The healers of Sieuxxer are famous throughout the world. Their magic can cure injuries and illnesses that would otherwise have been fatal. Freya Marske’s Bodies of Magic lands us on the first day of the high-pressure practical exam that will determine whether or not our protagonists will be able to graduate and take their place among the fully fledged healers working near-miracles. All of our protagonists are expecting tricky diagnostic cases and difficult feats of magic. None of them, however, was expecting to find the dead body of one of their fellow students in the exam room.
Each of our protagonists gets to narrate part of what happens over the course of exam week, delivering different perspectives on everything from diagnosing patients to potential career paths to recreational sex, as well as parts of what happened to their deceased classmate, Ysabel. Moyna is the child of immigrants who moved to Sieuxxer so that their children might manifest healing magic. She very much wants to stay rather than go back to a homeland she barely remembers. Alys and Estienne come from powerful Sieuxxer families who’ve also planned their children’s careers (whether they like it or not). Non-binary Clement isn’t sure what they want and doesn’t expect much. Jehan, unlike the rest, is desperate to get out of Sieuxxer before some violent chickens come home to roost. Marske does an amazing job of giving all of these characters distinct voices and complex psychologies.
Marske also does incredible work creating a mystery that becomes darker and more dangerous the more the protagonists learn. At first, Ysabel’s death is explained away as suicide (due to the pressure of the exams) or, more likely, burnout (which happens when healers try to use too much magic all at once). Our protagonists know that there’s something strange going on when they receive a letter from Ysabel after they’ve finished the first case of their five-part exam, telling them exactly what the patient’s condition was and how to heal it. They get a similar letter the next and the next. How could Ysabel have known what cases they’d see during the exam? Where did Ysabel’s research go? And what about the rumors that Estienne and Alys will pass the exam no matter what happens? Who is behind all of the corruption at the Academie?
I’ve been a fan of Freya Marske ever since I picked up A Marvelous Light was published back in 2022 for her intricate plots, fully developed worlds, and outstanding character development. Bodies of Magic might be my favorite book yet. I definitely plan to pester my fellow bookish types about it until they also get a copy.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.