The Marked: Knight's Academy, Book 1

Knight's Academy #1

by Emerald Barnes

Myka Williams has never fit in with her peers, and although her adoptive parents are loving and supportive, she feels most at home alone in the woods.

When she's offered a full scholarship to Knight's Academy in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, she takes the opportunity for a fresh start. She soon learns that Knight’s Academy is more than just a school. Within the stone walls of the institution, humans and vampires are mixing, and their offspring are going unnoticed.

As Myka falls prey to the evil plan of the school, she makes a chilling discovery about her own heritage and realizes that she’s at the Academy for more than just an education. Myka must yield to her birthright at the risk of losing everyone she loves or succumb to the fate that Knight’s Academy has in store for her - a fate worse than death.

Genres: Vampires, Paranormal, Young Adult

Audible Audio

Published October 30, 2018

About the author

Emerald Barnes resides in a small town in Mississippi and has the accent to prove it. She’s an auntie, a youth leader, a little bit of a nerd, a reader, a writer, and a family-oriented person. God is number One in her life, and she thanks Him continuously for His love and favor.

​She’s also addicted to tv and binge-watching shows, and she has a thing for superheroes.

Reviews

[Runningrabbit · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
This was OK, no new concepts and pretty similar to many 'Academy' style book. Domineering, possessive love interest vs broody and sensitive preferred love interest etc etc. No bitch girls though!

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I will be the first to admit, I do not like vampires. This was my first read that I can recall every reading where it centered around vampires and the author did a wonderful job of really introducing me to them.

I greatly enjoyed the cast of characters, especially Myka, Olivia, and Luka. I found Myka to be easily relatable with her shyness. Olivia was a really fun best friend and love how she interacted with Myka on so many levels. Talk about best friend material!

Now though I still don't like vampires, this book really brought them to life in way where they very much seemed real. The whole thing with Knight's Academy was creepy to say the least and gave me the willies almost all day as I read it.

My favorite part throughout "The Marked" was the dream. I won't go into details about what it was, but I loved how it was sort of a foreshadowing that I have to admit I want to see more of in book two. The ending was awesome and was bummed how short it was (won’t say how due to spoilers), but again that goes back to me wanting to read more in book two to see what will happen next. Plus, the romance. (Can I say #TeamMilo?) What's going to happen now with everything that happened at the end?

Overall, readers who love vampires will most likely really enjoy this clean read. It definitely leaves the reader on edge and cheering for characters that you want to overcome the evil surrounding them.

*(I received this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts expressed are my own and was not required to write an honest review.)*

[Mariah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book pissed me off, irritated me, but it did get better towards the end. I have a lot of conflicting thoughts, which I need to sort through, but I will post a full review soon.


Spoilers Ahead so be warned!!

5/18/17

The Marked
By: Emerald Barnes

2 Stars

This book definitely had an interesting take on werewolves and vampires. Of course, when writing about these two folktales, especially in YA, it is hard to avoid cliches. However, I didn’t mind it as much as usual. It was a fast-paced read that I mostly enjoyed. I was able to forget my own life for the moment as I became immersed in Myka’s world.
Sometimes I felt like the pacing was way too fast, and I wasn’t able to enjoy moments or the characters as much before I was thrown into another scene. There were some moments between Milo and Myka that were absolutely adorable, but ended way too soon.
Another thing that was odd and disturbing was how Milo just let Preston bite and abuse Myka. I get that she was his “Chosen” and they couldn’t interfere, but basically every scene with Myka and Preston was uncomfortable and it should definitely come with some sort of trigger warning for abuse and attempted rape. If there was one, I didn’t see it.
So, as soon as Myka begins dreaming of the white wolf whose eyes resemble her own, I already knew that Myka was a werewolf, so the ending wasn’t much of a surprise for me, although it was interesting and it definitely did pique my interest enough to want to read the next book.
Also, the ending was way too rushed, way too cliche, and I only liked it when Myka transformed into the Shewolf. Hopefully, she will become more confident and more relatable. When her and Milo broke up, I didn’t really feel any emotion. It was just like...okay, moving on. The part that really pissed me off was the attempted rape scene. Myka is about to meet Milo and run away, and of course Preston finds her and then drags her away to a basement. Upon waking up, he immediately begins to beat her and is about to rape her and then of course the white knight shows up to save her. I was hoping that in that scene she would have turned into a werewolf and bitten his head off, that would have been so badass and powerful. Instead, Milo stakes Preston and that alone doesn’t kill vampires. I’m thinking Milo is gonna kill him but nope. He doesn’t. And I was infuriated, because if I were in that position, I don’t care what rules there were or what the consequences would be, I would have killed him. It was a lazy excuse and I hated it.
These are my initial thoughts, so now I want to talk about some of the characters, beginning with my favorites:
Olivia: Olivia was a delight in this book, I just absolutely loved it each time she popped up. She was funny, unapologetic about herself, and had a confidence that was refreshing, especially in YA books. I wish we had more screen time with her, and I hope she does make an appearance in the second book, despite Myka leaving. She honestly made me give this book 2 stars, instead of 1.
Luka: Luka was a darling, each time he appeared on page I just smiled with adoration because he’s such a kind and gentle soul. There wasn’t much page time with him either (ahhhh), but every time he did appear he made it much more fascinating. We didn’t get to learn much, but I hope we discover some more about him in the 2nd books.
Milo: Milo was...interesting. When we first meet him, he is brooding and uninterested in everyone and everything around him. Then, the next time, he is apparently all into Myka and it was sudden and strange, but I still liked him. I get his inner conflict with his vampire self, it was very real and I felt his pain. His characteristics, his pain, his struggle, his jokes, all of that was very real and I could have instantly loved him if not for one thing: he allowed for Myka to be bitten against her consent and he knew that Preston was a bad guy, and yet, he still let Myka be alone with him. I get that there are vampire rules or whatever, but I don’t care what kind of world you write, it is not okay to write about hard subjects like rape, assault and abuse in a “oh that’s just how things are, it’s fine” kind of way and just letting it be. You can write about it and address it with the respect it deserves, but not as a lazy plot device, and especially not as a way to further torment the male love interest. It is disgusting, and it’s what made me sorta “meh” with Milo’s character.
Myka: I didn’t really care for Myka until the end of the book when she left the academy. More specifically when she turned into the wolf. Honestly, a part of me is hoping she’ll turn into the wolf and never change back, but hopefully she has some major character development in the second book that makes her more tolerable.
Now, I’m gonna give some of my own predictions that I think might happen in the 2nd books.

-Myka and Brent have some sort of attraction/relationship while he helps her deal with being a werewolf
-Milo is gonna be tormented throughout the book missing Myka but also insisting to himself he made the right choice in breaking things off with her
-Olivia is gonna be badass and beautiful and be kicking ass and taking names alongside Luka and they are both happy (lol jk, I know one or both of them is going to die, probably protecting either Myka or Milo)
-Myka’s “real” parents are going to show up and they’ll either be evil or they will be super nice and happy to be reunited with their daughter

So, even though I had a lot of problems with this book, I will be reading the second book--mainly to see if my predictions come true because I have terrible curiosity which is gonna bite me in the ass one day.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed my review! Until next time!

[Charlene Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kudos to the author

Well written story with good characters and an interesting plot. The story is eerie and dark tinged with excitement and hope. Kudos to the author for writing an excellent story that isn't peppered with gutter language and sexual situations, neither of which would have done anything enhance the story.

[Sandra "Jeanz" · Rating 4 out of 5]

REVIEW
As I have reviewed other titles by this author and really enjoyed them I was quick to jump at the chance to read and review this book. After reading the blurb I was interested to know more about both it's characters and the direction the plot would go in too.

The pace of this book is a medium pace, which I liked a lot and became almost immediately captured my attention and held it throughout the book. I really enjoyed the direction of the plot. I found characters that I became quite quickly attached to, had empathy with, and I found I really cared about what would happen to them. Of course for every great character that you love you also have one you dislike, but I'll go into that further on in my review.

I love the different blue hue's used on the cover. I'd definitely conclude that the female on the cover holding her books, and wearing the Knight's Academy Uniform, is Myka, the main female character in this book. There's a full moon in the background as well as a werewolf lurking about in the background, which hint at the paranormal's featured inside. I guess some would count the full moon and werewolf as spoilers but personally they just confirmed I had chosen a book I would enjoy. The building at the very back of the background on the cover is a school/college, Knight's Academy. I adore a great byline, it can be the difference between choosing which book to read first or even be the final thing that pushes me to purchase a book too. The byline on this book say's, "She'd been marked; can she escape a fate worse than death?". So to sum up the cover on this book would certainly make me pick it up from a bookstore shelf, and the combination of cover, byline and blurb would make me put the book in my basket to buy!

The genre's that this book is listed as being, on Goodreads are, Paranormal, Romance, Vampires and I agree the book falls into those. I think both YA, NA, and Adults can read and enjoy this book. As I was reading the book, the Knight's Academy reminded me just a little of Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead which is a series that I read and loved.

This book has a prologue which give's us, the reader some background, and lays the foundations to help us to come to the correct conclusion about one of the male characters. It also gives insight into what looks like a great offer for Myka actually has a hidden ulterior motive.

The actual book begins on a normal, usual day at school for Myka, she is struggling through her math's lesson, she really doesn't like algebra. Myka would much rather be outside in the fresh air and open spaces, with her sketchbook. So Myka is sat in the hot, humid stuffy classroom dreaming about sitting in the woods with her sketchbook. Then Rachel the freshman who helps out in front office knocks on her classroom door, the very beginning of Myka's life changing beyond recognition! Rachel brings a message that Myka's presence has been requested by Principal Adams. Myka immediately worries about why she is summoned to the Principal's office and Mrs Childress the secretary indicates for her to go straight into the office. Once in the Principal's office Myka notices the two strangers also in the room. Both men are wearing suits, though in totally different ways, creating totally different impressions. The older man, roughly forty has jet black hair, not a hair out of place. His suit is pristine and finished off with a hunter green tie. The man looks eager to be here unlike the younger of the strangers who looks like he doesn't care and he certainly doesn't want to be right there in the room they are in! The younger male looks about 17, so a similar age to Myka. He has dirty blonde hair, rolled up shirt sleeves and a loose hanging hunter green tie. He has bright green eyes that seem to look right into Myka's soul. Myka is so intent on checking out the younger male stranger she imagines kissing his lips and running her fingers through his hair. . . . Myka is brought abruptly back to the present as Principal Adams introduces the men. The older male with the pristine hair and suit is Headmaster Marcus Knight, he looks eager to begin speaking, but the Principal is introducing the younger dirty blonde haired guy now, his name is Milo. . . .Milo Farrar he is one of the students at Headmaster Marcus Knight's school, which is called Knight's Academy. Headmaster MArcus Knight, begins to explain that her Prinicipal has told him about Myka's love of art. then Marcus Knight asks Myka what she would say if he offered her a full scholarship at the Knight's Academy. Myka doesn't immediately say yes, she has the sense to question the offer, noticing that Milo has the faintest smirk on his lips as she does so. Headmaster Knight explains that they make a point to search out students with excellent grade and amazing skills. By the way Marcus Knight stresses the word skills, Myka is in no doubt that her grades alone have not secured this generous offer. Myka has never heard of Knight's Academy before today, but knows private schools are normally very good. Myka enquires about the Knight's Academy art program, Headmaster Marcus Knight assures her it is a marvelous program and equally marvelous offer, but he goes on to say she should come on a tour of the school with her parents. Hmm, her parents are another great reason to accept the scholarship offer, it would mean much less expense for her adoptive parents Jill and Barry Williams.
The next Chapter begins two months after the Knight's Academy tour. Myka is being dropped off at her new school, she had thought she was ready and it was not a big deal until the car stopped in front of the dorm building. Jill and Barry help Myka move her things into her dorm room, and meet dorm mother Ms Carolyn Peters, who reassures Jill and Barry that she is always available to all the girls at anytime of the day or night. Myka soon settles in with room mate Olivia. They meet some older girls who are in their second year at the Knights Academy, they befriend them, telling them what happens next, the welcome assembley, being assigned a guide etc etc.
Myka soon settles in, she has Preston as her guide who seems to be glued to her side and becoming increasingly possessive over her and her time. Initially it seems a nice, friendly thing but soon becomes more irritating and Preston becomes possessive both during classes they have together like Archery to his insistence he walks Myka to classes, or be with her during her free time. It begins to make an already claustrophobic Myka feel as if she is trapped. Preston seems to think he is boyfriend material for Myka. The first efforts by Myka to remove herself from being glued to his side. Myka honestly much prefers the mysterious and moody Milo. Things look like they are going well when he purchases her a gift of something he has seen her admiring, but then he just falls off the radar for a while. Then there's a parents/family weekend and it turns out that Myka's quiet mild mannered adoptive father Barry takes an immediate and quite strong dislike for Preston! In fact at one point Barry tells Myka to use him, and the fact he doesn't like Preston as an excuse to get rid/avoid him! Sadly even that doesn't deter the possessive suitor.
I don't want to go into more detail as I prefer not to reveal spoilers as much as possible. I will say if you loved the Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead I think you'll truly enjoy reading this one too!

Naturally one of my favourite characters is Myka Williams, she is a bit of an outcast, so I guess that's one of the reasons I empathise with her. When given the chance of a free scholarship she has no qualms about acceptiing as she doesn't really have very many friends to leave behind. Myka isn't a fashion enthusiast, preferring to feel comfortable and covered up. Myka especially prefers to hide the strange birthmark she has, that becomes more relevant as the book goes on. In fact Myka doesn't know anything about her life or parents before Jill and Barry adopted her.
I also really liked Olivia, the girl that Myka shared dorm room 4C with. Olivia is the louder, more outwardly confident "Miss Socialiser" friend that Myka needs to help her make friends and settle into the Knight Academy.

My thoughts upon finishing this book were, I want more! When can I read more? Could Milo and Myka ever have an "out in the open" official relationship? What about Luka and Olivia? If it comes down to a war between the human's and vampire's, whose side will the hybrids be on and what about the Knight's Academy staff? Who will dorm mom Ms Carolyn Peters and Teacher at Knights Academy, Mother to Milo,Girlfriend to the headmaster, Ms Farrar, side with in such a war. I am also looking forward to Myka's biological parents being revealed or discussed in the next book too.

[Guy L. Pace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've wanted to read one of Emerald's books and finally got a chance. I'm not a big fan of romance, vampires, or things of that nature. However, Emerald did a very good job putting a human face on the characters and giving them real feelings and behaviors.

I especially enjoyed following the relationship between Milo and Myka. Since this is Clean YA, I appreciated how Emerald brought the story to a climax with good taste and drama.

Marked is a book I would not be afraid or ashamed to have one of my granddaughters read ... in a few years. They are 8 and 9 now, so a little young for this.

Thanks, Emerald, for a good read.

[Laura Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will start by saying that I am extremely happy that I took the chance to read this as it is a fantastic read. Myka is a young adult who is adopted and has just been offered the opportunity of a lifetime and she quickly jumps on it. She has no idea that her life, is about to change in more ways than she could have possibly expected.

The story line is well written and the characters are well developed. You'll find yourself loving some characters and loathing others. This read quickly pulls you in and keeps you enthralled until the end. I eagerly await the release of book two as I have high hopes for Myka and Milo.

This is a clean read that does not disappoint, full of twists, turns and unexpected revelations.

{I requested a copy of this book for reviewing purposes and made no guarantee of a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are unbiased and my own.}

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Instantly, I adored Myka: she's definitely not your average heroine: I love that she was relatable, she suffered from claustrophobia, she is an honest to goodness 17 year old plucked from all she knows into a mysterious school. She likes rock music, she's quirky but awkward, and she has dreams where she feels a kinship with a she wolf.

I loved this last element, I felt I was able to connect with Myka all the more, for to me, wolves are one of my favourite animals and I'm a bit obsessed with them. I felt throughout that I could feel and see things as Myka did, and I felt her emotions as I went on this journey with her.
Preston, oh Preston. At first his character intrigued me but I knew something was off, I couldn't believe how beastly he became, and he definitely got more lustful and power hungry for Myka as the novel proceeded. He definitely became almost stalker-ish towards Myka, and wouldn't leave her alone at some points. This only went to show how ruthless he can be: I had a feeling he had an ulterior motive, I waa surprised to know how insane it was! And still is, the book ended on such a cliffhanger, I'm nervously dreading what he could do next.

Milo. Oh my Milo. Instantly I fell for him, he's a dream. He is full of inner torment and conflict, he can't help who or what he is, but he can't control what he has to do. His character thoughts were so engaging, and his focus chapters gave us an insight into how his mind worked and how he is trying to help protect his people. Straight away I shipped him with Mikya, their chemistry was steaming!

But oh, the angst. For both their safety, they can't be seen together, so I definitely enjoyed their cute moments while they lasted. But unlike Preston, Milo has Myka's best interest at heart, so I understood why he did and thought as he did.
Olivia is another character I enjoyed reading, she is full of fun and the perfect best friend for Myka. While she's not aware of the supernatural surroundings of her new school, I definitely think we'll hear more from her in the next book. She definitely was protective of Myka, and also had her best interests at heart: and Myka is the same with Olivia, their friendship is just fabulous, I hope they're reunited soon!
Luca and Olivia are well matched, they balance one another out perfectly. He chooses to keep his true identity a secret, and refrains from feeding on her. That must've taken a lot of restraint on his part, throughout the novel you could feel the bloodlust.
Lets talk about the writing:
I was so excited once I got into this book, Emerald Barnes' writing is so fabulous! She writes so vividly, I could picture everything as I was reading it, hearing the teeth sink into flesh, the wolves howling, everything. The Academy is brilliantly described, I felt like I was there, walking into its halls, seeing the offices and the characters interact.
I'm definitely anticipating book 2, I cannot wait to see what the author does with these characters!
A big thankyou to Mallory McCartney over at CleanReads for the review copy.
And that concludes my review, til' next time, happy reading,
Brooklyn.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable clean read

Myka is the main female character who is chosen to go to a high academic boarding school. Myka is adopted but loves her parents. She meets Olivia her room mate, Milo the mysterious brooking senior and Preston who pursues her constantly. The book has a solid storyline with well written and developed characters and world building. It really has a heartbreaking ending for Milo and Myka, so ends on a cliffhanger and Preston well I just want to kill him off myself. Although this is a clean read, it has descriptive scenes of stalking, possession, emotional and physical abuse and attempted rape. Highly recommended

[Fatima Chunara · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so annoying. Firstly it has that pretty girl who has no idea she's pretty trope. Then there's the mother who is exactly like the main girl. Plus the guys are described as the same and both hate each other and both want the girl. Then there's the I'm an asshole only because I like you trope.
It's a YA cliché disaster. Clichés are what they are for a reason. Of its done right the book is amazing if not you get this book.

[Krystyna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could have tried harder

Could have been a really great story. The plot was a good one but it actually fizzled out and left me thinking thank goodness I've finished it. Does it make me want to read any more in the series - NO. The heroine is spineless and the hero is lacking. The storyline got really bogged down in parts so it felt like wading through a bog. Definitely not for me and not one that I would recommend.

[Mallory McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a good YA Academy novel and Barne’s knows how to write one! Fall effortlessly into the world of Knights Academy where it’s not your normal vampire/ werewolf story. Great for fans of twilight!!

[Savannah Riestenberg · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll preface this by saying this is not a book I would normally read, but I HAD to listen to the audiobook because the narrator is one of my closest friends!!
With that being said, obviously the audiobook version was amazing and I think Ms Cuff did a great job bringing the characters to life. The character Olivia reminded me a lot of Olivia the narrator ;)
As for the plot, not my cup of tea as I already mentioned. From the cover of the book you could already tell something was up with this academy....



*Spoilers*
though to be honest I expected all werewolves. Because I went in with the expectation of werewolves it seemed to take FOREVER to get to the actual werewolf plot line. I wasn't a fan of the heroine which made it hard for me to root for her as the story progressed.
If there is another audiobook with the same narrator I will come back for the next installment, if not... I won't be too sad.

[†Reviews of a FearStreetZombie† · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in return for an honest review.

I actually finished this book way earlier today but am still sitting here not sure what to say.
It really isn't that often you come across a book that makes you want to write the whole review in gifs because words fail you, so if I use to many gifs, I am sorry, words fail me right now over how awesome this book is. Lol

The Marked is one of those rare books that you literally don't want to put down. It is also one that makes you want to scream your head off when people keep bugging you while you read it.
Ohhh how I wanted to read this all in one sitting but I forced myself to take breathers before my head exploded or I end up throwing my book.

The writing was so fluid. The only thing I really had trouble with was the intro. I felt it gave away to much to soon but I don't think it is enough to make someone quit, just makes them a bit curious of "Will this come out like all the others or will this be different?" As someone who has read a lot of these kinds of books, this is different. Oddly enough you think one person will be the bad guy, only to find out, yeah, he is a bad guy but then Preston walks right the heck in. And if this guy does NOT make you want to rip his head off, then you might slightly be a psycho. (jk...maybe. lol)
I mean from the second you mean Preston, you just get this creeper vibe, like really bro?

"He wrapped his arm arounf her waist [...]"

Preston took her hand in his and led her to the cafeteria.

and the infamous bad guy line:

You're mine.

Oh reeeeeaaaaalllllly, home skillet. You think so?



And that is just a few of the many many many cringe worthy, anger filling moments.

But then there is Milo, there is so much I want to say here but the one thing that conquers all every time I think about his character is Kiss the Girl and Your Body Is A Wonderland, Which I actually made a joke to the author talking about a remix song "Kiss the Wonderland" lol

I did expect more from Milo though. I felt like his character lacked just a little bit. But, since book two is still in the works, I'm sure it's just building up his character.


Myka's parents got on my nerves. I won't lie. They seemed more like teenage siblings than her parents. Which made me question them every time they come on the set. Her dad seemed to complain a lot, but eh. I rolled with it. It wasn't until the mom stepped in and was trying to buy her a dress that in my opinion made Myka seem like a total whore. Her mom was to much like a "best friend" even being rebellious to her own husband who didn't like the dress nor wanted to buy the dress.... story short, she got the dress. OH! I know who she reminds me of! Regina George's mother!



Ugh this book was bloody brilliant though. Honestly. From start to finish. Full of surprises. I really would recommend this book.

[Tabitha Caplinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kind of like Twilight with a Twist...

Okay, so hopefully that headline got you interested. The marked has vampires and werewolves at odds with one another, that's where its like twilight but the similarities pretty much stop there. The twist comes in the form of the MC, Myka. She's not just a girl caught between a half-vampire and werewolf. She has a secret that she doesn't even know about. Maybe it has something to do with the dreams she's been having of a beautiful Shelf with blue eye? You'll have to read it to find out.

And you should read it. The Marked is fun, intriguing and full of wonderful characters. (Except Preston, we hate him.) The author does a wonderful job of connecting you with Myka and Milo and pulling you into their story. You can't help but keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. The action only intensifies at the end leaving you anxious for the second book.

[Shanna Caudle · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF got to 43%