The Geomagician

Mary Anning, magic, politics, and a pterodactyl - with this intriguing mix, this delightful and clever book provides definitive proof that Victorian England needed more dinosaurs!

Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of THE SPELLSHOP

Jennifer Mandula's The Geomagician is a magical story with my favorite sort of heroine - intelligent and strong but with a tender heart. Come for the enchanting writing. Stay for the baby pterodactyl!

Meg Shaffer, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Wishing Game

The Geomagician is an absolute joy of a historical fantasy that feels truly fresh and new. The worldbuilding is so clever, vivid, and fully realized, but it’s the characters that really make this book shine - real, flawed, lovable people with complex relationships that you can root for. There’s magic, romance, political machinations, dinosaurs…what more do you need? I loved this book - Jennifer Mandula is an author to watch.

Martha Waters, author of To Have and to Hoax

A richly imagined world of fossil hunters, magic and scholars, this tale is a delightful twist on Mary Anning and her discoveries on the Jurassic coast. Deftly plotted with a truly unique feel, Mandula has created a triumphant blend of palaeontology and magic with a vibrant cast of characters you will love.

Rachel Greenlaw, author of The Ordeals

Mary is a compelling protagonist… ‘The Geomagician’—whose treatment of the friction between faith and science calls to mind Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy—is a thoughtful reimagining of history that spotlights an overlooked trailblazer.

The New York Times Book Review

Mandula’s debut novel blends political machinations, paleontology, faith, magic, and a bit of romance in a richly drawn Victorian setting…This well-imagined fantasy debut will appeal to fans of Marie Brennan and Heather Fawcett.

Library Journal

Fans of cozy and historical fantasy and those who enjoy tales of women scientists of history, or any fantasy readers ready to be enchanted by a cute little former fossil named Ajax, will enjoy this read.

Booklist

Packed with historical details and layered with emotion (not to mention amusing pterodactyl encounters), The Geomagician is an entertaining fantasy with big questions at its heart.

Shelf Awareness

Set in Victorian England, Mandula’s charming debut introduces an impoverished female fossil hunter who fights to gain entry to London’s upper-crust, all-male Geomagical Society… Mandula does a good job capturing the magic and snobbery of this alternate England. Readers in the mood for cozy historical fantasy should check this out.

Publishers Weekly