Genre Fiction
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Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments (Edinburgh Nights, 2)
"Alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in, but it's Ropa - a hard knocks ghostalker on her paranormal grind to pay the rent - who grabs hold. The moment you meet her, you'll follow wherever she goes." - Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
T.L. Huchu returns with the gripping Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, the next in the Alex-Award-winning Edinburgh Nights series.
Some secrets are meant to stay buried
When Ropa Moyo discovered an occult underground library, she expected great things. She's really into Edinburgh's secret societies – but turns out they are less into her. So instead of getting paid to work magic, she's had to accept a crummy unpaid internship. And her with bills to pay and a pet fox to feed.
Then her friend Priya offers her a job on the side. Priya works at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies, a very specialized hospital, where a new illness is resisting magical and medical remedies alike. The first patient was a teenage boy, Max Wu, and his healers are baffled. If Ropa can solve the case, she might earn as she learns – and impress her mentor, Sir Callander.
Her sleuthing will lead her to a lost fortune, an avenging spirit and a secret buried deep in Scotland's past. But how are they connected? Lives are at stake and Ropa is running out of time.
Edinburgh Nights series:
Library of the Dead
Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments
T.L. Huchu returns with the gripping Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, the next in the Alex-Award-winning Edinburgh Nights series.
Some secrets are meant to stay buried
When Ropa Moyo discovered an occult underground library, she expected great things. She's really into Edinburgh's secret societies – but turns out they are less into her. So instead of getting paid to work magic, she's had to accept a crummy unpaid internship. And her with bills to pay and a pet fox to feed.
Then her friend Priya offers her a job on the side. Priya works at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies, a very specialized hospital, where a new illness is resisting magical and medical remedies alike. The first patient was a teenage boy, Max Wu, and his healers are baffled. If Ropa can solve the case, she might earn as she learns – and impress her mentor, Sir Callander.
Her sleuthing will lead her to a lost fortune, an avenging spirit and a secret buried deep in Scotland's past. But how are they connected? Lives are at stake and Ropa is running out of time.
Edinburgh Nights series:
Library of the Dead
Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments
Editorial Reviews
The Library of the Dead is a USA Today Bestseller!
Praise for Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments:
"Witty, suspenseful, and keenly attuned to real-life socioeconomic hierarchies.... This equally entertaining and insightful sophomore outing should keep Huchu's star on the rise."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Everything rides on the shoulders of young Ropa in this post-apocalyptic, near-future Edinburgh where magic, science, and monarchy all hold equal sway. Ropa, at only 14, carries an adult's burdens and responsibility with equal parts can-do spirit, stubborn energy, and kicking herself and her friends as necessary. This twisted Edinburgh tries its best to keep her down, but she never stops."―Library Journal, starred review
"Postcatastrophe Edinburgh is full of compelling background characters, villains, and details of everyday life―and Ropa is a delight to read, even as her tumble into danger can turn into a bit of a nailbiter."―Booklist
Praise for the Edinburgh Nights series:
"Alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in, but it's Ropa―a hard knocks ghostalker on her paranormal grind to pay the rent―who grabs hold. The moment you meet her, you'll follow wherever she goes." ― Olivie Blake, Author of The Atlas Six
"I highly recommend The Library of the Dead."―Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series
"An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library
"A fast-paced, future-set Edinburgh thriller. The Library of the Dead mixes magical mysteries with a streetwise style of writing . . . roll on the sequel."―The Times
"One of the strangest and most compelling fantasy worlds you'll see all year . . . We can't wait for the next volume."―SFX
"Contemporary fantasy, at its best, is both escapist and urgent: this does both admirably."―The Scotsman
"Expertly blending elements of Zimbabwean and Scottish culture, Huchu's occult thriller is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking....
Praise for Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments:
"Witty, suspenseful, and keenly attuned to real-life socioeconomic hierarchies.... This equally entertaining and insightful sophomore outing should keep Huchu's star on the rise."―Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Everything rides on the shoulders of young Ropa in this post-apocalyptic, near-future Edinburgh where magic, science, and monarchy all hold equal sway. Ropa, at only 14, carries an adult's burdens and responsibility with equal parts can-do spirit, stubborn energy, and kicking herself and her friends as necessary. This twisted Edinburgh tries its best to keep her down, but she never stops."―Library Journal, starred review
"Postcatastrophe Edinburgh is full of compelling background characters, villains, and details of everyday life―and Ropa is a delight to read, even as her tumble into danger can turn into a bit of a nailbiter."―Booklist
Praise for the Edinburgh Nights series:
"Alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in, but it's Ropa―a hard knocks ghostalker on her paranormal grind to pay the rent―who grabs hold. The moment you meet her, you'll follow wherever she goes." ― Olivie Blake, Author of The Atlas Six
"I highly recommend The Library of the Dead."―Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series
"An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library
"A fast-paced, future-set Edinburgh thriller. The Library of the Dead mixes magical mysteries with a streetwise style of writing . . . roll on the sequel."―The Times
"One of the strangest and most compelling fantasy worlds you'll see all year . . . We can't wait for the next volume."―SFX
"Contemporary fantasy, at its best, is both escapist and urgent: this does both admirably."―The Scotsman
"Expertly blending elements of Zimbabwean and Scottish culture, Huchu's occult thriller is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking....
Readers Top Reviews
M. BennettSchizanthu
I really enjoyed this story but not as much as the first book. I don't know if it was just me but this one seemed to take awhile to really get going. Once it did, it was great. My only other issue was Ropa was constantly moaning about how she doesn't have any time, all the things she does for her family, etc. This was already done in the first book and it worked to show her background and all the things she does. In this book, it became tedious and irritating. I didn't need a constant reminder of it. We see throughout the book how busy she is. We don't need to be constantly told. Other than that, I love the cast of characters and would love to go on another adventure with them.
Deborah J. Ross
I absolutely fell in love with Ropa Moyo, the African-Scottish teenager who lives with her knitting-maven grandmother, younger sister, and fox companion in a broken-down trailer in post-apocalyptic Edinburgh. Hyper-responsible Ropa has been scratching out a living for her family as a ghost-talker by carrying messages from the deceased to their surviving families (who pay a fee). In the first adventure, she stumbles upon an underground occult Library of the Dead and various secret magical academies and societies. With the exception of her loyal, long-time magical student friends and a charismatic higher-up Sir Callandar, who is also her mentor, the magical intellectuals look down on her. The book opens with, “So, I’m skint again. ‘Nothing new there, Ropa,’ I hear you say. Well, up yours. This time though, a lass is in luck – Sir Callander, Scotland’s premier magical bigwig, has hooked me up with an interview for an apprenticeship. Free food and a proper wage — all for a wee bit of filing. Yay.” What Ropa hopes would be a paid apprenticeship gets downgraded to a crummy unpaid internship. So when her friend, Priya, who works at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies magical hospital, offers her a paid gig investigating an enigmatic, possibly deadly illness striking students. Her sleuthing leads her to a lost fortune, a demented vengeful ghost, and a secret buried deep in Scotland’s past. The action, world-building, and characters move the story right along, but by far the most enchanting part of the book is Ropa’s wonderful voice, a combination of teenage sass, way too many smarts, a huge dose of compassion, and neoScottish slang. I’ll hang out with her any day!
Kevin Hill
Huchu has created one of the most complex magic worlds in a post catastrophe Edinburg. The city is as much a character as the people. This is a worthy successor to the first novel.
Pamela E. Shutes-Mei
Usually second books go one of two ways lesser, or greater. This one is definitely the latter. I am really stoked to spend time reading the next installment.
gymkataPamela E. Shu
I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but the second is my favorite so far. Ropa is a young, good-hearted main character who learns from her mistakes. There is still so much to uncover about Ropa, her family, and friends. Looking forward to the next book. Also, just love, love, love the concept that magic is science after all - smart!
