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Twisted Vows: An Immortal Consequences Story

Not yet published
Expected 6 Oct 26
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Step into the mysterious, gothic world of Blackwood Academy eighteen years prior to the events of the New York Times bestselling Immortal Consequences in this darkly enchanting prequel novella that traces the origins of fan-favorite couple August and Wren’s heated rivalry and eventual romance.

She’d hate him for the rest of eternity. She’d hate him until the very end.


When Wren Loughty finds herself dropped outside the gates of Blackwood Academy, the infamous magical boarding school located on the fringes of the afterlife, she quickly realizes that she's dead. Worse, she's stuck between life and death, eternally tasked with learning the magical skills required to guide lost souls to the Other Side.

And her first assignment? A class project with the boy known as the notorious "Demon of Blackwood," Augustine Hughes.

August doesn't do friends. He has his own reasons for wanting to get close to the new girl...reasons that are quickly becoming more complicated the more time he spends with her.

As Wren and August navigate the darkly enchanting Blackwood campus and their cutthroat fellow students, an undeniable connection grows between them. But some connections can be twisted.

And some betrayals can’t be undone.

192 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication October 6, 2026

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About the author

I.V. Marie

3 books1,144 followers
I.V. Marie is the instant New York Times, USA Today and Indie Bestselling author of Immortal Consequences. She was born and raised in Miami to a Peruvian mother and Chilean father, where she acquired a penchant for afternoon cafecitos and developed an all-consuming obsession with books. Her writing ambitions began behind her grandparents’ computer, where she spent her childhood crafting spooky and fantastical short stories. When she is not writing, you can find her rock climbing or watching atmospheric Youtube videos with her dog, Mr. Darcy.

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5 stars
17 (44%)
4 stars
15 (39%)
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5 (13%)
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1 (2%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
Profile Image for jae.
36 reviews583 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 5, 2026
okay now give us more because this was everything i wanted! it felt like such a breather after all the chaos in the main duology and i loved getting to just enjoy wren and august’s banter <3 there’s something about knowing how their story plays out that makes you savour the beginning of their relationship even more 🥹🩷

thank you to netgalley and random house for the arc!
Profile Image for Livvy ⋆˚࿔ {Boys of Tommen era}.
88 reviews58 followers
April 19, 2026
𝕊𝕡𝕠𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕣 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕖

୨ৎ 𝘚𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 <3

✧˖°. "𝐇𝐞𝐲 𝐒𝐢𝐫𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐋𝐎𝐋𝐎" ₊˚ 🦢

➜ Ok so I absolutely ADORE this whole series and it brings me so much joy to say that I have been a fan of these books since the beginning and I am so happy to be here when it all wraps up! This novella brought back so many memories of reading Immortal Consequences and I loved how we got to see Wren and August before Immortal Consequences took place! Even though this might be a prequel it DOES have spoilers for Ruinous Ends in it!! So I recommend reading it after! I love Wren so much and I feel like I have so much in common with her and so I loved getting to spend more time with her character before the series wrapped up. After Ruinous Ends I didn’t think I would be able to read this because I was too sad but I am so so happy that I did!! Wren and August have such a good academic rivals to lovers thing going on and I loved getting to see them fight and yearn for the entirety of this book! Also idk if it is just me but I’ve always wanted to get a scene where August gets shoved off the roof by Wren cos it mentions it a lot in Immortal Consequences and in this novella WE GOT THE SCENEEE!! I was so happy like idk why him getting flung off a building makes me so happy but it does 😌 August is an absolute diva but he also has SUCH A SAD BACKSTORY and we love a troubled character and he was just so perfect! Everything about this novella I really liked but I wished that we got to see more of Emilio, Olivier, Masika and Irene 😔🙏 they were literally nowhere to be found in this book. I think we saw Irene and Olivier ONCE. Just once is not enough but yk what its alr. Overall this book was SO GOOD and I can not wait to get a physical copy of this book!! 4.8★ 🪞⋆。𖦹°‧

⊹ ࣪ ˖🕰️"𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐈 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬, 𝐈 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐬"୭˚. ᵎᵎ🗝️

🫧🗝️ Pre Read:

AHHHHH OMG I GOT ANOTHER I.V. MARIE ARCCC 🤭 I’m so so excited to dive into this one!!! I love Wren and August and as much as it’s going to kill me to go back in time with all the characters I know that I’m still going to love this!!!
Profile Image for Lexi.
231 reviews54 followers
Want to Read
March 13, 2026
Update #1 (03/13/26): THIS IS HAPPENING!!! To read about Wren & August this October (Spooky Season)?!?! Yup!!! I am unwell. 🫠🫠🫠.
Profile Image for Noi (in & out) .
1,020 reviews583 followers
remind-me-once-out
March 27, 2026
I didn't realize we were getting a prequel!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 7, 2026
3 stars.

As much as I am a sucker for deeper interactions with characters and a slightly slower plot line, one problem that usually occurs in a novella like so, is that the plot kind of gets lost. I seriously loved learning more about August and Wren, especially because they were my favorite couple in the first book, but it all felt drastically different in terms of vibes and pacing, which kind of threw me off.

This book being quite short was another part that threw me off, especially as a fast reader. It took me like an hour and a half max to finish the entire book, which as much as I appreciate shorter reads, felt a little bit off putting. At the end of the day, this was just my opinion, but it could have been longer.

I loved the interactions with Wren and August because their banter was so fun. Essentially, I loved learning about Wren when she first joined the school, and August's thought process throughout the entire book. Seeing Oliver definitely made me sick though, I love him so much.

Thank you to Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for the arc of Twisted Vows!

(Apologies for the shorter review, I dont have much to talk about.)
Profile Image for Caitlyn Zedack.
9 reviews2 followers
April 2, 2026
First off, I am so grateful to have been chosen for another ARC in this series. It has become one of my favorites!!

This story was exactly what I needed! I needed more of Wren and August because I was not ready to let them go after ruinous ends. The banter and relationship between these characters is one of my favorites and you cannot help but rooting for them and just waiting for them to be together. This book was a light read and it was interesting to learn more about both Wren’s and August’s backstories leading up to Immortal Consequences. The brief mentioning of the main characters in Immortal Consequences and Ruinous Ends were perfect Easter eggs. I have such a love for all these characters it can’t be the end of stories in their world.

Thank you I. V. Marie for giving me another chance to love your characters. Fingers crossed for another book where we somehow get more of August and Wren..and also Oliver and Emilio..
Profile Image for Sabrina Ravenscroft.
106 reviews
April 5, 2026
I’m incredibly thankful to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of Twisted Vows. This book was such a fantastic story, and I loved how it deepened Wren and August’s relationship, making me want to immediately reread Immortal Consequences. I.V. Marie is going to be an always buy author for me. I genuinely hope there’s more to come beyond these three books in the Blackwood Academy series.
Profile Image for Abby.
521 reviews7 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 19, 2026
This novella is for all the Atlas Six fans who didn't get enough Nico/Libby content.

Twisted Vows is a novella taking place before the events of Immortal Consequences and focusing on two of the six POV characters: Wren and August. For those of you who are wondering: yes, it does spoil book 1; no, I don't think it spoils book 2 (I will update when I finish it); no, you do not *need* to read it to understand the plot, it just gives a bit more character backstory; yes, it's a bit self-indulgent. In general, it's a very short read that I would've devoured in one sitting if I had the time, and I definitely appreciated some more insight into August and Wren's history.

Wren Loughty has just arrived at Blackwood Academy when she's partnered with the infamous Augustine Hughes for an assignment. The goal? Solve three puzzles to retrieve three gemstones or face the consequences. The plot basically follows Wren and August as they banter through the three puzzles. The stakes are fairly high, and the pacing is quick, but I wouldn't go into this expecting mind-boggling twists. The plot itself is straightforward, and the ending sets up for the Wren and August readers know and love. I did want more, but I understand that this is a novella, so I'm not overly upset about the bonus content we did get.

The point of the novella is really to develop the characters, and I think it accomplishes that well. Seeing Blackwood from the POV of Wren when she first arrives was helpful from a worldbuilding standpoint, but it also made me appreciate Wren more. In the first book, we kind of start with Wren in the middle of her arc, but this gives us the beginning of her time at Blackwood. August's POV was the one that got even more much-needed depth, especially given certain pieces of his backstory that I wanted to see fleshed out at the end of book one. We learn more about his life prior to Blackwood, including how he died - which is something I desperately wanted to know for all the protagonists - as well as some context behind his interactions with Wren. I'm still a bit confused about what time period he's from, but I'm hoping it'll be resolved sooner than later. Also, there are some cameos from other fan favorite characters, most notably Olivier, for all of his fans.

Twisted Vows is a prequel novella for the Souls of Blackwood Academy series, perfect for readers who want banter, puzzles, and plenty of tension in the form of a story that can be devoured in a day.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC!

4/5
Profile Image for bells.
88 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 3, 2026
Rating: 4.75⭐️


I would quite literally read a grocery list if it was written by I.V. Marie. This book is the blueprint of yearning. The origin story. The foundation. The ancient text of whatever is going on between Wren and August.

Going back to Blackwood Academy felt like returning home (except the home is haunted, emotionally unstable, and full of unresolved tension). I loved getting to dive deeper into the magic system again. It never stops being interesting. I need the small details to be injected directly into my veins. I loved how the magical schedule map works. And the whole explanation about language in the afterlife was a nice touch. The fact that the languages of the living world no longer exist, and that everyone is essentially reborn with a universal translator, adds so much depth and immersion. It makes the world feel real in that eerie, unsettling way that just works.

Okay. Now let me talk about Wren and August again. I need a moment because the push and pull between them was EXQUISITE. Every conversation feels like they’re one step away from either a mental breakdown or an angry love confession in the rain (do they have rain in the afterlife?). There is not a single dull moment when they’re on the page together. I love them in a slightly concerning way.

And yes, plot-wise, this is a prequel novella, so it’s not packed with heavy action or major plot progression. But that’s not the point. This is about understanding them. Why they are the way they are. How they got here. Why their dynamic in Immortal Consequences feels like emotional warfare disguised as tension. And honestly, that alone made it worth it. It still has that same compelling, addictive charm. Just quieter and more personal.


════════════════════════

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC!
Profile Image for Ashton V.
338 reviews37 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 7, 2026
I have been obsessed with this order and more specifically August and Wren since I first read Immortal Consequences, so I was very excited when I heard about this prequel. Twisted Vows centers around August & Wren and focuses on their first meeting and early interactions. This was such a unique take since we get to see Wren’s first moments at Blackwood Academy after her death and take a deep dive into August’s mindset and past. I absolutely loved seeing this especially after just reading the finale, Ruinous Ends. This novella hit so much harder since I know how this series ends for August and Wren.

I have loved August and Wren from their first time I read about them but their first meeting felt so special. From their first interaction they have an insane connection that is hard for them to ignore. And even though August is The Demon of Blackwood Wren has never been afraid of him. I personally love that micro trope and found it so fitting for them. Their banter was spot on and I loved seeing the start of their rivalry. My heart has to go out to August after reading his POV in this novella. It makes his story come full circle and provides some amazing background to his character. Plus we are briefly introduced to some of the other main characters from Immortal Consequences which I absolutely loved.

I really have no complaints except I wish it was longer. This story was emotional, full of magic, banter, and set the foundation to the main duology I love. I will forever want more from this world and the characters. I.V. Marie did a fantastic job with this series and it has quickly become one of my favorites. I can’t wait for more from the author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s Books, and the author for an advanced copy!
Profile Image for Rhiannon Green.
200 reviews8 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
April 12, 2026
One of the things I struggled with while reading Immortal Consequences was all the apparent history of Wren and August that we as readers were not privy to. Getting to experience their origin story really brings this whole series full circle for me.

Honestly, I think this may be my favorite book in the series. While I loved all the characters and getting all their points of view, it was really nice to have a focus specifically on a pair. I wouldn't mind if we could have this type of novella for the remaining characters as well.

I absolutely adore August's immediately love for Wren and his conflicted emotions around who he thought he was and who he actually is. I really enjoyed seeing his relationship blossom with Wren and how he self sabotages throughout the book.

I also really appreciated getting to experience Wren's struggle with accepting her death and where she has ended up. Seeing her desperate to make a connection with someone is both heartbreaking and heartwarming. She's trying so hard to hold on to her human emotions, but things are so vastly different, watching her process her new life is really an amazing character study.

I really , truly enjoyed this peek into the beginnings of Wren and August, and it makes the ending of Ruinous Ends all the more special. This is a must read for sure for anyone who has read this series!
Profile Image for Violetdazey.
54 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 4, 2026
Thank you Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press & netgalley for the arc of this book !!
»»——— ᢉ𐭩 ———««

As an wrenaugust enthusiast, what a treat it was, it was sharp and a little adducting but oh my god I just love their banter so so much, as someone who read "immortal consequences" recently, I am so obsessed with the series, it's absolutely amazing, the way iv Marie writes is so addicting and phenomenal and this series is deeply ingrained in my mind, the way book 1 ended i am literally waiting to impatient to read book of this series but this novella helped that urge so much.
I loved how it's about wren and August how they met, their banter and honestly in the 2nd like how they are soul mates and how I want them to end up togather in book 2 so so badly, the concept of finding your soul mate in purgatory and in an academy is so so romantic to me and I am absolutely rooting for these 2, and the way she pushed him off the edge in this novella ahhhh and how he lets her do it, God I am just so much in love 🗣🩷✋️
We also get to met some of the others as well, especially my fav boy oliver to hehe, all in all I love it so so much and I can't wait to read book two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Brooke.
303 reviews2 followers
April 12, 2026
The beginning of Wren and August! This was everything I was hoping for. I have absolutely loved these two and getting to see how it all started was such a treat. I could honestly read anything from this series and I’m still hoping we’ll get more in the future. This is a novella so it’s quick and fast paced. There is a bit of action involved and so much yearning from the get go. Both August and Wren have chapters from their POVs in the book. It’s interesting to see just how quickly they had a friendship and connection. I was really happy that some of the other main characters from the duology have short appearances in this book as well.

This is a prequel novella but it definitely needs to be read after the duology to avoid spoilers. I’m glad I read this after both because I needed to be back with these characters one more time and I’m happy it was in such a fun and sweet way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Emma.
256 reviews
April 3, 2026
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.

Twisted Vows is everything I wanted from a Wren & August prequel and more. The academic rivalry, the glimpse into Blackwood before the Decennial, cameos from old friends and introductions to new ones. I tore through it in just over an hour, because I am that desperate to spend just a little more time in Blackwood Academy (although I know each and every main character would disagree with me there). It’s rare to get a detailed, published backstory for a series, so I was thrilled to get approved for this ARC before book two was even officially out. Wren and August are two of the most tortured star-crossed lovers I have ever seen, and getting insight into their bond during Wren’s first days at Blackwood, only to face August’s ultimate betrayal was agonizing and euphoric all at once. If this is the last we see of Blackwood Academy, so be it…but I will be watching Marie’s upcoming projects with interest.
Profile Image for m y r.
139 reviews10 followers
April 11, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte for the ARC!

"𝘈𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘏𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘞𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧."

I'm so glad this book exists because it dives into plot and character lore that I wanted to see from Immortal Consequences. It was so fun getting to read the beginning of Wren and August's relationship, along with more of their backstory. I loved getting to see other recognizable characters from the main series and their connections before the events of the Decennial.

One thing for me is that describing August as The Demon of Blackwood, I expected to see a darker side of him than what was given. Besides one moment, he didn't give off that vibe at all, or having some previous lore as to how he got that nickname would have made more sense.

But I love these characters and the academia world of the afterlife that I.V. Marie has created! Forever grateful this series exists 🖤
Profile Image for Lainey.
106 reviews3 followers
April 12, 2026
4.5 Stars

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the e-arc. Twisted Vows is the prequel novella to the Souls of Blackwood series and will be out on October 6th, 2026.

First of all you definitely want to finish the original duology before this novella. This second book is out this July. I had so much fun reading this similar to how I felt about the originally books. This novella is focused on Wren and August. I do miss the other characters in this one but nonetheless I still really enjoyed learning more about Wren and August. I love the setting of Blackwood Academy and reading this makes me sad we are already done with this series. I would love to read more about the other characters and their earlier days at Blackwood.

Overall quick and solid read. I.V. Marie I am anxiously awaiting your next book whether it be about Blackwood Academy or something new entirely :).
Profile Image for Sabine.
466 reviews14 followers
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
March 26, 2026
This was alright. My issue with book 1 was the lack of world building, and this one still didn't really flesh out the world all that much (I want to see more classes in a "dark academia" book). We got some more character dynamics, which was fine, but I feel like in book 1 August and Wren were already some of the more developed characters of the 6. The plot in this book didn't really seem to tie into the plot of book 1 in a meaningful way .

Overall it was fine. I do think the world is intriguing and I do generally like the cast, so I plan on continuing the series.

*I read an eARC from Edelweiß
Profile Image for Sarah Riojas.
11 reviews1 follower
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 13, 2026
*review of Advanced Reader's Copy provided by NetGalley*

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the honor of being able to read this E-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Going from finishing Ruinous Ends and being so sad to be away from these characters and then reading this was very fulfilling. I personally think Wren might be my favorite character (I say might be because I truly do love them all so much in different levels) so getting to see these extra glimpses of her thoughts was so satisfying. Also getting to see into August’s thoughts from the very beginning of them meeting was so… *chef’s kiss*

Honestly, the yearning is yearning, the excitement is exciting, and the tension is delicious.

Super cute and a GREAT addition and cherry on top for this series!! ♥️
Profile Image for Sofia N.
165 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 16, 2026
I’m so happy I got this novella because Wren and August are my favorite characters in the Souls of Blackwood Academy world! I’ve always loved their banter, and this book just showed the origin of their tension and banter. I love it so much! Getting a glimpse at their past and how they met was truly a wonderful experience! I had a favorite scene in this book, like ahhh, it was so good, but I won’t spoil anything. We also see some cameos of characters from Immortal Consequences and Ruinous Ends in this book! Though I wish we got more of Wren and August’s story developed in this book, either way I really enjoyed it!🩵⋆.˚ ☾⭒.˚

Thank you so much to Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the arc!
Profile Image for Amanda.
367 reviews28 followers
April 3, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children’s Books | Delacorte Press for an early copy of this book.

I was so excited when I got approved for this as I really enjoyed Immortal Consequences. It was so interesting to see what led up to it with Wren and August. The background of how Wren got to the school was the best part for me. I kind of wish we knew more. This novella just kind of grazed over it. But I did really enjoy the banter between Wren and August. Also how does a ghost get cold? I was wondering about that. Overall though I had a fun time reading this and will definitely read Ruinous Creatures when it comes out.
Profile Image for Zoe I.L.K..
432 reviews4 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 7, 2026
4.75-5 stars

Wow.

After reading (and being emotionally destroyed by, in the best way) Ruinous Ends, I was not ready to let this world go (August in particular).

This prequel helped me say goodbye (though I wouldn't be opposed to coming back to this world!!!) Seeing Wren and August's beginning was a balm to my soul and everything that came with it!

The Scavenger Hunt
The Cameos
The insight into how the school functioned (both academically and its social dynamic)
The YEARNING

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and especially I. V. Marie for writing this book and allowing me access to the ARC copy in exchange for my honest review!
Profile Image for Aniella Fields.
10 reviews
April 5, 2026
Thank you once again, NetGalley, for providing me with an e-arc for another installment of what has become one of my favorite series!

Wren and August are undoubtedly one of my favorite book couples. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this prequel story that delves into how they met. While I could have easily read a full novel between them, I genuinely appreciated this shorter prequel. I hope we get more stories with Wren and August. I rate this story four stars simply because it was a shorter read, but it is still highly recommended!
Profile Image for Carmen DaVinleam.
196 reviews25 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 15, 2026
The line on the back cover says... "She’d hate him for the rest of eternity. She’d hate him until the very end." so I knew I'd love this book, and I was right. Go back to before Immortal Consequences and see what started... so very much! I don't do spoilers, but you'll be sorry if you don't read this book, too. Another great read by IV Marie. I'm beyond thrilled that I was able to ARC read this book. Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for the arc! Everyone else... go read this book as soon as you can, preorder away!!
Profile Image for Beleisha Bernhardt.
188 reviews2 followers
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 15, 2026
I loved this prequel that lets us into what created the friendship and bond between Augustine and Wren. I have loved this series and loved getting another glance into the world at Blackwood Academy. Learning how Wren began her journey at the school, started her magical education and learning what made her so ambitious later in series.


I really enjoyed this and if you enjoyed the other two books in the series, you will love this too!

Thank you I.V. Marie and Netgalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Jessie.
21 reviews
April 4, 2026
I was so happy to receive an ARC of this novella right after I finished the ARC of Ruinous Ends! I needed more of August and Wren in my life. They are one of my favorite couples ever! I absolutely loved getting more insight into Blackwood Academy and the afterlife and magic system. I also loved getting to see how their love-hate relationship began and, of course, all the tension and banter and forced proximity!
Profile Image for leah.
31 reviews7 followers
April 7, 2026
I really enjoyed this book! I loved Immortal Consequences and was thrilled to receive the arc for this short story. This book gave me the insight to August and Wren’s past that I was looking forward to. I loved reading the backstory to their rivalry. I also loved getting more insight to August’s life before purgatory. I read this book in 2 days. 1/2 days were very busy days, might I add, but I was so intrigued that I found the time to keep reading. Thank you Ms. I.V. Marie!
Profile Image for Lil’s Stories.
1 review1 follower
April 8, 2026
(Arc Reader)
THE BANTER!!! 😍🥹 I loved this Novella! I loved seeing where everything started and how Wren and August “relationship” began! My favorite part (besides the banter lol 😂) was that we got to see more of August’s past & his “why?”….. not a ton, but there was some settlement.

Can’t wait for the rest of the Blackwood students to read this beautiful novella in October!

~“theoretically... if you pushed me off a building—"
"Which is becoming less and less theoretical by the minute..."~
Profile Image for Nicole.
8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
April 18, 2026
I am still obsessed with Immortal Consequences, so having the chance to read this novella early is so exciting! I loved getting a glimpse of the beginning of Wren and August's story. Their banter is everything. It really helped to understand their dynamic in the first book. Also loved getting to see Olivier, Masika, and Irene again! This story has made me even more excited to read Ruinous Ends!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's Books for this ARC!
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