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Deathbringer #1
Deathbringer
Not yet published
Expected 19 May 26For fans of Naomi Novik and Kerri Maniscalco, a dark academia romantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love, and a twisty murder mystery set within the perilous halls of a magical institute, as a death mage who hates her magic and a poison mage who hates her are forced to work together to stop a killer before one of them is next.
Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola hates her magic. It killed her sister, Olivia, and if she doesn’t learn why, it will kill her too. Her only hope lies within the perilous walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days.
There, Viola clashes with Sylas, a poison mage whose magic stems from three magical snakes. Immortal, tormented, and reckless, Sylas is tethered to a life he never asked for and haunted by guilt for his father’s death. His hatred for death mages runs deep, and he’s determined to keep Viola at a distance. But when an attack forces him to heal her, their fates become intertwined by a magical bond that threatens to upend his loyalties—and his common sense.
As more students start turning up dead, Viola and Sylas are drawn into an uneasy alliance that pulls them deeper into Gorhail’s treacherous passageways, where secrets fester beneath the stone and the dead do not rest. And as enemy lines begin to blur and their undeniable attraction grows, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling conspiracy: someone is hunting mages for their magical relics, and if they can’t uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.
Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola hates her magic. It killed her sister, Olivia, and if she doesn’t learn why, it will kill her too. Her only hope lies within the perilous walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days.
There, Viola clashes with Sylas, a poison mage whose magic stems from three magical snakes. Immortal, tormented, and reckless, Sylas is tethered to a life he never asked for and haunted by guilt for his father’s death. His hatred for death mages runs deep, and he’s determined to keep Viola at a distance. But when an attack forces him to heal her, their fates become intertwined by a magical bond that threatens to upend his loyalties—and his common sense.
As more students start turning up dead, Viola and Sylas are drawn into an uneasy alliance that pulls them deeper into Gorhail’s treacherous passageways, where secrets fester beneath the stone and the dead do not rest. And as enemy lines begin to blur and their undeniable attraction grows, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling conspiracy: someone is hunting mages for their magical relics, and if they can’t uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2026
31032 people want to read
About the author
Sonia Tagliareni
1 book175 followersSonia Tagliareni is a fantasy author who’s always looking for the next best cup of tea. The first story she wrote was a murder mystery for French class at thirteen, and rumor has it the murderer outsmarted her but also left her with a deep love of storytelling. Born and raised in Mauritius, she moved to the United States before deciding she prefers to hop around the world. If she’s not glued to her laptop, you can find her dragging her husband and son to high tea.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 904 reviews
March 9, 2026
4.25⭐️
╰► 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!
⋆˚꩜｡𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 📋
╰┈➤ deathbringer follows viola, a death mage who can speak to the dead—a power she hates because it led to her sisters death and may eventually kill her too. hoping to uncover the truth, she enrolls at the dangerous gorhail institute of magic, where her sister once studied. there she clashes with sylas, an immortal poison mage bound to three magical snakes who despises death magic. after a magical incident binds their fates together, they’re forced into an uneasy partnership. as students at gorhail begin turning up dead, viola and sylas must investigate a dark conspiracy involving murdered mages and stolen magical relics—while realizing viola may be the killers next target.
⋆˚꩜｡ 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 💭
╰┈➤ I NEED THE NEXT BOOK! i really didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as i did! the plot was really interesting and unique—as well the magic system. about 50% through was when i was really immersed in the story and i didn’t want to stop reading (i say that even though it took me 2 weeks to finish this book 😭
since it took me that long to finish this book while reading others at the same time, i started to forget some things in the past chapters which kind of bumped down my rating. so that part is completely on me and not the author, it just reduced my enjoyment a little bit 😬 also, there was one part that i was stuck on that had me searching up these characters on my kindle because it was a major turning point in this book, but i just felt confused and didn’t get to have that excited/shocking reaction (but if i had kept reading the next chapter would’ve told me)
towards the end of the book, so many secrets and betrayals were unraveling that my jaw just kept dropping! and at a few parts i started to get emotional and i almost cried—which caught me by total surprise because if anything, i never would’ve expect this book to make me emotional.
anyways, i totally enjoyed this book and i’m really really looking forwards to what happens in the next book!
⋆˚꩜｡ 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣🔒
╰┈➤ i would most definitely recommend this book! it’s really fun once you get into it! i think it’s built on a very solid foundation that makes it interesting and i’m so glad i enjoyed this!
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀.ೃ࿔°
ᯓ★ˎˊ˗ 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 ᯓ★ˎˊ˗
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒍, 𝑺𝒚𝒍𝒂𝒔.” 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚
“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚
“𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚
“𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎; 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎; 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕. 𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆?”
↠━━━━ღ◆ღ━━r━━↞
❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･pre-read ʚɞ
i’m pretty sure this arc is gonna be archived in 2 days so…i need to read this now 😭 i’m 1 chapter in and honestly…it’s really interesting! (i’m also in a blizzard, so i’ll hopefully be able to finish this tomorrow🤞)
⤿ ⋮ ⌗ ┆ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: 𝘧𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 22𝘯𝘥 | 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 6𝘵𝘩
ᝰ.ᐟ ˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
⟢ 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: 𝙢𝙖𝙮 12𝙩𝙝 2026
╰► 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄!
“𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒆𝒓𝒊. 𝑾𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏, 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆.”
⋆˚꩜｡𝙨𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 📋
╰┈➤ deathbringer follows viola, a death mage who can speak to the dead—a power she hates because it led to her sisters death and may eventually kill her too. hoping to uncover the truth, she enrolls at the dangerous gorhail institute of magic, where her sister once studied. there she clashes with sylas, an immortal poison mage bound to three magical snakes who despises death magic. after a magical incident binds their fates together, they’re forced into an uneasy partnership. as students at gorhail begin turning up dead, viola and sylas must investigate a dark conspiracy involving murdered mages and stolen magical relics—while realizing viola may be the killers next target.
⋆˚꩜｡ 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 💭
╰┈➤ I NEED THE NEXT BOOK! i really didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as i did! the plot was really interesting and unique—as well the magic system. about 50% through was when i was really immersed in the story and i didn’t want to stop reading (i say that even though it took me 2 weeks to finish this book 😭
since it took me that long to finish this book while reading others at the same time, i started to forget some things in the past chapters which kind of bumped down my rating. so that part is completely on me and not the author, it just reduced my enjoyment a little bit 😬 also, there was one part that i was stuck on that had me searching up these characters on my kindle because it was a major turning point in this book, but i just felt confused and didn’t get to have that excited/shocking reaction (but if i had kept reading the next chapter would’ve told me)
towards the end of the book, so many secrets and betrayals were unraveling that my jaw just kept dropping! and at a few parts i started to get emotional and i almost cried—which caught me by total surprise because if anything, i never would’ve expect this book to make me emotional.
anyways, i totally enjoyed this book and i’m really really looking forwards to what happens in the next book!
⋆˚꩜｡ 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣🔒
╰┈➤ i would most definitely recommend this book! it’s really fun once you get into it! i think it’s built on a very solid foundation that makes it interesting and i’m so glad i enjoyed this!
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･°❀.ೃ࿔°
ᯓ★ˎˊ˗ 𝙦𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙞 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 ᯓ★ˎˊ˗
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒍, 𝑺𝒚𝒍𝒂𝒔.” 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆. 𝑰𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒑 𝒆𝒅𝒈𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒏𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒎𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒓.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚
“𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆’𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚
“𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎, 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍.”
.𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚
“𝑰𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒂 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎; 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎; 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒉𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅, 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕. 𝑾𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆?”
↠━━━━ღ◆ღ━━r━━↞
❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･pre-read ʚɞ
i’m pretty sure this arc is gonna be archived in 2 days so…i need to read this now 😭 i’m 1 chapter in and honestly…it’s really interesting! (i’m also in a blizzard, so i’ll hopefully be able to finish this tomorrow🤞)
⤿ ⋮ ⌗ ┆ 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥: 𝘧𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 22𝘯𝘥 | 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥: 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 6𝘵𝘩
ᝰ.ᐟ ˖᯽ ݁˖· ─ 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸
⟢ 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: 𝙢𝙖𝙮 12𝙩𝙝 2026
February 13, 2026
Dearest Reader,
I write this letter overcome by two emotions: overwhelming gratitude that I even get to do this and nervous anticipation because this is a very real book that very real people will read!!!
Deathbringer came to me at a moment I needed it the most, a moment where I was lost and needed an anchor, and within its haunted pages, I found home. Viola, Sylas, and the crew became my very own found family; they took me on the wildest adventures through haunted hallways and treacherous forests. And it’s still surreal because when I was stealing little pockets of time to write this story, I never thought it would take a life of its own. If I could go back and meet 2023 Sonia who stayed up till 4am writing a story not knowing if anyone else would ever read it, I’d hug her and tell her it was all worth it. My hope is that even for a little bit, Gorhail becomes your home too.
Enough sappiness! I’m SO excited for you to meet the characters who’ve lived in my head for almost a decade. SO curious to know who your favourite character will be, which aspier you’ll love the most, and which of the three Houses draws you in. I simply cannot wait for Deathbringer to take a new shape through your eyes. When I sign off, I’ll be leaving you with my most prized possession: my book. Except now, it’s no longer just mine. It’s ours.
Be wary. Be steady.
Welcome to Gorhail!
Sonia
I write this letter overcome by two emotions: overwhelming gratitude that I even get to do this and nervous anticipation because this is a very real book that very real people will read!!!
Deathbringer came to me at a moment I needed it the most, a moment where I was lost and needed an anchor, and within its haunted pages, I found home. Viola, Sylas, and the crew became my very own found family; they took me on the wildest adventures through haunted hallways and treacherous forests. And it’s still surreal because when I was stealing little pockets of time to write this story, I never thought it would take a life of its own. If I could go back and meet 2023 Sonia who stayed up till 4am writing a story not knowing if anyone else would ever read it, I’d hug her and tell her it was all worth it. My hope is that even for a little bit, Gorhail becomes your home too.
Enough sappiness! I’m SO excited for you to meet the characters who’ve lived in my head for almost a decade. SO curious to know who your favourite character will be, which aspier you’ll love the most, and which of the three Houses draws you in. I simply cannot wait for Deathbringer to take a new shape through your eyes. When I sign off, I’ll be leaving you with my most prized possession: my book. Except now, it’s no longer just mine. It’s ours.
Be wary. Be steady.
Welcome to Gorhail!
Sonia
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3-3.25!
Rollercoaster of info except without any clear direction and explanation. Also the first half was boring.
A death mage has an ability to speak with the dead but hates her own magic because it killed her sister. If she doesn't learn in time why her magic kills, she will be dead too. Her only hope lies within the walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where she meets Silas with whom she clashes! His hatred for death mages runs deep because a death mage killed his father. They need each other to solve their problems but their tension runs high and enemy lines begin to blur as attraction grows. If they can't solve the mystery, someone will be dead next..
Banging out these romantasy novels this month for you guys so you know what to expect!
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW
Big thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books Publisher and the author, Sonia Tagliareni for this eARC!
Publication date: May 12, 2026
Rollercoaster of info except without any clear direction and explanation. Also the first half was boring.
A death mage has an ability to speak with the dead but hates her own magic because it killed her sister. If she doesn't learn in time why her magic kills, she will be dead too. Her only hope lies within the walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where she meets Silas with whom she clashes! His hatred for death mages runs deep because a death mage killed his father. They need each other to solve their problems but their tension runs high and enemy lines begin to blur as attraction grows. If they can't solve the mystery, someone will be dead next..
Banging out these romantasy novels this month for you guys so you know what to expect!
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW
Big thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books Publisher and the author, Sonia Tagliareni for this eARC!
Publication date: May 12, 2026
February 4, 2026
Dark academia, necromancy & death magic, forbidden romance, and an absolutely stunning exploration of grief.
Honestly for the portrayal of grief alone, I’d give this book 5 stars. It is woven so seamlessly into the narrative and feels wildly relatable.
But the thing is, this book also delivers epically in terms of prose, pacing, romance, found family, shocking reveals, interesting world & magic, complex characters, emotional impact…
THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE BANGER.
I don’t really know what else to say other than, go read it right now!
Whats to love…
- atmospheric
- utterly quotable, gorgeous prose
- TENSIONNNNNNNN
- BANTER!!!!
- found family
- magical bonds
- who the F do I trust scheming and twists
- interesting wold and magic
- action-packed while still leaving plenty of time for complex character development + growth
As I write this I can’t help but think I may need to dive in for a reread soon, this is a world you want to get lost in!
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Atria for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
Honestly for the portrayal of grief alone, I’d give this book 5 stars. It is woven so seamlessly into the narrative and feels wildly relatable.
But the thing is, this book also delivers epically in terms of prose, pacing, romance, found family, shocking reveals, interesting world & magic, complex characters, emotional impact…
THIS BOOK IS AN ABSOLUTE BANGER.
I don’t really know what else to say other than, go read it right now!
Whats to love…
- atmospheric
- utterly quotable, gorgeous prose
- TENSIONNNNNNNN
- BANTER!!!!
- found family
- magical bonds
- who the F do I trust scheming and twists
- interesting wold and magic
- action-packed while still leaving plenty of time for complex character development + growth
As I write this I can’t help but think I may need to dive in for a reread soon, this is a world you want to get lost in!
| IG | TikTok |
Thank you Atria for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
April 30, 2026
My experience with Deathbringer was a bit all over the place if I’m being honest. The initial hook was excellent—you have a mage who keeps her death magic controlled and hidden by crashing funerals and working in a mortuary. I was immediately interested in Viola’s story and why she was so determined to live a non-magical life. In the next chapter we meet Sylas, a poison mage who is attempting to join the world’s magical law enforcement. Lots of murders ensue, and Viola and Sylas have to put aside their prejudices to work together to solve them.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The magic system was unique and I LOVED the poison relics, which are living(?) serpents that channel the mages’ magic. The atmosphere was also just what I wanted. There were catacombs and evil magic zombies, so obviously the vibes were there!
The vocabulary was unique and I really was interested in how everything worked in this world. I think my interest was what ultimately hampered my enjoyment. I felt like a lot of information was given, but I still knew nothing about the culture, the justice system, the time period (1939, but not really?), what the magical/non-magical governments looked like, or if they even existed.
I feel like I was left with more questions about the world than I came in with, which is not ideal for a fantasy novel. I feel like so much focus was placed on things that ended up not being relevant to the plot, we didn’t actually learn anything about the larger world outside of the magic academy. There were also a few inconsistencies that I’m sure the publisher will have corrected upon release, so I might reread and give a higher rating later if my questions are answered!
I did end up really liking Viola and Sylas, even though I was viscerally reminded that their prefrontal cortexes weren’t fully developed a few times. 😂 I think Sylas especially had a lot of character development.
My enjoyment was a bit of a rollercoaster, so I’m settling on 3 stars. I’ll still probably read the next book so I can ✨hopefully✨ have some answers 🤞🏻
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy! 🖤
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The magic system was unique and I LOVED the poison relics, which are living(?) serpents that channel the mages’ magic. The atmosphere was also just what I wanted. There were catacombs and evil magic zombies, so obviously the vibes were there!
The vocabulary was unique and I really was interested in how everything worked in this world. I think my interest was what ultimately hampered my enjoyment. I felt like a lot of information was given, but I still knew nothing about the culture, the justice system, the time period (1939, but not really?), what the magical/non-magical governments looked like, or if they even existed.
I feel like I was left with more questions about the world than I came in with, which is not ideal for a fantasy novel. I feel like so much focus was placed on things that ended up not being relevant to the plot, we didn’t actually learn anything about the larger world outside of the magic academy. There were also a few inconsistencies that I’m sure the publisher will have corrected upon release, so I might reread and give a higher rating later if my questions are answered!
I did end up really liking Viola and Sylas, even though I was viscerally reminded that their prefrontal cortexes weren’t fully developed a few times. 😂 I think Sylas especially had a lot of character development.
My enjoyment was a bit of a rollercoaster, so I’m settling on 3 stars. I’ll still probably read the next book so I can ✨hopefully✨ have some answers 🤞🏻
Huge thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy! 🖤
January 8, 2026
huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I finished this before bed last night and I am still reeling from that ending...especially because this book is not published yet and looks like I may have to wait until the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027 for the next!!!
this book has mystery, murder, suspense, dark academia, romance, and a little bit of spice.
we are delivered into a world of magic... and the magic system is different than what I have read before.. we are use to corrupt worlds, people who do not accept others for as they are, and so on... but in this book? everyone is corrupt in their own ways and truly there is a war waging, and in the end, I do not think anyone will be truly a victor besides ridding the world of one evil to keep bringing more... honestly, to truly understand this world and their system, you have to read it because there is so many holes... the world building in this was astounding and amazing along with truly explaining the politics and political system amongst young adults just trying to survive a world they had no part in but because of their ancestors, they all cursed in different ways.
the beginning was slow for me due to the world building at first and the pace just was casual amongst the devastation going on around... but once pieces started clicking, twists were discovered... I could not stop until the end. I had to truly know how this was going to end and man... I am so heartbroken.
also, I don't know if this is suppose to be considered enemies to lovers... I get the aspect of it and how they tried to play it... but truly, I don't think I ever felt the hatred or fear they tried to place between the fmc and mmc but I did enjoy their chemistry hehe
viola - she was thrusted into magic that she never truly wanted and into a home that was never home for her. her whole life is a tragedy and i just ugh.
sylas - i'll admit i did not like him in the beginning due to his arrogance and i don't know, he was a little meh. but he grew on me, especially as he slowly started to care more and more for Vi.
honorable mentions to lyria, beau, ysnenia, and olivia
screw you paltro, delaney, and grimm
----------------------------
leave me alone rn cause i am crying
rtc
I finished this before bed last night and I am still reeling from that ending...especially because this book is not published yet and looks like I may have to wait until the end of 2026 or beginning of 2027 for the next!!!
this book has mystery, murder, suspense, dark academia, romance, and a little bit of spice.
we are delivered into a world of magic... and the magic system is different than what I have read before.. we are use to corrupt worlds, people who do not accept others for as they are, and so on... but in this book? everyone is corrupt in their own ways and truly there is a war waging, and in the end, I do not think anyone will be truly a victor besides ridding the world of one evil to keep bringing more... honestly, to truly understand this world and their system, you have to read it because there is so many holes... the world building in this was astounding and amazing along with truly explaining the politics and political system amongst young adults just trying to survive a world they had no part in but because of their ancestors, they all cursed in different ways.
the beginning was slow for me due to the world building at first and the pace just was casual amongst the devastation going on around... but once pieces started clicking, twists were discovered... I could not stop until the end. I had to truly know how this was going to end and man... I am so heartbroken.
also, I don't know if this is suppose to be considered enemies to lovers... I get the aspect of it and how they tried to play it... but truly, I don't think I ever felt the hatred or fear they tried to place between the fmc and mmc but I did enjoy their chemistry hehe
viola - she was thrusted into magic that she never truly wanted and into a home that was never home for her. her whole life is a tragedy and i just ugh.
sylas - i'll admit i did not like him in the beginning due to his arrogance and i don't know, he was a little meh. but he grew on me, especially as he slowly started to care more and more for Vi.
honorable mentions to lyria, beau, ysnenia, and olivia
screw you paltro, delaney, and grimm
----------------------------
leave me alone rn cause i am crying
rtc
November 27, 2025
2/5
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
I was so deeply anticipating this novel so for it to be disappointing really kills me. With that being said, I think that if you go into it expecting more of a YA feeling novel, you may enjoy it much more than I did. As someone who doesn't really enjoy most YA fantasy or a lot of crossover fantasy (which I'd say this one is), I just couldn't get into this story.
The first 20% has such horrendous pacing that I was about to DNF, especially as our main characters had yet to meet. When they did meet I became more invested but it did not stay that way. I will say the writing style is good for a debut.
I was immediately annoyed with Viola due to her hatred of magic. Look - I despise most stories where the main character hates magic because I wish magic was real and would love it. I do think, though, that when done right that approach to a story can be insanely good. This novel, I'm afraid, did not land in that camp. I think the reason for Viola to hate her magic was so flimsy that it made her look rather idiotic. I mean - she refuses to learn anything about the magic practically, but it's DEATH MAGIC. GIRL. This is magic I would need to want to have a hold on due to the danger factor!! Instead she just ignores it b because her Dad, who she NEVER MET, died because of it. ??????? Like what?????? Why would this be a reason? Why would her Mom and Nan having it not matter and she gets hooked up on the fact her Dad she never knew died due to it? The logic is weak, and results in Viola just seeming stupid to be frank. She all of a sudden is great at magic when she does end up using it, so what does it matter I guess.
Sylas....man he's an idiot. At least 15 people have died due to his actions in this book. His hatred for Mortemagi is so visceral that it's disturbing to read and very much gives like...eugenics/mass murder vibes with the whole they should be eradicated talk. His hatred for them is NEVER overcome and he only accepts Viola because she's a crossmage with his powers as well. His stupidity is astounding, his actions needlessly cruel, and his random mood swings towards Viola are absurd. I don't like the girl but she didn't deserve him as a lover. I was hardcore rooting for a second love interest okay.
The romance is an insta-love mess. Saying you'd go to war for a man you've known for just over two weeks is INSANE. I was so dumbfounded by how they could love each other so much when Silas HATED her and treated her TERRIBLY for at least one of those weeks. And he wasn't around for all of them to boot! I just did not believe in their relationship and I could not take any of the love declarations or dramatic sacrifices seriously. I will say that I do think they had chemistry - I just don't think insta-love was the move. Slow burn next time please!!
The plot is very YA so I think anyone with a good grip of the genre can guess who the bad guy is (everyone hates the guy anyway so when the reveal came I did not care) and nearly all the plot-twists. I think it's all very convenient how the characters came across information and figured things out. I feel there were good thematic messages about lots of real problems, mainly corruption, and I wish they'd been explored more.
Also the world building is messy. I don't know what the government of this world is. Do they have a monarch or president or what?? It's ten provinces but all we get are some provinces names thrown out with no clues as to their climate, culture, etc. The whole world seems to be everyone is the same everywhere. It was very Harry Potter esque at times. I also was so confused as to how DOTS (their police force and army combined I guess) worked. How do they work in every province if we're never really told what the central government of this place is? Does this mean the provinces have no provincial DOTS, and they're all put in place and controlled by the non-existent government and are a federal force? Why is there no justice system to speak of, and why does no one have a lawyer? Why are people given automatic death sentences with no trials? Is Gorhail the only magical school? If so, why, and if not, why do we never hear of any others? Why is the school basically a k - university school? What is the religious system? Do all provinces worship the same Gods? Why is the god of death disrespected since he is the god of DEATH? And how does the mortal world even properly coexist alongside the magical one with their police, government, etc? And why for the love of God is the underworld like a POLICE STATION OFFICE. WHY WOULD YOU MAKE IT SO BORING. These are just SOME of the questions I have that went unanswered in this novel.
The side characters are all really good. Hats off to that. I adore Lyria and really liked Victor. I did hate Yselia though. Her backstory makes no sense at all (why would she abandon him? Like????? At least explain yourself because I right now think she's awful for doing that).
The end was so bad and I just have no words for how meh it all is. I wish I'd loved this. Alas :(
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review!
I was so deeply anticipating this novel so for it to be disappointing really kills me. With that being said, I think that if you go into it expecting more of a YA feeling novel, you may enjoy it much more than I did. As someone who doesn't really enjoy most YA fantasy or a lot of crossover fantasy (which I'd say this one is), I just couldn't get into this story.
The first 20% has such horrendous pacing that I was about to DNF, especially as our main characters had yet to meet. When they did meet I became more invested but it did not stay that way. I will say the writing style is good for a debut.
I was immediately annoyed with Viola due to her hatred of magic. Look - I despise most stories where the main character hates magic because I wish magic was real and would love it. I do think, though, that when done right that approach to a story can be insanely good. This novel, I'm afraid, did not land in that camp. I think the reason for Viola to hate her magic was so flimsy that it made her look rather idiotic. I mean - she refuses to learn anything about the magic practically, but it's DEATH MAGIC. GIRL. This is magic I would need to want to have a hold on due to the danger factor!! Instead she just ignores it b because her Dad, who she NEVER MET, died because of it. ??????? Like what?????? Why would this be a reason? Why would her Mom and Nan having it not matter and she gets hooked up on the fact her Dad she never knew died due to it? The logic is weak, and results in Viola just seeming stupid to be frank. She all of a sudden is great at magic when she does end up using it, so what does it matter I guess.
Sylas....man he's an idiot. At least 15 people have died due to his actions in this book. His hatred for Mortemagi is so visceral that it's disturbing to read and very much gives like...eugenics/mass murder vibes with the whole they should be eradicated talk. His hatred for them is NEVER overcome and he only accepts Viola because she's a crossmage with his powers as well. His stupidity is astounding, his actions needlessly cruel, and his random mood swings towards Viola are absurd. I don't like the girl but she didn't deserve him as a lover. I was hardcore rooting for a second love interest okay.
The romance is an insta-love mess. Saying you'd go to war for a man you've known for just over two weeks is INSANE. I was so dumbfounded by how they could love each other so much when Silas HATED her and treated her TERRIBLY for at least one of those weeks. And he wasn't around for all of them to boot! I just did not believe in their relationship and I could not take any of the love declarations or dramatic sacrifices seriously. I will say that I do think they had chemistry - I just don't think insta-love was the move. Slow burn next time please!!
The plot is very YA so I think anyone with a good grip of the genre can guess who the bad guy is (everyone hates the guy anyway so when the reveal came I did not care) and nearly all the plot-twists. I think it's all very convenient how the characters came across information and figured things out. I feel there were good thematic messages about lots of real problems, mainly corruption, and I wish they'd been explored more.
Also the world building is messy. I don't know what the government of this world is. Do they have a monarch or president or what?? It's ten provinces but all we get are some provinces names thrown out with no clues as to their climate, culture, etc. The whole world seems to be everyone is the same everywhere. It was very Harry Potter esque at times. I also was so confused as to how DOTS (their police force and army combined I guess) worked. How do they work in every province if we're never really told what the central government of this place is? Does this mean the provinces have no provincial DOTS, and they're all put in place and controlled by the non-existent government and are a federal force? Why is there no justice system to speak of, and why does no one have a lawyer? Why are people given automatic death sentences with no trials? Is Gorhail the only magical school? If so, why, and if not, why do we never hear of any others? Why is the school basically a k - university school? What is the religious system? Do all provinces worship the same Gods? Why is the god of death disrespected since he is the god of DEATH? And how does the mortal world even properly coexist alongside the magical one with their police, government, etc? And why for the love of God is the underworld like a POLICE STATION OFFICE. WHY WOULD YOU MAKE IT SO BORING. These are just SOME of the questions I have that went unanswered in this novel.
The side characters are all really good. Hats off to that. I adore Lyria and really liked Victor. I did hate Yselia though. Her backstory makes no sense at all (why would she abandon him? Like????? At least explain yourself because I right now think she's awful for doing that).
The end was so bad and I just have no words for how meh it all is. I wish I'd loved this. Alas :(
Read
December 19, 2025🩸⊹ ࣪ ˖
dnf @ 10%
thank you NetGalley and author for the earc…
thank you NetGalley and author for the earc…
November 29, 2025
I somehow read Viola as Violet for 50% of the book. Something wasn’t clicking apparently. Anyway…
The ending of this was cruel, and considering I read this very early, that means even longer for the next book. This pretty much caught my attention immediately from the start, I found the mystery and magic system aspects interesting. It was towards the middle where it seemed to drag a little bit.
These characters all were irritating me throughout. Viola just continued to make stupid decisions without thinking them through. Like girl when will you learn?? I was so sick of reading about her dislike for magic, and for the dumbest reason ever. Sylas was okay, but a huge mess. He was so hot and cold with Viola and that also got old quick. He needs to go and deal with his personal issues, because he also isn’t making the best decisions either. Also, his uncle can go die somewhere. I already forgot his name.
That aside, my dislike for the characters at time didn’t cause me to stop reading and I still really enjoyed the book. 4.5
The ending of this was cruel, and considering I read this very early, that means even longer for the next book. This pretty much caught my attention immediately from the start, I found the mystery and magic system aspects interesting. It was towards the middle where it seemed to drag a little bit.
These characters all were irritating me throughout. Viola just continued to make stupid decisions without thinking them through. Like girl when will you learn?? I was so sick of reading about her dislike for magic, and for the dumbest reason ever. Sylas was okay, but a huge mess. He was so hot and cold with Viola and that also got old quick. He needs to go and deal with his personal issues, because he also isn’t making the best decisions either. Also, his uncle can go die somewhere. I already forgot his name.
That aside, my dislike for the characters at time didn’t cause me to stop reading and I still really enjoyed the book. 4.5
April 13, 2026
With dark conspiracies and mysterious entanglements to keep you turning the pages, Deathbringer is a wonderful debut that’s hard to look away from. With layers of secrets slowly revealed against a beautifully gothic school built on the ghostly, reptilian and poisonous, stakes are high as death becomes the alarmingly accepted norm.
Our main group dynamic was one hell of a hook for me - Viola, Sylas, Lyria and Beau were characters who settled on into my mind and refused to leave. Brought together by tragedy, bound together as family both blood and found, reading about each of them both healed and hurt my heart in one.
Threaded with themes of power, purity, and prejudice, Deathbringer tells a story of magical corruption fuelled by the darker arts. Perfectly counterbalanced with its found family and the side of romance amidst it all, it’s easy to become as wrapped in the story as the Aspiers themselves.
The marketing for this book advertises it as a dark academia romantasy. While set in a school and containing a side romance, I personally would call it neither.
Our main group dynamic was one hell of a hook for me - Viola, Sylas, Lyria and Beau were characters who settled on into my mind and refused to leave. Brought together by tragedy, bound together as family both blood and found, reading about each of them both healed and hurt my heart in one.
Threaded with themes of power, purity, and prejudice, Deathbringer tells a story of magical corruption fuelled by the darker arts. Perfectly counterbalanced with its found family and the side of romance amidst it all, it’s easy to become as wrapped in the story as the Aspiers themselves.
The marketing for this book advertises it as a dark academia romantasy. While set in a school and containing a side romance, I personally would call it neither.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5
📅 pub date: May 12, 2026
Deathbringer is an ambitious debut with some strong ideas, but it ultimately felt like a familiar story told too quickly, with choices that consistently pulled me out of it.
The strongest element for me was the magic system, especially the focus on necromancy. Viola’s ability to speak with the dead added a darker edge that I genuinely enjoyed, and it was refreshing to see death magic play such a central role.
That said, the Harry Potter similarities were hard to ignore. A presumed-dead dark figure returns, devoted followers acting as enforcers, a magical institute divided into four houses, and a group of students doing the work the adults cannot. Individually these elements aren’t an issue, but together they made the story feel like a compressed version of an entire series rather than a fully realized first installment. The world needed more space to breathe, and many interesting ideas felt underdeveloped.
The romance didn’t work for me. It leaned very YA despite the inclusion of open-door scenes, managing to be instalove and slow burn at the same time. Much of the push and pull relied on prejudices that felt repetitive and unearned. Sylas, in particular, was difficult to root for, often coming across as impulsive and childish despite his supposed role within the magical authority structure.
The spice didn’t add much and honestly felt unnecessary. If that’s the only thing keeping this from being firmly YA, I think the story would have been stronger without it.
Overall, Deathbringer has potential, especially for readers who enjoy dark academia and necromancy, but it felt overcrowded and underdeveloped for me. This may work better for YA or YA-adjacent readers, and I’m curious to see if future installments give the world and characters more room to grow.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Atria Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
📅 pub date: May 12, 2026
Deathbringer is an ambitious debut with some strong ideas, but it ultimately felt like a familiar story told too quickly, with choices that consistently pulled me out of it.
The strongest element for me was the magic system, especially the focus on necromancy. Viola’s ability to speak with the dead added a darker edge that I genuinely enjoyed, and it was refreshing to see death magic play such a central role.
That said, the Harry Potter similarities were hard to ignore. A presumed-dead dark figure returns, devoted followers acting as enforcers, a magical institute divided into four houses, and a group of students doing the work the adults cannot. Individually these elements aren’t an issue, but together they made the story feel like a compressed version of an entire series rather than a fully realized first installment. The world needed more space to breathe, and many interesting ideas felt underdeveloped.
The romance didn’t work for me. It leaned very YA despite the inclusion of open-door scenes, managing to be instalove and slow burn at the same time. Much of the push and pull relied on prejudices that felt repetitive and unearned. Sylas, in particular, was difficult to root for, often coming across as impulsive and childish despite his supposed role within the magical authority structure.
The spice didn’t add much and honestly felt unnecessary. If that’s the only thing keeping this from being firmly YA, I think the story would have been stronger without it.
Overall, Deathbringer has potential, especially for readers who enjoy dark academia and necromancy, but it felt overcrowded and underdeveloped for me. This may work better for YA or YA-adjacent readers, and I’m curious to see if future installments give the world and characters more room to grow.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Atria Books for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
April 12, 2026This one was sadly a DNF for me. I made it 60% of the way into the book and found myself not really interested in picking it up. Maybe my questions about the worldbuilding would have been answered if I kept reading but I wish they would have been answered earlier on. I also didn’t feel any chemistry between the two leads so I didn’t feel particularly invested in any part of the book.
I felt like we spent the majority of what I read focused on explaining the magical history of the world and I had questions about how they actually practiced magic (we started a bit of that as Viola tried to control her magic but not enough for my taste), what they studied at the academy (I don’t think we were visited a class with any of the students), and about the other house that was not represented by our two leads. It is certainly a big undertaking to introduce a new magical world and it felt like Viola, our fish out of water character like Viola who knows nothing but attends a magical academy, would have been the perfect way to set up so many aspects but I felt like there was too much focus on one aspect and now enough focus on others.
I also felt like the magical connection between Sylas and Viola did a lot of the heavy lifting for the romance. I didn’t sense any chemistry or connection beyond them having an unexplained connection and possession due to the bond. And both characters read much more like YA than NA. I know YA and NA can sometimes be connected but there are things that I will overlook when characters are young (like immaturity) that are much harder to overlook when it is supposed to be NA.
If any of the below themes and tropes speak to you, you may still enjoy it. And I recommend reading some other reviews as well.
You will probably like this book if you like:
🪄 Fantasy romances set in academia with magical houses
🪄 Snakes as familiars
🪄 A murder mystery
🪄 Haunting ghosts
🪄 Love bonds
Thank you Atria and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ
Pre-Read Thoughts: I am excited to read a fantasy that has magical houses again. It feels nostalgic in a way.
I felt like we spent the majority of what I read focused on explaining the magical history of the world and I had questions about how they actually practiced magic (we started a bit of that as Viola tried to control her magic but not enough for my taste), what they studied at the academy (I don’t think we were visited a class with any of the students), and about the other house that was not represented by our two leads. It is certainly a big undertaking to introduce a new magical world and it felt like Viola, our fish out of water character like Viola who knows nothing but attends a magical academy, would have been the perfect way to set up so many aspects but I felt like there was too much focus on one aspect and now enough focus on others.
I also felt like the magical connection between Sylas and Viola did a lot of the heavy lifting for the romance. I didn’t sense any chemistry or connection beyond them having an unexplained connection and possession due to the bond. And both characters read much more like YA than NA. I know YA and NA can sometimes be connected but there are things that I will overlook when characters are young (like immaturity) that are much harder to overlook when it is supposed to be NA.
If any of the below themes and tropes speak to you, you may still enjoy it. And I recommend reading some other reviews as well.
You will probably like this book if you like:
🪄 Fantasy romances set in academia with magical houses
🪄 Snakes as familiars
🪄 A murder mystery
🪄 Haunting ghosts
🪄 Love bonds
Thank you Atria and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: May 12, 2026
ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ
Pre-Read Thoughts: I am excited to read a fantasy that has magical houses again. It feels nostalgic in a way.
ꨄ-dnf
October 31, 2025── .★ DNF 20%
This sounded like it would be something I would love—a dark academia romantasy with necromancy and forbidden romance. Unfortunately, I made the decision to DNF at 20% because I was already having issues. First of all, this feels more YA than adult. The writing wasn’t bad but I did notice a lot of repetition with telling rather than showing—also the pacing was incredibly slow from what I read. The world-building was flimsy and the characters' motivations were weak. Also her non magic sister being in a magic school for years and was never noticed(?) Surely they would have tests(?) It just wasn’t explained well. Overall, the author had some good ideas but execution wasn’t there for me.
This sounded like it would be something I would love—a dark academia romantasy with necromancy and forbidden romance. Unfortunately, I made the decision to DNF at 20% because I was already having issues. First of all, this feels more YA than adult. The writing wasn’t bad but I did notice a lot of repetition with telling rather than showing—also the pacing was incredibly slow from what I read. The world-building was flimsy and the characters' motivations were weak. Also her non magic sister being in a magic school for years and was never noticed(?) Surely they would have tests(?) It just wasn’t explained well. Overall, the author had some good ideas but execution wasn’t there for me.
November 14, 2025
HAHAHAHAHAHAH I FINISHED IT BUT ACTUALLY IT FINISHED ME AND I NEED BOOK TWO RIGHT NOW
October 7, 2025
Full disclosure, I couldn’t finish this book. It’s wayyyy too long for what it is, and underwhelming YA in disguise. The description really sold me, the actuality disappointed. It’s sounds twisty and gothic, what I did get was kids in their mid twenties acting ridiculous. I get action had to propel the plot but this was a lot. A lot of info dumping, a lot of insta-lust/love, and very little spooky academia. I just wanted more, maybe my expectations were too high, but honestly this book felt a mess. Not for me despite by description checking off a lot of boxes. The magic system? Not strong either. Also pleas explain how the FMC sister in the beginning could be at an only magical school and rise to the high ranks without having ANY MAGIC WHAT SO EVER. No one tests these kids? It doesn’t make sense. It’s too much and yet not enough.
Regardless of my feelings, I appreciate NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!
Regardless of my feelings, I appreciate NetGalley and publishers for the ARC!
October 15, 2025
I really wanted to like this book since the premise sounded so good, but ultimately it fell flat for me.
Viola and Sylas had no chemistry together and were insufferable. Sylas is prejuidiced against her type of magic and falls back on it at every opportunity to not like her. Viola has a martyr complex over her sisters death, hates her magic, and doesn't trust Sylas. Both of them continuously fall back on these for reasons to not like each and arguing about it every other chapter got old really quick.
The "adults" in the book seem to serve no other purpose than to declare how everything the MMC, FMC, and the side characters do to be illegal and tell them to report to prison so they can be executed for breaking the law. For how much worldbuilding the author attempted to put into this book, even at the end of the book I was still confused as to what was going on and how the magic system actually worked. The best I could understand was that you're either following the rules of the system and fine, or you commit the smallest infraction and are demoted and threatened with being sent to prison over it.
This book belongs in the YA category, not Adult, Fantasy or Romantasy. It has barely any spice, and even that was poorly written and felt forced into the plot to give it that more adult rating. The young adult agnst, miscommunication, third act breakup, all tropes that belong in a teen drama TV show.
Viola and Sylas had no chemistry together and were insufferable. Sylas is prejuidiced against her type of magic and falls back on it at every opportunity to not like her. Viola has a martyr complex over her sisters death, hates her magic, and doesn't trust Sylas. Both of them continuously fall back on these for reasons to not like each and arguing about it every other chapter got old really quick.
The "adults" in the book seem to serve no other purpose than to declare how everything the MMC, FMC, and the side characters do to be illegal and tell them to report to prison so they can be executed for breaking the law. For how much worldbuilding the author attempted to put into this book, even at the end of the book I was still confused as to what was going on and how the magic system actually worked. The best I could understand was that you're either following the rules of the system and fine, or you commit the smallest infraction and are demoted and threatened with being sent to prison over it.
This book belongs in the YA category, not Adult, Fantasy or Romantasy. It has barely any spice, and even that was poorly written and felt forced into the plot to give it that more adult rating. The young adult agnst, miscommunication, third act breakup, all tropes that belong in a teen drama TV show.
Did Not Finish
November 8, 2025DNF @ 30%
I really wanted to love this but I genuinely have zero interest in continuing😭 This is a case where literally both main characters--Viola and Sylas--are nottt clicking for me. And I really don't want to force myself to go through this book anymore if I don't care about any of the characters. Really disappointed though since I had really high expectations but alas, it was just not for me! (Maybe I'll come back to this another time??)
Thank you Atria books for the ARC via Netgalley/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
I really wanted to love this but I genuinely have zero interest in continuing😭 This is a case where literally both main characters--Viola and Sylas--are nottt clicking for me. And I really don't want to force myself to go through this book anymore if I don't care about any of the characters. Really disappointed though since I had really high expectations but alas, it was just not for me! (Maybe I'll come back to this another time??)
Thank you Atria books for the ARC via Netgalley/Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review!
Did Not Finish
January 18, 2026Oooof.
The summary promises a lot but at 50% into the book, all I got was a lot of nothing. There is a lot happening but none of it really connects or makes sense. The author did give examples of what the different practices / groups do and their magic, but the characters were just really bland.
What I did understand is that every important family to their 'sect' or 'practice' has objects that are of magic importance. The daughter that can talk to ghosts doesn't use the bracelet because she doesn't want to see the ghosts on a normal basis. The boy who can poison people has snakes that uncoil from his arms and dishes out the poison.
They go to school to learn how to be their respective houses user of these arts, but there isn't much of that. At the beginning the male lead was some sort of Vampire Academy hunter who was demoted / removed from looking for people that are after these objects. There wasn't a strong explanation on the importance of the people after these objects.
It's one of those stories that has a lot of ideas and that they're supposed to connect but they're not really connecting.
Out of respect for the author, I am choosing not to rate due to not finishing it.
The summary promises a lot but at 50% into the book, all I got was a lot of nothing. There is a lot happening but none of it really connects or makes sense. The author did give examples of what the different practices / groups do and their magic, but the characters were just really bland.
What I did understand is that every important family to their 'sect' or 'practice' has objects that are of magic importance. The daughter that can talk to ghosts doesn't use the bracelet because she doesn't want to see the ghosts on a normal basis. The boy who can poison people has snakes that uncoil from his arms and dishes out the poison.
They go to school to learn how to be their respective houses user of these arts, but there isn't much of that. At the beginning the male lead was some sort of Vampire Academy hunter who was demoted / removed from looking for people that are after these objects. There wasn't a strong explanation on the importance of the people after these objects.
It's one of those stories that has a lot of ideas and that they're supposed to connect but they're not really connecting.
Out of respect for the author, I am choosing not to rate due to not finishing it.
September 28, 2025
This book wasn't for me. The writing was busy and messy.
Did Not Finish
May 3, 2026DNF
I went into Deathbringer ready for dark academia, moral decay, gothic tension, maybe a little “everyone is mentally unstable but in a poetic way” energy… and what I got instead was me, personally, spiraling into academic probation because I could not for the life of me pass the prerequisite course titled What Is Going On In This Book 101.
Like I’m sorry, but this was marketed as 1930s dark academia with horror elements and what I got was aggressively YA dialogue in a vintage costume, speaking like it just discovered modern slang and refused to let it go. The tonal whiplash?? Unmatched. One second we’re supposed to be in this moody, old-world setting and the next someone is talking like they just got off TikTok live. Pick a lane. Pick a decade. Pick literally anything and commit.
And I could maybe forgive that if the world-building had me grounded—but no. No no no. The world-building is not just shaky, it’s on life support, it’s flickering, it’s asking me to unplug it because it can’t take this anymore. I have never had this many questions with this few answers in my life. DOTS??? WHAT IS DOTS. Every time it was mentioned I felt like I was being gaslit. Is it police? Is it military? Is it both? Is it federal? Is it provincial? Is it run by a central government that may or may not exist? WHO IS IN CHARGE. Is there a president? A king? A council? A magical HOA??
Because apparently DOTS operates everywhere, across provinces, but we are never told how the government actually functions. Do provinces have their own authority? Are they just vibes-based territories? Are we supposed to just nod and go “yes yes, jurisdiction” and move on?? I cannot move on. I am stuck here. I have built a home in this confusion.
And the justice system?? Where is it. Show it to me. Point to it on a map. Because crimes are happening, murders are happening, and the solution the book presents is: let’s have two barely-trained young adults take this on themselves. Of course. Naturally. Law enforcement said “we’re good actually, you two random students handle it.” Incredible. Revolutionary. Groundbreaking incompetence.
Which leads me to the characters making decisions that made me question not only their sanity but mine for continuing to read. Viola. My girl. My sister in questionable choices. You have DEATH MAGIC. Death. Magic. Capital D, capital M, consequences attached. And your grand plan is to ignore it completely because your father—who you have never met, mind you—died because of it. Okay. Sure. Let’s unpack that. Except we can’t, because the book doesn’t. Meanwhile your grandmother had the exact same magic and you adore her, speak highly of her, she raised you… but that has zero impact on your perception of your own abilities??? The internal logic is not just missing, it has left the country and changed its name.
And instead of thinking, “hmm, maybe I should learn to control this incredibly dangerous power so I don’t accidentally become a walking disaster,” she just says no ❤️ and moves on with her life. Refuses to learn, refuses to engage, refuses to develop any practical understanding—and then has the audacity, the confidence, the sheer chaotic energy to go “yes I will help solve a murder.” Based on WHAT qualifications. Vibes?? A dream?? The ghost of common sense whispering “don’t” and her ignoring it???
And Olivia. OLIVIA. I need someone to sit me down and explain to me like I am five years old how this girl faked being a mage for TEN YEARS. A DECADE. That is not a plot twist, that is a logistical nightmare. If children are tested upon entering the academy, how did she get in? Did she just walk past the test like “no thank you”? Did the examiners blink and miss it?? Did everyone collectively decide to not do their jobs for ten straight years??? I cannot suspend disbelief at that point, my disbelief has filed a restraining order.
And then we have Sylas, whose hatred for Mortemagi is so intense it genuinely made me uncomfortable in a way I don’t think the book fully understands. It’s giving “eradicate them” energy, it’s giving “we need to unpack this” and instead the narrative just kind of… lets it sit there. Loudly. Repeatedly. Without enough critical framing. And I’m just sitting there like… are we addressing this or are we just vibing with it because I refuse to vibe with that.
Now let’s talk about the magic system, this book does not trust you. It does not trust your reading comprehension, your intelligence, your ability to remember anything for more than three seconds. It will explain something to you, and then explain it again, and then again, and then just in case you missed it, here’s another explanation in the same chapter. I have never felt more condescended to by a book in my life. And the worst part? It’s still confusing.
Because it’s not just over-explained—it’s badly explained. It’s like being force-fed information that refuses to organize itself into anything coherent. And just when you think you’ve survived the info-dumping within the narrative, every chapter starts with a little world-building snippet, like a fun little bonus round of “more things you have to process before the story even starts.” And look, I don’t hate chapter snippets. In another life, in another book, I might have loved them. But here? They feel like the book handing you a textbook and saying “study this, there will be a quiz,” except the quiz never comes and none of it helps anyway.
And the setting… oh the setting. Is this an urban fantasy? Is this a traditional fantasy? Is this historical? Is this modern with a filter? The book itself does not know. It is mixing modern and non-modern elements in a way that feels less like a deliberate stylistic choice and more like indecision. It’s a delicate balance to merge those things effectively, and here it just… doesn’t come together. At all. I never felt grounded in the world. Outside of Gorhail, the world may as well not exist. It’s just empty space and unanswered questions.
And speaking of Gorhail—again, is this the only magical school?? Because if it is, why?? If it isn’t, WHERE ARE THE OTHERS. Why do we never hear about them? Who designed this system?? Who approved it?? I have concerns.
And the coexistence of the magical and mortal worlds—how does that work?? How do their governments interact? Their law enforcement? Their societies?? The book gestures vaguely in that direction and then sprints away before answering anything.
And through all of this chaos, what really got me was the lack of atmosphere. For something that’s supposed to be dark academia with horror elements, I felt… nothing. No tension, no dread, no immersion. Just confusion and the growing urge to flip back pages like “did I miss something?” (I didn’t. There was just nothing to catch.)
And I think the most frustrating part is that there are ideas here. You can see the potential. You can see what it wanted to be. But the execution is so messy, so overstuffed with exposition and underdeveloped in actual substance, that it never comes together.
I tried. I really did. I fought through the info dumps, the repetition, the inconsistent tone, the baffling character choices, the world-building that exists only in theory… but at some point I had to accept that this book and I were not having the same experience.
Honestly, I don’t even think the book knows what experience it was trying to give.
All I know is that I came in expecting dark academia horror and left with a migraine, 47 unanswered questions, and a personal vendetta against whatever DOTS is supposed to be.
I went into Deathbringer ready for dark academia, moral decay, gothic tension, maybe a little “everyone is mentally unstable but in a poetic way” energy… and what I got instead was me, personally, spiraling into academic probation because I could not for the life of me pass the prerequisite course titled What Is Going On In This Book 101.
Like I’m sorry, but this was marketed as 1930s dark academia with horror elements and what I got was aggressively YA dialogue in a vintage costume, speaking like it just discovered modern slang and refused to let it go. The tonal whiplash?? Unmatched. One second we’re supposed to be in this moody, old-world setting and the next someone is talking like they just got off TikTok live. Pick a lane. Pick a decade. Pick literally anything and commit.
And I could maybe forgive that if the world-building had me grounded—but no. No no no. The world-building is not just shaky, it’s on life support, it’s flickering, it’s asking me to unplug it because it can’t take this anymore. I have never had this many questions with this few answers in my life. DOTS??? WHAT IS DOTS. Every time it was mentioned I felt like I was being gaslit. Is it police? Is it military? Is it both? Is it federal? Is it provincial? Is it run by a central government that may or may not exist? WHO IS IN CHARGE. Is there a president? A king? A council? A magical HOA??
Because apparently DOTS operates everywhere, across provinces, but we are never told how the government actually functions. Do provinces have their own authority? Are they just vibes-based territories? Are we supposed to just nod and go “yes yes, jurisdiction” and move on?? I cannot move on. I am stuck here. I have built a home in this confusion.
And the justice system?? Where is it. Show it to me. Point to it on a map. Because crimes are happening, murders are happening, and the solution the book presents is: let’s have two barely-trained young adults take this on themselves. Of course. Naturally. Law enforcement said “we’re good actually, you two random students handle it.” Incredible. Revolutionary. Groundbreaking incompetence.
Which leads me to the characters making decisions that made me question not only their sanity but mine for continuing to read. Viola. My girl. My sister in questionable choices. You have DEATH MAGIC. Death. Magic. Capital D, capital M, consequences attached. And your grand plan is to ignore it completely because your father—who you have never met, mind you—died because of it. Okay. Sure. Let’s unpack that. Except we can’t, because the book doesn’t. Meanwhile your grandmother had the exact same magic and you adore her, speak highly of her, she raised you… but that has zero impact on your perception of your own abilities??? The internal logic is not just missing, it has left the country and changed its name.
And instead of thinking, “hmm, maybe I should learn to control this incredibly dangerous power so I don’t accidentally become a walking disaster,” she just says no ❤️ and moves on with her life. Refuses to learn, refuses to engage, refuses to develop any practical understanding—and then has the audacity, the confidence, the sheer chaotic energy to go “yes I will help solve a murder.” Based on WHAT qualifications. Vibes?? A dream?? The ghost of common sense whispering “don’t” and her ignoring it???
And Olivia. OLIVIA. I need someone to sit me down and explain to me like I am five years old how this girl faked being a mage for TEN YEARS. A DECADE. That is not a plot twist, that is a logistical nightmare. If children are tested upon entering the academy, how did she get in? Did she just walk past the test like “no thank you”? Did the examiners blink and miss it?? Did everyone collectively decide to not do their jobs for ten straight years??? I cannot suspend disbelief at that point, my disbelief has filed a restraining order.
And then we have Sylas, whose hatred for Mortemagi is so intense it genuinely made me uncomfortable in a way I don’t think the book fully understands. It’s giving “eradicate them” energy, it’s giving “we need to unpack this” and instead the narrative just kind of… lets it sit there. Loudly. Repeatedly. Without enough critical framing. And I’m just sitting there like… are we addressing this or are we just vibing with it because I refuse to vibe with that.
Now let’s talk about the magic system, this book does not trust you. It does not trust your reading comprehension, your intelligence, your ability to remember anything for more than three seconds. It will explain something to you, and then explain it again, and then again, and then just in case you missed it, here’s another explanation in the same chapter. I have never felt more condescended to by a book in my life. And the worst part? It’s still confusing.
Because it’s not just over-explained—it’s badly explained. It’s like being force-fed information that refuses to organize itself into anything coherent. And just when you think you’ve survived the info-dumping within the narrative, every chapter starts with a little world-building snippet, like a fun little bonus round of “more things you have to process before the story even starts.” And look, I don’t hate chapter snippets. In another life, in another book, I might have loved them. But here? They feel like the book handing you a textbook and saying “study this, there will be a quiz,” except the quiz never comes and none of it helps anyway.
And the setting… oh the setting. Is this an urban fantasy? Is this a traditional fantasy? Is this historical? Is this modern with a filter? The book itself does not know. It is mixing modern and non-modern elements in a way that feels less like a deliberate stylistic choice and more like indecision. It’s a delicate balance to merge those things effectively, and here it just… doesn’t come together. At all. I never felt grounded in the world. Outside of Gorhail, the world may as well not exist. It’s just empty space and unanswered questions.
And speaking of Gorhail—again, is this the only magical school?? Because if it is, why?? If it isn’t, WHERE ARE THE OTHERS. Why do we never hear about them? Who designed this system?? Who approved it?? I have concerns.
And the coexistence of the magical and mortal worlds—how does that work?? How do their governments interact? Their law enforcement? Their societies?? The book gestures vaguely in that direction and then sprints away before answering anything.
And through all of this chaos, what really got me was the lack of atmosphere. For something that’s supposed to be dark academia with horror elements, I felt… nothing. No tension, no dread, no immersion. Just confusion and the growing urge to flip back pages like “did I miss something?” (I didn’t. There was just nothing to catch.)
And I think the most frustrating part is that there are ideas here. You can see the potential. You can see what it wanted to be. But the execution is so messy, so overstuffed with exposition and underdeveloped in actual substance, that it never comes together.
I tried. I really did. I fought through the info dumps, the repetition, the inconsistent tone, the baffling character choices, the world-building that exists only in theory… but at some point I had to accept that this book and I were not having the same experience.
Honestly, I don’t even think the book knows what experience it was trying to give.
All I know is that I came in expecting dark academia horror and left with a migraine, 47 unanswered questions, and a personal vendetta against whatever DOTS is supposed to be.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2/5 Stars
Viola spent her life hiding from her own magic. After her grandmother’s death she was all but willing to allow her sister to lie about being the magical one in the family. Viola prayed it wouldn’t end in her sister’s demise, yet that’s exactly what happened. On her mission to uncover her sister’s murderer, Viola teams up with Sylas. He hates the magic that runs through her veins.
Deathbringer is a fantasy book packed to the brim with action and death. The pacing was slow. There was an overload of information given in order to understand the story. I didn’t connect with this book. It starts off with a rapid succession of deaths, only for some of them to be reversed. It made the death of a character banal.
Viola was a self-pitying martyr. Sylas was impulsive and borderline hostile. They wanted each other, yet flip flopped on their trust for one another to the end. I didn’t buy into their chemistry. There was some spice.
The plot at its base is promising. I wish the best for this series!
A warm thanks to Sonia Tagliareni, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Viola spent her life hiding from her own magic. After her grandmother’s death she was all but willing to allow her sister to lie about being the magical one in the family. Viola prayed it wouldn’t end in her sister’s demise, yet that’s exactly what happened. On her mission to uncover her sister’s murderer, Viola teams up with Sylas. He hates the magic that runs through her veins.
Deathbringer is a fantasy book packed to the brim with action and death. The pacing was slow. There was an overload of information given in order to understand the story. I didn’t connect with this book. It starts off with a rapid succession of deaths, only for some of them to be reversed. It made the death of a character banal.
Viola was a self-pitying martyr. Sylas was impulsive and borderline hostile. They wanted each other, yet flip flopped on their trust for one another to the end. I didn’t buy into their chemistry. There was some spice.
The plot at its base is promising. I wish the best for this series!
A warm thanks to Sonia Tagliareni, Atria Books, and NetGalley for this ARC!
October 17, 2025
There is a lot of mixed reviews on this one! Typically I love anything atria books publishes but I’m gonna bring this one in at a solid middle 3 stars..
While the plot definitely had potential.. themes of dark academia, interesting magical abilities, murder mystery plots, necromancy and dark romance.. (sounds like the perfect blend?).. the delivery missed the mark. The love interest fell into instalove without much plot. Dialogue or chemistry to back it up as believable, the pacing was off and took the majority of the book to get to interesting plot points which were then rushed over instead of expanded on.
Had this author / editors spent more time focussing on developing the overall plot and background to the characters / themes this book could have been a very well rounded, solid 5 stars.
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
While the plot definitely had potential.. themes of dark academia, interesting magical abilities, murder mystery plots, necromancy and dark romance.. (sounds like the perfect blend?).. the delivery missed the mark. The love interest fell into instalove without much plot. Dialogue or chemistry to back it up as believable, the pacing was off and took the majority of the book to get to interesting plot points which were then rushed over instead of expanded on.
Had this author / editors spent more time focussing on developing the overall plot and background to the characters / themes this book could have been a very well rounded, solid 5 stars.
Disclaimer: This book was gifted to me in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 8, 2025
First of all. This book used the word “gulp” or some variation of “gulp” twenty eight (THATS RIGHT 2 8) times. I have never seen this word be used so many times in a single book. Which is an impressive feat, but also. Please get a thesaurus I’m begging you.
The world building and the characters were all so clunky. It had all the stereotypical components of a romantasy but it got so jumbled. This book also felt waaaaaaay too long for just being the first book in the series. This read like it was an 800 page book, when it’s listed at 400 something pages. Insane.
Thank you to Edelweiss for a copy of the e-arc in exchange for an honest, but fair review 💕
The world building and the characters were all so clunky. It had all the stereotypical components of a romantasy but it got so jumbled. This book also felt waaaaaaay too long for just being the first book in the series. This read like it was an 800 page book, when it’s listed at 400 something pages. Insane.
Thank you to Edelweiss for a copy of the e-arc in exchange for an honest, but fair review 💕
October 24, 2025
Love dual pov books and especially love a good mystery, I do feel like the pacing dragged at times but needing to know the answers kept me turning pages. Love any type of necromancy death magic and this didn’t disappoint in that regard either! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an arc of Deathbringer!
December 1, 2025
[SPOILER FREE]
This was a highly anticipated read for me and many of my friends absolutely loved it. It’s getting 5 Stars left, right and centre and I hope it’s a 5 Star read for you if you pick it up too.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I’m going to try and keep this brief before I end up reliving the multiple 5 minute long voice notes I sent to the group chat. I should have DNF this book. This was a hate read.
My biggest issue was the insta-love relationship. It didn’t feel remotely believable. It came across as childish and I can’t put into words how much I hated the spicy scenes. He was snogging her fanny at one point? She ‘forgot her own name’ on his SECOND thrust. Also, you can’t discover the identity of the murderer, in the murder you are trying to solve, and immediately get fingered. The MCs genuinely only have themselves to blame for the fallout after that.
Lots of paragraphs needed a scene break and it was often a confusing read. The magic was convoluted and the info-dumping at the start failed to make it any easier to understand. Another huge issue was that this book is a murder mystery and there is a reveal that makes this completely redundant.
I have failed in making this brief but, honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg for me. One thing I did enjoy about the book was the little excerpts at the beginning. It’s a fun way to get more lore across to the reader and I always like that way of doing it. Again, so many people have loved this book - it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
This was a highly anticipated read for me and many of my friends absolutely loved it. It’s getting 5 Stars left, right and centre and I hope it’s a 5 Star read for you if you pick it up too.
Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I’m going to try and keep this brief before I end up reliving the multiple 5 minute long voice notes I sent to the group chat. I should have DNF this book. This was a hate read.
My biggest issue was the insta-love relationship. It didn’t feel remotely believable. It came across as childish and I can’t put into words how much I hated the spicy scenes. He was snogging her fanny at one point? She ‘forgot her own name’ on his SECOND thrust. Also, you can’t discover the identity of the murderer, in the murder you are trying to solve, and immediately get fingered. The MCs genuinely only have themselves to blame for the fallout after that.
Lots of paragraphs needed a scene break and it was often a confusing read. The magic was convoluted and the info-dumping at the start failed to make it any easier to understand. Another huge issue was that this book is a murder mystery and there is a reveal that makes this completely redundant.
I have failed in making this brief but, honestly, this is just the tip of the iceberg for me. One thing I did enjoy about the book was the little excerpts at the beginning. It’s a fun way to get more lore across to the reader and I always like that way of doing it. Again, so many people have loved this book - it just wasn’t for me.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 14, 2025
Thanks NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC copy!
That being said, this book very much wasn’t for me. I tend to be a bit pickier with the romantasy genre because I often find it very poorly done and unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one.
My main issues were with the pacing and the way that information was provided. Characters would randomly make giant leaps to conclusions and somehow be right, even though they lacked necessary base evidence. It was obvious the author just needed the reveals to keep the plot moving, but wasn’t sure how to naturally expose them.
The main characters also felt very 2 dimensional, so when sad things happened to them there was no depth and I didn’t actually feel anything for them. I also found their personal motivations lacklustre. They start the story with really strong biases against each other, but the reasoning is so weak and fabricated that it makes it difficult to take them seriously.
Finally, I guessed a lot of the plot so that took the mystery element out of it for me.
That being said, this book very much wasn’t for me. I tend to be a bit pickier with the romantasy genre because I often find it very poorly done and unfortunately I didn’t enjoy this one.
My main issues were with the pacing and the way that information was provided. Characters would randomly make giant leaps to conclusions and somehow be right, even though they lacked necessary base evidence. It was obvious the author just needed the reveals to keep the plot moving, but wasn’t sure how to naturally expose them.
The main characters also felt very 2 dimensional, so when sad things happened to them there was no depth and I didn’t actually feel anything for them. I also found their personal motivations lacklustre. They start the story with really strong biases against each other, but the reasoning is so weak and fabricated that it makes it difficult to take them seriously.
Finally, I guessed a lot of the plot so that took the mystery element out of it for me.
March 12, 2026
So I don't like chapters 2 and 3, I loved chapter 1, it really grabbed my attention and kept me interested. I don't know if i like it but, maybe its the writing style or the fact its the first book I'm not sure It does seem to get a bit better as I continue to read so I will be giving it another chance. There's just a lot of info dump and there's already parts that counteract what was said before and the MMC is kind of a hypocrite lol idk 🤷♀️ 😐 🤔. I will definitely have to give this a break and come back when I have no other ARCs to do and I can really take my time with this one.
May 6, 2026
Seeing all the mixed reviews and DNF before starting this book, I was a bit hesitant. But I actually ended up enjoying it more than I thought.
It has an interesting premise and the pacing works well. The setting added a nice touch to the atmosphere. For being a debut, it’s a solid story.
But there were instances where it became clear that this is a debut. The world building could’ve used some work. We know that this takes place in 1939, but it’s clearly not a straight up historical fantasy. Adding some explanation on how the world looked like outside of the academy and how the magical culture coincided with the normal would’ve been a nice attribution.
The magic system was unique, but I also felt like the author tried a bit too much and it became overly complicated. I often found myself a bit confused. The poison relics were described as living snakes, and while this was an interesting take, I ultimately found this a bit weird. I think it would’ve been better to slim the magic system down a bit and focus more on describing how it worked.
But overall I liked it well enough to try out the sequel.
It has an interesting premise and the pacing works well. The setting added a nice touch to the atmosphere. For being a debut, it’s a solid story.
But there were instances where it became clear that this is a debut. The world building could’ve used some work. We know that this takes place in 1939, but it’s clearly not a straight up historical fantasy. Adding some explanation on how the world looked like outside of the academy and how the magical culture coincided with the normal would’ve been a nice attribution.
The magic system was unique, but I also felt like the author tried a bit too much and it became overly complicated. I often found myself a bit confused. The poison relics were described as living snakes, and while this was an interesting take, I ultimately found this a bit weird. I think it would’ve been better to slim the magic system down a bit and focus more on describing how it worked.
But overall I liked it well enough to try out the sequel.
December 17, 2025
Firstly, a huge thank you to Solstice Books for sending me a proof of Deathbringer to read and review.
Deathbringer was INCREDIBLE. From the first page I was hooked - it's easily of the best dark academia books I've read in a while. Deathbringer follows our main FMC Viola, who can speak to the dead and hear their final words, known as a Whisperer. After spending years actively trying to avoid or acknowledge her magic, a tragedy means she ends up at the one place she's tried to avoid at all costs: Gorhail Institute of Magic.
I loved Viola, she can be naïve and fragile, but she also has an inner strength that I admire, coupled with a fierce love for her sister. She's terrified of accepting who she is and what she's capable of, and despite incidents that would have others running, she faces it all head on in the name of sisterhood bonds and love.
One of my absolute favourite things is found family and the beauty in bonds of friendship and love that are created between those who aren't of the same blood and Deathbringer has this in spades. Lyria and Beau are just the absolute best. They radiate kindness and compassion and Lyria especially refuses to allow her experiences or other prejudices to influence her judgment of people and I love her for it. A certain ghostie and their story has my whole heart too, but I don't want to give anything away!
Let's talk Sylas. BE STILL MY BEATING HEART. He's cold and he's prejudiced against the House of Death. He wants nothing to do with Viola. He's rude and a little demeaning. But do I love him?! OBVIOUSLY. Sylas has his reasons for how he acts round Viola and unlike Lyria, he does allow his past to colour his view of others. He's been through major trauma and is still not really dealing with it and holds himself accountable for everything. Through the book we start to see him reflect on some of the rash decisions he makes when he lets his prejudice, or temper get the better of him and I genuinely feel like Viola starts to help him grow and work through some stuff that he would have kept buried. There's a scene in the library between them that HAD ME SOBBING. They just WORK. YOUR HONOR, I LOVE THEM!
OK, we've talked characters, now onto the world and the story. Sonia has crafted a beautifully gothic world, full of unique magic and monsters and I ATE IT UP. There are separate Houses associated with different magic users - House of Death, House of Poison and House of Arcane. Throw in some House politics and old rivalries and prejudices and you've got a really interesting set of potential conflicts and alliances. There are also relics which can be heirlooms and pass down magic generationally. AND my personal favourite, those in the House of Poison have Aspiers. These are snakes which users wear, sort of like jewellery, but they are living and sentient, have their own personalities and different abilities associated with the various breeds. Honestly, I loved the little interactions they have with their aspiers, I want a Railesza in my life please Sonia haha!
Deathbringer is a beautifully written, well paced, dark academia fantasy, which reels you in from the first page and doesn't let go. Sonia has created the most wonderful cast of characters who you can't help but fall in love with and be invested in their stories. There are darker themes explored like loss and grief and the dark side of magic wielders, but there is also love and friendship, and characters who find healing and second chances in the places they least expected. I highly recommend you get Deathbringer on your preorder and TBR list guys, it's fantastic!!!
Deathbringer was INCREDIBLE. From the first page I was hooked - it's easily of the best dark academia books I've read in a while. Deathbringer follows our main FMC Viola, who can speak to the dead and hear their final words, known as a Whisperer. After spending years actively trying to avoid or acknowledge her magic, a tragedy means she ends up at the one place she's tried to avoid at all costs: Gorhail Institute of Magic.
I loved Viola, she can be naïve and fragile, but she also has an inner strength that I admire, coupled with a fierce love for her sister. She's terrified of accepting who she is and what she's capable of, and despite incidents that would have others running, she faces it all head on in the name of sisterhood bonds and love.
One of my absolute favourite things is found family and the beauty in bonds of friendship and love that are created between those who aren't of the same blood and Deathbringer has this in spades. Lyria and Beau are just the absolute best. They radiate kindness and compassion and Lyria especially refuses to allow her experiences or other prejudices to influence her judgment of people and I love her for it. A certain ghostie and their story has my whole heart too, but I don't want to give anything away!
Let's talk Sylas. BE STILL MY BEATING HEART. He's cold and he's prejudiced against the House of Death. He wants nothing to do with Viola. He's rude and a little demeaning. But do I love him?! OBVIOUSLY. Sylas has his reasons for how he acts round Viola and unlike Lyria, he does allow his past to colour his view of others. He's been through major trauma and is still not really dealing with it and holds himself accountable for everything. Through the book we start to see him reflect on some of the rash decisions he makes when he lets his prejudice, or temper get the better of him and I genuinely feel like Viola starts to help him grow and work through some stuff that he would have kept buried. There's a scene in the library between them that HAD ME SOBBING. They just WORK. YOUR HONOR, I LOVE THEM!
OK, we've talked characters, now onto the world and the story. Sonia has crafted a beautifully gothic world, full of unique magic and monsters and I ATE IT UP. There are separate Houses associated with different magic users - House of Death, House of Poison and House of Arcane. Throw in some House politics and old rivalries and prejudices and you've got a really interesting set of potential conflicts and alliances. There are also relics which can be heirlooms and pass down magic generationally. AND my personal favourite, those in the House of Poison have Aspiers. These are snakes which users wear, sort of like jewellery, but they are living and sentient, have their own personalities and different abilities associated with the various breeds. Honestly, I loved the little interactions they have with their aspiers, I want a Railesza in my life please Sonia haha!
Deathbringer is a beautifully written, well paced, dark academia fantasy, which reels you in from the first page and doesn't let go. Sonia has created the most wonderful cast of characters who you can't help but fall in love with and be invested in their stories. There are darker themes explored like loss and grief and the dark side of magic wielders, but there is also love and friendship, and characters who find healing and second chances in the places they least expected. I highly recommend you get Deathbringer on your preorder and TBR list guys, it's fantastic!!!
Did Not Finish
October 12, 2025DNF @ 32%, start of Chapter 16
I'm gonna call this a soft DNF and consider coming back to the book when it publishes in about 7 months from now. Because I don't hate it and I think there's a lot of potential here, but in its current form there are too many things that chafe.
1. The world-building doesn't really make sense and feels like this is a former fanfiction (I have a few suspicions about the beautiful blonde boy from the Poison school who's surrounded by literal snakes and seems to look down on nonmagi). This doesn't feel like a world that's always had magic, it doesn't make sense how and why the magic is broken in the systems it is, and elements are added to the story for impact but contradict earlier inclusions.
Like why do Poachers have super visible tattoos that not only declare that they're Poachers, but what type of Poacher they are? Surely that wouldn't be a benefit to them, and if they were caught and tagged it seems wildly irresponsible for the organization to release them after so they can go out and kill some more. It's like they're NPC villains in a video game and not actual, real people with actual, real motivations.
MAJOR SPOILERS
2. This is a personal pet peeve that I see commonly in YA fiction, but the characters ask a lot of rhetorical questions in their POV. The questions don't add any weight or interest to the story.
3. I found the characters to be pretty frustrating as they constantly carry guilt over things that weren't their fault. But also know enough to realize (when they're unfairly accused and tried for murder) that it's not their fault.
I don't think there was enough groundwork in magical laws/rules or making circumstances appear suspicious externally to explain why the leadership is constantly carting them off for murders they clearly didn't commit. Other than because that will transition the characters to be in a specific location/situation that facilitates a scene the author wants to write.
4. It seems like this might've gone through a few stages of edits or originally been in a different form. In an early chapter he's being held in the "criminal ward" before his murder trial, but when reading the decree for his release they call him "Patient 9034." Is he a criminal/inmate/the accused/detainee/etc... or is he a patient? Nothing about the facility or people who work there suggests he's somewhere that's remotely medical.
Overall:
Part of me really wants to finish this book, or at least see their relationship develop because I think that'll be where the author shines. But I'm already starting to view it too critically which means I'm too removed from the story and it doesn't seem fair to me or the book to continue.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I'm gonna call this a soft DNF and consider coming back to the book when it publishes in about 7 months from now. Because I don't hate it and I think there's a lot of potential here, but in its current form there are too many things that chafe.
1. The world-building doesn't really make sense and feels like this is a former fanfiction (I have a few suspicions about the beautiful blonde boy from the Poison school who's surrounded by literal snakes and seems to look down on nonmagi). This doesn't feel like a world that's always had magic, it doesn't make sense how and why the magic is broken in the systems it is, and elements are added to the story for impact but contradict earlier inclusions.
Like why do Poachers have super visible tattoos that not only declare that they're Poachers, but what type of Poacher they are? Surely that wouldn't be a benefit to them, and if they were caught and tagged it seems wildly irresponsible for the organization to release them after so they can go out and kill some more. It's like they're NPC villains in a video game and not actual, real people with actual, real motivations.
MAJOR SPOILERS
2. This is a personal pet peeve that I see commonly in YA fiction, but the characters ask a lot of rhetorical questions in their POV. The questions don't add any weight or interest to the story.
- My aspier's fangs hover over the veins of her arm. I blow out a breath; I've done this on the field before, so why am I hesitating? Railesza hisses at me once more.
- Gods, why must I be so hopeless?
- "I was on my way to find you." Why did I say this?
3. I found the characters to be pretty frustrating as they constantly carry guilt over things that weren't their fault. But also know enough to realize (when they're unfairly accused and tried for murder) that it's not their fault.
I don't think there was enough groundwork in magical laws/rules or making circumstances appear suspicious externally to explain why the leadership is constantly carting them off for murders they clearly didn't commit. Other than because that will transition the characters to be in a specific location/situation that facilitates a scene the author wants to write.
4. It seems like this might've gone through a few stages of edits or originally been in a different form. In an early chapter he's being held in the "criminal ward" before his murder trial, but when reading the decree for his release they call him "Patient 9034." Is he a criminal/inmate/the accused/detainee/etc... or is he a patient? Nothing about the facility or people who work there suggests he's somewhere that's remotely medical.
Overall:
Part of me really wants to finish this book, or at least see their relationship develop because I think that'll be where the author shines. But I'm already starting to view it too critically which means I'm too removed from the story and it doesn't seem fair to me or the book to continue.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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