The Princess Exile

Schooled in Magic Universe #1

by Christopher G. Nuttall, Justin Adams (Illustrator)

A novel set in the bestselling Schooled in Magic universe!

There was no reason for Crown Princess Anastasia of Rockfall to worry about her future, not when she was the only heir to a small yet surprisingly important kingdom within the Allied Lands. There was no reason, either, for her to learn magic, or the growing arts of science and magitech, or indeed anything else … until she was kidnapped by a sorceress who stole her face, cursed her so she could never reveal her real name and dumped her on the far side of the Allied Lands, all the while intending to impersonate Anastasia long enough to murder her parents, be crowned Queen and instigate a reign of terror.

The sorceress believes Anastasia will never make it home, that she will be murdered or enslaved or simply vanish without trace. But with her parents and her kingdom at stake, Anastasia will do everything in her power to get back home and master the arts that will save them …

Or die trying, a very long way from the only home she’s ever known.

Genres: Fantasy

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2025

Reviews

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ahhhh! This was my very first ALC from Podium Entertainment! It was such a fun read/listen! The narrator was great at keeping the listener engaged! I really enjoyed all the adventure and lessons learned by the character along the way in this one!

[its_just_christin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, I love a good Romantasy as much as the next girl, but sometimes I just need an Epic Fantasy, and this book scratched that itch and then some. This book was so good. Anastasia is a spoiled, self-centered princess who can't be bothered to pay attention to her tutors or take an interest in learning how to lead her kingdom. Then her maid, who is actually a powerful sorceress, steals her life and sends her thousands of miles away with a curse that won't allow her to tell anyone what happened or who she is.

We then get to see her try to make it back home and watch her learn and grow so much along the way. This story was incredible, the characters are so well written, and whether they turn out to be good or bad people, you really get a feel for who they are and what they care about. I really like Anastasia; she comes a long way through the book, and her growth just makes you root for her even more.

I listened to an ALC of this book narrated by Jennifer Jill Araya. Jennifer's narration was excellent. This is a pretty long book, and she was able to hold my interest and keep me entertained. Thank you, Podium Audio and Christopher G. Nuttall, for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Back to Christopher Nuttall after a brief hiatus and what a book to return to. The author is a story teller and one book is the complete story even in his series such as the "schooled in magic" and "zero enigma" series each book tells a story full and complete, This novel is a great example, there are actually several distinct parts to the story which would temp some writers to split these up, bloat them with excess travel and sex scenes and make a multipart novel. As part of the reading (and paying) public I for one appreciate the authors style where you pay your money and get a story. and what a story it is, adventure, thriller fantasy and dark magics combine to produce a real page turner.
The main character is a true study in character development and the supporting characters are just right for the plot.
At the end of the book the author poses the question "To Be Continued? You Decide." for me the answer is YES.

[Thecrackedspine · Rating 5 out of 5]

First, I want to say, Thank you so much for this ALC from Podium Entertainment! The launch team gave me the best opportunity to try few audiobooks as part of the Podium influence team, and while I am not much of an influencer, I am more than excited to give my honest review as part of this team❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐all the way around for this story and considering I haven't read any of the other books in this series, I am so in love that I have found my next auto-buy author and a new top 5 narrator to follow down the rabbit hole!

I think this story is great for all the girlies who love fantasy, magic, and a heroine who fights hard to overcome her own shortcomings in order to save her kingdom and possibly the world.

I am so glad I chose this story to listen to and I hope all my friends out there pick it up too!

[Erica Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is most definitely an amazing teenage fantasy read. She’s a young teenage princess that is put through the biggest challenges of her life. But it turns out that it’s for the best. It wakes her up to what she really should have been doing the entire time. Such a cute read.

I got this as an ALC from Podium Entertainment and it was definitely worth it. Performed by Jennifer Jill Araya, which has the perfect voice for a fantasy audio. She did perfect with the different voices and levels of changes in her voice for different genders. Phenomenal performance and Production!!

[Kate - Lekxareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: 🎧

Princess Exile was a good audiobook. Some parts felt slow and had extra filler, but I still enjoyed listening to it.

It was hard to see how people took advantage of Anastasia while she was cursed. She was powerless, and that made those moments painful to read. I really liked watching her grow. She learned to accept her role, care for others, discovered her magic, and found a true friend by the end.

Thank you to @PodiumEntertainment and narrator Jennifer Jill Araya for a great audio experience 🎧✨

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Nameless world POV

The Author set out to explore the Nameless World from yet another Point of View.

And wrote a very entertaining coming of Age story. But the protagonist was not that young. But she was that naive and sheltered. And lazy.

I have very high copy editing standards. Unusually this edition of the book failed them 3 times.

I hope you can enjoy this book as a stand alone if you haven't been reading stories from the Nameless world before.

Enjoy.

[Tracey Sheets · Rating 5 out of 5]

want more!!!!

I really enjoyed this and it was interesting seeing the Princess progress in the story. I would love to see what else happens with her.

SPOILER
I would also like to know more about the presence/thing that tried to push its way into their reality. Plus, the Death magic is interesting. Didn’t they teach that in the past with Lord Whitehall’s commune?

You have so many great ideas and I love devouring your books! Thank you

[Richard Grenvile · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice addition to the Unnamed World.

I was put off by the early slavery. It was as the kids say, triggering. But he brought it back around and it ends as a strong Nuttall. I look forward to more of Stasia. I'd like to see her bridge the Schooled, Cunning and Stuck series.

[Mr H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another series?

Does Anastasia manage to control her powers fully? Do her friends turn up? Does Felix reappear?
Obviously Patsy survives, but is Anastasia Strong enough to win against Patsy?

[Michael Bonkowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stand alone stories really improve the understanding of this universe

As always with Mr. Nuttall a well written entertaining story that reveals more about the world he has created. I have loved the stories set in this universe since the first one.

[John Sapienza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Job Training a Princess

Nuttall does a good job playing with classic story tropes. His essay at the end makes explicit the concepts used here and some of the other novels in the Schooled in Magic series. I’m impressed.

[Kalin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adventurous, humorous & youthful.
Love hearing the self growth and reflections during her journey home.
Narrator is entertaining. Easily guides you through the trouble one lost princess must navigate.
Audiobook 🎧

[Timothy Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like these spinoffs from the original Nameless World

I look forward to part 2 of this. Maybe by part 3 Emily will appear for a moment as she did in the Cunning man.

[Julie Malcolm · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little repetitive

[Matthew Dolan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done! I would like to read a follow-up book or two.