Charmed by Magic

The Secret Academy #1

by S.K. Young, Mila Riggs, S.K. Prince

You know that dream where you look down and find you’re naked in a very public place?



It actually happened to me on my last day of high school.



One second, clothes. The next—boom—naked.



And from the moment that my unlikely—and ultimately unpredictable —gift of invisibility showed itself, everything changed. Whether it was for the better, I still can’t say.



First, the men in black came to whisk me away to the Secret Academy, a special college for magic folk hidden in plain sight amidst the plains of rural Georgia. Then, I got to meet my new classmates. They, of course, had all been brought up in the magical world, while I never even knew it existed.



Now, with an overly friendly roommate and two hot-and-cold and very esoteric suitors, I can’t help but wonder if I’m the only one around this place who is actually being myself. In fact, my only true ally might be the captive white tiger that has decided to make me her pet.



Turns out the Secret Academy isn't just hiding itself from humans. It’s hiding even more sinister mysteries within these ancient crumbling walls. And the more I discover, the more I’m starting to realize that I might be at the heart of these deadly secrets…



Who can I trust when I don’t even know whether I can trust myself?

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Magic, Young Adult, Witches, Contemporary, Amazon

169 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2020

About the author

Associated Profile:
Mila Riggs
S.K. Prince
S.K. Reign
S.K. Young

Reviews

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curse of the White Tiger by Mila Riggs has Zoey Harper nervous about the presentation she must give in speech class. The next thing she knows, Zoey is naked in front of the class. Zoey is in the office when two people tell her that a mistake has been made and whisk her away. She soon arrives at Darnborn Academy (aka Secret Academy) which is a school for magical individuals in Winding Creek, Georgia. Unfortunately, Zoey arrives late for classes (for a school she did not know about) and her punishment is taking care of a large white tiger named Zia. Zoey soon notices something odd about the school and she works to unmask the secrets. Curse of the White Tiger is the debut of The Secret Academy series. This story has an interesting premise with a girl who has no idea about magic or that she has special abilities. The main thing I found frustrating was the lack of answers. Zoey arrives at the Secret Academy full of questions. She does not receive answers so neither do we. There is unique mystery happening that Zoey sets out to unravel and she ends up with a special familiar. I believe this story will appeal to the young adult audience. I am still curious about the school and I want to know more about it. I hope more information is provided in the next book in The Secret Academy series.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely intriguing and interesting story. Could stop reading. This is the first fir me from this author and not the last.

[Barrie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new and fresh take on Acadamy magic.

When Zoey's magic blossoms out of the blue and total strangers teleport her to the secret academy she realizes that there will be no more trying to disappear into the background, because apparently, she's special, and after a lifetime of being told she's worthless that's hard to take in. And when she bonds to a huge white tiger as her familiar she starts to believe what she's being told. Filled with magic snark and humor follow along as she navigates this strange new world where not all her new friends are what they pretend to be. Great story well written I'm looking forward to seeing what book two has to offer, Baz.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine that you think you are normal,on,y to discover there’s a whole wide world full of ,which out there and that you are actually part of it! Well that’s what happened to Zoey in this new series The Secret Academy where nothing is actually what it seems. A well written, entertaining and fun YA read with fantastic world building and incredible characters including a fantastic white tiger determined to be Zoeys protector, I very much enjoyed this and look forward to more!

[Clarke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute idea but I didn’t care for the writing style. I don’t like it when questions pile up and characters aren’t given answers. To be fair I am not in her target age group and thus am less accepting of you’ll understand when your older.

[Margie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Choppy

Too choppy and erratic. I just couldn't get into it because too much was happening too soon. It was as if the main characters couldn't even be trusted
Then they professor attacking her. What the heck!!!?

[Rachael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not the most well thought out plot, starts confusing, stats confusing, ends confusing.

No background on the school, magic, or much on the main character either b

[Laurene Allibert · Rating 4 out of 5]

J'ai trouvé le début un peu bizarre mais j'ai plutôt bien apprécié ce livre que j'ai d'ailleurs lu d'une traite. J'ai depuis le début du livre vu à travers le jeu de l'auteur et en sentant qu'elle personnage était le coupable.
Hâte de lire la suite.

"Alors il y a différentes spécialités dans la magie. La tienne, c’est l’invisibilité. Et moi ? L’illusion. Delphina appuya son propos en passant la main devant son visage et en changeant la couleur de ses cheveux en rose pétard. Puis elle recommença, et ils reprirent leur teinte noir bleuté. — Parmi les autres spécialités, on retrouve le feu, la contrainte, et bien sûr, la téléportation."

[Samuel Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book cover and the description is really amazing.

[Maliga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ce livre raconte l'histoire de Lila, une jeune fille qui découvre qu'elle a le pouvoir d'invisibilité le jour de son diplôme. Elle est alors enlevée par des agents secrets et emmenée dans une académie pour les personnes dotées de magie, cachée dans la campagne de Géorgie. Là-bas, elle va faire la connaissance de ses nouveaux camarades, qui ont tous grandi dans le monde magique, et de deux garçons mystérieux qui vont attirer son attention. Elle va aussi se lier d'amitié avec un lion blanc enfermé dans une cage, qui semble avoir un lien avec elle. Mais la Secret Academy n'est pas aussi idyllique qu'elle le paraît. Elle renferme de nombreux secrets et dangers, et Lila va se retrouver au cœur d'une conspiration qui pourrait mettre sa vie en péril.

J'ai beaucoup aimé ce livre, qui m'a fait passer un bon moment de lecture. L'écriture est fluide et agréable, le rythme est soutenu et l'intrigue est captivante. L'univers est original et bien construit, avec des éléments de fantasy, de science-fiction et de romance. Les personnages sont attachants et complexes, avec leurs forces et leurs faiblesses. Lila est une héroïne courageuse et drôle, qui doit s'adapter à un monde qu'elle ne connaissait pas. J'ai apprécié son évolution au fil du récit, ainsi que sa relation avec le lion blanc, qui apporte une touche d'émotion. Les deux prétendants de Lila, Alex et Noah, sont tous les deux intrigants et séduisants, mais aussi très différents. Alex est un sorcier arrogant et charmeur, qui cache un lourd secret. Noah est un hacker génial et timide, qui a des problèmes de confiance. Le triangle amoureux est bien mené, sans être trop cliché ni trop envahissant.

Le seul point négatif que je pourrais trouver à ce livre, c'est qu'il se termine sur un cliffhanger insoutenable, qui donne envie de lire la suite immédiatement. Heureusement, le tome 2 est déjà disponible. Je vous recommande donc vivement ce livre si vous aimez les histoires mêlant magie, action et romance. Vous ne serez pas déçus !

[debturk1970_bookvibes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Magical Mystery For An Unassuming Teen!😳🙈👤💥
A 3.5 Star Read 🌟
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
Curse of the White Tiger: The Secret Academy, #1

Zoey Harper is one week away from graduating High School when she manages, some how, to disappear in front of her entire class during an oral presentation.👤😲 Worse still, when she re-materialises she's stark naked!😔🙈 She's grown up with low self worth & tries to stick to the background in all situations, to appease her hate filled Aunt & Uncle that raised her after her parents died in car accident when she was 5 years old. This is not sticking to the background, she'll be in big trouble!😔

Before being called into the Principles office with them, two people in black suits wearing dark sunglasses arrive.😎 She's informed she's been in the wrong place all along & now she's going to attend Darnborn or Secret Academy to learn about her magic.😱 No-one took any notice of them or stopped them from whisking her away. She's then thrown into the deep end at her new school.

She meets her new roommate, her boyfriend & a few others. Ophelia gives her the skinny on a few things about her new world but mostly she's left floundering. Her 'invisibility' isn't explained to her, how she got magic or what she's supposed to do with it. Everyone agrees on one thing though, don't give into it or you'll be taken by the void!😲💥

Zoey's timidity was rather annoying, I didn't like how she allowed herself to be pushed around so much.💔 I did sympathise with her greatly though.💕
Zia, the Tiger, and the curse this book is titled for, wasn't explained at all really.😡 I'm hoping that rectified in the next book.🙏 Actually hardly anything was explained & I found that frustrating.😕 However I'm still weirdly & annoyingly intrigued by this world & what it's hiding from us all so I'll most definitely be reading book #2.😂

Debbie, 1970, UK

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Help me read more books

Well, this book starts out confusing, and just stays there the whole time. It isn't until the very last chapter that we're even given a hint as to what's going on. It isn't usual that the reader is kept ingnorant as much as the character is for the entire length of the book, but in this case, that's what happens. It makes for some confusing reading, and when you're done, things aren't much better. I'm guessing other books in the series will make an effort to explain things more thoroughly, (at least I'd hope so), but as it is, I can't recommend this book to anyone who likes their books to be tied up nice and neat by the end, because that just isn't happening here. If on the other hand, you don't mind multiple book stories, (yes, even for the subplots), then this book will satisfy like few others.
Me personally, I can't say I'm happy with how it went along, but I can't really say I'm unhappy either, so I'm most likely to read more books in the series. I did like this book, and although I'm still wondering why the author left it as it is, I guess it's a decision made, and we're stuck with it.
Would have been nice if even just one of the subplots had been resolved by the end of this book, but no such luck. One came close, but that's all you get.
So, in short, skip this one if you like neat tidy storylines.
Grab this one and jump right in if you enjoy story arcs that cover multiple books, and have next to no resolutions in sight by the end of the first volume.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Curse of the White Tiger by Mika Riggs is the first book in a new series called the Secret Academy.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Note: this review contains spoilers!
Zoey Olivia Harper is not having a good day or a good life. Orphaned at an early age, Zoey has been living with her aunt and uncle who have made it abundantly clean they don’t want her. She’s 2 weeks away from graduation when the strangest thing in the world happens to her. At the beginning of her last speech in speech class, she disappears! And even worse, when she reappears, she doesn’t have any clothes!!! Right in the middle of being yelled at by her aunt while in the principal’s office, 2 people dressed all in black show up. Yep. Just like. Only these dudes are looking for strange earthlings not aliens. And disappearing in class definitely qualifies!
Zoey certainly didn’t have a secret academy in her future plans where it seems that nothing is what you think it is. The Void is trying to pull the good witches and wizards to the Dark side, but with glamor and compulsion on their side, how can you tell the players apart?
Then there’s this humongous white tiger. But I’m not going to tell you about him: you’re going to have to read the book!
Adventure, friendship, trust, belief in yourself all make this a great read! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

[Aurora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since Harry Potter first appeared on the scene 25 years ago, series about mundane, misfit teens who suddenly find themselves deemed "special" and sent off to schools for the magically enabled have been a dime a dozen. It seems every teenage high school senior has fantasies of discovering previously unknown magical talents while discovering their soon-to-be adult selves. The White Tiger falls solidly into that very common YA trope, but as magic school stories go, this one's a pretty good one.
I actually like Zoey, the heroine and her roommate and Owen, the probable love interest is hunky and smart, though not yet to be trusted. The story is interesting and there's enough mystery and intrigue to keep you turning the pages and hunting for clues.
This is a series, so there are, not surprisingly, some loose ends left dangling to set up the next book, but the book is relatively self-contained and doesn't leave any big cliffhangers that will leave you biting your nails and watching the calendar for that next release date although there is a big reveal in the very last line of the book that will definitely bring me back to find out how this new information fits into the bigger story.
In all, this one's a worthwhile read if you're at all interested in that paranormal YA genre that's so popular with so many these days.

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Embark on an intriguing journey alongside Zoey as she discovers her extraordinary abilities, inadvertently turning invisible during a critical moment. What follows is a captivating narrative that keeps the reader hooked. The book compellingly unfolds Zoey's escapades, leaving me eager to uncover the next chapter in her enthralling journey alongside Zia.

Transported to a magical school due to her unique power to access the Void, Zoey encounters a mix of envy and camaraderie among her peers. The plot thickens as unsettling occurrences hint at looming troubles. Amidst the challenges, Zoey finds solace in remarkable friendships while navigating a world fraught with uncertainties.

The story beautifully portrays Zoey's relationships, hinting at promising romantic prospects and endearing companionship, including her captivating roommate and the intriguing individuals she encounters. Notably, her bond with her tiger adds a delightful layer to the narrative.

Overall, this book presents a fantastic narrative that captivated my attention, leaving me eager for more. The blend of magic, camaraderie, and mysterious events makes this a compelling read, promising an enjoyable experience for any reader.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Karen Voitik · Rating 3 out of 5]

>Book Review – The Curse of the White Tiger
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the first in the Secret Academy series and ends in a cliffhanger. Zoey is an unwanted high school senior. Her whole life, she was told she was worthless causing her self-esteem to plummet. She accidentally makes herself invisible during a speech and is whisked away by strangers to a secret academy for those with magic. For never knowing magic existed, Zoey sure accepts her new reality. The story is teased as a YA romance with 2 men fighting for Zoey. In reality, this book doesn’t have a romance involving Zoey at all.
>The book has some unique characters, especially the tiger, Zia, and the roommate, Delphina. There are strange visions and murder attempts that try to cause some tension in the story, but the way the teachers react, which is not at all, make the tension dissipate somewhat. The direction of the story is not clear.
>This book is appropriate for a young adult audience. I am giving this book 3 stars. The characters need to be developed more and the romance should be clear, even if the HEA is in the future.

[Susan Shearer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mila Riggs brings us Curse of the Tiger with a combination of intrigue and laughter.
When you find yourself doing something you are so fearful for that some secret power you didn’t even know you had come out what do you do? That’s what happened to Zooey when she was about to give a speech…she was so scared, that she became invisible. Only when she became visible, she had no clothes on. And then to make it worse (or better, depending on how you look at it) these two strange looking strangers whisked her away to some place she didn’t know about and not sure she wanted to stay, the Secret Academy. At Secret Academy you find some interesting things that can happen and the adventures in getting out of them. And Zooey and the connection between her and the white tiger.
This is a story that kept my interest and I wanted to find out what would happen next. I enjoyed reading this book and made me wonder if maybe things aren’t always as they seem.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Facebook ad had me at adopted by a tiger and I'm glad I read this one. I didn't really see the part about two suitors vying for her hand because while she has a crush on a guy with a girlfriend, no one is really pursuing her romantically.

While the plot and character were interesting the biggest problem with the book is almost nothing about the school, the world and the people in it is explained. Zoey ask a lot of questions but receives little to no answers and therefore neither does the reader. The plot is so void of information it gives the impression that the writer doesn't know the answer to these questions herself.

Granted I still want more of the series and plan to read future books as I can find them, but I feel like the background to this world needs to show up fast or the interesting plot might just fall apart.

[Evelyn Dotson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoey is in her last week of her Senior year in high school. She was given to her aunt and uncle at five when her parents were killed. They treated her horribly. When she was going to give a presentation, she literally disappeared on the spot and no one could even hear her. She reappeared with no clothes on! In her principal’s office, her guardians in a tizzy, two people show up and teleport her out with no explanations. They took her to the Secret Academy in Georgia. They say she is special, unique! She makes friends with her roommate, Phia. Two times someone or something attempts to murder Phia. Both times, she saved her life. She has also inherited a white tiger, Zia as a familiar. When things do not make any more sense…she discovers somewhat what is really transpiring and a shocking revelation about who is after her…I received this book as an ARC and am leaving a voluntary review.

[Nancy Garbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book One of The Secret Academy series provides a good of introductory information about the paranormal society that the main character, Zoey Harper, is entering. With several nods to Harry Potter and his schooling, Zoey leaves an unhappy family situation to enter the Darnborn Academy where unusual subjects are taught and she has a full scholarship.

I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily providing my honest review. Though not my genre of choice, I enjoyed the characters and their interactions. The plot line involving Zoey’s friend Delphina was well written and provided a good bit of suspense and surprise. I especially liked the tiger and was happy she survived, though it would be criminal to destroy a rare animal like, Zia. Overall, the story was good and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys paranormal mysteries.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to say I haven’t read anything like this book before, but I can’t say that this concept is completely new to me. What I can say is that the treatment is fresh and exciting. As frustrating as I found it living in Zoey’s head and not having a clue what was going on, I was also compelled to keep reading in order to find out the answers to all the questions that were piling up in my anxious brain. The story is a slow build as we’re introduced to Darnborn and the start to learn the shape of some of the secrets it hides. However, once it gets going it’s like an avalanche moving fast to the finish. I think I’m hooked. I desperately want to know even more.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher.

[Andrea Stoeckel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Good things don't happen in nightmares,right?"

If you'd told Zoey Harper three days before graduation that she'd be at the Secret Academy by nightfall, she'd have thought you were nuts. However, never say never. Zoey's an orphan brought up by her aunt and uncle who resented they were saddled with her, and never let her forget it. Now that she was a Bartran Academy, and everyone keeps hinting at her special abilities, she needs to be able to call on her own powers to do what seems to be impossible. However, when a white tigress is your familiar, at least your protected....right?

What an unexpected treat. This book is a gem! Highly recommended 5/5

[disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher and voluntarily read and reviewed it]

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a couple of things to say first before I dive into this review: YA is generally not for me, and I’ve never read this author before. That being said, while I didn’t think this book was perfect and don’t really enjoy young characters, I enjoyed every single moment as I was reading this. Zoey and her friends were acting just like late teens but weren’t immature which is one of the reasons I’m not fond of YA. This was well-written, fun, and entertaining what I generally want in a book. No, Zoey didn’t get the answers she wanted and frankly needed, and it was frustrating. But again, fun and entertaining. Now that the first book is done, I’m looking forward to reading the next. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow… wonderful story!

I really enjoyed this new series! While giving a dreaded speech during a class in her last year of high school, Zoey manages to disappear somehow and reshows back up naked. Mortifying but hilarious!

People show up and take her to a magic school since apparently, she has the power to go into the Void. She runs into a lot of people who are jealous of her but meet some good friends too. But there is something amiss – and things start going wrong. Loved her roommate, loved the guys in her story (hoping that develops more in the next books), and loved her tiger!

I can't wait to see what happens next!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharon Hughson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reads like the start to a series. I liked the characters and the premise, but there wasn’t really an overarching story goal, so the fact I read straight through it matters little for reviewing purposes. Will I read the next book in the series? Yes. I certainly hope Riggs will have a story problem and resolution in the next book that’s introduced in the first chapter and solved by the end. I expect the reach of “the Void” will be the overarching series issue, much like the return of Voldemort was the series issue for Harry Potter.
If you are a HP fan, you will surely enjoy the Secret Academy.

[Stephanie Villere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brand new series by Mila Riggs!

This is Curse of the White Tiger written by Mila Riggs. It’s the first in series of The Secret Academy. A brand new story about a magic school full of all kinds of magic and sneakiness and such. What happens when you become invisible by accident and then reappear naked in front of an entire class room of students? Well if you are Zoey Harper, you are whisked away quickly and quietly and brought to this magic school. Then you are simply thrown to the wolves, or tigers actually. It reminds me fondly of when I discovered Harry Potter all those years ago. Well written and definitely good enough to rush out for book # 2!

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turning invisible and reappearing without clothing is the least of Zoe's problems. She finds herself taken to a secret, hidden school for people with magic. Everything starts off on the wrong foot and seems to go down hill all the way She arrives late, through no fault of her own. She's clueless about people like her, through no fault of her own. She's set to cleaning up after a caged white tiger, due to being late. Then the real fun begins. Is she going to be attacked by the tiger? Will she learned how to use her magic? Will she start believing in herself? Open the book and find out.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

But What Is The White Tiger Curse?

Interesting title, but we never find out what it is. Curse of the White Tiger (The Secret Academy Book 1) by Mila Riggs is a great start to this cozy paranormal mystery. I’m sure we will find out about the Curse in a following book. We learn a little about this series Magic right along with our heroine who never knew she was a wish, or that the Void existed and tries to draw in unsuspecting or power hungry witches who are not careful. This book was fun to read promises interesting books to follow.

[Carolyn Baird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a complimentary advance reader copy of this new series. Even thought it downloaded and opened in my very non favorite Moon reader app the characters and story grabbed me from the beginning and put that frustration away. Think magical teenagers in a special school with crafted writing, believable characters, and a promising storyline without the weird drama. I'll be reading more of the books in the series.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been provided with a copy of Curse of the White Tiger by Sweet Promise Press for an impartial review. This is the first book in the brand-new The Secret Academy series and this was just a fantastic way to start off a new series. I just had so much fun entering this new world. It was just so easy to get lost in and I just didn’t want it to end. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.