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The Dark Side of Surrender: A Forbidden Vampire Romance
Tommi Boiko strides in, amaranthine flame in hand, and burns my life to the ground. I see the red flags. I pick them up and I wave them high. But he’s hotter than hell and those scraps of red are left smoldering on the ground—blackened, hissing, and spitting in his wake—while he baits me, snares me and pulls me in.
Welcome to your next favourite academy-based romantic fantasy. You’re going to love Academy of Fangs and Flames if you love forbidden romance, teased out spice, dark fantasy themes, a long list of trigger warnings and plots that twist.
This year, Kat will learn more than she bargains for as a senior at St Nick’s Academy for Elite Neolights. Along with her fire-wielding, vampire-hunting peers, she’s exposed to the recent onslaught of vampire attacks plaguing the neo community; from threatening messages to full on massacres.
When Kat becomes the target of one such attack, Tom finds her lost in the forest, alone and half frozen to death. He sees the bites. He knows what she will become, and her terrible secret binds them together.
Lies and betrayal ignite magic and rebellion in this fast-paced, dark-romantasy book series.
Welcome to your next favourite academy-based romantic fantasy. You’re going to love Academy of Fangs and Flames if you love forbidden romance, teased out spice, dark fantasy themes, a long list of trigger warnings and plots that twist.
This year, Kat will learn more than she bargains for as a senior at St Nick’s Academy for Elite Neolights. Along with her fire-wielding, vampire-hunting peers, she’s exposed to the recent onslaught of vampire attacks plaguing the neo community; from threatening messages to full on massacres.
When Kat becomes the target of one such attack, Tom finds her lost in the forest, alone and half frozen to death. He sees the bites. He knows what she will become, and her terrible secret binds them together.
Lies and betrayal ignite magic and rebellion in this fast-paced, dark-romantasy book series.
624 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 8, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2025
Really enjoyed this book, a unique take on vampires coupled with an academy slow burn romance and you have *chefs kiss*
July 1, 2025
Loved it!!!
A captivating adventure from start to finish and can't wait for the next instalment!
A captivating adventure from start to finish and can't wait for the next instalment!
June 18, 2026
I enjoyed the first half of this and then the second half was a 2 star
June 22, 2025
Dark, addictive, and full of bite. Academy of Fangs and Flames delivers forbidden romance, dangerous magic, and twists that keep you turning pages late into the night. Kat and Tommi’s chemistry burns, the worldbuilding grips, and the secrets? Deliciously deadly. A must-read for dark fantasy and academy romance fans.
June 8, 2025
I’m still recovering from this book in the best way possible.
The Dark Side of Surrender is everything I wanted in a dark academy romance and then some. It’s seductive, unflinching, and wild in all the ways that make you want to devour it in one sitting and then reread it just to feel the burn again.
Kat, our protagonist, is fierce and fragile in equal measure. Her journey at St. Nick’s Academy feels like a slow unraveling of secrets, power, trust and watching her navigate that, while being hunted, judged, and ultimately changed, kept me constantly on edge. And then there’s Tommi Boiko. Dark. Dangerous. Absolutely magnetic. He is the red flag I would sprint toward. The way Anna Goldsmith crafts his entrance flame in hand, setting everything on fire you know immediately that no one’s walking away unscathed.
This book doesn’t shy away from pain or passion. The chemistry between Kat and Tom is intense, teased out in ways that never feel rushed but absolutely drip with tension. The romance is deliciously forbidden, but what stood out more was how personal their connection felt amid the chaos. It’s more than attraction it’s survival, it’s ruin, it’s surrender.
The world Goldsmith has built is brutal and beautiful. The vampire mythology is fresh and disturbing, with enough gore and magic to give it real stakes (pun intended). The academy setting adds that perfect layer of secrets-behind-closed-doors, and the social politics between the Neolights and the vampires felt chillingly relevant at times.
Also, shoutout to the pacing: it’s tight. Every chapter lands. Twists hit like gut punches, and there were at least three moments where I had to stop and whisper “no freaking way” to myself. This is definitely a series starter, and it feels like it we get answers, but also a thousand more questions. But in a good, “give me the next book now” kind of way.
Trigger warnings? Yes, and rightfully so. This is not a lighthearted read. It’s dark romance for a reason violent, sexy, morally gray. But it never felt gratuitous to me. The emotional payoffs and character growth justified the darker moments.
If you’re into paranormal fantasy with blood, betrayal, and a slow-burning romance that eventually explodes, you’ll love this. Think Vampire Academy meets A Court of Thorns and Roses, but with more bite and a hell of a lot more fire.
I’m all in for this series. Kat’s transformation, Tommi’s pull, the academy’s secrets it’s everything I didn’t know I needed.
The Dark Side of Surrender is everything I wanted in a dark academy romance and then some. It’s seductive, unflinching, and wild in all the ways that make you want to devour it in one sitting and then reread it just to feel the burn again.
Kat, our protagonist, is fierce and fragile in equal measure. Her journey at St. Nick’s Academy feels like a slow unraveling of secrets, power, trust and watching her navigate that, while being hunted, judged, and ultimately changed, kept me constantly on edge. And then there’s Tommi Boiko. Dark. Dangerous. Absolutely magnetic. He is the red flag I would sprint toward. The way Anna Goldsmith crafts his entrance flame in hand, setting everything on fire you know immediately that no one’s walking away unscathed.
This book doesn’t shy away from pain or passion. The chemistry between Kat and Tom is intense, teased out in ways that never feel rushed but absolutely drip with tension. The romance is deliciously forbidden, but what stood out more was how personal their connection felt amid the chaos. It’s more than attraction it’s survival, it’s ruin, it’s surrender.
The world Goldsmith has built is brutal and beautiful. The vampire mythology is fresh and disturbing, with enough gore and magic to give it real stakes (pun intended). The academy setting adds that perfect layer of secrets-behind-closed-doors, and the social politics between the Neolights and the vampires felt chillingly relevant at times.
Also, shoutout to the pacing: it’s tight. Every chapter lands. Twists hit like gut punches, and there were at least three moments where I had to stop and whisper “no freaking way” to myself. This is definitely a series starter, and it feels like it we get answers, but also a thousand more questions. But in a good, “give me the next book now” kind of way.
Trigger warnings? Yes, and rightfully so. This is not a lighthearted read. It’s dark romance for a reason violent, sexy, morally gray. But it never felt gratuitous to me. The emotional payoffs and character growth justified the darker moments.
If you’re into paranormal fantasy with blood, betrayal, and a slow-burning romance that eventually explodes, you’ll love this. Think Vampire Academy meets A Court of Thorns and Roses, but with more bite and a hell of a lot more fire.
I’m all in for this series. Kat’s transformation, Tommi’s pull, the academy’s secrets it’s everything I didn’t know I needed.
May 27, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Sharp, Fast-Paced Neo Academy Ride
If Vampire Diaries had a cousin raised on secret societies and elite training grounds, this would be it. Academy of Fangs and Flames: Book 1 - The Dark Side of Surrender, throws you into a darkly glittering world of fangs, secrets, and schoolyard politics—with just enough danger to keep your heart racing.
Think Legacies meets Red Queen, but with more bite and less brooding. The academy setting is deliciously cutthroat, where students are trained not only to survive, but to protect the very world that fears them. The writing is razor-sharp and refreshingly witty, with dialogue that actually made me smile.
What really works is the pacing—no slow turns here. The plot moves, the stakes (no pun intended) are high, and the characters are layered just enough to keep you emotionally hooked without dragging down the story. It’s a great pick for fans of paranormal YA who like their vampires with attitude, secrets with teeth, and heroines who refuse to sit by prettily.
I'm already thinking about book two. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their fantasy smart, stylish, and a little bit dangerous.
I don’t really believe much in five stars, but 4 in a half isn’t an option and it deserves better than a four.
A Sharp, Fast-Paced Neo Academy Ride
If Vampire Diaries had a cousin raised on secret societies and elite training grounds, this would be it. Academy of Fangs and Flames: Book 1 - The Dark Side of Surrender, throws you into a darkly glittering world of fangs, secrets, and schoolyard politics—with just enough danger to keep your heart racing.
Think Legacies meets Red Queen, but with more bite and less brooding. The academy setting is deliciously cutthroat, where students are trained not only to survive, but to protect the very world that fears them. The writing is razor-sharp and refreshingly witty, with dialogue that actually made me smile.
What really works is the pacing—no slow turns here. The plot moves, the stakes (no pun intended) are high, and the characters are layered just enough to keep you emotionally hooked without dragging down the story. It’s a great pick for fans of paranormal YA who like their vampires with attitude, secrets with teeth, and heroines who refuse to sit by prettily.
I'm already thinking about book two. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their fantasy smart, stylish, and a little bit dangerous.
I don’t really believe much in five stars, but 4 in a half isn’t an option and it deserves better than a four.
August 18, 2025
I loved this book. Despite my absolute love of vampire TV shows and movies I had actually never read a vampire book outside of Twilight.
Well, let me tell you. I devoured this. I found the story line and the new take on vampires with Neolights as hunters really interesting. The plot was compelling and kept me on my toes.
The story follows Kat as she navigates the secrets of her birth right. Her intense chemistry with Tom and her dealing with his betrayal. I loved the slow burn and the angst between these two. It had me rooting for them the whole time. The internal conflict for Tom stuck between what he thought was right and what he now knows is right.
Gripping storyline, characters you root for and an interesting take on vampires and magic. Dying for the next instalment.
Well, let me tell you. I devoured this. I found the story line and the new take on vampires with Neolights as hunters really interesting. The plot was compelling and kept me on my toes.
The story follows Kat as she navigates the secrets of her birth right. Her intense chemistry with Tom and her dealing with his betrayal. I loved the slow burn and the angst between these two. It had me rooting for them the whole time. The internal conflict for Tom stuck between what he thought was right and what he now knows is right.
Gripping storyline, characters you root for and an interesting take on vampires and magic. Dying for the next instalment.
June 3, 2025
Vampires meets X-Men meets academy romance. This is a must-read for anyone who loves the fantasy academy sub genre, with enough freshness to keep it from getting lost in all the other offerings out there. The heroine is smart and capable, while still feeling realistic in the challenges she faces. And a SLOW BURN of a romance! The will they won’t they is fantastic, and has me itching for the next book in hopes that they finally will.
August 2, 2025
This book is everything that I needed in a book so excited for the second one x
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews