Ocean of Ink: The Obsidian Academy Duet, Book 1

by A. R. Conwell, Alys Wilde (Narrator), George Reid (Narrator)

She can sense emotions. He’s trained to be emotionless.

Wren’s quiet life is upended when her brother’s body is delivered to her family's estate by the elite academy he was attending. Consumed by grief and bound by a past debt, she goes to the Obsidian Academy to uncover the mystery behind his death and avenge the only person she’s ever trusted.

A deadly forest surrounds the dark halls of the exclusive university, but the competitive, bloodthirsty students might be more vicious than the nightmarish creatures that haunt the woods. The most conniving of them all being Castien Valengard, the only one whose emotions Wren can’t sense. And a man she believes is connected to the secret society her brother was a part of.

Wren devises a plan to uncover Castien’s role in her brother’s death, and in the meantime, works to balance her studies and her secrets. another student is killed. Stuck on the island with no way out, Wren must find her brother’s killer before she turns into the next victim.

Ocean of Ink is book one of a slow burn romantasy duology set in a dark academy surrounded by magical, deadly waters. If you love mystery, letters, and men who yearn, this series is for you!

Audible Audio

Published March 17, 2026

Reviews

[Abby Wall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This already beautifully intricate story was brought to life in this audiobook. Secrets, lies, danger, grief, and obsession swirl together in this masterful first installment of The Obsidian Academy Duet. Wren Kalyxi will stop at nothing to find her beloved brother’s murderer. Castien Valengard will stop at nothing to protect those under his care. When that suddenly and powerfully includes Wren, the events that unfold are filled with a riot of emotions, twists, and yearning.

I read and loved Ocean of Ink in book form, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to reread in audio form.

The female narrator for Wren Kalyxi had a deeper voice than expected, but I loved how it truly showed the character’s strength and softness. It enhanced the description of her character and allowed the reader to better experience the depth of her magnified emotions.

The male narrator’s accent was not at all what I had imagined for Castien. I actually think his voice is much better suited to Finn Valengard, but I enjoyed his narration. I appreciated the lilt and the more “human” quality that the voice brought to the character, and I really hope the same narrator is chosen to voice Finn in later books.

There were a few moments in Castien’s perspective when the narrator’s portrayal of other characters’ voices took me out of the moment for a second because the cadences or pitches he chose were so different from what the female narrator chose. I was able to quickly become immersed once again, but I personally wish there had been more cohesion in the voices of the secondary characters. To be clear, these are my personal thoughts, and they did not stop my intense enjoyment of the story and will not prevent me from listening to the audiobook again or recommending it to others.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Ocean of Ink audiobook, and I definitely recommend it to others. I listened to almost the entire book in one day. Who could resist such epic storytelling?

I was privileged to listen to an advanced copy of this audiobook.

[Shell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. The characters were deep and rich, the setting was moody and immersive, and the mystery was engaging and unpredictable.

I really love the concept of empathy as a magical power/gift, but Wren sees it as a curse because the emotions of others are overwhelming. When she is determined to attend the Obsidian Academy to discover her brother's killer she must face crowds of curious students and all their emotions, save for one. Castien has been training to suppress his emotions for better control over his gift, but Wren's presence threatens it to all unravel.

I loved how far Castien fell for Wren, but he couldn't even admit it to himself. Finn's antics at trying to get Castien to admit his feelings were amusing.

I loved the accents of the narrators, but I found the male narrator had a strange cadence to his sentences, with small pauses or emphases in odd places. There were also jarring instances of the male and female narrators using different tone of voice for the same secondary character, which felt inconsistent. I loved the way the male narrator injected amusement into his voice in many of Castien's teasing interactions with Wren.

That cliffhanger though! I cannot wait for the next book. It's a good thing it released today!

What you'll find in this book:
*Dark Academia setting
*magical gifts
*secret letter writing
*obsession
*murder mystery
*dark secrets
*slow-burn romance
*dual POV

Content warning: murder, report of mutilated dead body, abuse of a child (past, non-descriptive), grief/depression
Romance level: 1/7 (non-physical romance), sorry to give it away but this is not a kissing book.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an unforgettable debut novel.
It's a beautiful start to this dark romantasy series with its unique, interesting, dark academic world setting with historical vibes and characters that held me completely captivated. Magic, royalty, monsters, and so much mystery. Written with such beautiful, romatically poetic quality.

Castien and Wren have some of the best yearning and witty banter in letters written to one another. As they built their connection and trust through ink one letter at a time, it made for a delicious slow burn. These characters are written so well with complexities that make them feel so real and easy to imagine.

Narrated by Alys Wilde and George Reid. They were so pleasant to listen to keeping and holding my attention and transporting me to this amazing fantasy world.

The cliffhanger only left me hungry for more. I can't wait to find out what happens next in this incredible duet. I'm on pins and needles!

Tropes:
Romantasy
Dark academia
Slow-burn
Mystery
Revenge
Letters
Closed door
Dual POV

Check TW

Thank you, NetGalley and A.R. Conwell for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

[Stephanie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t usually get the chance to listen to audiobooks, and I confess to being a bit choosy when it comes to listening to them. But when I saw Ocean of Ink would be coming to audio, I knew I wanted the chance to hear Wren and Castien brought to life. I am so glad I did! Whether you typically listen to audiobooks or not, this one is well worth the listen! There were a couple parts that didn’t seem to flow quite as smoothly as the rest, but ultimately, Dreamscape Media did a fantastic job bringing this beautiful dark academia romantasy to life.
While this may be more geared for adults and older youth as the subject matter is a bit intense and gritty, the subject matters were handled with great care. Enemies to the possibility of more, mysteries, emotional scars and healing all along the backdrop of such a well built world that you can almost smell and feel… absolutely breathtaking! Give A.R. Conwell's debut novel, Ocean of Ink a listen today.
I was given a complimentary copy of the audiobook. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kristi W - Book Love By Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

• The very person who threatened to undo him was also the one he couldn’t afford to see him undone. •

This dark romantasy only gets better with each reading. I loved the book when I read it the first time but listening to it was amazing. These narrators! They completely captured Wren and Castien. George Reid did a fantastic job conveying Castien’s yearning and Finn’s charisma.

This book is packed with banter, Gifts, mystery, and suspense. These characters, they grabbed my heart (again)! The slow-burn is top notch and the friendships heart-warming. If you haven’t visited the Academy consider this your official invitation.

This is a two part closed door fantasy that includes heavy themes that are handled well. The author has a warning in the book that is spoiler free or a detailed warning list (with spoilers) on her website.

This ALC was provided by the author via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review, rating and opinions are my own.

[Cassie’s Writing Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ocean of Ink is a fantastic slow burn dark romantasy by A.R. Conwell and is part of a duology. This was the first audiobook I’ve ever listened to. Since I read the book and absolutely loved it, I could not wait to hear the characters come to life through the audiobook.

I cannot even express how beautiful it was to hear the writing in each narrator’s voice. Words that I knew from reading the book hit hard with the emotion behind the narration.

I adored the book from beginning to end and the audiobook was no different. If you’ve read the book, you’ll love the audiobook. If you love audiobooks and haven’t read the book, add this to your list. There’s mystery, secret letters, fantastic banter, Wren can sense emotions but not Castien’s, and the slow burn romance is top-notch.

I received an advanced listener copy of Ocean of Ink. This is an honest review of my experience while listening.

[Curiouser_reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ocean of Ink is a slower-burn romantasy with a more understated approach to magic. In this world, magic is not something flashy or ever-present, and no one is born with it—it manifests randomly, which added an interesting layer to the story. The characters still feel like they are finding their footing, but there is enough there to keep you invested. The banter between the FMC and MMC is sweet, and the romance is a very slow burn. The narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life and added to the overall experience.

Overall, 3.5/5.

Thank you @netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book! I paced myself wanting it not to end which is something I almost never do. The end still came too fast and with a cliff hanger to boot 😭😱. Brilliant, completely sucked in!
The world building is spot on and so is the character development. My favourite touch was the letters throughout the story.

I listened to the audio version and the narrators did a perfect job of bringing these characters to life.

[Shawna Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Absolutely phenomenal! It was mysterious, charming, spooky, witty, and gripping!
The writing was luscious and pulled you in and the narrators were amazing!!
I absolutely cannot wait for the next one!!
Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this advanced listener copy!