Modern Divination: A bewitching dark academia with a magical love story

A Discovery of Witches meets The Atlas Six in Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian, a dark contemporary fantasy from a brilliant new talent. Modern Divination is the first book in the Spells for Life and Death duology.

The colour of magic was gold . . .

Twenty-three-year-old witch Aurelia Schwartz has always had to carefully balance her human life with her secret magical one. With a place at an elite Cambridge university college, she almost has everything she could possibly want within her grasp. Just so long as she follows the rules: Make no promises. Tell no one what you are. And never stay the night.

Except Aurelia’s gift of green magic has begun to fade. Worse still, someone is hunting witches – and stealing their powers. Reluctantly, Aurelia needs the help of fellow witch – and dreadfully arrogant classmate – Theodore Ingram. Together, they seek refuge among his family in the remote corners of an already-desolate town. But as she grows closer to Theodore, the power-hungry witch-killer, too, draws nearer. And they threaten to destroy everything Aurelia holds dear . . .

Modern Divination by Isabel Agajanian is a magical cosy fantasy with witches, featuring an academic rivals-to-lovers romance, found family and yearning.

Praise for Modern Divination

‘Lush and atmospheric, full of magic and yearning’ – Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

‘The cosy contemporary fantasy of my dreams’ – Ava Reid, New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

‘A gem of a book’ – Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of The Foxglove King

© 2025 Tor (Audiobook): 9781035050024

Release date

Audiobook: 30 January 2025