Grey’s Anatomy meets A Deadly Education in this dark academia fantasy from USA Today bestselling author Freya Marske.

At the Academie of the Grand Duchy of Sieuxerr, every mage with the healer’s gift has five years to master their power and to prepare for the infamous Grand Exam—a five-day trial whose results will determine their entire future.

The list of exam rules includes:

• You will perform five practical cases.

• Your exam group is chosen at random.

• You pass together, or fail together.

It does not include:

• On the first day, your exam group will find a classmate's dead body in the exam hall.

And as they will soon discover, this particular group all have something to hide... and all have a connection with the dead girl, a brilliant scholar who would have been first in their class.

Five scholars. Five secrets. Five days in which to solve a murder, pass the most important exam of their lives, and uncover a secret larger than all of their own combined. One with the potential to change the world.

Are you ready?

Let’s begin.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.



Praise for this book

Praise for Bodies of Magic

"As intricate and complex as a life-saving surgery, as welcome as a treatable diagnosis, and as comforting as a successful course of antibiotics, this is a brilliant book. More, please."—Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author

"A twisty mystery, a fascinating system of medical magic, and a complex and compelling cast. 'Sleep is for summer' say the Academie medical students, and I can assure you, sleep is also for after finishing Bodies of Magic."—Kat Howard, Alex Award-winning author of An Unkindness of Magicians

"A captivating murder mystery and take on medical fantasy--Bodies of Magic kept me reading late into the night."—Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi



"Bodies of Magic crackles with Marske’s signature wit, effortlessly rich worldbuilding, and layered character dynamics. A perfect book, as complex and brilliant as a healing array. I absolutely loved it."—Allison Saft, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dark and Drowning Tide

"Smart, sexy, compassionate, and utterly absorbing, with gloriously complicated characters and a world that feels sharp-edged and real. This book is everything I love about dark academia--I couldn't put it down."—H.G. Parry, author of The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door

"A vivid and tense choral investigation into wrongdoing, medicine and magic--I couldn't put it down."—Aliette de Bodard, Nebula Award-winning author of the Dominion of the Fallen series

"Freya Marske's Bodies of Magic has everything I love in a novel--an exquisitely wrought world, a compelling mystery at its heart, and characters that come alive on the page. Plus, there was the unexpected but fun part: fantasy medical school! A gorgeous, clever, gripping read."—Lydia Kang, bestselling author of Opium and Absinthe

Praise for Freya Marske

"Marske writes what I crave most in romantasy: brilliant craft, fresh voice, characters worth obsessing over, and genuine honest-to-god heat."—Casey McQuiston, New York Times bestselling author of Red, White and Royal Blue

"There's nothing in fantasy or queer romance that Marske can't do."—Sarah Rees Brennan, author of Long Live Evil

“Freya Marske’s books are something special.”—Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author

“Delightful and spicy . . . Marske is simply superb.”—The New York Times on the Last Binding trilogy

"Absolutely delightful. One of the most unusual fairy-tale retellings I've seen in a hen's age. I enjoyed it enormously!"—T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author, on Cinder House

“Gorgeous, whimsical, romantic, and bittersweet, Cinder House both whisks you away and holds you over a flame. I was bespelled.”—Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author




About the AuthorFreya Marske is a USA Today bestselling author and has been nominated for three Hugo Awards. Her books include Swordcrossed, Cinder House, and A Marvellous Light, which was an international bestseller and won the Romantic Novel Award for Fantasy. She lives in Australia.
Title: Bodies of Magic
Author(s): Freya Marske
ISBN: 9781250341662
Copyright 2026
Release Date: September 15, 2026
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: None available | Learn More about our supported formats
Dragonmount is a proud provider of DRM-free eBooks. By purchasing any eBook from our store, you are not only helping support our website, but you are helping small businesses thrive in a market traditionally dominated by large companies. Learn more in our eBook FAQ.