Synopsis
A dark academia fantasy romance inspired by the Greek mythology love story of Nyx and Erebus… In a kingdom where magic is slowly disappearing, an evil king expands his territory to gain more power, destroying towns and villages along the way. He collects the orphaned children with no magic and trains them as assassins in his army to be used as weapons against his enemies. Meanwhile, those who possess magic are sent to a ruthless academy to train as mages, ruling with cruelty under the evil king’s expanding reign.
Kiara, once an assassin for the king, infiltrates the magic academy to slay the prince and end the royal bloodline. But within the academy’s walls, she discovers a startling truth—she has magic.
The Cursed Prince will tempt her.
Secret societies will hunt her.
And the mysterious headmaster hides sinister truths of his own. As students begin to vanish and magical bonds form, Kiara’s quest for vengeance turns into a battle for survival—and a choice between love and destiny as she finds herself torn between killing the prince or saving the world with him.
Review
Academy of Villains is the kind of story that pulls you in with its dark academia setting, a unique magic system, and a romance inspired by Greek mythology (Nyx and Erebus). From the moment I heard about it, I was intrigued, and I’m thrilled to share my thoughts. The writing itself was engaging, and the author created a really interesting world with floating mage lights, ancient libraries, and a magic system centered around grimoires. The magic felt refreshingly original and contributed to the immersive atmosphere. The idea of the academy being somewhat sentient was an additional feature that I loved as it contributed to developing the atmosphere.
Beyond the magic, the romance also stood out. It was built around the concept of heartstrings (fated magical bonds between two people) and handled with care and nuance. The found family dynamic within the secret society really shined. Each member of that group felt distinct and not just a cardboard cutout best friend. Kaspian? Obsessed. Atticus was a close second. I also loved Tobias and the representation that he communicates with hand signals.
In all, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style. King excelled at writing tension between the two main characters, and the banter between the main characters and their friends was spectacular. I’m always excited for the rediscovery of magic that was once thought to be forgotten so I devoured these parts to the story. I thought the story was paced very well throughout and there was a good balance of action with introspective moments mixed in-between. Themes of destiny, self-discovery, fate, and sacrifice were central to the narrative and executed with a deft hand.
The synopsis seemed to promise a little more than the book delivered on. One missing student mentioned on page and a couple of vaguely ominous conversations felt insufficient. There’s also a lack of real conflict or villainous acts within the academy setting itself besides that one student who has it out for Kiara. The sudden introduction of the trials felt abrupt, pulling focus away from the academy and its mysteries. While they propelled the story forward, they might have been better suited for a sequel, allowing this book to set more of a foundation into the academy’s secrets and dynamics.
There were some aspects that I needed to see expanded on such as the mystery surrounding the keys, the other societies searching for the keys, and other heartstring bonds being formed. Details like the missing scone, the trail of crumbs, and the eerie underground encounter hinted at deeper mysteries. While these threads didn’t fully unravel by the end, they added enough mystery that kept me eager to discover more in future books.
Despite these issues, the intriguing world and compelling characters left me curious for what’s to come. Academy of Villains suggests even greater things in future installments with its blend of magic, mythology, and romance. The author kindly provided me with a review copy of this book, and all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely my own. A huge thank you to the author for reaching out and sharing this story with me.
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