Im loving this series, although I did found this one a little slower paced than book one. But the continuation from book one to two is seamless.

Huchu is a master of world building, and I'm seeing Edinburgh from a totally different perspective now, the newer version being the one I'd love to visit.

I love Ropa, she's feisty, sassy and everything I wish I'd been as a teen. Along with her mbura, Cruickshanks her magical scarf and her trusty vulpine sidekick, we're taken on another magical adventure to find out who or what has left the young boy in a coma at the posh hospital.

Utterly compelling, immersive and I'm already excited for the third installment to be released.

Many thanks to @blackcrow_pr for my tour spot.

Rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the Library of the Dead series, and after recently finishing book 1 I knew I wanted to dive straight into book 2. Simply put - if you enjoyed the first book, then you're going to adore this one too!

I just love Ropa, she is back and as feisty as ever. I adore the way she's been written; the stream of consciousness style really suits her. I also really enjoy Edinburgh as the setting, it fits the magical-history vibe so well and makes me want to go explore all the side streets and shadowy corners of the city.

I'm certain there will be a third in the series, and I'm certain I'll pick it up. There's so much left to be explored and I can't wait.

For fans of urban fantasy mysteries, this is the series for you!

I loved this. I really really enjoyed book one in the Edinburgh nights series but this book just gives so much more! We get more world building, more magic, more from the side characters, more River the fox, all combined with an exciting and interesting plot.

I love that this is told through Ropa’s stream of consciousness, she is such a sassy and fierce character, she has to be so much older and more responsible that her years but I also like that she still has all the typical teenage hang ups and insecurities too. I adore her love of audiobooks and the ingenious bit of magical worldbuilding around them. I also like how Scottish parlance is not shied away from. its not just little bits so slang thrown in for effect but we are exposed to the various different social classes use of various areas of Scottish vocabulary. As a native scot I cannot attest to how easy these areas of dialogue, particularly the more slang heavy portions, would be for those not familiar with it but I can tell you it is very authentic, you will meet all these characters naturally on the streets of Edinburgh.

Despite being set in a dystopian and magical version of Edinburgh the locations describe in the book are spot on, and so are the people that populate them. Edinburgh is a city that is just a mix of social classes and cultures that differ around every corner, you have million pound townhouses around the corner from council owned estates and that diversity is reflected in the worldbuilding of this book. The Landmarks which hide the mystical and magical (My actual bank, being the home of the administrative wing of Scottish magic gave me a bit of a giggle) are described beautifully and accurately which adds a really authentic feel to the worldbuilding. It’s also really interesting. I loved the red tape around magic and magic schooling, the different departments and how they all interact both with each other and the mundane world. We got so much more into the history of the cataclysm and what may have happened to create Ropa’s Edinburgh, a lot of it rooted in Scotland’s own history.

The plot as well was also fun. It again took us to all areas of the city and they away the various different jobs and mysteries Ropa was perusing in her quests for the big pay off was just fantastic. We got a lot more from Priya which made me so happy, its amazing to get to read such strong disability rep. The plot is really well paced, filled with humour, family, friends and heart as well as history, action and adventure. Its one of those books that has a little bit for everyone. The ending was awesome, so happy and bittersweet at the same time. It also seemed to set up a really interesting overarching plotline for book 3. I honestly can’t wait to hear from Ropa and the gang again and how the loose ends in this book all tie together.

This is the second book in the series about Ropa Moyo, a teenager living in Edinburgh who made her living as a messenger for ghosts until she became further embroiled in the magical world. Now she is hoping to become an apprentice to Sir Callender, one of the most important magicians in Scotland.


Her best friend Priya however, needs her help to investigate a strange case at the hospital she works at. One of her patients, a teenage boy, is comatose and none of the healers can figure out how to help him. She turns to Ropa as she has a history with investigating strange goings on.


This is becoming one of my favourite series and Ropa one of my favourite characters. The book is written in the first person so we see everything from Ropa’s point of view and get to hear her thoughts, most of which are hilarious. She’s snarky, sarcastic and seriously intelligent along with having street smarts which allow her to navigate through the underbelly of Edinburgh. And this is a futuristic Edinburgh, set after a ‘catastrophe’ has occurred. I love how Huchu gives hints as to what this catastrophe was, describing certain horrific events and their consequences, but never actually revealing what happened.


Ropa is primarily driven by money, not because of greed, but because she sees it as her responsibility to take care of her Gran and little sister. The relationship between them all is absolutely wonderful and allows you to see the softer side of Ropa. The world building is brilliant with colourful characters and a rich and well developed history of magic and its use.


If you like paranormal mysteries, cracking plots and amazing characters then I urge you to pick up the first in this series

This is the second in the Edinburgh Nights series, I loved the first book, so was nervous although excited to read this, as occasionally second books in a series can be weaker. However, I was delighted that it was a strong as the first book, maybe not as explosive, but just as enjoyable.

In this book we follow Ropa as she tries to uncover why school boys are becoming ill, she battles mysterious spirits, whilst the reader is teased with references to catastrophe.

The author does a wonderful job of merging the Edinburgh I know and love with Roma's Edinburgh. I lalso really enjoyed learning more about the library in this book.

Characters are well drawn and I absolutely adore Roma's grandmother, I am sure there is much more to find out about her.

This is a very exciting series and I cannot wait for the next instalment. I have already pre-ordered the hardback to go alongside the first book.

Thank you to the author, Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for an ARC in return for a honest review.

3.5 stars

With Ropa T.L. Huchu has created one of the most interesting protagonists in fantasy series – I love the stream of conscious style of writing. I never tire of reading from her perspective – she’s genuinely funny and irreverent. Sidenote: hope the audiobook narrator of The Library of the Dead is back as she was fantastic. As a Scot I really like all the references to this somewhat dystopian, post-catastrophe Edinburgh and the Scots patter.

Plotwise this is messier than The Library of the Dead with a more convoluted and less engaging mystery. It’s still worth a read but I have to admit all the many plot machinations had me losing interest, unlike the previous book which gripped me from beginning to end.

Excited to read more from this series in the future.

TL Huchu follows his dystopian future, post-catastrophe, Edinburgh based The Library of the Dead fantasy with this entertaining and engaging sequel, that sees the return of the brash and street smart teen ghoststalker, Ropa Moya, living with her beloved and wise grandmother and bright younger sister, Izwi, in the Hermiston slum. Older than her years, she faces the constant and unrelenting pressure of having to provide for them, and no longer having a ghoststalking business, she thinks she has this covered. Expecting to become a paid apprentice to Sir Ian Callander, the most important magician in Scotland, she finds there is opposition to her appointment from Frances Cockburn that culminates in her becoming an unpaid intern instead.

Unhappy, but still seeing advantage in this position, such as improving her magical education, she must look elsewhere to secure the money she so desperately needs, only it is not so simple, as she has to pick herself up time and time again as nothing turns out according to her expectations. Her bestie, Priya Kapoor, adrenaline junkie and healer at the exclusive Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, asks Ropa to investigate the circumstances surrounding a sick teenage boy in a coma, Max Wu, so that they can find a cure for him, but time is short. This leads her to one of the 4 registered schools of magic in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Ordinary School for Boys run by Rector Montgomery Wedderburn and a secret society, Monks of the Misty Order. Additionally, she gets involved with Thomas Mounsey and his plans for the restoration of the Paterson family fortune.

With further teenage victims of the mysterious sickness, astral travel and strange deaths, Ropa, armed with her mbura, katty, dagger and her scarf, Cruickshank, and with help from her pals, finds herself facing deadly danger as she uncovers surprising connections, dark magic and an angry, malevolent ancient spirit. Huchu's world building is stellar with the colourful and vibrant criminal and magical underbellies of Edinburgh, gang wars, the privileges associated with the schools of magic, Scottish history, the various libraries, and so much more. There is significant character development in this sequel with Ropa as she makes several error of judgement, there is more to her grandmother than she was aware of, and there is the quandry of wanting her sister, Izwi, close whilst wanting her to benefit from a surprising opportunity that comes up. A wonderful addition to this terrific series! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Came to this series without having read book 1 and suspect, that if I had read book 1 first, I would not have read this, book 2. I am no longer in the age range T&YA but do, generally enjoy fantasy books aimed at this age group.

Whilst the story did entertain me and had me wanting to know what was going to happen next, I was severely challenged by the written English. It seemed to wobble all over the place with a mixture of perceived English, teen patois and slang. The net result is that it grated on my senses and detracted from what the book had to say. It is also the first T&YA book that I have read with this language "style".

Probably worth putting on your reading list as you may fare better with the language than I did but certainly not at the top of it.

I kept changing my mind about whether I enjoyed "Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments" by TL Huchu. The things I liked were: the scene setting in Edinburgh and the part when the visited the Library of the Dead. The things I didn't enjoy so much were the fantasy elements. I soon realised that this book wasn't for me, as it is a little bit too fantastical.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for this eARC

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments is the second book to The Library of The Dead.
It follows Ropa who is just as fiesty and still struggling to provide for her family and find her own way in the world.
As soon as Ropa thinks she's getting a break, something knocks her legs from under her - Though Ropa isn't one to lay down and quit.
Another great dose of magic, social struggles and mystery.
Finding out more about Edinburgh and the magical history was interesting. There is so much still to be revealed, characters to be developed and a lot more action to happen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Panmacmillan, Tor for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

When I first requested this, I must admit I picked it on title alone and didn't realise it was a sequel - I groaned. So, I decided to pluck up the courage to read the first instalment. I read both books in 2 days. I was utterly engrossed and had to dive into OLoMA as soon as I'd finished Library of The Dead.

What I liked;
- The writing style is so good. At first it was jarring; I'm not used to an accurate portrayal of a 14/15yr old girl via stream of consciousness. But, Huchu throws you in at the deep end - you have no choice but to immerse yourself and in no time at all you're in Edinburgh in a not-so-distant magical future.
- Ropa had my heart from the get-go. She is smart and unyielding. She doesn't make the best decisions, but does any teenager? She loves her sister and grandmother fiercely and she's willing to sacrifice anything to give them a crumb of normality.
- The history of our main character is expanded upon more here and I really appreciated that. Ropa is not often an open book herself and we're still piecing together her puzzle throughout this.

Misc thoughts;
- I think that this book, despite being from the perspective of a 14/15yr old, it feels like it's for an older audience with some of the content.
- I would adore a map in the book as a reference!

gothic imagery, spirits and the supernatural, suspense and a library secret society, what isnt to love and I did love it. It was well written, full of suspense and unpredictability and gave me a lot more information about the library's history and the society within that, which is what i really wanted. I was gripped and couldnt put it down, A really enjoyable read.

Oftentimes, second books in a series tend to flounder, but I am happy to report that this is definitely not the case here. We do get slightly fewer breathtaking action scenes compared to The Library of the Dead though. Instead, we dive deeper into the library/society's history which I found interesting, even if occasionally the amount of information became a bit much to process. I do love how the author connects the history of a fictional secret society with the real life history of Edinburgh as a city.

Even though we get a little less "gothicness" in terms of haunted houses, deranged milk men and wandering ghosts, we still witness Ropa battling malevolent spirits of course. She is her old self with a unique voice that mingles references to pop culture with "youthspeak" and a certain level of endearing sass and hubris. You can't but love her, even if you sometimes want to slap her for doing something that is clearly a stupid idea. I also loved that Huchu expands the stories of some other loveable minor characters like Priya and Jomo and the Rooster.

The story flows well as we follow Ropa trying to solve the mysterious case of priviledged school boys falling ill. As in the last book, Edinburgh is the secret second protagonist in this novel. References to the illusive "catastrophe" pop up again as well as a kind of prophesy that threatens even darker times to come. Huchu does a great job here in keeping the reader engaged and thirsting for future instalments.

Another great dose of magic, social struggles, attitude and mystery, Huchu has created a world I love to be in. Ropa is as feisty as ever and still trying to juggle providing for her family and finding her own way in a complex and often judgemental world. Just as Ropa thinks she is getting a break or two, something or someone sweeps her legs from under her. But our hero isn't one to lay down and quit.

I've really enjoyed finding out more about the Edinburgh Ropa and her family live in, the magical history and hierarchy, as well as leaning more about her Grandmother (who is turning into a very dark horse). There were only a few hints at the previous book's "villain" at the very end, which has me excited for another book (or three). There is so much still to be revealed, chances for characters to develop and for a lot more action, so I hope it isn't rushed.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tor for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments

It's been a while since I read The Library Of The Dead so I was glad to find Our Lady begins with a small summary of the characters to induct the reader back into the story.
There's also a short description of magic but I skim these parts as I personally find them too much like school work, too in depth for my taste- they remind me of algebra calculations.

From page one I remembered why I enjoy Huchu's writing so much. Ropa's voice is fantastic, I can't think of another as unique and entertaining. Written as if Ropa is talking to the reader, she describes the scene and narrates events in her own dialect with hilarious invented vocabulary thrown in. You aren't reading this story, it's being told to you.

It is a struggle at times to keep up with the amount of locations and names being thrown out. We're often told what route Ropa is talking through Edinburgh and I felt it perhaps unnecessary. Likewise some of the history Huchu creates for minor characters and buildings feels quite heavy, it does add to the atmosphere but I'd happily have less of it.
Even so the story itself trots along at a good pace with plenty of discoveries to dig out.

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments finds Ropa given a new mystery to solve whilst expanding on the vibrant, unique setting in Edinburgh following 'the Catastrophe' and continuing to develop previous characters.

The return of medical magician Priyanka, softboy librarian Jomo and dodgy slumlord Rooster are most welcome and I liked the further insight to Ropa's Grandmother and her far reaching connections across Edinburghs magical society. We're also given a new character to hate in Cockburn, a snooty Society member I'm sure we will see more of in future- as opposed to Izwi the younger sister who i found annoying for the most part.

I'm not sure how many title Huchu intends for the Edinburgh Nights series but I'm thoroughly enjoying them so far, I'm completely invested in Ropa and look forward to the next release.

I bought the first book in this series on Audible and hated it, the narrator was just awful and consequently I approached this book with trepidation, not wanting to hear that narrators voice in my head whilst reading this book, thankfully I had no flashbacks and soon immersed myself in this enagaging and interesting tale, very well written with compelling characters and the story flowed well

Ropa is an amusing character in this fantasy novel about an Edinburgh that is magical. Callander takes her on as an unpaid intern, and she feels the pinch financially. But she doesn't seem to let anything get her down for long. This book is highly recommended for the well drawn characters and the plot, of which plot I am not going to say anything more, in case of spoiling it for the reader. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for giving me a copy of the book, I really enjoyed it, a terrific read.