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Shadowspell Academy #1
The Culling Trials
You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.
I had no idea how those words would change my life. Or how they’d changed my life already…
Until the day the most dangerous man I’ve ever met waltzed onto my farm and left us a death sentence.
In an invitation.
My younger brother has been chosen for the prestigious, secret magical school hidden within the folds of our mundane world. A place so dangerous, they don’t guarantee you’ll make it out alive.
If he doesn't go our entire family will be killed.
It’s the same invitation my older brother received three years ago—the same place he mysteriously died.
The academy has already killed one sibling. I’ll be damned if they take another.
I do the only thing an older sister can: chop off my hair, strap on two bras to flatten the girls, and take my brother’s place.
Magic and monsters are real. Assassins are coming for me, and the dead are prone to rise. What’s a girl faking it as a boy supposed to do? That’s right—beat the academy at its own game.
Or die trying.
Shadowspell Academy Book 1 and Shadowspell Academy Book 2 end with a cliffhanger.
I had no idea how those words would change my life. Or how they’d changed my life already…
Until the day the most dangerous man I’ve ever met waltzed onto my farm and left us a death sentence.
In an invitation.
My younger brother has been chosen for the prestigious, secret magical school hidden within the folds of our mundane world. A place so dangerous, they don’t guarantee you’ll make it out alive.
If he doesn't go our entire family will be killed.
It’s the same invitation my older brother received three years ago—the same place he mysteriously died.
The academy has already killed one sibling. I’ll be damned if they take another.
I do the only thing an older sister can: chop off my hair, strap on two bras to flatten the girls, and take my brother’s place.
Magic and monsters are real. Assassins are coming for me, and the dead are prone to rise. What’s a girl faking it as a boy supposed to do? That’s right—beat the academy at its own game.
Or die trying.
Shadowspell Academy Book 1 and Shadowspell Academy Book 2 end with a cliffhanger.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2019
11562 people are currently reading
39188 people want to read
About the author
K.F. Breene
120 books14.4k followersFollow me!
K.F. Breene is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Amazon Most Sold Charts and #1 Kindle Store bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With millions of books sold, when she's not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she's sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and out of work treadmill.
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K.F. Breene is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Amazon Most Sold Charts and #1 Kindle Store bestselling author of paranormal romance, urban fantasy and fantasy novels. With millions of books sold, when she's not penning stories about magic and what goes bump in the night, she's sipping wine and planning shenanigans. She lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, and out of work treadmill.
Click FOLLOW for notification of new releases.
Join her mailing list to receive BONUS CONTENT, free stories, and hear about the crazy goings-on of her life. Sign up here ➜ http://bit.ly/KFBContent
Check out her chat group on Goodreads!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,596 reviews
June 16, 2019
Mix Maze Runner with Mulan and you get this. Kinda.
It’s like Hunger Games Academy - with Magic and Mythics
So in other words
Wild is a not so average farm girl looking after her family after her brother and mother have died leaving her with a crippled father and 2 younger siblings to look after.
Along comes a spider with an “invitation” for her little brother to attended the school her older brother died at. What else can a big sis do except shave her head and take his place.
The school is for supernaturals where the weak are culled in a series of games/trails. 5 trails for each of the 5 houses, this book focus only on the first. The fact she’s a girl in hiding doesn’t really play a massive part. In fact she’s terrible at keeping it quiet, but I do like the Mulan type scenarios, they are always a favourite of mine!
The romance is slow burn but I think I can see where it’s going (even if I secretly wish it was destined to be sideburns)
It’s funny and action packed and Wild is really clever and likeable MC
100 other people have probably already said this but it’s too short! I’m just thankful the release dates are set for May and June already so we don’t have long to wait. You can see the formula taking shape. One trial for each book.
The five houses
House of Wonder - the Harry Potter kids
House of Night - Goth kids
House of Claw - teen wolf types
House of Shade - Assassins Creed
House of Unmentionables - everything else Goblins Vampires and stuff
It’s like Hunger Games Academy - with Magic and Mythics
So in other words
Wild is a not so average farm girl looking after her family after her brother and mother have died leaving her with a crippled father and 2 younger siblings to look after.
Along comes a spider with an “invitation” for her little brother to attended the school her older brother died at. What else can a big sis do except shave her head and take his place.
The school is for supernaturals where the weak are culled in a series of games/trails. 5 trails for each of the 5 houses, this book focus only on the first. The fact she’s a girl in hiding doesn’t really play a massive part. In fact she’s terrible at keeping it quiet, but I do like the Mulan type scenarios, they are always a favourite of mine!
The romance is slow burn but I think I can see where it’s going (even if I secretly wish it was destined to be sideburns)
It’s funny and action packed and Wild is really clever and likeable MC
100 other people have probably already said this but it’s too short! I’m just thankful the release dates are set for May and June already so we don’t have long to wait. You can see the formula taking shape. One trial for each book.
The five houses
House of Wonder - the Harry Potter kids
House of Night - Goth kids
House of Claw - teen wolf types
House of Shade - Assassins Creed
House of Unmentionables - everything else Goblins Vampires and stuff
July 25, 2021
“Never trust someone that throws money at you, Tank. People like that have more money than sense, and more sense than morals.”
~ Rating- 3 stars ~
Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games. Does it deliver?
Wild lives with her family in a farm, but one day a dangerous man leaves an invitation for her little brother. He must come to the Academy, where he might not make it out alive, or pay the price with a death sentence for his entire family.
“Billy Johnson, Your presence is requested at the Culling Trials. You don’t choose an Academy. An Academy chooses you. Report to the address below within forty-eight hours or your family will die. Time is ticking.”
Wild who has already lost an elder brother to the Academy, does the only thing she finds sensible to protect her younger brother. She dresses up as her brother, and takes his place instead.
“In a game of survival, there are no rules,” my mother had always said. “Play to your God-given strengths, Wild, and don’t feel bad for it.”
The plot of this book was mediocre. It was marketed as Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games, and while it is an accurate description of the book, this isn’t as good as either of the series.
The writing style and emotional bonds between the main characters made Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone series so interesting, and the unique concept made The Hunger Games a compelling trilogy.
This book has neither great writing, nor a unique concept, but it still wasn’t an all bad read.
I had first seen this pop up on my kindle feed when I had the kindle unlimited subscription. I was in a horrible reading slump at that time, and since I found the blurb intriguing I decided to give it a try.
The one great thing about this series is that it’s a fast, easy read. It is quite convenient to follow along, and before I knew it I finished all the three books and was out of my slump. (Thank you book!)
If that is the kind of read you are looking for, I would recommend this book. Otherwise there wasn’t anything about it that makes it stand out.
The main character, Wild is not a properly developed protagonist. I would say she’s two-dimensional at the most, but not a realistic, three-dimensional character. A lot of times I found her to be slightly immature, and she doesn’t have enough development.
I liked her determination to keep her family safe, and her willingness to sacrifice for her family but that’s where her personality ends.
“Beauty I couldn’t control, but kicking him in the head to prove my dominance was well within my skill level.”
She dresses up as a boy and takes her brothers place, which I found I be a major plot hole.
It seemed unrealistic to me that no one figured out her true identity, and it also showed how underdeveloped the world was. I’m not going to believe that people of high position and who were in charge of running the Academy didn’t perform any security checks to confirm if Wild was the right person.
The side-characters were poorly written, and now I don’t remember anything about them. Most of them hardly had any personality or were just typical character stereotypes, like bubbly friend, brooding, sarcastic male with a tragic past etc.
The world building wasn’t that well done either. We have different houses here, the names of which I have forgotten as I read the book a long time back. The Houses element is what gave the book Harry Potter vibes. Then there are some trials that take place, which were the only mildly engaging elements of the book. This made it similar to the Hunger Games.
In short, The Culling Trials is an average read. It has some nice-moments and it might keep you invested for a short period of time.
I read the first three books but books 4 and 5 have recently been published. I won’t be reading those.
“But don’t be afraid of your weaknesses. Take every opportunity to laugh. Let yourself cry. I’ll hold this place together.”
DISCLAIMER- All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite
April 20, 2019
I'm in the minority but I just can not get into this book. I think the biggest problem is the parent withholding vital information troupe that the plot depends on in the beginning. Then you go immediately into a survival situation but reasons. I'm going to stop at halfway and move on to something else.
August 18, 2019
So Much Adventure But With A Tsunami Of Tension & Fear!!😳😟 4.5 Stars 🌟
This is a 'YA' series opener but I can, hand on heart, state that this could be read by a Grandmother (I am one & I did 😍) and they'll be as swept away as any teen. I believe any age group is going to love it!!👍
This tale is based on a family from Texas. Originally there are two parents, an older brother Tommy, our main character Wild, then twins Billy & Sam. Their Mum died before her time in a bizarre, unexplained accident. Their Dad, who's in his 40's, is practically a cripple but he refuses to say why. Tommy is offered a scholarship to a College where he becomes top of his class. Then a year or so later, they are heartbroken when they're informed he's died. No one would give any further information on how, they wouldn't even return his body and the Police wouldn't help them either!!😭
Several years later is when this book starts & we meet Wild. Horrifyingly, another letter arrives that she manages to intercept. They want her brother, Billy who's 16 yrs old, to attend the 'Culling Trials' to gain the same scholarship Tommy had. Wild wants answers about Tommy & to protect her family. So with very few facts, Sam's help to cut her hair like a boys, and her boobies strapped down, she's going to take Billy's place!!👍 She tells her sister, Sam, all she needs to know to keep their farm running. Then Wild sets off without a clue about what she's going to face & only saying goodbye to Sam!!😱😔🙏 Sam knows Wild stands a better chance than Billy, he's just not ready to face anything like this but Wild is tough & wiley!🙏💔💪
Wild finds out that magic is actually real & is not just in fantasy books, but that's not the half of it!!🌟 This is a magical mystery with trials that can kill 😱 Plus it's full of backstabbers, ego maniacs, possible murderers but also, hopefully, friends too. She's met a great group of potential friends, if they turn out to be trustworthy🍀 There are secrets & potential curses at play throughout. Plus she REALLY needs to keep her true identity hidden from everyone for her safety but especially her family's!! Mostly she needs to survive the Culling Trials to get to the bottom of it all, obviously!!😉😳💥
A wonderful start to this thrilling series!😎 Roll on Book #2 💥
Debbie, 1970, UK
This is a 'YA' series opener but I can, hand on heart, state that this could be read by a Grandmother (I am one & I did 😍) and they'll be as swept away as any teen. I believe any age group is going to love it!!👍
This tale is based on a family from Texas. Originally there are two parents, an older brother Tommy, our main character Wild, then twins Billy & Sam. Their Mum died before her time in a bizarre, unexplained accident. Their Dad, who's in his 40's, is practically a cripple but he refuses to say why. Tommy is offered a scholarship to a College where he becomes top of his class. Then a year or so later, they are heartbroken when they're informed he's died. No one would give any further information on how, they wouldn't even return his body and the Police wouldn't help them either!!😭
Several years later is when this book starts & we meet Wild. Horrifyingly, another letter arrives that she manages to intercept. They want her brother, Billy who's 16 yrs old, to attend the 'Culling Trials' to gain the same scholarship Tommy had. Wild wants answers about Tommy & to protect her family. So with very few facts, Sam's help to cut her hair like a boys, and her boobies strapped down, she's going to take Billy's place!!👍 She tells her sister, Sam, all she needs to know to keep their farm running. Then Wild sets off without a clue about what she's going to face & only saying goodbye to Sam!!😱😔🙏 Sam knows Wild stands a better chance than Billy, he's just not ready to face anything like this but Wild is tough & wiley!🙏💔💪
Wild finds out that magic is actually real & is not just in fantasy books, but that's not the half of it!!🌟 This is a magical mystery with trials that can kill 😱 Plus it's full of backstabbers, ego maniacs, possible murderers but also, hopefully, friends too. She's met a great group of potential friends, if they turn out to be trustworthy🍀 There are secrets & potential curses at play throughout. Plus she REALLY needs to keep her true identity hidden from everyone for her safety but especially her family's!! Mostly she needs to survive the Culling Trials to get to the bottom of it all, obviously!!😉😳💥
A wonderful start to this thrilling series!😎 Roll on Book #2 💥
Debbie, 1970, UK
May 7, 2019
I wanted to like this, but I didn't. Harry Potter meets the Hunger Games? Yeah, I'm in! But I suppose if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
The heroine is a watered-down version of Katniss Everdeen. About half way through I flicked to the end to see if it was going to get better--I so badly wanted to like this--but when I saw how and when it ended, I quickly decided not to bother with the last half.
I didn't connect with the protagonist, the story moves at a snail pace and wasn't very original or surprising.
I'm in a minority, because tons of people seem to like it, so maybe it's just me.
The heroine is a watered-down version of Katniss Everdeen. About half way through I flicked to the end to see if it was going to get better--I so badly wanted to like this--but when I saw how and when it ended, I quickly decided not to bother with the last half.
I didn't connect with the protagonist, the story moves at a snail pace and wasn't very original or surprising.
I'm in a minority, because tons of people seem to like it, so maybe it's just me.
June 23, 2019
2.5-3 stars for me. So for some reason I had an incredibly hard time sinking into this. I just kept getting distracted by not knowing what was happening. The reader is just really thrown in and its sink or swim. Almost no world building really and I found myself constantly distracted by questions which really hampered my progress in the story however, by about 50% I found myself coasting along just fine, but at the end all the questions came back to plague me.
It seems this story has put us into the world of Magical Hunger Games. And they are pretty brutal to say the least. Wild, our FMC, has been taking care of her family and their farmafter her mother and brother's death. Her father it seems has some sort of Dementia and has good days and bad days. Years ago her older brother went away to Shadowspell Academy and died in a horrible tragedy her family refuses to talk about. Wild herself believes herself doesn't even believe in magic really. So when a little bird drops by to drop of an "invitation" for her little brother Wild sets out to get answers. What little we get info wise from her father was just enough to wet our appetite but the invitation has an "or else" attached and all Wild really knows is that she isn't loosing another brother. So Wild poses as "Billy" in order to compete herself. At this point Wild ends up on a team of misfit supernatural players ready to take down the trials and find out what happened to her brother. But what happens when her identity is exposed, or what if they don't make it through the trials... Now Wild not only has herself to look after but all of her team, and sabotage is rule #1 in the Culling Trials...
So I was left with a million questions some of which are: What exactly has the world become? Magic is obviously "out" but not out at the same time? What is the point of "The Culling Trials?" What is Shadowspell Acadmey exactly? Why doesn't it seem that Wild had a "choice" of whether or not to go and her brothers have no choice? What exactly is the house "Shade" and Why exactly does wild fall into that house? All in all we are left in one heck of a pickle of a cliffhanger.. and despite my really rocky start I would like to continue this and see where it goes. Maybe I'll even get some answers to all these questions plaguing me.
It seems this story has put us into the world of Magical Hunger Games. And they are pretty brutal to say the least. Wild, our FMC, has been taking care of her family and their farmafter her mother and brother's death. Her father it seems has some sort of Dementia and has good days and bad days. Years ago her older brother went away to Shadowspell Academy and died in a horrible tragedy her family refuses to talk about. Wild herself believes herself doesn't even believe in magic really. So when a little bird drops by to drop of an "invitation" for her little brother Wild sets out to get answers. What little we get info wise from her father was just enough to wet our appetite but the invitation has an "or else" attached and all Wild really knows is that she isn't loosing another brother. So Wild poses as "Billy" in order to compete herself. At this point Wild ends up on a team of misfit supernatural players ready to take down the trials and find out what happened to her brother. But what happens when her identity is exposed, or what if they don't make it through the trials... Now Wild not only has herself to look after but all of her team, and sabotage is rule #1 in the Culling Trials...
So I was left with a million questions some of which are: What exactly has the world become? Magic is obviously "out" but not out at the same time? What is the point of "The Culling Trials?" What is Shadowspell Acadmey exactly? Why doesn't it seem that Wild had a "choice" of whether or not to go and her brothers have no choice? What exactly is the house "Shade" and Why exactly does wild fall into that house? All in all we are left in one heck of a pickle of a cliffhanger.. and despite my really rocky start I would like to continue this and see where it goes. Maybe I'll even get some answers to all these questions plaguing me.
October 5, 2022
Genre: contemporary fantasy, YA
Tropes: Dark Academy, magic school, trials
Trigger Warnings: death
Series: Shadowspell Academy #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Spice: 0/5 🌶
Rating: 3.5⭐
“Running, jumping, math—this has become my personal Vietnam,” Pete said before gearing up and taking a running start.
I have to admit I've spent half of this book wondering if I want to go through with it or not. But, from the moment Wild got to the school, I couldn't put it down and now I'm looking forward to the next book.
》》The Plot《《
Wild leaves her twin brother and sister with her father and goes to join Shadowspell Academy when a dangerous stranger threatened to kill all of them unless Billy, her younger brother, went to the academy. So she pulls a Katinss Everdeen, cuts her hair and pretends to be Billy. She knows nothing about this world, about magic or about the trials, but she seems to have a hidden talent for all of this and she actually manages to make some allies and survive the first trial.
“Wild girl of mine. You follow the wind like you always do,” my mother used to say. “The wind and the wild go together, hand in hand.”
The action is fast paced and easy to follow, the ending leaves you hanging a bit and the entire story is enjoyable. The magical system sounds confusing and the only thing I understand is that students are supposed to be sorted into one of the five houses (The House of Wonder, The House of Night, House of Claw, The House of Shade, The House of Unmentionables) after the trials and that you have a lot of magical creatures.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
“You don’t look much like a goblin. More like an undersized Justin Bieber.”
Wild is kind of cool, but I feel like she isn't very well defined. The friends she made along the way are the typical side characters, but I found kind of funny the way Wally kept hitting them with random facts and statistics about ways to die and surviving chances.
》》Conclusion《《
"Don’t question your intuition, and don’t shy away from your nature. Do whatever it takes to stay alive. Always. That is your only chance.”
I can't say it's very clear to me what's the point of everything and stuff, the world clearly needs more details and better building, but I had fun reading it. A very small part of me got Zodiac Academy book 1 vibes, but, overall, I'll see how this goes. Also: where's the romance??! There was absolutely no romance her, but I understood that we will get it in the next books and I'm looking forward to that.
“Take the risk no one else is willing to take. You were born for it, my love.”
Tropes: Dark Academy, magic school, trials
Trigger Warnings: death
Series: Shadowspell Academy #1
Cliffhanger: Yes
Spice: 0/5 🌶
Rating: 3.5⭐
“Running, jumping, math—this has become my personal Vietnam,” Pete said before gearing up and taking a running start.
I have to admit I've spent half of this book wondering if I want to go through with it or not. But, from the moment Wild got to the school, I couldn't put it down and now I'm looking forward to the next book.
》》The Plot《《
Wild leaves her twin brother and sister with her father and goes to join Shadowspell Academy when a dangerous stranger threatened to kill all of them unless Billy, her younger brother, went to the academy. So she pulls a Katinss Everdeen, cuts her hair and pretends to be Billy. She knows nothing about this world, about magic or about the trials, but she seems to have a hidden talent for all of this and she actually manages to make some allies and survive the first trial.
“Wild girl of mine. You follow the wind like you always do,” my mother used to say. “The wind and the wild go together, hand in hand.”
The action is fast paced and easy to follow, the ending leaves you hanging a bit and the entire story is enjoyable. The magical system sounds confusing and the only thing I understand is that students are supposed to be sorted into one of the five houses (The House of Wonder, The House of Night, House of Claw, The House of Shade, The House of Unmentionables) after the trials and that you have a lot of magical creatures.
》》Characters and Relationships《《
“You don’t look much like a goblin. More like an undersized Justin Bieber.”
Wild is kind of cool, but I feel like she isn't very well defined. The friends she made along the way are the typical side characters, but I found kind of funny the way Wally kept hitting them with random facts and statistics about ways to die and surviving chances.
》》Conclusion《《
"Don’t question your intuition, and don’t shy away from your nature. Do whatever it takes to stay alive. Always. That is your only chance.”
I can't say it's very clear to me what's the point of everything and stuff, the world clearly needs more details and better building, but I had fun reading it. A very small part of me got Zodiac Academy book 1 vibes, but, overall, I'll see how this goes. Also: where's the romance??! There was absolutely no romance her, but I understood that we will get it in the next books and I'm looking forward to that.
“Take the risk no one else is willing to take. You were born for it, my love.”
May 10, 2019
Okay, why don't I have the next book right now?
Shadowspell Academy was surprisingly really good. I definitely flew through this book.. it just took me a long ass time to finally write the review. I don't know why.. but I have been in a Mulan phase. Well, wait.. a Mulan retelling phase. I feel like every book I've read lately somehow fits into that category and I don't know what black magic this is.
In this wonderful book, you will meet Wild. Nope, you totally read that right - it's her real name. Well, she pretends to be her younger brother Billy because she doesn't want him to go to this school just to wind up dead. No one knows what the hell is going on at this said school - she just knows that her older brother Tommy didn't come back alive. So, yeah.. she does what any normal person would do and pretend to be someone else just to see what is going on.
Turns out she has a shit ton of magic in her. Oh, and she gets a little reunion with her older brother's best friend who happens to be alive. Yeah, it wasn't a super happy reunion guys. The guys all think she's a guy but few people actually know that she is a girl. Pretty sure the guy from the reunion does cause everyone in the group calls her wild - ooops.
Then there's the dreaded cliffhanger. I'm hooked. I need to know what the guys are going to think now that they have seen her boobs. I have so many questions and I need answers!
Shadowspell Academy was surprisingly really good. I definitely flew through this book.. it just took me a long ass time to finally write the review. I don't know why.. but I have been in a Mulan phase. Well, wait.. a Mulan retelling phase. I feel like every book I've read lately somehow fits into that category and I don't know what black magic this is.
In this wonderful book, you will meet Wild. Nope, you totally read that right - it's her real name. Well, she pretends to be her younger brother Billy because she doesn't want him to go to this school just to wind up dead. No one knows what the hell is going on at this said school - she just knows that her older brother Tommy didn't come back alive. So, yeah.. she does what any normal person would do and pretend to be someone else just to see what is going on.
Turns out she has a shit ton of magic in her. Oh, and she gets a little reunion with her older brother's best friend who happens to be alive. Yeah, it wasn't a super happy reunion guys. The guys all think she's a guy but few people actually know that she is a girl. Pretty sure the guy from the reunion does cause everyone in the group calls her wild - ooops.
Then there's the dreaded cliffhanger. I'm hooked. I need to know what the guys are going to think now that they have seen her boobs. I have so many questions and I need answers!
July 10, 2022
Uwielbiam jak akcja rozgrywa się w jakiejś niezwykłej szkole, wciągnęłam się na tyle, że przeczytałam 3 części w jeden dzień
February 10, 2022
Pages: 238
My rating (stars): 5
MC: Wild
SC: Billy, Sam (twins, brother and sister of Wild), Rory (Wild’s best friend), Tommy (Thomas the older brother), Drexia nickname: Wally, Pete nickname Freckles, Sandman = Sideburns = Sunshine, Gregory Goblin nickname Biebs, Orin, Ethan Helix
So far the Shadowspell Academy is awesome. It’s like Hunger Games, mixed with Harry Potter (the houses and magic part of it) and Mulan.
I loved the first book and devoured it. It has everything: Drama, Mystery and Adventure. I really can recommend it!
Summery of the contend of the book. Loads of spoilers are included, so don't read it, if you are reading the book for the first time. But if you want a reminder what happend and have read the book, you will get a detailed summery here.
My rating (stars): 5
MC: Wild
SC: Billy, Sam (twins, brother and sister of Wild), Rory (Wild’s best friend), Tommy (Thomas the older brother), Drexia nickname: Wally, Pete nickname Freckles, Sandman = Sideburns = Sunshine, Gregory Goblin nickname Biebs, Orin, Ethan Helix
So far the Shadowspell Academy is awesome. It’s like Hunger Games, mixed with Harry Potter (the houses and magic part of it) and Mulan.
I loved the first book and devoured it. It has everything: Drama, Mystery and Adventure. I really can recommend it!
Summery of the contend of the book. Loads of spoilers are included, so don't read it, if you are reading the book for the first time. But if you want a reminder what happend and have read the book, you will get a detailed summery here.
November 14, 2020
I would have rated it higher if this was the first book in a series but I read the hardback with the whole series and that’s it apparently so that’s very unsatisfying🤷🏽♀️
October 6, 2019
The heroine kicks ass, I love her. The book is funny and filled with action. It's a Harry Potter, Hunger Games and Vampire Academy mix. Sorta. No romance, so far. Loved it🙌💞
April 11, 2019
The Culling Trial is one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reading. It was everything and more. I usually shy away from fantasy books that don’t have romance in them but everything in this book was perfect. Everything fell into place and worked beautifully.
Wild is the female protagonist in this book. An invitation recently arrived for her younger brother. It is to The Culling Trials that is very dangerous and is something they cannot ignore. Wild, fearing for her brother’s life takes his place in the trials by disguising herself as a boy. She is going into a world that she didn’t know existed. Everything is dangerous and difficult but she is loving the thrill of it. She is introduced to new people who clings to her and soon friendships form. In order to survive they all have to work together.
I don’t know when romance is going to be introduced in this series but I have a few options I want for Wild. She is so awesome. Her wit and humour was seriously the best I have ever read. I couldn’t get enough of her. She is funny, selfless and a total badass. This book ended too quickly and the wait for the next one is going to be so excruciating. I need more like right now. This book was truly magical. I’m in a state of bliss after reading this book.
Wild is the female protagonist in this book. An invitation recently arrived for her younger brother. It is to The Culling Trials that is very dangerous and is something they cannot ignore. Wild, fearing for her brother’s life takes his place in the trials by disguising herself as a boy. She is going into a world that she didn’t know existed. Everything is dangerous and difficult but she is loving the thrill of it. She is introduced to new people who clings to her and soon friendships form. In order to survive they all have to work together.
I don’t know when romance is going to be introduced in this series but I have a few options I want for Wild. She is so awesome. Her wit and humour was seriously the best I have ever read. I couldn’t get enough of her. She is funny, selfless and a total badass. This book ended too quickly and the wait for the next one is going to be so excruciating. I need more like right now. This book was truly magical. I’m in a state of bliss after reading this book.
April 9, 2019
The Culling Trials is the first book in the new Shadowspell Academy series by Shannon Mayer and K.F. Breene and it's kind of a cross between Harry Potter and Maze Runner with a hint of Mulan thrown in for good measure. We're introduced to main character eighteen year old Wild who has been helping to look after her family since her mother was killed and her father was badly injured. A few years ago her brother received a mysterious invitation to the Shadowspell Academy and although he passed the trials and won himself a scholarship he died in strange circumstances not long after starting school. Now an envelope has arrived for her younger brother Billy, only this time the invitation includes threats that if Billy doesn't attend the Culling Trials the whole family will be killed.
Wild already lost one brother and there is no way she's going to stand by and wait for another to be killed so she decides to go to the trials in Billy's place. After cutting off her hair and disguising herself as a boy she heads off to the Academy but what she finds when she arrives is nothing she could ever have prepared herself for. Magic is real but failing the Culling Trials could be a death sentence, and that's before she even starts taking classes. Joined by a ragtag crew of allies she makes along the way it's going to take everything Wild has to make it through the trials in one piece.
I was already a fan of K.F. Breene's writing but Shannon Mayer is a new author to me so I wasn't too sure what to expect from this story. I'm glad to say it was a very well written, fast paced and had me hooked from the first few pages. I still have a lot of questions about the world that the authors have created but I like the way things are unfolding so far and I'm already looking forward to the next book. Wild is a great character, she's protective of her family and she will do whatever it takes to keep her younger siblings safe but she's also at a complete disadvantage in the trials because her parents haven't prepared her at all for the possibility that magic is real. There are obviously a lot of secrets in the family that I'm sure we will uncover as the series continues but I really want to know more about the circumstances of her mother's death and how her father came to be badly injured.
Wild has already started making a few allies at the trials, some who seem more trustworthy than others, but it will be interesting to see how these friendships develop across the series. These friends are thrown together in dire circumstances and I think it will be the making or breaking of all of them. If the rest of the series is fast paced as the first book then I think we're in for a heck of a ride.
Wild already lost one brother and there is no way she's going to stand by and wait for another to be killed so she decides to go to the trials in Billy's place. After cutting off her hair and disguising herself as a boy she heads off to the Academy but what she finds when she arrives is nothing she could ever have prepared herself for. Magic is real but failing the Culling Trials could be a death sentence, and that's before she even starts taking classes. Joined by a ragtag crew of allies she makes along the way it's going to take everything Wild has to make it through the trials in one piece.
I was already a fan of K.F. Breene's writing but Shannon Mayer is a new author to me so I wasn't too sure what to expect from this story. I'm glad to say it was a very well written, fast paced and had me hooked from the first few pages. I still have a lot of questions about the world that the authors have created but I like the way things are unfolding so far and I'm already looking forward to the next book. Wild is a great character, she's protective of her family and she will do whatever it takes to keep her younger siblings safe but she's also at a complete disadvantage in the trials because her parents haven't prepared her at all for the possibility that magic is real. There are obviously a lot of secrets in the family that I'm sure we will uncover as the series continues but I really want to know more about the circumstances of her mother's death and how her father came to be badly injured.
Wild has already started making a few allies at the trials, some who seem more trustworthy than others, but it will be interesting to see how these friendships develop across the series. These friends are thrown together in dire circumstances and I think it will be the making or breaking of all of them. If the rest of the series is fast paced as the first book then I think we're in for a heck of a ride.
December 23, 2025
Trama/Plot ⭐⭐⭐
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐
L'ho trovato poco più di un'introduzione ai prossimi libri: in breve, Wild, la protagonista, deve – suo malgrado – superare la selezione per un'accademia magica, non sapendo niente di magia. La selezione consiste in cinque prove diverse, tutto il libro narra solo della prima prova: si tratta poco più della presentazione dei personaggi e di un po' di worldbuilding. Decisamente troppo poco per capire se mi piace o meno.
***
I found it little more than an introduction to the upcoming books: in short, Wild, the protagonist, must—against her will—pass the selection process for a magical academy, knowing nothing about magic. The selection process consists of five different tests; the entire book focuses only on the first test: it's little more than character introductions and a bit of worldbuilding. Definitely too little to decide whether I like it or not.
Personaggi/Characters ⭐⭐⭐
Stile/Style ⭐⭐⭐
L'ho trovato poco più di un'introduzione ai prossimi libri: in breve, Wild, la protagonista, deve – suo malgrado – superare la selezione per un'accademia magica, non sapendo niente di magia. La selezione consiste in cinque prove diverse, tutto il libro narra solo della prima prova: si tratta poco più della presentazione dei personaggi e di un po' di worldbuilding. Decisamente troppo poco per capire se mi piace o meno.
***
I found it little more than an introduction to the upcoming books: in short, Wild, the protagonist, must—against her will—pass the selection process for a magical academy, knowing nothing about magic. The selection process consists of five different tests; the entire book focuses only on the first test: it's little more than character introductions and a bit of worldbuilding. Definitely too little to decide whether I like it or not.
February 1, 2024
I hope that the sequels will be remembered more for the characterisation and plot than for the fact that you can just breeze through this book in less than 2 hours.
I fairly like the plot but I want to see more depth in Wild than okay I am cunning, would do anything for my family even cut off my own extra long and thick hair and also I have many different abilities look at me mastering everything current level.
December 8, 2024
Krótka, przyjemną, nieco schematyczna. Podoba mi się twist z podszywanie się pod inną płeć. Nie mogę się doczekać drugiego tomu ❤️ (7/10⭐)
April 16, 2019
goodreads has alot of books and unfortunately not all of them can be amazing. I spotted this one in the new section and took a risk. This book is just a dissapointment. I was unable to get "in" to the story because of lackluster destriptions. The story goes of a farmer girl who without any training suddenly is a master warrior, its not realistic and the characters are very bland.
April 23, 2019
Loved this book!!!
This is YA... No romance YET! Its fast paced with lots of funny bits, sarcasm and snarky comments...
For a first book of a series doesn't show us alot but what we learn get us addicted and wanting more...
This is YA... No romance YET! Its fast paced with lots of funny bits, sarcasm and snarky comments...
For a first book of a series doesn't show us alot but what we learn get us addicted and wanting more...
November 12, 2025
Überraschend unterhaltsam und rasant. Natürlich sind hier einige Klischees verbaut und machen wir uns nix vor, es ist trash. Außerdem glaub ich wir haben es mit ner special snowflake zu tun...
Aber erstmal egal, weil das hat echt Spaß gemacht 😁
Aber erstmal egal, weil das hat echt Spaß gemacht 😁
May 8, 2019
I liked it. Not a lot of information/back story was given yet it made for an interesting read. I hope the next books gives us more details.
April 14, 2021
3.5 Stars
A great and solid start to a new series, with a few minor issues:
➤ I was hoping for a little romance but that's just my personal preference. According to K.F. Breene, that will change in the upcoming books and I'm looking forward to it!
➤ Wild was too composed and casual for an 18-year-old who discovered magic for the first time. She also never really struggled throughout the Trial and it felt like she was always ready for everything that came her way. I mean, I love smart, strong and fearless heroines but she just showed too little emotions for me which made it hard to connect. She was just too perfect.
That being said, I still loved the setup of the story very much. It was a gripping and entertaining read and I'd love to know more about the secondary characters, especially Wally. She was the one who added a little humor to the story that I'm accustomed from a K.F. Breene book (I don't know about Shannon Mayer because she's still a fairly new author to me but I guess for them to write together has to mean that they at least share the same sense of humor somehow 😉).
**ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
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➔ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
#1. The Culling Trials | 3.5 stars
#2. My review of ➞ The Culling Trials 2 | 3 stars
#3. My review of ➞ The Culling Trials 3 | 4 stars
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A great and solid start to a new series, with a few minor issues:
➤ I was hoping for a little romance but that's just my personal preference. According to K.F. Breene, that will change in the upcoming books and I'm looking forward to it!
➤ Wild was too composed and casual for an 18-year-old who discovered magic for the first time. She also never really struggled throughout the Trial and it felt like she was always ready for everything that came her way. I mean, I love smart, strong and fearless heroines but she just showed too little emotions for me which made it hard to connect. She was just too perfect.
That being said, I still loved the setup of the story very much. It was a gripping and entertaining read and I'd love to know more about the secondary characters, especially Wally. She was the one who added a little humor to the story that I'm accustomed from a K.F. Breene book (I don't know about Shannon Mayer because she's still a fairly new author to me but I guess for them to write together has to mean that they at least share the same sense of humor somehow 😉).
**ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
➔ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
#1. The Culling Trials | 3.5 stars
#2. My review of ➞ The Culling Trials 2 | 3 stars
#3. My review of ➞ The Culling Trials 3 | 4 stars
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
April 4, 2019
I think I preferred Harry Potters acceptance letter from Hogwarts than Billy's letter...lol
I'm remembering how awesome a mash-up between Harry Potter and the hunger games would be, Shadowspell Academy hits every mark and so much more.
A strange man with stupid sideburns, mysterious threatening letters, magic, and mystery surround the academy but can they be ignored?
Is Sideburns good friend or bad friend hmmmmm this was a question I'm still wondering about which makes me excited for book 2.
Fantastical, fantasy wrapped up in mysterious mystery… Shadowspell Academy where all your magical dreams come true and maybe some nightmares too.
Wild and Wally, what a team, I do the Pete as well the rest I'm not sure yet.
The House of Shade… A very cool name for a magic academy.
Dramatic much 'doomed to a life as a lesser…' seriously bwahahahaha, now that’s funny.
Freckles crack's me up, especially when he screeches at Wally.
This was one sick and twisted game of magical survivor
Seriously 'Jesus Murphy on a limping donkey'???? Where do you guys come up with these things lol
Omfg you can't end it there I was just getting into it
I'm remembering how awesome a mash-up between Harry Potter and the hunger games would be, Shadowspell Academy hits every mark and so much more.
A strange man with stupid sideburns, mysterious threatening letters, magic, and mystery surround the academy but can they be ignored?
Is Sideburns good friend or bad friend hmmmmm this was a question I'm still wondering about which makes me excited for book 2.
Fantastical, fantasy wrapped up in mysterious mystery… Shadowspell Academy where all your magical dreams come true and maybe some nightmares too.
Wild and Wally, what a team, I do the Pete as well the rest I'm not sure yet.
The House of Shade… A very cool name for a magic academy.
Dramatic much 'doomed to a life as a lesser…' seriously bwahahahaha, now that’s funny.
Freckles crack's me up, especially when he screeches at Wally.
This was one sick and twisted game of magical survivor
Seriously 'Jesus Murphy on a limping donkey'???? Where do you guys come up with these things lol
Omfg you can't end it there I was just getting into it
July 23, 2021
Two great authors!
Two great and memorable authors equals one outstanding book - and begs for another! While the blurb does this plot justice, there is far more to it than those few words can convey. Wild is a strong and able character that quite literally carries the narrative and sets into motion the startlingly events that lead to, and encompass the first of the culling trials. She meets new friends, finds new foes and dusts the dirt off a past she knows nothing about. But when it comes to her family, this girl will do anything.
First person, single POV YA urban fantasy with academy appeal.
Pros:
- Fantastically written.
- well edited.
- Inventive and fully fleshed, though the world building will obviously continue through the next books.
- Narrative Flows easily from scene to scene.
- Humor, wit and danger galore.
Cons:
- Nope, no cons. Loved it.
Two great and memorable authors equals one outstanding book - and begs for another! While the blurb does this plot justice, there is far more to it than those few words can convey. Wild is a strong and able character that quite literally carries the narrative and sets into motion the startlingly events that lead to, and encompass the first of the culling trials. She meets new friends, finds new foes and dusts the dirt off a past she knows nothing about. But when it comes to her family, this girl will do anything.
First person, single POV YA urban fantasy with academy appeal.
Pros:
- Fantastically written.
- well edited.
- Inventive and fully fleshed, though the world building will obviously continue through the next books.
- Narrative Flows easily from scene to scene.
- Humor, wit and danger galore.
Cons:
- Nope, no cons. Loved it.
April 29, 2019
Honestly just never got into it... If it was longer I probably wouldn't have finished.
I just feel like the characters were very surface level, some plot points were rushed through and others were dragged out way too long.
Ultimately, it just didn't make me feel anything...
I just feel like the characters were very surface level, some plot points were rushed through and others were dragged out way too long.
Ultimately, it just didn't make me feel anything...
April 19, 2021
It was ok. I was not excited but I enjoyed it. I will read the next one too!!
July 15, 2022
This one is being marketed as Harry Potter meets the Hunger Games.
And I'd add a bit of Maze Runner to the mix.
Does it deliver?
Sort of.
While the premise is a match for all the above - sort of - neither plot nor characters were quite enough to get me invested enough to want to continue with the series.
The setting is unique and the premise intriguing, but the plot lacks that little something needed to hook readers and keep them there. And Wild is a bit too good at everything she does. A natural, I get it. But still...
The book is pretty short and the sequel already at hand, and yet...
I don't feel inclined to continue.
And I'd add a bit of Maze Runner to the mix.
Does it deliver?
Sort of.
While the premise is a match for all the above - sort of - neither plot nor characters were quite enough to get me invested enough to want to continue with the series.
The setting is unique and the premise intriguing, but the plot lacks that little something needed to hook readers and keep them there. And Wild is a bit too good at everything she does. A natural, I get it. But still...
The book is pretty short and the sequel already at hand, and yet...
I don't feel inclined to continue.
June 17, 2019
4.25 Stars - What a fun book! I agree with other reviewers here... it reminded me of many other great books combined, and that's a good thing. I haven't actually read the Harry Potter series yet, but I saw the first two movies. My initial thought when meeting these characters was - Wild/Billy=Harry, Pete=Ron, Wally=Hermione, Ethan=Malfoy. It also definitely had a Hunger Games/Divergent vibe - Rory=Four. Interesting plot, lots of action, and a bit of humor. I am so glad I got all three books before starting this series because I am immediately diving into book two.
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