The Cartographers has a bit of everything. There’s a mystery to solve, relationships to salvage, stories to uncover, a sense of impending trouble, and a bit of the magical.

If you enjoy a light read with an interesting concept in the magical realism / mystery genre, you’ll probably enjoy this. While I guessed fairly early on who the antagonist was, I still enjoyed the time I spent reading this book.

I do prefer The Book of M by Shepherd – that was a great book I really enjoyed. While The Cartographers didn’t have the same impact, I’ll still definitely consider any book she writes for a gentle escape.

What is the purpose of a map?
Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.
But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence… because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way. But why?
To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps…
GoodReads

What did strike me in this book was how different people react to finding something special no one else knows about. Do they try to share it with others or keep it for themselves? And if they want it for themselves, what lengths are they willing to go to?

All in all, I liked the book. It wasn’t mind-blowing, but it did get me thinking about people and I had a good time reading it. Nell and all the characters were worth spending time with and there was a good sense of place. No regrets.

https://lilolia.wordpress.com/2023/12/12/read-the-cartographers-by-peng-shepherd/

#BookReview #Fantasy #Fiction #MagicalRealism #Mystery #PengShepherd

I finished The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd over the weekend, and it was really good.

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#CurrentlyReading

I’m halfway through reading Happy Place by Emily Henry and I’ve started Sense and Sensibility in my Jane Austen read/re-read through. Then I needed a new audiobook, so I started The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd. Now I’m past the halfway point in that book too.

#HappyPlace #EmilyHenry #JaneAusten #TheCartographers #PengShepherd #Bookstodon #AmReading