Author: Charlie Jane Anders
Publisher: Tor.com
Released: August 19, 2025
Received: NetGalley
Find it on Storygraph | More Fantasy
Book Summary:
Jamie is a determined academic who has had to forge a path for herself against all the odds. She credits a lot of her current success with her special kind of magic, something that, up until now, she has been afraid to vocalize.
However, Jamie knows that her mom needs some help. She needs a reason to leave her schoolhouse of a home and give the world a second try. So Jamie is going to teach her mother about this magic, having no idea what sort of door she’s about to open.
My Review:
Let’s be real; if you tell me a book is comparable to Alice Hoffman’s works, I’m going to read it. Also, I adore Charlie Jane Anders, so I was probably going to read Lessons in Magic and Disaster anyway!
Lessons in Magic and Disaster is a genre-defying novel that is equal parts cozy and chaotic. Yes, I know those two shouldn’t work, but they absolutely do. The magic of this world is more intuitive than spoken, and that bleeds into the worldbuilding and writing style (or perhaps it is the other way around).
There’s a lot to say about this book, starting with Jamie’s love of academia. This opened the door for a layered exploration, as Jamie tackled academic biases, challenging students (who personified problems of today), and historical elements.
Serena’s new look at Jamie’s magic threw everything into the wind, causing ripples everywhere. It’s the sort of chaos that hurts your soul, but you also don’t want to stop reading it. Not for a moment.
Lessons in Magic and Disaster is everything it promises to be, plus a little extra. So it’s obviously worth the read.
Highlights:
- Hidden Magic
- Dark Academia
- Urban Fantasy
- LGBTQ+
Thanks to Tor.com and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Like what you see? Leave a tip!
Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | CBR | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Reedsy | Storylace
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 
Leave a comment