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Of Demons Within
A tale of friendship, betrayal, and revenge.
How far would you go to avenge your family that has been wronged?
Follow the journey of Raina, a runaway who wants to become a Scholar and study at the Institute, Xavier, an Elite Hunter of the Institute, and Lucas, a Hunter with a mysterious past as they try to work together to uncover the dark plot against Xavier's life...
...And in doing so, discover the conspiracy that the Institute has covered up.
How far would you go to avenge your family that has been wronged?
Follow the journey of Raina, a runaway who wants to become a Scholar and study at the Institute, Xavier, an Elite Hunter of the Institute, and Lucas, a Hunter with a mysterious past as they try to work together to uncover the dark plot against Xavier's life...
...And in doing so, discover the conspiracy that the Institute has covered up.
Unknown Binding
First published October 22, 2024
1 person is currently reading
23 people want to read
About the author
Akira Varma
7 books25 followersHello loves!
I am Akira (obviously...). I write fantasy, sci-fi and romance... and sometimes mix those genres together. I began writing when Supernatural, Marvel, and Doctor Who - all movies and shows that I'll gladly discuss with anyone that wants to talk to me about - started killing off my favorite characters. Although, I think I should write more in this section, I believe I'm too much of an introvert to go outside and do anything else.
See you guys in my next books!
Love,
Akira
I am Akira (obviously...). I write fantasy, sci-fi and romance... and sometimes mix those genres together. I began writing when Supernatural, Marvel, and Doctor Who - all movies and shows that I'll gladly discuss with anyone that wants to talk to me about - started killing off my favorite characters. Although, I think I should write more in this section, I believe I'm too much of an introvert to go outside and do anything else.
See you guys in my next books!
Love,
Akira
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 8, 2024
What I liked about the book:
I received this book through Net Galley. First off, the cover is beautiful and hooked me. The plot sounded very interesting, so I gave it a shot. I was truly in it for the adventure.
Apparently, this is a story that takes place within the world the author created in another book series. I appreciated the author including a non-spoiler and spoiler summary at the beginning of the book so you can have a base understanding of the world.
The Institute is the self-appointed entity tasked with protecting the city and its citizens by overseeing the archives and The Hunters. The archives contain the entire written history of Madhura and can only be accessed by the Scholars. This essentially allows them to control the narrative and the military, for lack of better words. Pair that with the Believers who don’t agree with The Institutes methods, and you have some interesting conflict.
I think the world itself is unique as well as the magic/ technology. The twist at the end was pretty good, I will say, it worked for the story.
As we know, Raina is wanting to be a Scholar, and she has grown up with her mother who is a Believer. Raina encounters some Believers that save her life and that plants a seed and begins to unravel all she thought she knew about the Institute and The Believers. I love that for her character.
Xavier is struggling to find his purpose in the world. His dad is emotionally unavailable. He fears he will be just like him and his only best friend is Lucas. He meets Raina and develops a friendship with her which I think is good for him because she doesn’t put him on a pedestal like everyone else. I do feel for the guy, he’s got a lot going on lol.
What I didn't like about the book:
The grammatical errors were extensive. It took me out of the story a lot. I also felt the pacing was too quick.
I feel that Xavier's characterization was inconsistent. I was confused at times at his motivations and actions. I felt like he was really arrogant and rude when we first met him. Then he was kind and understanding and had a heart the next. He doesn't want the attention and expectations for being the son of the Elite Hunter. But on the other hand, expects to be treated as such and is confused and mad at Raina when she doesn’t but also secretly likes that she sees him as just another guy??? (and all this happening during their first interaction together)
I felt like there were not enough events that contributed to his character growth. I feel like I never understood Xavier's core beliefs and I think fleshing out Xavier’s character more would do the story good.
That leads me into the next issue I had. I wish we could have been with the characters in situations and scenarios that led to some character growth/development instead of telling us the end result.
For example, Xavier helps Raina get into the institute to study as a Scholar. When we are in Raina’s POV next, she talks about how Xavier is giving her the cold shoulder out of nowhere. Even though, they were spending so much time together. We didn't get to see any of that time spent and that friendship develop. It felt like I was missing something.
Raina is a good example of this. There were times in the story where we would jump ahead, and Raina is telling us about the progress or conflict with another character. But how did we get here? We don’t know because we, as the audience, didn’t get to see or experience this with her. We are told how close her and the people that took her in at Madhura’s apothecary are. We never spend that quality time with them to watch that relationship foster.
Lucas, I think was the more well-rounded characters out of the three main characters. Lucas’s motivations made sense. I can’t get into too much of his character without spoiling but I felt I understood Lucas more than Raina and Xavier.
Rhaul, Xavier’s dad was your standard bad guy. From jump he is mean, ruthless, and has high expectations for Xavier. I wish the author could have leaned into this relationship more as a motivator, which I think was the idea but it didn’t land well.
In Conclusion/ what can be improved:
This story has potential. It has great roots with an interesting plot and interesting main characters, Xavier, Raina and Lucas. I think that the author needs to flesh out the characters more, stabilize their core beliefs and streamline their character growth/ development. I would like to see or follow along with the character in more scenarios/ situations that lend to their character development. I think that was the biggest thing that was lacking for me, as well as the pacing. If the book was 175-200 pages longer, I think this could have been achieved.
Revisions, revisions, revisions. It won’t hurt to look over the story one more time than you may think is necessary. The amount of grammar and spelling errors was distracting and took me out of the story.
I was truly in it for the adventure, and I think I got that. Was it great, no. Could it use some work, yes. I look forward to seeing where these characters go especially after that ending. I’m interested to see the relationship between The Institute and The Believers after what happened and look forward to book 2!
I received this book through Net Galley. First off, the cover is beautiful and hooked me. The plot sounded very interesting, so I gave it a shot. I was truly in it for the adventure.
Apparently, this is a story that takes place within the world the author created in another book series. I appreciated the author including a non-spoiler and spoiler summary at the beginning of the book so you can have a base understanding of the world.
The Institute is the self-appointed entity tasked with protecting the city and its citizens by overseeing the archives and The Hunters. The archives contain the entire written history of Madhura and can only be accessed by the Scholars. This essentially allows them to control the narrative and the military, for lack of better words. Pair that with the Believers who don’t agree with The Institutes methods, and you have some interesting conflict.
I think the world itself is unique as well as the magic/ technology. The twist at the end was pretty good, I will say, it worked for the story.
As we know, Raina is wanting to be a Scholar, and she has grown up with her mother who is a Believer. Raina encounters some Believers that save her life and that plants a seed and begins to unravel all she thought she knew about the Institute and The Believers. I love that for her character.
Xavier is struggling to find his purpose in the world. His dad is emotionally unavailable. He fears he will be just like him and his only best friend is Lucas. He meets Raina and develops a friendship with her which I think is good for him because she doesn’t put him on a pedestal like everyone else. I do feel for the guy, he’s got a lot going on lol.
What I didn't like about the book:
The grammatical errors were extensive. It took me out of the story a lot. I also felt the pacing was too quick.
I feel that Xavier's characterization was inconsistent. I was confused at times at his motivations and actions. I felt like he was really arrogant and rude when we first met him. Then he was kind and understanding and had a heart the next. He doesn't want the attention and expectations for being the son of the Elite Hunter. But on the other hand, expects to be treated as such and is confused and mad at Raina when she doesn’t but also secretly likes that she sees him as just another guy??? (and all this happening during their first interaction together)
I felt like there were not enough events that contributed to his character growth. I feel like I never understood Xavier's core beliefs and I think fleshing out Xavier’s character more would do the story good.
That leads me into the next issue I had. I wish we could have been with the characters in situations and scenarios that led to some character growth/development instead of telling us the end result.
For example, Xavier helps Raina get into the institute to study as a Scholar. When we are in Raina’s POV next, she talks about how Xavier is giving her the cold shoulder out of nowhere. Even though, they were spending so much time together. We didn't get to see any of that time spent and that friendship develop. It felt like I was missing something.
Raina is a good example of this. There were times in the story where we would jump ahead, and Raina is telling us about the progress or conflict with another character. But how did we get here? We don’t know because we, as the audience, didn’t get to see or experience this with her. We are told how close her and the people that took her in at Madhura’s apothecary are. We never spend that quality time with them to watch that relationship foster.
Lucas, I think was the more well-rounded characters out of the three main characters. Lucas’s motivations made sense. I can’t get into too much of his character without spoiling but I felt I understood Lucas more than Raina and Xavier.
Rhaul, Xavier’s dad was your standard bad guy. From jump he is mean, ruthless, and has high expectations for Xavier. I wish the author could have leaned into this relationship more as a motivator, which I think was the idea but it didn’t land well.
In Conclusion/ what can be improved:
This story has potential. It has great roots with an interesting plot and interesting main characters, Xavier, Raina and Lucas. I think that the author needs to flesh out the characters more, stabilize their core beliefs and streamline their character growth/ development. I would like to see or follow along with the character in more scenarios/ situations that lend to their character development. I think that was the biggest thing that was lacking for me, as well as the pacing. If the book was 175-200 pages longer, I think this could have been achieved.
Revisions, revisions, revisions. It won’t hurt to look over the story one more time than you may think is necessary. The amount of grammar and spelling errors was distracting and took me out of the story.
I was truly in it for the adventure, and I think I got that. Was it great, no. Could it use some work, yes. I look forward to seeing where these characters go especially after that ending. I’m interested to see the relationship between The Institute and The Believers after what happened and look forward to book 2!
December 22, 2024
I loved the storyline of this book and this has so much potential to be great. I recommend reading this with the caveat below.
There were some gaps in the plot and overall this needs a good edit. I don’t say this lightly because grammatical errors, misspelled words and typical editing errors don’t usually bother me. However this book had so many of them, it was hard to ignore. Especially when there were times even the character names were misspelled.
Overall, I recommend this for those that can turn a bit of a blind eye.
There were some gaps in the plot and overall this needs a good edit. I don’t say this lightly because grammatical errors, misspelled words and typical editing errors don’t usually bother me. However this book had so many of them, it was hard to ignore. Especially when there were times even the character names were misspelled.
Overall, I recommend this for those that can turn a bit of a blind eye.
October 26, 2024
So I’m m not going to lie, but this book needs a lot of help. It had the potential to be really good, but it felt so rushed. There wasn’t a whole lot of world building and not enough character development for me to be like yes! I couldn’t even tell you how old the main characters were, but they sounded like they were 15 or 16. Granted this is in a setting with an Institute but I was thinking the characters were a lot older. That wasn’t the case I think.
Im giving this 3 stars because I want to the author to see that there is more potential for this book, but would love if she could maybe go back and reexamine. Again it felt rushed and I’m hoping she will be able to add more depth to certain parts and give us a heavier background to things. Would love to have the world building as well so I can also picture what she is trying to show us!
Im giving this 3 stars because I want to the author to see that there is more potential for this book, but would love if she could maybe go back and reexamine. Again it felt rushed and I’m hoping she will be able to add more depth to certain parts and give us a heavier background to things. Would love to have the world building as well so I can also picture what she is trying to show us!
November 1, 2024
I liked the overall premise of the story. It has a lot of potential with the right editing and tweaking.
The characters did not seem to act their age and the dialogue overall just seemed to fall a bit flat. I didn't hate it, but I felt there was more to be had.
Xavier didn't seem to hold as a consistent character to me. Raina either for that matter. They're both seem to have the makings of being strong, intelligent, and ambitious. Every time they open their mouths it's petty and juvenile and just overall kind of cringe.
I think this book still has tons of potential and I hope the author can make it happen. It's there, it's just needs a nudge in the right direction.
There are a handful of typos that should be looked at too. A few times character names are even misplelled. Doesn't take away from the story, just a heads up.
The characters did not seem to act their age and the dialogue overall just seemed to fall a bit flat. I didn't hate it, but I felt there was more to be had.
Xavier didn't seem to hold as a consistent character to me. Raina either for that matter. They're both seem to have the makings of being strong, intelligent, and ambitious. Every time they open their mouths it's petty and juvenile and just overall kind of cringe.
I think this book still has tons of potential and I hope the author can make it happen. It's there, it's just needs a nudge in the right direction.
There are a handful of typos that should be looked at too. A few times character names are even misplelled. Doesn't take away from the story, just a heads up.
December 4, 2024
𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙮𝙚𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜…
Did I buy Akira Varma’s “Only A Portal Away” just to read this book? Yes, yes I did…
I wanted to understand the universe before reading this book and when I read the summary of OAPA, I was drawn to the concept so much so, that I was interested. Unfortunately, the execution was weak… but we’re not here for that book, we’re here for this one!
With the Author’s other book still fresh in my mind, I wanted to see if there were improvement in their writing and to see how this story connects to the first one, since it’s in the same universe. This book captured my attention like the first one, and I wanted to read it, so, thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the title to read. Idk if it’s still an ARC but it hasn’t been archived yet…
Anyways, to begin, the author has definitely improved on the writing and structure compared to OAPA. There were more action/mundane aspects that made the story more visual or better described. One thing for sure is that the word “unhelpfully” was not used at all, however, it was replaced with “scoff” and boy did the characters scoff A LOT 😅 I’d say the characters seem to be better developed too; Xavier, Raina and Lucas, loved! But bruh, Lucas man wtf? When you read the ending of his POV you’ll see…
The story was definitely different to the other series, and this one felt like it was a prequel or backstory for the main events that had happened in OAPA. But while I was reading this, there were a few things that felt like it got lost on me. One is I thought Xavier hated/despised his father, but then in the last few chapters when he learn about his father’s past, he was disappointed and saddened by the truth, cause he looked up to him. So I was a little confused since they didn’t have the best relationship.
Then came the realm or kingdom (whatever you wanna call it) itself. It would be nice to have a map if this is in the same universe. I wasn’t too sure if the events in this book is the lead up to the one in OAPA, but I know that a lot of the concepts mentioned in this title and the other one were brought up. Like the mysterious people who had ambushed Xavier, their tattoo or marking was mentioned in OAPA, and the beasts/creatures in this book are the ones from OAPA. So is this leading up to “The Dark Ones” in OAPA? It just felt lost on me.
Another thing that I didn’t like as much is the lack of romance. Don’t get me wrong the story kept me on edge, especially the ending, but if you’re gonna throw in some hints of an enemies to lovers or slow burn trope, please stick to it!! I was a little disappointed that nothing happened between Xavier and Raina.. yet? Like there is definitely something there, just nothing was acted upon. A few chapters kinda hinted the romance but yeah there was nothing.
Overall, I’d recommend for the story because it was good with where the ideas were going, though at times it felt like the story wasn’t properly executed. Given the few reasons above, I’d say another main reason why I’m not giving it a 5 star is due to the mistakes. There were so many spelling and grammar mistakes again that I couldn’t keep count. In one chapter the author wrote 34, then when the character spoke, they said 54 and then back to 34. Even with one of the descriptions of the characters they had a scar on the right side of the body but by the end of the book it was on the left. I think planning it or jotting a note to help remember would’ve been great. In another chapter the paragraph literally repeated itself. Then like the first book from the author, there were a few things that felt repetitive too, for example something was said once and then written again just in a different way.
So I’ve given this book 3 ⭐️
Did I buy Akira Varma’s “Only A Portal Away” just to read this book? Yes, yes I did…
I wanted to understand the universe before reading this book and when I read the summary of OAPA, I was drawn to the concept so much so, that I was interested. Unfortunately, the execution was weak… but we’re not here for that book, we’re here for this one!
With the Author’s other book still fresh in my mind, I wanted to see if there were improvement in their writing and to see how this story connects to the first one, since it’s in the same universe. This book captured my attention like the first one, and I wanted to read it, so, thank you NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the title to read. Idk if it’s still an ARC but it hasn’t been archived yet…
Anyways, to begin, the author has definitely improved on the writing and structure compared to OAPA. There were more action/mundane aspects that made the story more visual or better described. One thing for sure is that the word “unhelpfully” was not used at all, however, it was replaced with “scoff” and boy did the characters scoff A LOT 😅 I’d say the characters seem to be better developed too; Xavier, Raina and Lucas, loved! But bruh, Lucas man wtf? When you read the ending of his POV you’ll see…
The story was definitely different to the other series, and this one felt like it was a prequel or backstory for the main events that had happened in OAPA. But while I was reading this, there were a few things that felt like it got lost on me. One is I thought Xavier hated/despised his father, but then in the last few chapters when he learn about his father’s past, he was disappointed and saddened by the truth, cause he looked up to him. So I was a little confused since they didn’t have the best relationship.
Then came the realm or kingdom (whatever you wanna call it) itself. It would be nice to have a map if this is in the same universe. I wasn’t too sure if the events in this book is the lead up to the one in OAPA, but I know that a lot of the concepts mentioned in this title and the other one were brought up. Like the mysterious people who had ambushed Xavier, their tattoo or marking was mentioned in OAPA, and the beasts/creatures in this book are the ones from OAPA. So is this leading up to “The Dark Ones” in OAPA? It just felt lost on me.
Another thing that I didn’t like as much is the lack of romance. Don’t get me wrong the story kept me on edge, especially the ending, but if you’re gonna throw in some hints of an enemies to lovers or slow burn trope, please stick to it!! I was a little disappointed that nothing happened between Xavier and Raina.. yet? Like there is definitely something there, just nothing was acted upon. A few chapters kinda hinted the romance but yeah there was nothing.
Overall, I’d recommend for the story because it was good with where the ideas were going, though at times it felt like the story wasn’t properly executed. Given the few reasons above, I’d say another main reason why I’m not giving it a 5 star is due to the mistakes. There were so many spelling and grammar mistakes again that I couldn’t keep count. In one chapter the author wrote 34, then when the character spoke, they said 54 and then back to 34. Even with one of the descriptions of the characters they had a scar on the right side of the body but by the end of the book it was on the left. I think planning it or jotting a note to help remember would’ve been great. In another chapter the paragraph literally repeated itself. Then like the first book from the author, there were a few things that felt repetitive too, for example something was said once and then written again just in a different way.
So I’ve given this book 3 ⭐️
November 2, 2024
I just finished reading this book and found the storyline and character arcs quite promising. The backstories add depth and potential to the narrative, but the characterization fell short in several areas.
Xavier's introduction as a character painted him as careless and overambitious, something that a warrior must NOT be. Pairing that with his condescending attitude towards Raina at their first meeting was... annoying. 😶🌫
His character also felt very inconsistent; he shifted from insufferable to confusing, and then somewhat likable towards the second half, but it wasn't enough.
As for Raina, she started off rather weak and somewhat pathetic. While her character developed better as the story progressed, it seems like her character was mainly included just to move the plot forward. I hope that in the second book of this duology, she will have a chance to shine (Go Raina! 🙏)
Next, Lucas. I feel like he's the only character who the author put a lot of effort into. Or maybe not. Either way, I liked his arc better than the supposed protagonists. Which is, not all that much but still something. 🤔
Some of the side characters were largely disregarded and felt more like plot devices who were used to merely push the story forward and support the protagonists. For example, Raina's found family and her two scholar friends.
As for the end... The last chapter and epilogue were highly disappointing. Instead of tying the first book to the second, the epilogue felt like a separate introduction to a different story set in the same universe, and I wish there had been more closure 😬. Perhaps it could have served as an excerpt to the second of the duet, rather than the epilogue.
Additionally, there were numerous typos and grammatical errors throughout the book, including many incomplete sentences. While some issues can be expected in published works, there were far too many here 🫤
Overall, this book has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to the second one! 😊
Xavier's introduction as a character painted him as careless and overambitious, something that a warrior must NOT be. Pairing that with his condescending attitude towards Raina at their first meeting was... annoying. 😶🌫
His character also felt very inconsistent; he shifted from insufferable to confusing, and then somewhat likable towards the second half, but it wasn't enough.
As for Raina, she started off rather weak and somewhat pathetic. While her character developed better as the story progressed, it seems like her character was mainly included just to move the plot forward. I hope that in the second book of this duology, she will have a chance to shine (Go Raina! 🙏)
Next, Lucas. I feel like he's the only character who the author put a lot of effort into. Or maybe not. Either way, I liked his arc better than the supposed protagonists. Which is, not all that much but still something. 🤔
Some of the side characters were largely disregarded and felt more like plot devices who were used to merely push the story forward and support the protagonists. For example, Raina's found family and her two scholar friends.
As for the end... The last chapter and epilogue were highly disappointing. Instead of tying the first book to the second, the epilogue felt like a separate introduction to a different story set in the same universe, and I wish there had been more closure 😬. Perhaps it could have served as an excerpt to the second of the duet, rather than the epilogue.
Additionally, there were numerous typos and grammatical errors throughout the book, including many incomplete sentences. While some issues can be expected in published works, there were far too many here 🫤
Overall, this book has a lot of potential, and I'm looking forward to the second one! 😊
November 13, 2024
First off the artwork both in terms of cover & interior design are amazing. The cover design peaked my interest and the overall summary of the story did the rest in sucking me in.
Since this book is set in the same world as another series I really liked that the author added at the beginning a spoiler and non spoiler of the other book series "Only a portal away" to give more perspective into the world and universe she was about to transport us to.
The world itself is absolutely unique mixing magic/ technology/ancient myths almost. Like the biggest of all the big portal hovering above Madhura and the origins and meanings of the human-like monters appearing all over the city.
We are in for the adventure, the characters are interesting with Raina the naïve, small-town-girl arriving in the big city with big dreams, wanting to become a Scholar in the Institute, and Xavier your local quaterback or rather a star Hunter for the Institute. The story is interesting, the events as well but overall the story felt a bit short, like the relationships could have been developped a lot more. For example some aspect of the characters felt underexploited like Raina's ointment which appearently impressed the healers in the Institute when she healed Xavier at the beginning but this knowledge isn't really reused afterwards (except maybe with the potion at the very end). Also, the characters could be fleshed out more to give more background into their beliefs, the true meaning, the character development throughout the book. Xavier as well feels a bit inconsistent especially at the beginning I had a hard time understanding his motives. The only character that felt really consistent is Lucas.
To conclude, it's a great adventure, with good characters, and a good dose of betrayals it's a very fun read. The manuscript still needs editing copyediting and proofreading as there are reaming mistakes that need to be corrected
I'll be keeping an eye out for book 2 as I really want to know what happens next !
Since this book is set in the same world as another series I really liked that the author added at the beginning a spoiler and non spoiler of the other book series "Only a portal away" to give more perspective into the world and universe she was about to transport us to.
The world itself is absolutely unique mixing magic/ technology/ancient myths almost. Like the biggest of all the big portal hovering above Madhura and the origins and meanings of the human-like monters appearing all over the city.
We are in for the adventure, the characters are interesting with Raina the naïve, small-town-girl arriving in the big city with big dreams, wanting to become a Scholar in the Institute, and Xavier your local quaterback or rather a star Hunter for the Institute. The story is interesting, the events as well but overall the story felt a bit short, like the relationships could have been developped a lot more. For example some aspect of the characters felt underexploited like Raina's ointment which appearently impressed the healers in the Institute when she healed Xavier at the beginning but this knowledge isn't really reused afterwards (except maybe with the potion at the very end). Also, the characters could be fleshed out more to give more background into their beliefs, the true meaning, the character development throughout the book. Xavier as well feels a bit inconsistent especially at the beginning I had a hard time understanding his motives. The only character that felt really consistent is Lucas.
To conclude, it's a great adventure, with good characters, and a good dose of betrayals it's a very fun read. The manuscript still needs editing copyediting and proofreading as there are reaming mistakes that need to be corrected
I'll be keeping an eye out for book 2 as I really want to know what happens next !
December 20, 2024
Friendship, revenge and a deadly conspiracy. This book will have you questioning everything until the last page.
The story kicks off with Raina, a spirited runaway who dreams of becoming a scholar at the prestigious Institute. She teams up with Xavier, an elite hunter, and Lucas, a mysterious guy with a hidden past. What starts as a mission to save Xavier from a dark plot quickly unravels into something much bigger, a deadly conspiracy tied to the Institute itself.
I absolutely loved the friendship themes in this book. Raina and Xavier’s bond was beautifully written, each brought so much depth and personality to their connection that it felt incredibly real. Raina’s journey of growth was particularly moving, and I found myself resonating deeply with her struggles and determination.
The plot? Brilliantly done. Even when I thought I’d figured things out, the twists took me by surprise in the best way. Every reveal kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to see what happened next. I stayed up way too late reading this, I just couldn’t put it down!
That said, I feel there’s still some room for growth. Certain aspects of the world-building could have been expanded to add even more richness to the story.
If you’re a fan of books with richly layered characters, unexpected twists, and a perfect mix of action and emotion, this is a must-read.
The story kicks off with Raina, a spirited runaway who dreams of becoming a scholar at the prestigious Institute. She teams up with Xavier, an elite hunter, and Lucas, a mysterious guy with a hidden past. What starts as a mission to save Xavier from a dark plot quickly unravels into something much bigger, a deadly conspiracy tied to the Institute itself.
I absolutely loved the friendship themes in this book. Raina and Xavier’s bond was beautifully written, each brought so much depth and personality to their connection that it felt incredibly real. Raina’s journey of growth was particularly moving, and I found myself resonating deeply with her struggles and determination.
The plot? Brilliantly done. Even when I thought I’d figured things out, the twists took me by surprise in the best way. Every reveal kept me on the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t stop flipping the pages to see what happened next. I stayed up way too late reading this, I just couldn’t put it down!
That said, I feel there’s still some room for growth. Certain aspects of the world-building could have been expanded to add even more richness to the story.
If you’re a fan of books with richly layered characters, unexpected twists, and a perfect mix of action and emotion, this is a must-read.
November 24, 2024
☆3 Stars☆
The plot of this book and the art style is what drew me in initially (former emo millennial here). The world-building is unique, and I like the way Akira blended magic and technology in interesting ways. I think the decision to include a non-spoiler and spoiler summary in the beginning to help readers understand the larger universe was perfect.
I really liked Raina’s character arc. She starts off wanting to be a Scholar, but after being saved by some Believers, her whole world unravels, which adds depth to her journey. Xavier starts out as a reckless and condescending boob but his character does evolve as he and Raina grow closer.
The plot was engaging with politics and conflicting parties. The Institute who over saw the archives and the Hunters, who controlled much of the city’s history and military, set up some solid conflict and drama with the Believers who oppose them.
This was decent slow burn with a side order of psychological horror. The ending had a good twist but felt like an intro to another story. Definitely curious to see what happens next.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Akira Varma for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The plot of this book and the art style is what drew me in initially (former emo millennial here). The world-building is unique, and I like the way Akira blended magic and technology in interesting ways. I think the decision to include a non-spoiler and spoiler summary in the beginning to help readers understand the larger universe was perfect.
I really liked Raina’s character arc. She starts off wanting to be a Scholar, but after being saved by some Believers, her whole world unravels, which adds depth to her journey. Xavier starts out as a reckless and condescending boob but his character does evolve as he and Raina grow closer.
The plot was engaging with politics and conflicting parties. The Institute who over saw the archives and the Hunters, who controlled much of the city’s history and military, set up some solid conflict and drama with the Believers who oppose them.
This was decent slow burn with a side order of psychological horror. The ending had a good twist but felt like an intro to another story. Definitely curious to see what happens next.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Akira Varma for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2024
The story is about a girl named Raina who ventures on a journey to become a scholar. She works with healing potions and everything that is related to medicine. She has the guts to do what she wants in her life even if she has to go against her family.
It's an ordinary story with no BIG twist. The good thing about this book is it’s a great time pass and since it's not too complicated and the flow is not fast paced, it's an excellent read for beginners or slow readers.
The only fast paced thing in the book was Raina's and Xavier's friendship. I wish it took a bit longer for them to become friends.
Things I absolutely loved about the book are:
Xavier’s and Lucas’ bromance, their friendship and whatever they went through
Raina’s and Lucas’ interaction with each other
Xavier worrying for Raina’s safety and his protectiveness towards her
The overall theme was not DARK at all. The book can be enjoyed with a nice playlist.
The concept of episcope was kind of new to me. I'm glad I got to read this book.
It's an ordinary story with no BIG twist. The good thing about this book is it’s a great time pass and since it's not too complicated and the flow is not fast paced, it's an excellent read for beginners or slow readers.
The only fast paced thing in the book was Raina's and Xavier's friendship. I wish it took a bit longer for them to become friends.
Things I absolutely loved about the book are:
Xavier’s and Lucas’ bromance, their friendship and whatever they went through
Raina’s and Lucas’ interaction with each other
Xavier worrying for Raina’s safety and his protectiveness towards her
The overall theme was not DARK at all. The book can be enjoyed with a nice playlist.
The concept of episcope was kind of new to me. I'm glad I got to read this book.
December 20, 2024
What did I like about this book? First of all, how the Author developed the plot of this book and the style really won me over, so much so that it truly intrigued me. I loved how our author Akira mixes magic but also technology in a unique way. I really appreciated the summary at the beginning, it helped me even more to understand the story. I really liked the character development of Raina but also of Xavier. How I loved his personal development, his change especially as he gets closer to Raina. Another thing I loved about the plot was that it dealt with politics and that there are many parties in conflict with each other. . There was a slow burn that I loved. The ending left me speechless, I can't wait to see what happens next... rating 4.5 ⭐
December 18, 2024
The author does well with the world-building, offering an interesting magic system and an intense societal hierarchy. The conspiracy at the heart of the story adds a layer of intrigue, especially as Raina and Xavier work together to uncover the truth.
However, while the story holds promise, the characters felt somewhat flat, lacking the depth needed to fully immerse me in their journey. Certain moments in the story would have benefited from more development to truly elevate the emotional stakes.
Overall, it’s a solid foundation with room for growth, and I’d be curious to see how this fantasy series evolves.
However, while the story holds promise, the characters felt somewhat flat, lacking the depth needed to fully immerse me in their journey. Certain moments in the story would have benefited from more development to truly elevate the emotional stakes.
Overall, it’s a solid foundation with room for growth, and I’d be curious to see how this fantasy series evolves.
January 19, 2025
Bound was such a lovely, easy read—low stakes and filled with cozy romance. I especially loved the banter and dynamic between the FMC and MMC, though I must admit I mostly found myself siding with the MMC. The story was genuinely enjoyable, and the plot kept me engaged.
That said, there were a few elements that felt a bit convenient, as if they were added just to help the main characters along, without truly contributing to the overall narrative.
Still, this is a great pick if you're in the mood for something light and charming. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for an easy, feel-good read.
That said, there were a few elements that felt a bit convenient, as if they were added just to help the main characters along, without truly contributing to the overall narrative.
Still, this is a great pick if you're in the mood for something light and charming. I’d recommend it for anyone looking for an easy, feel-good read.
November 12, 2024
Story felt a little jumpy but had plot twists I wasn't expecting. I felt I needed a bit more resolution in some areas but still a good book!
December 2, 2024
Loved Xavier!! Will recommend this book to family and friends! Although there were some grammatical errors, it was an amazing story overall!
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