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Second Chance Academy #1
Second Chance Fate
"My name is Amber Whitman, and I’m seventeen years old. After a fatal accident last month, the government decided my magic is too dangerous to be around normal people.
So where does that leave me? At the Second Chance Academy, with three moody men, one grumpy cat, and a life sentence for murder.
But things are not as they seem. My survival may depend on learning quickly who to trust and who to run from."
This is book one of the Second Chance Academy series, a the-more-the-merrier, medium-burn novel with a HFN.
So where does that leave me? At the Second Chance Academy, with three moody men, one grumpy cat, and a life sentence for murder.
But things are not as they seem. My survival may depend on learning quickly who to trust and who to run from."
This is book one of the Second Chance Academy series, a the-more-the-merrier, medium-burn novel with a HFN.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2020
1043 people are currently reading
6124 people want to read
About the author
Ella J. Smyth
20 books441 followersElla J. Smyth writes steamy reverse harem urban fantasy romance, full of adventure and excitement.
Ever since she discovered #loveislove and #whychoose, she has embraced her motto “Unapologetic romances because love needs no excuses.”
She guarantees a happy ending, even though she puts her characters through hell to get there.
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Ever since she discovered #loveislove and #whychoose, she has embraced her motto “Unapologetic romances because love needs no excuses.”
She guarantees a happy ending, even though she puts her characters through hell to get there.
READ ALONG AS I WRITE MY BOOKS WITH FREE CONTENT!
https://reamstories.com/unapologeticromances
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE!
https://www.amazon.com/Ella-J-Smyth/e/B01LLBID00
VISIT ME ON FACEBOOK!
https://www.facebook.com/ellajsmyth
HANG OUT IN MY FACEBOOK GROUP!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/EllaJSmythsReverseHaremSisterhood
FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST!
https://www.pinterest.com/ellajsmyth
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
September 27, 2020
Free copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.
3.5 mildly irritated (but also mildly intrigued) stars!
Second Chance Fate was…. something. It started off well, a promising beginning involving a lightning storm and a subsequent (polite) kidnapping, followed by a magical school, always a pro. Our MC was easy to relate to and reasonably humourous, and I enjoyed hearing about the interesting world the novel was set in, ripe with magic and polyamourous relationships (another pro).
“I’d found a new family in the place I’d hated with all my heart when I’d first arrived.”
However, at around the half way mark, I started getting bored. Our MC was irritating and RIDICULOUSLY naïve, for some reason she just trusted everyone, but she also didn’t trust the people she should have? Like she’d trust some creepy teacher when he said he was sneaking her out, but she didn’t trust her friends enough to tell them what was happening? It just really annoyed me, as did many other factors in this story, the romance for one.
She sees these guys like, once, and yeah I understand insta-lust (I COMPLETELY understand insta-lust, believe me) but I don’t do insta-love. It’s a no from me, and though this wasn’t really insta-love, the guys still seemed to get awfully attached to our MC, and they did it after having like two conversations with her. I really hate books where everyone is crushing on the MC for some unknown reason, and this book kind of gave me those vibes. I just wanted more! More romance and feels and EMOTION! I felt nothing from the guys OR our MC, or even the side characters! The side characters were so black and white, they were either super nice or totally evil. It was pretty sad.
Still, it wasn’t all bad! I liked the magic and world-building, and I liked the idea of an accident that resulted in people gaining powers. I also liked the cat, he was a real babe, and I’m not even really a cat person! I also think this third guy could be interesting…. we didn’t get much of him, but he seemed pretty cool. Maybe I’ll continue the series one day, who knows.
“I didn’t speak cat, but to me it sounded like, “Stay away from me, or I’ll cut you.””
This kept me entertained for a reasonable amount of time, so that was good! Thank you so much to the author and BookSirens for this free copy of the book :))
3.5 mildly irritated (but also mildly intrigued) stars!
Second Chance Fate was…. something. It started off well, a promising beginning involving a lightning storm and a subsequent (polite) kidnapping, followed by a magical school, always a pro. Our MC was easy to relate to and reasonably humourous, and I enjoyed hearing about the interesting world the novel was set in, ripe with magic and polyamourous relationships (another pro).
“I’d found a new family in the place I’d hated with all my heart when I’d first arrived.”
However, at around the half way mark, I started getting bored. Our MC was irritating and RIDICULOUSLY naïve, for some reason she just trusted everyone, but she also didn’t trust the people she should have? Like she’d trust some creepy teacher when he said he was sneaking her out, but she didn’t trust her friends enough to tell them what was happening? It just really annoyed me, as did many other factors in this story, the romance for one.
She sees these guys like, once, and yeah I understand insta-lust (I COMPLETELY understand insta-lust, believe me) but I don’t do insta-love. It’s a no from me, and though this wasn’t really insta-love, the guys still seemed to get awfully attached to our MC, and they did it after having like two conversations with her. I really hate books where everyone is crushing on the MC for some unknown reason, and this book kind of gave me those vibes. I just wanted more! More romance and feels and EMOTION! I felt nothing from the guys OR our MC, or even the side characters! The side characters were so black and white, they were either super nice or totally evil. It was pretty sad.
Still, it wasn’t all bad! I liked the magic and world-building, and I liked the idea of an accident that resulted in people gaining powers. I also liked the cat, he was a real babe, and I’m not even really a cat person! I also think this third guy could be interesting…. we didn’t get much of him, but he seemed pretty cool. Maybe I’ll continue the series one day, who knows.
“I didn’t speak cat, but to me it sounded like, “Stay away from me, or I’ll cut you.””
This kept me entertained for a reasonable amount of time, so that was good! Thank you so much to the author and BookSirens for this free copy of the book :))
December 13, 2020
When I saw this book and read the blurb I was immediately interested! Slow burns are quite rare in the reverse harem world and usually imply that there is a nice plot to keep the main characters from moving too fast. I also really liked the idea of accidental magic and the government trying to control a girl who's potentially dangerous to society. And when I started reading this morning it all looked very promising.
The first one third of the book worked for me. We saw how Amber lost control of her magic, we saw the reaction of the government, we watched her connecting with the grumpy cat and we were there when she was trying to settle in at her new school. And quite quickly we also figured out that a lot of things weren't right. She wasn't given all proper information, people were forgetting her circumstances, no one told her anything. It was deliciously suspicious.
But from that point I started to grow more and more annoyed with both the plot and the main characters. Even though Amber knew that a lot of things weren't right, she was never attempting to find things out for herself. People had to come to her with information and she did nothing with it. She went on with her schoolwork and she connected with her boyfriends, until she was contacted again with more information. It felt all very passive and a little unnatural. Your life is on the line, your parents can't be reached, a lot of things aren't adding up and you don't even TRY to find out what's going on?
And then there are the so called friendships and relationships that didn't work for me at all. Mostly because we really miss the conversations building such a friendship or relationship, showing why people fall in love with each other or like each other. I'm trying to describe the characters, but I don't feel like I know any of them. On top of that, Amber was constantly blaming others for going behind her back, but she never told any of her so called friends or boyfriends what was going on with her. She never explained herself. Until she just had to. On top of that her boyfriends are keeping information from her and her best friend is lying to her. I understand that all beginning is hard, but when the main character refers to these characters as her home at the end, I was wondering where that feeling came from, since it's very clear they really don't know each other at all.
I think that this series is simply not for me. The interesting parts of the plot, the magic and the politics, were not actively searched for by the main characters and the different kind of relationships didn't work for me. I hope however that other readers might enjoy this story more than I did, because I'm very aware that this book simply contains all my personal allergies. I'm afraid it's a very sad coincidence.
The first one third of the book worked for me. We saw how Amber lost control of her magic, we saw the reaction of the government, we watched her connecting with the grumpy cat and we were there when she was trying to settle in at her new school. And quite quickly we also figured out that a lot of things weren't right. She wasn't given all proper information, people were forgetting her circumstances, no one told her anything. It was deliciously suspicious.
But from that point I started to grow more and more annoyed with both the plot and the main characters. Even though Amber knew that a lot of things weren't right, she was never attempting to find things out for herself. People had to come to her with information and she did nothing with it. She went on with her schoolwork and she connected with her boyfriends, until she was contacted again with more information. It felt all very passive and a little unnatural. Your life is on the line, your parents can't be reached, a lot of things aren't adding up and you don't even TRY to find out what's going on?
And then there are the so called friendships and relationships that didn't work for me at all. Mostly because we really miss the conversations building such a friendship or relationship, showing why people fall in love with each other or like each other. I'm trying to describe the characters, but I don't feel like I know any of them. On top of that, Amber was constantly blaming others for going behind her back, but she never told any of her so called friends or boyfriends what was going on with her. She never explained herself. Until she just had to. On top of that her boyfriends are keeping information from her and her best friend is lying to her. I understand that all beginning is hard, but when the main character refers to these characters as her home at the end, I was wondering where that feeling came from, since it's very clear they really don't know each other at all.
I think that this series is simply not for me. The interesting parts of the plot, the magic and the politics, were not actively searched for by the main characters and the different kind of relationships didn't work for me. I hope however that other readers might enjoy this story more than I did, because I'm very aware that this book simply contains all my personal allergies. I'm afraid it's a very sad coincidence.
December 11, 2020
Amber is a seventeen year old girl who accidentally kills three people when her lightning powers manifest on her way home from school.
In her world, people born into magical families exist but the rest got their powers from a big fallout. Amber is a part of the latter group, but she's treated as a criminal and dragged to a magical academy which is surrounded by a fence she can't even get near and there's power dampeners in place, preventing her and everyone else from having full access to their powers.
Amber doesn't exactly make a good first impression but she manages to find a friend or two. As she attends classes and makes almost zero progress, things are definitely looking fishy. And why aren't her parents answering her phone calls? Are they in danger too? Dead? In hiding? Amber isn't sure who to trust and the enemy is closer than she thinks.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Did I like it? Yeah, kinda. Did it have boring parts?Yes to that too.
What grabbed my attention first was the cover (so pretty) and the blurb which seemed interesting, and it was, for a while.
The beginning was great, very dynamic. You get a real feel of the hate humans have for magical folk even though I think it's crazy exaggerated. But then we get to the academy and all this spooky stuff is happening with Amber's parents not answering her calls and it seems like a great big mystery - except it isn't.
The clues are all immediately there for you to connect and then you're just waiting for it to happen already...and it doesn't until the end.
One of my main issues with this book is how it brought so many side characters in, making them seem important only for us to never see them again. For example Paul and his group. And I know the third guy isn't meant to be a side character in the grand scheme of things but he seemed the most interesting out of the love interests and he's just absent. That tiny interaction at the end doesn't count.
My second issue is the romance. I don't remember if this was supposed to be a slow burn or not, because it definitely wasn't. Both guys immediately started loving Amber after only talking to her a few times. And before they explained having multiple partners was normal in the magical world, Amber, who supposedly grew up in the human world, didn't really freak out about cheating as much as she should have.
I also wasn't attached to any of the characters apart from Slug. The few times I laughed while reading this were all scenes with him. If I do pick up the next book you know who it'll be for.
And the ending was extremely annoying. I just don't believe they'd treat her that way. Unless if she's secretly not related to them and actually from a magical family, I can dream.
I liked the world building, the academy and the magic was cool too. I can't really think of anything else right now since I already mentioned Slug previously.
It's not a bad book, it's just "okay".
*Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this book for which I'm leaving a review voluntarily*
In her world, people born into magical families exist but the rest got their powers from a big fallout. Amber is a part of the latter group, but she's treated as a criminal and dragged to a magical academy which is surrounded by a fence she can't even get near and there's power dampeners in place, preventing her and everyone else from having full access to their powers.
Amber doesn't exactly make a good first impression but she manages to find a friend or two. As she attends classes and makes almost zero progress, things are definitely looking fishy. And why aren't her parents answering her phone calls? Are they in danger too? Dead? In hiding? Amber isn't sure who to trust and the enemy is closer than she thinks.
I'm not sure how I feel about this book. Did I like it? Yeah, kinda. Did it have boring parts?Yes to that too.
What grabbed my attention first was the cover (so pretty) and the blurb which seemed interesting, and it was, for a while.
The beginning was great, very dynamic. You get a real feel of the hate humans have for magical folk even though I think it's crazy exaggerated. But then we get to the academy and all this spooky stuff is happening with Amber's parents not answering her calls and it seems like a great big mystery - except it isn't.
The clues are all immediately there for you to connect and then you're just waiting for it to happen already...and it doesn't until the end.
One of my main issues with this book is how it brought so many side characters in, making them seem important only for us to never see them again. For example Paul and his group. And I know the third guy isn't meant to be a side character in the grand scheme of things but he seemed the most interesting out of the love interests and he's just absent. That tiny interaction at the end doesn't count.
My second issue is the romance. I don't remember if this was supposed to be a slow burn or not, because it definitely wasn't. Both guys immediately started loving Amber after only talking to her a few times. And before they explained having multiple partners was normal in the magical world, Amber, who supposedly grew up in the human world, didn't really freak out about cheating as much as she should have.
I also wasn't attached to any of the characters apart from Slug. The few times I laughed while reading this were all scenes with him. If I do pick up the next book you know who it'll be for.
And the ending was extremely annoying. I just don't believe they'd treat her that way. Unless if she's secretly not related to them and actually from a magical family, I can dream.
I liked the world building, the academy and the magic was cool too. I can't really think of anything else right now since I already mentioned Slug previously.
It's not a bad book, it's just "okay".
*Thank you to BookSirens for providing me with a copy of this book for which I'm leaving a review voluntarily*
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May 20, 20213.5 rounded to 4 stars.
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March 20, 2021🎁 FREE on Amazon today (3/20/2021)! 🎁
March 8, 2024
I think this series has a lot of potential. I did enjoy the magic system and I hope we get to see a little more world building but overall in this book I just felt a little bored. I really enjoyed the main character and I think you get to learn a lot about her and see her growth but the other characters felt lacking. The romantic relationships were super fast paced and honestly you don't get to see much of them and the growth, I am hoping we get more as the series progresses. I did love her cat/familiar though and I hope it turns out he is truly her familiar and not just a stray cat.
October 9, 2020
Amber is a high school student. After an unusual lightning storm occurs with her in the middle, the sherriff and some strangers arrive at her home to take her away as part of the Prevention of Magical Accidents Act.
Pulled away from all she knows and thrust into a special school, a second chance school, to learn about her magical abilities, this is her story.
Like any other high schooler coming in to a new school during the semester causes stress. Add to that her unknown status in magic arms being alone makes this an awesome story of family love, new friends, new enemies, teachers, classes, and some weird classes.
This is a great story.
I highly recommend this story.
I received an advanced readers copy for my honest review.
Pulled away from all she knows and thrust into a special school, a second chance school, to learn about her magical abilities, this is her story.
Like any other high schooler coming in to a new school during the semester causes stress. Add to that her unknown status in magic arms being alone makes this an awesome story of family love, new friends, new enemies, teachers, classes, and some weird classes.
This is a great story.
I highly recommend this story.
I received an advanced readers copy for my honest review.
January 13, 2021
Second Chance Fate is the first book in the Second Chance Academy series. This is a paranormal reverse harem that centers on Amber as she adjusts to a new reality, one in which she has gone from plain old human Amber to someone who has magical abilities.
The story seems deceptively simple at first, a girl gets magical powers, goes to school, meets cute guys, end of the story, but it's so much more than that. While the book is entertainment and meant to be fun, some really serious topics sneak in there. I'm not really clear what happened but there was a huge accident, magical beings were outed to humans and some humans were exposed and ended up with magical abilities. Well everyone had a problem with that, the humans that got magic are called conduits and they get it from both sides. Magicals look down on them cause they weren't born but made, humans look down upon magicals and conduits just alike, while the conduits are just trying to adjust to their new reality while trying to live their life. So the politics are just crazy, humans have displayed so much hatred to those that are different, there's so much prejudice against the conduits, they are blamed for everything, talked down upon, talked about, and everything in between, so there is a lot of injustices going on. Not to mention the government getting involved. However, there is a school giving conduits a chance at a new life, learning about their powers.
Amber's life got turned upside down when she learned she was a conduit and this isn't one of those moments that the character is excited about superpowers. Amber was happy in her life and the moment she got powers, her world crashed around her. She has to deal with so much, and she has to do it pretty much alone. Unlike in other books where the teenagers seem very mature for their age, Amber feels like a teenage kid, who is away from everyone and everything she knows and is feeling overwhelmed. However she makes it through, she learns more about herself and her powers at the academy, Amber isn't letting the weight of her worries crush her for long.
With the help of new friends, Amber is adjusting well. Her roommate Beth is one of those people, I wish I had a little more information on Beth because something really weird is going on with her and I'm hoping her story is going to be revealed more in the next book. Other helpful faces, being a reverse harem, are a couple of guys that are introduced in this book. Amber and the boys are just starting their relationship but they are very supportive in a time where she needs it, and they want what's best for her and help when she is struggling.
I had a couple of problems with this book, some of Amber's actions didn't seem to make sense and the story seem to drift for a minute, didn't really know what was happening or something felt a little off but it wasn't too bad, it didn't put me off of the story. The overall plot of this book is so weird, the school that seems one way at first then shifts into something better most definitely have something shady going on but for once the person in charge, the dean, is actually someone who has empathy and is helpful, so that is quite refreshing. However, several things feel like they are happening in the background and I don't know exactly how that is gonna play out.
Second Chance Fate is just the beginning of Amber's time at Second Chance Academy, it already had, bullies, steam, injustices, betrayal, a hint at a mystery, and magic. I am curious to see where the story goes next and to find out what is up with Beth, what's up with a certain guy, and what is up with the darn cat.
The story seems deceptively simple at first, a girl gets magical powers, goes to school, meets cute guys, end of the story, but it's so much more than that. While the book is entertainment and meant to be fun, some really serious topics sneak in there. I'm not really clear what happened but there was a huge accident, magical beings were outed to humans and some humans were exposed and ended up with magical abilities. Well everyone had a problem with that, the humans that got magic are called conduits and they get it from both sides. Magicals look down on them cause they weren't born but made, humans look down upon magicals and conduits just alike, while the conduits are just trying to adjust to their new reality while trying to live their life. So the politics are just crazy, humans have displayed so much hatred to those that are different, there's so much prejudice against the conduits, they are blamed for everything, talked down upon, talked about, and everything in between, so there is a lot of injustices going on. Not to mention the government getting involved. However, there is a school giving conduits a chance at a new life, learning about their powers.
Amber's life got turned upside down when she learned she was a conduit and this isn't one of those moments that the character is excited about superpowers. Amber was happy in her life and the moment she got powers, her world crashed around her. She has to deal with so much, and she has to do it pretty much alone. Unlike in other books where the teenagers seem very mature for their age, Amber feels like a teenage kid, who is away from everyone and everything she knows and is feeling overwhelmed. However she makes it through, she learns more about herself and her powers at the academy, Amber isn't letting the weight of her worries crush her for long.
With the help of new friends, Amber is adjusting well. Her roommate Beth is one of those people, I wish I had a little more information on Beth because something really weird is going on with her and I'm hoping her story is going to be revealed more in the next book. Other helpful faces, being a reverse harem, are a couple of guys that are introduced in this book. Amber and the boys are just starting their relationship but they are very supportive in a time where she needs it, and they want what's best for her and help when she is struggling.
I had a couple of problems with this book, some of Amber's actions didn't seem to make sense and the story seem to drift for a minute, didn't really know what was happening or something felt a little off but it wasn't too bad, it didn't put me off of the story. The overall plot of this book is so weird, the school that seems one way at first then shifts into something better most definitely have something shady going on but for once the person in charge, the dean, is actually someone who has empathy and is helpful, so that is quite refreshing. However, several things feel like they are happening in the background and I don't know exactly how that is gonna play out.
Second Chance Fate is just the beginning of Amber's time at Second Chance Academy, it already had, bullies, steam, injustices, betrayal, a hint at a mystery, and magic. I am curious to see where the story goes next and to find out what is up with Beth, what's up with a certain guy, and what is up with the darn cat.
October 3, 2020
This book gripped me from the first line, I did not put it down till the final full stop.
As an aphantasic individual, I am incapable of visualising the descriptions of the magic and environment etc. but the writing made me empathise with Amber felt - her fear, confusion, anger, anguish, joy, humour and affection.
No spoilers but the plot was gripping - who should Amber trust? This is something she comes to recognise towards the end of book 1.
Amber makes friends and begins relationships, she's confused as the world she is living has different acceptable norms to what she is used to and it's an adjustment
I eagerly await reading book 2
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
As an aphantasic individual, I am incapable of visualising the descriptions of the magic and environment etc. but the writing made me empathise with Amber felt - her fear, confusion, anger, anguish, joy, humour and affection.
No spoilers but the plot was gripping - who should Amber trust? This is something she comes to recognise towards the end of book 1.
Amber makes friends and begins relationships, she's confused as the world she is living has different acceptable norms to what she is used to and it's an adjustment
I eagerly await reading book 2
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 26, 2020
Amber Whitman for the first time just walked right out of school. Her head was aching, the light making it worse, as she walked straight toward home to climb under the bedcovers. A tree exploded next to her, she smelled ozone on her skin, lightning was striking all around her! It was getting hard to breathe. As she got ready to run for shelter, she heard a pitiful meow. She couldn’t leave the cat out here, so she picked him up and ran. The further away she got, the better the weather until the black clouds thinned and blue skies reappeared. She went inside her home, carrying the huge cat. Loud knocking on the door got her attention. She looked out and saw Sheriff Webster, flanked by two deputies, in full uniform complete with gun holster and star-shaped badge! She opened the door and told her parents the visitor was here to see them – when they said actually they were there for HER!
Sheriff Webster explained to Amber’s dad that Amber may have been the cause of several people being injured and killed, so he was authorized to arrest her through the Prevention of Magical Accidents Act. She was taken away from her family and sent to the Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement where her life would be turned upside down! One of the biggest issues is finding out who to trust. Oddly, her cat whom she named Slug turned up at the Academy with her things. A couple of guys seemed helpful, as well as her roommate. But someone is already out to steal her power before she has even had a chance to identify it! Is she going to be able to fit in here?
This was a great start to what looks like it might be a fun book. Lots of things going on to keep the reader’s full attention as Amber gets settle into her new life. Slug is a perfect addition to her life, as you’ll see. Grab your copy and enjoy!
Sheriff Webster explained to Amber’s dad that Amber may have been the cause of several people being injured and killed, so he was authorized to arrest her through the Prevention of Magical Accidents Act. She was taken away from her family and sent to the Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement where her life would be turned upside down! One of the biggest issues is finding out who to trust. Oddly, her cat whom she named Slug turned up at the Academy with her things. A couple of guys seemed helpful, as well as her roommate. But someone is already out to steal her power before she has even had a chance to identify it! Is she going to be able to fit in here?
This was a great start to what looks like it might be a fun book. Lots of things going on to keep the reader’s full attention as Amber gets settle into her new life. Slug is a perfect addition to her life, as you’ll see. Grab your copy and enjoy!
October 26, 2021
I liked this book about a teenage girl who suddenly finds herself thrust into a school, or prison, because of her accidental magic. There was some kind of explosion of a magical reactor and now random people, mostly young people, are suddenly imbued with magical powers. Unfortunately, Amber caused a lightning storm which killed several people and she is considered to dangerous to be out in the general population - so it is Second Chance Academy or a deep, dark hole.
Life at a school of magical students is not as much fun as it sounds. Amber is fortunate that one of her roommates is willing to be nice to her and that somehow her cat shows up along with her wardrobe. Of course she only just found the cat on the day of the magical storm, but the hastily named Slug is a great comfort to her as she tries to understand her lessons on magic and learn to use her powers. There are also a couple of boys who show an interest in her. Julian is an Emo who wears more makeup than her but who is kind and loving. Kiernan is an Irish cutie who makes her toes tingle. (There is at least one other guy who I think will join the group eventually, but right now he is acting all superior and condescending.)
There is some intrigue which I will let you read for yourself, but all in all the book is pretty good for the start of a series. I look for more sexy time to show up in future books and I think there will end up being five of them in the group before it is all over. Can't wait. Oh, you can grab Slug's story to find out more about him. It is called, yep, Slug.
I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.
Life at a school of magical students is not as much fun as it sounds. Amber is fortunate that one of her roommates is willing to be nice to her and that somehow her cat shows up along with her wardrobe. Of course she only just found the cat on the day of the magical storm, but the hastily named Slug is a great comfort to her as she tries to understand her lessons on magic and learn to use her powers. There are also a couple of boys who show an interest in her. Julian is an Emo who wears more makeup than her but who is kind and loving. Kiernan is an Irish cutie who makes her toes tingle. (There is at least one other guy who I think will join the group eventually, but right now he is acting all superior and condescending.)
There is some intrigue which I will let you read for yourself, but all in all the book is pretty good for the start of a series. I look for more sexy time to show up in future books and I think there will end up being five of them in the group before it is all over. Can't wait. Oh, you can grab Slug's story to find out more about him. It is called, yep, Slug.
I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.
December 11, 2020
This is my first "reverse harem" and I don't know if this genre is something I like or not. I don't know if "Second Chance Fate" is a typical RH-book either, so I guess I'll have to read some more RH before I can decide. If someone wants to have multiple partners I see no problem with that, as long as everyone involved is okay with it. Since I never felt like having more than one partner at a time I can't really put myself in Amber's, our main character's, shoes. To her it's a new thing to have two boyfriends, but both Julian and Kiernan are used to dating more than one at a time, and they don't mind "sharing" Amber. The boys are caring and thoughtful, but I still have some trouble with Amber falling in love with both of them so fast.
I like the magic and the world building, but I feel like I'm a bit too old to fit in the target group. Things are over explicit and predictable, and nothing that happens really surprises me. At the moment I'm not sure if I will continue this series or not.
* I was offered an ARC through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review. *
I like the magic and the world building, but I feel like I'm a bit too old to fit in the target group. Things are over explicit and predictable, and nothing that happens really surprises me. At the moment I'm not sure if I will continue this series or not.
* I was offered an ARC through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review. *
July 13, 2020
I'll preface this by saying this isn't my usual genre to read, but I was curious and was offered an ARC copy with no expectation of a review in return and I feel I need to write one.
I loved this book and I can't wait for the next one in the series. From the very first page I was dragged through the book whether I wanted to be or not. I was supposed to accomplish things today - but that didn't happen. I shirked my responsibilities and binge read this book til it was finished.
I love how Ella's RH romance is a slow burn, lightly weaved through the story, but doesn't detract from or overwhelm the magic. The characters are deep and colorful and the storyline is compelling. The writing is so well crafted that I couldn't find a break between chapters to put the book down!
I can't wait to see what Amber gets up to next!
I loved this book and I can't wait for the next one in the series. From the very first page I was dragged through the book whether I wanted to be or not. I was supposed to accomplish things today - but that didn't happen. I shirked my responsibilities and binge read this book til it was finished.
I love how Ella's RH romance is a slow burn, lightly weaved through the story, but doesn't detract from or overwhelm the magic. The characters are deep and colorful and the storyline is compelling. The writing is so well crafted that I couldn't find a break between chapters to put the book down!
I can't wait to see what Amber gets up to next!
December 4, 2020
Magic is all around, sometimes you’re born with it and for some, a freak accident made them that way.
This is the case for Amber. And her main focus for power is lightning. But when her powers come to be, she is whisked off to the Second Chance Academy. And here she makes a new friend in her roommate and ends up in a triad. Only to find a plot against her to get her powers. And that her parents disowned her.
Amber and her men get what could be described as a happy for now ending. To be honest, the book just ended and there was not clear wrap up of the book.
There was also no discussion about how it was possible to join the Academy mid-Fall semester and there be no reason for someone who just learned they had magic to catch up with everyone else.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the case for Amber. And her main focus for power is lightning. But when her powers come to be, she is whisked off to the Second Chance Academy. And here she makes a new friend in her roommate and ends up in a triad. Only to find a plot against her to get her powers. And that her parents disowned her.
Amber and her men get what could be described as a happy for now ending. To be honest, the book just ended and there was not clear wrap up of the book.
There was also no discussion about how it was possible to join the Academy mid-Fall semester and there be no reason for someone who just learned they had magic to catch up with everyone else.
I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 25, 2020
What a difference a day makes in the life of a teenage girl? Amber has no idea that her world will be turned upside down after a thunder storm. Soon enough she learns she was the storm. Dangerously magical you say, and before she knows it she is caught up and sentenced to a magical prison. There is plenty of teenage angst, intrigue, and betrayal with the story branching off in several directions. Though sometimes confusing it was a great read letting you know that there is more to come. Without giving spoilers I can recommend this as a good read, especially for those who still believe in magic is not necessarily an illusion.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 25, 2020
Our heroine discovers she has magic in the most unfortunate of ways and nobody seems to be very supportive. Off to the academy for her!
This is book one of a new paranormal series. The book has sort of a jail/academy setting as well as something of a reverse harem theme going on. The story is well written and easy to read and the setting is well done (and frankly a bit creepy to me). The characters also have a nice bit of depth to them and I hope to see more of that in the future books. Oddly enough (for me), I really liked the cat as he helped provide a little humor now and then. Overall, the story was entertaining and I am curious to see where it goes in the future.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
This is book one of a new paranormal series. The book has sort of a jail/academy setting as well as something of a reverse harem theme going on. The story is well written and easy to read and the setting is well done (and frankly a bit creepy to me). The characters also have a nice bit of depth to them and I hope to see more of that in the future books. Oddly enough (for me), I really liked the cat as he helped provide a little humor now and then. Overall, the story was entertaining and I am curious to see where it goes in the future.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout for review purposes
July 21, 2020
This is a great story about a girl who is magical but doesn't know it. She only finds out after the death of others. She is sentenced to Second Chance Academy until she gets training in controlling her power. Things are not all well at the academy. Someone is out to hurt her and steal her power. She is deceived by someone she foolishly trusts. She has romance and falls in love. Who does she choose or does she choose anyone? Who is behind what is happening at the academy? I laughed and I cried with the characters. You love them or hate them. Can not wait for the next installment of this series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 13, 2020
Amber is a young lady who discovers she has magic by accident. This is caused by a nuclear accident's fallout. Because of what happens, they send Amber to an academy for her to learn how to control magic and be with young people like her. Amber meets Beth, one of her roommates, Julian, a young man who has been at the school for quite a while, and Kieran, a young man born with magic. What will happen to Amber? Will her family care about what happened to her? How will she get along with Julian and Kieran? I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book because it showed typical teenage actions. Thank you. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy of the book.
November 24, 2020
Second Chance Fate
is a story if X-men takes place in a more traditional high school setting. Our main character, Amber Whitman, is our Rogue, where one day her powers are discovered and she is taken to an academy for other gifted individuals. She is different than those around her, but she is special and is continued to be told this (just like Rogue following the X-men film series). Over time, she has to work at not only finding out the types of powers that she possesses but also how to control them. This novel sets up for what seems to be a fun journey through Amber’s time at the academy and how she’ll come into her own.
Amber Whitman is seventeen years old. She exits her regular high school one day and finds herself in a rogue lightning storm. She finds an overly large cat, who she adopts and names Slug as he ends up being seemingly lazy – Personally, I never warmed up to this name, but most people probably wouldn’t agree with some of my pet names (Azula and Zuko) – the cat ends up being with her the whole story, but doesn’t really get much of a story. Hopefully, in the next novel in the series, there’s more to Slug and Amber’s relationship as there wasn’t much in this one (Slug has his own novels – Hellcat Anthology).
Upon arriving home, Sheriff Webster shows up at her door to see her. She turns out to be the cause of the storm and caused severe damage to people and property without ever realizing that the power was coming from her. She is arrested and whisked away to the Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement (aka Second Chance Academy) without being told any details about what was actually going on. She wasn’t given time to pack, told where she was going, or what she was doing once she arrived. No one even told her how to feed herself or told her how she was supposed to get clothes! This reminded me of the times in Harry Potter where everyone around Harry knew what was going on at times, but Harry was left clueless and people couldn’t always understand why he was becoming so frustrated at being left in the dark. Amber finds herself in a similar situation to Harry where every other student knows the drill for getting by and Amber continuously has to play catch-up to try and figure out what is happening. It just didn’t seem like a well-run place when they didn’t tell her anything and make sure she was set up when she arrived. You’d think with this academy running for years, they would have some kind of system down for arrivals similar to Amber.
This academy follows a high-school setting where students attend different classes, eat in a cafeteria, attend balls/dances, and live in on-campus dorms (this last one wasn’t at my high school, but I know others that had them). Each class has topics where students learn to control their powers and also observe the powers of their fellow students (for me, there was way too much of having one student “perform” in front of the class during each session as it seems counterproductive to continuously focus on one student at a time and just have the other students in the class watch).
Amber meets not one, but two boys, who she starts romantic relationships with to form their own version of a throuple. Our first male is Julian, a “goth” with darker hair and black lipstick. There is also Kiernan, a blond male, who originally is from Ireland. There are also hints of other boys could possibly become love interests, as well, but only by reading the subsequent novels can readers know for sure. The inclusion of polyamorous relationships and bi-characters is fantastic to read about as they are mostly left out of romance novels despite many people identifying with either of them. They are both well-written into the story to bring some normalcy to a “non-traditional” romantic relationship. There are tons of people that can identify with one or either and it’s nice to find a novel expanding beyond the male-female relationship.
There’s a lot of content to describe the magical world and how there is a divide between those with powers and those without and prejudice that exists – even Amber’s parents aren’t fans of those with powers. There is also a divide in the magical community between those born with magic and those who came into it later in life. Again, this reminded me of X-men as you have three groups who are all seemingly against each other because the other group is different and all believing that they are either superior or in the right. There’s some set-up in this story of Amber being very powerful and there are those that try to get rid of her, but it seems to be this will be further explored in the following stories.
Overall, this a fun quick read in what seems to be a promising series. I’m curious how everything will turn out as this novel was a lot of set-up to introduce the characters, the magical world, and the academy. There’s a lot that happened, yet there are still many questions that still need to be answered and I can’t wait to read the next novel to find out what happens next. It was a great start to the series and time will tell if it’s a series worth considering as it is impossible to tell fully based just on the first novel. I would definitely recommend this for those who want an easy read with non-traditional romances along-side a new magical world.
**Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for my review copy to read. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
Check out my other reviews: Chonky Books Review
Amber Whitman is seventeen years old. She exits her regular high school one day and finds herself in a rogue lightning storm. She finds an overly large cat, who she adopts and names Slug as he ends up being seemingly lazy – Personally, I never warmed up to this name, but most people probably wouldn’t agree with some of my pet names (Azula and Zuko) – the cat ends up being with her the whole story, but doesn’t really get much of a story. Hopefully, in the next novel in the series, there’s more to Slug and Amber’s relationship as there wasn’t much in this one (Slug has his own novels – Hellcat Anthology).
Upon arriving home, Sheriff Webster shows up at her door to see her. She turns out to be the cause of the storm and caused severe damage to people and property without ever realizing that the power was coming from her. She is arrested and whisked away to the Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement (aka Second Chance Academy) without being told any details about what was actually going on. She wasn’t given time to pack, told where she was going, or what she was doing once she arrived. No one even told her how to feed herself or told her how she was supposed to get clothes! This reminded me of the times in Harry Potter where everyone around Harry knew what was going on at times, but Harry was left clueless and people couldn’t always understand why he was becoming so frustrated at being left in the dark. Amber finds herself in a similar situation to Harry where every other student knows the drill for getting by and Amber continuously has to play catch-up to try and figure out what is happening. It just didn’t seem like a well-run place when they didn’t tell her anything and make sure she was set up when she arrived. You’d think with this academy running for years, they would have some kind of system down for arrivals similar to Amber.
This academy follows a high-school setting where students attend different classes, eat in a cafeteria, attend balls/dances, and live in on-campus dorms (this last one wasn’t at my high school, but I know others that had them). Each class has topics where students learn to control their powers and also observe the powers of their fellow students (for me, there was way too much of having one student “perform” in front of the class during each session as it seems counterproductive to continuously focus on one student at a time and just have the other students in the class watch).
Amber meets not one, but two boys, who she starts romantic relationships with to form their own version of a throuple. Our first male is Julian, a “goth” with darker hair and black lipstick. There is also Kiernan, a blond male, who originally is from Ireland. There are also hints of other boys could possibly become love interests, as well, but only by reading the subsequent novels can readers know for sure. The inclusion of polyamorous relationships and bi-characters is fantastic to read about as they are mostly left out of romance novels despite many people identifying with either of them. They are both well-written into the story to bring some normalcy to a “non-traditional” romantic relationship. There are tons of people that can identify with one or either and it’s nice to find a novel expanding beyond the male-female relationship.
There’s a lot of content to describe the magical world and how there is a divide between those with powers and those without and prejudice that exists – even Amber’s parents aren’t fans of those with powers. There is also a divide in the magical community between those born with magic and those who came into it later in life. Again, this reminded me of X-men as you have three groups who are all seemingly against each other because the other group is different and all believing that they are either superior or in the right. There’s some set-up in this story of Amber being very powerful and there are those that try to get rid of her, but it seems to be this will be further explored in the following stories.
Overall, this a fun quick read in what seems to be a promising series. I’m curious how everything will turn out as this novel was a lot of set-up to introduce the characters, the magical world, and the academy. There’s a lot that happened, yet there are still many questions that still need to be answered and I can’t wait to read the next novel to find out what happens next. It was a great start to the series and time will tell if it’s a series worth considering as it is impossible to tell fully based just on the first novel. I would definitely recommend this for those who want an easy read with non-traditional romances along-side a new magical world.
**Thank you to BookSirens and the publisher for my review copy to read. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**
Check out my other reviews: Chonky Books Review
August 12, 2020
Though this book does rate a 5 star rating, I've purposely given it a 4 star rating. The reason is simple, what was the blowout that happened which gave magical capabilities to normal regular non-magical humans? There is no explanation to this?
Not even a paragraph of why, what, when...apart from that this is a good book and a good series starter, the best part was that the way the plot has been laid, there is a lot of scope for the plot to be built & created.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Not even a paragraph of why, what, when...apart from that this is a good book and a good series starter, the best part was that the way the plot has been laid, there is a lot of scope for the plot to be built & created.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 19, 2020
Really a 3.5 star. This is a pretty good read for what it is. The level of reading is definitely YA. That's ok. The slow burn romance was ok, too. I just feel like it was all ok. Not fantastic but not terrible. There were a couple continuity errors and editing errors that were a bit distracting but nothing huge. Honestly, my favorite character was Slug, the cat (after first reading the short story about him.) I can see it has potential, but it needs a little more polish.
December 13, 2020
I thought this was a good book. in the beginning I thought it was kinda childish in a way but the more I read it turned more new adultish. I dont know if that makes since. If your into magic and poly relationship this is your book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 20, 2020
I really did like reading this book. Had a great story line, very well written backgrounds. I cant wait for the next one to come out
July 26, 2020
Good book for YA and those who like people finding their place in the world. My favorite character was Slug!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 30, 2020
Good read! This is book one of a new series it's well written and has good characters I'm excited to see what happens next!
Read
September 19, 2021Teaser:
"Can't make up your mind?"
I whirled around, feeling guilty at having been caught. Beth grinned as my ears turned hot.
"You know, it's quite common among magic-born to have three—"
“Three boyfriends, I know. And good thing, too, because I wouldn't be able to choose between them."
Excerpt:
Elemental Magic 101 was in one of the main classrooms, not far from the infirmary. I was struck once again by the ordinariness of the room. The stairs leading up to the second floor were made of wood rather than concrete like in my old school, but the smell was the same.
A mix of glue, chalk dust, and a chemical lemon scent from the floor cleaning agent permeated the air. Walking up the stairs, I was jostled by other students, chatting animatedly on their way to class.
Their voices echoed from the stairway walls. The floor of the corridor leading to the classroom was covered with the same color cheap flooring. The gray surface was scuffed, and age-old dirt had accumulated along the walls where the cleaning machines didn’t reach.
When I entered the classroom, the noise level increased in the confined space. Three large windows looking out over the central space allowed the fall light to soften the appearance of the chipped tables and damaged chairs.
The teacher was an unassuming middle-aged woman, dressed in sensible trainers, jeans, and a simple shirt with pretty flowers printed along the edge.
I found a seat next to a girl I’d seen around campus. She nodded a greeting before focusing forward to where Mrs. Palmer looked through a leather bag, pulling out a selection of pens and folders. The noise quieted down quickly, and an expectant hush fell over the class. I had no idea what Elemental Magic 101 was about.
Mrs. Palmer straightened up, and I saw her eyes for the first time. An involuntary gasp escaped me. My neighbor chuckled.
“She’s quite something, isn’t she?” she whispered.
I nodded with my mouth dropped open. Mrs. Palmer’s eyes swirled. There was no other way to describe it. Every shade of green, from bottle to emerald, moved in circles around her irises. The effect was hypnotizing.
I didn’t realize how long I’d stared at her, until the teacher stood right in front of me. “Welcome to my class, Amber. I expect you’ll get great benefit from it. I hear your powers are elemental in origin?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer this. Aware that every student in the classroom was staring at me, I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what my powers are.”
Other than calling down lightning. I wasn’t going to say that out loud, though.
Mrs. Palmer nodded. “That’s okay. That’s what this class is for. To help you figure it out, and, more importantly, how to control it.”
Behind me, somebody hissed, “Before she kills us all.”
The teacher looked up sharply and said, “Ah, yes. Sharon. Why don’t you come forward and show us how much control you’ve learned after your first lesson.”
A shocked, “But—” was quickly interrupted by Mrs. Palmer. “No ‘but.’ Come on. Show us.”
Sharon walked past the front row to stand next to the teacher. As she passed, she threw me a nasty glare as if it was my fault the teacher had her up front to demonstrate.
Mrs. Palmer clapped her hands. “Right, class. Pay close attention. Sharon, please create three water bubbles above your head. One large and two slightly smaller. You don’t have to move them in any way. Just keep them in position for thirty seconds.”
Sharon’s face tightened into an expression of pure focus. Clearly, she’d done this before. She closed her eyes and brought her palms together. I stared at them, wondering if I was imagining the light-blue glow around her skin.
But no, the light grew in intensity. Sharon pulled her hands apart, and between her palms, a shimmering bubble grew. When it was the size of a child’s head, she stretched her hands high and released the bubble. It rotated slowly, catching and reflecting the light, creating fantastic reflections on the walls of the classroom.
This was the first time I’d seen practical magic at play. Sharon had created a water ball out of thin air, right in front of me. The other students were equally spellbound by the beauty of the creation.
But they’d witnessed this before. To me, it was brand-new. Would I be able to do something similar? Could I control lightning the way Sharon seemed to juggle water so effortlessly?
She had created a second, smaller bubble, and was about to finish her task by doing a third one. Soon, all three balls rotated above her head, bathing her in an eerie, blueish light.
That’s when Mrs. Palmer clapped her hands again sharply. “Well done, Sharon.”
My roommate gasped, clearly not expecting the smacking noise. Her concentration broke, and the three bubbles disintegrated above her head into a torrent of water. Her outraged scream was drowned out by howling laughter. Our hysteria increased at Mrs. Palmer’s sheepish, “Oops.”
Sharon’s pretty hair hung around her face like a curtain of beetroot-colored noodles. Her designer top clung to her like a piece of plastic wrap, showing her bra and belly-button piercing. She looked like a drowned rat.
I would have felt sorry for her, had she not acted like such a bitch to me ever since we’d met. Mrs. Palmer rushed to console her, her expression one of concern. Except when she passed me, I could have sworn she winked at me.
My jaw dropped. Had I seen this right? Had my new teacher set this up to embarrass Sharon? Her next words confirmed my suspicion.
“Class. Quiet, please. Before Sharon gets a new change of clothes, I would like you to consider this: You’ve all had several lessons in Elemental 101 already. And yet even a star student like Sharon finds it difficult to control her water powers when distracted.
“I would like you to consider how difficult this is for somebody who’d never had any formal training. If I hear anybody else attempting to make new students feel uncomfortable or bully them, I will not hesitate to bring this to the head witch’s attention. Am I making myself clear?”
And just for one moment, the harmless, middle-aged Mrs. Palmer looked dangerous enough to make us think twice about messing with her.
The rest of the class passed uneventfully. We learned about the history of elemental magic and the five key elements of water, air, fire, earth, and spirit, whatever that was. But then there were variations.
Most students were able to access one or two of the main elements. Some could control the wind, others air temperatures. Some could conjure little flames in the palms of their hands, others were able to control the heat of the flame. Mrs. Palmer promised that with enough focus and practice, we’d all be able to eventually tap into the universal elemental forces.
The class ended way too soon for me. There was so much to learn. While Mrs. Palmer packed her various pens and papers back into her bag, I walked up to her desk.
“Mrs. Palmer? I was wondering… I assume you were talking about me when you mentioned control? But… what if I never learn to control my powers?”
“You will learn control. You’ve got the same elemental powers as all the other students in this class. Except you’re able to weave several of them into a unique bundle. Once you’re able to control the individual elements, you’ll be able to direct and control the lightning. Of course, your magic is more powerful and potentially more destructive than, say, being able to cook marshmallows in the palm of your hand.”
I giggled at the image. It might not have been a very impressive power, but it sure would have been a good party trick. Mrs. Palmer seemed pleased at my reaction. She reached out and put her hand on my arm.
“Look, I heard what happened before you got here. You need to remember it wasn’t your fault. None of this is. You didn’t ask to be caught up in the fallout. You didn’t ask to develop powers out of the blue. You certainly didn’t intend to cause harm to people. So be kinder to yourself, Amber. Don’t listen to all this nonsense about atonement. That’s for people who’ve done something wrong. You haven’t.”
Goddammit, she was going to make me cry. I closed my eyes, fighting against the emotion choking me.
“Come on, you’ve got one more class to go. Don’t let them win. You’re stronger than that, Amber Whitman.”
I nodded, laughing awkwardly as I rubbed my eyes. One more class to go. And what a class it would be. I didn’t like it in high school, I sure as hell wouldn’t like it here.
"Can't make up your mind?"
I whirled around, feeling guilty at having been caught. Beth grinned as my ears turned hot.
"You know, it's quite common among magic-born to have three—"
“Three boyfriends, I know. And good thing, too, because I wouldn't be able to choose between them."
Excerpt:
Elemental Magic 101 was in one of the main classrooms, not far from the infirmary. I was struck once again by the ordinariness of the room. The stairs leading up to the second floor were made of wood rather than concrete like in my old school, but the smell was the same.
A mix of glue, chalk dust, and a chemical lemon scent from the floor cleaning agent permeated the air. Walking up the stairs, I was jostled by other students, chatting animatedly on their way to class.
Their voices echoed from the stairway walls. The floor of the corridor leading to the classroom was covered with the same color cheap flooring. The gray surface was scuffed, and age-old dirt had accumulated along the walls where the cleaning machines didn’t reach.
When I entered the classroom, the noise level increased in the confined space. Three large windows looking out over the central space allowed the fall light to soften the appearance of the chipped tables and damaged chairs.
The teacher was an unassuming middle-aged woman, dressed in sensible trainers, jeans, and a simple shirt with pretty flowers printed along the edge.
I found a seat next to a girl I’d seen around campus. She nodded a greeting before focusing forward to where Mrs. Palmer looked through a leather bag, pulling out a selection of pens and folders. The noise quieted down quickly, and an expectant hush fell over the class. I had no idea what Elemental Magic 101 was about.
Mrs. Palmer straightened up, and I saw her eyes for the first time. An involuntary gasp escaped me. My neighbor chuckled.
“She’s quite something, isn’t she?” she whispered.
I nodded with my mouth dropped open. Mrs. Palmer’s eyes swirled. There was no other way to describe it. Every shade of green, from bottle to emerald, moved in circles around her irises. The effect was hypnotizing.
I didn’t realize how long I’d stared at her, until the teacher stood right in front of me. “Welcome to my class, Amber. I expect you’ll get great benefit from it. I hear your powers are elemental in origin?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer this. Aware that every student in the classroom was staring at me, I shook my head. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what my powers are.”
Other than calling down lightning. I wasn’t going to say that out loud, though.
Mrs. Palmer nodded. “That’s okay. That’s what this class is for. To help you figure it out, and, more importantly, how to control it.”
Behind me, somebody hissed, “Before she kills us all.”
The teacher looked up sharply and said, “Ah, yes. Sharon. Why don’t you come forward and show us how much control you’ve learned after your first lesson.”
A shocked, “But—” was quickly interrupted by Mrs. Palmer. “No ‘but.’ Come on. Show us.”
Sharon walked past the front row to stand next to the teacher. As she passed, she threw me a nasty glare as if it was my fault the teacher had her up front to demonstrate.
Mrs. Palmer clapped her hands. “Right, class. Pay close attention. Sharon, please create three water bubbles above your head. One large and two slightly smaller. You don’t have to move them in any way. Just keep them in position for thirty seconds.”
Sharon’s face tightened into an expression of pure focus. Clearly, she’d done this before. She closed her eyes and brought her palms together. I stared at them, wondering if I was imagining the light-blue glow around her skin.
But no, the light grew in intensity. Sharon pulled her hands apart, and between her palms, a shimmering bubble grew. When it was the size of a child’s head, she stretched her hands high and released the bubble. It rotated slowly, catching and reflecting the light, creating fantastic reflections on the walls of the classroom.
This was the first time I’d seen practical magic at play. Sharon had created a water ball out of thin air, right in front of me. The other students were equally spellbound by the beauty of the creation.
But they’d witnessed this before. To me, it was brand-new. Would I be able to do something similar? Could I control lightning the way Sharon seemed to juggle water so effortlessly?
She had created a second, smaller bubble, and was about to finish her task by doing a third one. Soon, all three balls rotated above her head, bathing her in an eerie, blueish light.
That’s when Mrs. Palmer clapped her hands again sharply. “Well done, Sharon.”
My roommate gasped, clearly not expecting the smacking noise. Her concentration broke, and the three bubbles disintegrated above her head into a torrent of water. Her outraged scream was drowned out by howling laughter. Our hysteria increased at Mrs. Palmer’s sheepish, “Oops.”
Sharon’s pretty hair hung around her face like a curtain of beetroot-colored noodles. Her designer top clung to her like a piece of plastic wrap, showing her bra and belly-button piercing. She looked like a drowned rat.
I would have felt sorry for her, had she not acted like such a bitch to me ever since we’d met. Mrs. Palmer rushed to console her, her expression one of concern. Except when she passed me, I could have sworn she winked at me.
My jaw dropped. Had I seen this right? Had my new teacher set this up to embarrass Sharon? Her next words confirmed my suspicion.
“Class. Quiet, please. Before Sharon gets a new change of clothes, I would like you to consider this: You’ve all had several lessons in Elemental 101 already. And yet even a star student like Sharon finds it difficult to control her water powers when distracted.
“I would like you to consider how difficult this is for somebody who’d never had any formal training. If I hear anybody else attempting to make new students feel uncomfortable or bully them, I will not hesitate to bring this to the head witch’s attention. Am I making myself clear?”
And just for one moment, the harmless, middle-aged Mrs. Palmer looked dangerous enough to make us think twice about messing with her.
The rest of the class passed uneventfully. We learned about the history of elemental magic and the five key elements of water, air, fire, earth, and spirit, whatever that was. But then there were variations.
Most students were able to access one or two of the main elements. Some could control the wind, others air temperatures. Some could conjure little flames in the palms of their hands, others were able to control the heat of the flame. Mrs. Palmer promised that with enough focus and practice, we’d all be able to eventually tap into the universal elemental forces.
The class ended way too soon for me. There was so much to learn. While Mrs. Palmer packed her various pens and papers back into her bag, I walked up to her desk.
“Mrs. Palmer? I was wondering… I assume you were talking about me when you mentioned control? But… what if I never learn to control my powers?”
“You will learn control. You’ve got the same elemental powers as all the other students in this class. Except you’re able to weave several of them into a unique bundle. Once you’re able to control the individual elements, you’ll be able to direct and control the lightning. Of course, your magic is more powerful and potentially more destructive than, say, being able to cook marshmallows in the palm of your hand.”
I giggled at the image. It might not have been a very impressive power, but it sure would have been a good party trick. Mrs. Palmer seemed pleased at my reaction. She reached out and put her hand on my arm.
“Look, I heard what happened before you got here. You need to remember it wasn’t your fault. None of this is. You didn’t ask to be caught up in the fallout. You didn’t ask to develop powers out of the blue. You certainly didn’t intend to cause harm to people. So be kinder to yourself, Amber. Don’t listen to all this nonsense about atonement. That’s for people who’ve done something wrong. You haven’t.”
Goddammit, she was going to make me cry. I closed my eyes, fighting against the emotion choking me.
“Come on, you’ve got one more class to go. Don’t let them win. You’re stronger than that, Amber Whitman.”
I nodded, laughing awkwardly as I rubbed my eyes. One more class to go. And what a class it would be. I didn’t like it in high school, I sure as hell wouldn’t like it here.
February 8, 2024
Pretty good
This book was in Amber (female lead character) point of view. It started with her waking up in the academy with a bit of flashbacks to explain how she got to this point. I think it was done perfectly on the start of the story. She meets her two roommates. Of course, one turns into a bestie and the other is typical mean girl. We get to meet her “familiar” who may just be a regular fat cat as Amber doesn’t get sick when someone magically poisons her cat, “Slug”. Apparently, she should be feeling the effects if he’s a familiar but she just feels anxious for her cat to feel better. Her teacher is telling her that she needs to escape the academy as there are ppl who want to drain her of her power, and she’s not sure if she should beleive him. He says that ppl will hurt her family to get to her and since no one picks up her calls when she gets her 1 call a week, Amber doesn’t know what to think. She finally tells one of the 2 guys she’s dating and they convince her to tell the dean, and the my figure out he’s one of the bad guys. The dean had her suspicions but she needs absolute proof. Its to bad that he turned out to be to smart to fall for the trap, unlucky for her but thankfully she was able to blast him with her magic. It bugged me about how upset she was with her bestie for going behind her back and telling one of the guys she’s dating that she mentioned leaving. He tells the dean and they have a huge meeting. I’m just glad she didn’t lie to them when she was found out. I just found that she forgave them to quickly after they got her in trouble. Her emotions that we got to read just didn’t have any follow up to the situation. She was So angry and then she wasn’t.
That ending threw me for a loop. Not sure how she got to that point and she seemed familiar with what was going on but there was no build up to it. I am
Hoping Slug comes to the rescue, and that he really is her familiar.
Her magic was wonky, for the first 3 quarters of the book as I mentioned before. Her teachers picking on her for not knowing anything but no one clued in that the dampeners were set too high and not allowing her to practice even with the small amount of magic trickling through. It bugged me because of the amount of bullying, and no one thought to even ask how she was doing. Let’s not forget she had no idea about her coin to get meals, where her classes were, what was expected of her. None of the guys offered to have their parents reach out to hers and Amber didn’t think to ask them either, it would have answered her questions if her parents were just ignoring her or if something was seriously wrong with them. Also, she didn’t think twice about the halo she might have saw on Beth, her supposed Bestie. I have a feeling she’s an angel or part. Her “father” being god or an angel parent. I hope she survives this ending. Cant wait to read what’s next!
This book was in Amber (female lead character) point of view. It started with her waking up in the academy with a bit of flashbacks to explain how she got to this point. I think it was done perfectly on the start of the story. She meets her two roommates. Of course, one turns into a bestie and the other is typical mean girl. We get to meet her “familiar” who may just be a regular fat cat as Amber doesn’t get sick when someone magically poisons her cat, “Slug”. Apparently, she should be feeling the effects if he’s a familiar but she just feels anxious for her cat to feel better. Her teacher is telling her that she needs to escape the academy as there are ppl who want to drain her of her power, and she’s not sure if she should beleive him. He says that ppl will hurt her family to get to her and since no one picks up her calls when she gets her 1 call a week, Amber doesn’t know what to think. She finally tells one of the 2 guys she’s dating and they convince her to tell the dean, and the my figure out he’s one of the bad guys. The dean had her suspicions but she needs absolute proof. Its to bad that he turned out to be to smart to fall for the trap, unlucky for her but thankfully she was able to blast him with her magic. It bugged me about how upset she was with her bestie for going behind her back and telling one of the guys she’s dating that she mentioned leaving. He tells the dean and they have a huge meeting. I’m just glad she didn’t lie to them when she was found out. I just found that she forgave them to quickly after they got her in trouble. Her emotions that we got to read just didn’t have any follow up to the situation. She was So angry and then she wasn’t.
That ending threw me for a loop. Not sure how she got to that point and she seemed familiar with what was going on but there was no build up to it. I am
Hoping Slug comes to the rescue, and that he really is her familiar.
Her magic was wonky, for the first 3 quarters of the book as I mentioned before. Her teachers picking on her for not knowing anything but no one clued in that the dampeners were set too high and not allowing her to practice even with the small amount of magic trickling through. It bugged me because of the amount of bullying, and no one thought to even ask how she was doing. Let’s not forget she had no idea about her coin to get meals, where her classes were, what was expected of her. None of the guys offered to have their parents reach out to hers and Amber didn’t think to ask them either, it would have answered her questions if her parents were just ignoring her or if something was seriously wrong with them. Also, she didn’t think twice about the halo she might have saw on Beth, her supposed Bestie. I have a feeling she’s an angel or part. Her “father” being god or an angel parent. I hope she survives this ending. Cant wait to read what’s next!
July 19, 2024
Spoilers ahead
There will be spoilers in here so beware! I gave this story 3 stars because I did not like the main character, the story jumped around a lot, and there were so many loose threads. Lance has bright blue eyes, then grey, then blue, then brown at one point. Also, is his main element air? No, he said it's fire. Nope, air again, before finally settling on fire. Julian and Kiernan are inexperienced like Amber. Oh, wait. Nevermind, they've both had sex before they met her. Slug constantly gets out. Even when doors are locked. But he has no magic. We never find out why Matcha gets turned into a cat in the first place. Despite him having no magic, yet Farkas loathed him. Amber was very self-absorbed. I know her situation sucked and it was frustrating how everyone judged and hated her so fast for her powers, but she was so stuck in her own head. Was way too trusting and was quick to brush aside anything that was suspicious. She did have some character development by book 6, but not much. She would marvel at how human like her cat was one moment and then dismissed it and called him a "stupid cat" almost every time she thought of him. It got annoying fast, especially when she proved how stupid she was for not listening to him. He saved her several times, gave her several clues, and yet he was just a stupid cat. She literally only started to appreciate him days before he turned into Macha. But enough about her. There was sexual assault in these books. Lance's happened several times by her roommate and I hated how it was brushed aside when it was discovered! She literally magically roofied SEVERAL TIMES and when it was found out they gave him several moments to break down then Amber started having sex with Kiernan in the room! More outrage from her would have been nice. She was pissed when she thought he was cheating but felt barely anything when she found out he was getting assaulted. She got some outrage from the guys when the teacher sexually assaulted her. So if these are triggers for you. Beware. One the consensual note, there are lots of spicy scene. Everywhere. Especially where they weren't needed. Like when they were hiding. But I guess we can pass it off as them being horny teenagers? You decide. This series was almost a DNF for me. Especially after Lance's assault by Sharon. Only reason I stayed was for Macha. I loved him! And the plot started to get better. The ending was weak though. Suddenly everyone loves her and please run the academy? That she only spent 1 year at? No.
There will be spoilers in here so beware! I gave this story 3 stars because I did not like the main character, the story jumped around a lot, and there were so many loose threads. Lance has bright blue eyes, then grey, then blue, then brown at one point. Also, is his main element air? No, he said it's fire. Nope, air again, before finally settling on fire. Julian and Kiernan are inexperienced like Amber. Oh, wait. Nevermind, they've both had sex before they met her. Slug constantly gets out. Even when doors are locked. But he has no magic. We never find out why Matcha gets turned into a cat in the first place. Despite him having no magic, yet Farkas loathed him. Amber was very self-absorbed. I know her situation sucked and it was frustrating how everyone judged and hated her so fast for her powers, but she was so stuck in her own head. Was way too trusting and was quick to brush aside anything that was suspicious. She did have some character development by book 6, but not much. She would marvel at how human like her cat was one moment and then dismissed it and called him a "stupid cat" almost every time she thought of him. It got annoying fast, especially when she proved how stupid she was for not listening to him. He saved her several times, gave her several clues, and yet he was just a stupid cat. She literally only started to appreciate him days before he turned into Macha. But enough about her. There was sexual assault in these books. Lance's happened several times by her roommate and I hated how it was brushed aside when it was discovered! She literally magically roofied SEVERAL TIMES and when it was found out they gave him several moments to break down then Amber started having sex with Kiernan in the room! More outrage from her would have been nice. She was pissed when she thought he was cheating but felt barely anything when she found out he was getting assaulted. She got some outrage from the guys when the teacher sexually assaulted her. So if these are triggers for you. Beware. One the consensual note, there are lots of spicy scene. Everywhere. Especially where they weren't needed. Like when they were hiding. But I guess we can pass it off as them being horny teenagers? You decide. This series was almost a DNF for me. Especially after Lance's assault by Sharon. Only reason I stayed was for Macha. I loved him! And the plot started to get better. The ending was weak though. Suddenly everyone loves her and please run the academy? That she only spent 1 year at? No.
September 8, 2023
I’m so confused
A breakdown of the book.
Plot/world building: there wasn’t any real explanation or build up of the story, you don’t get any sense of the fmc’s upbringing and why she so adamant to go home to her family- quite honestly they don’t sound that great, but by the way she’s acting she’s so desperate for them. There seemed to be points that aren’t really hashed out well, there was no in depth explanation about a “magical fallout” or I don’t really remember reading anything about it. One would think time would be spent on this magical world and the development.
I didn’t care for the characters, I REALLY disliked the FMC. She was so freaking whiny and such a crybaby, any sort of not so great interaction and she ran off crying. For me her inner monologue was just obnoxious and coupled with the authors writing style of literally telling the reader every little mundane innate thought- I don’t know who edited this? I prefer the style of writing that shows instead of tells. But I couldn’t stand the FMC she almost seems like the bully in this book. The one roommate who initially acted like she could be a bully in no way acted like she did. FMC ate all her food, let her familiar crap on her stuff, just did some dodgy crap to her. No wonder she wasn’t liked. Then the fmc is super special bc she has a familiar and they’re so rare, yet she treats him like absolute garbage, the way she talks to him and about him, the fact he almost died of poison and she’s more concerned about a class, and then he comes up as an afterthought. She’s just a crappy being, then she named him slug? Seriously what kind of crap name is that? The reasoning? Because he’s sluggish (insert a million eyerolls) .
The characters need a lot of work. The fact that they need to explain every detail and thought was uninteresting. The relationship between her and the guys is super lack luster and hearing the monologue of her during their kissing felt like I was reading a 13 year old’s diary. There isn’t any real spice. And honestly I feel like this was written for YA so maybe this isn’t the genre for me. There’s no second chance about this book, but I will read the next one to get a feel to see if the author grew her characters
A breakdown of the book.
Plot/world building: there wasn’t any real explanation or build up of the story, you don’t get any sense of the fmc’s upbringing and why she so adamant to go home to her family- quite honestly they don’t sound that great, but by the way she’s acting she’s so desperate for them. There seemed to be points that aren’t really hashed out well, there was no in depth explanation about a “magical fallout” or I don’t really remember reading anything about it. One would think time would be spent on this magical world and the development.
I didn’t care for the characters, I REALLY disliked the FMC. She was so freaking whiny and such a crybaby, any sort of not so great interaction and she ran off crying. For me her inner monologue was just obnoxious and coupled with the authors writing style of literally telling the reader every little mundane innate thought- I don’t know who edited this? I prefer the style of writing that shows instead of tells. But I couldn’t stand the FMC she almost seems like the bully in this book. The one roommate who initially acted like she could be a bully in no way acted like she did. FMC ate all her food, let her familiar crap on her stuff, just did some dodgy crap to her. No wonder she wasn’t liked. Then the fmc is super special bc she has a familiar and they’re so rare, yet she treats him like absolute garbage, the way she talks to him and about him, the fact he almost died of poison and she’s more concerned about a class, and then he comes up as an afterthought. She’s just a crappy being, then she named him slug? Seriously what kind of crap name is that? The reasoning? Because he’s sluggish (insert a million eyerolls) .
The characters need a lot of work. The fact that they need to explain every detail and thought was uninteresting. The relationship between her and the guys is super lack luster and hearing the monologue of her during their kissing felt like I was reading a 13 year old’s diary. There isn’t any real spice. And honestly I feel like this was written for YA so maybe this isn’t the genre for me. There’s no second chance about this book, but I will read the next one to get a feel to see if the author grew her characters
March 27, 2024
I loved it!
Please Note: Recommended strictly for adults 18+ because of steamy scenes and adult subject matters. Don't read if you're not an adult. If you are, you'll find a love story between a girl and her multiple boyfriends.
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. Welcome to Second Chance Academy (or Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement). This is a steamy, slow-burn dark fantasy romance series depicting a spicy love story, full of adventure and excitement. If you like found family, soul mates, and steamy scenes, you’ll enjoy this series. Expect angsty action with lots of drama. A story about a girl named Amber Whitman who was abandoned by her family, and forgotten by her friends, but found by three boys and a cat. One minute, she’s your average student, and the next, she finds herself at a magical academy against her will because she killed a few people. Let’s clear up some points, first of all, she didn’t even know she had magic when her powers went out of control, second, she objected to being there, and third, she doesn’t like the other students. Her one roommate is okay, but the other is a total bitch, plus she badly misses her parents. The only upside is the way too human alley cat that captured her heart and the three cute boys vying for her attention. Even though she’s never slept with them, she’s had boyfriends before, but never more than one, though. Seems like the magical world has its own rules. Now, if she could only convince them to break out with her, she’d be a lot happier because there is a teacher who wants to drain her lightning power, even if it means her death. So here are her options, return to her old world where people fear her and want to lock her up, or stay where she’s accepted, but in mortal danger. What kind of choices are that? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I highly recommend to everyone.
Please Note: Recommended strictly for adults 18+ because of steamy scenes and adult subject matters. Don't read if you're not an adult. If you are, you'll find a love story between a girl and her multiple boyfriends.
It was so enticing that I couldn’t put it down, this book grabbed my interest from the very first page. I had to know what happened next. The story is well written with a very good storyline. Welcome to Second Chance Academy (or Farkas Academy for Magical Advancement). This is a steamy, slow-burn dark fantasy romance series depicting a spicy love story, full of adventure and excitement. If you like found family, soul mates, and steamy scenes, you’ll enjoy this series. Expect angsty action with lots of drama. A story about a girl named Amber Whitman who was abandoned by her family, and forgotten by her friends, but found by three boys and a cat. One minute, she’s your average student, and the next, she finds herself at a magical academy against her will because she killed a few people. Let’s clear up some points, first of all, she didn’t even know she had magic when her powers went out of control, second, she objected to being there, and third, she doesn’t like the other students. Her one roommate is okay, but the other is a total bitch, plus she badly misses her parents. The only upside is the way too human alley cat that captured her heart and the three cute boys vying for her attention. Even though she’s never slept with them, she’s had boyfriends before, but never more than one, though. Seems like the magical world has its own rules. Now, if she could only convince them to break out with her, she’d be a lot happier because there is a teacher who wants to drain her lightning power, even if it means her death. So here are her options, return to her old world where people fear her and want to lock her up, or stay where she’s accepted, but in mortal danger. What kind of choices are that? So with all that and more this story pulls you in and holds you tight. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I highly recommend to everyone.
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