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Starfall Academy #1
Witch Fire
Finding four soul-bonded mates should be a blessing for a magically incompetent witch, except they have no clue who or what I am.
Nobody does.
Not even me.
Officially, I don’t exist. At least I didn’t until I accidentally set fire to a farmer’s market. That’s when I’m sent to Starfall Academy for the most powerful magicals, where students hone their skills and learn control.
Alaric Vane is the son of the Mage Council leader. A storm mage with a serious attitude problem who enjoys making my life miserable when he’s not sending my magic haywire.
Zane Vanyx is the last of his kind, the only son of an insane mass-murderer. Everyone’s afraid of the incubus, but he’s taken to stalking me, which is concerning.
Maverick Wilder, our bear shifter PT instructor, is huge, fierce, and strangely protective. He claims he’s my mate, which can’t be true because faculty and students are forbidden from fraternizing. And that includes being naked together in his office after hours…
Kai Seathorne is a shy, sweet merman, and one of the few students who doesn’t make fun of me. I’d love to get to know him better, but in our elitist society, witches and lesser magicals don’t mix. Or kiss.
Sadly, my confusing love life is the least of my concerns.
I can’t afford to let my guard down.
Not with vicious hellhounds hunting me.
---
Witch Fire is book 1 in a new paranormal why choose series. It is a MFMMM magic academy romance that's slow-medium burn in book one and the female main character will not have to choose between her fated mates. This book ends on a cliff and is perfect for fans of Eve Newton, KC Kean, and Morgan B Lee.
Nobody does.
Not even me.
Officially, I don’t exist. At least I didn’t until I accidentally set fire to a farmer’s market. That’s when I’m sent to Starfall Academy for the most powerful magicals, where students hone their skills and learn control.
Alaric Vane is the son of the Mage Council leader. A storm mage with a serious attitude problem who enjoys making my life miserable when he’s not sending my magic haywire.
Zane Vanyx is the last of his kind, the only son of an insane mass-murderer. Everyone’s afraid of the incubus, but he’s taken to stalking me, which is concerning.
Maverick Wilder, our bear shifter PT instructor, is huge, fierce, and strangely protective. He claims he’s my mate, which can’t be true because faculty and students are forbidden from fraternizing. And that includes being naked together in his office after hours…
Kai Seathorne is a shy, sweet merman, and one of the few students who doesn’t make fun of me. I’d love to get to know him better, but in our elitist society, witches and lesser magicals don’t mix. Or kiss.
Sadly, my confusing love life is the least of my concerns.
I can’t afford to let my guard down.
Not with vicious hellhounds hunting me.
---
Witch Fire is book 1 in a new paranormal why choose series. It is a MFMMM magic academy romance that's slow-medium burn in book one and the female main character will not have to choose between her fated mates. This book ends on a cliff and is perfect for fans of Eve Newton, KC Kean, and Morgan B Lee.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 11, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 378 reviews
February 2, 2026
DNF. which means this review is really solely for me so I don't pick this back up and try again because after the third attempt it's time to call it.
Future me:
The writing in this book is not great. The author clearly reads a lot of books and has absorbed the genre but it falls flat on its own. Not everyone who reads a lot is a great author and this book goes in that category.
you tried this several times and keep feeling the same way, stop picking it up.
Future me:
The writing in this book is not great. The author clearly reads a lot of books and has absorbed the genre but it falls flat on its own. Not everyone who reads a lot is a great author and this book goes in that category.
you tried this several times and keep feeling the same way, stop picking it up.
May 31, 2026
This book was overall entertaining! As other reviews said, it wasn't groundbreaking. Then again, it doesn't market itself that way, so I don't understand where people got that impression. It's textbook paranormal romance academy why choose. If you take it for what it is, it's great!
The FMC was a tad bit too naive and was very reluctant to ask questions. Any questions, really! Questions about where she comes from, why her powers are wonky, and why she's forced to be a recluse and never allowed to leave the house with everyone else. It was weird. She eventually does get a little better at it, but it was still an annoyance of mine.
The MMC's were iffy.
The ending was a cliffhanger! I usually hate cliffhangers, but this one worked for the story. This was entertaining enough that I'm optimistic about the next book and where the story is going!
P.S. There was a plot hole that bothered me, so I'll just mention it here: When the FMC is given the basics of how her dorm room/wards work, it's explicitly stated that her rooms wards are keyed to her. It will only let someone inside after she invites them in. The FMC then asks what if she wants to revoke permission, and the answer she gets is to just uninvite that person so the wards know not to let them in. A few chapters later, the incubus mate lets himself into the witch dorm building and mentions how one of the witches mistakenly invited him in for a party and that now he has unrestricted access to the building, and that the witch can't revoke access unless the wards are reinforced/maintenanced by the school.
The FMC was a tad bit too naive and was very reluctant to ask questions. Any questions, really! Questions about where she comes from, why her powers are wonky, and why she's forced to be a recluse and never allowed to leave the house with everyone else. It was weird. She eventually does get a little better at it, but it was still an annoyance of mine.
The MMC's were iffy.
The ending was a cliffhanger! I usually hate cliffhangers, but this one worked for the story. This was entertaining enough that I'm optimistic about the next book and where the story is going!
P.S. There was a plot hole that bothered me, so I'll just mention it here: When the FMC is given the basics of how her dorm room/wards work, it's explicitly stated that her rooms wards are keyed to her. It will only let someone inside after she invites them in. The FMC then asks what if she wants to revoke permission, and the answer she gets is to just uninvite that person so the wards know not to let them in. A few chapters later, the incubus mate lets himself into the witch dorm building and mentions how one of the witches mistakenly invited him in for a party and that now he has unrestricted access to the building, and that the witch can't revoke access unless the wards are reinforced/maintenanced by the school.
December 19, 2025
I wanted to read something easy in this genre, and that's what I got. This is nothing new to the genre, but it was fine enough. The FMC is a bit TSTL, and the writing is a bit juvenile, but it was mildly entertaining.
December 28, 2025
I told myself I was going to finish this one no matter what... but I just couldn't do it. :-/
It reads like it's written by a pre-teen, which is even more awkward when it starts throwing around sex terms. World building is absent, and instead the reader is left with a story having an identity crisis - TikTok-esque slang and pop culture references, poorly defined societal structure, contradictory character traits, confusing timelines, and a penchant for lazy plot devices.
I finally had to quit when the Familiar was introduced. The exquisitely pucker-worthy, try-hard attempt at a "sassy" side character subjected me to dialog so far beyond cringey I searched Urban Dictionary to see if there existed some new phrase to articulate the palpable biological reaction I felt. You know that feeling you get when some smooth-brained podcast bro uses the term "alpha" to describe himself unironically? It was kind of like that.
It reads like it's written by a pre-teen, which is even more awkward when it starts throwing around sex terms. World building is absent, and instead the reader is left with a story having an identity crisis - TikTok-esque slang and pop culture references, poorly defined societal structure, contradictory character traits, confusing timelines, and a penchant for lazy plot devices.
I finally had to quit when the Familiar was introduced. The exquisitely pucker-worthy, try-hard attempt at a "sassy" side character subjected me to dialog so far beyond cringey I searched Urban Dictionary to see if there existed some new phrase to articulate the palpable biological reaction I felt. You know that feeling you get when some smooth-brained podcast bro uses the term "alpha" to describe himself unironically? It was kind of like that.
March 11, 2026
suppppppper generic and the writing is meh but it's entertaining and easy to read
October 25, 2025
A big 5/5 stars for this read!
Tropes:
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Paranormal Academy
✨ Why Choose
Plot:
Raven, a sheltered witch, is spending a rare day away from the farm when she accidentally starts a small fire at the farmer’s market. She’s rescued by a handsome bear shifter and surrounded by a team of mages who force her to attend Starfall Academy, where she’ll spend the next three years learning to control her magic. But as she struggles to adjust to the world she was once hidden from, she’s quickly pulled into chaos, danger, and a pile of soul bonded mates.
My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book! Raven is such a bright ray of sunshine. Even when she was scared and cornered, she still tried to kill them with kindness. I loved watching her confidence and relationships grow. I loved Zane! I have a biiiig weakness for incubi, especially the slightly unhinged ones. 😍 Maverick stole my heart too, his protective, fierce nature made me melt. The way his bear always wanted to make sure Raven was safe, warm, and fed made me smile. I am growing to like Alaric, but I’m definitely hoping for some heavy groveling in his future. I also can’t wait to learn more about Kai and Rasmus. I absolutely adore Raven’s familiar, Kenji the Kitsune. Every time he appeared he had me giggling and laughing out loud. I really hope he gets more page time in book two because I can’t wait to learn more about him.
The plot hooked me from the start and kept me guessing the entire way through. I loved trying to piece together how everything connected, and I can’t wait to see the larger role Raven and her mates will play moving forward. That cliffhanger absolutely wrecked me, and now I’m eagerly awaiting book two.
A massive thank you to Lyra Mishon and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC for my honest review! I can’t wait to read more by this author. ❤️
Tropes:
✨ Fated Mates
✨ Paranormal Academy
✨ Why Choose
Plot:
Raven, a sheltered witch, is spending a rare day away from the farm when she accidentally starts a small fire at the farmer’s market. She’s rescued by a handsome bear shifter and surrounded by a team of mages who force her to attend Starfall Academy, where she’ll spend the next three years learning to control her magic. But as she struggles to adjust to the world she was once hidden from, she’s quickly pulled into chaos, danger, and a pile of soul bonded mates.
My thoughts:
I absolutely loved this book! Raven is such a bright ray of sunshine. Even when she was scared and cornered, she still tried to kill them with kindness. I loved watching her confidence and relationships grow. I loved Zane! I have a biiiig weakness for incubi, especially the slightly unhinged ones. 😍 Maverick stole my heart too, his protective, fierce nature made me melt. The way his bear always wanted to make sure Raven was safe, warm, and fed made me smile. I am growing to like Alaric, but I’m definitely hoping for some heavy groveling in his future. I also can’t wait to learn more about Kai and Rasmus. I absolutely adore Raven’s familiar, Kenji the Kitsune. Every time he appeared he had me giggling and laughing out loud. I really hope he gets more page time in book two because I can’t wait to learn more about him.
The plot hooked me from the start and kept me guessing the entire way through. I loved trying to piece together how everything connected, and I can’t wait to see the larger role Raven and her mates will play moving forward. That cliffhanger absolutely wrecked me, and now I’m eagerly awaiting book two.
A massive thank you to Lyra Mishon and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC for my honest review! I can’t wait to read more by this author. ❤️
December 22, 2025
Generic reverse harem academy
I finished this but just barely. It's honestly not the worst academy romance I've read but far from the best. The writing is not my preferred style at times a chapter would end in the middle of a plot point and in the next chapter they'd have moved on to something else.
I finished this but just barely. It's honestly not the worst academy romance I've read but far from the best. The writing is not my preferred style at times a chapter would end in the middle of a plot point and in the next chapter they'd have moved on to something else.
April 15, 2026
2.5
So many inconsistencies, plot holes etc. very little world building or much character development. Interesting premise.
At the beginning one of the future harem member acts so horrifically to the FMC that he’s almost unredeemable. The atrocious behavior is never really cleared up, it’s more like the behavior became something that irked people but entire let it slide.
So many inconsistencies, plot holes etc. very little world building or much character development. Interesting premise.
At the beginning one of the future harem member acts so horrifically to the FMC that he’s almost unredeemable. The atrocious behavior is never really cleared up, it’s more like the behavior became something that irked people but entire let it slide.
November 12, 2025
*Reverse Harem
*Paranormal
*Multi-1st-PoV
*Academy Setting
*Unusual FMC
*Elitist Society
*Fated Mates
*Building Harem (4)
*Mid Burn
*Book 1/?
Good start some FMC development
This is a good debut novel, although it’s a common storyline I found it gripping and was eager to keep reading! I really want to find out what makes our FMC different and pretty sire that cliffhanger is leading there 😁
The men are different to each others and have some substance to them and can see there will be further character development (looking at the Mage 😳😅) it is insta lust/love for some so it does move pretty quickly 🔥 the only thing I think is for the FMC is she’s a bit up and down and not quite sure what her core personality is. She’s also been kept away from civilisation for pretty much her whole life and some things she questions but others it’s just like she’s always understood so I think that needed a little more clarity to her responses. Other than that she was rather amusing with her kill them kindness attitude 😂 overall I did enjoy this and will be looking for the next book 😀
*Paranormal
*Multi-1st-PoV
*Academy Setting
*Unusual FMC
*Elitist Society
*Fated Mates
*Building Harem (4)
*Mid Burn
*Book 1/?
Good start some FMC development
This is a good debut novel, although it’s a common storyline I found it gripping and was eager to keep reading! I really want to find out what makes our FMC different and pretty sire that cliffhanger is leading there 😁
The men are different to each others and have some substance to them and can see there will be further character development (looking at the Mage 😳😅) it is insta lust/love for some so it does move pretty quickly 🔥 the only thing I think is for the FMC is she’s a bit up and down and not quite sure what her core personality is. She’s also been kept away from civilisation for pretty much her whole life and some things she questions but others it’s just like she’s always understood so I think that needed a little more clarity to her responses. Other than that she was rather amusing with her kill them kindness attitude 😂 overall I did enjoy this and will be looking for the next book 😀
Did Not Finish
November 13, 2025Soft dnf atm, just couldn't get into it. I'll give it another shot in a week or so
January 7, 2026
This was a DNF for me. Not my jam at all - I prefer strong female characters and by like 40-50% of the way through that should be well established. The main character is continually called stupid by those around her, but literally nothing she does or says refutes that claim. Her inner monologue was trying to be strong and sassy I think but it failed miserably to connect with how she projected herself into the world. The female character was weak and continually demeaned and sexualized by every male character she seemed to come across which she didn’t seemed to have a big problem with.
I didn’t get the feels, I got more of the ick. I don’t think it’s very well written or developed.
I didn’t get the feels, I got more of the ick. I don’t think it’s very well written or developed.
January 21, 2026
writing is juvenile but the story is good. I like the world and characters will read book 2.
November 2, 2025
The banter between Raven and her familiar has me laughing out loud. I love her familiar. The cliffhanger has me desperately needing book 2.
January 14, 2026
Am I proud I loved it? No 😂 is it perfect? No 😂 Innovative? No 😂 Still, listened to it in one day
May 25, 2026
Not feeling great today so AI has been used to listen and bring together the review
****
A "very okay" start that struggles with world-building and pacing, but the cliffhanger keeps you hooked.
I found this book quite hard to get through. It struggled to hold my attention; I’d frequently look away, find something else more interesting, and set it aside for hours. It’s a "very okay" start with a few good elements, but the overall execution, plot holes, and pacing make it difficult to stay fully immersed.
The world-building is okay, but it just isn't great and feels a bit off. We get clear indications of the strict hierarchy, with the Witches & Mages at the top, and there's a strong sense that things are underhanded regarding the history with vampires and shifters. We also learn in the first few chapters that humans know about supernaturals—or at least the Witches & Mages—but then it is barely mentioned again. The character building suffers from this same lack of depth, missing key details even down to how the bear came to be who he is.
The multiple POVs are a mixed bag. They help the story, but I feel they were introduced too early. If we had spent more time solely with the FMC and her current situation pre academy, to build a proper connection with her first, getting to know the MMCs later would have felt more rewarding. As it stands, I feel like we know more about the guys than her. It is actually quite annoying because I wanted to be mad at them for a couple of books for their actions—they absolutely need to grovel—but their underlying reasons are so strong that you end up feeling a tiny bit sorry for them instead. Just a teeny bit, although it doesn't forgive the actions, I've read way worse.
The FMC herself has genuinely good heart and also has badass moments where she gives more than they expect. But the setup around her is weird. For instance, she is given a mentor to help her use her magic, which makes little sense when she is literally at an academy where the teachers should be doing exactly that. There are several needle-like plot holes like this that disrupt the flow. Even the spice and "smexy" scenes fall completely flat—I honestly forgot they even happened, which is never a great sign.
The narration was another frustrating hurdle. The FMC's inner dialogue is written much stronger than her spoken dialogue, but the female narrator makes it worse. When the FMC speaks out loud, she is given a very squeaky, screechy voice, yet her internal monologue sounds totally normal, which was incredibly off-putting. Ultimately, the cliffhanger ending was good enough to make me want to know what happens next, but it constantly fights against the frustrating way the book was handled.
****
A "very okay" start that struggles with world-building and pacing, but the cliffhanger keeps you hooked.
I found this book quite hard to get through. It struggled to hold my attention; I’d frequently look away, find something else more interesting, and set it aside for hours. It’s a "very okay" start with a few good elements, but the overall execution, plot holes, and pacing make it difficult to stay fully immersed.
The world-building is okay, but it just isn't great and feels a bit off. We get clear indications of the strict hierarchy, with the Witches & Mages at the top, and there's a strong sense that things are underhanded regarding the history with vampires and shifters. We also learn in the first few chapters that humans know about supernaturals—or at least the Witches & Mages—but then it is barely mentioned again. The character building suffers from this same lack of depth, missing key details even down to how the bear came to be who he is.
The multiple POVs are a mixed bag. They help the story, but I feel they were introduced too early. If we had spent more time solely with the FMC and her current situation pre academy, to build a proper connection with her first, getting to know the MMCs later would have felt more rewarding. As it stands, I feel like we know more about the guys than her. It is actually quite annoying because I wanted to be mad at them for a couple of books for their actions—they absolutely need to grovel—but their underlying reasons are so strong that you end up feeling a tiny bit sorry for them instead. Just a teeny bit, although it doesn't forgive the actions, I've read way worse.
The FMC herself has genuinely good heart and also has badass moments where she gives more than they expect. But the setup around her is weird. For instance, she is given a mentor to help her use her magic, which makes little sense when she is literally at an academy where the teachers should be doing exactly that. There are several needle-like plot holes like this that disrupt the flow. Even the spice and "smexy" scenes fall completely flat—I honestly forgot they even happened, which is never a great sign.
The narration was another frustrating hurdle. The FMC's inner dialogue is written much stronger than her spoken dialogue, but the female narrator makes it worse. When the FMC speaks out loud, she is given a very squeaky, screechy voice, yet her internal monologue sounds totally normal, which was incredibly off-putting. Ultimately, the cliffhanger ending was good enough to make me want to know what happens next, but it constantly fights against the frustrating way the book was handled.
February 7, 2026
Wow
Spoilers Alert!
Raven the female lead character is basically taken from a market ( she was accused of making a magical fire) and thrown into the academy. She also met her first soul mate Maverick, a Kodiak bear shifter. He gets a job as a professor for PT. Basically gym class for defensive moves. Then, she meets Zane, an incubus with a talent to shipshape into multiple forms, has powers that range from extreme lust to fear so powerful, the target dies from fright. He’s also pretty savage and is known for being unhinged. There’s a bunch of catty witches, mages and shifters, bullying her. She also meets Alaric Vane, son of the magical Mage council member. Alar-dick as she so affectionately nick names him from all his cruel comments and petty magical tricks, is also her mate. He is adamantly against it, we learn the reason later on in the book during one of his multiple point of views, his family is f’d up, and he can’t put her through that with how naive she is about the world. She starts to learn about the world, how vampires were killed off by a human virus that mutated to take out the vamp who bit them. It’s started trickling into the shifter community though, no one can understand how though. Any shifter turned feral is an instant death sentence. Zane and Maverick both protect her the best they can, they are also taking out demons left and right, demons that are crossing magical wards into the academy. There’s talk, the portal to the demon realm was closed down, but Alaric overhears his dad and his uncle Adam talking about the seal about to break. Since the reader can put together all the different pieces of information we learn from each point of view of the main characters, it’s obvious to us. Additionally, the talk of the demon realm, hit my foreshadow radar. The shadows also burst from her during extreme emotion, whether its lust of fear, on top of her fire magic. We also learn about Rasmos, the vampire sealed in a box, withering away, but his dream magic reached out to Raven and turns out he’s another mate! And she needs to rescue him from wherever he is. She’s collected the most powerful species, Maverick in his huge Kodiak form, Zane, the last incubus, Alaric, a storm mage, and his power supersedes his dad’s power. Kai, the crown prince heir of the mermaids, and the crown prince of the vampires, Rasmos. Something is going down, and her weird purple gem necklace has something to do with it. That end though, Princess of Hell was it? I’m not as shocked as I thought I would be from that foreshadow earlier but I am kinda happy that’s where this went. I can’t wait to see what else is in stock for Raven and her group of men.
Spoilers Alert!
Raven the female lead character is basically taken from a market ( she was accused of making a magical fire) and thrown into the academy. She also met her first soul mate Maverick, a Kodiak bear shifter. He gets a job as a professor for PT. Basically gym class for defensive moves. Then, she meets Zane, an incubus with a talent to shipshape into multiple forms, has powers that range from extreme lust to fear so powerful, the target dies from fright. He’s also pretty savage and is known for being unhinged. There’s a bunch of catty witches, mages and shifters, bullying her. She also meets Alaric Vane, son of the magical Mage council member. Alar-dick as she so affectionately nick names him from all his cruel comments and petty magical tricks, is also her mate. He is adamantly against it, we learn the reason later on in the book during one of his multiple point of views, his family is f’d up, and he can’t put her through that with how naive she is about the world. She starts to learn about the world, how vampires were killed off by a human virus that mutated to take out the vamp who bit them. It’s started trickling into the shifter community though, no one can understand how though. Any shifter turned feral is an instant death sentence. Zane and Maverick both protect her the best they can, they are also taking out demons left and right, demons that are crossing magical wards into the academy. There’s talk, the portal to the demon realm was closed down, but Alaric overhears his dad and his uncle Adam talking about the seal about to break. Since the reader can put together all the different pieces of information we learn from each point of view of the main characters, it’s obvious to us. Additionally, the talk of the demon realm, hit my foreshadow radar. The shadows also burst from her during extreme emotion, whether its lust of fear, on top of her fire magic. We also learn about Rasmos, the vampire sealed in a box, withering away, but his dream magic reached out to Raven and turns out he’s another mate! And she needs to rescue him from wherever he is. She’s collected the most powerful species, Maverick in his huge Kodiak form, Zane, the last incubus, Alaric, a storm mage, and his power supersedes his dad’s power. Kai, the crown prince heir of the mermaids, and the crown prince of the vampires, Rasmos. Something is going down, and her weird purple gem necklace has something to do with it. That end though, Princess of Hell was it? I’m not as shocked as I thought I would be from that foreshadow earlier but I am kinda happy that’s where this went. I can’t wait to see what else is in stock for Raven and her group of men.
February 26, 2026
Okay.. listen.
I'm not one to judge immediately, but what in the chat gpt is going on here?
Okay, firstly, how does Raven not know what money is?
How, HOW is she so dumb? I know she was kept hidden and away, but you cannot be this ignorant. I hate when the FMC is dumb because it makes me feel dumb when I read it. Every 5 sentences, they start speaking like this. Omg! What will we do! I can't believe you're my soulmate! Noo!
Stop. Why are they acting like that? Those who say the writing is amazing have never read a good book.
I'm not one to judge immediately, but what in the chat gpt is going on here?
“He grabbed my hand just as a small fire burst into life at my feet. Holy smoke, I needed to get a grip. This was insanity. If I carried on, I’d burn down the whole freaking school!“You’re my soul-bonded mate. Until my bear properly claims you, we’ll both have issues keeping ourselves under control. How that affects your magic, I don’t know, as cross-species soul-bonds are rare.” He smiled at me apologetically while I had a mini-meltdown. My mind skipped right over soul-bonds and went straight to the being claimed by a bear shifter bit. Sign me up!”
Okay, firstly, how does Raven not know what money is?
“Willow pushed some money into my hand with a grin. I stared at the grubby note. While I understood in theory how money worked, I had no practical experience of actually buying anything. ”
How, HOW is she so dumb? I know she was kept hidden and away, but you cannot be this ignorant. I hate when the FMC is dumb because it makes me feel dumb when I read it. Every 5 sentences, they start speaking like this. Omg! What will we do! I can't believe you're my soulmate! Noo!
Stop. Why are they acting like that? Those who say the writing is amazing have never read a good book.
November 7, 2025
I was genuinely intrigued by the premise of this book but there were many things throughout that caused me to not like the book or take away my enjoyment. First we have our main character Raven she is a witch whose power develops after meeting one of her many mates and has to go to a reform school in order to hone her power. My issue with how she is written is that I feel the author never truly understood what she wanted to make of her. As she is written Raven is very naive and doesn't understand the world but yet she knows all this obscure pop culture references and has no problem socializing with others? That's one of the big problems I had connecting with Raven as a character. Another big issue I had was that there was no real conflict/rising action. Even when there was some inkling that there was it was completely ignored and nothing was done with it before the end of the story. I'm all for cliffhanger endings but this one if anything just made me not like the story as it didn't contribute to anything that was previously established and felt rushed. Overall I did like the potential this story has but it does need some work in order for it to be truly great. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 18, 2026
2⭐️ 3🌶️
I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.
The pacing was way too fast—everything happened at lightning speed, especially the FMC’s connections with her mates. Every bond felt instant, shallow, and unearned, which made it hard to feel invested. The FMC herself came across as very juvenile and lacked the depth I usually look for in a main character.
The overall vibe felt very YA, but with smut layered on top, which made the tone feel mismatched. It never quite decided what it wanted to be.
That said, the kitsune was hands-down the highlight for me and deserved way more page time.
Tropes: Reverse harem, why choose, insta-love
If you enjoy fast-paced paranormal romances with instant connections and a younger-feeling FMC, this might still be your thing—but it just wasn’t for me.
I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me.
The pacing was way too fast—everything happened at lightning speed, especially the FMC’s connections with her mates. Every bond felt instant, shallow, and unearned, which made it hard to feel invested. The FMC herself came across as very juvenile and lacked the depth I usually look for in a main character.
The overall vibe felt very YA, but with smut layered on top, which made the tone feel mismatched. It never quite decided what it wanted to be.
That said, the kitsune was hands-down the highlight for me and deserved way more page time.
Tropes: Reverse harem, why choose, insta-love
If you enjoy fast-paced paranormal romances with instant connections and a younger-feeling FMC, this might still be your thing—but it just wasn’t for me.
February 1, 2026
4.5⭐️
With this paranormal, academia romance; I wasnot sure what to expect, But I was pleasantly surprised. !I really enjoyed the multi POVs. Raven the main female character, definitely evolved through out the book. The concept of having multiple mates/ soul bonds becomes pretty interesting.
Other tropes include found family, shifters, witches, sirens/Merman, vampires, incubus, strange familiar and of course spice.
The interesting plot twist made this a page turner for me!
Omg the cliffhanger had me looking for book 2!
I also purchased the ebook immediately after finishing this arc.
Thank you, booksirens, and Lyra Mishon for this advance reader copy.
With this paranormal, academia romance; I wasnot sure what to expect, But I was pleasantly surprised. !I really enjoyed the multi POVs. Raven the main female character, definitely evolved through out the book. The concept of having multiple mates/ soul bonds becomes pretty interesting.
Other tropes include found family, shifters, witches, sirens/Merman, vampires, incubus, strange familiar and of course spice.
The interesting plot twist made this a page turner for me!
Omg the cliffhanger had me looking for book 2!
I also purchased the ebook immediately after finishing this arc.
Thank you, booksirens, and Lyra Mishon for this advance reader copy.
March 3, 2026
I really hated this. I cannot believe I even finished it
March 13, 2026
I wanted to give this book 3 stars, but I gave it an extra star for the humor alone.
I don’t care what anybody says. This book was funny as hell. The FMC had me laughing out loud constantly and her familiar also.
Is the story new and innovative? No. Is it anything that we haven’t already read before? No.
But it made me laugh, and that is important to me. And the story itself isn’t horrible. Neither is the writing. But it wasn’t fantastic and amazing either.
But the humor kept me around, and I will definitely be reading book 2.
I don’t care what anybody says. This book was funny as hell. The FMC had me laughing out loud constantly and her familiar also.
Is the story new and innovative? No. Is it anything that we haven’t already read before? No.
But it made me laugh, and that is important to me. And the story itself isn’t horrible. Neither is the writing. But it wasn’t fantastic and amazing either.
But the humor kept me around, and I will definitely be reading book 2.
December 20, 2025
Too many story lines
It's too long-winded for me, and I can tell will be dragged out into too many books. The cliffhanger wasn't exciting or a surprise. It didn't take much to figure out that Amulet suppressed her power or that she wasn't a witch. Why would she be hiddem if she was a witch. The next book will be about her going to hell and being rescued.
It's too long-winded for me, and I can tell will be dragged out into too many books. The cliffhanger wasn't exciting or a surprise. It didn't take much to figure out that Amulet suppressed her power or that she wasn't a witch. Why would she be hiddem if she was a witch. The next book will be about her going to hell and being rescued.
March 18, 2026
Questo libro è arrivato nel momento in cui avevo bisogno di qualcosa di leggero che mi spezzasse le letture più pesanti.
Lo stile ironico e divertente ha fatto si che non riuscissi a staccarmi dalle pagine, così come dei protagonisti veramente ben riusciti. E si tratta dell'opera di esordio dell'autrice.
Nei reverse harem con così tanti protagonisti maschili spesso è difficile rendere le personalità dei diversi personaggi distinguibili, invece qui la Mishon ha fatto un lavoro eccellente, riuscendo a caratterizzare ognuno di loro e rendere uniche le interazioni con Raven e il modo in cui formano una relazione con lei.
Raven è cresciuta in una specie di "culto" di streghe, conosce poco il mondo esterno tanto che all'inizio pensavo fosse una bambina e non una diciannovenne. Quando viene sottratta al suo tutore e trasferita alla Starfall Academy per poter imparare a controllare i suoi poteri entra in un mondo perlopiù sconosciuto, in cui incontrerà i suoi compagni.
Il primo a cadere ai suoi piedi è Mav, il mutaforma, e anche il personaggio che mi è piaciuto meno. L'ho trovato troppo sopra le righe e in generale estremizzato. E' davvero necessario ringhiare ogni 2 parole? Io non credo.
Zane, l'incubo, finora è uno dei miei preferiti. Adoro la sua vena psicopatica e il modo in cui ogni sua interazione con Raven sia tra il sarcastico e il flirt. Il passato di suo padre rende perfettamente comprensibile il motivo per cui non vuole legarsi a Raven, nonostante cerchi in tutti i modi di starle vicino.
Nonostante la sua stronzaggine, ho un debole per Alaric, che la tratta male (anche se non troppo) per tenerla a distanza e proteggerla dal padre psicotico. Anche qui il fidanzamento con Kinara e la preoccupazione del padre giustificano le sue azioni, a differenza della maggior parte dei libri simili, dove il compagno tiene a distanza la central per motivi perlopiù assurdi.
Arriviamo a Kai il merman, il più sensibile e gentile tra tutti. Anche lui ha dei motivi per tenere a distanza Raven, anche se finora non sono stati rivelati. Visti i precedenti non vedo l'ora di saperne di più. Il fatto che non sia lui a proteggere Raven, ma la ragazza sia andata in suo soccorso è stata una piacevole sorpresa. Finalmente un protagonista maschile che non è troppo tronfio per ricevere aiuto.
La vera sorpresa è stata la comparsa di Rasmus il vampiro. L'idea di farli incontrare in sogno e della necessità di salvataggio pone delle buone basi per il prossimo libro.
Ho parzialmente intuito il finale, spero solo che Adam sia uno dei buoni e non il tipico passato ingombrante della protagonista
Lo stile ironico e divertente ha fatto si che non riuscissi a staccarmi dalle pagine, così come dei protagonisti veramente ben riusciti. E si tratta dell'opera di esordio dell'autrice.
Nei reverse harem con così tanti protagonisti maschili spesso è difficile rendere le personalità dei diversi personaggi distinguibili, invece qui la Mishon ha fatto un lavoro eccellente, riuscendo a caratterizzare ognuno di loro e rendere uniche le interazioni con Raven e il modo in cui formano una relazione con lei.
Raven è cresciuta in una specie di "culto" di streghe, conosce poco il mondo esterno tanto che all'inizio pensavo fosse una bambina e non una diciannovenne. Quando viene sottratta al suo tutore e trasferita alla Starfall Academy per poter imparare a controllare i suoi poteri entra in un mondo perlopiù sconosciuto, in cui incontrerà i suoi compagni.
Il primo a cadere ai suoi piedi è Mav, il mutaforma, e anche il personaggio che mi è piaciuto meno. L'ho trovato troppo sopra le righe e in generale estremizzato. E' davvero necessario ringhiare ogni 2 parole? Io non credo.
Zane, l'incubo, finora è uno dei miei preferiti. Adoro la sua vena psicopatica e il modo in cui ogni sua interazione con Raven sia tra il sarcastico e il flirt. Il passato di suo padre rende perfettamente comprensibile il motivo per cui non vuole legarsi a Raven, nonostante cerchi in tutti i modi di starle vicino.
Nonostante la sua stronzaggine, ho un debole per Alaric, che la tratta male (anche se non troppo) per tenerla a distanza e proteggerla dal padre psicotico. Anche qui il fidanzamento con Kinara e la preoccupazione del padre giustificano le sue azioni, a differenza della maggior parte dei libri simili, dove il compagno tiene a distanza la central per motivi perlopiù assurdi.
Arriviamo a Kai il merman, il più sensibile e gentile tra tutti. Anche lui ha dei motivi per tenere a distanza Raven, anche se finora non sono stati rivelati. Visti i precedenti non vedo l'ora di saperne di più. Il fatto che non sia lui a proteggere Raven, ma la ragazza sia andata in suo soccorso è stata una piacevole sorpresa. Finalmente un protagonista maschile che non è troppo tronfio per ricevere aiuto.
La vera sorpresa è stata la comparsa di Rasmus il vampiro. L'idea di farli incontrare in sogno e della necessità di salvataggio pone delle buone basi per il prossimo libro.
Ho parzialmente intuito il finale, spero solo che Adam sia uno dei buoni e non il tipico passato ingombrante della protagonista
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2026
naive but interesting character
So, I find the heroine quite innocent, but she was raised in the human world and not taught much about mages, witches, shifters, demons, or any supernatural knowledge. She was sheltered most of her life and the ending kind of hinted as to why, so…CRAZY AMAZING CLIFFHANGER!
I find the storytelling to be intriguing and very easy to follow through. I like each character development, especially Raven. She was brought to this academy to control her powers and in the story we get to learn there’s these surge of demons and shifters going feral, and diseases, that are attacking the magic community. After reading so many books, I kind of was getting the hint that Raven was much more special in a certain way with those demon attacks, especially with all the different mates species.
That reveal at the end confirmed it and I am so pumped to read more. I definitely recommend this series to those looking to read about witches/mages, shifters, supernatural world, with hints of mystery. We have a, I would say naive, heroine that is just discovering the world while at the academy and learning about her world. There is spice involved with some of her mates, but there is enough intrigue at how her relationships will build with the rest of her bonded! Worth a read 🙌
So, I find the heroine quite innocent, but she was raised in the human world and not taught much about mages, witches, shifters, demons, or any supernatural knowledge. She was sheltered most of her life and the ending kind of hinted as to why, so…CRAZY AMAZING CLIFFHANGER!
I find the storytelling to be intriguing and very easy to follow through. I like each character development, especially Raven. She was brought to this academy to control her powers and in the story we get to learn there’s these surge of demons and shifters going feral, and diseases, that are attacking the magic community. After reading so many books, I kind of was getting the hint that Raven was much more special in a certain way with those demon attacks, especially with all the different mates species.
That reveal at the end confirmed it and I am so pumped to read more. I definitely recommend this series to those looking to read about witches/mages, shifters, supernatural world, with hints of mystery. We have a, I would say naive, heroine that is just discovering the world while at the academy and learning about her world. There is spice involved with some of her mates, but there is enough intrigue at how her relationships will build with the rest of her bonded! Worth a read 🙌
November 7, 2025
I received this as an ARC & I am so grateful for the opportunity!
This is book 1 to the Starfall Academy series & Wow! did it set an amazing tone for the rest of the books! I was hooked from the get-go, the story/plot drawing me in immediately!
The FMC is likeable & smart with a witty, relatable inner monologue & the MMCs are fine AF, funny & I loved being able to read from their POVs.
The academy setting, the magic system, and the world itself are easy to follow along with while having just the right amount of detail to keep the pace enjoyable without being too much to keep track of. I never once felt like I was missing something or wondered what was happening. The depth of detail was well balanced with the pacing of the story!
I will warn ya, there is a cliffhanger at the end of this one, so be prepared!
All in all, it's safe to say, I can not wait to find out what happens next!!
Definitely give this one a read! 10/10 recommend!
This is book 1 to the Starfall Academy series & Wow! did it set an amazing tone for the rest of the books! I was hooked from the get-go, the story/plot drawing me in immediately!
The FMC is likeable & smart with a witty, relatable inner monologue & the MMCs are fine AF, funny & I loved being able to read from their POVs.
The academy setting, the magic system, and the world itself are easy to follow along with while having just the right amount of detail to keep the pace enjoyable without being too much to keep track of. I never once felt like I was missing something or wondered what was happening. The depth of detail was well balanced with the pacing of the story!
I will warn ya, there is a cliffhanger at the end of this one, so be prepared!
All in all, it's safe to say, I can not wait to find out what happens next!!
Definitely give this one a read! 10/10 recommend!
August 6, 2026
Paranormal RH in an academy setting
The FMC is a naive witch who's been kept under lock and key with a commune. She gets taken to Starfall Academy since every magic user needs to be enrolled in a magic school to learn to control their magic.
She doesnt think she has much magic ( since that's what her guardian has told her), she doesnt know how to use technology, nor does she know much about magic itself.
At the academy, since she doesnt come from a powerful family, shes sidelined and bullied. She does have multiple mates including a bear shifter PT coach, an incubus, a storm mage, a merman crown prince and a vampire prince.
Not all of her mates are on board with her, and shes in a race against time to find one of them before he expires. On top of that turns out she is a rather powerful fire mage and theres a shadow aspect to her magic that she completely ignores but the story has enough foreshadowing that we know it has something to do with demons.
All in all it was rather one dimensional and lacked nuance. Fine for a palate cleanser but nothing new or interesting here.
The FMC is a naive witch who's been kept under lock and key with a commune. She gets taken to Starfall Academy since every magic user needs to be enrolled in a magic school to learn to control their magic.
She doesnt think she has much magic ( since that's what her guardian has told her), she doesnt know how to use technology, nor does she know much about magic itself.
At the academy, since she doesnt come from a powerful family, shes sidelined and bullied. She does have multiple mates including a bear shifter PT coach, an incubus, a storm mage, a merman crown prince and a vampire prince.
Not all of her mates are on board with her, and shes in a race against time to find one of them before he expires. On top of that turns out she is a rather powerful fire mage and theres a shadow aspect to her magic that she completely ignores but the story has enough foreshadowing that we know it has something to do with demons.
All in all it was rather one dimensional and lacked nuance. Fine for a palate cleanser but nothing new or interesting here.
October 25, 2025
Wow I loved this book so much. A witch named Raven is taken from the only home she’s ever known and thrown into a magical academy. She quickly learns that she has mates, not 1 but 5. Maverick - a burley broody possessive Bear shifter. Zane - a sneaky Demon hunting Incubus that reminds me of Leon night and Sin wilder mixed together. Yessss please. Alaric - A powerful mage with status and baggage. Kai - a soft spoken merman crown prince and a thought to be extinct vampire she seems in her dreams. She also bonds a familiar - a hilarious foul mouthed supernatural fox with an attitude problem. Ravens background is a mystery that is slowly starting to unravel. The cliffhanger at the end was rude but it made me all that more excited for book 2. I have a feeling this series is going to be one of my top favorites.
October 30, 2025
When I say I DEVOURED this book, I mean I spent every waking minute reading it because I couldn’t put it down!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was fantastic. The twists and turns had me gasping and sitting up straight MANY times saying “OMG”
🌶️🌶️🌶️
It had some spice in it but it didn’t over power the story at all.
Tropes:
•Why-choose
•Fated mates
•Enemies to lovers
•Grumpy x sunshine
•Magic Academy
I was NOT expecting that ending 😭
I NEED book 2 and will be recommending this book to everyone I know that loves romantasy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was fantastic. The twists and turns had me gasping and sitting up straight MANY times saying “OMG”
🌶️🌶️🌶️
It had some spice in it but it didn’t over power the story at all.
Tropes:
•Why-choose
•Fated mates
•Enemies to lovers
•Grumpy x sunshine
•Magic Academy
I was NOT expecting that ending 😭
I NEED book 2 and will be recommending this book to everyone I know that loves romantasy!
October 15, 2026
So sorry
This is no hate to the author, but I have principles.
I rate this book after DNF it at 10% so that means, I didn't finish it, so this rate is based on my grounds.
I don't support books where the MMCs inflict hurt and trauma, and the FMC forgives him just because he's hot and gives her a good O...
The first thing the MMC did, was to throw hot liquid at her and burnt her, for absolutely no reason except he thought she was a lesser being, later on, he discovered she was powerful and had a good lineage, he was like, "I'm in love", nope, duck that!
This is no hate to the author, but I have principles.
I rate this book after DNF it at 10% so that means, I didn't finish it, so this rate is based on my grounds.
I don't support books where the MMCs inflict hurt and trauma, and the FMC forgives him just because he's hot and gives her a good O...
The first thing the MMC did, was to throw hot liquid at her and burnt her, for absolutely no reason except he thought she was a lesser being, later on, he discovered she was powerful and had a good lineage, he was like, "I'm in love", nope, duck that!
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