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By the end of the day, I’ll be dead.

Every person in the City of Crimson has the date of their death Inked onto their skin. On that day, an Assassin of the Order of Zeevar comes to sacrifice our lives to the God of Resurrection. Children who survive are given the highest honor in the city - the opportunity to serve Zeevar and the Order themselves as one of the five Mages.

But people like me have no chance of passing the gruesome Trials. Four sexy-as-sin guardians aren’t likely to volunteer themselves for protection duty, and one does not survive InkHaven Academy by sheer, dumb luck.

Right?

Disclaimer: InkSpelled is a Reverse Harem Paranormal Academy Romance featuring all adult characters. It contains graphic scenes with both m/f and m/m content, as well as frequent group dynamics.

InkSpelled is Book One of a two-book duet.

324 pages, Paperback

Published September 8, 2019

913 people are currently reading
934 people want to read

About the author

Kenna Bardot

9 books74 followers

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5 stars
403 (36%)
4 stars
321 (29%)
3 stars
237 (21%)
2 stars
95 (8%)
1 star
47 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for ★Me Myshelf and I★.
292 reviews550 followers
Read
September 18, 2019
I made it to 20% before giving up.

Wonderful ideas. Terribly executed.

I had no idea what was going on and didn’t feel like the world was explained at all. More importantly it didn’t make me want to understand.

Worth a try but sorry not for me.
Profile Image for Marzipop.
625 reviews107 followers
did-not-finish
September 16, 2019
I. am so confused. I have no idea what is going on in this book or any of the mechanics in this universe. I kept reading more and more hoping for an explanation but.

Nope. lmfao. I feel like it has potential, the idea is cool, but I also feel like i'm missing 90% of the information to actually be able to appreciate what's happening.

To me there's giant plot holes that I still don't understand. It just seems to be a This Is Because I Said So, and don't look too hard at the details. This is also a bully type book.

The religion also felt annoying, but mainly because I had no idea what it was about other than it resembled Buddhism

I don't know the why's of anything that happened, or the hows, or even the wheres.

I dunno my dude. I really do not know lmfao
Profile Image for G.
515 reviews200 followers
June 29, 2021
Dnf 30%
I had to dnf. I could not tolerate Kaia whatsoever.
Profile Image for Aurialis .
139 reviews23 followers
October 13, 2019
It is society's greatest failure when misogyny and male chauvinism run rampant in reverse harem fantasy novel!

There are only six women supposed to be going at the academy. One is a heroine, who is a weak willed, insecure little girl with a pessimistic and defeatist attitude. The second one is a classic cliche roommate whose sole purpose is to embody peer pressure - drag the heroine to party, encourage her to date, dress her up, participate in 'boy talk' etc. All the other are mean 'sl*ts' and 'b*tches' who always care more about hanging onto the guys (that don't like them in return) than doing well in fight-or-die academy.

REALLY!?

Is that all women are? The guys can be all types of mean bullies and jerks, but they manage to come out on top and even get the girl - all because they are hot? I am not sure what I find more insulting - the love interest portrayed as a jerk (or jerks, in this case) or the heroine falling for the said jerk!

I hate the cliched 'hormone-crazy, shallow women having no sense than to fall for a guy that is deliberately cruel towards them' b*llsh*t!

Apart from that, the main characters are uninteresting with no character development. The writing style is choppy. And the world building, though supposedly extensive, makes little sense. The author failed to explain main concepts which let me floundering to understand the situation or the world that was introduced.

Another cliche that most of the academy books introduce is the heroine has no previous idea about the academy or the supernatural. While I have no problem with this and occasionally, have even enjoyed the books based on such premise, most books (including this one) fail to explain the entire situation in a bid to have a more dramatic reveal further into the book. What such authors fail to realize, is how unrealistic that makes the book.

For example, if I suddenly end up in a hospital of a supernatural academy that I am supposed to join, I would have a million questions. I certainly would not do as told and go where told without getting more answers. In this book, the heroine is suddenly told to go to a Ritual day ceremony, and she just does so - without knowing what it was, where it was, what was expected of her etc. She didn't even know that she was supposed to join the academy. And still, she is simply happy doing what she was told to. In the entire book, she doesn't even wonder about her parents. Or question, how she can get out of her predicament.

A weak heroine who is waiting to die is bad enough, but add stupidity in the mix, and it makes her the worst heroine ever!

This is the end of the road for me.
Profile Image for Katie.
1,957 reviews16 followers
September 3, 2019
Holy hotness that was a great story!!! I'll admit I was a little confused on the whole air thing and rebirth thing at first. I still think she is more then meets the eyes. Her men sound Amazing. First book I have read from this author and I seriously cannot wait to read book 2. Storyline is awesome. Definitely a must read. Counting down till next book.
Profile Image for Aly.
3,168 reviews
January 27, 2020
A bit slow to start, but some great RH scenes

At the beginning, we're kind of thrown into the story without explanation. That's fine, except we still never truly learned what it means to be reborn, whether all people are inked at birth, and exactly what/who Zeebar is. It was slow for the first half, Kaia was whiny and kind of pathetic. Once she got with Alec Gaius and Ronan, she got a lot better and the steamy scenes were great! I especially love that the guys have scenes with each other and not just centered around Kaia.
It has potential and I do want to see what happens with Kaia's ability and if she'll ever get with Vali.
Profile Image for 4foxsake.
892 reviews13 followers
September 13, 2019
And now for something completely different.

Fresh and interesting story. While it is similar to other paranormal RH books out there I liked the different world that the story described. Part old world, part modern and part completely different. Stupid hot sexy times with a large M/M component. I have to say I was bummed about Vali. Hope we see him again.
Profile Image for Madison.
119 reviews1 follower
November 11, 2019
Interesting

This book was an interesting take on a supernatural academy. I only wish it had been more clear on a few points. Such as:
+The name of their world, it’s hinted at, but not expressly written.
+Why the elemental mages do not have technology in their strange pocket of reality.
+How their society works as a whole. Including the mages, their deity, and the civilians.
+How sacrifice, death, or being granted to serve as a mage is determined from person to person. Do they have multiple “death days” in the span of a lifetime?
Their language was a strange mix formal and swearing. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy characters who swear as it feels more authentic. However, the swears thrown into their language didn’t always feel organic because of how formal and serious it felt.
I also had a hard time reconciling their world with the accents of a few characters. I mean, their world is not Earth, I am fairly certain, but there’s characters with southern accents. Something that really only exists in the southern US states.
I also had a hard time understanding the headmaster’s animosity toward the main character. She may be an anomaly in their world, yet most people rally around her in encouraging support. The headmaster’s hate seems so misplaced when placed side by side with that reaction from several others. If they believe so fully in the will of their deity, why does the headmaster, (whom is supposed to be in service of this deity), seem so adamant she is a mistake and so filled with vitriol in regards to her? Perhaps that purpose is revealed in a later book, but his completely open hatred of her seems wrong and a bit odd at this point in her story.
I may yet continue to read the series if only in the hopes to have these questions answered. It normally takes me much less time to read a book, but the formal style of writing made it harder to get through than it might’ve otherwise, and I feel less enthused about reading another. I feel still feel very much undecided about continuing the series.
Profile Image for Kelly Stepp.
458 reviews9 followers
September 23, 2019
An interesting and sexually charged academy experience! The intimate scenes were written really well, included a variety of groupings, and the connection between characters shines through. I adore Lottie and her additions to the story too. The story definitely focuses on the romance and harem aspects, leaving the storyline a little shallow and underdeveloped. The author has created a very unique world, but leaves the reader with conflicting actions and several unanswered questions. While I’d have preferred more expansion of the plot, the romance and sex scenes were exceptional and made continuing the story easy. I enjoyed the story but it left me wanting after I’d finished it. If you’re looking for deliciously steamy read that isn’t heavy, this is worth the read.
974 reviews6 followers
June 24, 2025
DNF 60%
So I tried this book back in 2022 and stopped reading it. I picked it up again several months ago and couldn’t remember it at all. So I tried reading it again. Last time I made it 50% this time I did a little better at 60 but I just couldn’t continue. The FMC is so freaking annoying. NOTHING pertinent is explained, I’m so confused I feel like I missed a whole book. No wonder I forgot all about it. I still can’t tell you anything about this world and it’s the second time I’ve tried reading it.
Profile Image for Angela James.
1,411 reviews14 followers
Read
March 6, 2020
Kaia

I loved it! I wasn't sure what to expect as these authors are new to me but wow. The story sucked me in and I was able to lose myself in Kaia's world. First of all this book was smoking hot with M/M/F/M/M and promises to get hotter in the next book. It's also thrilling and suspenseful. I need more.
164 reviews9 followers
January 26, 2020
Generally confused and frustrated.

In this world everyone has the date of their death/rebirth tattooed on their skin.
No explanation of why that's necessary, only that it's part of their religion.

Kaia has spent her 25 years just waiting for her designated death day. After all, there's no point making plans when she knows she's going to die young.
But then she somehow survives. Despite it being the Air Mage Assassin's job to ensure she dies on schedule.
And so she is sent to Inkhaven Academy to learn to be an Air Mage.
The problem is, the headmaster of the Academy thinks Kaia's survival was a mistake and he means to correct that. He insists on accelerating her training in the hopes she will die in the trials.
However, the men who were supposed to ensure her death are now equally determined that she should pass those trials to prove that she was supposed to survive and thus prove they didn't fail...

The concept is different and interesting with great potential, but the execution needs work, fleshing out the background and editing.

There are massive holes in the world-building that leave the reader really confused, with no explanations about how or why anything happens. Or even where the Academy is. There's too much just-because. I'm especially confused about the whole survivor/reborn/Order thing. It isn't well explained, despite the various history lessons and talks Kaia is subjected to as part of her training. So many questions!



The flow of the story is also awkward, seeming to jump between events and skip over the lead-in. It felt rushed and disjointed.
One minute the guys think Kaia is annoying and useless, the next they're jumping her bones and falling over themselves to protect her. Then super possessive and in love. I know time was supposed to pass between those events, but it was skipped over with no build-up. The initial relationship dynamics were never explored, just straight to sex then a threesome, then a foursome, then wanting more... So basically, the story was sacrificed for the erotica element. With a strong MM component, which isn't really my cuppa and so was skimmed over.
And then later they get into all the messy emotions and a lot of relationship drama.


Yay for sexual freedom, boo for superficial female stereotypes.

Also, a minor irritation: names. Use of full names when talking to each other got old. Also "Precious" as a petname, ick (sorry, I will forever associate that word with Gollum. Not cute or sexy at all!).

The authors had some interesting ideas, but they needed to think in more depth to bring this story to life.
Profile Image for Mary.
238 reviews6 followers
October 10, 2019
This book was not without its issues. But, I still enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. However, it did take a few chapters of WTF to get there. Some of the sex scenes were a little detached for me. There were some scenes that were skipped over or were mentioned in retrospect that disappointed me. Like when she mentioned being punished by Ronan. I also felt like the relationships were abrupt in how they began. It went from GRRRR... Kaia BAD! to kissing/sex to I love you in a blink. And there was no real chemistry between them beforehand. There was a lot of telling and not enough showing. However, I loved Lottie and Ronan. I loved how it was a little less formulaic for a reverse harem (though I admit to loving the typical formulas). I wanted a little more conflict and a little more strength from Kaia. I don't mind the insecurity, but I wish she was more victorious on her own and a little less damsel. On to book 2!
Profile Image for Jessica Whiteside.
27 reviews
October 12, 2019
Amazing Debut

What an amazing debut by Kenna Bardot. Ink Haven Academy is a unique gem in the Dark High School Bully Romance genre. The men are hot, alpha...and not the bullies you are expecting; there are other for that. Kai as an FMC is almost perfect...She’s vulnerable and a little lost, which for her situation is to be expected - the “life” she was expected was made to topsy turvy. But, she digs and does the work and takes every single hit with amazing grace. I am quite curious to see how she will evolve into her true self and the powerhouse she will absolutely become I. This uniquely created world.
Profile Image for Louise.
69 reviews
September 28, 2019
DNF after 35%
This book just made me confused as it was never made clear what was going on. Why do you need assassins if she was supposed to die then anyway? Why did she have another death date as a child? Why is it her fsult that she survived? All these things might be explained later in the book but there are some basics needed to understand the world.
Beyond the not very well explained world, the characters all seemed very predictable, especially after having read quite a lot of books in this genre.
Also as a pet peeve, why did they all call each other by their full names instead of just their first names.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
229 reviews2 followers
November 9, 2019
I'm indecisive on my opinion.

The main Male characters didnt really have a flow or much individuality. If your writing about multiple men each man needs to being something to the table and they really didnt. One name could have substituted for the other three with out a problem. That and the lack of one on one sex. Not every scene needs to be an orgie. Some of the intimacy that would occur with one on one time was missing so it felt like the female character could disappear and it wouldn't alter the romance. Also the use of calling 21-25 year olds as children is a little off. I'll probably read the second to finish the story
Profile Image for isharreads.
15 reviews
November 18, 2020
"Yes, definitely.", with a decisive nod I determined my days fate.
The storyline was just breathtakingly beautiful. The twist and turns of the story had me hanging on my seat from start to finish, Kaia had me rooting for her and her men was just a pure delight to the senses. The idea of waking up after my supposed rebirth never sounded so alluring. Looking forward to the authors' other works!

*PS I knew I shouldn't have read that excerpt. Now, I'm lamenting whether to crystallize my brain for the time being or to bury myself till the next book comes out. So far, the latter is my best pick.
43 reviews
January 11, 2022
Absolutely amazing!

Oh my gosh, such an incredible book! I don't normally leave reviews, but really felt I had to this time. I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait for the next installment. The story was engaging and sticked me right in, it was original, well thought out and well written too. Kaia, the main character was brilliantly portrayed. Not stupid, ditsy or clumsy - traits that a lot of authors seem to use at the moment, which annoy the hell out of me. She was refreshing and easy to connect with.
Profile Image for Robyn Krozser.
14 reviews
September 25, 2019
I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. It gave you insights into every day life but also didn't go through every single day. Same thing with the fun sexy times. There definitely was scenes that were hot AF but it didn't continuously give you a new scene for every occurrence. Just when something new was introduced. It kept things interesting. The story its self was very interesting. Can't wait to find out how things work out in book 2! 😍🥰
223 reviews12 followers
October 5, 2019
Huge gaping plot holes that completely unravel the story accompanied by convenient plot twists that make no sense. I have no idea who the inked are, why this is Such A Big Deal, and, most importantly, why they couldn't just try again that night if they can supposedly kill her any other day. Also, Will not continue.
Profile Image for Chloe.
451 reviews2 followers
November 8, 2019
Uhmmm.. I liked this, but also there wasn't much explanation about the culture itself. Just threw you in and expected you to catch on. It wasn't hard to do, but it did out me out a bit as I was like.. wait what are they referencing?
I have got the next book but I've not really got the motivation to read it, so I suppose that speaks enough that it was alright but not sure I want to pursue the series. The characters themselves were alright, nothing to shout about. So good but average.
Profile Image for T..
Author 13 books572 followers
August 15, 2020
I downloaded InkSpelled, book one of the InkHaven Academy series as a duet/set through Kindle Unlimited. I enjoyed the interesting world-building in this book-- a little hint of Logan's Run made it especially fun, as I was curious to see where the author would take the storyline. I liked the characters, although I found the roles a bit trope-ish, and the forward moment felt rushed at times. But, overall, a good read and I'm eager to start the second half of the duet.
Profile Image for Leanne Stuart.
159 reviews1 follower
September 5, 2019
What a fantastic book!! I loved entering this new literary world!! I loved the FMC Kaia she’s tough and resilient and going on her journey with her! Her guys are fabulous and I can’t wait to see the relationship grow and see where it leads! The book never let up and I can’t wait for the next book!’
6 reviews
September 6, 2019
Absolutely Amazing Read!! This book has it all! I was completely blown away. Hot guys, way hotter sex scenes. An MFC who is a little broken but strong by the end thanks to her entourage. Plus and this is the selling point ... No Cliffhanger!!! At least not a male you cry and wail for days one lol. I am so excited to read the next one. Amazing job ladys!!!
Profile Image for Nikki Elvert.
28 reviews3 followers
September 9, 2019
Can't wait for the next one!!

I didn't think this book would be as good as it is. The h wasn't that great in the beginning, and I was about to give up on it. I'm glad I hung in there because it ended up being great! The character development was amazing, and I loved the guys. I'm anxiously waiting for the next book!
Profile Image for Booknerd00 .
194 reviews2 followers
September 11, 2019
Fast and fun

This book is fun and to the point. It moves quickly with lots of steamy time. I found myself laughing and getting frustrated right along with the characters. I'm excited that the next book comes out in less than a month. If your looking for sexy emotional rollercoaster this is definitely the book for you. Happy reading Y'all 😘
342 reviews
September 15, 2019
Oh hell no !!! DNF 42% and I really kept on reading only because I was hoping it got better!!
I don’t understand how readers can give 4 or 5* to this book
MC was annoying and immature as hell
Did not like any of the guys !!!! Probably because they are also immature... This is not YA more like YT (young teenager)
Nothing original in this book
Sorely disappointed after such raving reviews
Profile Image for Lillium.
168 reviews1 follower
September 17, 2019
Not for me.
I didn't like the heroine, the worldbuilding was somehow lacking. I didn't know what was happening, nothing made sense... Not engaging at all. Gave up around 30% of the story, I was getting a headache trying to make sense of things that were too thickly explained while giving no useful information. A shame, because the blurb was right down my alley!
394 reviews
October 3, 2019
What to say

It was a good story, enjoyed the sex scenes. just seemed the story was slow and the conflict or problem wasn't quite enough or even if it was, the reveal wasn't earth shattering enough. Vant exactly put my finger on which was truly the issue. I wasn't a huge fan, probably wont read the 2nd book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews

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