What do you think?
Feral Academy at Frosthaven #1
Feral Marked
FERAL. DANGEROUS. FATED.
Alex was supposed to disappear into the human juvenile detention system.
Instead, she’s sent somewhere far worse.
Feral Academy.
Hidden deep in the Alaskan wilderness, the academy exists to contain the most dangerous supernatural males alive—the feral wolf shifters who’ve lost control.
One of them was rescued from the frozen slopes of Denali.
Now he’s the most unstable resident at the academy.
And the moment he sees Alex… he fixates.
Alex doesn’t know she’s supernatural.
She doesn’t understand why powerful wolves react to her scent.
They say a fated mate can calm the beast.
They’re wrong.
Because Alex doesn’t trigger just one bond.
She triggers several.
As rival wolves circle and dangerous bonds ignite, Alex begins to realize the academy wasn’t built to protect the world from monsters.
It was built to cage them.
And if the wolves lose control…
she might be the reason why.
Feral Marked is a dark paranormal reverse harem academy romance featuring feral wolf shifters, fated mates, morally gray heroes, and a dangerous supernatural academy.
Perfect for fans of dark academy romance, wolf shifters, and why-choose romance.
Alex was supposed to disappear into the human juvenile detention system.
Instead, she’s sent somewhere far worse.
Feral Academy.
Hidden deep in the Alaskan wilderness, the academy exists to contain the most dangerous supernatural males alive—the feral wolf shifters who’ve lost control.
One of them was rescued from the frozen slopes of Denali.
Now he’s the most unstable resident at the academy.
And the moment he sees Alex… he fixates.
Alex doesn’t know she’s supernatural.
She doesn’t understand why powerful wolves react to her scent.
They say a fated mate can calm the beast.
They’re wrong.
Because Alex doesn’t trigger just one bond.
She triggers several.
As rival wolves circle and dangerous bonds ignite, Alex begins to realize the academy wasn’t built to protect the world from monsters.
It was built to cage them.
And if the wolves lose control…
she might be the reason why.
Feral Marked is a dark paranormal reverse harem academy romance featuring feral wolf shifters, fated mates, morally gray heroes, and a dangerous supernatural academy.
Perfect for fans of dark academy romance, wolf shifters, and why-choose romance.
206 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 9, 2026
About the author
Jaye Marellen
18 books36 followersJaye Marellen has always believed Belle should have stayed with the Beast—because let’s be honest, the grumpy guy with claws was the best part of the story. She writes romances full of banter, heat, and a little bit of magic, where happily-ever-after doesn’t mean sanding off the rough edges. When she’s not dreaming up growly heroes and the women bold enough to love them, you’ll find her reading spicy stories, sipping too much coffee, and rooting for love stories with a twist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
March 15, 2026
So this is one of those times where I'm actively choosing to be optimistic about a book. I see potential in this story and I'm willing to try and see where it goes with the next book. The writing style was weirdly choppy. It was like the author wanted to emphasize everything. So everything was written in short sentences and descriptions always came in threes. It wasn't bad necessarily, it was just something I hadn't come across before. I'm not sure whether I like it or not. We'll see how I feel about it in the next book.
There was also either a big plot hole or an explanation that got cut out along the way that REALLY needed to be there because this bothered me SO MUCH. Someone explain to me how that's possible?!
We'll see how I feel about all this in the next book.
I guess it'll all depend on whether or not the issues get better or worse
There was also either a big plot hole or an explanation that got cut out along the way that REALLY needed to be there because this bothered me SO MUCH. Someone explain to me how that's possible?!
We'll see how I feel about all this in the next book.
I guess it'll all depend on whether or not the issues get better or worse
April 25, 2026
DNF 32%. Man, that sucked.
The writing style is that of a ‘50’s, film noir, hard-boiled detective, detailing their experience in a perfunctory, jolting, exacting cadence.
Ex: “I’m led to a table. One bowl of soup, a roll, a protein bar, a cup of water.”
“I know that look. Inventory. What I can take. What will she do if I try.”
I can just see the FMC in black and white, sitting behind a desk in a darkened office; a tipped fedora mysteriously casting her face in shadow, intermittent flashes of lightning slash through slanted blinds.
It’s all very dramatic.
I would have the best time editing it.
It would be so satisfying to squish all those bitty sentences together until they flow.
There’s also a lot of eerily AI sounding bits of ‘not this, not that, but this other thing:’
Ex: “– not walking, not pacing, the deliberate repetitive circuit of something caged.”
The word ‘not’ is used 633 times in this book.
Maybe it isn’t always incorporated in that cadence, but goodness gracious.
Continuity errors for days:
She’s told to get out of the transport but the only action mentioned is that she’s looking around. I only knew she’d complied when it drove off and she watched it go.
She also knows a guy’s name without ever being told it. Worse, she mentally thinks of him by an abbreviated nickname. Incredible.
Speaking of abbreviations:
“My room. Bolt.”
Who are we? Hodor?
She’s ostensibly saying that she was locked in her room, but it’s like each word is painful to get out.
Like they’re confessions from her death bed when our brain cells were the true casualty.
“The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s not tentative. It’s desperate –“
Put the AI down, slowly back away, and no one gets hurt.
This was heinous and I’m genuinely disappointed.
It’s the exact premise I’ve been wanting to read, but the author seemed to have gone out of their way to make it as insufferable as possible.
The writing style is that of a ‘50’s, film noir, hard-boiled detective, detailing their experience in a perfunctory, jolting, exacting cadence.
Ex: “I’m led to a table. One bowl of soup, a roll, a protein bar, a cup of water.”
“I know that look. Inventory. What I can take. What will she do if I try.”
I can just see the FMC in black and white, sitting behind a desk in a darkened office; a tipped fedora mysteriously casting her face in shadow, intermittent flashes of lightning slash through slanted blinds.
It’s all very dramatic.
I would have the best time editing it.
It would be so satisfying to squish all those bitty sentences together until they flow.
There’s also a lot of eerily AI sounding bits of ‘not this, not that, but this other thing:’
Ex: “– not walking, not pacing, the deliberate repetitive circuit of something caged.”
The word ‘not’ is used 633 times in this book.
Maybe it isn’t always incorporated in that cadence, but goodness gracious.
Continuity errors for days:
She’s told to get out of the transport but the only action mentioned is that she’s looking around. I only knew she’d complied when it drove off and she watched it go.
She also knows a guy’s name without ever being told it. Worse, she mentally thinks of him by an abbreviated nickname. Incredible.
Speaking of abbreviations:
“My room. Bolt.”
Who are we? Hodor?
She’s ostensibly saying that she was locked in her room, but it’s like each word is painful to get out.
Like they’re confessions from her death bed when our brain cells were the true casualty.
“The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s not tentative. It’s desperate –“
Put the AI down, slowly back away, and no one gets hurt.
This was heinous and I’m genuinely disappointed.
It’s the exact premise I’ve been wanting to read, but the author seemed to have gone out of their way to make it as insufferable as possible.
May 18, 2026
The plot of this had a lot of potential, but everything else was a mess. It was extremely boring when this is a plot line that should be the complete opposite.
Also, very obvious the author was using AI to help write it.
Also, very obvious the author was using AI to help write it.
June 8, 2026
No proof, but anyone who has had the misfortune of reading a computer written book knows the way it feels when you do.
No plot, 2d flat characters that give you zero personality or reason to care for them. Short choppy sentences, zero emotion. Characters know things they can’t possibly know.
This was a drag, and so infuriating I finished it out of spite just to see if by some miracle the author decided to maybe try and edit the AI out. No dice.
I redownloaded goodreads because this was so bad I needed to leave a public review.
No plot, 2d flat characters that give you zero personality or reason to care for them. Short choppy sentences, zero emotion. Characters know things they can’t possibly know.
This was a drag, and so infuriating I finished it out of spite just to see if by some miracle the author decided to maybe try and edit the AI out. No dice.
I redownloaded goodreads because this was so bad I needed to leave a public review.
dnf-for-now-will-try-again
April 3, 2026I really struggled with the writing style in this book. I'm not too sure what it was, but it felt vague and choppy?
For example: (this is not directly from the book, but how it felt reading it)
Hands touched. Our eyes connected. A searing pain in my palm. Tongues danced.
You get the idea. I don't know, it all just became really tedious. This is definitely a "it's me, not you" type of situation.
Maybe I'll try again, but probably not.
For example: (this is not directly from the book, but how it felt reading it)
Hands touched. Our eyes connected. A searing pain in my palm. Tongues danced.
You get the idea. I don't know, it all just became really tedious. This is definitely a "it's me, not you" type of situation.
Maybe I'll try again, but probably not.
September 1, 2026
talk about boring. fuck, no plot, no tension, just nothing. and the writing?? horrible. writing was very stilted. the descriptions were all like, “he is tall. he is looking at me. I look at him. he kisses me. I kiss him back. I’m not kidding.
May 9, 2026
Probably written by AI.
The story started out good but went down quickly. I didn't like the writing style which was all very short and disjointed sentences. The fmc went from not knowing anything about the supernatural world to all of a sudden knowing to call everyone shifters. She just immediately understood all the nuances and became super important. Zero character development and there was no backstory or depth to anyone. They were all just there while little things happened with the fmc.
The story started out good but went down quickly. I didn't like the writing style which was all very short and disjointed sentences. The fmc went from not knowing anything about the supernatural world to all of a sudden knowing to call everyone shifters. She just immediately understood all the nuances and became super important. Zero character development and there was no backstory or depth to anyone. They were all just there while little things happened with the fmc.
April 10, 2026
Writing style doesn't work for me
It feels, I don't know, disjointed? The sentence structure is really wrong. Constant small phrases or single words and related phrases not used to build up to anything but literally used as a continuous writing style.
Made me not finish it because I couldn't get passed the way it's written. Not for me this one.
It feels, I don't know, disjointed? The sentence structure is really wrong. Constant small phrases or single words and related phrases not used to build up to anything but literally used as a continuous writing style.
Made me not finish it because I couldn't get passed the way it's written. Not for me this one.
May 22, 2026
If this isn’t the most AI book I’ve ever read
June 9, 2026
A New Approach To Shifters
After reading this brilliant book I still have some huge questions !
Are shifters known and accepted in the general populace or is this government meddling, cover up and containment?
There’s talk of people being rehabilitated and released is that a truth or a convenient lie? Either way you look at this, it just paves the way for a must read (right now) for book 2. In response to that all I have to say is I spectacularly failed to realise that there were other book series set in the same world as this one is set in 🤦♀️ So do yourself a favour and check out the other books by this author before reading this series. I’m willing to bet they have more of the world building info I was missing here.
Alex has been in foster care for as long as she can remember but when she was 14 there was a major incident and a boy was killed. None of the crime scene evidence made sense, and Alex can’t remember what happened the people in authority either don’t believe her or just aren’t listening. Now she’s being transferred to yet another place, somewhere called Frosthaven.
After reading this brilliant book I still have some huge questions !
Are shifters known and accepted in the general populace or is this government meddling, cover up and containment?
There’s talk of people being rehabilitated and released is that a truth or a convenient lie? Either way you look at this, it just paves the way for a must read (right now) for book 2. In response to that all I have to say is I spectacularly failed to realise that there were other book series set in the same world as this one is set in 🤦♀️ So do yourself a favour and check out the other books by this author before reading this series. I’m willing to bet they have more of the world building info I was missing here.
Alex has been in foster care for as long as she can remember but when she was 14 there was a major incident and a boy was killed. None of the crime scene evidence made sense, and Alex can’t remember what happened the people in authority either don’t believe her or just aren’t listening. Now she’s being transferred to yet another place, somewhere called Frosthaven.
April 8, 2026
This book is one that gripped me even from the description. As this book shocked me in the best way possible. It was that good. I was instantly captivated as it held my attention throughout, invested in the story and plot and I needed to know immediately away what the ending would be. Alex’s life has been rough as she has been through the system; foster placement after foster placement, juvenile hall and more and now that she is 18 there was one more placement, The Feral Academy. The Feral Academy that changed everything for her. That’s where she discovers that there is a lot more things in the world than she ever knew existed. The situations, the mate bond and mystery made a book worth reading.
August 26, 2026
I gave this book 1 star because I felt the writing was all over the place. It felt like the author had just word vomited. 🤮 Not much of it made sense at all. Won’t be continuing this series
July 6, 2026
“Magic academy” romatassies are some of my least favorite books of all time but this one is DIFFERENT. It’s everything I need at 2AM. It’s dumb, it’s heart breaking, it’s entertaining, and shockingly well written. They are kinda at a school, it’s more like a prison / lockdown facility, but when they do go to the school it’s actually not super boring like other books I’ve read. If I had any complaints at all, I would say the number of “mates” gets a little out of hand as the books go on but honestly I know what I signed up for so it’s whatever.
Anyway, thanks for the ruined sleep schedule, it was worth it though.
Anyway, thanks for the ruined sleep schedule, it was worth it though.
April 4, 2026
Too short. It ended before it could really begin and now I need more!!
Alex was not what I expected. She was quiet, watchful, yet still unmovable. When she decided something that was it. No changing her mind and I lived that. Also the way she commands!? Loved it. I can't wait to see more of that and how that helps get her placed in the program.
Something else to note: I've missed RJ and Gray since that last book. And I like Leo for their bond. He fits in perfectly.
Okay, now I'm ready for the next book!
Alex was not what I expected. She was quiet, watchful, yet still unmovable. When she decided something that was it. No changing her mind and I lived that. Also the way she commands!? Loved it. I can't wait to see more of that and how that helps get her placed in the program.
Something else to note: I've missed RJ and Gray since that last book. And I like Leo for their bond. He fits in perfectly.
Okay, now I'm ready for the next book!
April 25, 2026
Feral?
Crazy story line. And I am loving it. This girl has been through the wringer and is still surviving. I love RJ. Leo is growing on me. G has a lot to make up for. And now the ending?!
Crazy story line. And I am loving it. This girl has been through the wringer and is still surviving. I love RJ. Leo is growing on me. G has a lot to make up for. And now the ending?!
May 20, 2026
As is predictable for this time of year in the UK, the weather doesn’t know whether it wants to be warm and sunny or gloomy and rainy. Which leaves me in the predicament of a never-ending air pressure migraine. I have so far managed it relatively well through hydration, food, and sleep, but today it is taking no prisoners, and my eyes don’t want to stay open.
I actually started reading a different book, When the Moon Hatched, and I got through one chapter before I got irritated by the unnecessary over-explanation of the world and the characters. I was immediately transported back to Tolkien and his ridiculously long staircase narrative. I just couldn’t gel with it. Which led me to pick a different book at random, and land on this one.
To be honest, I found the book's narrative difficult to follow. The chapters with a different POV weren’t clearly outlined. And it almost felt like the book was the 2nd or 3rd in a series where the knowledge is already known.
I know I tend to write long paragraphs about the characters in my reviews because I focus more on character development and evolution. I can’t add much here, since I didn’t learn much. The characters weren’t 2D, but they still felt flat and lacked substance.
Alex is our shining female main character. She grew up in the foster system. Multiple stints with different families and stays in Juvie. She also has the unfortunate event on her file that she may or may not have murdered someone four years ago…She gets whisked away and relocated to a compound without so much as a word. Here she encounters strict juvie-style rules and quickly learns she is A) the only female in the compound and B) people here shift into wolves. The plot and the characters ‘claim’ to not know exactly what Alex is… she finds her mates in proximity, walking through common areas and the outside ‘grass’ space.
Ry is one of her mates. He is an unstable feral wolf who doesn’t speak, can’t communicate and is more feral wolf than man…The compound was basically built to contain him, and no one is doing anything to actually help him get better.
Gray is the last mate she meets, technically. Gray is a wolf in ‘Gold House’ and is 6 months away from reintegration with the wider human population. He fights the bond at first. But really, between Alex's first meeting with him and him giving into the mate pull, it’s about four chapters… and nothing really develops between that time.
Leo is the first mate that Alex identifies. Actually, physical contact triggers his first shift into wolf. I wanted to like this character because, as the first mate, he had so many possibilities, but yet again, the character was flat and without substance. I learned nothing about the mates in this book. Nothing about their past, their likes or dislikes, their behaviour or personality. It sucked.
Sven, Stone, Cal, & Lumi and the ‘secondary characters’. Sven is Alex’s guard when she is out of her room. No-nonsense, quiet. Stone seems to stand watch when they have ‘time outside’ and also runs some kind of physical class that was mentioned once at the beginning of the book and then never mentioned again, and to my knowledge, no classes actually took place at all, at any point in the book.
Cal is like a school counsellor, and I could see that he was built to be bumbling and kind. Like a cross between Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, but, you guessed it, a flat character!
Lumi is like a therapist. She’s actually mated to Stone, Cal, and another unknown person. So she had the scope and ability to transform the narrative and help Alex through her events. But she didn’t. And she ended up just feeling like a forgotten character.
I actually started reading a different book, When the Moon Hatched, and I got through one chapter before I got irritated by the unnecessary over-explanation of the world and the characters. I was immediately transported back to Tolkien and his ridiculously long staircase narrative. I just couldn’t gel with it. Which led me to pick a different book at random, and land on this one.
To be honest, I found the book's narrative difficult to follow. The chapters with a different POV weren’t clearly outlined. And it almost felt like the book was the 2nd or 3rd in a series where the knowledge is already known.
I know I tend to write long paragraphs about the characters in my reviews because I focus more on character development and evolution. I can’t add much here, since I didn’t learn much. The characters weren’t 2D, but they still felt flat and lacked substance.
Alex is our shining female main character. She grew up in the foster system. Multiple stints with different families and stays in Juvie. She also has the unfortunate event on her file that she may or may not have murdered someone four years ago…She gets whisked away and relocated to a compound without so much as a word. Here she encounters strict juvie-style rules and quickly learns she is A) the only female in the compound and B) people here shift into wolves. The plot and the characters ‘claim’ to not know exactly what Alex is… she finds her mates in proximity, walking through common areas and the outside ‘grass’ space.
Ry is one of her mates. He is an unstable feral wolf who doesn’t speak, can’t communicate and is more feral wolf than man…The compound was basically built to contain him, and no one is doing anything to actually help him get better.
Gray is the last mate she meets, technically. Gray is a wolf in ‘Gold House’ and is 6 months away from reintegration with the wider human population. He fights the bond at first. But really, between Alex's first meeting with him and him giving into the mate pull, it’s about four chapters… and nothing really develops between that time.
Leo is the first mate that Alex identifies. Actually, physical contact triggers his first shift into wolf. I wanted to like this character because, as the first mate, he had so many possibilities, but yet again, the character was flat and without substance. I learned nothing about the mates in this book. Nothing about their past, their likes or dislikes, their behaviour or personality. It sucked.
Sven, Stone, Cal, & Lumi and the ‘secondary characters’. Sven is Alex’s guard when she is out of her room. No-nonsense, quiet. Stone seems to stand watch when they have ‘time outside’ and also runs some kind of physical class that was mentioned once at the beginning of the book and then never mentioned again, and to my knowledge, no classes actually took place at all, at any point in the book.
Cal is like a school counsellor, and I could see that he was built to be bumbling and kind. Like a cross between Arthur Weasley and Remus Lupin, but, you guessed it, a flat character!
Lumi is like a therapist. She’s actually mated to Stone, Cal, and another unknown person. So she had the scope and ability to transform the narrative and help Alex through her events. But she didn’t. And she ended up just feeling like a forgotten character.
March 10, 2026
4.5 stars
Feral Marked is the first book in the Feral Academy at Frosthaven series and ends on a cliffhanger.
Umm… that was fantastic! Jaye Marellen is a new author for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this felt distinct from other wolf shifter reverse harems I’ve read.
Alex was an immediately likeable FMC. Her strength, the mystery around her, the awful/ vulnerable situation she is in, the bond, her transition, it just all came together to make her a really complex and real heroine to fall in love with. I was constantly cheering her and her mates on and raging at the injustice of the system they are in.
What I know so far about her mates I love (even the one who was initially stubborn) but I do think I don’t know much about them yet, so I’m eager to learn more about them and Alex.
The world building was unraveled in a way that kept me wondering. The plot was interesting and felt engaging; I also really enjoyed the writing style.
I am clearly doing something right because I have been blessed with many phenomenal books recently and this one is a great addition to the lineup. That cliffhanger(!!!) was probably what made my rating jump up to 4.5 stars. And the next book is coming out 24th March? This month?! I am being spoilt and I never want it to end because I NEED to know what happens next!
🐺 Dark paranormal reverse harem
🏫 Shifter academy romance
💞 Fated mates
👀 Unknown power
☠️ Touch her and die
Plot: 📚📚📚📚
Character rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎
Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Feels: 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Writing style: 🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊
Feral Marked is the first book in the Feral Academy at Frosthaven series and ends on a cliffhanger.
Umm… that was fantastic! Jaye Marellen is a new author for me so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this felt distinct from other wolf shifter reverse harems I’ve read.
Alex was an immediately likeable FMC. Her strength, the mystery around her, the awful/ vulnerable situation she is in, the bond, her transition, it just all came together to make her a really complex and real heroine to fall in love with. I was constantly cheering her and her mates on and raging at the injustice of the system they are in.
What I know so far about her mates I love (even the one who was initially stubborn) but I do think I don’t know much about them yet, so I’m eager to learn more about them and Alex.
The world building was unraveled in a way that kept me wondering. The plot was interesting and felt engaging; I also really enjoyed the writing style.
I am clearly doing something right because I have been blessed with many phenomenal books recently and this one is a great addition to the lineup. That cliffhanger(!!!) was probably what made my rating jump up to 4.5 stars. And the next book is coming out 24th March? This month?! I am being spoilt and I never want it to end because I NEED to know what happens next!
🐺 Dark paranormal reverse harem
🏫 Shifter academy romance
💞 Fated mates
👀 Unknown power
☠️ Touch her and die
Plot: 📚📚📚📚
Character rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World building: 🌎🌎🌎🌎
Sexiness: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Feels: 🖤🖤🖤🖤
Writing style: 🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊
March 28, 2026
Good
WARNING! Cliffhanger! This one is about a 4/5 on my trauma scale, and definitely on the softer side- but still enough to make you want to read the next book asap.
Alex has been through the system, foster placement after foster placement, juvenile hall and more. Now she’s eighteen, the new placement she has been given is in a facility that doesn’t work like any of the others.
The Feral Academy is a place where she is the only girl, where weird things seem to be happening to her body, and where she discovers that there are a lot more things in the world than she ever knew existed.
This book is one that gripped me even from the description. It doesn’t quite fit into the normal shifter narratives, or even the academy or prison ones. This makes it quite unique, and very intriguing.
The world is an inventive one, with a variety of fascinating characters, unusual situations, and sudden unexpected occurrences. Both the reader, and the heroine, are coming from a place of ignorance, making it easy to connect with Alex and her confusion. Despite that confusion, she’s incredibly resilient and very strong.
Her bond mates are each different, and I look forward to learning much more about all of them in future books, as we barely get to touch on them in this one.
An engrossing read, this is for those who enjoy RH romantasy and the prison/academy style of romantasy.
WARNING! Cliffhanger! This one is about a 4/5 on my trauma scale, and definitely on the softer side- but still enough to make you want to read the next book asap.
Alex has been through the system, foster placement after foster placement, juvenile hall and more. Now she’s eighteen, the new placement she has been given is in a facility that doesn’t work like any of the others.
The Feral Academy is a place where she is the only girl, where weird things seem to be happening to her body, and where she discovers that there are a lot more things in the world than she ever knew existed.
This book is one that gripped me even from the description. It doesn’t quite fit into the normal shifter narratives, or even the academy or prison ones. This makes it quite unique, and very intriguing.
The world is an inventive one, with a variety of fascinating characters, unusual situations, and sudden unexpected occurrences. Both the reader, and the heroine, are coming from a place of ignorance, making it easy to connect with Alex and her confusion. Despite that confusion, she’s incredibly resilient and very strong.
Her bond mates are each different, and I look forward to learning much more about all of them in future books, as we barely get to touch on them in this one.
An engrossing read, this is for those who enjoy RH romantasy and the prison/academy style of romantasy.
June 15, 2026
Just going to review all 3 books at once.
The writing is not good. It's very telling, disjointed, and inconsistent. The details are non existent for the most part and what little we get seems meaning less. Some reviews are claiming AI and if true I would honestly not be surprised. It is definitely lacking a human element and polishing.
The world buidling doesn't make sense. The place exists to rehabilitate them but then does everything possible to make things worse. The characters are just really cardboard figures and some of them are just there to be there. And the spicy scenes? No idea, I decided i didn't give a f. and didn't want to even bother with them because the rest of the writing wasn't good. So i skipped them. But i will say they were placed awkwardly in the story and the build up was usually bond driven 'I need to f*
And yet, I read all three books. Why? I honestly don't know.
The writing is not good. It's very telling, disjointed, and inconsistent. The details are non existent for the most part and what little we get seems meaning less. Some reviews are claiming AI and if true I would honestly not be surprised. It is definitely lacking a human element and polishing.
The world buidling doesn't make sense. The place exists to rehabilitate them but then does everything possible to make things worse. The characters are just really cardboard figures and some of them are just there to be there. And the spicy scenes? No idea, I decided i didn't give a f. and didn't want to even bother with them because the rest of the writing wasn't good. So i skipped them. But i will say they were placed awkwardly in the story and the build up was usually bond driven 'I need to f*
And yet, I read all three books. Why? I honestly don't know.
July 21, 2026
**SERIES Rating: ⭐⭐ (2 Stars) — A massive regression in quality and an unfortunate DNF.**
Full disclosure, I did not and will not be reading book 3. So for all I know, book 3 could be a literary masterpiece. But I doubt it.
I'm sorry, I just could not keep pushing myself in this series. Jaye's first series wasn't great, but I could get through it. Then her second series was so much better! Now this, her third series, she has somehow regressed and made it even worse than her first! Bad writing, plot holes everywhere, bad editing, she forgets things she's written in her other series, she copy and pasted whole paragraphs from one page to the next, and she completely rewrites entire plotlines from one book to the next. I pulled myself through book 2, but I just can't do book 3... this book left such a bad taste in my mouth.
And the worst part is how much I was actually looking forward to this series when I finished the second one. Just to be so disappointed. Maybe in the future I'll come back to this author, but right now, she's going to be an author I pass by.
Full disclosure, I did not and will not be reading book 3. So for all I know, book 3 could be a literary masterpiece. But I doubt it.
I'm sorry, I just could not keep pushing myself in this series. Jaye's first series wasn't great, but I could get through it. Then her second series was so much better! Now this, her third series, she has somehow regressed and made it even worse than her first! Bad writing, plot holes everywhere, bad editing, she forgets things she's written in her other series, she copy and pasted whole paragraphs from one page to the next, and she completely rewrites entire plotlines from one book to the next. I pulled myself through book 2, but I just can't do book 3... this book left such a bad taste in my mouth.
And the worst part is how much I was actually looking forward to this series when I finished the second one. Just to be so disappointed. Maybe in the future I'll come back to this author, but right now, she's going to be an author I pass by.
March 27, 2026
I’m enjoying this… but something about the writing feels slightly distant.
I’m actually really enjoying the story in this one. The premise is strong and the plot is genuinely interesting, which kept me reading.
However, the writing style feels a little stilted at times, which can be a bit distracting.
There’s also something unusual about the way the story unfolds. It almost feels like you’re reading the events from behind a wall rather than being fully inside the moment with the characters.
Because of that, some scenes don’t quite have the immediacy or emotional pull they might otherwise have.
That said, the overall story is still compelling and I’m definitely invested enough to keep going.
🐺 shifter academy
🔥 reverse harem
📚 strong premise
⚡ slightly stilted writing
✨ interesting story
#FeralMarked #JayeMarellen #ReverseHaremRomance #ShifterRomance #BookTokReads #KindleUnlimitedReads
I’m actually really enjoying the story in this one. The premise is strong and the plot is genuinely interesting, which kept me reading.
However, the writing style feels a little stilted at times, which can be a bit distracting.
There’s also something unusual about the way the story unfolds. It almost feels like you’re reading the events from behind a wall rather than being fully inside the moment with the characters.
Because of that, some scenes don’t quite have the immediacy or emotional pull they might otherwise have.
That said, the overall story is still compelling and I’m definitely invested enough to keep going.
🐺 shifter academy
🔥 reverse harem
📚 strong premise
⚡ slightly stilted writing
✨ interesting story
#FeralMarked #JayeMarellen #ReverseHaremRomance #ShifterRomance #BookTokReads #KindleUnlimitedReads
April 12, 2026
I don’t usually make a habit of leaving unkind reviews if i don’t like a book. But this book had so many issues. First off the writing was so poor and choppy it was hard to follow along most of time. It felt like it had no heart to it that you would usually feel in books and i strongly feel as though it was written with AI.
Second off there were so many plot holes or things that didn’t make sense. There were things the FMC was saying that she shouldn’t even know as we only got told these things in the MMC chapters? and he never told her either? somehow she knew the name of one of the MMC’s even though she literally never got told it? ( I double checked).
I really wanted to enjoy this as it sounded interesting but it felt very disorganised and rushed as a whole, and i felt as though i was reading a soulless piece of writing written with ai.
Not to mention the author has released like 8-10 books in the past 6 months? It just doesn’t make sense.
Second off there were so many plot holes or things that didn’t make sense. There were things the FMC was saying that she shouldn’t even know as we only got told these things in the MMC chapters? and he never told her either? somehow she knew the name of one of the MMC’s even though she literally never got told it? ( I double checked).
I really wanted to enjoy this as it sounded interesting but it felt very disorganised and rushed as a whole, and i felt as though i was reading a soulless piece of writing written with ai.
Not to mention the author has released like 8-10 books in the past 6 months? It just doesn’t make sense.
August 15, 2026
This review is for all of the Feral Academy Trilogy. I give it 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Alex has been in the foster system and juvie for all of her life. Now she is 18 and the system doesn't know what to do with her because she is a suspected murderer, but they can't prove it. They send her to Feral Academy in Alaska and there she finds out about a world she never knew about, but which always existed side by side with her own.
Alex's voice comes through in very short, choppy sentences and phrases. It works for her voice though, as she has lived a life constantly monitoring for danger, sizing up any given situation, giving nothing she doesn't need to. The way her voice is written is very propulsive and keeps the story moving fast. The mystery Alex is trying to figure out about what is really going on at Feral Academy kept me glued to the page through the Trilogy. I think it could have been written as a duology or as one book though.
Alex has been in the foster system and juvie for all of her life. Now she is 18 and the system doesn't know what to do with her because she is a suspected murderer, but they can't prove it. They send her to Feral Academy in Alaska and there she finds out about a world she never knew about, but which always existed side by side with her own.
Alex's voice comes through in very short, choppy sentences and phrases. It works for her voice though, as she has lived a life constantly monitoring for danger, sizing up any given situation, giving nothing she doesn't need to. The way her voice is written is very propulsive and keeps the story moving fast. The mystery Alex is trying to figure out about what is really going on at Feral Academy kept me glued to the page through the Trilogy. I think it could have been written as a duology or as one book though.
April 14, 2026
Clinical and Weird
I got halfway through book 2 in the series and I just could not continue. It was just so weird and clinical and just was really offputting to me. She would talk about she met one of her mates and they had a night and then the next day he would look at her and she just moved on from it. I just don’t understand the concept in the writing of this book behind how like clinical and brief and vague and like emotional avoidant this whole series as far as I could read was. It just wasn’t pleasant for me to read and I know other people loved it and maybe it gets better and I just couldn’t push through but it just wasn’t emotionally investing worthy of my time.
I got halfway through book 2 in the series and I just could not continue. It was just so weird and clinical and just was really offputting to me. She would talk about she met one of her mates and they had a night and then the next day he would look at her and she just moved on from it. I just don’t understand the concept in the writing of this book behind how like clinical and brief and vague and like emotional avoidant this whole series as far as I could read was. It just wasn’t pleasant for me to read and I know other people loved it and maybe it gets better and I just couldn’t push through but it just wasn’t emotionally investing worthy of my time.
August 16, 2026
I read about 10% of the book and couldn’t help but feel the writing is similar to what we’re seeing with AI. “Not this, not this, but that,” flat characters, things not adding up, etc. It seems the author published all 3 books in the series within a month or two, which in itself isn’t a problem as I know some authors wait to publish until a series is complete. However, the writing style made me question the use of AI and it seems there are other readers with the same concerns.
If this book wasn’t made with the use of AI, I guess this author’s writing style just really isn’t for me. Either way, this is the first and only book I’ll be reading by this author.
If this book wasn’t made with the use of AI, I guess this author’s writing style just really isn’t for me. Either way, this is the first and only book I’ll be reading by this author.
March 17, 2026
3.5 stars.
Not bad. The book is categorized as dark, but it didn’t feel dark to me. It just felt more like depressing and heavy. And not a whole lot happens. I don’t know if it’s me or just the book, but it made me feel very melancholy. Again, it wasn’t bad or written poorly. It just made me feel down. And I still have no clue how she knew her first mate’s name was RJ. Nobody told her that he didn’t introduce himself, but all of a sudden she was calling him RJ in the book. And I hate when authors do that.
Not bad. The book is categorized as dark, but it didn’t feel dark to me. It just felt more like depressing and heavy. And not a whole lot happens. I don’t know if it’s me or just the book, but it made me feel very melancholy. Again, it wasn’t bad or written poorly. It just made me feel down. And I still have no clue how she knew her first mate’s name was RJ. Nobody told her that he didn’t introduce himself, but all of a sudden she was calling him RJ in the book. And I hate when authors do that.
April 24, 2026
DNF - 63%
This has to be written by AI. The sentences are so choppy and there is absolutely no emotion in the writing. You couldn’t feel anything for the characters and the clinical wording was so bizarre. Nothing was explained and she just let shit happen to her with no complaint.
I just checked other reviews and they say it just continues to get worse in the series.
It was a cool premise but I want to read a book written by an actual author. There is no way an author can pump out 8 books in 6 months.
This has to be written by AI. The sentences are so choppy and there is absolutely no emotion in the writing. You couldn’t feel anything for the characters and the clinical wording was so bizarre. Nothing was explained and she just let shit happen to her with no complaint.
I just checked other reviews and they say it just continues to get worse in the series.
It was a cool premise but I want to read a book written by an actual author. There is no way an author can pump out 8 books in 6 months.
August 9, 2026
This book makes no sense. The FMC knows nothing about shifters (not even knowing that they exist)at the bedinning of the book but then all the sudden knows enough to defend herself at a review? She goes from knowing nothing about shifters AT ALL (and being freaked out and wondering what’s going on when someone shifts in front of her for the first time) to knowing pretty much everything, and we hear none of that. There are lots of repeating sentences. Lots of the sentences are either way too long with no punctuation or one word sentences. The word ‘and’ is used a lot with no oxford comma in sight.
Lots of skipping of what seems to be important plot points for the story to make sense.
Lots of skipping of what seems to be important plot points for the story to make sense.
April 22, 2026
I'm speechless. So Good. So unexpected
I have read shifter books, a dozen or so; they are all the same. This book is something different. Something fresh. A book where wolf and human are not one but separate. The human is scared of what's inside. Trying to contain the beast within. Not possible.
You have to read this book to understand that this is next level.
I hope I find the next in this series on Kindle.
I have read shifter books, a dozen or so; they are all the same. This book is something different. Something fresh. A book where wolf and human are not one but separate. The human is scared of what's inside. Trying to contain the beast within. Not possible.
You have to read this book to understand that this is next level.
I hope I find the next in this series on Kindle.
April 24, 2026
DNF @ 67%
I never like to leave unkind reviews, but I really struggled with this book. The writing style is incredibly chaotic and choppy that makes me think (no proof, just assumption) this is written with a heavy dose of AI.
The FMC somehow knows a MMC’s name without ever being told. Information is repeated over and over again without really going anywhere. The characters have no depth or real emotions.
Not for me. Good concept but needs better writing.
I never like to leave unkind reviews, but I really struggled with this book. The writing style is incredibly chaotic and choppy that makes me think (no proof, just assumption) this is written with a heavy dose of AI.
The FMC somehow knows a MMC’s name without ever being told. Information is repeated over and over again without really going anywhere. The characters have no depth or real emotions.
Not for me. Good concept but needs better writing.
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