Synopsis
Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education in this dark academia fantasy from bestselling author Freya Marske.
'Crackles with Marske’s signature wit . . . A perfect book, as complex and brilliant as a healing array' – Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dark and Drowning Tide
At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam - a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future.
The list of exam rules includes:
• You will perform five practical cases.
• Your exam group is chosen at random.
• You pass together, or fail together.
It does not include:
• On the first day, your exam group will find Ysabel Caudotte - the undisputed genius of their cohort - dead in the exam hall.
From Clement, the grieving best friend hiding a dark secret to Estienne, the arrogant son of the Head Healer set to inherit Ysabel's top rank, this particular group all have something to hide . . . and all have a connection to the dead girl.
Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days in which to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. One with the potential to change the world.
Are you ready?
Let’s begin.
'A captivating murder mystery and take on medical fantasy' – Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
Details
17 September 2026
9781035039333Reviews
As intricate and complex as a life-saving surgery, as welcome as a treatable diagnosis, and as comforting as a successful course of antibiotics, this is a brilliant book. More, please
A captivating murder mystery and take on medical fantasy--Bodies of Magic kept me reading late into the night
Bodies of Magic crackles with Marske’s signature wit, effortlessly rich worldbuilding, and layered character dynamics. A perfect book, as complex and brilliant as a healing array. I absolutely loved it
A twisty mystery, a fascinating system of medical magic, and a complex and compelling cast. 'Sleep is for summer' say the Academie medical students, and I can assure you, sleep is also for after finishing Bodies of Magic
