Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior by day, but by night she’s an intern at the Monarch City police department. She watches with envy from behind a desk as detectives come and go, trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. For years, tension has simmered between the city’s wealthy elite, and their plans to gentrify the decaying neighborhood called the Scar—once upon a time the epicenter of all things magic.
When the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen goes missing, Mary Elizabeth is thrilled when the Chief actually puts her on the case. But what begins as one missing person’s report soon multiplies, leading her down the rabbit hole of a city in turmoil. There she finds a girl with horns, a boyfriend with secrets, and what seems to be a sea monster lurking in a poison lake. As the mystery circles closer to home, Mary finds herself caught in the fight between those who once had magic, and those who will do anything to bring it back.
I'll admit this story had a ton of ambition and a lot of grit and determination, but unfortunately I don't think it had enough time or space to capitalize on it. I'm noticing a running theme...
My disappointment hinges mainly on the world-building: there's a lot, and while it's naturally integrated into the story, I felt like there needed to be a lot more. The story takes place in modern-ish day in America, specifically the fictional Monarch City, and even more specifically in a 10-block area designated The Scar. The Scar used to be the epicenter of magic in the world, but 13 years ago magic just up and vanished. The only trace of magic left in the world seems to be bound to this area, which 'magically' maintains an idyllic climate and central park, along with the poison-filled Miracle Lake, the site of a cataclysmic disappearance of an entire building (and the 3000 people inside) 2 years ago. Those who used to have magic (and their descendants), called Legacies, all have heart-shaped birthmarks, and some still contain a trace of their former power, but few have tangible or useful abilities and most suffer prejudice and hostility from others. A lot to take in, sure, but it's all handled at a good pace and is woven in naturally over the course of the story.
My problem is with what's left out. What about the world surrounding the Scar, outside Monarch City? Was it just always magic-less? Does the outside world know about magic, or was it a well-kept secret, bound just to that area? If it was well-known, how did that affect the world's history? The history of the Fall and the following riots are discussed in one of the high school classes, but nothing beyond these 13 years nor the city itself ever comes up, yet we know the city isn't cut off from our reality because there are cars and smartphones and California and... I can't help but think of the world-building mess that was Netflix's Bright and see too many parallels here.
But even the history inside those 13 years gets kinda messy. There are references made to three ideological factions each responding to magic's disappearance differently: the magicalists, who expect magic to reappear just as suddenly as it left any minute now; the amagicalists, who believe the world is better off without magic, actually; and the naturalists, who believe that magic is simply hiding, waiting for the right trigger to return. We get a little more on the naturalists, since Mary Elizabeth's aunt is one, but the other two go mostly unseen. Despite them seeming like a big deal, none of the factions actually get much purpose in the story, with more attention going to the riots for government assistance than any faction disputes.
I wanna know what the magicalists do day to day. What makes their views all that different to naturalists? And what would a hardcore amagicalist do when crossed with a naturalist? Are they factions or just ideologies? It sounded like there have been tensions in the past, but nothing comes up in the book besides mentioning/explaining them for history class.
To be fair, this is the first in a (planned) trilogy, so there are bound to be elements that are yet-to-be fully explored, things sprinkled in for more importance later on. It's just frustrating, ya know? Why can I get 300-500 page debut novels that knock my socks off, but this super ambitious story that wants to introduce a twisty noir mystery with magic and factions and corruption only gets 250 pages to set it up? I mean, I got huge Arcane vibes for the main conflict here, but there's just not enough time to juggle it all.
Take that ending, where Mary Elizabeth finds out who's behind the kidnapping, but instead of letting her have any emotional reaction to anything happening, everything flies by at 90mph so that we can get to the ending on time. I'm talking villain monologue, escape sequence, large-scale battle sequence, head-vs-heart decision, and staring off into the distance wondering what comes next, all the space of about 20 pages. I'm not asking for a 100-page finale or anything, but at least give some time to think and breathe. Then again, hopefully we'll get more emotional reaction and response in the sequel(s).
I don't want to come off like I hated this book, cause really I didn't. I loved Mary Elizabeth (even if her name is a mouthful) and her inner struggle between prioritizing her loyalty toward her somewhat shady friends, and her hopes for improving the world through her work in the police department. She's the perfect balance of smart and snarky, with just enough hope and innocence to still make her a believable teen. The only time I questioned her actions or motivations was when there just wasn't any time left to explore them.
Secondary characters were also victims of the book's length. I would have loved more time to get to know Mary Elizabeth's friends, or have more scenes between her and her assigned partner, or even more interactions with her aunt, but there's just not enough space. As it was, when Mary Elizabeth's classmates go missing, we have to get caught up on their histories along with the officers she's trying to convince that it's a serious case, instead of witnessing their relationships for ourselves. It's not the worst thing, as mysteries and noir often involve total strangers, but we're supposed to be feeling Mary Elizabeth's dread and worry, and much of that has to be told instead of felt.
You may have noticed that I've yet to mention anything even remotely Disney, and that's largely because the story doesn't emphasize it much. There are tons of nods here and there to familiar people or locations, but that's it for a long time. I kept thinking it was perhaps some sort of descendant/ancestor connection, but that doesn't seem to be the case. And the lines aren't even divided among Disney characters, as Officer Bella (obviously Belle from Beauty and the Beast) is Legacy—with a Fairy Godmother as a mom, actually—but her pursuer, Officer Tony (aka Gaston), is not.
In short, don't expect to instantly recognize everyone running around, neither by name nor personality. Not all Legacy seem to be Disney, and not all normies aren't. Likewise, don't expect all "good" characters to be as innocent as you may remember them (Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather come immediately to mind). I definitely appreciate the variety and unique twists given to these characters, even if we didn't get to see nearly enough of them for my liking.
Overall, I applaud the story's unique vision and ambition, but I was ultimately left wanting. The lack of time and space that was (seemingly) allowed to develop the world and its conflicts left me drowning in unanswered questions and out of breath from the breakneck speed of that ending. I understand that the characters and plot will be continuing in sequels (one due out later this year), but I'm still struggling to figure out how this world works, let alone how the characters are hoping to change things. I can definitely recommend this for its noir-like urban fantasy aesthetic and interesting twist on familiar characters, but if you're like me and are hoping for a complex look at this world's history and society, or these characters' psyches, you may be disappointed. Then again, maybe hoping for a Disney publishing-house to allow a truly unique, complex, gritty version of its intellectual property (even the villains) is too much. I guess we'll have to wait and see...
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