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Validus Vale Academy: Book Two

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I thought the Academy was a prison. I didn't realize it was the only thing keeping the monsters out.

I threw myself through a vortex to save my guys, but now we’re trapped in a place that shouldn't exist—a realm of raw, intoxicating magic that is as beautiful as it is lethal. This dimension doesn't just hold us captive; it’s getting under our skin, changing my companions in ways I can't control. 

I see the primal hunger in Ludo’s eyes, a frantic desperation in Alexis, and a growing darkness taking root in Cosmo that scares me more than the monsters in the mist.

But the biggest threat isn't the realm. It’s the power waking up inside me.

The "dud" of Validus Vale is gone. In her place is a source of magic so rare that the power-hungry will stop at nothing to possess it. I’ve become the ultimate prize in a game I don't know how to play.

Back at the Academy, the Conclave is no longer hiding in the shadows. Their corruption has turned the school into a gilded cage where status is a weapon and trust is a death sentence. While the Elite families play their twisted games of bloodlines and betrayal, I’m learning the true cost of my inheritance.

And still, somewhere in the silence between worlds, a piece of my soul is still missing. I have to find him—before the darkness swallows us all.

A Note on the

♥Book Two significantly raises the heat level of this Paranormal Academy Reverse Harem Romance.♥

357 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 21, 2025

261 people are currently reading
91 people want to read

About the author

Nicky Shivers

7 books46 followers
Nicky Shivers lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, kids and various fur babies. When not juggling the family, she is holed up in the study, writing stories. Her fictional characters work through challenges and personal flaws to find their HEA’s; sometimes in the most unconventional ways!

Shivers writes contemporary and paranormal romances, often with a #whychoose plot.

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5 stars
195 (44%)
4 stars
141 (31%)
3 stars
78 (17%)
2 stars
22 (4%)
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5 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
Profile Image for Nina.
163 reviews7 followers
January 30, 2026
am really enjoying this series

Huh, I need twenty or so words just to let you know, I am really enjoying this series! It is annoying
Profile Image for Amanda Crossland.
1,199 reviews13 followers
January 6, 2026
Great 2nd book!

Spoiler Alert!
I thought this was an intriguing 2nd book, it kept me captivated, building anticipation as the ending crept closer.
I found that Alexis, Donovan, Ludo, Cosmo and Theo worked well together, they leaned on each other and supported one another when times of stress were high. Each of them had a power boost. They found Donovan at the very end of the first book. Turns out the realm they jumped too encourages “innate” powers to activate. The kind of powers that were extinct. Cosmo turned into a mother freaken Dragon! It’s an apt counter part to his egotistical m, rich personality. The dragon actually helps calm his ego, and starts working together with the guys almost willingly to protect Theo. Ludo, he turns into a Minotaur which was perfect because when they jump through another portal following Wes’s scent, their in a cave system which is where Ludos Minotaur powers came in handy. Built in GPS. There, they meet Maximus. I got the feeling he was part of her reverse harem as well but they never got around to kissing or anything like that. Just a ton of flirting. He turned into a Hellhound, he accidentally scared her and she fell cutting herself. His point of view showed how incredibly bad he felt. His protective instincts kicked in along with the playfulness of a kid in a candy store. He was loyal to Theo from there. They jump through another portal and find an old shack of a sort, with a statue that animated, I can’t remember her name, Aurilen? Amelien? Anyways, she basically told Theo, she is the one human that can hold her power Lumina. To combat the darkness bleeding into her world. She needs to plug the hole that’s leaking this bad energy. Fortunately, she also tells Theo Wes made it back home through another portal than they went through to get back to the academy. They arrive home unsure how long they had been gone, thankfully it was only 3 days. They find Wes, but he’s completely forgotten several years of his life, and talks down to Theo like he never fell in love with her before, never wanted to plan a life with her. Hes almost hostile with her, choosing to be what most elites act like, arrogant pricks ,calling her a Dud. It was so disheartening to read. It bugged me that they didn’t really do anything to figure out what changed Wes. They know that Dark energy looks like. They know what Brands look like, the whole shebang, but they decided to give him space, fat good that did for them. He basically drew Theo out thinking it was Donovan, his twin. I mean the council has the Dean on it and they have access to all the emails she sent trying to reach out to the twins, and the old Dean calling her a stalker, and to stop before he puts a restraining order on her. He may not have intentionally drew her out but he did it all the same. And now the council have her, and Wes. She’s so freaken stubborn. Doesn’t think at all about the safety of herself. The guys are gonna go crazy looking for her. I hate endings like this, and usually avoid reading stories that have them. The author did a fantastic job reeling the reader in, the kidnapping part was unnecessary. Hopefully, the majority of the next book doesn’t have them seperated. That whole portal jumping thing was like 30% of the book. Nicky Shivers could have stretched it out longer, and I would have continued to enjoy it. Unfortunately, Nicky Shivers stretched out the days at the academy. It got to a point where I had to decide to push through my anxiety or choose another book. There was a ton of emotional angst that happens before the Hallo Ball evening. The emotional torture of seeing her true love not recognize her in the majority of the book was heart breaking. Finding answers to some things but opening up a truck load of more questions. Mostly it was the emotional turmoil and the heaviness of needing to be powerful enough to save the world. Hopefully, the next book is a bit more balanced in action vs politics. Personally, more action than politics. Granted the sleuthing and researching old topics such as the academy history. Also, it needs more spice in the next book. Reward your readers Nicky Shivers! Theo deserves to let loose with the men who revolve around her, as they do with her.
Profile Image for beth m.
879 reviews
January 22, 2026
book 2

Better than book one, but I feel like this isn’t well fleshed out, there just feels like a bunch of plot-holes. Spoilers
I don’t understand how the Fmc is now all powerful has these abilities to get rid of the darkness and does not do anything to Wes, like briefly tries at the end, but also- doesn’t push it? If the twins were so close and inseparable how does Donovan not realize that something is super not right and want to delve to the bottom of it? Wes can legit not remember a whole segment of time and his twin brother is letting him take a moment (days or weeks worth)- it just doesn’t seem like that action would jive with his personality- even cosmo sees it, (that something isn’t right)- and if in the beginning when Theo met the twins and it was basically love at first sight- why wouldn’t anyone question why Wes didn’t feel that “love at first sight”- like they did before? The author didn’t give the readers any background or flashbacks of how the twins and Theo first started- sure there were small snippets but nothing that showed a relationship blossoming and giving credibility to the way Theo acts. It would have been more helpful to show what the initial start of their relationship looked like- including Cosmo and how it affected their relationship. It feels like a big miss. Speaking of Cosmo, how has he not asked Theo to take his dark mark off? It is legit controlling him and hindering his life- why would he not get that taken care of??! When writing a RH from different point of views I feel like making sure everyone gets equal- “point of view time” is imperative- I still feel like I don’t have any connection to most of these male leads or even care about majority of them, and then they add another guy (max), there’s not enough info to feel invested in their storyline, which is a huge problem with large harems when not written well.

This gripe is a me problem, and being nit-picky.
From a formatting perspective I really don’t like that there is no table of contents, not being able to go back to certain chapters trying to reference back, was annoying and frustrating. I still stand by my original statement from book 1, the pictures of each character as a pov reference/chapter start did zero favors- it made me less interested in learning about them- Ludo looks like a creepy middle aged man- like the guy who played Lucius Malfoy and Legolas had a middle aged son who is 40s, but greasy, and lanky. His title is “Ludo the janitor”. Nothing about that sounds sexy, that’s like Ludo the garbage man, Ludo the toilet cleaner, Ludo the creep- I feel like at any moment he’s going to ask you if he should use “his strong hand”. Zero sex appeal. I mean at this point, call him the groundskeeper- that at least could be made to sound sexy? The artwork, is talented on its own, but applying it to the characters just brought the book down, and maybe it’s because they don’t look appealing to me. I would have rather come up with my own mental images at what they look like. Donovan looks like Bob Ross and a lumberjack had a baby and he’s in his early 30s ready to star as the hero in a Christmas holiday hallmark movie. Alexis looks like Rami Malek and Prince had a middle aged baby. And Max looks like a dark haired child of Gary Busey. The only normal-ish age appropriate looking characters are Theo (who I have to remind myself is the female lead because her name is also the common nickname for Theodore) and Cosmo. Idk this book has so much potential, but I just have a hard time feeling invested in these characters.
9 reviews
December 23, 2025
Stuck between 3 stars or 5 so I'll give it 4

I LOVED THE FIRST BOOK, I was so excited for the second book and it didn't disappoint necessarily but the last couple of chapters have me confused. I'm stuck between that's predictable or that was stupid, I know what the author was trying to do, I'm just unsure if I feel like it fell flat. Spoilers
Spoilers
They're like keep an eye on him and let him wander free, like no one thought to put a tracker on him or his phone or like a spy cam (we have 2 Techs in the group). He's been acting weird and for as much as they supposedly care they're very lax almost to say (Desperate in attempts to find him and when they do he's different, and multiple occasions they leave him by himself. Like honestly I'm unsure if I thought my Twin was going through PTSD, I'd have to chill on my partner to make sure they're okay or figure out what's going on, not shopping and going to dances that seems almost callous ).
She can burn out darkness but it didn't occur to anyone to try it on him
1) He's been so unfriendly to her and in this crisis she just willingly follows him
2) She's like we need to go some other way and again blindly follows him cause that makes sense
3) Why don't she try and get in touch with the WHOLE group instead of reaching out to just one.
I liked the book, it just was just bafflingly at some parts
Please juve the book a try but I'm just doing too much but an AMAZING SERIES for sure
73 reviews
December 28, 2025
Book two launches straight from where the first left off—through the portal—and wastes no time pulling you back into the story.

Theo and the guys must find a way back to the academy, and their journey is packed with danger, discovery, and high stakes. Along the way, Theo gains deeper insight into who—and what—she truly is, while the men begin to unlock new powers of their own. Every challenge they face pushes them further, individually and as a group.

The blend of romance, mystery, and supernatural elements continues to feel fresh and engaging. Theo’s determination to balance her secrets, responsibilities, and relationships really highlights her strength and grit, while her kindness keeps her grounded and relatable.

The heat definitely turns up between Theo and her men in this installment, and the glimpses into the group’s past add meaningful depth, helping explain who they are and why they function the way they do together. Overall, this is a strong, compelling continuation that raises both the emotional and supernatural stakes.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Tedra.
398 reviews2 followers
February 18, 2026
Dnf

I really enjoyed book 1.
The writ8ng in book was atrocious and silly. I gave up at like page 93.
What didnt make sense to me and maybe i missed it as I was supper tired was after finding Donovan in the 1st world leaving gone thru tge 1st portal- why didnt Donovan go thru the portal when he was separated from Wes & Max?

I get that he said throwing a stone thru only made it spit back out? But throwing something like a leather wallet thru was ok? Something organic? Fine, made sense? So why were they all ok with going thru then after that?

First they run into Max- i get. Max & Wes where running around & exploring but Wes was going thru other portals alone? Leaving Mex behind? Wtf? What a dumbass.
The nicknames for the Fmc tee tee and pulu are dumb & cringe.
The Boys were coming off as kids especially Max & Donovan. The writing just changed drastically from book 1.

Not that book 1 was all that great to begin with. The FMC was waaay to trusting with her secrets to kids she barely knew .
14 reviews
January 7, 2026
The story and the book is okay, but still there is something that doesn't "clicks" for me in the writing. I think it is the inner dialogues of the characters that puts me off, since the story and the overall world is good. I might be a overthinker, but the inner dialogues is missingreal depths
Will read the third book, because the cliffhanger got me, even though it was really easy to imagine how that specific event was supposed to go early in the book.
You can see some character development in Cosmo, but that is also the only one from my point of view.
Max will also let us see more depth in him then the first book reveled.
I like Ludo - but I would rather seen he was perhaps her father in some spectacular web entanglement.
Profile Image for Brittany Ferko.
5 reviews
February 6, 2026
I don’t normally write reviews I just pick the amount of stars and move on but there’s a few things I wanted to say. The first half of this book was hilarious I was laughing often but for some reason as soon as the characters returned to campus and some serious things happened the writing changed. Some chapters seem to be written by a completely different author and then the use of lol as a word. lol is not a word it’s for texting/social media/maybe emails but I read lol as a word more than once and it took me out of the story. I will read book 3 when it is released but I’m hoping for better editing and grammar. I probably would’ve given 4 stars if there was better editing and grammar.
Profile Image for Jacquelyn G.
1,069 reviews56 followers
January 8, 2026
Theo #2 3 ⭐️

This storyline is interesting but pretty chaotic.
These kids have alllll this magic, yet we dont really see, well any magic. All there has been is shifters, forcing people to talk, shut up or sit down.

There are no explained rules for the magic so there's not really an awe inspiring excitement.

The mystery has become really the only saving grace. I might read book 3 if I remember when it finally comes out 6 months from now but I doubt it. I don't really have a burning need to see the conclusion.
It passed the time but was pretty mediocre
Profile Image for Jordan Blackaby.
252 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2026
still good

I’m still thoroughly intrigued by this series. Spicy scenes are spicy and feel spaced out enough I can enjoy the actual plot. Characters continue to grow and I like seeing them developed but this whole timeline is moving very fast for such a short amount of time. Like it feels as months have passed but I think it’s maybe a week total. Which can be jarring. Anyway I’m excited for book 2
87 reviews
January 16, 2026
Boring

It’s nothing spectacular. Extremely predictable a bit drawn out. I honestly I just started skimming through the book at about 35%. Not bad just boring and slow. The part that really gets me is how no one realizes they are True bounds but Ludo and he dismisses it meanwhile the smart all knowledge having gryphon doesn’t see it. SMH I’ll skim the next book because I have to finish once I start.
Profile Image for Nicole Deanne Veracruz.
2,484 reviews15 followers
December 27, 2025
I definitely thought this book was better than the first, but honestly, that's not saying much. The ending felt predictable. One more book to go. I had to go back and read the last couple of chapters of the first book because it was so forgettable that I honestly couldn't remember it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for need4read.
129 reviews
January 27, 2026
terrible cliffhanger

But I can’t wait for book 3. Love the guys and appreciate the journey we went on in this book. Looking forward to figuring out what happened to our poor sensitive sweetheart twin Wes. I have a theory and wonder if one of the parents are the other realms protector of the bad juju who has decided he no longer wanted that job and went to earth?
784 reviews3 followers
January 28, 2026
Rescue?

A clue came when one of the twins friends was heard thinking about how they were going after her. They packed up and stored all their stuff but never made it onto the plane and never returned to campus. So the hunt is on and more people get involved. Instead of three people working separately now they join forces. Good Adult Read.
Profile Image for ✨ Lauren ✨.
645 reviews4 followers
December 30, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️ reading time: 4 hours and 4 minutes, 340 pages

An interesting storyline with likeable characters and I’m interested to see where the next book goes.

I wouldn’t say the heat significantly increases in this one as the blurb says but it at least has some light heat.
Profile Image for bersabea giudice.
996 reviews10 followers
December 31, 2025
Un libro abbastanza carino, non brilla per originalità né per suscitare chissà quale interesse, ma si legge velocemente e non mi ha mai fatto venire voglia di scaraventare il kindle giù dalla finestra ( il ché è già un successo ).
Quando uscirà il terzo volume potrei anche leggerlo.
Profile Image for Karen.
338 reviews2 followers
January 6, 2026
DNF was really really disjointed. Too many POVs for me, although they did help with characters holes. Sex scene was just not the right time. I liked that the FMC had a realistic reaction to being the chosen one. Way too much angst and PTSD for me.
Profile Image for Kirstin Lewry.
288 reviews4 followers
January 24, 2026
Great book

Read on KU. This is a great continuation of a series I'm really enjoying but oh the cliffhanger! Great plot, characters and progression. There's a mix of action romance and story. Well worth a read
Profile Image for mads.
19 reviews
January 25, 2026
i really enjoyed the first part of the book, them going through the different worlds, but it kinda fell off after that.
I mean i knew it wasn’t going to be great but i wanted it to hook me like the last book did, and it didn’t.
74 reviews1 follower
December 23, 2025
You have to read this series

It is so different and fresh with my hert beating fast it was so good! Nicky Shivers is my new favorite author! So intrigued and need to know
Profile Image for Sheila Ryals.
2,631 reviews13 followers
December 30, 2025
😻

So this was pure chaos. Kinda cool in a way. So much going on it is unreal! Can't wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Heather Gilbert.
1,788 reviews85 followers
January 4, 2026
4.5

Rollicking good ride - though I’m
Left with more questions than answers. I feel that will smooth out in book 3.
268 reviews
January 6, 2026
DNR at 44%.

Story is fine but the characters are just to immature for my ancient brain

Dialogue is childlike in places but apt for their age group, but not mine.
Profile Image for Spider888.
447 reviews
January 11, 2026
I know the drama is like high stakes for the world and shit, but it just feels low stakes and filler-y
146 reviews
January 15, 2026
new world

Interesting and motivating plot! New ideas mixed with myths, shape shifters and magic! Characters grow and change, finding new meaning in their gifts. Cliff hangers!!!
6 reviews
January 19, 2026
this is so good omg

This series is so good I can’t believe I have to wait until May for book 3!!!! It’s so good and I love this series!!!! 10/10 highly recommend!!!
Profile Image for Angela.
2,536 reviews10 followers
January 21, 2026
Reunited

Crazy story line. Finally the gang is back together. But for how long? And that ending?!?! What in the world is going on?
Profile Image for Kerry Reynolds.
1 review1 follower
January 24, 2026
Need book 3 asap

Storyline went a bit farfetched to start with but blended seamlessly towards the end. I need to know what happened to Theo
Profile Image for Shannon Alderson.
169 reviews1 follower
January 25, 2026
Brilliant

This book was great, really had me hooked and on edge . That ending, what a cliffhanger!! Can’t wait for the next book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews

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