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Pretty Little Poison: Wolcott Academy Book One
Being accepted into Wolcott Academy is considered a great privilege and honor. One can either be chosen or called upon to take the place of a fallen family member in one of their factions.
When Nyx Diamantis’ tattoo appears on her skin, she had spent years hiding her true nature-a monster. Not many girls can communicate with the dead or control shadows.
Now she has to harness her dark powers to help defeat the Shadowmancer and his forces. He wants to control the balance between Gods and mortals. He believes that demigods—disrupts the balance. To him, they’re abominations, mistakes that shouldn’t exist. And he’ll stop at nothing to wipe them out.
Surrounded in a prestigious academy filled with extraordinary elementals, shapeshifters, and insanely hot demigods, Nyx stands out as one of the top cadets. However, this also makes her the target of torment for the Captain of the Alpha faction. Who also happens to be the Prince of Zaydia.
Their interactions are like a dance of fire and ice, each push and pull only fueling the sparks that ignite between them.
Ambrose may be a controlled princeling but when he is around Nyx, he is everything but control. She’s a poison to his mission. Threatening to ruin everything about him.
As the looming threat of the Shadowmancer grows ever closer, Ambrose helps Nyx harness and accept the full extent of her abilities. Nyx realizes that she will have to confront not only the darkness that resides within her but also their forbidden love.
The cosmos seem almost cruel bringing the son of Zeus and the daughter of Hades together by fate. Would even the heavens and the underworld tremble at the thought of their combined power, fueled by their forbidden love?
When Nyx Diamantis’ tattoo appears on her skin, she had spent years hiding her true nature-a monster. Not many girls can communicate with the dead or control shadows.
Now she has to harness her dark powers to help defeat the Shadowmancer and his forces. He wants to control the balance between Gods and mortals. He believes that demigods—disrupts the balance. To him, they’re abominations, mistakes that shouldn’t exist. And he’ll stop at nothing to wipe them out.
Surrounded in a prestigious academy filled with extraordinary elementals, shapeshifters, and insanely hot demigods, Nyx stands out as one of the top cadets. However, this also makes her the target of torment for the Captain of the Alpha faction. Who also happens to be the Prince of Zaydia.
Their interactions are like a dance of fire and ice, each push and pull only fueling the sparks that ignite between them.
Ambrose may be a controlled princeling but when he is around Nyx, he is everything but control. She’s a poison to his mission. Threatening to ruin everything about him.
As the looming threat of the Shadowmancer grows ever closer, Ambrose helps Nyx harness and accept the full extent of her abilities. Nyx realizes that she will have to confront not only the darkness that resides within her but also their forbidden love.
The cosmos seem almost cruel bringing the son of Zeus and the daughter of Hades together by fate. Would even the heavens and the underworld tremble at the thought of their combined power, fueled by their forbidden love?
743 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2025
76 people are currently reading
251 people want to read
About the author
Juniper Blaire
5 books36 followersJuniper Blaire resides in a picturesque small southern town nestled in the heart of Arkansas. She lives with her high school sweetheart and their children. She loves to write about complex male characters who are neither entirely good nor entirely bad, grappling with their moral ambiguity and the women who bring them to their knees. Whether through a romantic subplot or a thrilling plot twist, Juniper hopes her writing captivates her readers and leaves a lasting impression.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 21, 2025
This was sold to me as “Greek romantasy set in a war college setting” and I was FIRED up about it. I love Greek retellings and plots based off the myths so figured it would be right up my alley.
So…why didn’t this land in my 5 🌟 basket of faves?
Truthfully, the story seemed to jump around quite a bit, the pacing was choppy to me (I blazed through 50% in one day then it took me almost 5 days to make it from 50-70% where I considered whether or not I wanted to stop reading because things just got so slow for me, then I skimmed through to about 85% and from there the pacing is nice again). There were lots of mentions of these really great plot elements: war college, alphas, Greek gods, shifters, elemental powers, kingdoms, etc. - but somehow it was almost as if they weren’t written cohesively.
There were a few things that left a glaring “well what was the point of that?” question burning in my mind (like that pact that was such a big deal and ended basically before it even started with no issue?) or a few confusing points like we get no real mention of Greek gods in the first 80% of the book aside from mention that the high end dresses made from Aphrodite’s boutique and then at the end it’s important to mention how important the gods are to the plot. Just regular inconsistencies that pulled me from being able to really get into the story.
I also felt like some tropes were forced a bit too much and didn’t naturally fit. The author really wanted us to feel a love triangle but the story and characters just didn’t convince me as a reader.
Was it memorable? Absolutely! Does it show promise of being a great series? I think so. Could it use another round or two of edits to clean things up and make sure the story is airtight?? Yes, 1000% yes! Clean it up, get another edit, tighten some loose bolts and you’re on your way to more ⭐️’s!!
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you, Juniper Blaire!
So…why didn’t this land in my 5 🌟 basket of faves?
Truthfully, the story seemed to jump around quite a bit, the pacing was choppy to me (I blazed through 50% in one day then it took me almost 5 days to make it from 50-70% where I considered whether or not I wanted to stop reading because things just got so slow for me, then I skimmed through to about 85% and from there the pacing is nice again). There were lots of mentions of these really great plot elements: war college, alphas, Greek gods, shifters, elemental powers, kingdoms, etc. - but somehow it was almost as if they weren’t written cohesively.
There were a few things that left a glaring “well what was the point of that?” question burning in my mind (like that pact that was such a big deal and ended basically before it even started with no issue?) or a few confusing points like we get no real mention of Greek gods in the first 80% of the book aside from mention that the high end dresses made from Aphrodite’s boutique and then at the end it’s important to mention how important the gods are to the plot. Just regular inconsistencies that pulled me from being able to really get into the story.
I also felt like some tropes were forced a bit too much and didn’t naturally fit. The author really wanted us to feel a love triangle but the story and characters just didn’t convince me as a reader.
Was it memorable? Absolutely! Does it show promise of being a great series? I think so. Could it use another round or two of edits to clean things up and make sure the story is airtight?? Yes, 1000% yes! Clean it up, get another edit, tighten some loose bolts and you’re on your way to more ⭐️’s!!
*I received an ARC from the author in exchange for my honest review. Thank you, Juniper Blaire!
March 2, 2025
Thank you to Juniper Blaire for providing me an ARC copy at no cost to me, and here is my review: 3.5, so I rounded up to 4 stars.
TLDR: could use some refinement and editing, and would benefit from additional world building and character development. Great way for young adults to dip a toe into academia, supernatural, and fantasy with a bit of light spice.
I love the concept of the story, but it could definitely use some additional world building, character development, and filling in of some plot holes. I didn't find as much of the Greek mythology throughout as I would have liked, but I hope to see more as the series moves forward. I was initially excited about the story because it seemed like a lot of things I enjoy reading. However, ultimately, it was a bit overwhelming to have a war college, magic system, supernaturals, elementals, demigods, and gods altogether, while also trying to keep track of relationships, and love triangles.
I enjoyed many parts of this book, but some of the dialogue and descriptions were repetitive or disjointed. There are some unnecessary plot points that get disregarded or forgotten about. I think another round of editing would be beneficial as inconsistencies can be really jarring, and made it difficult to get back into the story as I had to break to figure things out.
Nyx' narration and asides had some immature and annoying qualities at times, which took away from her badass potential for me. I also wish that there were either more chapters from Ambrose's POV or that they weren't there. His chapters seemed few and far between, so they kind of threw me off sometimes.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and do still look forward to the next book and am excited for the story to develop further, which I also hope will fill in some gaps and answer some questions!
TLDR: could use some refinement and editing, and would benefit from additional world building and character development. Great way for young adults to dip a toe into academia, supernatural, and fantasy with a bit of light spice.
I love the concept of the story, but it could definitely use some additional world building, character development, and filling in of some plot holes. I didn't find as much of the Greek mythology throughout as I would have liked, but I hope to see more as the series moves forward. I was initially excited about the story because it seemed like a lot of things I enjoy reading. However, ultimately, it was a bit overwhelming to have a war college, magic system, supernaturals, elementals, demigods, and gods altogether, while also trying to keep track of relationships, and love triangles.
I enjoyed many parts of this book, but some of the dialogue and descriptions were repetitive or disjointed. There are some unnecessary plot points that get disregarded or forgotten about. I think another round of editing would be beneficial as inconsistencies can be really jarring, and made it difficult to get back into the story as I had to break to figure things out.
Nyx' narration and asides had some immature and annoying qualities at times, which took away from her badass potential for me. I also wish that there were either more chapters from Ambrose's POV or that they weren't there. His chapters seemed few and far between, so they kind of threw me off sometimes.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and do still look forward to the next book and am excited for the story to develop further, which I also hope will fill in some gaps and answer some questions!
January 8, 2025
It’s like if blood of Hercules, Harry Potter, and secrets of Alkrose all had a baby it would be this book…from the moment I picked it up I could not put it down there was always something going on and everything flowed really well. My only gripe is I feel like the battle scenes seemed to go on for forever…definitely romantasy with high plot a granule of spice. Can’t wait to see what happens next in Nyx’s story 💜💜
January 27, 2025
When I read the synopsis of this book, I was super intrigued. I signed up for the ARC and was shocked and excited I was picked to read it in return for an honest review!
Right out the gate I was hooked. The characters were relatable and interesting. The setting was perfect for the story at hand. The world building was minimal compared to most fantasy books, which was great for me as sometimes that can be overwhelming and I like to get right into the thick of it. It has some Harry Potter vibes to it with the academia portion of the story but more adult. There are so many element wielding characters and what an interesting explanation of the shadow element. Nyx is extremely relatable. She is like a modern day young woman in this elaborate fantasy world and is a great strong female lead character. There is some definite tension with a few different love interests and the spicy scenes are just the right amount of spice. The action/fighting scenes in this book are great and you find yourself on the edge of your seat to see how things turn out.
I do feel like this could be a little more refined and could go through one more round of editing. There was one section in the book that had some repeat sentences that I thought could have been worded better. It almost has a young adult feel to it but with some adult themes. There are also a few sections that kind of lull compared to the high action/spicy sections but that comes with any book if anyone is being truly honest.
Overall though, it was a great read and naturally ended with a cliffhanger. It took me longer than I would have liked to read it, if I had more time, this book would have been read in a few days. I look forward to more from Wolcott Academy. Thanks for allowing me to read ahead of time Juniper Blaire! It was a good one and look forward to more from you! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy in the midst of a war type setting.
Right out the gate I was hooked. The characters were relatable and interesting. The setting was perfect for the story at hand. The world building was minimal compared to most fantasy books, which was great for me as sometimes that can be overwhelming and I like to get right into the thick of it. It has some Harry Potter vibes to it with the academia portion of the story but more adult. There are so many element wielding characters and what an interesting explanation of the shadow element. Nyx is extremely relatable. She is like a modern day young woman in this elaborate fantasy world and is a great strong female lead character. There is some definite tension with a few different love interests and the spicy scenes are just the right amount of spice. The action/fighting scenes in this book are great and you find yourself on the edge of your seat to see how things turn out.
I do feel like this could be a little more refined and could go through one more round of editing. There was one section in the book that had some repeat sentences that I thought could have been worded better. It almost has a young adult feel to it but with some adult themes. There are also a few sections that kind of lull compared to the high action/spicy sections but that comes with any book if anyone is being truly honest.
Overall though, it was a great read and naturally ended with a cliffhanger. It took me longer than I would have liked to read it, if I had more time, this book would have been read in a few days. I look forward to more from Wolcott Academy. Thanks for allowing me to read ahead of time Juniper Blaire! It was a good one and look forward to more from you! I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good fantasy in the midst of a war type setting.
May 7, 2025
2.5 rounded up to 3
I was a little disappointed by the lack of Greek mythology focus. Very much felt like a rewrite of Fourth Wing plot for the first half with elements of supernatural (vampires/werewolves/magic) thrown in.
Unfortunately the love triangle felt like it appeared out of nowhere with Ambrose hating her and then suddenly them making out very early into the book with no real connection formed.
Enjoyed the introduction of demigods/gods but this was around 70-80%. Hopeful that the rest of the series puts a bigger focus on this. To hit the Greek mythology caveat its been published under.
Loved the beauty of visual descriptions and the relationships built between FMC and side characters was great, felt a little jumpy with the FMC suddenly HAVING to speak to specific minor characters that I barely remembered from earlier in the book as the only way she could get answers.
Overall a little disappointed but enjoyed the writing style so hopeful that the continuation of the series will add to the areas I felt this book fell short of, will definitely be reading the next when released as big cliff hanger ending!
I was a little disappointed by the lack of Greek mythology focus. Very much felt like a rewrite of Fourth Wing plot for the first half with elements of supernatural (vampires/werewolves/magic) thrown in.
Unfortunately the love triangle felt like it appeared out of nowhere with Ambrose hating her and then suddenly them making out very early into the book with no real connection formed.
Enjoyed the introduction of demigods/gods but this was around 70-80%. Hopeful that the rest of the series puts a bigger focus on this. To hit the Greek mythology caveat its been published under.
Loved the beauty of visual descriptions and the relationships built between FMC and side characters was great, felt a little jumpy with the FMC suddenly HAVING to speak to specific minor characters that I barely remembered from earlier in the book as the only way she could get answers.
Overall a little disappointed but enjoyed the writing style so hopeful that the continuation of the series will add to the areas I felt this book fell short of, will definitely be reading the next when released as big cliff hanger ending!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 17, 2025
I was absolutely ecstatic when I was picked as an ARC reader for this gorgeous book.
I fully enjoyed the characters and the story that's been created. I love the bits of mythology thrown into this universe. My one thing is how inconsistent some of the plot it. Sometimes, it's hard to follow. Thankfully, I've been able to fill in the blanks once I continued to read and didn't have much issue continuing with the book. I loved how descriptive the world building was! I was able to picture the characters clear as day ❤️
Keep on writing this lovely series! I'm excited to see where you go with it.
I fully enjoyed the characters and the story that's been created. I love the bits of mythology thrown into this universe. My one thing is how inconsistent some of the plot it. Sometimes, it's hard to follow. Thankfully, I've been able to fill in the blanks once I continued to read and didn't have much issue continuing with the book. I loved how descriptive the world building was! I was able to picture the characters clear as day ❤️
Keep on writing this lovely series! I'm excited to see where you go with it.
April 14, 2025
Wow! I received this book as an ARC copy and let me tell you it didn't disappoint!! I absolutely loved the plot of this book and I loved how all the characters had their own unique magic and how it all had a part to play. Ambrose is a very dreamy MMC.
✅️ Mine
✅️Good Girl
✅️I'd burn the world for you
✅️F**k it moment
And Nyx is one hell of a badass FMC. it's refreshing to see the girl have shadow powers for once! This book has friendship, banter, love and betrayal. Everything you want from a good romantasy
I will say there were a lot of storylines throughout the book that seemed to flit. Like there was a ghost mentioned at the beginning of the book then she wasn't mentioned again at all until the end and I'd forgotten about her. Also it was advertised as a book with Greek mythology and I found there wasn't really much mention of it to the point where I also forgot that too. It was also advertised as an enemies to lovers but they ended up liking each other really quickly so I'd have liked just a little more of them being enemies before they started to switch.
Overall I really loved it and I need to know the date of the second book because I will be reading it!
✅️ Mine
✅️Good Girl
✅️I'd burn the world for you
✅️F**k it moment
And Nyx is one hell of a badass FMC. it's refreshing to see the girl have shadow powers for once! This book has friendship, banter, love and betrayal. Everything you want from a good romantasy
I will say there were a lot of storylines throughout the book that seemed to flit. Like there was a ghost mentioned at the beginning of the book then she wasn't mentioned again at all until the end and I'd forgotten about her. Also it was advertised as a book with Greek mythology and I found there wasn't really much mention of it to the point where I also forgot that too. It was also advertised as an enemies to lovers but they ended up liking each other really quickly so I'd have liked just a little more of them being enemies before they started to switch.
Overall I really loved it and I need to know the date of the second book because I will be reading it!
February 28, 2025
Does this book have a dragon? Yes! Does it have enemies to lovers? Yes! A great group of friends? A love triangle? Yes and yes! A FMC finding her powers and her strength? Yes, hot MMC and side characters? Yes! This book ticks all this boxes and more. A war college with demigods, royalty, jealous exes, secrets, shape shifters…. What’s not to love? Ambrose calls Nyx his pretty little poison, so you know it’s going to be rocky. Together Nyx learns who her real father is, who her real friends are, how strong she truly is, and she battles Kraxites along the way. It does end on a cliffhanger but it just left me wanting book 2 sooner! The main characters can wield fire, water, earth, shadows, are vampires, Lycans, demigods, prophets… there’s intrigue and balls and battles. I can’t wait to see how the battle unfolds in the next book.
February 21, 2025
I applied and was chosen to receive a review copy in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much Juniper Blaire for choosing me!
I was hooked from the synopsis I had seen and was so excited to dive in. It felt like Hercules and Harry Potter had a romantacy baby. Nyx is a very relatable main character and I loved the mythology bits. The only thing that stopped me from giving a full 5 stars is that there were some things that felt a little rushed, but I am so excited for the rest of the series and will absolutely recommend it to people I know will love it!
I was hooked from the synopsis I had seen and was so excited to dive in. It felt like Hercules and Harry Potter had a romantacy baby. Nyx is a very relatable main character and I loved the mythology bits. The only thing that stopped me from giving a full 5 stars is that there were some things that felt a little rushed, but I am so excited for the rest of the series and will absolutely recommend it to people I know will love it!
January 16, 2025
I had the privilege to get this as a ARC and I'm so excited that I did! I was hooked from page one! 🤯
I absolutely love academia books but have never read a fantasy academia. Now I'm blown away! I must have more! I enjoy spice and this has some but it wasn't overbearing which is good. I still enjoyed it. I was getting on the edge of my seat until I reached the end and it was a cliffhanger. Ahhhhh! Really!? It's ok I'm ready for more.
As captivating as it was, the whole story was well written and flowed smoothly! Loved it! Once it releases make sure you add this to your TBR list!
I absolutely love academia books but have never read a fantasy academia. Now I'm blown away! I must have more! I enjoy spice and this has some but it wasn't overbearing which is good. I still enjoyed it. I was getting on the edge of my seat until I reached the end and it was a cliffhanger. Ahhhhh! Really!? It's ok I'm ready for more.
As captivating as it was, the whole story was well written and flowed smoothly! Loved it! Once it releases make sure you add this to your TBR list!
February 4, 2025
Spoilers Ahead!
This book gives vibes of Harry Potter, and The Covenant (movie), with a little more spice thrown in the mix.
Pretty Little Poison is a Greek Romantasy based in a deadly academic setting. It has a love triangle, enemies to lovers, touch her and d!e, angst, betrayal, war, blood, dragons, vamps, wolves, witches, demons, and other elemental powered beings.
Right off the bat I was sucked in to this story. I feel the first 30-35% of the book was so unique and interesting without having too much downtime for world building.
After that there was a shift in the book and I started to notice some things that bothered me.
1. There were too many redundancies with descriptive terms. For example: (not an actual quote in the book “The large wolfish form blotted out the sun”…..then in a few lines or next paragraph “it was so big it blotted out the sun.”)
2. The progression of the relationship between the FMC and the MMC. While we get the angst that I LOVE It’s not a smooth transition and I feel like the stages were all choppy and jumbled. We like each other, our hands touched, spicy scene and he SPITS in her MOUTH at the end, we don’t, well maybe we do, we can’t, he’s engaged to someone else, oh we’re IN LOVE. You feel like they barely know each other then they’re making promises of forever and exchanging I love you’s??? I feel like this could’ve been moved around to make it a more believable relationship build. I also felt like “why couldn’t he just explain to Nyx that he was in an arranged marriage that he didn’t want anything to do with and he was not romantically involved with her!” Instead Nyx and the reader just feel cringe about him cheating for a while until we find out the deets.
I didn’t come here to just to destroy the book. Because the book is good it still gets 4 ⭐️ from me. With a few adjustments I truly believe this book could be right up there with some of the more popular romantasy books. The author is going to make it big one day I know it.
Overall this book is very interesting and I am excited to read the next book. We do get left on a pretty big cliffhanger so if you don’t want to have to wait to find out what happens next I don’t suggest reading it yet!
Way to go Juniper Blaire!
This book gives vibes of Harry Potter, and The Covenant (movie), with a little more spice thrown in the mix.
Pretty Little Poison is a Greek Romantasy based in a deadly academic setting. It has a love triangle, enemies to lovers, touch her and d!e, angst, betrayal, war, blood, dragons, vamps, wolves, witches, demons, and other elemental powered beings.
Right off the bat I was sucked in to this story. I feel the first 30-35% of the book was so unique and interesting without having too much downtime for world building.
After that there was a shift in the book and I started to notice some things that bothered me.
1. There were too many redundancies with descriptive terms. For example: (not an actual quote in the book “The large wolfish form blotted out the sun”…..then in a few lines or next paragraph “it was so big it blotted out the sun.”)
2. The progression of the relationship between the FMC and the MMC. While we get the angst that I LOVE It’s not a smooth transition and I feel like the stages were all choppy and jumbled. We like each other, our hands touched, spicy scene and he SPITS in her MOUTH at the end, we don’t, well maybe we do, we can’t, he’s engaged to someone else, oh we’re IN LOVE. You feel like they barely know each other then they’re making promises of forever and exchanging I love you’s??? I feel like this could’ve been moved around to make it a more believable relationship build. I also felt like “why couldn’t he just explain to Nyx that he was in an arranged marriage that he didn’t want anything to do with and he was not romantically involved with her!” Instead Nyx and the reader just feel cringe about him cheating for a while until we find out the deets.
I didn’t come here to just to destroy the book. Because the book is good it still gets 4 ⭐️ from me. With a few adjustments I truly believe this book could be right up there with some of the more popular romantasy books. The author is going to make it big one day I know it.
Overall this book is very interesting and I am excited to read the next book. We do get left on a pretty big cliffhanger so if you don’t want to have to wait to find out what happens next I don’t suggest reading it yet!
Way to go Juniper Blaire!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2025
I received a copy of Pretty Little Poison for an honest review and here’s my hot takes:
This is my first war-college type fantasy and all the elements were there; literally. It felt like a mix of Harry Potter + Divergent and maybe some pieces of Game of Thrones. It’s hard for me to describe since I’ve never read much into Greek mythology (granted, what I do know, there weren’t many references to it in the book and it erred more on paranormal than anything to me).
Pros: I loved getting into the characters of Nyx and Ambrose. While being college based, Nyx definitely feels young and immature as she learns to yield her shadows, while Ambrose initially comes off strong and brooding, but still an undertone of mystery. There’s a nod to a small love triangle and the character Enid and her personality is palpable. Definitely not a fan which means Juniper knows how to write a good villain/mean girl haha.
You get a good first look into the world of Zaydia and Wolcott itself with the world-building in the beginning and what it means to be at Wolcott training for a massive ongoing war.
Layla and Dorian are absolutely my favorite side characters above all and I really hope they have more of a story in book two or even their own.
Cons: The book overall seemed fast paced but choppy [maybe some additional edits and add a smidge more to fulfilling character development and their powers] and it felt repetitive in many areas. Some parts (like the beginning pact between Xander, Dorian and Ambrose) seem to be easily dropped and forgotten/unnecessary but the storyline is good! Honestly, I flew through the beginning to the middle so fast with all the tension and action happening as battles began. It was exciting and I chased the thrill of what was going to happen next.
Ending thoughts: The book does end on a cliffhanger and the bonus chapter didn’t help progress the story too far along, but there’s a lot left unanswered and unsaid between where Nyx and Ambrose’s story will go from here; enough that you’re left wanting and I am definitely waiting for more!! I’d rate it closer to 4 stars than 3 with it cleaned up more because I did enjoy the overall plot and where it’s headed!!
This is my first war-college type fantasy and all the elements were there; literally. It felt like a mix of Harry Potter + Divergent and maybe some pieces of Game of Thrones. It’s hard for me to describe since I’ve never read much into Greek mythology (granted, what I do know, there weren’t many references to it in the book and it erred more on paranormal than anything to me).
Pros: I loved getting into the characters of Nyx and Ambrose. While being college based, Nyx definitely feels young and immature as she learns to yield her shadows, while Ambrose initially comes off strong and brooding, but still an undertone of mystery. There’s a nod to a small love triangle and the character Enid and her personality is palpable. Definitely not a fan which means Juniper knows how to write a good villain/mean girl haha.
You get a good first look into the world of Zaydia and Wolcott itself with the world-building in the beginning and what it means to be at Wolcott training for a massive ongoing war.
Layla and Dorian are absolutely my favorite side characters above all and I really hope they have more of a story in book two or even their own.
Cons: The book overall seemed fast paced but choppy [maybe some additional edits and add a smidge more to fulfilling character development and their powers] and it felt repetitive in many areas. Some parts (like the beginning pact between Xander, Dorian and Ambrose) seem to be easily dropped and forgotten/unnecessary but the storyline is good! Honestly, I flew through the beginning to the middle so fast with all the tension and action happening as battles began. It was exciting and I chased the thrill of what was going to happen next.
Ending thoughts: The book does end on a cliffhanger and the bonus chapter didn’t help progress the story too far along, but there’s a lot left unanswered and unsaid between where Nyx and Ambrose’s story will go from here; enough that you’re left wanting and I am definitely waiting for more!! I’d rate it closer to 4 stars than 3 with it cleaned up more because I did enjoy the overall plot and where it’s headed!!
March 4, 2025
This is my honest review.
Storyline. 3/5⭐️
Characters 3/5⭐️
🌶️ 3/5⭐️
Storyline had a lot of potential, but has a lot going on. It would actually be a really good book if some loose ends were tied. I was waiting for Hades to suddenly pop up to save her from the shadowmancer. I kept waiting when those figures would pop up again looking for Nyx since they came for her.
Some sentences were repetitive, which made me sigh a few times.
- Nyx really feels like a teenager, esp when seeing handsome men lol. I’m not sure how I feel about her tbh. Maybe due to the repetitive things she kept saying and doing made her look… indecisive? Naive? Sometimes annoying?
I need to see her growth in the next book becoming this fierce fighter as being an “important born” person.
- Ambrose is a typical alpha male who needs to find his way in this world. His character was good, not overly macho, and you could read he has his own skeletons. I need to see in book 2 if he will stand up against the king.
- all other side characters are actually pleasant to read. They have their strengths and weaknesses that are brought out properly in this book. Love Layla! Also Ambrose’s friends are actually pleasant to read about. So great job on the friends!
🌶️ the spice in it was just enough. No need to be overly hyped since this is not its focus. Their scenes are not overly typed out, which is totally ok. I wouldn’t expect them to be bed gods who know OTT what to do lol.
All in the book is good and has great potential, but too many things happening. Maybe if ever a revamp would be made of book 1, this could be tackled.
I made the suggestion to the author to look out for this and repetitiveness in her next book. Cause those were my main struggles.
Also, I hope in the next book the final editor or proofreader makes sure the typos are all gone. I found a few, which I brought to the author’s attention.
Because even tho I’m just an ARC and Beta reader, it is still important to point this out. This to make the reading experience smoother.
Storyline. 3/5⭐️
Characters 3/5⭐️
🌶️ 3/5⭐️
Storyline had a lot of potential, but has a lot going on. It would actually be a really good book if some loose ends were tied. I was waiting for Hades to suddenly pop up to save her from the shadowmancer. I kept waiting when those figures would pop up again looking for Nyx since they came for her.
Some sentences were repetitive, which made me sigh a few times.
- Nyx really feels like a teenager, esp when seeing handsome men lol. I’m not sure how I feel about her tbh. Maybe due to the repetitive things she kept saying and doing made her look… indecisive? Naive? Sometimes annoying?
I need to see her growth in the next book becoming this fierce fighter as being an “important born” person.
- Ambrose is a typical alpha male who needs to find his way in this world. His character was good, not overly macho, and you could read he has his own skeletons. I need to see in book 2 if he will stand up against the king.
- all other side characters are actually pleasant to read. They have their strengths and weaknesses that are brought out properly in this book. Love Layla! Also Ambrose’s friends are actually pleasant to read about. So great job on the friends!
🌶️ the spice in it was just enough. No need to be overly hyped since this is not its focus. Their scenes are not overly typed out, which is totally ok. I wouldn’t expect them to be bed gods who know OTT what to do lol.
All in the book is good and has great potential, but too many things happening. Maybe if ever a revamp would be made of book 1, this could be tackled.
I made the suggestion to the author to look out for this and repetitiveness in her next book. Cause those were my main struggles.
Also, I hope in the next book the final editor or proofreader makes sure the typos are all gone. I found a few, which I brought to the author’s attention.
Because even tho I’m just an ARC and Beta reader, it is still important to point this out. This to make the reading experience smoother.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2025
I'm going to try to be as detailed as possible without giving too many spoilers.
First, I love the concept. A shadow wielder goes off to a war college and is faced with so many threats both internally and externally that there's no way she can actually focus on getting an education. It's giving Harry Potter, and I'm here for it. I'm not a fan of the love triangle (square?), but it doesn't feel like a huge part of the story so I can get over that.
Speaking of huge part of the story...here's where I really struggled trying to finish this book. There are so many holes throughout the story. Some get filled in, some don't. I found myself pretty often rereading pages and backtracking trying to figure out if maybe I'd just missed something. It made it hard to come to conclusions, figure out what's happening, or even understand why something's happened. There were moments where I didn't understand how a relationship progressed and didn't know who people were or why they were there. There were parts that seemed like they were supposed to tease or hint at something bigger at play, but ultimately left me confused or questioning why those parts existed in the first place. This ultimately caused me to stop reading just over 50% of the way through.
I also struggled with the ups and downs. Sometimes, it would be really interesting and I couldn't put it down. Others, I had to ask myself if I was reading the same book. Even still, I definitely have my favorite scenes that I'd totally swoon over and chat about if I were doing a buddy read or book club. I'd argue over relationships I strongly opposed and relationships I'd hoped formed. I have my favorite characters and characters I wish would've gotten lost forever in the Labyrinth.
Overall, it's a great story. There's just too many story lines and plot holes and just holes in general for this to be one book. I could see something like this becoming a series instead so that the proper time and dedication to building each piece can be given. And I'd 100% devour it if that were to happen!
First, I love the concept. A shadow wielder goes off to a war college and is faced with so many threats both internally and externally that there's no way she can actually focus on getting an education. It's giving Harry Potter, and I'm here for it. I'm not a fan of the love triangle (square?), but it doesn't feel like a huge part of the story so I can get over that.
Speaking of huge part of the story...here's where I really struggled trying to finish this book. There are so many holes throughout the story. Some get filled in, some don't. I found myself pretty often rereading pages and backtracking trying to figure out if maybe I'd just missed something. It made it hard to come to conclusions, figure out what's happening, or even understand why something's happened. There were moments where I didn't understand how a relationship progressed and didn't know who people were or why they were there. There were parts that seemed like they were supposed to tease or hint at something bigger at play, but ultimately left me confused or questioning why those parts existed in the first place. This ultimately caused me to stop reading just over 50% of the way through.
I also struggled with the ups and downs. Sometimes, it would be really interesting and I couldn't put it down. Others, I had to ask myself if I was reading the same book. Even still, I definitely have my favorite scenes that I'd totally swoon over and chat about if I were doing a buddy read or book club. I'd argue over relationships I strongly opposed and relationships I'd hoped formed. I have my favorite characters and characters I wish would've gotten lost forever in the Labyrinth.
Overall, it's a great story. There's just too many story lines and plot holes and just holes in general for this to be one book. I could see something like this becoming a series instead so that the proper time and dedication to building each piece can be given. And I'd 100% devour it if that were to happen!
February 26, 2025
I would love to firstly thank you, Juniper for selecting me to be one of the ARC readers. It was an honour being one. I’ll have to admit, I had issues getting past 30% of the book due to some parts not making any sense, but in the end, I finished the book.
The only things that I had some issues with was the pacing and the development of some of the relationships between other characters, as well as the development of the FMC.
The pacing was rather quick, especially with the time it took Ambrose to fall for Nyx, it gave me whiplash because he went from this cold, menacing, cruel captain that loathed Nyx with all his heart in one moment, to her boyfriend in the next one. Nyx and Knox’s relationship was rather confusing to understand because how did it go from being told that they were sparring partners to suddenly being told that they’re exes? There wasn’t really that much background into their past relationship or how they broke up.. which was very confusing to me.
Then there was the FMC’s development that was awfully jarring. The way that she speaks in her POVs made her sound as if she’s still a high schooler, especially with words such as “oh man” “let me tell you” and other words of that nature, which resulted in my slight detachment from and annoyance at her childish behaviour.
However, I did love Nyx and Layla’s friendship because the way they met was so cute, they were just being girlie girls looking out for each other☺️
Other than that, a good solid round of editing, especially for the pacing of Nyx and Ambrose’s relationship, as well as the pacing of the book in general, and slight character editing of the FMC and you’re solid to go👍🏾
Still, I enjoyed the book and.. although I will not continue reading the series due to the style of writing being not for me, Im glad I was an ARC reader for it. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
The only things that I had some issues with was the pacing and the development of some of the relationships between other characters, as well as the development of the FMC.
The pacing was rather quick, especially with the time it took Ambrose to fall for Nyx, it gave me whiplash because he went from this cold, menacing, cruel captain that loathed Nyx with all his heart in one moment, to her boyfriend in the next one. Nyx and Knox’s relationship was rather confusing to understand because how did it go from being told that they were sparring partners to suddenly being told that they’re exes? There wasn’t really that much background into their past relationship or how they broke up.. which was very confusing to me.
Then there was the FMC’s development that was awfully jarring. The way that she speaks in her POVs made her sound as if she’s still a high schooler, especially with words such as “oh man” “let me tell you” and other words of that nature, which resulted in my slight detachment from and annoyance at her childish behaviour.
However, I did love Nyx and Layla’s friendship because the way they met was so cute, they were just being girlie girls looking out for each other☺️
Other than that, a good solid round of editing, especially for the pacing of Nyx and Ambrose’s relationship, as well as the pacing of the book in general, and slight character editing of the FMC and you’re solid to go👍🏾
Still, I enjoyed the book and.. although I will not continue reading the series due to the style of writing being not for me, Im glad I was an ARC reader for it. Thank you so much for the opportunity.
February 12, 2025
I eagerly anticipate the release of the second book in this captivating series! “Pretty Little Poison” was an exceptional beginning to a new literary journey, and I was instantly captivated from the very first page. I can confidently predict that it will become a cherished favorite.
Pretty Little Poison is set in a perilous academic world brimming with intense emotions, betrayal, war, and supernatural power struggles. It embodies all my favorite elements an enthralling love triangle, the captivating tension between enemies and lovers, and the ever-satisfying trope of her and die. The world teems with formidable beings dragons, vampires, wolves, witches, demons, and elemental warriors creating a brutal yet mesmerizing backdrop for the unfolding narrative.
One aspect I truly appreciate is when authors provide definitions for the unique terms used in their books. This author’s thoughtful inclusion of definitions has made it easier for readers to fully immerse themselves in the captivating world.
Now, let’s get into the character of Ambrose. His name, his personality, and every aspect of his being were meticulously crafted to perfection. I relish the portrayal of a brooding, overprotective, and enigmatic male lead, and Ambrose delivered in every way. The action sequences are expertly crafted, immersing you in the heart of the battle as if you were an active participant.
I can’t wait to have possession of a physical copy of this book and eagerly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read it yet. If you haven’t embarked on this literary adventure yet, abandon everything else and immerse yourself in the world of “Pretty Little Poison” immediately!
Pretty Little Poison is set in a perilous academic world brimming with intense emotions, betrayal, war, and supernatural power struggles. It embodies all my favorite elements an enthralling love triangle, the captivating tension between enemies and lovers, and the ever-satisfying trope of her and die. The world teems with formidable beings dragons, vampires, wolves, witches, demons, and elemental warriors creating a brutal yet mesmerizing backdrop for the unfolding narrative.
One aspect I truly appreciate is when authors provide definitions for the unique terms used in their books. This author’s thoughtful inclusion of definitions has made it easier for readers to fully immerse themselves in the captivating world.
Now, let’s get into the character of Ambrose. His name, his personality, and every aspect of his being were meticulously crafted to perfection. I relish the portrayal of a brooding, overprotective, and enigmatic male lead, and Ambrose delivered in every way. The action sequences are expertly crafted, immersing you in the heart of the battle as if you were an active participant.
I can’t wait to have possession of a physical copy of this book and eagerly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t read it yet. If you haven’t embarked on this literary adventure yet, abandon everything else and immerse yourself in the world of “Pretty Little Poison” immediately!
January 25, 2025
I received an ARC for this from the Author in exchange for my honest review.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book It could be just because I'm getting older and the YA characters just aren't something I'm really into anymore. I'm not sure if ages are included in the story but I just aged them up to college age (20-ish). At one point I almost DNF'd at around 30% in BUT I took a break and came back to it a few days later. I did get sucked in and started loving the characters and the story.
I did want more Greek Gods/Goddesses included in the story. I kept waiting for them to show up but they never came. Maybe they will show up in book 2.
I thought it was going to be a slow burn enemies to lovers but it moved fast FOR ME.
I was not into the love quadrangle that was going on. The other love interest for Nyx just didn't click for me.
There were some things that were easy for me to figure out before I made it to it. This didn't ruin anything for me because I am one of those people that are always trying to figure out the story in my head anyway. My husband picks on me about this when I can't figure it out.
There were some grammatical mistakes but I read fairly quickly and they barely registered to me.
By the time I finished this book I was dying for the next one. I told my husband I was actually mad I signed up as an ARC because I would just be waiting even longer for the next book.
Thank you so much Juniper Blaire for sending me an ARC of this book. I honestly cannot wait for the next one. I NEED to know what happens to everyone.
I had a bit of a hard time getting into this book It could be just because I'm getting older and the YA characters just aren't something I'm really into anymore. I'm not sure if ages are included in the story but I just aged them up to college age (20-ish). At one point I almost DNF'd at around 30% in BUT I took a break and came back to it a few days later. I did get sucked in and started loving the characters and the story.
I did want more Greek Gods/Goddesses included in the story. I kept waiting for them to show up but they never came. Maybe they will show up in book 2.
I thought it was going to be a slow burn enemies to lovers but it moved fast FOR ME.
I was not into the love quadrangle that was going on. The other love interest for Nyx just didn't click for me.
There were some things that were easy for me to figure out before I made it to it. This didn't ruin anything for me because I am one of those people that are always trying to figure out the story in my head anyway. My husband picks on me about this when I can't figure it out.
There were some grammatical mistakes but I read fairly quickly and they barely registered to me.
By the time I finished this book I was dying for the next one. I told my husband I was actually mad I signed up as an ARC because I would just be waiting even longer for the next book.
Thank you so much Juniper Blaire for sending me an ARC of this book. I honestly cannot wait for the next one. I NEED to know what happens to everyone.
January 23, 2025
3.75 stars rounded up! I liked the aspects of Greek mythology, , and mythical creatures incorporated into this book. The characters’ elemental powers were so interesting to see in action.
I just wish it was a bit more of a slow-burn, because even though one of the tropes is enemies-to-lovers, Nyx and Ambrose didn’t spend that much time being “enemies”.
Things that could've been improved:
- This book could have used another round of editing due to the numerous mistakes throughout
- Maybe split some chapters into smaller ones. Many of the chapters were very long, and introduced new conflicts within the same chapter. This made it hard to get through the book at times.
- The pacing could've been fixed up a little. Some parts were fun and easy to get through, while others made me think about dnf-ing because they moved so slow. This also ties back to the long chapters issue. I ended up skimming through several chapters in the middle part of the book before things picked back up again around the 80-85% mark.
Overall, this was a fun read and would recommend it for anyone looking for an enemies-to-lovers romantasy book that is a combination of Fourth Wing, Powerless, and Zodiac Academy.
Thank you to the author, Juniper Blaire, for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to reading the 2nd book, hopefully as an ARC as well!🤞
I just wish it was a bit more of a slow-burn, because even though one of the tropes is enemies-to-lovers, Nyx and Ambrose didn’t spend that much time being “enemies”.
Things that could've been improved:
- This book could have used another round of editing due to the numerous mistakes throughout
- Maybe split some chapters into smaller ones. Many of the chapters were very long, and introduced new conflicts within the same chapter. This made it hard to get through the book at times.
- The pacing could've been fixed up a little. Some parts were fun and easy to get through, while others made me think about dnf-ing because they moved so slow. This also ties back to the long chapters issue. I ended up skimming through several chapters in the middle part of the book before things picked back up again around the 80-85% mark.
Overall, this was a fun read and would recommend it for anyone looking for an enemies-to-lovers romantasy book that is a combination of Fourth Wing, Powerless, and Zodiac Academy.
Thank you to the author, Juniper Blaire, for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Looking forward to reading the 2nd book, hopefully as an ARC as well!🤞
March 4, 2025
I gave this a 3.5 rating because the plot was very memorable. I enjoyed it and finished the book! But, it tended to jump around. One thing could happen and then the next is a different scene. Or we were told of this but it was never brought up again. Then I did find some things to be a little repetitive. But aside from those, the characters were promising!
Our FMC Nyx is a shadow wielder but then she learns that she has more than 1 power. At first, to me she was portrayed as a bada** but then later on, I felt like I didn’t get much of it anymore. The writing though of her powers and those fighting scenes were very good, I enjoyed reading it! Especially when she pulls “surprise” attacks, excellent.
Our MMC Ambrose is the Captain but also the Prince (which Nyx doesn’t know). He’s such a broody character and he really lived up to it. Him with Nyx is too funny. They really lived up to their banter, mix of flirting and not. In the end, he fell for her and the words he would use to describe how he felt about Nyx, this man has got it BAD!
As I said, the plot and story itself was really interesting to me and I enjoyed it! This series has potential and I can’t wait to see what the next book entails! Despite the jumping of scenes and repetitiveness, I would read the next book because I gotta know what happens next 😂😭
I ARC read this in exchange for an honest review, thank you Juniper Blaire!
Our FMC Nyx is a shadow wielder but then she learns that she has more than 1 power. At first, to me she was portrayed as a bada** but then later on, I felt like I didn’t get much of it anymore. The writing though of her powers and those fighting scenes were very good, I enjoyed reading it! Especially when she pulls “surprise” attacks, excellent.
Our MMC Ambrose is the Captain but also the Prince (which Nyx doesn’t know). He’s such a broody character and he really lived up to it. Him with Nyx is too funny. They really lived up to their banter, mix of flirting and not. In the end, he fell for her and the words he would use to describe how he felt about Nyx, this man has got it BAD!
As I said, the plot and story itself was really interesting to me and I enjoyed it! This series has potential and I can’t wait to see what the next book entails! Despite the jumping of scenes and repetitiveness, I would read the next book because I gotta know what happens next 😂😭
I ARC read this in exchange for an honest review, thank you Juniper Blaire!
January 26, 2025
I was sent an ARC of Pretty Little Poison by the author. Unfortunately, I had to DNF it almost 20% in. Since the book was 700+ pages, 20% is a good amount to give it a fair shot.
Pretty Little Poison is the first book in the Wolcott Academy series, which is a college for the magically gifted. The main character, Nyx, has shadow magic and is chosen to attend, and has to deal with bullies and hot guys.
The main reason I couldn't continue this is because it's in first person POV, and Nyx speaks like the "sarcastic and quirky not-like-other-girls high schooler". It felt like I was listening to JD talk in Scrubs, and I really disliked his character. Although Nyx is supposed to be college-aged, she's very immature and always makes asides in her narration, like she's a stand-up comedian.
There were SO many instances of her saying "let me tell you" "you know?" "Oh man", it really took me out of the plot. I enjoyed the parts when she wasn't talking like Lizzie Maguire, and the plot moved forward, however, those pages are few and far between.
I'm thankful to the author for generously providing this copy to read and am disappointed it's not for me. I wish the series the best and hope it finds its audience.
Pretty Little Poison is the first book in the Wolcott Academy series, which is a college for the magically gifted. The main character, Nyx, has shadow magic and is chosen to attend, and has to deal with bullies and hot guys.
The main reason I couldn't continue this is because it's in first person POV, and Nyx speaks like the "sarcastic and quirky not-like-other-girls high schooler". It felt like I was listening to JD talk in Scrubs, and I really disliked his character. Although Nyx is supposed to be college-aged, she's very immature and always makes asides in her narration, like she's a stand-up comedian.
There were SO many instances of her saying "let me tell you" "you know?" "Oh man", it really took me out of the plot. I enjoyed the parts when she wasn't talking like Lizzie Maguire, and the plot moved forward, however, those pages are few and far between.
I'm thankful to the author for generously providing this copy to read and am disappointed it's not for me. I wish the series the best and hope it finds its audience.
February 23, 2025
My few complaints:
- Ambrose seemed to fall for Nyx with no context. One paragraph, he hated her, the next they're kissing.
- Definitely could've used a tad bit more editing.
- The traitor was obvious from the first time Nyx and Layla met. It wasn't foreshadowing, it was much too direct and clear.
- Ambose's POV chapters were too few. I wish that either they weren't there at all or there was more of them.
Positives:
- Nyx was powerful, but also still learning how to control her shadows. I appreciated seeing her control and strength grow over the course of the book. It felt more real than if she had been ultra powerful and in control from page one.
- Her friendship with Layla was the sweetest thing ever. That instant connection and the ability to be just girls together and not have to pretend or be only soldiers-in-training was incredible. I just wish we could've seen more of Layla.
- I loved the scenes involving the non-combat classes. It gave a breath of fresh air between training and combat.
- The spice and intimacy between Ambrose and Nyx was both sweet and oh so hot.
- The nickname of Poison was just so fitting for a shadow-wielding feisty princess.
I'll definitely be continuing this series.
- Ambrose seemed to fall for Nyx with no context. One paragraph, he hated her, the next they're kissing.
- Definitely could've used a tad bit more editing.
- The traitor was obvious from the first time Nyx and Layla met. It wasn't foreshadowing, it was much too direct and clear.
- Ambose's POV chapters were too few. I wish that either they weren't there at all or there was more of them.
Positives:
- Nyx was powerful, but also still learning how to control her shadows. I appreciated seeing her control and strength grow over the course of the book. It felt more real than if she had been ultra powerful and in control from page one.
- Her friendship with Layla was the sweetest thing ever. That instant connection and the ability to be just girls together and not have to pretend or be only soldiers-in-training was incredible. I just wish we could've seen more of Layla.
- I loved the scenes involving the non-combat classes. It gave a breath of fresh air between training and combat.
- The spice and intimacy between Ambrose and Nyx was both sweet and oh so hot.
- The nickname of Poison was just so fitting for a shadow-wielding feisty princess.
I'll definitely be continuing this series.
January 22, 2025
Wolcott Academy welcomes you to your next adventure. The daughter and Hades and the son of Zeus go from enemies to lovers and work together to defend those they love and the love they have for each other this fast paced romantasy. Pretty little Posion ends on a cliff hanger that will have you screaming and wanting more.
My favorite quote:
"I would journey to the depths of the Underworld, Nyx," he says, his hands cupping the side of my face, his thumbs brushing up against my cheek. "I would stand before Hades himself, and if it meant bring you back, I'd defy him a thousand times over. I'd cross the River Styx. I'd face the Furies. I'd face the wrath of the gods themselves just to keep you by my side."
"And if I had to, I'd climb to the highest peak of Mount Olympus, face Zeus himself, and demand that the Fates weave our destinies together. No power, no god, no force in this world or the next would stop me from claiming you, from keeping you."
Releasing February 1st!
Thank you Juniper Blaire for the opportunity to read this ARC of Pretty Little Poison. I hope to get the opportunity to ARC the second book in this series.
My favorite quote:
"I would journey to the depths of the Underworld, Nyx," he says, his hands cupping the side of my face, his thumbs brushing up against my cheek. "I would stand before Hades himself, and if it meant bring you back, I'd defy him a thousand times over. I'd cross the River Styx. I'd face the Furies. I'd face the wrath of the gods themselves just to keep you by my side."
"And if I had to, I'd climb to the highest peak of Mount Olympus, face Zeus himself, and demand that the Fates weave our destinies together. No power, no god, no force in this world or the next would stop me from claiming you, from keeping you."
Releasing February 1st!
Thank you Juniper Blaire for the opportunity to read this ARC of Pretty Little Poison. I hope to get the opportunity to ARC the second book in this series.
January 18, 2025
First, I would like to thank Juniper for selecting me to be an ARC reader for this book! Congratulations on putting this story together and building the world of Wolcott Academy (and beyond)!
I’m giving this book an overall 3.5 stars (rounded down on Goodreads). This story gave me a variety of vibes from Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and Divergent, but with more romance and dragons! I definitely enjoyed the plot and cannot BELIEVE how we ended on such a crazy cliffhanger! I definitely need to know what happens next. I really enjoyed the multiple tropes and lovable characters, especially our FMC, Nyx. I loved reading a book where the FMC has the shadow powers!
My biggest grievance with this book is that it could use a thorough editing session. I noticed a variety of grammatical and punctuation errors throughout, as well as occasional inconsistencies in the story and/or plot holes. I think with another editing session, I would have easily bumped this up to a 4+ star read.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and am excited to see what happens next in Nyx’s journey!
I’m giving this book an overall 3.5 stars (rounded down on Goodreads). This story gave me a variety of vibes from Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and Divergent, but with more romance and dragons! I definitely enjoyed the plot and cannot BELIEVE how we ended on such a crazy cliffhanger! I definitely need to know what happens next. I really enjoyed the multiple tropes and lovable characters, especially our FMC, Nyx. I loved reading a book where the FMC has the shadow powers!
My biggest grievance with this book is that it could use a thorough editing session. I noticed a variety of grammatical and punctuation errors throughout, as well as occasional inconsistencies in the story and/or plot holes. I think with another editing session, I would have easily bumped this up to a 4+ star read.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and am excited to see what happens next in Nyx’s journey!
February 6, 2025
I can not wait for book 2!! Honestly, this book is better than Fourth Wing and I hope it becomes the next internet obsession book. Talk about a great entrance into a new series and world! Wow , just wow, I loved this so much, its my first 5 star read of 2025. One thing I love is when authors give you definitions for the terms they've created and use in their books. I recently read a book that didn't do that and I had to constantly flip through the pages to figure out what everything was. I ended up creating my own definitions page for the book. So I really appreciate when the author goes the extra mile to provide stuff like that for us readers. I am a sucker for a MMC that overprotective, broody, and mysterious, and Ambrose is just that type. I honestly wasn't a huge fan of his name at first but you get used to it. I absolutely love how from page 1 you just jump right into a fight scene and there is no long descriptions of mundane actions or mindless narration. Right off of the bat there's action and it just sucks you right in and hooks you. I also love the battle scenes, I felt like I was right there in the battle myself. I can't wait to get a physical copy of this book for my bookshelf! Everyone should run to read this book!
January 18, 2025
I really enjoyed the characters, especially the fmc and her magic development, the magic system overall, and the world they’re in. The author used great descriptions in every scene and I felt completely immersed in the story. There was a little twist close to the end that I didn’t see coming, and I really appreciate when authors can make things unpredictable. On the slightly negative side, I personally found some subject/event changes to be a bit abrupt, and I often found myself wondering if I had missed a paragraph or two in the transition, but I hadn’t. My biggest negative, that really took some enjoyment from the book away from me, was the ending. Don’t get me wrong, I understand and appreciate cliff hangers and making you want to read the next book, but this cliff hanger really felt like a doozy. I wish that some of the less important info from the middle of the book had been left out and the ending was extended. Overall, I had fun reading this book and I would recommend it!
January 30, 2025
This was 3.5⭐️
I was so excited to start this book! I love romantasy and also an academy type of environment. I devoured the first 45% of this book. It did get slow for me and I had a bit of a hard time getting through to about 65%.
I enjoy a strong FMC. I loved how badass Nyx is. She has shadow magic which is almost on heard of for someone to have. People are scared of what they don’t know.
Don’t get me started on Ambrose (MMC) he is so broody and forbidden.🚫 He is supposed to be her leader.
Their is a common enemy attacking and the academy has to join forces to try to defeat them.
I enjoyed the character development and overall had a good time reading this book. I enjoyed most the fighting scenes and displays of magic. I honestly thought this book being so long it was going to be a one book series. But no that ending what a cliffhanger!!!!!
I was so excited to start this book! I love romantasy and also an academy type of environment. I devoured the first 45% of this book. It did get slow for me and I had a bit of a hard time getting through to about 65%.
I enjoy a strong FMC. I loved how badass Nyx is. She has shadow magic which is almost on heard of for someone to have. People are scared of what they don’t know.
Don’t get me started on Ambrose (MMC) he is so broody and forbidden.🚫 He is supposed to be her leader.
Their is a common enemy attacking and the academy has to join forces to try to defeat them.
I enjoyed the character development and overall had a good time reading this book. I enjoyed most the fighting scenes and displays of magic. I honestly thought this book being so long it was going to be a one book series. But no that ending what a cliffhanger!!!!!
February 2, 2025
I was super excited to receive this ARC from the author! I love anything that has to do with Greek mythology. I was a little disappointed that they waited until close to the end to really add in the gods and all of that but I really loved this book!
A few things I would say needed a bit of fixing would be another round of editing because there was some repeating of sentences throughout the book and small things like misspellings also. So nothing a little edit couldn’t fix. (:
Overall it was a great read and I loved the characters, the cliffhanger, and everything else about this book! I cannot wait for the second book and to see what will happen next. Also I will be rereading this one again because I really loved the amount of spice and the fighting scenes that were in it!
Thank you so much for letting me read this before its release date(: I can’t wait for the next one!
A few things I would say needed a bit of fixing would be another round of editing because there was some repeating of sentences throughout the book and small things like misspellings also. So nothing a little edit couldn’t fix. (:
Overall it was a great read and I loved the characters, the cliffhanger, and everything else about this book! I cannot wait for the second book and to see what will happen next. Also I will be rereading this one again because I really loved the amount of spice and the fighting scenes that were in it!
Thank you so much for letting me read this before its release date(: I can’t wait for the next one!
March 5, 2025
I was given this book as an ARC read. The first half was slow. I usually read books this length much faster. However, when I got to the 65/70% mark (there are no page numbers) it picked up quickly.
The writing is good. However, there are parts where felt like the author was writing in a journal. (Ex: “You know the one…”) I could have done without that.
The characters are excellent. The development of the FMC is very well done. Also (*spoiler alert*) DRAGONS?! LETS GO!
I also felt like this was a bit of Fourth Wing (far less dragons) mixed with Throne of Glass for a younger audience.
Over all I gave this book 3 stars because I thought it could have been 300 pages and had the same information. I enjoyed the story line, but HATED how the ending was incredibly rushed and the cliff hanger legit SMACKED me in the mouth.
The writing is good. However, there are parts where felt like the author was writing in a journal. (Ex: “You know the one…”) I could have done without that.
The characters are excellent. The development of the FMC is very well done. Also (*spoiler alert*) DRAGONS?! LETS GO!
I also felt like this was a bit of Fourth Wing (far less dragons) mixed with Throne of Glass for a younger audience.
Over all I gave this book 3 stars because I thought it could have been 300 pages and had the same information. I enjoyed the story line, but HATED how the ending was incredibly rushed and the cliff hanger legit SMACKED me in the mouth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
I really wanted to love this book. I tried so hard. I received this as an ARC, and was super stoked: academic romantasy based in greek mythology? SIGN ME UP!!! Unfortunately, the writing style was a little too stereotypical comedic (think Sophie Lennon from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel style). While I’m not into that kind of comedy or comedic break in writing, others may be, so please still take the chance on this author.
Some tropes in it felt forced, and there is some information that I think will come into play in later books.
Overall, I’m giving 3 stars as I really love the premise of this series, and think it has potential! It may just need a few more rounds of edits with an outside eye reading through it! Truly, this has potential to be an amazing series, and I still plan to give book 2 a chance to see where it leads!!
Some tropes in it felt forced, and there is some information that I think will come into play in later books.
Overall, I’m giving 3 stars as I really love the premise of this series, and think it has potential! It may just need a few more rounds of edits with an outside eye reading through it! Truly, this has potential to be an amazing series, and I still plan to give book 2 a chance to see where it leads!!
January 14, 2025
The way my heart is absolutely shattered. 😭 this book halfway through I started thinking oh it’s 725 pages it’s not going to end on a cliffhanger. Nope nope I was wrong heartbreaking cliffhanger I am unwell. This was my first academia fantasy type read and I really enjoyed it the story building and relationships that were formed had me enthralled, and with how lengthy it was as well it kept my interest all the way to the end and then had me sobbing at the end. I loved this book, it was amazing and so worth the read. There was a little bit of spice as well that was a very nice touch but it wasn’t the sole focus. I need the next book already to see what happens because I’m unwell! Please go read this when it releases it’s so worth it! 🥰
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