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

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.