A Twist of Fae: A Paranormal Academy Bully Romance

by Tricia Barr

359 pages, Paperback

Published July 16, 2026

About the author

By day, Tricia is a full time mom to two beautiful toddler girls and a wife/business partner to a handsome hard-working husband. By night--and nap times--she writes unique and thrilling young adult fantasies inspired by her vivid, somewhat creepy dreams and her own adventures around the world.

Sign up for her Email List and be automatically notified about new releases: http://www.tricia-barr.com/

List of Tricia's books:

THE BOUND ONES:
Ignite (Book 1)
Submerge (Book 2)
Unearth (Book 3)
Haunt (Standalone)

THE AMARANT:
The Vampire Secret (Book 1)
The Vampire Unleashed (Coming soon)

Steamy Adult Paranormal Romance Standalones:
Devilish

Reviews

[sycokittykat - Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entitled princes, a teacher and a djinn

I came into this book super excited. I love academy books and those thrown into the unknown. The fact the FMC is a djinn is new and different.

I loved Stone. He is sweet, protective and adds the student/teacher trope I enjoy. He does everything he can to teach and protect Deja.

Cadence and her twin Rhapsody are great people that are on her side. Even if one of them is ummmmm.....strange. Once you read it you will understand.

Then we get the High Court Royals - Ramses (the oldest with a temper), Puck(the player) and Kincade(the adopted brother/illegitimate heir).

Deja was stupid for telling the boys what she was after being specifically told not to let anyone know. So the trouble she gets herself into is definitely partially her own fault. However, the heirs took it way too far. Binding her to them sucked but the way Ramses and Puck treated her was absolutely disgusting. These two are pretty irredeemable in my eyes. Kincade actually has morals and doesn't abuse his time with Deja.

I loved when Deja started twisting the wishes. Though the entire set of events when the King and Queen were there was too far. Deja didn't realize how her simple action would or could go so badly. However, what the boys did was absolutely awful. I honestly can't see how these guys will ever be better.

I am definitely interested in seeing what will happen next but there better be some serious something if she ends up with those awful men. I don't have an issue with Stone or Kincade but the other two I loath.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let it be known that I don’t read bully romances; they aren't something I'm normally interested in. I think I've only read three in my life. For me, there's a line that, once crossed, can't be uncrossed, and it entirely depends on the characters and the story, so I tend to stay away. For whatever this one was calling to me. I mean, the supernatural academy will never get old. Plus, the MFC is a djinn. I've never read a story with a Djinn as the MC before, so I was excited.


Deja's had it rough, but still managed to keep her beautiful, bright personality. She even had a little fire until three fae princes wrecked everything. Things didn't start off that bad. I was lured into a sense of safety before things went to heck. They repeatedly stepped over the line without any trepidation. The rage I felt was unfathomable. I want this to be a rejected-mate trope (I do believe they are mates) so badly, with no second chances. There are no words for what they did. Luckily, there's Stone. I do love a student-professor relationship. He and Deja are just getting started, and I really hope things work out between them.


A Twist of Fae rocked my world a little bit. I didn’t think I would like a bully romance this much. The story was filled with tension. I was always waiting for the next thing to happen. The guys turned into totally twatwaffles, but I was dying to know how far they were going to take this. My jaw dropped so many times you might as well have called me a flycatcher. I couldn't put the book down. Gods, that ending- Tricia Barr had to make it hurt just a little bit more. And this is just the start. I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in seeing what happens next. I'm invested now.

[margaret · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was'sup Shorty?
In the nicest way possible, this book needs a lot of revision. I highlighted at least 20 spelling errors.
Besides that.. this was a choice. The first quarter of the book was so cheugy which was entertaining but then we lost that element and it became boring.
I honestly have no idea what this book was supposed to be about. Was the paranormal element in the room with us?? Was it Rhapsody? That was never resolved and that's such a missed opportunity.
The terrorists?! What is their motive?? Why is there terrorism in this world? No background was ever given and it just seemed like a cheap way to have a second antagonist.
The romance? I went into this expecting smut. Not my favorite, but wanted to give a new author a chance. So I didn't expect much plot and just raunchy scenes. Neither of those were in this book.
I also wanted to point out that genuinely what was the point of making Deja "Indian" when she was described in appearance once and referred to as such once and then it was never reflected in her character ever again? She could have been any ethnicity, it mattered so little to the story.
As for the Fae element, which was reminiscent of other popular Fae fantasy, the characters were all introduced as Fae but they weren't repeatedly acting as such. They were just a bunch of students or ripped "men"... ahem 18 year olds??? By the end of the book I had almost forgotten that they were allegedly Fae.
Let's also touch on Professor S. Molder and the absolute perv that he is, wanting to bend his barely 18 year old student over his desk the first time he has a full on conversation with her. Icky.
All in all this book was rough. It doesn't have enough of any genre to make sense as a finished story. It needs to be a romance, be paranormal, be fantasy. I don't believe that "bullying" is a genre... it's an element and it doesn't carry the story.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m on the fence with this one. I wanted to truly love it, but there was just too much that needed to be fixed for this to be an amazing read. Ethnicity of the FMC had nothing to do with the story. None of the others were ever revealed as to what theirs were. And the three princes. Dude was straight up a sexual deviant. So much in this didn’t make sense. But the storyline has such great promise. I feel like if things are run through, changed up, fixed, this story would be amazing. But I’m not opposed to trying another from this author.

[Robin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf 50%

[Amanda Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well… this was certainly a book. 😂

I went into Twist of Fae ridiculously excited. I love Fae. Give me ancient magical beings, questionable bargains, dark forests, murder, mayhem and a healthy dose of supernatural nonsense and I am THERE.
Unfortunately, my excitement packed its bags and left somewhere around chapter “Teenage Hormones: The Reckoning.”
Because this book really said:
Fae? ✔️
Paranormal? ✔️
Murder? ✔️
Lust? ✔️
Slavery? ✔️
Bullying? ✔️
Manipulation? ✔️
Inflated egos? ✔️
Teenage hormones? OH, WE HAVE THOSE. ✔️✔️✔️
At times, I wasn't entirely sure whether I was reading a Fae fantasy, watching Harry Potter after someone accidentally added Mortal Kombat, or being held hostage in the world's most dramatic teenage group chat.
And the lust…
My friends, I did not get the butterflies.
I got the ick.
There were moments where I genuinely wanted to grab the characters by the shoulders and yell, “CAN WE PLEASE DISCUSS THE MURDEROUS SUPERNATURAL PLOT INSTEAD?”
The amount of ego, manipulation and bullying floating around could probably have powered a small city. Everyone seemed to have something to prove, someone to control, or an emotional crisis that required approximately seventeen pages of angst.
And yet…
Deja.
Now there was a character I could get behind.
I really enjoyed her strength, her determination and that delicious little streak of “you hurt me, and now I'm going to make that your problem.” Her vengeance was probably one of my favourite things about the book. Deja has the bones of a seriously badass female character, and I was much more interested in watching her grow into that strength than watching everyone navigate their hormonal chaos.
So, was this a terrible book?
No.
Was it my favourite?
Absolutely not.
Did I finish it while occasionally questioning my life choices?
Also yes.
There are some genuinely interesting ideas here, and the Fae/paranormal elements definitely had potential. I just wanted more Fae magic and murderous supernatural intrigue and considerably less teenage lust, angst and emotional gymnastics.
Basically, I came for the Fae.
I stayed for Deja.
I survived the hormones.
3 stars because despite everything, I couldn't completely hate the chaos.
Would I recommend it?
Sure… but perhaps pack some patience.
And maybe a helmet

[Rebecca Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Twist of Fae is a paranormal bully romance featuring a young girl named Deja Nadir. On a particularly bad day, she not only loses her best friend, Lani, but she sees Arjun, her step-father, the only family she has left, murdered in front of her. A stranger named Stone Molder quickly steals her away before she can become the next victim.

Deja learns that Stone is a professor at an elite school for young fae and that the man who killed her step-father was a member of the Raksha Brotherhood, an ancient group of Hindu monks who have become terrorists. Stone had been sent to collect Deja before the attack. The night before, she had used wish magic, something not seen in years as djinn were thought to have died out, and she was deemed to be a prospective new student at Sylphain Academy. While not given much of a choice, Deja accompanied Stone to the school where she could learn about her fae heritage as well as be protected from the Raksha Brotherhood. She was also instructed not to tell anyone that she was a djinn.

At school, Deja is roomed with Cadence Dupree, and her invisible twin sister Rhapsody. (Deja found it a bit odd however she wasn't sure whether she just didn't have the ability to see Rhapsody, or whether she was Cadence's creation.) The two became fast friends with Cadence teaching her a lot about the fae world. When the most attractive men Deja had ever seen passed by, Cadence told her that the were Ramses, Puck and Kincade Diaphan, princes of the High Court and heirs to the throne, as well as being jerks.

The book pivots and ends up being recounted through multiple POVs, including Deja, Stone and the three princes. While Deja secretly works with Stone to try to control her wish magic, Ramses learns her secret and decides to bind her power to his ring, against her consent. He claims he did it to protect the kingdom, but proceeds to share her with his brothers. Rather than helping her, they control her abilities, and use her magic for their benefit and entertainment. She becomes trapped, unable to share what they did with anyone, and powerless to regain her freedom. Stone eventually learns that they brothers enslaved her and is prepared to do anything to set her free, not only because it is the right thing to do, but because he had been drawn to Deja since he first met her and had fallen in love with her.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I started reading this book. While I'm not generally a fan of bully romance, I found the fae component to be intriguing. The author quickly pulled me into this world she created and I was keen to learn how Deja would regain control of the narrative, and how the three princes would be punished for their misdeeds. I had not realized that the book would end on a cliffhanger, leaving me highly unsatisfied. I think my favourite character is Cadence (and her twin sister) and I hope they continue to be present in the next release. With the promise of at least one more book, I'm eager to see where Barr takes these characters, and how the Raksha Brotherhood gets pulled into the narrative.

[Kylie Terpsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of this book is a full on bully romance. There i said it. I personally enjoyed it quite a bit. However, I hate Deja. She’s got very strong juvenile tendencies that just irk me honestly. The rest of the characters made up for it. I really hate seeing people take turns controlling somebody, so for that it lost a star, but I guess for the trope it was actually fun to read.

Now for the details.
I like the idea of a djinn being bound to control power, and someone taking advantage of her. I hate the professor/student vibe that Stone gives though, and that he never thought someone would find out about her power.. Like anytime someone accidentally wished something under their breath (So there definitely should’ve been a lot more unintentional wishes), that happened in a high school setting daily would’ve drained her power every single day. So that’s a plot hole that I would like more addressed in future novels of this type.

The three brothers that take advantage of her, are exactly what I picture as typical assholes that would control women to their ability. Putting her in ‘maid’ costumes and making her do cleaning was actually pretty tame. I imagine there could’ve been a lot more 18+ content that could’ve been used, but the author chose to not do that.

Overall I’d read this story again, and plan on continuing reading the next installments. I heavily encourage the author though to maybe edit as well as not be afraid of doing more smutty things. It’s supposed to a smut book, put more smutty things in it.

Especially when the main character is granting wishes, and is being controlled by 3 bullying dudes.

[Julia Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wild ride this book is, I couldn't put it down! I was hooked from the beginning!
Our poor girl, Deja, has it rough. Losing her mother at a young age, her only family is her step-dad. In one awful day, she is rejected and cast aside by her best friend, sees her step-dad murdered in front of her, and then is whisked away to a world she never knew existed.
Welcome to the Fae world, where she learns her rescuer from the attack on her step-dad, Stone, is Fae, and is also a professor at a secret Fae academy. Deja discovers she is also Fae, and a rare breed of Fae that possesses a magic unseen for centuries. She quickly is discovered by the 3 High Court fae princes who also attend the academy. By claiming to help her, they trick and force her into a bond with them that gives them all the control over her and her magic. This turns her into their slave as they bully her and make every one of their wishes her command!
Will she really get the help she needs from these men and learn to wield and control her magic? You must read to find out!
I need book two immediately to find out where this story leads next for Deja! She deserves her freedom, and to enjoy her magic. Loved the emotional roller coaster of this story and how Deja endures even when all seems hopeless.

[Avis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one of a different kind of academy story. To me it has more angst , more adversity for the MCh, Deja. I could feel her pain and frustration when she was bond to the three High Court Royals. The cruelty of Ramses and Puck was mostly humiliating for Deja. Even though it was in the privacy of their suite . The only saving grace was Stone and sometimes Kincade. But he went along with the future king more than not. And Stone could only do so much as a professor .
Ramses thought he was educating her and having fun doing it at her expense.
I did love reading the obstacle course she ran against Ramses. Karma really can backfire on you as they found out.
I loved Cadence and her twin sister Rhapsody. Cadence giving needed support when she could and also when she couldn't, and Rhapsody and her insight to what was going on.
Suspense was intense. There's also a mystery of why the Raksha Brotherhood wanted to kill her.
Good twists and of course a whopper of a cliffhanger. I just hope the Royals learned there lesson with Deja.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberley MacGinnis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited for this ARC because I love why choose romantasy and academia settings. I enjoyed the magical element to this fantasy and wholly unique characters with a Djinn main character as well as introducing Boogeymen, Wendigos and Muses.
FMC Deja, comes into powers at one of the worst days in their life and taken to an academy to control their new found magic.
Deja has some feisty banter moments along side their whimsical roommate. Deja had the makings of a badass female character and it will be interesting to watch her character grow.
I would have liked a little more world building due to its uniqueness and a slower pace. Situations in the beginning seemed to have little information on why they occurred and just to accept it without question.
The bullying was difficult for me as they took away her dignity, choice and voice. Just when I thought Deja would continue to fight she did not. Deja trusts to easily and I hope her strength and seeking of revenge continues in the next installment.
Tropes include:
Bullying
Slow burn
Low spice
Academia
Student Professor
Degradation
Young adult

[Nikki Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deja's life changes when someone makes a wish near her and it comes true. Finding strange men in her house and then being whisked away to an academy, her life just keeps getting stranger and stranger, especially when she discovers she is a rare fae, a Djinn. With her training being kept secret and the three princes of the High Court discover her secret, Deja's life changes for the worst, and when she manages to fight back, their revenge manages to achieve ⁷what nothing else has ever done.

This story certainly hooked me and I love Cadence and Rhapsody and I hope we see more of them. There is a lot of bullying and angst throughout and what starts to look like a form of redemption, but that ending, wow, I really can't wait for the next in this series to find out what happens next and whether Deja manages to break away.

[J Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

The djinn and the princes.

In one day, Deja discovers everything she believes about her life is wrong. She is not human. A fae saves her life in an attack by supernatural terrorists and whisks her away to a paranormal academy where she will learn to control her emerging powers. Powers that were thought to be extinct. Powers that are too dangerous if she falls into the wrong hands. She is cautioned to keep her powers secret from the other students, but the entitled three heirs to the fae court find out and bind her to their every whim. As their demands grow and attacks on the Academy increase, Deja is hard-pressed to decide which hell is worse. She must find a way to take back control and free herself.

There is a lot of dark in this story. It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here. I received an advance copy, but my review is honest and voluntary.

[Rachel May · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was SO excited to start this book! Academia settings are some of my absolute favorites, and the premise sounded so interesting and unique. I’ve never read a book about djinn before, and the idea that Deja has to obey all of their commands and wishes immediately had me intrigued.

Unfortunately, I felt like the story was just missing something. It’s advertised as a “why choose/reverse harem,” but it definitely read more YA to me, with basically no spice. Maybe it’s just setting up for a super slow burn? I’m hoping so!

BUT THAT ENDING?! OMG. 😳 That definitely made me want to keep reading because now I NEED to know what happens next. Does Deja get the guys… or does she get revenge on the guys?! Honestly, I’ll take either. 😂

[ajscenic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has some great characters, but it does have some hard hitting storyline with far reaching consequences. Deja has not caught a break in this story, and so many things have gone wrong, one after another. I don’t know how she has kept going. The characters are fully developed and totally diverse and feel like real people. For me, the only downside is that the princes feel justified by their actions and that grates on me. This is a pure excuse to bully and control and it will take a lot of me to see if they can redeem themselves.

[AvidReader23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Who said growing up is easy?

Deja Nadir has had a hard hand at life - losing her mother when she was a child, her stepfather Arjun became a ghost, moving to nowhere, her crush Matt picking her best friend Lani, Lani dropping her, Arjun getting murdered, Lani discovering what she is, going to boarding school and having to hide her true nature from everybody

If you thought high school was hard, that boarding school is a million times worse.
Ramses and Puck are despicable.
I am so glad Deja has Stone, Cadence and Rhapsody on her side

Ends in cliffhanger

[Audrianna Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was a page turner for me! I just couldn’t wait to see what happened next for Deja and the princes. It does get dark with how the princes act towards Deja and her magic. They certainly aren’t saints in this book. There is some low spice scenes in this book making it lean to a more mature audience. It does end on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book! If you are looking for a different twist on fae magic and a bit darker scene, this is certainly a welcome addition to your TBR!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book started quite slowly but once it did…. The way the three MMCs treated Deja, the FMC was awful! The poor girl has already been through so much, having lost everyone in her life she was close to and really deserves some happiness. The only real kindness shown to her is by one of her professors, Stone. Deja is a djinn, which I thought was really interesting and you are left with lots of questions after one huge cliffhanger ending. Overall a good story and I would like to see where Deja’s story goes next.

[Makayla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting but there were some things that just didn’t appeal to me.
Firstly, a bully romance? It’s new, for me anyway. I just didn’t vibe with it.
Secondly, it seemed there was a lot that needed to be fixed for this to read smoothly and be the amazing read it’s meant to be.

Just because it wasn’t my cup of tea, doesn’t mean someone else won’t like it. I do want to read more from the author in the future. I don’t want to give up after one book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[MsRoman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Twist of Fae: A Paranormal Academy Bully Romance (Wicked Boys of Fae Academy) By:
Tricia Barr. Deja Nadir is attack by “The Raksha Brotherhood” . Unfortunately, she is taken by stone to the Academy where now she is a captive of High Court Heirs Puck arrogant ,Ramses Diaphan the oldest crowned prince of the High Court, Kincade the adopted. I actually felt horrible for Deja predicament. It is a sad story which I did not enjoy Deja situation.

[Victoria Allinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time i have read a book with these tropes,but found it an enjoyable experience.
I was a bit disappointed in the beginning about how quickly Deja accepted everything and adjusted to her new life at the school, but was quickly distracted by how great Cadence and Rhapsody were.
I enjoyed the ending and how it sets it up for the next book but I really want to find out more about Stone and his back story.

[Lynsey Polglase · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good starter book to the series. It tells you a lot of backstory about all the character's, hopes and loses and love 's etc. This first book also sets up the baddies so you know who they are and what they can do.
The prince's are horrible at times in this book actually made me cry how they treated mfc but hopefully that's the worst of it now.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Felicia Escobar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Twist of Fae was an entertaining mix of magic, mystery, romance, and plenty of attitude. I enjoyed the characters, the tension between them, and the twists that kept the story moving. It was easy to get caught up in the world and wonder what was going to happen next.
A fun start to the series, especially if you enjoy fae, paranormal academy stories, and a little drama mixed with your romance. I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes next!

[Melissa Hergesheimer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the unique magic system! It was refreshing to see a different take on fae magic, and I loved discovering how it worked throughout the story. The creativity and worldbuilding were definitely highlights for me.

That being said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the bully romance trope. I found it difficult to fully connect with the romantic dynamic, which took away from my overall enjoyment. Still, I appreciated the originality of the story and think readers who enjoy that trope would love it!

[William Vegvari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, was this hard to put down. Loved this from the very start and when I came to the end... I wanted more. much more.

This Fae story wolud have to be right up with the best Fae I've read to date.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Helena Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poor Deja. What a roller coaster. She loses her best friend and sees her step father murdered both in the same night. She gets whisked away to fae college and things are not so great there either. It is a fast paced read about her and three fae princes who are not very nice. The end is awesome. Good read!!

[Rachel Stephens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paranormal, academy setting, bully, magic, fae and more!

I really liked Deja. She was quite unique. She also proved to be resilient, determined, and strong. My heart did hurt for her and what she has been put through.
Overall, I think this was a great beginning to Deja's story. The ending definitely left me with questions and wanting more!

[Mrs A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was intrigued by the blurb and for the most part the story was interesting. The tropes are definitely what drew me to it and the fact that Deja was a Djin. I felt like something was missing, there could have been more
World building to provide context. The cliffhanger though! I’ll have to read the next.

[Chasity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me up all night. I loved this book. It started off like another series of hers but quickly went its own route. This book had me spitting fire mad and so heartbroken for the FMC. Can't wait to see where this goes.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. The beginning was good. But the more I got into the book I didn’t like it at all. I found it predictable. It ended exactly how I thought there will be a book too just because I didn’t like it. I’m sure there are those that loved it.