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Darkbirch Academy 4: Stars and Lies

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Esme escaped the Ide trials with her life.

What she didn’t escape was him.

Now Dayn is watching her differently, as if whatever happened in the trials changed something between them in a way she doesn't fully understand. But the worst part is the more time she spends alone with him, the harder it becomes to pretend she doesn’t feel it too.

As old secrets begin surfacing within Darkbirch, Esme is pulled deeper into dangerous mysteries, shifting alliances, and truths that were buried for a reason. But with every answer uncovered, the tension between her and Dayn only tightens, until the line between enemy, ally, and something far more dangerous starts to blur completely.

Meanwhile, Brynn is discovering that a Malabranche demon's attention is far more dangerous than Chad's threats ever were.

And the deeper they dig into the lies surrounding Darkbirch… the clearer it becomes that someone has been planning something for a very long time.

472 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2026

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Krista Graves

9 books224 followers

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5 stars
201 (38%)
4 stars
221 (42%)
3 stars
81 (15%)
2 stars
17 (3%)
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2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Alexandra Vaverka.
157 reviews9 followers
June 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️

Ok I’m very upset this is getting a low rating from me because I absolutely devoured the first 3 books…but this is taking a weird turn from the plot. This has a lot of povs and it gets very distracting and a little overwhelming. I got confused on who I was reading and where we were location wise.

But Dayn and Esme’s POVs were absolutely amazing. That’s what saved this one. They have such amazing tension and chemistry, it keeps you going. This is such a good series but this book just fell a wee bit flat for me.

Now *minor spoiler* but the ending is hinting at one of my least favorite tropes…..(love triangle). Which is completely off base from the plot.
Profile Image for Nancy Joyner.
192 reviews
May 27, 2026
The darker Darkbirch Academy gets, the more obsessed I become.

Darkbirch Academy 4: Stars and Lies by Krista Graves pulls Esme Salem even deeper into a world filled with dangerous secrets, dark magic, dragons, and impossible choices. The tension between Esme and Dayn had me completely hooked, and the gothic fantasy atmosphere made it impossible to put down.

I think this one might be my favorite in the series so far! We still get multiple POVs, with a new character perspective added into the mix. There was so much happening with every character that I felt completely locked in the entire time.

The worldbuilding was fantastic. I love how each book continues to expand the world and introduce new places to explore. And that slow burn? It’s definitely starting to heat up.

That ending??? Where is the next book already? I can’t wait to see how everything comes together.

I also want to thank Krista for allowing me to read these stories. There’s something about this world and these characters that has carved out such a special place in my heart.
Profile Image for Maddie C.
119 reviews
June 4, 2026
Honestly felt like a chore to finish this, the pacing in this series just goes back and forth, random povs from characters that haven’t been involved really in the series, the plot is just going in every which direction all at once, and there BETTER not be the start of a love triangle FOUR FUCKING BOOKS IN, and she STILL doesn’t remember/and he doesn’t tell her about the one other time they fucked????

Unfortunately I can’t stop and will be reading the next ones though.. I hope they’re better 😭
Profile Image for mikenlar.
356 reviews1 follower
May 28, 2026
I'm conflicted because I loved the previous installments so much but reading this book felt like a chore half of the time. also I hate the relevations at the end. and the epilogue
Profile Image for Rachel Ellis.
24 reviews5 followers
June 8, 2026
My fave book of the series so far!!! If you haven’t read book 4 yet or any of the series for that matter then this is your sign!
It’s got everything a Romantasy book needs - dragons, witches, academy setting, slow burn enemies to lovers the list goes on!
I am loving this series and can’t wait for book 5!!!
Profile Image for Shiro Kitana.
483 reviews8 followers
May 28, 2026
Wow. I am actually fully annoyed with this book. Because what the hell is going on?

So, Esme was doing the ritual to help bring back the Ides and her grandmother, Esther, during the ritual soulbonded Esme with Merlin. And not only that, she removed the emotional parts of her soul and tried to rewrite her literal essence, fully messing with her. She’s also an Ide now, and by causing this link, it allows Merlin to have a human-like form as Esme is his anchor.

AND now stinking, dirty, backstabbing, betraying grandmonster Esther could now have a form as well because she sacrificed Esme. WTF.

So now, when Esme and Dayn want to fully bond, she can’t because it would always be a partial bond since they have to bond in body, heart, and soul. And the only way to get rid of the bond is to do this stupid Rite of Claim, where the ritual will decide which one is the true bond. However, it’s not just going to be like, “OK, which bond is the natural bond?” It literally forces Esme to go through a full bond with both of them because apparently, since her and Merlin’s bond didn’t get time to mature, it will give a fair chance to both.

What kind of nonsense is this?

And then we ended the epilogue with Dominic Merlin, who was watching Dayn and Esme have sex, and he’s thinking to himself that he didn’t plan to have himself bonded to Esme, but it might be a complication he wants, as he watches her naked. EW. What? I’m actually so upset it’s not even funny.

Then we have all the different subplots going on. Jax, who is Esme’s younger brother, is awake now and is bonded with an Ide. And that Ide is his father. Throughout the book, we were seeing them being able to work together because the father doesn’t want to take control like the others. And we find out in the last couple of chapters that Esther may have caused something that led him to die because he was supposed to go on a reconnaissance mission for something involving the clearbloods, and they changed the mission last minute. And when Esther was telling Esme about the soul link she forcefully gave her, she said a phrase that triggered his memory.

Brynn and Chad are reunited, and Chad’s demon side sees Brynn as his prized one and is completely obsessing over her and wants to fully claim her. And Brynn is all here for it. Chad also managed to create a one-sided bond where he could feel her emotions and even hear things Brynn experiences so he could protect her. Love it.

The only thing with this subplot is I don’t trust Chad’s full demon father because there has to be a reason why his mother would seal him away and hide him from his father. That’s real suspicious. Brynn is also struggling with her Ide that is trying to take over her body, and it seems insanely strong.

Next subplot: the dragons. Dane’s brother, who framed him for killing their father, apparently is colluding with the Clearbloods to attack the Darkbloods.
Profile Image for Marina.
383 reviews4 followers
June 25, 2026
ENRAGED- this was a 4 starts until the epilogue- Dropping to 2 stars (that's how much of a slap in the face this was) and I will stop reading this series until the final book (or until I find out of the main couple will stay together because it was hinting a forced love triangle with creepy Dominic and I’m a NO-NO for love triangle, especially when I ADORE Dayn). Yes, 2 pages can ruin an entire book and I will explain this towards the end of the review.
 
I was really enjoying this series but it’s difficult to go back to a story with so many characters after a long gap between books released and the story jumping right from where the previous book ended. This was a book where all couple’s intimate moments are disturbed but a knock at the door ALL.THE.TIME!! lol

Esme is not a likable character. I appreciate a strong mfc but this one is just a bitch, and most of the time a self-entitled one. I don’t think I actually cared for her in any book.
Dayn… ADORE this dragon guy!!!!!!!! And he keeps on getting better and better. His sarcasm is awesome, he is very protective of his mate (regardless of how rude she is about it). He is very intelligent and I appreciate that a lot. His intellect sometimes gets mixed with his feelings, and I love that dynamic of things.
 
Alright! This book brought a lot of training dynamics to all characters, and that was cool! A lot of working with parents and/or previous generation of ancestrals, also really cool. There were times that the amount of characters got to be a little too much and I was trying to remember who was who, plus all the new ones introduced in this book.
 Brynn and Chad were adorable! I always liked Chad and he had great growth in this book.
 
THE EPILOGUE -
How 2 pages kills an entire book: after 4 books that we wait to see Esme and Dayn’s relationship finally develop into love, super slow burn even after a marriage, Dayn is ever so patient with her, waiting for Esme to develop feelings for him… we FINALLY get it at the very end of this book and then second to the past chapter of Esme POV destruction started. Then we FINALLY get the last chapter with Esme and Dayn consuming their marriage and professing their love for each other, their intimacy scene was perfect (let’s all remember that Esme was a virgin) and we find out that freaking creepy Dominic was watching them having sex for the first timed then he goes “I never though I wanted anyone but wafer watching them together I think I want her”. I’m DONE!! Not going there, sorry! It was a slap in the face for me! I was expecting a “let’s see how Esme will cope with love. Let’s see how she will learn how to feel” but, no, we get a creepy guy watch a girl’s first time with her husband after 4 books and a premises of forced love triangle.

Too bad. This had become one of my favourite series…..
Profile Image for Ashley LeBaron.
312 reviews16 followers
May 31, 2026
This book could have easily been a 4-star read for me.

And then it looks like we might be getting a love triangle.

FOUR BOOKS IN.

Why are we doing this?

Not trying to yuck anyone's yum, but I genuinely do not understand the appeal of love triangles. If that's where this is headed, I'm already annoyed. The tension between Esme and Dayn has been one of the best parts of this series, so introducing another person into the mix this late in the game feels completely unnecessary.

We also started getting extra POVs. Jax has been talked about throughout the series, but he's never really been part of what's actively going on because, well...he was pretty much dead. Then all of a sudden he's here and BAM—POV chapter. I wasn't really a fan of that choice.

What has me the most concerned though is where the plot seems to be heading. Everything involving the Ides feels like it's taking the story way off course from what originally got me invested. Instead of building on the original storyline, it feels like we're heading in an entirely different direction.

I've already invested four books into this series. Even though it's never been a favorite, I do care about these characters and I want to know how everything ends. But right now I'm worried we're entering that phase where a TV show goes on for too many seasons and the writing starts getting sloppy. Suddenly there are new storylines, new focus characters, random twists, and the original plot gets shoved to the side. Next thing you know the ending is a disaster and everyone's pretending the last season never happened.

I really hope that's not what's happening here because there are still things I enjoy about this series. The Esme and Dayn tension is top-tier. But between the new POVs, the possible love triangle, and the plot seemingly heading in a completely different direction, this book left me more frustrated than excited for what's next.
Profile Image for Gabriella  Buttler Levey.
37 reviews
July 12, 2026
I discovered the Darkbirch Academy series through one of the book clubs I’m part of, and I’m so glad I did. Krista Graves has an incredible imagination, and this series has so much potential.

The world is packed with everything I love in a romantasy: Salem witches, dragons, vampires, demons, humans, an academy setting, political conflict between different factions, a mysterious (and very attractive!) dragon, a morally grey FMC with shadow powers, forced proximity, and the slowest of slow burns.

On paper, it sounds like a lot—but somehow it works. The multiple points of view, the mysteries, the action, and the humour all come together to create a story that kept me invested and eager to discover what would happen next.

My only criticism is that the pacing occasionally loses momentum. There were sections where the story became weighed down by detail, and I found myself wishing the plot moved forward a little sooner. Personally, I think the series would have been even stronger with a tighter edit, allowing all of those fantastic ideas to shine even brighter.

That being said, I’m completely invested. I genuinely can’t wait to see how each character’s story unfolds, and I’m excited to see where Krista Graves’ imagination takes this world next.
Profile Image for Lyanne.
22 reviews
June 4, 2026
I believe this book is a little better than the previous one since the plot does not feel like filler anymore. The story is getting more complex and has to opportunity to be wrapped up in a very interesting way if done correctly. I believe Chad's journey has good potential to add depth to the final conflict/battle, whatever that's going to be. Same with Jax's potential discovery about his father's disappearance and the fact that current events appear to have been planned a decade in advance. I disagree with the other reviews stating that a love triangle will be introduced. The epilogue is setting the pace for a potential unilateral obsession/infatuation, not a love triangle. Is it weird if the 4th book of a 6 book series? Sure. But I don't think suddenly Esme is going to be conflicted about her feelings for Dayn, not after that confession and 4 books filled with tension and denial.
Overall, I am excited for next installment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
138 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from Author
May 23, 2026
ARC 4.5 ⭐️

This is the 4th book in the Darkbirch Academy series and it was good

Sooo much is happening with multiple POV, sooo much magic and ancient history being uncovered to help with the current conundrum

Constant twists and revelations really kept me on my toes, every character has more development and history unearthed

This is a fun series and can't wait for more and there is so much more to come, the last few chapters really throwing the whole story for a loop omg 🤯
Profile Image for Kim that.bookish.mama.
478 reviews9 followers
Review of advance copy received from Author
May 26, 2026
Book 4 in the Darkbirch Academy Series!

This series is fun! It’s full of dark and light magic and I’m still enjoying the world in each book.

These books are addictive once you get into them! They always have a little bit of a slow start and then you hit 50% and you are panic reading! lol

If you like a fun dark magic world then this series is a great fit for you!

I’m looking forward to book 5!
2 reviews
June 2, 2026
Story doesn't wrap up.

I read the first 3 books believing there was 4 in the series. Waited more than a month for book 4 only to have the ending unfinished. It was entertaining well enough, but there is too many sub plots that need to have their own series and not try to mash them all together into one. Now there may be 2 more books or more to finish which are not even written yet. I will likely forget half the details before they are ready.
Profile Image for Nereid.
1,483 reviews20 followers
June 10, 2026
Engaging Series

I like the series, although the different POV tend to disrupt the immersion in the story for me. I keep wanting to go back to Esme and skim over the chapters at times. If you can get past that, there is plenty of adventure and intrigue going on. The Chad and Brynn saga, the Ides possession and Esme trying to free herself from Esther. It took a bit of time to get back into the series, but it flowed well after the first few chapters refreshed my memory.
Profile Image for Amanda Gregory.
538 reviews8 followers
June 19, 2026
enjoyed

I actually really enjoyed this book in the series. at first I really struggled to connect with the story but by book 3 I got into the story and now I can’t wait to find out what happened next. I had found that this story does that go on a little bit more than it needs to and there is some plots that don’t really make sense.
47 reviews
July 14, 2026
This one is tough to review. I LOVED the first 3 books, but this one was a struggle to get through. There was sooo much thrown at the reader in this book, and some of it felt so rushed/forced. Not sure how I feel about the epilogue, especially going into the final book. But I’ll be reading once it’s released! Fingers crossed!
Profile Image for Ceci Giordano.
311 reviews
July 21, 2026
It was 5 stars until the epilogue. Like everything was going good in a finding out the truth and people realizing their feelings kinda way until we get gross nasty creepy Dominic showing up watching them through the window. Like ew dude don’t talk about her like that, she’s a person not something for you to just keep and control. Love Dayn though and Chad.
Profile Image for Gri.
146 reviews
June 5, 2026
Honestamente fraco. Demorou 500 páginas pra não avancar em nada. Um filler book. Mas tenho fé que o próximo livro vai ter uma explicação mais razoável pra me fazer engolir um triângulo amoroso que parece estar sendo construindo a essa altura da série
Profile Image for Amanda.
136 reviews10 followers
June 13, 2026
This book was amazing!!! Book number four in the series and it just keeps getting better and better! I loved the multiple points of views in this book, it gave a really in depth look into how all the characters were coping with the new discovery!
Profile Image for Brianna Monteiro.
13 reviews
June 16, 2026
OBSESSED

I’m actually pissed that i have no idea when the 5th book will be released. I am so utterly obsessed with the slow burn romance in this series. The enemies to lovers. The different magic. This series is a god tier series to me. Well done Krista, this is a masterpiece!! 😍
Profile Image for Linnéa  Karlsson.
295 reviews
July 13, 2026
Okej så Merlin har precis startat en kult här då som blir konstigare och konstigare
Tycker allt med Esme och Dayn är så bra och allt med Chad och Brynn blir bara bättre och bättre
Även så fint med deras pappa. Va så tårögd när han pratade om alla minnen etc🥹
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Alisha Z.
1 review
May 27, 2026
I devoured this book in one sitting! It’s so addictive — the world, the characters. It’s such a page-turner, I can’t get enough. Cannot wait for book 5!!!!
Profile Image for Cindy Mendoza.
34 reviews2 followers
May 28, 2026
I need more!! This series has pulled me in so deep. What did Ester do what is she still trying to do. I need answers lol
1 review
May 28, 2026
page turner

Enjoyed every page, the character development was great especially with the complex storyline, lots of twists and turns, can’t wait to read the next instalment!
25 reviews2 followers
June 2, 2026
Still a good series but this felt like a filler book and ends in a weird twist I don’t think any of us wanted.
Profile Image for Stephanie M Pope.
36 reviews2 followers
June 15, 2026
I love how Esme and Dayn’s relationship has evolved over the 4 books and I can’t wait for book 5! This story has kept me engaged and wanting more!
Profile Image for Sammie Jackson.
199 reviews2 followers
June 16, 2026
ok hear me out. at first I was made we were getting so many POVs when I really just wanted to follow esme and dayn . but omg once I got into it I was hooked. I need the next book immediately
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews