The Memory Hunters

By Mia Tsai

Inception meets Indiana Jones in this cinematic, slow burn, romantic fantasy following a headstrong academic and her equally stubborn bodyguard as they unearth an ancient secret that rocks the foundations of their society...and challenges their unspoken love for one another. A sapphic, dark academia-adjacent, climate dystopia -- with mushrooms -- for readers of Blood Over Bright Haven, A Memory Called Empire, and Ink Blood Sister Scribe.

"The relationship between Vale and Key is beautifully vivid and takes a well-earned, startling turn toward the end. The Memory Hunters is a haunting story about how we preserve the past, and the cost of clinging too tight." - The Washington Post

Kiana Strade can dive deeper into blood memories than anyone alive. But instead of devoting her talents to the temple she's meant to lead, Key wants to do research for the Museum of Human Memory. . . and to avoid the public eye.

Valerian IV's twin swords protect Key from murderous rivals and her own enthusiasm alike. Vale cares about Key as a friend--and maybe more--but most of all, she needs to keep her job so she can support her parents and siblings in the storm-torn south.

But when Key collects a memory that diverges from official history, only Vale sees the fallout. Key's mentor suspiciously dismisses the finding; her powerful mother demands she stop research altogether. And Key, unusually affected by the memory, begins to lose moments, then minutes, then days.

As Vale becomes increasingly entangled in Key's obsessive drive for answers, the women uncover a shattering discovery--and a devastating betrayal. Key and Vale can remain complicit, or they can jeopardize everything for the truth.

Either way, Key is becoming consumed by the past in more ways than one, and time is running out.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 164566208X
• ISBN13: 9781645662082
• Release Date: July 2025
• Publisher: Erewhon Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 5.7" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Vision Mushrooms!

An interesting and a bit disturbing with the blood chalice mushrooms and how partaking of them (for the special few) allows them to dive back in time (through memories trapped in the mushrooms) and relive scenes to gather info about what was lost after the great storms. Key is one of those able to do so, and has a strong ability so as to be able to go further back than most people. As a diver, Key and her guardian Vale, complement and balance each other out. When working alone, I did not like them all that much. Vale is way too quick with violence (I blame Burdock) and Key is your typical rich kid, not thinking about consequences and using her importance to try to get away from rules. It was a pretty interesting world, though I wish there had been more world building, cause I was fascinated about the storms and the intriguing little bit about Key's mother that we only get a peek at in this book. The memory diving was weird and since this takes place in the future, despite it being a dystopia, there are quite advanced things so it made me wonder how the mushrooms are the only way to see past events. So, be prepared to have a lot of questions after finishing this book. Key and Vale do uncover many mysteries and most of this first book is about chasing after the truth while everyone else tries to squash it and maintain the status quo. Though I do like how Key ends up being changed. It made her more interesting by the end. While I go looking for the next book, probably. I hope it will answer more of the mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an advance copy of this book.