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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
It doesn't happen often that I find my name in a book, so that's already exciting. But when it's a book that has you hooked? It's an even greater feeling!
Academy of Villains is a dark academia fantasy romance set in a kingdom where magic is slowly disappearing. Orphaned children with no magic are raised to be assassins in the king's army, while those with magic are sent to a magical academy to become mages. The protagonist, Kiara, is an assassin who infiltrates the academy to unalive the prince and end the royal bloodline - and she has personal reasons to seek revenge. But her vengeance turns into a fight for survival as students begin to disappear and she has no choice but to work alongside the prince.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO FIND IN THIS BOOK:
✨ cursed prince x assassin romance
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ mostly morally gray characters
✨ villain gets the girl
✨ dark academia magical academy
✨ greek mythology retelling of Nyx and Erebus
I am an absolute sucker for a magical academy, even more so when it's paired with a great storyline filled with female rage and vengeance! The characters were all varying degrees of morally gray, which happen to be my favorite kind. Admittedly I would have liked to see Kiara struggle more with her magic, but it didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of her character arc. My favorites, however, were the prince's friends in the Raven society. The retelling aspect also added a nice touch, especially since it wasn't a story from Greek myth that is told often in romantasy retellings. I'm very curious to explore the future books in the series, which will be following different protagonists, and retracing other greek myths!
Thank you to the author for gifting me an e-copy. Opinions are my own.
Academy of Villains is a dark academia fantasy romance set in a kingdom where magic is slowly disappearing. Orphaned children with no magic are raised to be assassins in the king's army, while those with magic are sent to a magical academy to become mages. The protagonist, Kiara, is an assassin who infiltrates the academy to unalive the prince and end the royal bloodline - and she has personal reasons to seek revenge. But her vengeance turns into a fight for survival as students begin to disappear and she has no choice but to work alongside the prince.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT TO FIND IN THIS BOOK:
✨ cursed prince x assassin romance
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ mostly morally gray characters
✨ villain gets the girl
✨ dark academia magical academy
✨ greek mythology retelling of Nyx and Erebus
I am an absolute sucker for a magical academy, even more so when it's paired with a great storyline filled with female rage and vengeance! The characters were all varying degrees of morally gray, which happen to be my favorite kind. Admittedly I would have liked to see Kiara struggle more with her magic, but it didn't hinder my overall enjoyment of her character arc. My favorites, however, were the prince's friends in the Raven society. The retelling aspect also added a nice touch, especially since it wasn't a story from Greek myth that is told often in romantasy retellings. I'm very curious to explore the future books in the series, which will be following different protagonists, and retracing other greek myths!
Thank you to the author for gifting me an e-copy. Opinions are my own.
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
This book took me on a whirlwind adventure. This story kicks off quick! It had my anxiety up and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. There are no slow parts or lulls where you wish something would happen. Something is constantly happening or being discovered. Questions get answered, and more questions pop up. There's assassins, magic, a cursed king, friendships, secret societies, and a curse to break. Plus, it's a greek retelling which adds another layer of fun.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next book, Academy of Villains: Lessons in Loyalty.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next book, Academy of Villains: Lessons in Loyalty.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-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
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I want to start by saying a HUGE thank you to Ever King and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book! ❤️
I absolutely loved the premise of this book and thought the celestial magic was such a nice and different touch from other fantasy novels, which mostly focus on shifter or elemental magic. I also liked the original twist on the ‘fated mates’ trope with the heartstrings that were visible and physically connected people. This has SO much potential as an idea, and I really enjoyed it! I also loved the magic academy setting, as I’m a real sucker for that.
Unfortunately, though, this book overall just wasn’t for me. I would have liked to have seen more of the academy & lessons, learnt more about celestial magic, and spent a lot more time on each of the trials. The trials almost felt less like ‘trials’ and more like road obstacles on a journey to the Temple (think Wizard of Oz style). I also couldn’t get past the similarities to other famous fantasy series - like Harry Potter, Red Queen / Powerless, and Throne of Glass. If it had been snippets of inspiration, I think it would’ve been ok, but it was just too close to the plot lines in those series for me to be able to ignore.
I was also disheartened to see that there was a scene with SH in this book and no trigger warnings at the start, at least not in my copy. Readers should please bear this in mind and decide if this would trigger you, protect your mental health ❤️
I think this book would be great for a YA reader or someone who is new to reading fantasy romance, and the world itself has SUCH great potential with the celestial magic! ✨ it just unfortunately was not for me.
I absolutely loved the premise of this book and thought the celestial magic was such a nice and different touch from other fantasy novels, which mostly focus on shifter or elemental magic. I also liked the original twist on the ‘fated mates’ trope with the heartstrings that were visible and physically connected people. This has SO much potential as an idea, and I really enjoyed it! I also loved the magic academy setting, as I’m a real sucker for that.
Unfortunately, though, this book overall just wasn’t for me. I would have liked to have seen more of the academy & lessons, learnt more about celestial magic, and spent a lot more time on each of the trials. The trials almost felt less like ‘trials’ and more like road obstacles on a journey to the Temple (think Wizard of Oz style). I also couldn’t get past the similarities to other famous fantasy series - like Harry Potter, Red Queen / Powerless, and Throne of Glass. If it had been snippets of inspiration, I think it would’ve been ok, but it was just too close to the plot lines in those series for me to be able to ignore.
I was also disheartened to see that there was a scene with SH in this book and no trigger warnings at the start, at least not in my copy. Readers should please bear this in mind and decide if this would trigger you, protect your mental health ❤️
I think this book would be great for a YA reader or someone who is new to reading fantasy romance, and the world itself has SUCH great potential with the celestial magic! ✨ it just unfortunately was not for me.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
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
Academy of Villains by Ever King is an emotional and action packed book inspired by a Greek mythology love story.
Kiara is a badass FMC who immediately had me on her side. I supported her all throughout the story and admired her tenacity even though it literally put her life in danger on multiple occasions. She continually learns more about herself and how to accept the different facets of her existence which was very relatable. You have to embrace who you are, even the uncomfortable parts.
Prince Lucian is everything I want in a hero MMC. Strong-willed, brave, and has an inner darkness he is learning to control and understand. I love the way he fiercely protects Kiara, not in a damsel in distress way, but because he truly cares about her. He knows she can protect herself but he wants to help.
The overall vibe of the story is dark academia with strong magical/fantasy elements, and a touch of a slow-burn romance. The enemies to lovers, fated mates, and ‘one bed’ tropes are featured and don’t disappoint. The idea of the characters attending a school that helps students learn to harness and use their magic reminded me of the Harry Potter series. I don’t claim to be an avid fantasy reader (I’m typically found reading romance or thrillers), so the fact that I enjoyed this so much is a good sign! I highly recommend, especially if you’re already a big fantasy/romatasy lover, or even looking to dip your toes into that genre.
A few of my favorite quotes:
✨ “A part of me relishes that thought—the danger. It’s unhinged, I know, but I can’t shake the excitement that comes with it.”
🖤 “We’re connected. Bound. She belongs to me now. She’s mine—my responsibility. I have to protect her, even from my own father.”
✨ “We’re starlight and shadow. Together, we’re unstoppable.”
🖤 “In that moment, it hits me—he was the darkness I craved, and I was the light he couldn’t escape.”
I’m very thankful to Ever King and StoryOrigin for allowing me to read this ARC (my first!). I can’t wait to the read the rest of the series.
Kiara is a badass FMC who immediately had me on her side. I supported her all throughout the story and admired her tenacity even though it literally put her life in danger on multiple occasions. She continually learns more about herself and how to accept the different facets of her existence which was very relatable. You have to embrace who you are, even the uncomfortable parts.
Prince Lucian is everything I want in a hero MMC. Strong-willed, brave, and has an inner darkness he is learning to control and understand. I love the way he fiercely protects Kiara, not in a damsel in distress way, but because he truly cares about her. He knows she can protect herself but he wants to help.
The overall vibe of the story is dark academia with strong magical/fantasy elements, and a touch of a slow-burn romance. The enemies to lovers, fated mates, and ‘one bed’ tropes are featured and don’t disappoint. The idea of the characters attending a school that helps students learn to harness and use their magic reminded me of the Harry Potter series. I don’t claim to be an avid fantasy reader (I’m typically found reading romance or thrillers), so the fact that I enjoyed this so much is a good sign! I highly recommend, especially if you’re already a big fantasy/romatasy lover, or even looking to dip your toes into that genre.
A few of my favorite quotes:
✨ “A part of me relishes that thought—the danger. It’s unhinged, I know, but I can’t shake the excitement that comes with it.”
🖤 “We’re connected. Bound. She belongs to me now. She’s mine—my responsibility. I have to protect her, even from my own father.”
✨ “We’re starlight and shadow. Together, we’re unstoppable.”
🖤 “In that moment, it hits me—he was the darkness I craved, and I was the light he couldn’t escape.”
I’m very thankful to Ever King and StoryOrigin for allowing me to read this ARC (my first!). I can’t wait to the read the rest of the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War
Moderate: Self harm, Blood
Thank you NetGalley and Ever King for providing me with a copy of Academy of Villains, in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoy dark academia, mixed with YA Romantasy and trials, then this one is for you! I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and found it easy to follow. This story had me hooked from the very start. I was especially fascinated by the unique magic system, with the use of grimoires as a source of magic being such an intriguing concept. I would love to learn more about the characters, especially the boys of the Raven Society and I suspect (and hope) we will in further books.
Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I'm excited to see what the author has in store for the series!
If you enjoy dark academia, mixed with YA Romantasy and trials, then this one is for you! I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and found it easy to follow. This story had me hooked from the very start. I was especially fascinated by the unique magic system, with the use of grimoires as a source of magic being such an intriguing concept. I would love to learn more about the characters, especially the boys of the Raven Society and I suspect (and hope) we will in further books.
Overall, I enjoyed this debut and I'm excited to see what the author has in store for the series!
adventurous
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No