Wielder of Chaos and Carnage

by Nicole M. Rubino

Fourth Wing meets One Dark Window in the first book of a new dark romantasy series by Nicole M. Rubino, author of the Monstrous Trilogy.

They say Starshadow Academy of Wielding will either make you or kill you. For Azura Everton, it might just do both.

All twenty-three year old Azura has ever wanted is to be normal, like every other Summoner and Spellcaster. But when you're cursed, normal is a fantasy. Her last hope lies within the deadly walls of Starshadow Academy of Wielding, where magic is power, secrets are currency, and failure means death.

At Starshadow, she will finally learn to wield her Element, the most unpredictable and volatile one of all: Fire. Born with a magical learning disability, Azura is sure the Element will kill her. That is, until the school assigns her a tutor - the notorious Evrin Blackwood.

Brilliant. Ruthless. Arrogant. The most powerful Fire wielder of his generation. He’s everything Azura hates, and everything her magic craves. Azura can’t deny how her power strengthens with him by her side…or the forbidden attraction sizzling between them.

But something is wrong at Starshadow.

Not only are students disappearing, but when Azura is attacked, her enemies bleed from their eyes and ears, even though she never lays a hand on them. Yet, Evrin is always close. Too close. Watching her like he knows what’s coming.

As dangerous truths unravel - about her curse, her bloodline, and the Academy itself, Azura begins to wonder if she can trust anyone - including Evrin.

And if Starshadow doesn’t kill her, the truth will.

Paperback

Expected publication October 7, 2026

About the author

Nicole Rubino is a lover of fantasy, though she loves a steamy contemporary romance for good measure. Monstrous is her debut adult novel, and is the first of a three-book series. Morticia Addams is her role model, and you will often find Nicole belting out the tunes to any Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac song (alas, not well). The mother of four young dragons (children), Nicole manages the beautiful chaos of her home by channeling it into her poor characters instead. Nicole lives in New York with her 100% Aries of a husband and said dragons.

Follow me on Instagram & Tik Tok: @author.nicolemrubino

Reviews

[Karla Marie]

I don’t know who I want to worship more… Az or Ev.

[Casie]

♾️ Stars ✨

I knew this was going to be one of my all time favorite books by the first chapter. I mean I was hooked!! I couldn’t stop reading it. The pacing was phenomenal. This has everything I love in a romantasy. Seriously god-tier!! There is magic, witches, shape shifters, dragons, academic setting, and found family. I was literally laughing out loud with some of the banter.

Tropes:
• Tutor & Student
• Slow Burn, forbidden love🔥
• Lethal, magic academy
• Dark elemental magic
• Witches & shape shifters
• Forced proximity
• Neurodivergent representation

Azura, our MFC, is a witch who is neurodivergent and a total baddie. She is starting her first year at the academy. There are deadly trials throughout her training to prove she belongs there. Due to her disability, her magic doesn’t work like her peers and is set up with a tutor, Evrin. Evrin is a fourth year and an expert in fire magic. He is tall, dark hair, covered in tattoos, and piercings. Together, they have to navigate Azura’s elemental magic and get her to master it. Unlike her peers, she has never been about to draw upon hers. She also doesn’t have a familiar. Typically, familiars appear around age 15 and she is 23. During her first few weeks, she notices students keep disappearing. Together, they secretly try to figure out what is happening to the students. These two have fire chemistry and Evrin has quite the mouth on him saying things like “good girl” and “rage looks beautiful on you”. The slow burn was burnnning along with the tension and banter. And let me tell you, the plot twists at the end just kept on coming! I don’t want to say too much to spoil anything, but they were spectacular. Now I need everyone to read this ASAP so I can talk to someone about it. This is coming out October 7th, so definitely add it to your TBR!!

Thank you to Nerd Fam and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Diana Chinchilla (dianasbookhaven)]

By chapter 1, I knew this was a five-star read. By 25%, it had already claimed a spot among my favorite books of all time. So consider this your warning: I am about to recommend the heck out of this book. 🖤

Witches, casters, dragons, monsters, shifters, familiars—and then you add the spice, the banter, and the action? There was so much for me to fall in love with, but it’s these characters that truly had me hooked.

Azura had me completely bewitched from the start. She’s captivating, her journey is anything but easy, and there’s so much more going on than meets the eye. Just when you think you’re getting your bearings, something else leaves your head spinning.

And then there’s the horned man. GURL. 👀 That’s all I’m saying about that.

Now, Evrin? Moody, bad-boy perfection. I didn’t stand a chance. I was firmly in his corner, and every exchange between him and Azura only made me love them more. Their banter was everything, and her nickname for him? Absolutely priceless. I was cracking up.

But underneath all that banter, watching their relationship grow was what really got me. The way it developed felt so thoughtfully done, giving me every reason to become completely invested. It was intoxicating, swoon-worthy, and left me wanting more of them every time.

The magic pulled me in. The friendships and familiars made me fall even harder. And those twists at the end? I’m still trying to recover.

Please, dear book gods, give us book two, because I am nowhere near ready to let these characters go. I will happily devour every book in this series.

This one doesn’t just belong on your TBR. It belongs at the top.

[Desiree Russell]

This was definitely one of those books that as soon as I was finished; I wanted to read again for the first time. Dragons, Wolves, and Witches along with all the secrets and mysteries. Holy moly, Azura and Evrin! I laughed and cried and am so excited for this series.

[Karolina Reads]

My TBR just got attacked by another morally questionable magical man and a woman who absolutely refuses to be underestimated. Honestly? Rude. Azura is such a refreshing FMC for me. She’s neurodivergent, she struggles with her magic in ways that make her feel different from the other students and she’s entering Starshadow Academy with plenty of reasons to doubt herself, watching her figure things out and slowly finding her footing was one of my favorite parts. She isn’t waiting around for someone to swoop in and fix everything for her. She’s stubborn, clever, messy, powerful in her own way and very much figuring herself out as she goes.

And then we have Evrin. Sir. Please calm down. Or absolutely do not. 👀

He’s the broody, tattooed, pierced, fire magic tutor who gets assigned to help Azura master her element and naturally the universe decided these two needed to spend an unreasonable amount of time together. The chemistry between them was DELICIOUS. Their banter had me grinning at my Kindle like an idiot and THE TENSION? Yeah… that slow burn was doing its job. I loved that their relationship didn’t feel like it appeared out of nowhere. There was time for them to actually get to know each other, annoy each other, trust each other and slowly develop feelings. The yearning was yearning. The flirting was flirting. I was sitting there like… “Can you two PLEASE figure this out?”

But the romance isn’t the only thing happening here. Starshadow Academy is basically the kind of school where I would last approximately twelve minutes before politely requesting a transfer. Deadly trials, dangerous magic, disappearing students, secrets, dragons, familiars, shifters, witches and enough suspicious behavior to make me side eye practically everyone? Sign me up. Apparently I have learned nothing from fictional academies. I really enjoyed the mystery surrounding the missing students because it gave the story another layer beyond the romance and magic. There’s always something lurking underneath what Azura and Evrin think they understand and just when I thought I had something figured out, the story decided to throw another little grenade at me.

The fantasy elements were probably my favorite surprise. There’s a LOT happening but I never felt like I was just being handed a giant encyclopedia of magical lore. I got witches, elemental magic, dragons, familiars, shifters, dark magic, hidden secrets and characters with complicated little histories that made me want to keep digging and the friendships? I’m always here for found family energy, especially when the characters actually feel like they enjoy being around each other and aren’t just conveniently friends because the plot requires it.

Now, was everything perfect for me? Nope.
There were moments where I wanted the pacing to slow down just a tiny bit so I could process everything happening around Azura. There is a LOT being introduced, and sometimes my brain was basically standing in the corner holding a tiny white flag. But it never got to the point where I wanted to put the book down.

And that ending???

EXCUSE ME???

There are reveals toward the end that completely changed the way I was looking at certain things and now I have questions. So many questions. Suspicious little questions that are going to be living rent free in my head until I get more answers in book two.

Final Thoughts: I had such a fun time with this one. It gave me dangerous academy vibes, elemental magic, a delicious slow burn romance, banter, found family, mystery and characters I genuinely wanted to spend more time with. Azura and Evrin are absolutely the kind of duo I want MORE of and I’m already attached enough to this world that I know waiting for the next installment is going to be hard. If you like romantasy with magical academies, deadly trials, forbidden romance, morally questionable decisions, dragons, dark magic and a heroine who is learning exactly what she’s capable of, this is definitely one to keep on your radar.

Thank you so much to The NerdFam and Nicole M. Rubino for allowing me to read this eARC ahead of its release. I had such a fun time with Azura, Evrin and all the chaos they dragged me into. 🖤🔥

📆 Wielder of Chaos and Carnage releases October 7, 2026.

[Stacy]

This was a captivating read and one you should add to your TBR if you enjoy protective MMC, academy setting, elemental magic systems, spellcasting magic system, animal familiars, shifters (dragons and werewolves), mysterious kidnappings/murders, mentor/tutor love interest, and hidden identities! This story follows our FMC who gets accepted into Starshadow Academy, she's in her early 20s. She is excited for this development, but is also hesitant because she recognizes her difficulty with learning new concepts and expressing her magic and casting spells in the typical expected way. Others view her as weaker in elemental magic, but our FMC will not let that stop her. She is a bookworm and studies constantly because her desire is to become a fire wielder, and hopes one day to prove herself enough that she will get a familiar bonded to her. There are very few who designate fire as their element of choice, and familiars only bond to powerful magic wielders, and so she is taunted a bit for it because her learning style is not the same as the others. She is paired up with a fourth-year student, enter in the MMC, to be her tutor. He is not gentile with her, but this does teach her how to pull on the fire magic in strenuous situations. The FMC is hiding something though....she has found a way to cast spells successfully, but not by speaking them out loud. The story further unfolds as the FMC stumbles across mentions of a 5th elemental magic, but details have been lost over time and her professors are not willing to talk about this topic. Additionally, some students and teachers begin to go missing around the campus. The FMC and MMC begin to get closer and they continue training and uncover some secrets. Both the FMC and MMC are hiding secrets of their own, which some become unveiled at the end of the story, but not others. The ending leaves on a huge hook that will want you craving the next book in the series to see how the story continues.

This gives of strong vibes of Neverthorn mixed with Fourth Wing. Wielder of Chaos and Carnage releases on October 6, so go add it to your TBR now so you don't miss out on this one. I was gifted an ARR of this book from @TheNerdFam, and want to give a special thank you for allowing me to be a part of the ARC team.

[Jessica Leigh]

4.5⭐️

Well, I finished this book in 24 hours and cannot believe how much I loved this one! This was like college Hogwarts meets Fourth Wing and I ate this up and left no crumbs behind.

Here’s what I loved about it. 👇🏻

First the magic!!! The magic system is centered around the elements: earth, wind, fire, and water. And it’s set in a magical academy where one comes into their magic fully throughout their training. And I make the Hogwarts comparison only because there are professors for different subjects (like magical creatures, configuration) and students are referred to as first years etc. There is also a dining hall and of course a magical library where all the studying and planning happen. In a Fourth Wing comparison, this academy has deadly trials meant to weed out the weak. And instead of bonding to dragons, you bond with a familiar. Plus this school is hiding a secret only a select few know.

Next the characters!!! Azura has the typical romantasy FMC profile, but she’s neurodivergent. This makes her super relatable and I loved how the author highlighted this aspect of her. The main MMC, Evrin, fits the romantasy book boyfriend dream. A morally gray, soft only for his lady shadow daddy who pines. Their tension and banter and yearning was delish.

But this book has more than just spicy romance and great characters to it. There’s incredible fantasy, lore building, near death experiences, deep secrets, heart wrenching betrayals, and the cliffhanger of all endings.

My only small complaint is the pacing. And it was by no means slow, it was fast, wickedly fast. So fast it felt like there were some details missing that would help build this story out even more. It obviously did NOT take away from my enjoyment, but with more detail, you could easily see this book broken up across two novels.

Overall if you’re looking for your next kick your feet and binge book, this one is it. I cannot wait for book 2, because after that ending I’m scared to know what’s in store for our two leads!

A huge thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted copy of this read. It was such a good time!!!

[Niki]

First of all, this book deserves more than 5 stars. It was an expectacular, roller coaster (in the best way) read. Nicole has such a way to weave fantasy stories and their details, not leaving any stone unturned. When i though something may be reaching a conclusion, BAM! more details appear that enrich the story and and makes you hunger for more. I personally love how she writes the romance, the yearning, the bantering in a way that unfolds so naturally i was giggling and kicking my feet. High stakes moments had me at the edge of my seat, and, when the spice came, whew!

Ever since her Monstruous series, I have loved the way she creates her characters in a multidimentional way that is relatable in real life. A detail that i adore is that the female characters are written in such a powerful way, as well as their bonds with their friends and lovers. The FMC is not a damsel in distress (no shame in a female character like that, but that is NOT the ONLY way to write a woman; waiting to be rescued by a suitor). The romantic partnerships in her stories are complementary, not fully subjected to the gender norms that are usually expected in society.

As a neurodivergent woman, i related in a deep personal level to Azura's struggles with school, in social settings, self image and everything that comes with it. Seeing her character growth through the book was so inspiring and i can't wait to see how this story unfolds. Thank you so much to Nicole and her team for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

And no worries, the a**hole characters get what they deserve at the end ;)

[Jacqueline Gada]

Loved this book! It doesn’t follow any typical fantasy storyline’s its refreshing. It’s described as Fourth Wing meets One Dark Window and I couldn’t agree more.

We follow the story of Azura, a neurodivergent with as she attends Starshadow Academy. Where she must learn to channel and control her chosen element of Fire. One of the most dangerous elements.
She’s assigned a tutor to help her with her magic, Evrin a fourth year. Who promises her she won’t fail. Because if you fail at the academy you pay with your life.
In the midst of deadly trials, disappearing students and dark magic. But both are keeping secrets, and hidden bloodlines are revealed.

What I loved:
🔥dark elemental magic
🔥 dragons
🔥 forbidden magic
🔥he falls first, hard

[Angela B]

Hellloooo Azura, my fellow neurodivergent witchling🖤. Thank you, Nicole, for including much a vital piece of some individuals in your story! I very much enjoyed the slow burn pacing, the action (that big army entrance scene mm hmm😏) and I’m always down for a forbidden romance y’all.
✅Steamy scenes🌶️🥵
✅Touch her and ❌
✅Found family
✅Dangerous magical academy🪄……
🖤Dragons🐉……
what more could ya need?
•Going through a sickness spell plus my daughter having sleepovers 2 nights in a row or I probably would’ve sucked this 📕 up in 1 day honestly 😂. But seriously, when’s the next one? I need it, Nicole!

[Ashley]

Everyone, BUCKLE UP!! This is about to be your next god tier series. I ATE this book up in 48 hours!
Nicole has officially moved into my auto-buy author category. Her writing style completely sucks you in and does NOT let go. I was hooked from the start, and WOW…I did not see that ending coming. Now I’m sitting here wondering where on earth she’s going to take this series next!
If this isn’t already on your TBR, MOVE IT UP. ASAP!!! You’re going to want to be along for this ride. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five super solid stars and an incredible start to this series!

[Abagail Sturgeon]

I am not even halfway done with this book and already I'm screaming and giggling and so invested into this story. The first paragraph really grabbed my attention and then it turned into some humor and I love it. I love it. I love it. Did i mention that I love it. I already love the darkness and the banter. I love the smutty scene already. This is how you pull people in! Although I think I already know the plot twist but you know what, I dont care. I'm still so into it!
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted books. #wielderofchaosandcarnage #thenerdfam @thenerdfam

[Nita_reads]

I really loved this book! It pulled me in from the beginning, and I honestly didn’t want to put it down. The magic academy setting, forced proximity, and tutor x student dynamic had me completely hooked, and I loved the characters 💗And that ending??? I need book 2 NOW. I’m already way too invested and I seriously cannot wait to see where this story goes next!

Definitely a 5⭐️ read for me!!!
Thank you to The Nerd Fam for the gifted e-ARC. #wielderofchaosandcarnage #thenerdfam ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Chantelle S]

A wonderful tale full of mystery and Magic. A magic school where elementals participate in learning and rituals used to eliminate them. Not everything is what is seems. Secrets. A mysterious 5th element. Something sinister is at work. What secrets will be revealed? I cannot wait to find out.

[Megan]

ARC Copy Review


This book is great and the story keeps you guessing. I highly recommend if you’re looking for a spicy dark fantasy ! Azura is not a helpless FMC. Which makes the story!