I really appreciated that Tara O’Toole included a pronunciation guide at the beginning. She also weaves in some Irish (Gaelic?) throughout the story, which I found fascinating and made me want to learn more about the language, especially since it’s part of my roots.

I read this book in one sitting. The pacing is spot-on, and the twists kept me hooked—I fell for every misdirection! It’s rare for me to stay so utterly confused, but this book pulled it off brilliantly, and I loved every minute of it.

If you’re into mystery, magic, and a bit of romance, this is definitely worth the read. It’s fast-paced, twisty, and completely absorbing—highly recommend!

Wednesday meets Suits in this light fantasy story about a woman who is searching for answers as to what happened to her cousin who went missing for 6 months. I don't really know what to say about this book... I love secret societies as much as the next person but this was so droll that when it picked up in the last 20 odd pages, I was glad it was almost over. For the right person, I am sure this book would be amazing, but it just wasn't for me.

The Lost Apprentice by Tara O'Toole is so so good. I rated this book 5 stars because I couldn't give it more. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

I *really* wanted to love this story, or at the very least like it. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

The premise of this was intriguing (missing cousin, infiltration of prestigious legal firm, a little magic), but it was poorly executed.

I wasn't emotionally invested in this story or its various characters even though I really wanted to be. None of them ever became fully fledged individuals to me. They were just concepts. Archetypes, if you would, but nothing fleshed out.

The dialogue was clunky and awkward, and the author has a tendency towards redundancy. Many things are stated over and over again. "Muriel, my cousin" is one of those phrases. Like, yes we know Muriel is the cousin. You've made that distinction 12 times. The main character also refers to another character as "the swan man" multiple times even though he told her his name and the bird moniker wasn't significant in my opinion.

There was also a couple instance of casual racism in the early pages perpetuated by a secondary character but never addressed so I was left confused on why it was included in the first place?

And yes, I did mention there was magic in this story. I just couldn't explain it to you if I tried. It was just...there.

The culmination of the story being something along the lines of "corporate greed and ethics are detrimental to the physical and mental health of their employees" was...true? But nothing we did not already know.

All of this being said, there were several moments where I found myself enjoying some of the descriptive paragraphs. For example: "But when I was offered a place at Oxford, the twin rivers of our lives that had flowed smoothly together throughout our youth diverged into tributaries of our own ambitions."

See? Perfectly lovely. I just wish a larger portion of the book came across this way, and that the overarching point of this story was more complex, concrete, and planned out.

This book is a perfect wintry read. The concept of mixing dark academia with a modern-day graduate recruitment scheme set in Dublin was super fun and the magic system was incredibly unique.
5 stars.