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* HatesBeingNicknamed: Alexandria does not like being called Alex [[it's because she went by Alex when she was a freshman and didn't have her AlphaBitch persona or blonde hair (it was brown)]]
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* HatesBeingNicknamed: Alexandria does not like being called Alex [[it's [[spoiler:it's because she went by Alex when she was a freshman and didn't have her AlphaBitch persona or blonde hair (it was brown)]]
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* HatesBeingNicknamed: Alexandria does not like being called Alex [[it's because she went by Alex when she was a freshman and didn't have her AlphaBitch persona or blonde hair (it was brown)]]
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->''Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.''
->''Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.''
->''Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.''
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->''Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.''
->''Ivy''\\
''Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.''
->''Ivy
''Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.''
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'''''Magic for Liars''''' is a 2019 UrbanFantasy DetectiveDrama written by Sarah Gailey (''Literature/RiverOfTeeth'').
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'''''Magic for Liars''''' is a 2019 UrbanFantasy DetectiveDrama written by Sarah Gailey (''Literature/RiverOfTeeth'').
Creator/SarahGailey.
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* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:Tabitha didn't mean to kill Sylvia, she only wanted to take out all the cancer. But the operation lasted three days and by the end, Tabitha was so tired, she fell asleep.]]
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* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:Tabitha [[spoiler:Tabitha]] didn't mean to kill Sylvia, [[spoiler:Sylvia]], she only wanted to take [[spoiler:take out all the cancer. But the operation lasted three days and by the end, Tabitha was so tired, she fell asleep.]]
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* AlwaysMurder: The National Magical Investigative Service (or the 'miz) have already declared Sylvia's death to be "accidental" due to trying an untested Theoretical Magic spell, but Headmaster Torres believes this trope and so she hires Ivy. [[spoiler:It turns out that it was accidental, just by Tabitha, Ivy's sister, not Sylvia.]]
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* AlwaysMurder: The National Magical Investigative Service (or the 'miz) have already declared Sylvia's death to be "accidental" due to trying an untested Theoretical Magic spell, but Headmaster Torres believes this trope and so she hires Ivy. [[spoiler:It turns out that it was ''was'' accidental, just by Tabitha, Ivy's sister, not Sylvia.]]
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* {{Blackmail}}: Ivy believes the entire case hinges around this, [[spoiler:the fact that Alexandria was blackmailing Sylvia into providing an abortion potion to Courtney, but wouldn't do it, so Alexandria killed her. But it turns out that Alexandria also blackmailed Tabitha into doing an abortion spell.]]
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* {{Blackmail}}: Ivy believes the entire case hinges around this, [[spoiler:the fact that Alexandria was blackmailing Sylvia into providing an abortion potion to Courtney, but wouldn't do it, so Alexandria killed her. But it turns out that Alexandria also blackmailed Tabitha ''Tabitha'' into doing an abortion spell.]]
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* Doublethink: During her time at Osthorne Academy, Ivy keeps seeing two versions of herself - a version of her who grew up with magic, and the person she actually is.
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* Doublethink: {{Doublethink}}: During her time at Osthorne Academy, Ivy keeps seeing two versions of herself - a version of her who grew up with magic, and the person she actually is.
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Dewicking Disambig
* SuperpowerfulGenetics: Ivy explains to a bartender early on that magic exists, but only a people who "are magic" can use it. Ivy's sister Tabitha was magic. Ivy was not, which means even if she wanted to, she couldn't do magic.
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* WitchSpecies: Ivy explains to a bartender early on that magic exists, but only a people who "are magic" can use it. Ivy's sister Tabitha was magic. Ivy was not, which means even if she wanted to, she couldn't do magic.
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* BrilliantButLazy: Alexandria, who came up with a graffiti spell so advanced that nobody could remove it, but still failed one of her tests. Which led to her to try and blackmail her teacher.
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* BrilliantButLazy: Alexandria, who came up with a graffiti spell so advanced that nobody could remove it, but still failed one of her tests. Which led to her to try and to blackmail her teacher.
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* MagiBabble: Rahul Chaundrey is the teacher of "physical magic," but when he tries to explain what they is to Ivy, it comes across like this. Ivy often complains about the metaphors her sister used about magic, saying they made no sense at all, but [[spoiler:in the end, she uses one to help Alexandria put back together Dylan after accidentally exploding him.]]
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* MagiBabble: Rahul Chaundrey is the teacher of "physical magic," but when he tries to explain what they that is to Ivy, it comes across like this. Ivy often complains about the metaphors her sister used about magic, saying they made no sense at all, but [[spoiler:in the end, she uses one to help Alexandria put back together Dylan after accidentally exploding him.]]
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* {{Masquerade}}: A paper-thin one. Mages are born unpredictably and are only identified if they demonstrate their innate spellcasting in the presence of an adult mage. The child's parents are then informed of the mage school system and the child is routed for extra education. There aren't many mages (across the United States there are only twelve high school with perhaps a few hundred students
to:
* {{Masquerade}}: A paper-thin one. Mages are born unpredictably and are only identified if they demonstrate their innate spellcasting in the presence of an adult mage. The child's parents are then informed of the mage school system and the child is routed for extra education. There aren't many mages (across the United States there are only twelve high school schools with perhaps a few hundred studentsstudents).
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character facet.
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* RepressedMemory: Mrs. Webb uses a charm to remove her own traumatic memories, assumedly the discovery of Sylvia's dismembered body. Ivy and the other staff find it pretty creepy since she's doing it in the teacher's lounge.
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* RepressedMemory: RepressedMemories: Mrs. Webb uses a charm to remove her own traumatic memories, assumedly the discovery of Sylvia's dismembered body. Ivy and the other staff find it pretty creepy since she's doing it in the teacher's lounge.
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* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: Dylan DeCambrey is obsessed with fulfilling an old family prophecy since the circumstances are correct and the only other candidate is his shallow half-sister Alexandria. [[spoiler:She fulfills the prophecy by demonstrating ability beyond known magic, in the process freeing him from his obsession.]]
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* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: Dylan DeCambrey is [=DeCambrey=]is obsessed with fulfilling an old family prophecy since the circumstances are correct and the only other candidate is his shallow half-sister Alexandria. [[spoiler:She fulfills the prophecy by demonstrating ability beyond known magic, in the process freeing him from his obsession.]]
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* AlphaBitch: Alexandria [=DeCambrey=].
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* AlphaBitch: Alexandria [=DeCambrey=].[=DeCambrey=] leads an elite clique. She cycles members in or out based on their character traits, is casually cruel to students and staff alike, and engages vicious retribution.
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* CastFromHitPoints: The alarm spell Ms. Webb uses in the prologue badly damages her throat to the point that she speaks hoarsely throughout the story.
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* CastFromHitPoints: The alarm spell Ms.Mrs. Webb uses in the prologue badly damages her throat to the point that she speaks hoarsely throughout the story.
* DisproportionateRetribution: Rahul gave Alexandria a D grade. Alexandria shattered his car.
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* EmotionControl: Ivy believes Alexandria has this power, but is told that it's basically impossible. [[spoiler:Which is the first indication that Alexandria is the Chosen One, not Dylan.]]
* FantasyContraception: Subverted -- it turns out that ''regular'' contraceptives are better than magical ones. At one point, however, Ms. Webb laments that girls don't learn the old spells.
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: One of the hardest magics to do, according to Ms. Torres. At one point, though, Ms. Webb shows how powerful she by ''taking Ivy's shoulder apart, removing an infection, and putting it back together''. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is what the entire case revolves around: Tabitha, having been traumatized by her mother's early death from cancer, decided to go into Theoretical Magic to learn how to heal it, only to be told it was impossible. When it turned out that her girlfriend Sylvia had cancer, too, she made sure everything was in place for her to, basically, disassemble Sylvia's body and remove the cancer. Unfortunately, as she finished the operation after three days awake, she fell asleep, resulting in Sylvia's death.]]
* FantasyContraception: Subverted -- it turns out that ''regular'' contraceptives are better than magical ones. At one point, however, Ms. Webb laments that girls don't learn the old spells.
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: One of the hardest magics to do, according to Ms. Torres. At one point, though, Ms. Webb shows how powerful she by ''taking Ivy's shoulder apart, removing an infection, and putting it back together''. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is what the entire case revolves around: Tabitha, having been traumatized by her mother's early death from cancer, decided to go into Theoretical Magic to learn how to heal it, only to be told it was impossible. When it turned out that her girlfriend Sylvia had cancer, too, she made sure everything was in place for her to, basically, disassemble Sylvia's body and remove the cancer. Unfortunately, as she finished the operation after three days awake, she fell asleep, resulting in Sylvia's death.]]
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* EmotionControl: Several examples
** Ivy believes Alexandria has this power, but is told that it's basically impossible. [[spoiler:Which is the first indication that Alexandria is the Chosen One, not Dylan.]]
** Ivy knows enough about psychology to draw out her suspects, explicitly stating which emotions she's targeting and how she's bringing them up.
** In the climax Dylan is subjected to a spell that results in him coughing up a marble containing his obsession with the Prophecy, relieving him of his enormous anxiety.
* FantasyContraception: Subverted -- it turns out that ''regular'' contraceptives are better than magical ones. At one point, however,Ms.Mrs. Webb laments that girls don't learn the old spells.
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: One of the hardest magics to do, according to Ms. Torres. At one point, though,Ms.Mrs. Webb shows how powerful she by ''taking Ivy's shoulder apart, removing an infection, and putting it back together''. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is what the entire case revolves around: Tabitha, having been traumatized by her mother's early death from cancer, decided to go into Theoretical Magic to learn how to heal it, only to be told it was impossible. When it turned out that her girlfriend Sylvia had cancer, too, she made sure everything was in place for her to, basically, disassemble Sylvia's body and remove the cancer. Unfortunately, as she finished the operation after three days awake, she fell asleep, resulting in Sylvia's death.]]
** Ivy believes Alexandria has this power, but is told that it's basically impossible. [[spoiler:Which is the first indication that Alexandria is the Chosen One, not Dylan.]]
** Ivy knows enough about psychology to draw out her suspects, explicitly stating which emotions she's targeting and how she's bringing them up.
** In the climax Dylan is subjected to a spell that results in him coughing up a marble containing his obsession with the Prophecy, relieving him of his enormous anxiety.
* FantasyContraception: Subverted -- it turns out that ''regular'' contraceptives are better than magical ones. At one point, however,
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: One of the hardest magics to do, according to Ms. Torres. At one point, though,
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* MagicAIsMagicA: Ms. Webb explains to Ivy that magic is ''exactly'' like science -- i.e. that they are continually exploring what can be done with it and there are still elements of it that they have no knowledge of or believe are impossible. Still, the "rules" to magic are often incredible obtuse and only understandable if you are a magic user (or "mage").
to:
* MagicAIsMagicA: Ms.Mrs. Webb explains to Ivy that magic is ''exactly'' like science -- i.e. that they are continually exploring what can be done with it and there are still elements of it that they have no knowledge of or believe are impossible. Still, the "rules" to magic are often incredible obtuse and only understandable if you are a magic user (or "mage").
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* RepressedMemory: Ms. Webb uses a charm to remove her own traumatic memories, assumedly the discovery of Sylvia's dismembered body. Ivy finds it pretty creepy, as do the other staff.
* RedHerring: Mr. Toff, the sleazy teacher who seems to be sleeping with a student, turns out to have no part in the case.
* RedHerring: Mr. Toff, the sleazy teacher who seems to be sleeping with a student, turns out to have no part in the case.
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* RepressedMemory: Ms.Mrs. Webb uses a charm to remove her own traumatic memories, assumedly the discovery of Sylvia's dismembered body. Ivy finds and the other staff find it pretty creepy, as do creepy since she's doing it in the other staff.
teacher's lounge.
* RedHerring: Several.
** Mr. Toff, the sleazy teacher who seems to be sleeping with a student, turns out to have no part in the case.
* RedHerring: Several.
** Mr. Toff, the sleazy teacher who seems to be sleeping with a student, turns out to have no part in the case.
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Switched out Never Suicide for Always Murder; no one says the death was suicide. Pulled Social Engineering; it's a supertrope and other cited tropes fit better.
* AlwaysMurder: The National Magical Investigative Service (or the 'miz) have already declared Sylvia's death to be "accidental" due to trying an untested Theoretical Magic spell, but Headmaster Torres believes this trope and so she hires Ivy. [[spoiler:It turns out that it was accidental, just by Tabitha, Ivy's sister, not Sylvia.]]
* CastFromHitPoints: The alarm spell Ms. Webb uses in the prologue badly damages her throat to the point that she speaks hoarsely throughout the story.
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* DoubleThink: During her time at Osthorne Academy, Ivy keeps seeing two versions of herself - a version of her who grew up with magic, and the person she actually is.
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* DoubleThink: Doublethink: During her time at Osthorne Academy, Ivy keeps seeing two versions of herself - a version of her who grew up with magic, and the person she actually is.is.
* EducationThroughPyrotechnics: Tabitha uses an electricity arc demonstration as a classroom exercise. At least one student sees it go out of hand before safety measures kick in.
* EducationThroughPyrotechnics: Tabitha uses an electricity arc demonstration as a classroom exercise. At least one student sees it go out of hand before safety measures kick in.
* {{Masquerade}}: A paper-thin one. Mages are born unpredictably and are only identified if they demonstrate their innate spellcasting in the presence of an adult mage. The child's parents are then informed of the mage school system and the child is routed for extra education. There aren't many mages (across the United States there are only twelve high school with perhaps a few hundred students
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* NeverSuicide: The National Magical Investigative Service (or the 'miz) have already declared Sylvia's death to be "accidental" due to trying an untested Theoretical Magic spell, but Headmaster Torres doesn't believe that and so she hires Ivy. [[spoiler:It turns out that it ''was'' accidental, just by Tabitha, Ivy's sister, not Sylvia.]]
* PropheciesAreAlwaysRight: Dylan DeCambrey is obsessed with fulfilling an old family prophecy since the circumstances are correct and the only other candidate is his shallow half-sister Alexandria. [[spoiler:She fulfills the prophecy by demonstrating ability beyond known magic, in the process freeing him from his obsession.]]
* RepressedMemory: Ms. Webb uses a charm to remove her own traumatic memories, assumedly the discovery of Sylvia's dismembered body. Ivy finds it pretty creepy, as do the other staff.
* RepressedMemory: Ms. Webb uses a charm to remove her own traumatic memories, assumedly the discovery of Sylvia's dismembered body. Ivy finds it pretty creepy, as do the other staff.
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* SocialEngineering: Most of Ivy’s interview techniques revolve around using social engineering to put a subject into a specific frame of mind to talk.
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* SocialEngineering: Most of Ivy’s interview techniques revolve around using social engineering to RichSiblingPoorSibling: A lowkey example in Ivy and Tabitha. Private investigator Ivy's inconsistent income has put a subject into a specific frame of mind her behind on her bills to talk.the point that she doesn't even see Torres' offer as optional. High school teacher Tabitha has stable employment and a bright future in theoretical magic research.
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* TwinDesynch: Ivy and Tabitha were born fraternal twins and had similar early lives until Tabitha demonstrated magic powers. Tabitha went to a different (better) school and was free to follow her passions; Ivy stayed home, watched their mother die from cancer and her father destroyed by the loss, and generally coasted through high school to become a low-rent private investigator. When they reunite Ivy's desire to rebuild their sisterhood is in constant tension with how far they've grown apart.
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The page is being cut per TRS
.
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* BiTheWay: When Ivy has diner at Rahul's place, one of the pictures he has is of his ex-boyfriend, who turned into his best friend. The fact that he's bisexual never really comes up again and isn't important, just another character facet.
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* HeroicSelfDeprecation: For all the time she spends playing other people like a fiddle, in a manner that mages can only dream of, Ivy remains convinced that she’s worthless because she can’t perform magic.
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* BadassNormal: Ivy isn’t magic, but her [[TheSocialExpert ability to read people’s motivations by their behavior]] and [[SocialEngineering set people up to be in a certain frame of mind]] is on par with theoretical EmotionControl magic that is said to be impossible[[note]]said magic would require the caster to be able to perfectly map a subject’s emotional state and then understand what magical mental levers to pull for the desired result[[/note]]. Beyond that, her renown as a PrivateDetective is strong enough for the headmaster of a magical school (where even the students have access to investigative spells) to seek her out for a job.
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* DoubleThink: During her time at Osthorne Academy, Ivy keeps seeing two versions of herself - a version of her who grew up with magic, and the person she actually is.
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** There's even a subplot about a boy who thinks he's TheChosenOne due to a Prophecy. [[spoiler:He isn't.]]
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** There's even a subplot about a boy who thinks he's TheChosenOne due to a Prophecy. [[spoiler:He isn't.]]
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* MotivationalLie: Ivy frequently uses false reassurances to get someone through a rough patch.
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* MotivationalLie: Ivy frequently uses false reassurances to get someone through a rough patch.patch, such as telling a client she’ll find the answers even though what the client really wants (without even knowing it themselves) is for the misdeed being investigated to be undone.
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* SocialEngineering: Most of Ivy’s interview techniques revolve around using social engineering to put a subject into a specific frame of mind to talk.
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* ConsummateLiar: Of all the times Ivy bends the truth, bluffs, leads, and outright lies, she’s caught only once, and only because she was distracted enough to slip on a minor detail.
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: Ivy spends most of the book wistfully imagining what her life could have been like if she were magic instead of a {{Muggle}}.
* LyingToThePerp: Ivy prefers to lead her interview subjects on or use ReversePsychology to convince them to tell her what she wants to know, but she sometimes outright bluffs by stringing together clues and accusing people of things she’s only guessing at.
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* MagicalAbortion: If the pregnancy is still in its early stages, women can be given potions that will abort the pregnancy. The problem is that after ''ten weeks'' those potions are no longer effective, but there is a more medical procedure that can be done. [[spoiler:Alexandria blackmailed Tabitha into doing the medical procedure on Courtney, which basically meant disassembling her, removing the fetus, and reassembling her. And since Tabitha forgot to give Courtney a sedative, she ''saw the whole thing''.]]
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* MagicalAbortion: If the pregnancy is still in its early stages, women a person can be given potions that will abort the pregnancy. The problem is that after ''ten weeks'' those potions are no longer effective, but there is a more medical procedure that can be done. [[spoiler:Alexandria blackmailed Tabitha into doing the medical procedure on Courtney, which basically meant disassembling her, removing the fetus, and reassembling her. And since Tabitha forgot to give Courtney a sedative, she ''saw ''[[AndIMustScream saw the whole thing''.]]thing]]''.]]
* MotivationalLie: Ivy frequently uses false reassurances to get someone through a rough patch.
* MotivationalLie: Ivy frequently uses false reassurances to get someone through a rough patch.
** [[spoiler:Tabitha deliberately plants a few red herrings to throw Ivy off the case.]]
* TheSocialExpert: Ivy can figure out what motivates a person and how to get them to do what she wants, feel what she wants them to feel, or tell her what she needs to know within minutes of talking to them.
* TheSocialExpert: Ivy can figure out what motivates a person and how to get them to do what she wants, feel what she wants them to feel, or tell her what she needs to know within minutes of talking to them.
* UnreliableNarrator: Ivy opens the narrative by saying she’ll tell the truth in this story, but she lies to herself so often that it bleeds through to the text. It gets to a point where it is obvious when she does it.
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* YouCanAlwaysTellALiar: Ivy has [[TheSocialExpert enough experience with people]] to not only tell when someone has something to hide, but often why.
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* LudicrousGibs: How Sylvia Capley is found. Later on, [[spoiler:Alexandria accidentally does this to her half-brother Dylan when it turns out that ''she's'' the Chosen One and not her. Thankfully, she is able to reverse it and bring him back to life.]]
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* LudicrousGibs: How Sylvia Capley is found. Later on, [[spoiler:Alexandria accidentally does this to her half-brother Dylan when it turns out that ''she's'' the Chosen One and not her.him. Thankfully, she is able to reverse it and bring him back to life.]]
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** There's even a subplot about a boy who thinks he's TheChosenOne due to a Prophecy. [[spoiler:He isn't.]]
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* FantasyContraception: Subverted -- it turns out that ''regular'' contraceptives are better than magical ones. At one point, however, Ms. Webb laments that girls don't learn the old spells.
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* MagicalAbortion: If the pregnancy is still in its early stages, women can be given potions that will abort the pregnancy. The problem is that after ''ten weeks'' those potions are no longer effective, but there is a more medical procedure that can be done. [[spoiler:Alexandria blackmailed Tabitha into doing the medical procedure on Courtney, which basically meant disassembling her, removing the fetus, and reassembling her. And since Tabitha forgot to give Courtney a sedative, she ''saw the whole thing''.]]
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Ivy Gamble is a PrivateDetective who spends her days following cheating spouses and drinking. And then she gets a visit from the Headmaster of the Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, a school for magic users. The Headmaster wants her to solve a gruesome murder that the magical authorities have already signed off as an "accident." Ivy wants to go to the school that her sister, Tabitha, teaches at and see how the other half live. Because when they were children, Tabitha was magic...and Ivy wasn't.
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Ivy Gamble is a PrivateDetective who spends her days following cheating spouses and drinking. And then she gets a visit from the Headmaster of the [[WizardingSchool Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, Mages]], a school for magic users. The Headmaster wants her to solve a gruesome murder that the magical authorities have already signed off as an "accident." Ivy wants to go to the school that her sister, Tabitha, teaches at and see how the other half live. Because when they were children, Tabitha was magic...and Ivy wasn't.
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* {{Deconstruction}}: Of the ''Literature/HarryPotter''-type of magic and WizardingSchool -- just like Lily and Petunia, Tabitha was a magic user, while Ivy wasn't and this created a ''lot'' of resentment for Ivy, especially when their mother died of cancer. And the Osthorne Academy is just as messed up as high school, including having a clique of popular girls and [[spoiler:teachers having affairs with each other.]]
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* {{Muggles}}: Ivy is one -- the only reason she knows about magic at all is because her sister was recruited into one of the magical schools.
* MuggleMageRomance: Ivy ends up going on several dates with another teacher at the school, Rahul Chaundrey. However, she doesn't tell him that she ''isn't'' a mage. [[spoiler:He only finds out when she slips up and doesn't know something fundamental that every mage learns their first year of school. He's hurt that she would lie to him and the book ends with her waiting outside his door to apologize, but we never know if he opens it.]]
* MuggleMageRomance: Ivy ends up going on several dates with another teacher at the school, Rahul Chaundrey. However, she doesn't tell him that she ''isn't'' a mage. [[spoiler:He only finds out when she slips up and doesn't know something fundamental that every mage learns their first year of school. He's hurt that she would lie to him and the book ends with her waiting outside his door to apologize, but we never know if he opens it.]]
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[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
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'''Magic for Liars''' is a 2019 UrbanFantasy DetectiveDrama written by Sarah Gailey (''Literature/RiverOfTeeth'').
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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/magic_for_liars.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
->''Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.''
->''Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.''
->''She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.''
->''Ivy Gamble is a liar.''
'''Magic for Liars''' is a 2019 UrbanFantasy DetectiveDrama written by Sarah Gailey (''Literature/RiverOfTeeth'').
Ivy Gamble is a PrivateDetective who spends her days following cheating spouses and drinking. And then she gets a visit from the Headmaster of the Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, a school for magic users. The Headmaster wants her to solve a gruesome murder that the magical authorities have already signed off as an "accident." Ivy wants to go to the school that her sister, Tabitha, teaches at and see how the other half live. Because when they were children, Tabitha was magic...and Ivy wasn't.
But as Ivy gets pulled into the case, she begins to get entangled in the inner lives of the staff and the students, from the manic young man who believes he's TheChosenOne to the white-haired old woman who is more powerful than anyone around and can disassemble you with a glance.
All in all, Ivy has her work cut out for her. She just has to make sure it doesn't cut her first.
----
!Tropes included in ''Magic for Liars'':
* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:Tabitha didn't mean to kill Sylvia, she only wanted to take out all the cancer. But the operation lasted three days and by the end, Tabitha was so tired, she fell asleep.]]
* AlphaBitch: Alexandria [=DeCambrey=].
* AttentionWhore: Alexandria again. She makes sure that everyone in her clique has their own separate "thing"; her thing is being the leader.
* BiTheWay: When Ivy has diner at Rahul's place, one of the pictures he has is of his ex-boyfriend, who turned into his best friend. The fact that he's bisexual never really comes up again and isn't important, just another character facet.
* {{Blackmail}}: Ivy believes the entire case hinges around this, [[spoiler:the fact that Alexandria was blackmailing Sylvia into providing an abortion potion to Courtney, but wouldn't do it, so Alexandria killed her. But it turns out that Alexandria also blackmailed Tabitha into doing an abortion spell.]]
* BrilliantButLazy: Alexandria, who came up with a graffiti spell so advanced that nobody could remove it, but still failed one of her tests. Which led to her to try and blackmail her teacher.
* BuryYourGays: Played with. [[spoiler:It turns out that Tabitha and Sylvia were dating before Sylvia died. But Ms. Torres reports that there are students who are LGBT - specifically lesbian and pansexual - and nothing bad happens to them or Rahul, who is bi.]]
* TheChosenOne: Dylan [=DeCambrey=] believes he's the Chosen One, because his family has a whole Prophecy about one it. [[spoiler:It turns out that it's actually his half-sister Alexandria.]]
* EmotionControl: Ivy believes Alexandria has this power, but is told that it's basically impossible. [[spoiler:Which is the first indication that Alexandria is the Chosen One, not Dylan.]]
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: One of the hardest magics to do, according to Ms. Torres. At one point, though, Ms. Webb shows how powerful she by ''taking Ivy's shoulder apart, removing an infection, and putting it back together''. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is what the entire case revolves around: Tabitha, having been traumatized by her mother's early death from cancer, decided to go into Theoretical Magic to learn how to heal it, only to be told it was impossible. When it turned out that her girlfriend Sylvia had cancer, too, she made sure everything was in place for her to, basically, disassemble Sylvia's body and remove the cancer. Unfortunately, as she finished the operation after three days awake, she fell asleep, resulting in Sylvia's death.]]
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Ivy lets her sister get away with accidentally killing Sylvia (who was already dying of cancer), telling her only that she needs to leave the school and talk to someone about it.]]
* LudicrousGibs: How Sylvia Capley is found. Later on, [[spoiler:Alexandria accidentally does this to her half-brother Dylan when it turns out that ''she's'' the Chosen One and not her. Thankfully, she is able to reverse it and bring him back to life.]]
* MagiBabble: Rahul Chaundrey is the teacher of "physical magic," but when he tries to explain what they is to Ivy, it comes across like this. Ivy often complains about the metaphors her sister used about magic, saying they made no sense at all, but [[spoiler:in the end, she uses one to help Alexandria put back together Dylan after accidentally exploding him.]]
* MagicAIsMagicA: Ms. Webb explains to Ivy that magic is ''exactly'' like science -- i.e. that they are continually exploring what can be done with it and there are still elements of it that they have no knowledge of or believe are impossible. Still, the "rules" to magic are often incredible obtuse and only understandable if you are a magic user (or "mage").
* NeverSuicide: The National Magical Investigative Service (or the 'miz) have already declared Sylvia's death to be "accidental" due to trying an untested Theoretical Magic spell, but Headmaster Torres doesn't believe that and so she hires Ivy. [[spoiler:It turns out that it ''was'' accidental, just by Tabitha, Ivy's sister, not Sylvia.]]
* PrivateDetective: Ivy Gamble, the main character.
* RedHerring: Mr. Toff, the sleazy teacher who seems to be sleeping with a student, turns out to have no part in the case.
* ShockAndAwe: Ivy sees some students playing with electricity early on and later, [[spoiler:when confronting Alexandria, her sister Tabitha uses it.]]
* WitchSpecies: Ivy explains to a bartender early on that magic exists, but only a people who "are magic" can use it. Ivy's sister Tabitha was magic. Ivy was not, which means even if she wanted to, she couldn't do magic.
* WizardingSchool: The Osthorne Academy is one of twelve schools in the United States. Tabitha Gamble went to a different school called Headley. They generally aren't anything like Hogwarts, more akin to a regular high school that also teaches magic, but there is a Theoretical Magic section in the library that is off-limits to students.
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[[caption-width-right:350:some caption text]]
->''Ivy Gamble was born without magic and never wanted it.''
->''Ivy Gamble is perfectly happy with her life – or at least, she’s perfectly fine.''
->''She doesn't in any way wish she was like Tabitha, her estranged, gifted twin sister.''
->''Ivy Gamble is a liar.''
'''Magic for Liars''' is a 2019 UrbanFantasy DetectiveDrama written by Sarah Gailey (''Literature/RiverOfTeeth'').
Ivy Gamble is a PrivateDetective who spends her days following cheating spouses and drinking. And then she gets a visit from the Headmaster of the Osthorne Academy of Young Mages, a school for magic users. The Headmaster wants her to solve a gruesome murder that the magical authorities have already signed off as an "accident." Ivy wants to go to the school that her sister, Tabitha, teaches at and see how the other half live. Because when they were children, Tabitha was magic...and Ivy wasn't.
But as Ivy gets pulled into the case, she begins to get entangled in the inner lives of the staff and the students, from the manic young man who believes he's TheChosenOne to the white-haired old woman who is more powerful than anyone around and can disassemble you with a glance.
All in all, Ivy has her work cut out for her. She just has to make sure it doesn't cut her first.
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!Tropes included in ''Magic for Liars'':
* AccidentalMurder: [[spoiler:Tabitha didn't mean to kill Sylvia, she only wanted to take out all the cancer. But the operation lasted three days and by the end, Tabitha was so tired, she fell asleep.]]
* AlphaBitch: Alexandria [=DeCambrey=].
* AttentionWhore: Alexandria again. She makes sure that everyone in her clique has their own separate "thing"; her thing is being the leader.
* BiTheWay: When Ivy has diner at Rahul's place, one of the pictures he has is of his ex-boyfriend, who turned into his best friend. The fact that he's bisexual never really comes up again and isn't important, just another character facet.
* {{Blackmail}}: Ivy believes the entire case hinges around this, [[spoiler:the fact that Alexandria was blackmailing Sylvia into providing an abortion potion to Courtney, but wouldn't do it, so Alexandria killed her. But it turns out that Alexandria also blackmailed Tabitha into doing an abortion spell.]]
* BrilliantButLazy: Alexandria, who came up with a graffiti spell so advanced that nobody could remove it, but still failed one of her tests. Which led to her to try and blackmail her teacher.
* BuryYourGays: Played with. [[spoiler:It turns out that Tabitha and Sylvia were dating before Sylvia died. But Ms. Torres reports that there are students who are LGBT - specifically lesbian and pansexual - and nothing bad happens to them or Rahul, who is bi.]]
* TheChosenOne: Dylan [=DeCambrey=] believes he's the Chosen One, because his family has a whole Prophecy about one it. [[spoiler:It turns out that it's actually his half-sister Alexandria.]]
* EmotionControl: Ivy believes Alexandria has this power, but is told that it's basically impossible. [[spoiler:Which is the first indication that Alexandria is the Chosen One, not Dylan.]]
* HealingMagicIsTheHardest: One of the hardest magics to do, according to Ms. Torres. At one point, though, Ms. Webb shows how powerful she by ''taking Ivy's shoulder apart, removing an infection, and putting it back together''. [[spoiler:It turns out that this is what the entire case revolves around: Tabitha, having been traumatized by her mother's early death from cancer, decided to go into Theoretical Magic to learn how to heal it, only to be told it was impossible. When it turned out that her girlfriend Sylvia had cancer, too, she made sure everything was in place for her to, basically, disassemble Sylvia's body and remove the cancer. Unfortunately, as she finished the operation after three days awake, she fell asleep, resulting in Sylvia's death.]]
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Ivy lets her sister get away with accidentally killing Sylvia (who was already dying of cancer), telling her only that she needs to leave the school and talk to someone about it.]]
* LudicrousGibs: How Sylvia Capley is found. Later on, [[spoiler:Alexandria accidentally does this to her half-brother Dylan when it turns out that ''she's'' the Chosen One and not her. Thankfully, she is able to reverse it and bring him back to life.]]
* MagiBabble: Rahul Chaundrey is the teacher of "physical magic," but when he tries to explain what they is to Ivy, it comes across like this. Ivy often complains about the metaphors her sister used about magic, saying they made no sense at all, but [[spoiler:in the end, she uses one to help Alexandria put back together Dylan after accidentally exploding him.]]
* MagicAIsMagicA: Ms. Webb explains to Ivy that magic is ''exactly'' like science -- i.e. that they are continually exploring what can be done with it and there are still elements of it that they have no knowledge of or believe are impossible. Still, the "rules" to magic are often incredible obtuse and only understandable if you are a magic user (or "mage").
* NeverSuicide: The National Magical Investigative Service (or the 'miz) have already declared Sylvia's death to be "accidental" due to trying an untested Theoretical Magic spell, but Headmaster Torres doesn't believe that and so she hires Ivy. [[spoiler:It turns out that it ''was'' accidental, just by Tabitha, Ivy's sister, not Sylvia.]]
* PrivateDetective: Ivy Gamble, the main character.
* RedHerring: Mr. Toff, the sleazy teacher who seems to be sleeping with a student, turns out to have no part in the case.
* ShockAndAwe: Ivy sees some students playing with electricity early on and later, [[spoiler:when confronting Alexandria, her sister Tabitha uses it.]]
* WitchSpecies: Ivy explains to a bartender early on that magic exists, but only a people who "are magic" can use it. Ivy's sister Tabitha was magic. Ivy was not, which means even if she wanted to, she couldn't do magic.
* WizardingSchool: The Osthorne Academy is one of twelve schools in the United States. Tabitha Gamble went to a different school called Headley. They generally aren't anything like Hogwarts, more akin to a regular high school that also teaches magic, but there is a Theoretical Magic section in the library that is off-limits to students.
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