The Killing Spell is one of those rare urban fantasy novels that feels both wildly imaginative and deeply grounded. Drawing on Hawaiian culture, language, and mythology, it delivers a world that feels lived‑in, layered, and refreshingly different from anything else in the genre.

Kea Petrova is an instantly compelling protagonist — young, overburdened, and doing everything she can to keep her small clan afloat in a post‑flood Los Angeles that’s equal parts gritty and magical. Her spellcrafting, her stubborn loyalty, and her quiet resilience make her easy to root for, even as the stakes around her spiral into something far more dangerous than she ever expected.

The murder mystery at the heart of the story is gripping, but what really elevates the book is its thematic depth. The author weaves anti‑colonial commentary, diaspora identity, and the politics of language into the narrative without ever slowing the pace. Each school of magic feels purposeful, tied to culture and history rather than just aesthetics, and that makes the worldbuilding feel incredibly rich.

As Kea races to clear her name, the story expands into a tense, twisty exploration of power — who holds it, who’s denied it, and what happens when marginalized communities are forced to fight for survival in a city that would rather erase them. The supporting cast is vibrant, the magic system is clever and original, and the pacing never lets up.

If you love fantasy that blends sharp social commentary with immersive worldbuilding and a heroine you can’t help but cheer for, The Killing Spell is absolutely worth your time. It’s bold, atmospheric, and full of heart — a standout addition to the urban fantasy landscape.

My thanks to Shay Kauwe, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

Not often do I find books that actually surprise me, but this one did!
Kea was a character I could totally root for but the whole cast was nuanced yet their motivations understandable, and it was the first time I had the opportunity to read any fiction inspired by Hawaian folklore...
The setting itself was particularly fascinating, with a flooded Los Angeles, a murder to be solved, and, my soft spot, word magic.
I fell under the spell of this book in no time. Think R.F Kuang's Babel in a Reminiscence setting, if you loved any of those, you will adore this book!

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I found the magic system in this book absolutely fascinating. It’s all rooted in language (echoes of Babel) and this has created significant power and influence divides. Certain languages are better for certain things, some are better for healing, others for defence, even tech languages are considered as part of this which I thought was a wonderfully interesting concept! The author explores this so well and sets up the power dynamics that influence the novel. Some languages aren’t able to get the same consideration as the main eight and this leads to people being unable to legally use them for spells.

This is where we find our main character, a bold, caring and intelligent young woman. She’s dedicated to her family, protecting them from strange monsters that attack their homestead. She’s Hawaiian but we find the islands lost and they are living on land outside of Los Angeles. This drives a desire to remember her roots and language. She’s a wonderful character to root for, she faces so much horrible behaviour from people both inside and outside of her community and she’s struggling to make ends meet due to the seriously unfair situation they find themselves in. She’s defiant against despair and fights back to protect herself, her family, her home. She is brilliant.

There’s a murder mystery and political intrigue undercurrent to this story which finds our main character embroiled in, and central to solving this crime. Her knowledge of her language and her particular and rare ability finds her paired with a powerful magic user and member of the council to uncover what has happened.

This book was compelling, fascinating with a beautiful exploration of culture and language and a wonderful main character who is so easy to root for.

Whenever someone describes their book as similar to Ilona Andrews’ Urban Fantasy stories, I get skeptical.

The Killing Spell, though, made me eat my skepticism page by page until I was forced to banish it from my mind. And I am telling you now, if you loved the Hidden Legacy series, or Kate Daniel’s series, or Nalini Singh’s urban fiction series… THIS IS YOUR NEXT FAVORITE READ!!!!!

I swear!

First of all, come through new lore! Shay Kauwe takes us into the world of Hawaiian folklore. In between the book drama, we got all of these fascinating stories of how the original people came about. We learned about where mana/magic lives. Then there was the explanation of the sacred connection to the land and why that relationship was vital. I mean, it was really a whole new world for me. I enjoyed every second of reading it all.

Then, the book is really a murder mystery! That mystery was a little predictable for me, but the WHY of the murder was where all the sauce was, in my opinion. It was juicy. It was complicated. It was colonizers that needed boot to a$$! And most of all, it was the type of reading that I happily surrendered sleep for. She fleshed out the story and gave us insight, monsters, and a real feel for life what happens when we surrender too much of our power.

We had a found family that I think the author wrote about in a way to torture me… personally. Just like Ilona Andrews does, as well as Nalini Singh. Shay Kauwe has joined their ranks. Because HOW can you create all of that love and endearing personalities, and I have to leave them when the book is over? Why would you do that? Cruel!

Sigh… this better be a series. At least Ilona and Nalini gave us multiple series. Sniff! (I’m watching you, Shay!)

Did I mention the slow burn, enemies to lovers part? Heh! Delish!

And I mean the MMC and the tension, both of them are DELISH!

As for the FMC, Kea. She is the heart and soul of this book. A firstborn daughter, with so much responsibility. Kea tries her best to do what is right. But those hits just keep coming! You will have to read the book to find out how she makes it through, if she makes it through... ;)

This is a beautiful, audacious, heart-melting story.

Shay Kauwe, you are a new auto-buy author for me. I will support and champion anything you write because your writing is soul-filling.

I want more, and I cannot wait to greedily consume anything else this author will write for us, her readers!

Thank you NetGalley, Solaris S&S Saga Press for sharing this arc in return for an honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8422137417
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/bc2e871f-d3f9-4d94-bf9e-fad68a160531