this book is a mindfuck... in more ways than one😏
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Once again, I find myself thankful that I am too much of a completionist to DNF a book because the first 10% of this book nearly lost me.

The story follows Seven who re-enters the world of education and discovers that 1) magic is real and b) she can supposedly do it???
With the aid of an AI program fed on a diet of magical information, Seven attempts to adjust to her new normal and become a Maker. Then things get out of hand.

Throughout the book, we get to know a group of characters who are diverse without it feeling performative. The diverse representation adds to the characters without it being their defining traits and it all feels very thoughtfully done.

At its core, this book is a cautionary tale about the dangers of AI and how quickly it could get away from us if we don't take it seriously.

There are some sexy bits in this book but it has a point. It feeds into a larger conversation that I hope we get into more if there's a second book.

There were some really fun twists in here that I did not see coming and I'm afraid I may have neglected my parental duties slightly in order to finish this because shit was getting real and I needed resolution!


<i>I was given an eARC of this book by Angry Robot via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

This book has not left my mind since I finished.

What a supremely unique magic system! What a deeply relatable FMC! What an absolutely unpredictable plot! I genuinely loved every minute. I'm not sure what Liz is gonna do with that 3rd act twist, but I fully believe in her ability to weave magic from anything.

This book is hilarious, but it's also deeply resonant. Both topically, and personally. It's 100% a fun romp, but it's also a whole lot more than that. I very much hope this one takes off, and am definitely recommending to all my reading buddies.

I also feel like a learned to code? Whatever, just let me have this.

I think this would make a cool TV show.

Seven does not want to go back to school at a community college in San Diego in her 20s. She plans on dropping out after the year to fulfil her parents wish. But then she finds out magic exists and turns to a computer programme to help her out. Only thing is, it starts summoning monsters….

This started off promising - a spunky, funny heroine and a great group of outcast friends. Then, it became foot to the pedal with random spicy scenes thrown in and I lost interest in the characters and the storyline.

I think blending technology and magic is such a cool premise, especially in this day and age, but most of it went over my head.

The pacing felt off. Some parts were rushed over and then others were drawn out with small time jumps that messed with my perception of the story.

I looked at other reviews and many mentioned an ending that made it worth it. I just couldn’t push myself through and ended up DNF’ing at 60%.

Audiobook and physical arc gifted by Angry Robot.

Wow, Dot Slash Magic is absolutely brilliant! If I could rate it higher than 5 stars I would.
The story follows Seven. She has been floating through life fairly aimlessly until her parents put pressure on her to enrol in community college. It's there, she accidentally codes magic into an AI program, chaos ensues.

If you want something unique and fresh in an urban fantasy setting, this is the one! The concept and the character's were all written to perfection. At no point did I know where this story was going, and when I thought I had it figured out another little twist would be thrown in there. I found the writing to be clever and hilarious.

The scene where Seven is fighting the Kraken is one of the best things I've read. It was wild and unhinged in the best possible way. And just when you think it's over...... "SEVEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HEAR A JOKE?" I was crying I was laughing so hard and that was even before I got to the joke.

The author has struck a spectacular balance between giving us this fantasy story where we can just escape reality for a bit however just lurking beneath the surface there is this undercurrent of uncertainty. Could this potentially happen in our current AI climate? Some elements of the story didn't seem too far fetched.

"I was literally a cog in the system and the system was using me to make itself more powerful.”

I honestly could talk all day about this book, top contender for my favourite read of 2025.

Great story with a good plot and unforgettable characters. I really enjoyed going on the journey with the characters.

What a wild ride that was, but I truly loved every min of it!!
I still need to know how many R's are in Strawberry 😂😂

This book has so many Easter eggs in it, every sci-fi loving millennial needs to read this.
And the spice was just right.

But why Liz?! Why do you have to brake my heart like that?!

There is a book 2 coming right?!?!

THAT ENDING! 🤯🔥💻

I'll admit, it took me until about 30% into the book to really get into it. I'm so glad I stuck with it because the plot took a totally different direction with a MASSIVE twist at the end that just wasn't even something on my radar! I ❤️ the plot in this and as a Software Engineer, it was great to read about a FMC in STEM 🤓

I only have one negative point - I didn't particularly like any of the characters. They each had their own faults and normally that makes them relatable but each character had moments that made my face scrunch up 😅 No spoilers - I will also not forgive any of them for not reacting stronger to the betrayal that comes to light near the end.

This book is brilliant and you should read it.
Oh, you want something more in depth? Okay.
If you already know Liz Shipton from social media, you know how fun and clever she is, but you also know her voice, and if you are like me, it will be her you'll be hearing telling you the story, and that, already, was gold.
So why is Dot Slash Magic so good? Well, first, there is a cat; no further development is needed on this point.
Second, the unique magic system—it is so clever and unseen, I don't know how Liz thought about it, but it's simply genius. And it works! I was doubtful at first, when hearing about the book, but it actually makes so much sense. I also liked the fact that magic was explained by science, like both can coexist and work together.
There is mystery, some (very) tense moments, a lot of laughter, and even some swoon times.
This book is a multilayered satire, written with genius and intelligence. It is so clever and actually political.
It simply blew my mind.

The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger, but a book 2 is expected, seeing how it ends.

Witty, wildly inventive, and laugh out loud funny, this book had me hooked from page one. I’m a sucker for banter, and this story delivered it in spades. The magic system was refreshingly original, but then the author went and wired it into tech, and my jaw hit the floor. It worked brilliantly, and it made the world feel unlike anything I’ve read before.

Seven was an absolute gem of a character, sharp, chaotic, and impossible not to root for, and Dot, the AI? Let’s just say that snarky little algorithm had better comedic timing than most humans I know.

On the romance front, my heart was firmly in Camp Kurt. He’s laid back, funny, and felt like the perfect match for Seven. Logan, on the other hand… pushy, smug, and the kind of guy who makes you want to roll your eyes so hard you see another dimension.

And the twists? I was not prepared. I’m talking full-blown, book shouting, “NO WAY. NO. WAY.” moments that had me clutching the pages like they might give me answers. But the ending… that was the biggest twist of them all. I won’t spoil it, but just know I was left staring into space, mind absolutely blown. If there isn’t a book two in the works, I may actually cry, like, ugly cry.

#ARC #review • #dotslashmagic by #lizshipton
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It's the matrix but funny. Don't hesitate, take the red pill!
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Liz Shipton takes you on a deepdive into AI and throws in a truckload of humour. I loved how she takes you by the hand and feeds you harsh reality through the spectrum of funny.
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The fmc, Seven, is a bit lost after highschool and after 6 years of having fun in Europe and sailing the Atlantic, she enrolls in City College where her world just shifts into all kinds of bonkers when her cat Neo accidently helps her to make an AI magic app for her IT class assignment. She sees. She wields AI and she... kills? As students end up dead, questions arise. But will you get answers?
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Not a book for everyone, but definitely a book for you if you are a fan of the #Matrix, #iamnumberfour and #Ahitchhikersguidetothegalaxy. Put on your headphones and fave ASMR to get your nerd on and have fun with .dot/slash(magic)!!
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Out on August 19!
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Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robots and ofcourse Liz Shipton for making this ARC available! This review is my own honest opinion.
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#urbanfantasy #humor #punkculture #ninetiesbitch #magic #AI #netgalley #angryrobots #sevenjones #bookstagram #readersofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #fantasybooks

🌆🔮 Urban Fantasy Meets Sci-Fi
This is urban fantasy x sci-fi with a dash of romance and plot twists that twist you until the very last page.
I have never read a book that achieved so much, so smoothly, in so few pages while still being incredibly entertaining and fun. This is a page-turner full of genuinely thought-provoking moments.

🤖 When “Magic AI” Meets Ethical Brilliance
When I pick up a book centred around accidentally creating magic AI, I want two things:
• Some technical credibility
• A strong exploration of the ethical side, especially in our current climate
This book did not disappoint. It’s clear from the themes that Liz has done extensive research and has strong knowledge in these topics. She also was a software engineer, which only adds confidence (though she admits to taking some liberties for the sake of fiction).
The most fascinating thing is how she approaches ethical questions that go beyond AI touching on our human values and politics. It never gets too heavy-handed, but the political stances make sense in the context of the story.

🪞 Toxicity, Irony, and Red Flags
Liz also masterfully showcases toxicity in different kinds of relationships, as well as irony hidden under certain labels (like feminism). She points out the red flags we often miss until someone calls them out or until we take a step back and see them clearly.

🧩 Characters You Want to Figure Out
The characters are intriguing. You know enough to stay hooked, but not enough to fully grasp their motivations until the story wants you to. This works brilliantly for the twists; the revelations land hard without feeling like something was missing.

🪄 Seven: Peculiarly Human
Seven herself is as peculiarly human as it gets: quirks, flaws, rebellions, and all. She fumbles through themes and words like “core – humanity – soul - centre” (which she calls hippie mumbo jumbo) because her logic is concrete and scientific. That’s how she sees the world, and it’s fascinating to watch her wrestle with ideas her mind simply doesn’t process that way.

⚡ The Magic AI & Magic System
I won’t say much about the magic AI to avoid spoilers, but the ethical questions -about AI in creative spaces, politics, independence vs. guidance, values, and usability- are handled beautifully. That alone is worth reading this book for.
The magic system itself is unique yet grounded in familiar traditional ones. Everyone is born with magic; it’s a spectrum. You either discover it in yourself and have your moment, or you choose what kind of magic to train in.

📚 Final Thoughts & Rating
I really hope the next books get picked up by Angry Robot so we can keep exploring this world. While the ending could work as a conclusion, it’s also a tantalising cliffhanger for both the plot and the characters.
My rating: 4.5⭐ only slightly because I wanted more clarity on certain things, like what the magic spectrum truly looks like, what it means to be on different ends of it, and more about Seven’s name and background. Still, the biggest plot twist was hidden in plain sight… and I didn’t guess it.

Thank you Netgalley, Angry Robot, and Liz Shipton for the ARC. My thoughts and review are my own and have not been biased by the fact.

Well this was one wild ride and so hard to put into words especially without any spoilers. At points it had me laughing, crying, shouting and questioning.

What happens when you accidentally programme an AI to do magic?

Liz has you questioning AI and what it means for society was also creating a complex story of love, humanity and friendship and of course some dick jokes because what’s life without dick jokes.

This book had me at the content warnings page. It also had me before I began reading. I mean the author, Liz Shipton, says they are a part time author and full time pirate. With that, you know any book by them is going to be a good time. This particular book is published by Angry Robot and has about a 400 page count. It is a book that tells a story about Seven, who is a coder and discovers a magic system while at City College. It is also a story about Seven's journey discovering the magic she possesses. Not only is this story about magic, it is about the peril Seven runs into when she uses an AI program she built. Most of all, this is a love story. I don't want to give away spoilers about the love story, however, there is some spice and a moment that made me cry with Kurt Cobain. If you love an urban fantasy with spicy romance, then I encourage you to pick up this book upon it's release on 08/19/2025. I am thankful for NetGalley, Liz Shipton and Angry Robot for the chance to read an advanced readers copy of this book. It was amazing!

I received an ARC of this from Netgalley

I found this to be a strange but fun read. I found it really hard in the beginning to get into the book and then flew through the middle of the book to find the end very strange. I liked that the main character kind of bumbled her way through life with no real direction, it was quite easy to believe the decisions that she made through the book even if I didnt agree with them.
I loved it when all the action started to kick off and I found the reactions from all the characters funny and also very believable. I think the inclusion of lots of mythical monsters was great and the conversations about AI in this context were really interesting.
I did, however, have some issues with the end. I felt like it came a little out of nowhere and although I could see how we got there it just wasn't what I wanted. That bring said I think the author did a great job with describing it and making it as believable as possible, it was just not what I expected or wanted from it.

The concept behind this was super interesting to me intertwining magic and technology, especially in times we live in where AI is becoming more and more popular. Some of the humor made me laugh, some was a little too cheesy for me, but the mystery of what was really going on had me interested the entire time. I didn’t like all of the characters but still felt invested in their stories overall.

Review goes live August 11.

The beginning was fast paced and intriguing. I love the idea of Seven accidentally creating a new way of doing magic. I don't think I've read anything quite like it. There is lots of commentary on AI and it also felt very tropey/memey.

I was really put off by the fact that there are two spicy scenes with a guy who ends up being an abusive f*ck. The spicy scenes were all just not well done in general.

I didn't love the ending. I ended up skimming the last 15-20% of the book and didn't read the last couple of chapters because it just wasn't holding my attention towards the end. I could have done without the whole Logan storyline and would have loved to see more Kurt!

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Dot Slash Magic from the author and Angry Robot Books! 🫶

If the Matrix, Stranger Things, Wreck It Ralph and Wednesday were mixed together into a book baby and sprinkled with artificial intelligence then that sums up Dot Slash Magic in a nutshell! 🤖🖤 This story is unhinged and I was eating up this up like I would with a bowl of popcorn because I loved it so much! 🖤☠️🍿 The last 20% in particular had me screaming in shock because I didn’t see anything that went down going to happen and I am still processing everything but what I do know is that I need book two right now! 😱🤯🙊

Seven is such a relatable FMC and I truly felt for her! 🥺 She’s just trying to find her place in the world and is feeling a bit lost while also discovering that she has magic! 😱 However, she struggles with it so of course her solution is to make an AI assistant named Dot to help channel her magic. What could possibly go wrong with that?! 😳 Well one must read this book and find out because my lips are sealed! 🤫🤐 In the meanwhile, there are two MMCs and I was rooting for one in particular because he’s one of my absolute favorite characters in this story! 🤭🔥 There’s also a one-eyed cat who I loved so much! 😻

If you love urban fantasy, unique magic system, cats, monsters and chaos, coding, college setting, and a story that will bring you on a wild and crazy ride then be sure to read this book! 🫶

OH MY GOSH this book is so much fun! This was my first Liz Shipton book and now here I am rushing to read more.

First, this book is so funny. Like 'actually make me laugh out loud in a public setting' funny. I really didn't know what to expect for my first urban fantasy book / academia book, but holy I loved the entire ride. I loved Seven as a strong FMC, and also all the other supporting characters for a found family story. The world building also was great. Plus, as someone whos the very basics of coding, it was super funny to see this used in a fantasy background.

I loved the chaos-ness of the story and reminds me of Evil Dead / Bruce Campbell / Shaun of the Dead chaos fighting styles. On top of that, the spice? WE LOVE! Also had some really unexpected moments but in the best way.

On top of everything, I also thought this was a great commentary for the discussion of AI in art and science, and even magic.

Thank you to Liz Shipton and Angry Robot for an advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars rounded up

Seven Jones, perpetual dropout, freelance web developer and hiding in a Colombian dive bar while she tries to sort out her life, returns to her home town and signs up for community college in exchange for taking over her family's boat. But in between the stats and machine learning courses she signed up for, Seven discovers ~magic~. And when she somehow manages to develop an AI who can do magic, things spiral WAY out of control.

Up front - this book did have a bit of a slow start, and the last couple of chapters were a wild ride, but aside from that, this book *works*. Seven starts off as a bit of a "tool cool for school" type with a chip on her shoulder and judging the heck out of everyone, but she does find her humanity when she needs it most.

We have a found family, we have monsters, we have magic, we have diversity and representation, we have sentient AI, we have DRAGONS, we have a couple of on-page sex secnes, and all up we have a really cool story. Pop culture references galore. A deep dive into AI and some of the ethics around it, and what is clearly a dig at the billionaire-fuelled dystopian modern times.

It's not what I was expecting from the cat on the cover (the cat is just a bit-part), but it's a fun read. Matrix meets magic.

Fave characters - Angel, Kurt and Sol. Hands down, they're awesome. Seven grew on me, and I am furious about Logan. I really hope there is a book 2 about this because closure needs to be had there. In fact this was so open ended there needs to be a book 2 for closure on a few fronts.

I was fortunate to have a copy of the audiobook as well as the ebook, and the narration by Mary Pochatko was excellent. I particularly liked the way she voiced Dot.

All up, a fun read.

~I recieved a copy of both the ebook (ARC) and audiobook (ALC) from Angry Robot publishing and Tantor Media. All opinions are my own~

After 6 years sailing the Atlantic, Seven finds herself back at community college in San Deigo at the request of her parents. One night, she discovers an underground magic club, and is dragged into the world of magic, monsters, sexy men, and a one-eyed cat.
After she creates an AI app to help her channel her magic, a student is found dead, and Seven finds all her peers suspecting her.
Seven must fight monsters, students, and her closed off emotions to get to the bottom of the mystery.

To put it simply, I loved this novel! Liz Shipton’s writing is refreshing and modern and beautifully creates a world where magic and AI come to life. Her magic system is a breath of fresh air, and the usage of modern (and funny) language and cultural icons/media makes for a very fast paced adventure.

I absolutely loved Seven’s character. In the beginning she is hard to like, but the more you learn about her past, I found I could connect to her anxiety and emotional shields.

And that ending?! Please give me more!

Thank you Angry Robot and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review!