Today’s review is about THE GEOMAGICIAN by Jennifer Mandula. It’s a historical fantasy based on Mary Anning, a fossil collector in Victorian England. Though this is part one of a duology, it ends feeling like a standalone novel.

Author: Jennifer Mandula
Series: The Geomagician, #1
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Del Rey
Publish Date: March 31, 2026
Print Length: 464

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The Geomagician Synopsis

The Geomagician Review

I received a free, digital, advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is my own and reflects my honest opinion about this book.

THE GEOMAGICIAN is a historical fantasy that occurs during the Victorian era in England. Jennifer Mandula based this book on some real historical figures, including Mary Anning, the main character who was a fossil collector in Lyme Regis. In this book, Mary excels at finding great fossil specimens and would love to become a member of the Geomagical Society of London. Unfortunately, they don’t accept women, so she sells her finds both to the Society as well as to tourists. One day she finds a pterodactyl nest in the cliff complete with an egg, which unexpectedly hatches in her hands. When she contacts the Society about her discovery, she agrees to hand Ajax, the baby pterodactyl, over, hoping she can gain admittance into the Society. The representative they send to collect the pterodactyl is her old flame, which makes her weary of any hidden motives. They venture back to London where she tries to get her foot in the door whilst learning how to polick and deciding whether to pursue her ambition or protect more than Ajax.

This was an excellent historical fantasy novel. Basing it on real figures, significant geological sites, and geological theories really grounded and strengthened the story. Mandula took some liberties, of course, but that is par for the course when using history for inspiration. The writing style and cadence of the book were easy to sink into. I personally didn’t think the pace lagged in placed and I felt engaged the whole time. The plot isn’t full of epic twists and turns–it was more of a steady plot that peaks at the end. But Mary’s interactions and activities kept me occupied.

The magic system in THE GEOMAGICIAN isn’t incredibly overt, so the story feels more like a historical fiction than fantasy. However, humans all have magic inside of them. It is rare that someone can easily access their magic and those folks are known as witches. Instead, most people wear reliqs which capture the magic each person steadily makes. The wearer can then harness the magic in the reliq to perform tasks, usually ones of a small order. This system also makes it relatively easy to commodify. Those of poorer means sometimes sell their magic in the “slicks,” as Mary had to do in the past.

While it may seem like a fact of life, Mary’s rich best friend, Lucy, would rather folks not have to sell their magic. And if they have to, then she wants them to receive fair compensation. This is a major political issue for Lucy, who is an activist on that particular topic. As such, it’s one of the major plot threads in THE GEOMAGICIAN. (I wondered if there was an analogue issue that occurred in real life around that time. That wouldn’t surprise me, but I’m not well versed in English history to know what that might be.)

Another major plot thread is how geology clashes with Christianity’s timeline of humanity. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. Mary’s mentor, William Buckland, does a lot of mental gymnastics to reason the existence of Ajax with Christianity’s origin story. He genuinely believes this, so on his part, at least, it is not a big mental stretch. Mary does not, but to disagree would jeapordize her ambitions and label her as a heretic or sorceror.

The predominant plotline, though, is Mary’s desire to become a member of the Geomagical Society of London. She faces sexism and skepticism when finally introduced to members. Used to speaking plainly, Mary must learn to politick a bit to win members over to her cause. Though a frustrating thread of the book, Mandula adds some conflict to this seemingly black and white issue. That is, Mary also faces a decision whether to follow her ambition or mentor other women who have an interest in paleontology. The latter is an “issue” because Mary fears it would lower her credibility to be associated with women. Women in today’s academic fields are probably familiar with this line of thinking: if they had it hard, then other women should earn their mettle, too. This creates some internal back and forth in Mary.

This is a long review already and I haven’t even touched on Mary’s old flame, Henry. Suffice it to say, his presence serves to add some extra tension and uncertainty. However, THE GEOMAGICIAN is not a romance, so their relationship is more of a side plot.

Overall, I really enjoyed THE GEOMAGICIAN. While sometimes compared to EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA, it’s not as cozy, so don’t expect the same vibes. However, both feature very smart and scholarly women who are experts in their field. If that appeals to you as a reader, then pick up THE GEOMAGICIAN. Though this is part one of a duology, it ends feeling like a standalone.

Rating: 4.25
Content warnings: violence, sexism, blood
Reading format: Kindle e-book