The Grimoire of Grave Fates

May 1, 2023
In an intricately constructed fantasy told in 18 uniquely rendered narratives—written by 18 authors such as Kat Cho, Karuna Riazi, and Julian Winters, and edited by contributors Owen (Painted Devils) and Alkaf (Hamra and the Jungle of Memories)—students of an elite magical school must solve the murder of a bigoted teacher. The student body of Galileo Academy for the Extraordinary are stunned, though not particularly upset, by the murder of a prejudiced teacher. As the investigation into the teacher’s death unfolds, however, it becomes clear that every student at Galileo is a suspect; while Marieke Nijkamp’s nonbinary necromancer Wren was the first to discover the body, it was Jameson Brig, a Black student written by Kwame Mbalia, who accidentally alerted the administration via chaotic smoke magic. Meanwhile, Tehlor Kay Mejia’s Latinx-cued Lola Cortez endeavors to take the blame for a loved one. Despite Galileo’s mission to foster a safe space for students of all “backgrounds, cultures, temperaments, opinions, and aptitudes,” protagonists often face challenges stemming from transphobia, racism, and classism, further complicated by home life issues. The work’s contained timeline, which takes place over a single day, provides urgency to this magical mystery, and the myriad perspectives lend nuance, leading to a satisfyingly cohesive collection. Ages 12–up.