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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
This book was absolutely AMAZING! I was hooked from the very beginning—the plot had me glued to the pages, and I loved every twist and turn. The different types of magic were fascinating, and the unique sorting at the Esholian Institute (where characters go to learn and develop their powers) gave me Harry Potter vibes—in the best way.
The characters were another huge highlight. Each one felt distinct and layered, with motivations that kept me invested all the way through. Plus, the jungle island setting and mysterious undertones made this magical world feel so alive and immersive.
And guess what? Book two is already out—and I’m definitely picking it up next because I need more of this world and these characters in my life. Also, if you have Kindle Unlimited, this one’s on KU, so go grab it!
✨ Tropes:
👨👩👧👦 found family
⚔️ high stakes
🏝 jungle island setting
🛡 “touch her and ☠️”
📚 magic academia (Esholian Institute!)
🕵️ dark secrets
🦉 animal companions
❌ forbidden powers
The characters were another huge highlight. Each one felt distinct and layered, with motivations that kept me invested all the way through. Plus, the jungle island setting and mysterious undertones made this magical world feel so alive and immersive.
And guess what? Book two is already out—and I’m definitely picking it up next because I need more of this world and these characters in my life. Also, if you have Kindle Unlimited, this one’s on KU, so go grab it!
✨ Tropes:
👨👩👧👦 found family
⚔️ high stakes
🏝 jungle island setting
🛡 “touch her and ☠️”
📚 magic academia (Esholian Institute!)
🕵️ dark secrets
🦉 animal companions
❌ forbidden powers
Magical academy
Secrets aplenty
Dark and broody MMC
FMC whose not afraid to stand up for herself
Harry Potter meets fae world
The world building and magic system seems simple at first at 18 your affinity is revealed and after 5 years of training you take your place in society. However early on it’s apparent all I not as it seems and more is happening under the surface.
Where do the people go who fail?
Who are the pirates who surround the island?
What the secrets is the leader hiding and who is she really?
Secrets aplenty
Dark and broody MMC
FMC whose not afraid to stand up for herself
Harry Potter meets fae world
The world building and magic system seems simple at first at 18 your affinity is revealed and after 5 years of training you take your place in society. However early on it’s apparent all I not as it seems and more is happening under the surface.
Where do the people go who fail?
Who are the pirates who surround the island?
What the secrets is the leader hiding and who is she really?
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Could’t put the book down.
Sometimes (not that much but still) I had to remind myself they were only 18-25 years old, so they acted like it
Still, I loved this book and I’m directly stating the next one
Sometimes (not that much but still) I had to remind myself they were only 18-25 years old, so they acted like it
Still, I loved this book and I’m directly stating the next one
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Read it in the span of three days because I was hooked from page 1 on. The plot is quite fast as it spans over one year and therefore it often skips a few weeks at a time to only focus on the important parts of the story. That kind of bothered me because I really like when a story is slow and you get to read about every detail. Especially the romantic relationship had very little mentioning in the story and after the first kiss, there is a huge gap to the next scene, so we don’t get filled in with details about their meetings in between, which I missed. But it was okay. The book focused more on the overall story and also just as much on the FMCs friendships as on her relationship, which I actually enjoyed. I was also surprised how quickly we discover about all the secrets and lies in the world. What I really loved about this book was the creativity and the individual tests at the Institute. The wild whispering part of the story was really entertaining and funny and something I loved most about the book. I am very excited to now start the second book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Deadnaming, Death, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, Sexual harassment
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5
This was so much fun, I will be reading the second as soon as I get my hands on it
I loved that the fantasy aspect was easy to follow. It did get a bit confusing as the plot progressed but I imagine this will be explained in the sequel.
This was so much fun, I will be reading the second as soon as I get my hands on it
I loved that the fantasy aspect was easy to follow. It did get a bit confusing as the plot progressed but I imagine this will be explained in the sequel.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes