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A Year of Sharpened Claws: Book 2 of the Academy for Awakened Souls
I'm Regina Vale, and I'm blessed with magic. If you managed to endure that rambling account of my starting year at the Academy for Awakened Souls, well good for you.
Care to give it another go? Sit back and enjoy the gripping account of my sophomore year. Adventures were had. Mistakes were made. Mostly by me. And if you are very lucky, you might enjoy yourself.
I know I did. For the most part. The bit with the dragon was scarier than I like to admit. And that wasn't even the deadliest foe I faced that year. So please, enjoy as I fail to convey a world of wonder and whimsy. Trust me, there are far worse things out there than my terrible writing.
Did I mention the dragon?
Care to give it another go? Sit back and enjoy the gripping account of my sophomore year. Adventures were had. Mistakes were made. Mostly by me. And if you are very lucky, you might enjoy yourself.
I know I did. For the most part. The bit with the dragon was scarier than I like to admit. And that wasn't even the deadliest foe I faced that year. So please, enjoy as I fail to convey a world of wonder and whimsy. Trust me, there are far worse things out there than my terrible writing.
Did I mention the dragon?
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 17, 2025
There's magic, trauma, and questionable life choices. Again.
Regina Vale, our ever-chatty mage-in-training, is back for sophomore year at the Academy for Awakened Souls — which, if you haven’t guessed, is less "Hogwarts" and more "trauma processing with extra spellcasting." She continues to break the fourth wall like it owes her rent, offering running commentary on her life, morality, and whatever new horror is currently plaguing her nightmares. This time? An eyeless corpse-angel-thing called the Neverborn. Cute!
Book 2 picks up after the mildly traumatic events of freshman year (werewolves, betrayal, probably some finals), and now Regina and her perpetually-in-peril sidekick Fiona are being guarded by Lillian Wrath — a recent graduate, elite Seeker, and walking mood. Because nothing says "mentor" like someone named Wrath.
This sequel dives headfirst into even more magical chaos: curses, ancient founders with secrets, angel-adjacent drama queens, werewolf attacks (again), and of course, clueless humans just trying to survive the magical collateral damage. There’s also a dragon, because why not — it's fantasy, after all.
Regina’s second year feels darker, edgier, and full of stakes — both emotional and "this-could-literally-kill-you" stakes. The cursed bond between her and Fiona adds some real emotional heft, which is nice, since everyone’s too busy casting spells or being suspicious to actually go to therapy.
Now, let’s talk about Regina’s favorite hobby: dramatic monologuing to the reader in the middle of emotional scenes. Ghosts? Betrayal? Life-or-death tension? Hold on, she needs to give us her moral hot take first. Does it sometimes kill the momentum? Yes. Is it peak Regina? Also yes. She’s nothing if not consistent in her need to editorialize her own trauma.
If you like your magical school stories with more sass, darker lore, and characters who are this close to an emotional breakdown at all times, “A Year of Sharpened Claws” delivers. It’s got everything: danger, emotional damage, magical politics, and enough mythology to make you question whether your high school education was just one big lie.
Perfect for fans of academy fantasy who enjoy watching characters bond, break, and banter their way through magical mayhem — with a side of sarcasm and an occasional corpse-angel.
Regina Vale, our ever-chatty mage-in-training, is back for sophomore year at the Academy for Awakened Souls — which, if you haven’t guessed, is less "Hogwarts" and more "trauma processing with extra spellcasting." She continues to break the fourth wall like it owes her rent, offering running commentary on her life, morality, and whatever new horror is currently plaguing her nightmares. This time? An eyeless corpse-angel-thing called the Neverborn. Cute!
Book 2 picks up after the mildly traumatic events of freshman year (werewolves, betrayal, probably some finals), and now Regina and her perpetually-in-peril sidekick Fiona are being guarded by Lillian Wrath — a recent graduate, elite Seeker, and walking mood. Because nothing says "mentor" like someone named Wrath.
This sequel dives headfirst into even more magical chaos: curses, ancient founders with secrets, angel-adjacent drama queens, werewolf attacks (again), and of course, clueless humans just trying to survive the magical collateral damage. There’s also a dragon, because why not — it's fantasy, after all.
Regina’s second year feels darker, edgier, and full of stakes — both emotional and "this-could-literally-kill-you" stakes. The cursed bond between her and Fiona adds some real emotional heft, which is nice, since everyone’s too busy casting spells or being suspicious to actually go to therapy.
Now, let’s talk about Regina’s favorite hobby: dramatic monologuing to the reader in the middle of emotional scenes. Ghosts? Betrayal? Life-or-death tension? Hold on, she needs to give us her moral hot take first. Does it sometimes kill the momentum? Yes. Is it peak Regina? Also yes. She’s nothing if not consistent in her need to editorialize her own trauma.
If you like your magical school stories with more sass, darker lore, and characters who are this close to an emotional breakdown at all times, “A Year of Sharpened Claws” delivers. It’s got everything: danger, emotional damage, magical politics, and enough mythology to make you question whether your high school education was just one big lie.
Perfect for fans of academy fantasy who enjoy watching characters bond, break, and banter their way through magical mayhem — with a side of sarcasm and an occasional corpse-angel.
October 7, 2025
Have you ever met a narrator who apologizes before the adventure even begins? Regina Vale does exactly that, and somehow it works. A Year of Sharpened Claws by Matthew Patrick—Book Two of The Academy for Awakened Souls—isn’t your polished, all-powerful-hero kind of fantasy. It’s messy, funny, and self-aware in the best possible way.
Regina doesn’t just tell her story; she invites you to sit beside her, as if over coffee, and watch her fumble gloriously through magic, mayhem, and the occasional dragon (yes, an actual dragon). You can almost hear her sigh between sentences, wondering how she survived sophomore year at a school where “awakening” seems to mean “barely keeping it together.”
But that’s the charm. The book isn’t about perfection—it’s about perseverance wrapped in sarcasm. The humor disarms you right before the danger strikes. When Regina claims she’s a terrible writer, you almost believe her—until you’re suddenly laughing or holding your breath at the next twist.
So, is it high fantasy or a magical memoir gone wrong? Maybe both. What’s certain is that it’s delightfully human beneath the spellcraft. And honestly, who doesn’t want to read a story where the dragon might not be the scariest thing after all?
Regina doesn’t just tell her story; she invites you to sit beside her, as if over coffee, and watch her fumble gloriously through magic, mayhem, and the occasional dragon (yes, an actual dragon). You can almost hear her sigh between sentences, wondering how she survived sophomore year at a school where “awakening” seems to mean “barely keeping it together.”
But that’s the charm. The book isn’t about perfection—it’s about perseverance wrapped in sarcasm. The humor disarms you right before the danger strikes. When Regina claims she’s a terrible writer, you almost believe her—until you’re suddenly laughing or holding your breath at the next twist.
So, is it high fantasy or a magical memoir gone wrong? Maybe both. What’s certain is that it’s delightfully human beneath the spellcraft. And honestly, who doesn’t want to read a story where the dragon might not be the scariest thing after all?
October 9, 2025
Magic, Danger, and Heart
This book brings magic, curses, and high tension. Regina Vale’s sophomore year is full of danger, betrayal, and a curse that threatens everything she holds dear. Having survived her freshman year, she now faces a darker curse: her friend Fiona is cursed to attempt her killing, and a looming threat—the First Founder—waits in the shadows.
Between classes and misadventures the stakes feel higher, both personally and on a grander magical scale. I like how the author mixes school-life fantasy tropes with real danger, humor, and moral dilemmas. The cursed bond between Regina and Fiona adds emotional weight, not just action for action’s sake. The pacing juggles moments of tension, world-building, and character growth fairly well.
I enjoyed the various quotes from classical writers such as Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Frost. I particularly enjoyed the extract from the latter that reads: Two roads diverged in a wood, and sorry I could not travel both… and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.
The book is perfect for fans of academy fantasy looking for more magic, mystery, and character conflict. It is a thrilling sequel with lore and emotional depth.
This book brings magic, curses, and high tension. Regina Vale’s sophomore year is full of danger, betrayal, and a curse that threatens everything she holds dear. Having survived her freshman year, she now faces a darker curse: her friend Fiona is cursed to attempt her killing, and a looming threat—the First Founder—waits in the shadows.
Between classes and misadventures the stakes feel higher, both personally and on a grander magical scale. I like how the author mixes school-life fantasy tropes with real danger, humor, and moral dilemmas. The cursed bond between Regina and Fiona adds emotional weight, not just action for action’s sake. The pacing juggles moments of tension, world-building, and character growth fairly well.
I enjoyed the various quotes from classical writers such as Edgar Allen Poe and Robert Frost. I particularly enjoyed the extract from the latter that reads: Two roads diverged in a wood, and sorry I could not travel both… and I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference.
The book is perfect for fans of academy fantasy looking for more magic, mystery, and character conflict. It is a thrilling sequel with lore and emotional depth.
October 29, 2025
Crisp Action and Imaginative Magic
I read and enjoyed A Year of Sharpened Claws. This brought me to Regina Vale’s world and had a great time watching sophomore-year stakes sharpen. I enjoyed the way school-life rhythms with classes, pranks, late-night rule bending and later collide with real peril: a curse that twists friendship into danger, a dragon that feels both mythic and terrifying, and the First Founder’s shadow pressing on every choice. I liked Regina’s voice most of all: wry, impulsive, self-aware enough to admit mistakes, still learning how power refracts character. The bond with Fiona carries heart and tension without melodrama, and the humor pops without undercutting dread. I appreciated the crisp action, readable magic rules, and literary flourishes: little quotations that echo theme rather than showing off. World-building widens just enough: faculty agendas, curse mechanics, history beneath the Academy. A few conflicts resolve quickly, and I wouldn’t mind deeper interior time with Fiona, yet the pacing kept me engaged . The ending threads consequence and hope, setting up the finale with promise. For academy fantasy fans, this sequel delivers danger, loyalty, and growth.
I read and enjoyed A Year of Sharpened Claws. This brought me to Regina Vale’s world and had a great time watching sophomore-year stakes sharpen. I enjoyed the way school-life rhythms with classes, pranks, late-night rule bending and later collide with real peril: a curse that twists friendship into danger, a dragon that feels both mythic and terrifying, and the First Founder’s shadow pressing on every choice. I liked Regina’s voice most of all: wry, impulsive, self-aware enough to admit mistakes, still learning how power refracts character. The bond with Fiona carries heart and tension without melodrama, and the humor pops without undercutting dread. I appreciated the crisp action, readable magic rules, and literary flourishes: little quotations that echo theme rather than showing off. World-building widens just enough: faculty agendas, curse mechanics, history beneath the Academy. A few conflicts resolve quickly, and I wouldn’t mind deeper interior time with Fiona, yet the pacing kept me engaged . The ending threads consequence and hope, setting up the finale with promise. For academy fantasy fans, this sequel delivers danger, loyalty, and growth.
October 19, 2025
A Year of Sharpened Claws takes readers back into the chaotic, curse-riddled life of Regina Vale—this time with higher stakes, darker twists, and a touch of self-aware humor that makes her voice irresistible. As Regina tackles her sophomore year at the Academy for Awakened Souls, she’s caught in a web of danger that blurs the line between friendship and betrayal. Her best friend Fiona is cursed to kill her, and a sinister force known as the First Founder lurks behind every shadow. The book is a clever mix of fantasy school life, emotional complexity, and Regina’s wry, often self-deprecating narration. The pacing balances fast-moving action with introspective moments and literary flair—quotes from Poe and Frost lend surprising depth to a world of dragons, duels, and destiny. Beneath the curses and chaos, the story explores loyalty, guilt, and the courage to face one’s flaws. Fans of magical academia and morally tangled friendships will find A Year of Sharpened Claws both thrilling and deeply human.
November 16, 2025
“A Year of Sharpened Claws: Book 2 of the Academy for Awakened Souls” by Matthew Patrick, continues the adventures of Regina Vale, who has completed her first year at the Academy for Awakened Souls, a school for teenagers gifted with magical abilities. Regina and her friend Fiona have been marked by the First Founder, and are destined to fight an epic battle. Thus, the pair are being guided and assisted by Lillian, a recent graduate. Although there are many sources of danger in this tale, it never gets heavy; Regina provides a great deal of tongue-in-cheek inner dialogue, peppered with sarcasm; while her sense of humor keeps the mood from descending into despair, her frequent asides to the reader slow down the action a bit more than necessary. Overall, this is an imaginative and engaging read. This series is ideal for fans of YA fantasy with an impulsive and quirky heroine.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews