Description
When recent graduate Mathias Mandrake inherits a distant relative’s manor, he expects a fresh start—until he learns the house comes with a binding condition: he can’t live there alone. With his best friend Frankie in tow and August joining them for a quieter, more hopeful chapter, the trio settles into a secretive neighborhood where magic, mischief, and suburban rules collide in unexpected ways. As mysteries unfold behind the manor’s walls, a formidable Homeowner’s Association threatens to turn their new life into a bureaucratic nightmare—one that demands courage, creativity, and a little spellwork. Blending whimsical mystery with queer joy, found-family warmth, and light romance, this story delivers sass, mayhem, and the kind of heartfelt momentum that makes home feel like something you build together.
Available Editions
paperback
Unknown
Published Oct 13, 2024
ISBN: 9781958924204
Reviews
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Community Reviews(1)
2.75, rounded up to 3 stars. this book had a lot of things going for it; a diverse cast, plot twists, creatures both big and small, unique magic, and a gorgeous victorian house. i really enjoyed where the story went narrative wise and through often prose-like descriptions of the settings (especially in the manor itself and in dream sequences). not one, but two plot twists managed to catch me off guard which is hard to do for most cozy fantasy series. what the book didn't have and i personally found lacking was character depth. this isn't to say the cast didn't have flaws, positive traits, motivations, fears- they did and we learned all about them. but the dialogue often felt rushed and like it was an after thought to the plot. because of that, i rarely felt like i had time to connect with the characters. this is true for mat most of all, who fell into the backdrop as stronger characters like frankie, august, helena, and dimitri happened to him while the plot unfolds. it was an easy read, a decent length, and a heart warming story, but i wanted more from it than it was able to deliver. overall i did enjoy reading it and would in fact recommend it to cozy mystery and lgbtqia+ lit fans.
Details
First Published
2024
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for Mandrake Manor by Jp Rindfleisch IX.