Deathbringer

Deathbringer #1

by Sonia Tagliareni

For 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.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Dark Academia, Romance, Adult, Mystery, Fantasy Romance

432 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 30, 2026

About the author

Sonia 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.

Reviews

[Sonia Tagliareni · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[meg *ੈ✩‧₊˚ (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[ishraq [s-ia]]

🩸⊹ ࣪ ˖ dnf @ 10%

thank you NetGalley and author for the earc…

[☀︎El In Oz☀︎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 :(

[Kiandra 🦋 · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[SinsandScares · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[bee]

── .★ 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.

[ShannonXO · Rating 5 out of 5]

HAHAHAHAHAHAH I FINISHED IT BUT ACTUALLY IT FINISHED ME AND I NEED BOOK TWO RIGHT NOW

[Bethany (tiny bubbles in champagne version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!

[Lia Carstairs]

DNF @ 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!

[Rachel Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Andi]

Oooof.

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.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 💕

[Selene · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Rmplift, Rachel Phillips · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book wasn't for me. The writing was busy and messy.

[Sam Lue · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!

[Heathers_readss · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[RavenCantRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deathbringer
2.5 ⭐️

Thanks NetGalley and Atria for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

I had high hopes for this book but in the end I was disappointed…and a bit annoyed.

A dark academia romantasy with necromancy and a murder mystery? Sign me up! Unfortunately, that all fell flat.

Some of my issues with the book stem from the two main characters…

Viola hates her magic because it “killed” her father…but it’s the same magic her grandmother had and she speaks so highly of her Nan so I don’t understand how this doesn’t ever impact her opinion of magic? Why did her Nan never help her work through her feelings? Did she hate Nan for having the same magic? She never even met her dad but his fate impacted her opinion more than the woman who helped raise her…? Make it make sense.

Sylas hates Mortimagi (I truly don’t even remember why, something to do with his mom? I can’t remember…that’s how little I was invested) as a whole but ends up falling in love with one…and he still hates them after?? It’s like their shared hatred for this magic brings them together with no nuance surrounding the magic and it’s honestly exhausting. Also I hate bonds.

Other issues I had with the book:

- So exposition heavy. I feel like every other paragraph is some sort of exposition dump and it’s sooooo exhausting.

- Author doesn’t trust the reader. Everything is over explained and repetitive. Something that was already explained will get two to three more full explanations later in the SAME CHAPTER and it shows that the author doesn’t trust the reader to understand what’s happening. I highlighted so many paragraphs or sentences that were literally just repeated information from earlier in the chapter.

- The world building is lacking. I wish this wasn’t the case but outside of Gorhail itself we know nothing about how the world functions. Like why are these two kids (yes I know they’re adults technically but still) trying to solve a murder on their own? We need to understand the world to understand why they don’t trust their government. Also like the audacity for Viola, someone who has NEVER practiced her magic, to think she’ll just jump in and solve the literal murder is kinda wild to me.

- And on that note, you’re telling me this girl who HATES her magic didn’t want to go to school to learn to control it? Like babe you’re stuck with it, you’re not gonna try to seal it away or learn more about it outside of the books in your nans room? Idk everything felt very convenient and nonsensical.

- Instalove is not for me

Pros:

- Beautifully composed sentences. I would like to see what else this author does because the prose were genuinely gorgeous at times.

Sad to rate it so low but it was so close to being a DNF so many times…

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Abagail Sturgeon · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Liana Gold]

Big thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books Publisher and the author, Sonia Tagliareni for this eARC!

Publication date: May 12, 2026

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!!

[Me, My Shelf, & I]

DNF @ 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 He also had to single bond her when she's dying because he can't heal someone from a different school of magic, but later she's revealed to be a crossmage so the bond was unnecessary, right? If Railesza wanted to heal her and lack-of-bond wasn't stopping her, then she should've been able to just heal her.

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.

[hoola.books · Rating 1 out of 5]

[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.

[Katie Pearce · Rating 2 out of 5]

The way I honestly wanted to love this book. It started off really strong with a beautifully written opening chapter and I was like: this is exactly what I need! Unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me in the way I’d hoped.

I felt the world building was very minimal and the magic system felt okay but, at the same time hard to understand. The characters are in their 20’s but, I feel act more like in their mid-teens. All relationships in this book moved very fast and I struggled to understand the motivations behind most of them. Insta-love is heavily prominent and I failed to connect with any of the main characters as they were inconsistent and quickly flipped from hate to love and trust to mistrust on a whim.

A lot went on, almost too much that it was hard to invest myself in anything. Sadly, this wasn’t for me but I think for those who love fast action and young adult books would potentially really enjoy this one.

Thank you Atria books for the chance to read early.

[Tall Tail Stories · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Dark Academia / Romantasy / Murder Mystery
Pub Date: Expected May 12, 2026
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I'm screaming, crying, smiling by the end 😱 What have you done to me, Sonia?? What a rollercoaster of emotions with deep, introspective characters... I have adopted Sylas and Viola now, they need hugs like yesterday. This deliciously dark murder mystery spans magics and generations, and is full of brilliantly planted clues and tricks that keep you deducing and intrigued right alongside our MCs.

For Sonia Tagliareni’s debut, I'm blown away by the strength of her character voices and her clever use of dual perspective. A murder mystery told from two points of view let her have a lot of fun with what clues she released to who and when. It made for some intriguing conclusions with devastating developments, keeping tension high between scenes and switching perspectives. She expertly weaves a yearning, starcrossed romance with dark, complex mystery that ends up being so much deeper and darker than either would suspect.

📖 Summary:

Viola, a death mage haunted by the loss of her sister and the deadly risks of her own magic, arrives at Gorhail Institute seeking answers. Sylas, a poison mage bound to three magical snakes and a tragic past, wants nothing to do with her. But when a magical bond forces them into a reluctant partnership, they must navigate a web of secrets, murders, and forbidden magic before Viola becomes the next victim.

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🐍 Tropes:

- Snake Daddy?? 👀
- Murder Mystery... with Ghosts! 👻
- So. Much. Yearning. 🖤💚💛
- Bookish and Kind FMC 📚
- Touch Her and 💀 Soldier MMC
- He Falls First... and Hard! ❤️‍🔥
- Magical Institution 🏰
- Forced Proximity/Partnership 🤝
- Hurt/Comfort ❤️‍🩹

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🪦 Impressions

Loved:

- Gothic atmosphere dripping with dread, enchantment, and dark corners: Secret passageways and haunted catacombs?? 👀
- Viola’s grief and Sylas’s guilt are raw and beautifully rendered: Their drives and generational traumas mirror each other so well.
- Magical artifacts and separate magic streams: I love a hard magic system, and this one comes with costs. Between living snake relics, magic storing cuffs, arcane dust, and many more, the magic system feels alive and interwoven into the world.
- Heartwarming/Heartbreaking found family and friends: I adored the secondary characters and their friendships. While I normally find it hard to keep up with a large cast, Sonia gives special attention to each player with strong impressions and their own journeys. Wonderfully tied in, they make the stakes feel real and devastating.

Less loved:

- Some world-building elements felt underexplained (Some streams of magic, and mythology - All the more to explore next book! There was already so much to dive into 😍)
- The political and administrative worldbuilding aspects felt a bit unexplored. However, it makes sense following the POVs of Viola, a mage who's only known theory and none of the world or practice, and Sylas, a hardheaded rulebreaker who doesn't regard them much when they get in his way. Tagliareni balances this cleverly by gifting us tidbits of lore and letters at the start of each chapter.
- The pacing occasionally falters between action, introspection, and alternating POVs catching up in the timeline. At the same time, I think this was a clever choice to explore more:

Emotions and grief are such core driving forces in the narrative that they needed time for reflection, allowing the characters to come alive more in the process.
Opposing points of view and obtaining different clues (or the same ones at different times) upped the stakes and forced characters to cooperate to get ahead. And the drama when one character needs that one vital piece of information too! 😱 My anxiety... 📈

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🧠 Themes:

- Death and legacy: What do we inherit from the dead... and what do we owe them?
- Power and cost: Magic as both gift and curse
- Found family and reluctant alliances: The enemy of my enemy is... my ally?
- The Value of Life: Does it stem from those who love you, or your contribution to the greater world?

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🧙‍♀️ Recommendation:

Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Kerri Maniscalco, and anyone who loves morally gray mages, enemies??-to-lovers tension, and murder mysteries shrouded in (arcane) gaslamps and misty woods.

Content warnings: death, grief, body horror, magical violence, generational trauma.

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⭐ Rating
★★★★☆ (4.5/5) – A haunting debut that lingers like a ghost in your mind.

Thank you so much to Atria Books, #NetGalley, and Sonia Tagliareni for allowing me the chance to read this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review. What a gripping, magical experience! ✨️

[Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two grieving rivals working together to solve a serial killer murder mystery in a dark academia setting? I’m absolutely hooked!
This was a stunning debut by Sonia Tagliareni that I devoured in less than 24 hours and I was so happy to learn this is the first book of a trilogy (but also so sad I know have to wait for the next book because that ending was amazing). There was such a wonderful cast of characters (I loved Lyria, Beau, and Viola particularly), and a riveting magic system. The plot was perfectly complex for a murder mystery. Deathbringer had well-placed foreshadowing, and clues so the reader can solve the mystery along with the characters but still be shocked by twists at the end(which is my favorite type of mystery).
I would have liked more clarification on some of the political/administrative roles referenced throughout the book. With the motivations of the characters so heavily influenced by bureaucratic red tape these roles could have been better defined.
Overall I would 100% recommend this book to friends looking for their next dark academia romantasy fix.

Thank you NetGalley, and Atria Books for providing me with this ARC to review. All opinions in the review are my own.

[Aki Kobayashi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deathbringer is Sonia Tagliareni’s debut novel, and supposedly the first book in a trilogy. It was such a fun adventure and exceeded my expectations. I loved the magic in this book, but be warned there are quite a few words you need to learn to understand what is going on. It is apparently new adult but I thought it was YA the entire time until I realized the characters were in their early twenties. I would say it definitely feels like upper YA

Plot: Viola hates her magic and so does Sylas, but they still have to find the truth about the numerous murders happening around their school.

Characters:
Viola - very conflicted about being a mage. Her family was… kinda crazy. She just needed to be loved by people who could actually accept her, but Sylas kinda hated mortemagi.

Sylas - he’s kinda impulsive and dumb sometimes, like he would keep making the same mistake and then feel guilty about it. Got a lotta trauma. As bad as it sounds he didn’t annoy me that much but I can see people finding him unbearable. I will say, I appreciated that he actually showed emotion and cried. His snakes were really funny. They were the best and so adorable.

This book was really fun to read. I really liked the pacing actually. The main characters don’t meet for a while but it doesn't feel slow because the entire time you get to learn how the magic works and people get mysteriously murdered. It also consistently alternates between Sylas and Viola which I really liked. It was nice to know the next chapter would be the other character because sometimes, when other books have several chapters in a row from one character that I don’t like as much I struggle to get through it. The only thing that I felt was lacking was the worldbuilding. I really wanted to know more about all the provinces and how the government worked, since it was only really explained through throwaway comments. I’m also so sad the ARC didn’t have the map yet so I am looking forward to getting a copy and seeing the full world. I absolutely loved Sylas’s siblings. They are so sweet and were so welcoming to Viola when no one else was. Lastly, I loved the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. I think it’s such a fun way to learn lore about the world and guess what each chapter will be about.

Beware, the book has a cliffhanger and who knows when book two will come out. I’m so sad I finished the book already and I don’t know how I’m gonna survive the wait. Anyone who enjoys mystery or magic academies should definitely give this a read. I think if you liked Harry Potter you’d probably enjoy this since there are some similar vibes, but overall it’s directed towards an older audience.

Why do the poor snakes have to watch them sleep together 😭. Like I know Raiek is sleeping probably but the other ones are just on the nightstand 😭

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this eARC

[Fae&Lattes (Chelle) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deathbringer is presented as a dark academia romantasy, but for me, the story didn’t fully deliver on those genre expectations. The romance, while present, reads more like a light side plot than a driving force, and because of that it felt somewhat shallow and underdeveloped. Readers looking for a slow-burn academic love story or intense romantic tension may walk away wanting more.

The world promises a unique magic system, yet the execution didn’t quite land for me. The rules and structure of the magic remain somewhat vague, which made it difficult to feel truly grounded in the stakes. Additionally, for a book marketed with an academia setting, very little time is actually spent in the university or in classes. I was hoping for more atmospheric dark academia elements—library research, competitive scholars, secret societies, lecture hall tension—but those moments were minimal.

The central mystery surrounding the murders is the strongest thread of the plot, and while intriguing at times, it ultimately wasn’t quite enough to keep me fully engaged throughout the story.

Overall, Deathbringer has an appealing premise and strong genre potential, but the execution didn’t fully click for me. Readers who prefer mystery-forward fantasies with a lighter touch of romance may still find something to enjoy here, but those seeking a rich dark academia experience or a deeply developed romantasy arc might come away disappointed.