Initiation: Year 1

Fallen Fae Academy #1

by Rachel Angel

"At Fallen Fae Academy, the magic will either complete you or kill you."

My name is Harley, as in Harlequin. Plucked from my home from Las Vegas, NV, and placed into an University on an arts scholarship, suddenly I am the girl the four hottest and most popular boys have decided to "initiate".

This is no ordinary "hazing" ritual, and these boys are no ordinary boys.

This mysterious University looks like any ivy league campus, but it isn't. Step in and you are transported beyond your wildest imagination. I should be ecstatic being here. Except surviving "Initiation" is going to take everything I've got.

Don't let the beauty of the four fae boys fool you. They are as dangerous as they are beautiful. And underneath everything, runs a deep secret. One I need to find out before Initiation kills me.

They think a human is weak. They think I shouldn't be at this university. I'm about to prove them wrong.

**Initiation Year 1 is the first book of six books in the Fallen Fae Academy Series. It is a Reverse Harem Why Choose New Adult/YA paranormal enemies-to-lovers bully romance which means there are more than three love interests for the FMC. Due to mature themes, this is recommended for age 17 and up.

Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Fae, Romance, Dark Romance, Fiction, Magic

180 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 9, 2019

About the author

Hi, I'm Rachel Angel, USA Today Bestselling author of the Kingmakers of Kingsbury Series, Bad Boy Royals of Kingsbury Prep Series, Cruel Princes of Wyvern All-Boys Academy, Fallen Fae Academy Series, HOUSE Series, Heartbreak Falls Series, and the BBBBC (Bad Boys Billionaire Bachelors Club) Series and some upcoming books in the New Adult Contemporary genre. I love reading and writing books with bad boys and the strong women who challenge them!

To discuss the my books with other fans, join my Readers' Group at:
Rachel Angel Royal Readers https://www.facebook.com/groups/88127...

Reviews

[Kendoll · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think this had so much potential but just fell so flat. I feel like if this has been a bit more developed then I could have connected and enjoyed this a bit more.

For example, Harley is so stupidly naive and trusting. She’s being “bullied” and does some half assed retaliation which feels like such a 180 from her usual self. Spoiler: she trusts one of the guys to take her to a dance that has never been mentioned, goes there only to find it’s an illusion and gets rotten eggs thrown at her and of course the best retaliation her is to take of your dress and then sexy dance to make them boys horny! Of course!! Let us remember that she is a virgin but she knows all about sex and sex appeal yo!

And of course for her first time having sex she has all four guys at once and doesn’t even think twice (which was a bit cringe) and then after that is still talking like she isn’t friends with the guys and should be wary - then proceeds to continue hooking up with them. I mean girl! What you doing??

The actual plot was a bit hard to follow I wish there had been more info, and as for them boys - all I know is their hot (duh) and what sports they play? I need more than this.

Maybe I’m still having a book hangover but if you want a bully romance in a school setting with fae PLEASE pick up Zodiac Academy. That hits all the marks that I feel like this one missed.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, so I dove into Initiation: Year 1 for a bunch of reasons. Those reasons mainly have to deal with all the challenges I was participating in. Which I'm definitely happy that I randomly came across this because I devoured it pretty freaking quickly.

The characters were pretty likable and I think I owe it all to Harley. She was such a little stubborn bad ass and didn't really take anyone's shit. Especially from the girls who thought they were all that and a bag of Doritos (or whatever). She was the Cheeto to these peasants and I couldn't wait for her to make that known.

I wouldn't necessarily think of this as bullying. Even though it had some sort of weird ass hazing in the beginning, it went away pretty quickly after some crossed the unknown law of hazing. I also really enjoyed how she was the only non-fae person in this school but it did leave me to question how she actually got in.

At times, I felt like she was an unknown but everyone just seemed she was human. So I just casually waiting for things to be revealed before the dreaded cliffhanger came my way. I'm not sure what the next book will bring me but I hope she keeps up her fighting spirit.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fallen Fae Academy was a quick and fascinating read that reeled me in. It’s fast paced so I was never bored along the way.

We started with Harley, who joins Fallen Fae Academy and meets the student leaders, the Fallen Boys. Because she didn’t fit in, the boys decide to choose Harley as their yearly initiative/victim freshman. This gives permission to the student body to bully Harley. Instead of quitting, Harley stands tall and fights back, which made me, along with the Fallen Boys, fall in love with her. This then leads to some hot sex scenes (with the boys, not me...) The book ends on some very sudden revelations and a cliffhanger. Harley is such a loveable and kickass heroine that I can’t wait to read book 2 and continue her journey with her. This book is a great start to the series – there are enough problems for Harley so I’m hoping that book 2 will give us some answers.

The plot was a bit too fast paced as some important details were cut out. The boys’ affection for Harley turned very quickly and the revelation in the end was very sudden that I didn’t see coming, with no foreshadowing; I also wished Harley had more to do with figuring out the revelation. Because of that, I’m taking away one star.

But all in all, book 1 sets up the scene for book 2, so I can’t wait to continue Harley’s journey and see more of the Fallen Boys.

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

[Missy Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Initiation Year one is a great first start to this academy series.

Here we get introduced to Harley. She gets a letter for a scholarship for Fallen Fae Academy. When she arrives she is immediately bullied by the elite of the school. Kingsley, Zed, Red and Oakley. Oak and King have girlfriends who immediately start in on Harley as well. Good thing her roommate April helps her out as much as she can. But Harley is different from every one, something she figures out very quickly. She is the only human surrounded by Fae. But suddenly the table are turned, and the guys start paying her attention. When she learns why, she discovers why they bullied her. But there is something these guys don't know about her, she is a fighter.

As I said this is a good first look into this series. We get introduced to the characters, the plot, and what we can expect for book two. Which after the ending, I really want to see what Harley does. I just know I am rooting for her.

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - Quit at 32%
Well, I was disappointed enough with the story to quit. I tried, but just couldn't anymore. Nothing really made sense to the point I quit, and the flow was very choppy. There were really no explanations given for things going down, and things just "happened". (like why was she accepted at the academy, I didn't really grasp- just because her teacher gave a reference for her art; or why did the academy seem human at first, then suddenly change to a different location & be "Fae" without any warning or explanations for the poor humans who didn't know. There are no explanations given, or world building to understand things, things just happened. I had no idea what the author's thoughts or intents were for the story) I also didn't like Harley, and felt that the 4 guys bullying her were just too extreme with the hatefulness. I didn't see any chemistry or anything to actually pull them all together to end up a RH. I don't normally like "bully" type of romance books in the first place, as I find it hard to believe that a romance can develop between the bullied person & the bullies, so I'm not sure why I picked this one up.

At my age (approaching 60), life is way to short & my time is to important to force myself to read a book I'm not enjoying, especially when there are so many other books out there waiting to be read

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

What even was this? This book was so juvenile and so anti-feminist. Harley was basically dissing the other girls saying no one cared that they liked fashion, especially not guys. Playing into traditional gender stereotypes much? She also called them dumb and basically degraded them, and somehow those girls were meant to be the bullies? There is a difference between sticking up for yourself and putting others down.

The entire premise of the book wasn’t romance, as one would expect, but petty wars between Harley and the ‘mean girls’. It was so childish and I honestly wanted to punch every single character in the story.

To make things worse, the guys were complete assholes. They bullied her and encouraged the pettiness between the ‘mean girls’ and Harley. I also couldn’t feel any chemistry between any of the guys. The guys were basically props to give Harley a conflict and goal. We learned absolutely nothing about them.

Plus, this book just sucked and the abrupt jumps in time and shifts in her feelings toward the guys gave me whiplash.

[BookLover89 · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 47%.
This book is as cliched and predictable as they come.
The FMC is so gullible and is a true idiot of a blushing virgin. Oh he flirted and smiled at me, I love him *giggle* *giggle*. Oh no, they bullied me more but oops he smiled at me and asked me to a dance. I just couldn’t read anymore.

[liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic start

This is a fantastic start to a new series. I love how Harley and Ashley get along so well she at least has one person in her side. I can’t wait to see what she dose to the boys and their catty girls to get her revenge. You’ll love this book.

[Line Broe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am sorry to say this but this is the worst book a have read in years. (i stopoed about halfway through).

The characters are extremly bland and i feel no connection between any of the characters. Harley and her romate April get along but i feel no conection between then and the same can be said for the rest of the characters. As an example i have no idea what the dynamic between the friendgroup of the 4 love intrests are... And the twins might as well have been the same person. The main Character think Zed i the shy one but i see no proof in any of the interactions with him (or any other personality traits for that matter). I would complain about the main characters extreme naivity but i can hardly consider anyone in this book charcters they are just names with a definikg trait or two like 'naive', 'mean', 'wild' etc.

But worst of all the plot and passing of this book is so awefull i find it hard to belive... It feels like the auther could not be bothered to write anything but the 'highligts'. I questioned several time while reading if something was wrong with the book i dowloaded from kindle because it was son painfully clear that parts of the book was missing - but judging by another review i did not get at faulty copy but a faulty book -.-''.....

A bit more:
I dont mind the genre: 'magical academy where the heroine does not belong but she will proof herself to everyone and we will be amazed by how special she is and the boys will lick at her feet wiggling their tails for her attetion and redeem themself'-genre. However this is not a unique genre at all and if you deside to follow the recipe you must add some twists 🤦‍♀️ you can just incorporate all the cliches and expect it to stick out in any sort of way....

Other books in this genre that i enjoyed:
- The demon academy by G. Baily
- Gifted Academy by Michelle Hercules
- Royals of villian academy by Eva Chase (a bit dark: this features serious bullying)
- Royals of Arborn Academy by Tate james (this one is non-supernatural it was a lot too dark for my taste - it is a bit post-apocalyptic)

For younger audience:
- Spell traveler Chronicles by Avery Song (it features bulying but not by any of the main characters. The main charcter and her love intrest are all very sweet but i found it a bit too 'cute' so i discontinued reading)

[Margareth Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars if i could but 4 stars i guess..

Receiving a scholarship for her art, Harley attends what she thinks is just another ivy league school but soon finds out looks can be deceiving. It's a school full of Fae Bullied by the mean girls and a group of 4 hot boys.


Spoilers ahead !!!!!

I think they bully a bit too much for my liking but others might like that about the book. There are lots of typos and the language is most high-schoolish. The storyline is alright though and I'm gonna continue the series. I would say legit 3.5 stars overall. Would be 4 stars if it had fewer typos and used a bit more complex words. Steam comes in about 65 percent of the way and jumps into them all in an orgy, for a virgin this doesn't make much sense to me. Seems like they could start another way unless it's just another way to hurt her. In which case they don't deserve her. Which I already think at this point. After this, I started to get to know the guys a bit and they aren't bad but the smexy scenes leave much to be desired. Like the rest of the book, it's a mix of really good parts with a few odd and off-putting parts mixed in. I am an avid RH fan so it's not the multi-lovers. The cliffhanger was also rushed but like I said I'm picking up the next to give it another go. Maybe it gets better.

[Laure · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Harley is accepted into a university with a scholarship she is thrilled, it isn't far from her home in Las Vegas, and she knew she probably would never have been able to afford to attend any other college in the area. After Harley's parents drop her off on campus, she quickly finds out this isn't a typical college campus. Fallen Fae Academy students are exactly what the name implies, it is a university for the Fae. Four Fae men take an interest in Harley, they are all drop dead gorgeous, and they soo make it clear to her that they are going to make her realize that humans have no place at Fallen Fae Academy. Humans are too weak to survive initiation, they tell her, but Harley won't be intimidated, and will prove to them that she is far from weak, and she has every right to be there.

Sexy, well written, and unique characters. Unexpected twists in the plot with plenty of action, magic, and sizzling hot sex scenes. I couldn't put this book down. Fantastic!

[Evelyn Dotson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Harley works two jobs to help her parents. Her father was injured in a work accident and can no longer work. Her mother is working two jobs as well. Harley managed to maintain an A average in high school and was looking to college. The Fallen Fae Academy sent her a letter of acceptance with a full ride scholarship. When she arrived, she met the four Fallen Boys and their two girlfriends. All of them were nasty pieces of work to her roommate and her. They put her through literal heck repeatedly! All of a sudden, the boys dropped their girlfriends and completely focused on her. They took her innocence and led her to believe they were mad about her! The debut for her art in a gallery came…all of her paintings are ruined and the photographs up of her…she is furious! They also let out a secret they discovered about her…they are now her enemies and revenge will be hers! Cliffhanger…we now have to wait for the next book! I received this via Booksprout and am leaving a voluntary review.

[Tazz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this and sad to say the book had potential but I was disappointed.

In my mind i kept thinking "please tell me she isn't stupid enough to fall for this again" and then when it happened it was disappointing. Also a virging who dicides to get down and dirty for her first time with not 1 but 4 guys vey unrealistic. I also find it wierd how she has not been knocked up considering she has been going at it non stop and mot once os any form of birth control is mentioned.

I was impressed that Harley stood up for her self and extremly disappointed in Oak of all the guys.

I am however hoping the next book has more to offer.

[Darcy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is one that is well written and the characters are very intriguing. It has drama and suspense. It has some interesting twists and turns throughout it. It is a mix of sweet and mean all at the same time. It is a fairly quick read and a from the stories I have read of the fae it was a different take on them. At times Harley makes you want to smack her and tell her to think. This does end in a cliffhanger and I am interesting in seeing where the next book takes us.

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

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first experience of Rachel Angel and I have to admit, even though I struggled to get into the story to start with, I soon couldn't stop reading. This isn't my usual chosen genre but after reading the first of this series, I can't wait for book 2. 
The description Rachel uses in her writing is brilliant, and it really helped capture my attention once I got through the first few chapters. It was definitely worth sticking with!

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

[Stacey Rankin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this bully reverse harem book, it was very well written, grabbed my attention so much that I could not put it down and the characters were so engaging. The story has a massive twist at the end forming the cliffhanger which has you looking forward to book two after all the lies, secrets, tricks, revenge, sexy scenes, adventure, fae learning, a little friendship and betrayal of this book. Cannot wait to see how this series develops.

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

[Christina Luberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story had a good story line, my problem was it kept jumping from 1st person to 3rd person. Sometimes this would be in the same paragraph. Harley was accepted into Fallen Fae Academy. She is human and on a scholarship. Her room mate try's to help her. She has great grades and can draw great. Her only problem is the 6 people that keep bullying her. She keeps falling for it. Why does she keep doing this? Why does she have a good heart? How long can she stay strong?

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

[Kelly Madison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sucked me in from the get go

Great series by a great author. I really enjoyed Harley (her Dad was perfect too) and loved the creative pranks. It gave off a Boys Over Flowers vibe which I adored. I flew threw the book, which is normal for me reading this author. I totally got sucked in and fell for the characters change of heart.....evil beats! LoL

[Cheryl Sedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked read

This book totally sucked me in from page one. The character Harley shows throughout the book how strong she can be. With the help of April she sticks to her guns and stays at the academy. For everything to go crazy with many twists and turns to end the book with an explosive ending you won't see coming. Leaving you needing to pick up the next book.

[Julie T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good Story Idea, Strange Plot Execution

I was really excited by this story idea and it has a lot of potential, but everything seemed so rushed. For me, even with the magic element, the relationships and cliff hanger seemed too rushed. Not sure I’ll continue reading as it’s just not my preference.

[Mrs. Garen L. Herd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I really liked the magic of the story line, but wasn't quite expecting the raw sex scenes. I liked the idea that the bullies got some of their comeuppance, so I got book two to see what else she does. Recommend if you like fantasy and raw sex.

[Adelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Rachel Angel's snarky romances, especially the dark steamy ones like Fallen Fae Academy. Harley enters the Fallen Fae Academy on a scholarship and meets four gorgeous fae princes. They are too hot to resist, and poor Harley gets into some bad situations. Can she come out of it intact?

[Jaded Kitty Kimiko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lackluster writing and weird POV that is sometimes first person and sometimes not. No real character building. I really hope these books get better.
I also noticed a few character name errors. MFC is more naive than I generally like to read.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

I really liked the story. But felt characters and descriptions just felt short. Several times s situation happened.. it wasnt described in detail at all then the scene was over.

[Rachel Joi Maples · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg!

absolutely fabulous dive into a series! characters were amazing and the carefully laid horror came out of nowhere! cannot wait to see what Year 2 has in store!!

[Rebecca Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book by Author Rachel Angel.
The character of Harley, (as in Harlequin) is amazing.
I loved reading this book and highly recommend it.

[Blendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a hot confusing mess.

The story line had potential, but it needs A LOT of cleaning up and work before I would consider it a readable book. This read as a very early rough draft.

[Nessa]

DNF @ 70%

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok start.
I am enjoying the story so far. I am looking forward to seeing some character growth in book 2. So far things are a bit predictable. It has potential.

[RuthReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible sexy series! The men are so hot and two of them are twins!