The Secret World of Maggie Grey Book Review

Synopsis

This is the Underground. We go by a different set of rules here―ones steeped in magic, history, and well . . . blood.

Maggie Grey always dismissed her grandmother’s tales as superstition. Bedtime stories of vampiric priests, midnight covens, and secret conjurers from her youth during the Civil Rights Era. Even Maggie’s stark white hair felt like nothing more than an inherited quirk. But when her grad school presentation retelling those stories catches the interest of her professor, she discovers the truth buried within them. He directs Maggie to Drew Collins University, a hidden HBCU beneath the streets of Atlanta where the legends come to life.

At DCU, necromancy is a major, students with claws and fangs roam the campus, and Maggie leans on a new circle of unlikely allies: Souxie, a mysterious priestess; Asha, a scarred siren; Isis, a water-bending nymph; and Quan, a snarky talking cat. Soon, Maggie learns she comes from the most feared bloodline in the Underground: the First Family, a lineage of vampires whose power has haunted the community for generations. That makes her not only dangerous but a target, especially to Namir, the sharp-eyed werewolf whose family has long despised hers. Distrust simmers between them, even as an undeniable pull grows harder to ignore.

When a murder shatters the campus, suspicion lands on Maggie. Not just because of what she is but because of the family she comes from. In a world where legacy is everything, hers might be the deadliest of all.

REVIEW

When I first started reading this book, it felt like it was going to be this super cool mash-up of like, Halloweentown and The Originals (or something similar). I especially loved the concept of a paranormal Underground centered around an HBCU and Black history and culture.

Unfortunately, the portrayal of certain issues (such as rape and consent, misogyny, etc.) threw me off; the main characters came across very immature and overly dramatic (especially considering that most of them were in their late 20s or older); and plot, structure, and character development seemed nonexistent.

Again, the premise was intriguing, and with a dedicated developmental editor and copyedit, I think this book could be good. But as it stands right now, I, unfortunately, really didn’t like it.

Thanks to Colored Pages Book Tours and Podium Entertainment for the gifted copy for review!

(Rerelease) publication date is 24 February 2026.