Another fabulous book about magic and a magic book.
Gareth Brown's prose flows so well and he creates both sympathetic and horribly evil people so vividly you're immediately drawn into his world.

Magda, the main character, writes books and is involved in a secret society of 4 that searches for magical objects ( a tiny bit like The Librarians if you've ever watched that series) in order to keep them safe. I loved Magda and her resourcefulness, kindness and mostly, her red hair. In the story she gets involved in retrieving the first magical object to be discovered in years, when the society is contacted by a young man in Hong Kong. And so begin Magda's adventures involving travelling round the world, meeting James and uncovering secrets about her mother and the magical objects.

A must for lovers of magical realism, books and bookshops and romance.

A worthy follow up to the enthralling The Book of Doors.
Thanks to Gareth and Netflix for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved The Book of Doors so was pleased to be an early reader of Gareth Brown's latest novel.
This story flits from London, to Hong Kong and then the rural America south, and all locations were described in detail which really added to the atmosphere and flavour of this fantasy novel.
The narrative centres around Magda, one of four members of The Society of Unknowable Objects, and follows her adventures as she attempts to secure the future of the society and the magical objects it is meant to protect from the forces of darkness.
A great villain, with a tender side, a slightly annoying protagonist in Magda and a bit of a forced romance but, all-in-all, a most enjoyable and magical romp, with great set pieces which were very visual. I can see this group of characters as ordinary people with super human powers would make a great film franchise.
Thank you NetGally and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.

If you liked The Book of Doors, you're definitely gonna adore this. Gareth Brown has written another beautiful atmospheric story that pulses with magic and mystery, ensuring there's never a dull moment to be had.

Magda is a member of a 'secret society,' a group of people who look for (and protect) specific magical items all over the world. It's not altogether apparent at first what these objects do, and many secrets are brewing under the surface; questions that also need answers.

She's tasked with visiting Hong Kong in order to track down one of the unknowable objects, that a man called James had reached out in regards to. It is from that point when things start to get a little pear-shaped, and Magda is left with far more questions than she had arrived with, as well as the realization that she is caught up in a far more dangerous situation than she had anticipated...

I think- no, I know, that I enjoyed this book more than The Book of Doors, though Gareth Brown's debut book certainly had it's charm. This one definitely felt a bit more geared towards my tastes, with a touch of mystery, magic and mayhem. Funnily enough, Brown does seem to love using magical books as plot devices lol.

I guess this could be described as a close cousin of The Book of Doors, but I won't give too much away as it certainly is much more exciting just blindly delving into these books.

I'm kind of glad that the magic and mystery is the real catalyst of the story, though the slight romance is still sweet. The characters were interesting, perhaps even more so because they all seemed to have their own flaws and beliefs, and I loved that about them.

As a side note I also absolutely have to applaud Gareth Brown for that little Easter egg at the end; a certain nod to The Book of Doors, which was an unexpected twist that rounded things off rather nicely.
I certainly felt justified in my feeling that the books were very similar in vibe and atmosphere.

It goes without saying that I'll absolutely be reading anything else Gareth Brown writes from here on out.

This is a very different genre for me, as fantasy books I've tried before have all descended into silliness. So thank you so much for allowing me to read what I would term a sensible book about magic.
I liked the range of well written characters who actually were anchored in reality, despite dabbling in magic.
There were times that I wondered what on earth was going to happen next, but for me, that is the nature of a good book. Nobody can live their whole life magically - not even Lukas - so it was good to see the characters eating , drinking, sleeping and travelling (even if at times that involved their own wings!)
The solution reached to deal with Lukas is so simple that I, as a reader, had one of those 'why didn't I think of that' moments and gave me a logic lacking in other fantasy books.
This book has also introduced me to a new author, so I will be seeking out The Book of Doors with interest.

I like Gareth Brown books. They are the right side of fantasy and magic for me. Based in everyday normal life, if you let your imagination go, you could believe what you are reading is true! Set in the same universe as "The Book of Doors", "The Society of Unknowable Objects" is about 4 people who head up a society that discovers, tracks and protects special magical objects. Looking forward to more to come from Gareth Brown.

Upon the death of her mother, Magda takes her place as one of only four members of the secretive Society of Unknowable Objects. When she is sent to Hong Kong to retrieve a new Object, she finds that others already know about them and will stop at nothing to possess those objects and wield their power for themselves.
I really enjoyed the Book of Doors so when I had the chance to read Gareth Brown’s next book I didn’t hesitate to dive straight in and soon found myself in the same magical world but with a different set of characters. This book has it all: heroes, villains, monsters, a quest, a battle, long-held secrets, beautiful storytelling and interesting characters. The only (small) negative was at times I found Magda to be very irritating. The Society of Unknowable Objects can be read as a stand alone but if you read The Book of Doors first, there are extra little references that improve the reading experience. I can’t wait for the next book from this world.

This book is so fantastic. I loved it so much. All the way through, I was thinking well this book just feels exactly like Book of Doors, which I also really liked, but instead of books, it's every day random items.

I also appreciate Brown's ability to write strong, independent yet flawed female characters. A lot of authors struggle to characterise female characters, but Magda and Henry are both very well written female characters. I did also like Will, James and Frank, and I think all five of the main characters were well written. They all feel like individual characters with their own voices, and it's fantastic.

And that ending, I almost screamed. I was so happy.

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

This novel is about mystery, magic, sci-fi elements, suspense and murder. Having read another book by this author, I was looking forward to his new book. If you want to be transported and entertained, you will want to read this book. The writing is wonderful, magical and scary. There are fabulous descriptions throughout this busy and fast moving book.

The story begins with Imelda Sparks, a member of the Society on a mission in USA searching for unknowable objects, who has trouble retrieving an object she is seeking to make safe. I was intrigued from the very first chapter by the writing style and fabulous descriptions are imprinted in your head as you read. The protagonist, Madga Sparks, (daughter of Imelda) is a dedicated member of the Society and adores everything about magic. She is also curious as to what each object can achieve and what their use is. There are four members of the Society, Madga, Henrietta (Henry), Frank and Will. As Society members, it is their task to travel the world and retrieve artefacts (objects) and keep them safe from people who wish to use such objects to harm…. everyone and anything.

Be prepared to read well into the night with the plot. There are wonderful adventures ahead.

I would recommend this novel and give it a 4-star rating.

THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND TRANSWORLD FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF READING AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW. ALL MY OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.

Thank you to Random House UK and NetGalley for the ARC!

When Magda is thrust into a world of magic and everyday objects imbued with unknown powers, she finds it an exhilarating escape from mundane life. However, her thrilling adventure takes a perilous turn as the secrets of The Society of Unknowable Objects begin to unravel, forcing her to flee with a psychopathic hitman hot on her trail. As Magda and her companions embark on a perilous quest to recover stolen artefacts, she must confront her family’s past and her own legacy in pursuit of the truth. But the assassin isn’t the only danger drawn to the magical objects; something more sinister awaits Magda and her friends, something which has the power to change everything if not stopped…

I loved The Book of Doors and was so excited to be immersed in the same world once again! Gareth Brown is a master storyteller, his unique voice weaves humour and sinister foreboding into a thrilling fantasy adventure.

I’m a big reader of high fantasy, so I always look forward to the world-building in low-fantasy novels. TSOUO does this brilliantly! The landscapes and cities are vivid and recognisable, but they’re seen through a fresh and exciting lens.

The characters are well developed; I found Lukas intriguing, like ‘Frankenstein’s monster’ it was difficult not to feel sympathy for them.

The plot really kept me guessing until the end. As a follow-up to the Book of Doors, it didn’t disappoint and I’m already looking forward to the next adventure in Brown’s magical world!

This novel is fabulous, in the same way as his last novel 'The Book of Doors'. The characters are equally well drawn and all different, the way characters should be in fiction. Frank, Magda, Will, Imelda, James and Henry all add something to this novel, as do the villains Owen and Lukas. Very well done Gareth, and an amazing story.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Things start off in what feels like our normal, everyday, world until in steps a secret society that exist to protect hidden magical objects. The Society of Unknowable Objects. It’s not long until things start going awry as we follow Magda as she starts to uncover there’s more going on than she ever realised. If you’re looking for a strong female lead, an interesting premise, developed world building and a well-paced fantasy read that’s going to draw you in then this is the one for you.

The Book of Doors was one of my stand out reads of 2024, and I think I even said in my review of it that I would absolutely be following Gareth Brown’s new releases. (As a debut The Book of Doors was simply stunning). Needless to say, when I found out about the Society of Unknowable Objects, I immediately got to reading it and I was not disappointed!

Truthfully, I think all I need to say is that I downloaded my E-ARC yesterday afternoon and I finished it last night. As soon as I got reading, I couldn’t put it down. Not because it was non-stop action (because it’s not) but because the premise, the characters and the whole vibe just had me sucked in. Gareth Brown once again has created a rich world with interested and nuanced characters that I instantly want to know more about. Each new introduction felt like they had a wealth of backstory with their own layers and motivation which is something I am always looking for in a book.

I enjoyed the pacing. Things definitely started off a little slower, but I don’t mind that as it gives us chance to get acclimatised to the world and things soon started to pick pace with a page-turning ending.

Overall, this is a must read. If you haven’t read Book of Doors I would recommend you read that first but you absolutely don’t have to. Both books stand alone very well, but I think BOD might just add a little something if you read it first.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

I have never included a spoiler in a review before so I’ve popped it right at the bottom!
The epilogue brought me so much joy! I was initially really disappointed when I found out that TSOUO wasn’t a sequel to BOD but as I read along, I couldn’t help the sneaky suspicion that we were actually in the same world. So, those final few pages were a delicious treat and have me eagerly awaiting whatever Gareth Brown is working on next!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Rating- 3.7

Ok... this was good, but some things made it less enjoyable to me. The premise and magic described were all amazing and really interesting, and the villain character was definitely a favourite-best character by far. The plot was ok, and definitely picked up a lot during the second half of the book. However, my main problem was with the rest of the characters, and the FMC in particular. Magda was way too emotional, literally the stereotype of a "hysterical" woman, and literally half of the time she was "wailing" in the book. Quite honestly, the word "wailing" was used at least once per scene. Overall, this was a decent read, but unfortunately the characters were a bit cringey, and the slight romance also felt forced.