The story follows Seven, a mid-twenty woman, who has so far drifted or mainly sailed more or less aimlessly through life until her parents make her a deal: return home to San Diego and attend a community college to find her way in life in exchange for the family’s sailing boat.
What starts as a reluctant self-discovery takes a wild turn when she stumbles into a magic gathering of college students and discovers her own ability to wield magic, alas, only via an AI App, she developed herself accidentally or not. From there, things escalate quickly, especially when mythical creatures begin to appear.

The concept is refreshingly original - melding technology and magic in a way that feels inventive and surprisingly thoughtful, though I didn’t grasp all the technical details the amalgamation of AI and sorcery was fun and well-executed.

Seven‘s behavior in the first half tested my patience- she is stubborn and obstinate- but it later becomes clear that this resistance to conformity is part of her arc.
The book explores the ethical and moral boundaries of AI and the basic principles of humanity in an entertaining way.

It leans more toward dystopian fantasy with negligible romance, rather than anything you‘d call romantasy, anyway the magic trick for the d*** had me laughing out loud.

There where a few minor plot holes, where I would have loved a bit more depth or follow-up, but that did not detract from my overall enjoyment.

Bonus Points for the many clever and funny references to 90s pop culture from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings to the fifth Element plus some literary Easter Eggs for Shakespeare aficionados.

For me there where some minor plot holes, where I missed a follow-up or deeper insight. But that did not lessen my overall very positive impression.

The twist in the last part caught me offguard and left me eager for the sequel, I will definitely pick it up!

Wow, hold onto your hats, fellow readers, because I've just stumbled upon my new obsession! Get ready for Dot Slash Magic by Liz Shipton, and trust me, you NEED to read this!
Imagine a world where magic, AI, and punk culture smash together in an explosion of pure brilliance! This isn't just a book; it's a vibrant, spicy, urban fantasy thrill ride that will hook fans of all genres from the very first page. Liz Shipton has truly outdone herself!

Ever wondered what would happen if your magic computer program suddenly started summoning actual monsters?
That's just the beginning for Seven Jones, our reluctant hero. This community college coder from San Diego just wants to avoid anything exciting, especially some "stupid" magic club. But fate, and an underground magic club with bizarre wizards and whatnot, has other plans for her!

Dot Slash Magic is an absolute must-read that will leave you breathless and begging for more! Don't walk, RUN to Amazon and preorder this masterpiece!

Hmm you know what, I was like 20% in and wasn’t sure I was even into it. But I’m glad I kept going, because it definitely redeemed itself!

I really don’t feel like the blurb is accurate or the way that it’s being marketed. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all. This was my first read by this author and it won’t be the last, I’m looking forward to checking out her backlog.

Seven is a woman that’s a little lost in the world, not knowing what she’s doing with herself. Minus freelance coding and living on a beach. That is until she discovers magic and learns that Wizards are actually Makers. While learning about magic, she accidentally creates an AI that knows everything about magic, and her Maker friends aren’t happy with her. While learning to harness her magic, and use her AI, she learns that nothing is what she thought

This was a new and fresh plot for me, and pretty interesting. AI is a big thing these days, and it was nice to see a new magical take on it, had me chuckling a few times.

𝘼 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙣𝙜𝙧𝙮 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙍𝘾

Okay, so the vibes were there. Coding + magic? Yes, chef. Summoning monsters with your laptop? Inject it into my veins. But unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite match the pitch. I didn’t hate it—but I also didn’t feel it. And that’s what kept it sitting squarely in “decent but not dazzling” territory.

I loved the concept of tech-meets-witchcraft, and the world had a lot of fun, chaotic energy. The cast gave me found-family potential, and the idea of a reluctant coder stumbling into a literal underground wizard club is chef’s kiss on paper. It just never fully gripped me the way I hoped. I kept waiting for that moment where I’d be like, “Ohhh okay HERE we go,” and it just…never happened.

Some of the pacing felt off, and while Seven had moments of badassery, I didn’t emotionally attach to her or her journey. Like, I was reading the words but not feeling the stakes. The romance subplot had some spark (ex–Navy SEAL boyfriend energy, anyone?) but it wasn’t enough to anchor me.

All that said—this is one of those reads I could easily see being someone else’s 5-star hyperfixation. Especially if you’re into spicy urban fantasy with hacker-witch vibes and magical academia chaos. It just didn’t cast the right spell on me. More of a ping than a boom.

The book description had me instantly add this to my TBR. It sounded like a perfect blend of magic and technology with tons or pop culture/nerdy references, and I was NOT disappointed. Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I laughed so much, and got giddy every time there was a reference I knew (insert Captain America GIF here). Also REALLY loved the variety of monsters, it made the book so much fun. And that ending?! I'm addicted, this is definitely going into my top 5 reads for June. I am also definitely checking out more of this author's work.

Thanks NetGalley and Angry Robot for letting me be one of the lucky ARC readers!

I love Liz Shipton, she is hilarious and an entertaining writer. I did a happy dance when I got approved for this book.

Here are my thoughts:

Love all the nerdy references (Hp, LOTR, Star Wars, Matrix )
I live in SD and the references are spot on!
Love the mythological creatures from all over
Musical references on point
Growing certain body parts lol
Love Kurt/Remy

While I liked Seven’s (the FMC) story, she wasn’t particularly likable. She was a bit of an ass and had that stubborn streak that made me yell at her multiple times.

The ending was woah, I was not expecting it.

Overall I really enjoyed this book

Sincere thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions!! I have posted to Goodreads today, 06/05/2025 to the link below. I will post to Amazon and Barnes and Noble when requested. I added a link of my video review on Instagram on 06/06/2025 that I've collaborated with Liz to get more traction.

This was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and it did not disappoint. When I was invited to review the ARC I was so excited. I neglected everything in my life and devoured this book in approximately 10 seconds.

Despite loving this book and rating 5 stars, I do have some concerns:

I think this book has a very specific target audience, and I'm worried that audience is not who it's being marketed to. The synopsis, stated themes and comparisons (Wreck It Ralph??) don't line up with the book I just read. Thankfully for me I am the target audience, but I don't know how the average booktokker will feel about the type of humor in this book.

Here is what I would say: Are you a fan of Sam Raimi? Are you a fan of John Dies at the End or Jason Pargin? Are you unoffended by gratuitous swearing, crass humor or over the top gore? Then congratulations! This is the perfect book for you!

Now: on to the actual book. Our FMC is Seven, a mid twenties screw up that's aimlessly doing freelance coding. First off, YASSSSS. I was so excited to see a FMC that's not a fresh as a daisy 18 year old. We're tired of the teenagers going on all the adventures, okay? If you've read Liz Shipton's other series, Salt/Thalassic, there's a lot of parallels between Seven and Bird. Although in both series the FMC is frustrating, I like seeing this dynamic. If I wanted an unreasonably overskilled teenager that's super hot and hates wearing dresses and also she's 5'2 and weighs 90 pounds soaking wet, I would read one of the five billion books like that rolling around tiktok right now. Seven is definitely stumbling through life, figuring it out on the fly, and no, it does not always turn out well.

That being said, I do hope that in future series, Liz is able to shift away from this personality type a little bit. Now that she's explored this character a lot in two different books, I would hate to see her slipping into an almost Mary-Sue-opposite-archetype with her FMCs.

The story itself: love. Love love love. Culturally relevant with society absolutely being BOMBARDED with AI, and a real exploration of what that means, while being done in a very funny and out there way. This story is weird. There's no way around it. I would finish a chapter and just be sitting there going, what did I just read? Liz did not pull her punches. The publisher did not force her to tone it down. And I am so glad for that!

I was a big fan of the Thalassic series, and now I've been shoved straight into super fan status. I loved this book. I hope so so hard that it finds the audience that I know exists and will love it. I hope Liz keeps writing her weird, crazy books because I'll be lining up to read them!

I really love the idea of this book but I feel the execution is lacking, I've had to DNF for now, it's a bit slow and all over the place for me personally, I feel mean as the concept is really good, maybe its a me problem!

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook arc copy, due to TikTok I keep hearing about the author but unfortunately this book just isn’t for me. The pacing is off and I had a hard time getting into the story. DNF at 30% for now

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 stars!

I liked Dot Slash Magic, mostly because the concept is so cool and original. The book isn’t perfect and took what felt like a long time to get started but once it got going it was well worth the wait.

What I loved in particular:
- The fresh take on the magic school story. Seven discovers a magic club at her existing school.
- the magic system, the idea of a magical AI system really appealed to the coding geek in me. I also loved the detail the author put into Seven’s process of learning how to use it, enter a slight variation on the code like 20 times till it works, that was exactly my experience of learning python 😂
- I loved some of the magical mistakes seven makes, in particular the encounter with the Kraken.

I think this book will suit anyone looking for something a bit different to read. Liz Shipton is definitely an author I will be looking out for more from.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Cool concept, mixed execution

Dot Slash Magic caught my attention with its unique premise—blending coding with spellcasting is such a fun and modern idea! Liz Shipton clearly has a creative vision, and I appreciated how fresh and different this book felt from the usual urban fantasy fare.

Pros:
• The tech-magic hybrid concept is original and intriguing, especially for readers who love both fantasy and digital culture.
• The protagonist has a relatable voice, and the internal monologue often added some much-needed humor and heart.
• Some scenes were genuinely clever and offered a nice twist on classic magical tropes.

Cons:
• The worldbuilding felt a little underexplored. I wanted more grounding in how the magic system worked and how it fit into the broader world.
• The pacing was uneven—some parts dragged while others rushed through important plot points or emotional beats.
• Character development was a bit thin, especially for the supporting cast, making it harder to feel invested in the stakes.

Overall, this book has some great ideas and moments of brilliance, but it didn’t fully land for me. That said, I’d still be curious to see where Shipton takes the concept next—it definitely has series potential with some refinement.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.

This book was not for me. I had high hopes because it had a cat on the front and the concept sounded fun, but it just didn't work for me. 

I was intrigued by the concept of the magic system, but I didn't actually like the way it worked. 

I didn't like the characters and so many scenes felt like the author was just preaching at me about various things. 

I'm sure there'll be people who'll like this, but the whole vibe of this book just really didn't work for me.

I'm kind of torn, because I really liked this book, and really did not.
This is a modern tale of magic x technology, friendship, finding yourself, rediscovery. There were some areas where I kept wondering "what happened to xyz" and never found out. Like the MC was complaining of her Mom bugging her about coming for Thanksgiving, the next part is December. These folks are all in college, but nobody goes regularly. Other parts were extremely long-winded - the battle towards the end, ugh, I ended up skimming through much of it.
I enjoyed most of this story, until the last part. It felt like too many tropes. I went into this thinking "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow" meets "Harry Potter" but it kind of ended up "Cloud Cuckoo Land"?! I like all of those! But wrapped into one 400 page version, I'm not too sure.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

.dot/slash(magic) by Liz Shipton - UF late-bildungsroman, very moderately spicy, with queer & trans secondary characters. Magic computer programming: but what if AI training? Fun, well written, would definitely read a sequel if I saw it. Out August 19th. #eARC #NetGalley