Book Review: Sincerely, Secretary of Doom
If you were fired from your job and told that you were mediocre at the craft you tried your best to perfect, would your first instinct be to go find work at a haunted-looking abandoned cathedral? If so, you have something in common with Violet Miller, a twenty-something writer who has been obsessing over a case of kidnapped girls found in the woods with everything intact except their memories. Violet Miller has this in common with them: when she was thirteen, she woke up in the woods without her memories. For the past year, she’s been trying to track down whoever has been harming these young women and taking away their memories somehow. But she needs a job first, so she applies for a secretary position at the Fairy Post. When she tumbles into the cathedral through a broken window and finds herself trapped in the eerie, cavernous structure, she wanders until she reaches the bell tower, where she encounters what she can only describe as the Master of Doom.
Mor is a fairy, specifically the one behind the Fairy post newspapers, not the Master of Doom, despite Violet’s insistence and casual labelling. Mor has been hiding out in his cathedral, which is also the headquarters for the Fairy Post, for about two months from the rest of his friends in the High Court of the Coffee Bean. Why, you ask? Because he is running away from a nine-tailed fox, a particularly nasty one from his past, who happens to be his lifelong nemesis. Mor has vowed to kill the Nine-tailed fox and every one of his nine lives until he is truly dead, and Mor hopes that his new secretary can help him bury the dead body without the rest of the High Court catching on that he is in over his head before he loses his.
Despite this gruesome dilemma, this story happens to be a very touching one about secrets, memory, and the perplexity of truth.
Artistry and Craft
Sincerely, Secretary of Doom is the second book in a four-book series that follows the High Court of the Coffee Bean, a group of fairies who have chosen to live in the human world, away from their fairy kingdom, and into the mundaneness of everyday life while running a café with their humans. This premise is anything but straightforward, and Jennifer Krompf does an excellent job of making it seem believable as well as ridiculously entertaining, never gaudy. From the first book, I was expecting this one to follow in the same vein, but instead it explores even more of the emotional side, which I was thrilled about. I loved its deeper internal and relational focus and felt comforted by the novel.
The novel lightly utilizes some Korean mythology, gumiho, the Jade Sea, and dragons, as well as in her previous book in the series, takes a heavier approach with Northern mythology, such as fairies and elves. I found this unique, as fantasy worlds that use mythology as their foundation usually focus on just one mythology, not multiple, so I found this refreshing.
The first third of the novel was slow-paced, and I found it very difficult to get through. But as the book continued, I found myself suddenly snapped up by the higher stakes and emotional storylines that made the book feel much more interesting, important, and touching. The humour in the first part of the book didn’t really land for me, but in the second half, I found myself laughing on almost every other page. Also, the characters' voices felt a bit off to me at first, but in the second half, they felt much more grounded, human, and less awkward.★★★.5
Themes and Messages
One of the major themes in Sincerely, Secretary of Doom is the theme of memories. Violet is desperately fighting to get back the memories stolen from her when she was thirteen, and Mor is desperately trying to forget his as his past comes hunting. The topic of memories being painful or a burden is very relevant, as memories can often feel this way.
Another theme is the idea of stories and how we tell ourselves stories based on our own perspective. This can become what we call “our truth,” but the truth actually involves all the parties who were part of a situation. This can cause misunderstandings and conflict between characters.
It is also a story about complicated history, which adds a heavier feel to this book compared to the last, but also a comforting one, as it explores how trauma affects present-day relationships and the difficulty of trying again.
Trust, and the cost of learning to trust, is also prominent in the story. In many ways, the book shows how some characters gradually learn to see others for who they are, past their trauma, while others can’t see past their hurt, which becomes a source of conflict.
Mor’s past, including betraying the Shadow Army and the horrible things he witnessed, haunts him; Violet, who has lost her memories, carries a deep insecurity about not being loved. Trauma projection also appears throughout the story, as both Mor and Violet must learn to see people for who they are rather than mistrusting or disliking others because of past wounds.★★★★
Final Thoughts
Overall, even though the book was slow at the beginning and some of the humour and character voices didn’t hit quite right, I really did like it, especially toward the end. I wouldn’t rate it as highly as the first book in the series, Welcome to the Fae Café, but it’s still a solid read, earning a low 4 stars from me.
Content Discretions:
Mild gore, Themes of trauma, Memory loss, Emotional wounds, Mild fantasy violence, Kissing
Learn More About the Author
To learn more about Jennifer Kropf or her other works, visit:
• Official Website
• Instagram
Thats all folks! If you’ve read Sincerely, Secretary of Doom, tell me what you thought about it in the comments below ❤❤❤
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