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Malachite
Not yet published
Expected 5 May 26- GenresFantasy
416 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 5, 2026
134 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 22, 2026
3.5 rounded down. Malachite is a good story with a set up for a strong series that had some issues that kept me from loving it.
Arianell is entering her first year at Valmora Academy right on the heels of her brother being executed for murdering his fellow students. When who she thought would be her biggest advocate turns out to be her biggest adversary, she must find her place in the magical academy alone.
Malachite occasionally feels derivative of other popular romantasys due to its use of common elements (houses of magic, a veil of dark magic dividing the land, etc), but these pieces come together in their own way to make a unique story. With regards to the characters, I LOVED Sebastian and Arianell (major Xaden-Violet energy), but I really struggled to believe the change in Sebastian (don’t want to say more due to spoilers). The ending felt very rushed, and the book had a lot more typos and errors than I’m used to for ARCs, so I’m really hoping the editors are able to fix that before publishing so Ashley Andersen’s story can shine through!
Overall a good debut novel that I think signals a lot to come from Ashley Andersen.
Read if…
- you like enemies to lovers (think Xaden and Violet)
- you’re a dark academia fan
Skip if…
- you don’t like YA (it’s not strictly YA, but reads a bit like it)
- you don’t want to read anything too similar to other popular romantasys
- you cringe easily (some dialogue took me out of the scenes🐍🐍 IYKYK)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Violence: 🗡️🗡️
*Thank you to Mobius Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Arianell is entering her first year at Valmora Academy right on the heels of her brother being executed for murdering his fellow students. When who she thought would be her biggest advocate turns out to be her biggest adversary, she must find her place in the magical academy alone.
Malachite occasionally feels derivative of other popular romantasys due to its use of common elements (houses of magic, a veil of dark magic dividing the land, etc), but these pieces come together in their own way to make a unique story. With regards to the characters, I LOVED Sebastian and Arianell (major Xaden-Violet energy), but I really struggled to believe the change in Sebastian (don’t want to say more due to spoilers). The ending felt very rushed, and the book had a lot more typos and errors than I’m used to for ARCs, so I’m really hoping the editors are able to fix that before publishing so Ashley Andersen’s story can shine through!
Overall a good debut novel that I think signals a lot to come from Ashley Andersen.
Read if…
- you like enemies to lovers (think Xaden and Violet)
- you’re a dark academia fan
Skip if…
- you don’t like YA (it’s not strictly YA, but reads a bit like it)
- you don’t want to read anything too similar to other popular romantasys
- you cringe easily (some dialogue took me out of the scenes🐍🐍 IYKYK)
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Violence: 🗡️🗡️
*Thank you to Mobius Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!*
January 21, 2026
Some books whisper to you. Malachite grabs you by the throat and dares you to look away.
Ashley Anderson delivers a dark, atmospheric story that seeps into your bones, blending emotional depth with an almost hypnotic sense of unease. From the start, the narrative carries a weight of grief, obsession, and choices that don’t come without consequences. This is not a comfort read; it’s a slow burn into the shadowed corners of the human psyche.
The characters feel raw and imperfect, driven by longing and haunted by the past. Their emotions are messy, painful, and achingly real, making it impossible not to feel pulled into their unraveling. Anderson’s prose is sharp yet poetic, painting vivid scenes that linger long after the page is turned.
What truly sets Malachite apart is its tone dark, immersive, and unapologetically intense. It explores themes of power, control, and transformation in a way that feels both intimate and unsettling. You’re not just reading this story; you’re sinking into it.
Thank you NetGalley
Ashley Anderson delivers a dark, atmospheric story that seeps into your bones, blending emotional depth with an almost hypnotic sense of unease. From the start, the narrative carries a weight of grief, obsession, and choices that don’t come without consequences. This is not a comfort read; it’s a slow burn into the shadowed corners of the human psyche.
The characters feel raw and imperfect, driven by longing and haunted by the past. Their emotions are messy, painful, and achingly real, making it impossible not to feel pulled into their unraveling. Anderson’s prose is sharp yet poetic, painting vivid scenes that linger long after the page is turned.
What truly sets Malachite apart is its tone dark, immersive, and unapologetically intense. It explores themes of power, control, and transformation in a way that feels both intimate and unsettling. You’re not just reading this story; you’re sinking into it.
Thank you NetGalley
January 13, 2026
3.5 ⭐️ (rounded up to 4)!
“Sebastian Zain kisses me like a man that’s been starved of air, and I am his next breath.” 🥵
I really enjoyed this book and think it was a great debut! It had a ton of elements I tend to love in books: dark academia, different “houses”, enemies to lovers, and elemental magic.
The tension between Sebastian and Arianell was crazy and had me giggling and kicking my feet while reading. I do think their relationship wasn’t what you would consider a “true enemies to lovers” but rather a loose enemies to lovers because he bullied her at first and was super rude to her before his true feelings were revealed.
I also do think that there are a lot of similar books that follow this same plot/pattern, so that’s why it wasn’t a full 5 star read for me. But I did overall still enjoy the story and look forward to reading future books in the series!
If you’re looking for a dark academia featuring enemies to lovers, elemental magic, brother’s best friend, and a murder mystery, then be sure to check out Malachite!
Thank you so much to Mobius Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy! Malachite releases on May 5th in the US!
“Sebastian Zain kisses me like a man that’s been starved of air, and I am his next breath.” 🥵
I really enjoyed this book and think it was a great debut! It had a ton of elements I tend to love in books: dark academia, different “houses”, enemies to lovers, and elemental magic.
The tension between Sebastian and Arianell was crazy and had me giggling and kicking my feet while reading. I do think their relationship wasn’t what you would consider a “true enemies to lovers” but rather a loose enemies to lovers because he bullied her at first and was super rude to her before his true feelings were revealed.
I also do think that there are a lot of similar books that follow this same plot/pattern, so that’s why it wasn’t a full 5 star read for me. But I did overall still enjoy the story and look forward to reading future books in the series!
If you’re looking for a dark academia featuring enemies to lovers, elemental magic, brother’s best friend, and a murder mystery, then be sure to check out Malachite!
Thank you so much to Mobius Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy! Malachite releases on May 5th in the US!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
To say that I was speechless after finishing this book would be an understatement. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the overwhelming feeling of wanting more in the wake of what I’d just read was astounding.
Often, in stories like this, the first book leans heavily into world-building and can feel slower because of it. That was not the case here. From the start, we’re thrown directly into the world and its lore, and it unfolds naturally alongside the story. We learn about the characters and the history as the main character does — seeing what she sees, discovering things as she does. It created a shared experience that I genuinely enjoyed.
I found myself riding along on her emotional roller coaster and appreciating that, even though she’s repeatedly knocked down, she doesn’t linger in a victim mentality. Instead, she gets back up, brushes herself off, and tries again — harder.
The pacing moved well overall, though there were moments that felt almost too quick. I wouldn’t say those moments were rushed, but I did find myself wanting more — a bit more detail to build tension and deepen the relationships between the characters.
That said, this story delivered twists, turns, emotional highs and lows, and some spicy moments, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series and to see what this author does next.
Often, in stories like this, the first book leans heavily into world-building and can feel slower because of it. That was not the case here. From the start, we’re thrown directly into the world and its lore, and it unfolds naturally alongside the story. We learn about the characters and the history as the main character does — seeing what she sees, discovering things as she does. It created a shared experience that I genuinely enjoyed.
I found myself riding along on her emotional roller coaster and appreciating that, even though she’s repeatedly knocked down, she doesn’t linger in a victim mentality. Instead, she gets back up, brushes herself off, and tries again — harder.
The pacing moved well overall, though there were moments that felt almost too quick. I wouldn’t say those moments were rushed, but I did find myself wanting more — a bit more detail to build tension and deepen the relationships between the characters.
That said, this story delivered twists, turns, emotional highs and lows, and some spicy moments, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series and to see what this author does next.
Read
January 17, 2026rtc
January 18, 2026
This book was absolutely amazing! One of the best romantasy books I’ve read! So good I finished it in three hours!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Okay, I chose this book because the title means something very important to me. There was zero other reason beyond an ache to see that name repeatedly.
But damn, I really liked this book! Yes, it has 'houses' students are divided into. But it really does not focus on that as much you'd think. The plot does drive it and some parts are guessable and close to what you'd expect from these sort of fantasy books but the author has found a way to make it fun and new too.
I cannot believe this is a series and I'll have to wait eons to read part 2 (given part 1 is yet to be published) but this was a really fun read and I could not put it down.
One con I'd say is that there is a lot of what I feel to be unnecessary descriptors. I think the same impact of a place and situation could have been made more succinctly. The start of the academy life especially was a little much.
SPOILER AHEAD-
I get Sebastian was trying to protect her; that was kind of obvious from the get-go. But why would he leave Arianell on the floor alone her first night? That goes against everything else he'd done. And are we saying the headmaster killed those two? Why would he need Ria gone that early. And I think there is more to that friendship group then already mentioned.
But damn, I really liked this book! Yes, it has 'houses' students are divided into. But it really does not focus on that as much you'd think. The plot does drive it and some parts are guessable and close to what you'd expect from these sort of fantasy books but the author has found a way to make it fun and new too.
I cannot believe this is a series and I'll have to wait eons to read part 2 (given part 1 is yet to be published) but this was a really fun read and I could not put it down.
One con I'd say is that there is a lot of what I feel to be unnecessary descriptors. I think the same impact of a place and situation could have been made more succinctly. The start of the academy life especially was a little much.
SPOILER AHEAD-
I get Sebastian was trying to protect her; that was kind of obvious from the get-go. But why would he leave Arianell on the floor alone her first night? That goes against everything else he'd done. And are we saying the headmaster killed those two? Why would he need Ria gone that early. And I think there is more to that friendship group then already mentioned.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Malachite was very similar to the typical romantasy, war titles but with more of a formulated plot than others I’ve read. I was definitely engaged and enjoyed reading the story, but there were many predictable scenes, but yet a few surprises as well. It reminded me of a Harry Potter/Fourth Wing mashup. The magic was fun and interesting. The emotional character development of Arianell was very good. I felt connected to her and really wanted her to succeed. I would probably even read a sequel because I just want to know how this story plays out in the end.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
i had a great time with this book. it very much gave me harry potter & fourth wing vibes and i love both of those series so no complaints from me. while it did tend to follow the standard dark academia/romantasy storyline, i thought the plot of this one was much more fleshed out than others. the tension between Aria and Seb was delicious and i absolutely ate it up. this book has humor, mystery, found family and was an all around enjoyable read for me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book was absolutely amazing! I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish! The tension, twists, and emotional highs kept pulling me in, and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. Every chapter left me wanting more.
It gives major Zodiac Academy vibes, with that same addictive blend of intensity, drama, and characters you get completely invested in. If you loved Zodiac Academy for its suspense, relationships, and “just one more chapter” energy, you’ll definitely be a fan of this book!!
It gives major Zodiac Academy vibes, with that same addictive blend of intensity, drama, and characters you get completely invested in. If you loved Zodiac Academy for its suspense, relationships, and “just one more chapter” energy, you’ll definitely be a fan of this book!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
What a debut 💥
Romantasy is not usually my preference, but I am so glad I delved into this book. Consider me a convert - cannot wait for 2nd book, if it is half as amazing as Malachite it will be great!!
Romantasy is not usually my preference, but I am so glad I delved into this book. Consider me a convert - cannot wait for 2nd book, if it is half as amazing as Malachite it will be great!!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews