The Book of Doors: A Novel
Gareth Brown
4.3
The Society of Unknowable Objects: A Novel
by Gareth BrownCategory
About this book
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 person: 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 powerful: The truth.
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What readers are saying
Xine SegalasA Captivating Mix of Mystery, Fantasy and Moral Depth
"The Society of Unknowable Objects by Gareth Brown is a vivid, magical, and deeply human story that lingers long after the last page. I went into this novel with no expectations, never having read Gareth Brown before, and was completely enchanted. I’ve always loved stories that weave magic into the everyday world, and this one does it beautifully — balancing mystery, wonder, and thoughtful moral questions in a way that feels both imaginative and believable. Magda, the central character, drew me in right away. As a fellow author, I appreciated how she sees the world through a creative lens, always noticing settings and possibilities for stories. The supporting characters are just as compelling — distinct, honest, and integral to the world Brown creates. His writing style is vivid, fast-paced, and cinematic, yet reflective at the same time. The result is a story that feels alive, grounded, and emotionally resonant — the kind of book that lets you believe magic might exist just out of sight. I totally recommend The Society of Unknowable Objects to anyone who loves a captivating mix of mystery, fantasy, and moral depth. Whether or not you’re usually a fantasy reader, this book has the power to enchant. An easy five stars from me — imaginative, thoughtful, and wonderfully written. An easy five stars from me — imaginative, thoughtful, and wonderfully written. ["
November 11, 2025 Verified Purchase
William de RhamDangerous magic
"“The Society of Unknowable Objects” is a work of magical realism (i.e., a work that mixes magic into our everyday world). It’s well-written and entertaining, eerie in some places, suspenseful in others. Magda Sparks is a successful fiction writer living in London in the house left to her by her beloved mother, Imelda. The house is not all that Imelda has bequeathed to Magda. She has also left her daughter her membership in The Society of Unknowable Objects, a four-member group run by elderly Frank Simpson, “the closest thing that Magda had ever had to a father.” Magda is excited to be part of the society, thrilled that she will be able to learn about and even use all the everyday objects with magical powers the society has acquired. But Frank is committed to keeping those objects locked away, safe from those who would misuse them (which, in his opinion, is practically everyone). Frank has managed to alienate the other two members, and it seems likely that the society that’s operated for two generations will dissolve. And then, someone steals the box containing all of the society’s objects, seriously injuring Frank in the process. Magda and her cohorts—each of whom possess a particular object having a certain magical power—must travel far and wide to find the perpetrator, a practiced assassin, and reclaim the society’s objects. Except that assassin has his own adversary, a man that no one can stand to look at, a man who, like curdled milk, seems all kinds of wrong. What once appealed to Magda as something of a lark has now turned deadly. It’s a strikingly odd tale featuring objects that enable people, among other things, to fly, to disappear, to control other people, and even to resurrect the dead. There’s a creepy magical forest that would be the envy of the Wicked Witch of the West, a book that produces anything one desires, and a series of receptacles providing unlimited supplies of their contents. Magda and the other society members are not always the most likeable people. But they are multi-layered and interesting, as are the two villains of the piece. All in all, I thought “The Society of Unknowable Objects” to be a very original story, somewhat reminiscent of, but very different from, some of Stephen King’s works. ["
August 15, 2025 Verified Purchase