Caffeinated Reviewer | The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown
11th Sep
Narrated by Olivia Vinall, The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown takes us into a world with a secret society that finds and protects magical objects. This standalone delivered mystery and suspense with engaging characters and unique magic. I couldn’t stop listening…
The Society of Unknowable Objects
by Gareth Brown
Narrator: Olivia Vinall
Length: 11 hours and 26 minutes
Genres: Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible | Libro.fm *affiliate
Rating: 
Narration: 5 cups Speed: 1.45x
From the author of the internationally bestselling The Book of Doors, another fantastical, stand-alone novel in which a trio of seemingly everyday people are members of a secret society tasked with finding and protecting hidden magical objects—ordinary items with extraordinary properties.
The world of unknowable objects—magical items that most people have no idea possess powers—has been quiet for decades, but the three current members of a secret society have remained watchful, meeting every six months in the basement of a bookshop in London. They are pledged to protect their archive of magical items hidden away, safe from the outside world—and the world safe from them. But when Frank Simpson, the longest-standing member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, hears of a new artifact coming to light in Hong Kong, he sends Magda Sparks—author by day and newest member—to investigate.
Within hours of arriving in Hong Kong, Magda is facing death and danger, confronted by a professional killer who seems to know all about unknowable objects, specifically one that was stolen from him a decade before. Magda is forced to flee, using an artifact that not even the rest of the Society knows about.
Returning to London, Magda learns hers is not the only secret being kept from the other two members. And that the most pernicious secret is about the nature of the Society’s mission. Her discoveries will lead her on a perilous journey, across the Atlantic to the deep south of the United States, now in pursuit of not an unknowable object, but an unknowable the professional killer she first faced in Hong Kong. In doing so, Magda begins to understand that there are even more in the world who are chasing these magical items, and that her own family’s legacy is tied up in keeping all these secrets under wraps.
Magic has always been too powerful to reveal to the world. But Magda will learn there might be something even more
The truth.
I loved Brown’s Book of Doors and was excited to download his newest standalone. I absolutely love the characters and world Brown creates and devoured The Society of Unknowable Objects. If you like stories with magic, mystery, secret societies and suspense, then you’ll want to grab your earbuds and listen.
The world is filled with objects that, for most, are mundane but possess magic that can be unlocked and give the owner powers from invisibility to more nefarious gifts. In a bookshop in London, in the basement, three members of a secret society keep a watchful eye for magical items. They collect them and archive them away from the world. When Frank Simpson, the longest-standing member of the Society of Unknowable Objects, hears of an artifact in Hong Kong, he sends Magda Sparks to investigate.
Magda is the newest member of the society and an author. She meets her contact in Hong Kong, and instantly forms a connection with him before they are attacked and Magda barely escapes. The tale that unfolds pulled me in as we, along with Magda, learned the secrets of the society and traveled across the globe with evil at her heels.
The story is well-paced, and I loved Magda and her tenacious curiosity. Brown delivered twists and turns before the audio ended. I was well satisfied but saddened to leave the world. Olivia Vinall narrates and provides an entertaining listen as she gives voice to Magda and the other characters. Her character voices and accents enhanced my overall enjoyment.
About Gareth Brown
Gareth Brown wanted to be a writer from a very young age, and he completed his first novel as a teenager. That novel wasn’t very good and he’s been working on his writing ever since. For the last twenty years he has worked in the UK Civil Service and the NHS while writing in his spare time.
When not working or writing, Gareth loves travelling, especially the whirlwind first few hours in a new city and long road trips through beautiful landscapes. He enjoys barbecues, patisseries, playing pool, and falling asleep in front of the television like an old man. Gareth lives with his wife and two excitable Skye terriers near Edinburgh in Scotland.
About Olivia Vinall
Olivia Vinall is an English actress known for her roles in Apple Tree Yard, The Woman in White and as Detective Matilda Stone in Queens of Mystery in 2019
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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat.
