Librarian Zoe Ziakas knows her mother and grandmother were witches because her mother made her promise to stay away from magic. Then, after learning of her mother’s death, Zoe receives the family grimoire but cannot open the book. She asks Agatha, the woman who took her in when her mother disappeared, to help her figure out what the book is and how to open it. 

Agatha sets Zoe up with the director of the Museum of Literature to consult about the book. The director introduces Zoe to the department of Books of Dubious Origin (BODO) to help Zoe figure out the book. The four members of BODO – Jasper, Olive, Miles, and Tariq – meet with Zoe and discover that a blood oath protects the book and requires Zoe’s blood to open it. 

Things get more complicated as Zoe is attacked by undead people trying to take the book from her. A large Viking comes up to Zoe, demanding the book. With help, she manages to seal him in a cemetery vault. The BODO team and Zoe travel to her grandmother’s home to see what they might learn from friends and homeplace, only to discover that a new house now sits on the property. And the team has to fight off a ghost ship of pirates, again demanding the book. 

Finally, the group finds a labyrinth in the woods, and as Zoe gets closer, a hand grabs Zoe’s foot. A battle for the book ensues with lots of magic spell casting and dramatic interaction. The witch who killed Zoe’s mother and grandmother appears and challenges Zoe, only to find that Zoe’s grandmother, Mamie, also appears. The BODO team uses their individual magic to support Zoe as she works with her magic and begins to wield it. 

Jenn McKinlay writes a spellbinding (no pun intended) novel that takes the reader on a highly imaginative adventure with fascinating characters and creative challenges for a group of folks with differing magical abilities. A thrilling read to be sure.