Dnf @ 16%. I really wanted to like Academy of Villains. The premise sounded right up my street. Unfortunately, this one just didn’t work for me.

The biggest hurdle was the writing style. It leans heavily into a stream-of-consciousness approach that made it hard to connect with the main characters. I kept waiting for the story to settle into a rhythm, but instead, I felt like I was being dragged through a chaotic internal monologue with very little grounding.

What really broke it for me, though, was how the main character seemingly forgets her entire life as an assassin the moment the story kicks off. It felt like such a strange, abrupt shift with no real explanation. It made it hard to take her seriously or stay invested in her arc.

Maybe it picks up later, but at 16%, I just couldn’t push through any longer. Not for me, but I can see others enjoying it if they vibe with the writing style.

Thank you netgalley and authoreverking for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very easy, but it is a YA so that makes sense, and in a way that’s good but for me the story way maybe sometimes a little bit to much on the nose with not enough suspense.

To enjoy the story you need to accept the easiness and to be a bit more laid back, but if you do that I felt that the story was better then and still nice to read. Some things at in the story really don’t make sense (e.g., why is she sticking around in the first place after failing her mission?) and will frustrate the hell out of you, but if you remind yourself to not think to hard about that and just go with the flow it’s still a very enjoyable story.

The characters in this story are not extra ordinary, but they are well written which is nice. I especially appreciate this as this is the first book in a connecting story in which I believe/feel we will switch between characters that weee introduced in this book, and in my opinion this set up is done well.

Personally I am a sucker for magical school settings and I think this is a very nice young adult (around 15 years old) story for people who love these kind of stories when they fell under the children category (e.g. school of good and evil) who look for one that is a bit more grown up with tropes that are popular in the romantasy genre (like one-bed (but without spice!), enemies to lovers and touch her/him and die) but still not to much that it might become to much or inappropriate, and I think that is one of the strongest points of this story.

All in all it was still an enjoyable read for me and I think this series will develop well.

I was pulled in right from the beginning. Started off really well and had me invested in the characters but then the pacing became inconsistent. Parts of the beginning were rushed, not much was seen of the characters in the academy. Multiple flash forwards of weeks at a time so the fmc's progress was happening behind the scenes. Then there were parts that I wish did move along a little faster.

It's meant to be enemies to lovers but the enemies part felt very one sided since the mmc was so nonchalant about her trying to kill him and easily moved on. It was more enemies to somewhat intrigued reluctant allies to insta-lovey. About the 70% mark is where I didn't feel as invested in the story anymore. I felt like every obstacle in their way was pretty easily resolved with not much resistance from the villain or other forces at play.

This book has it all you could want from a dark academia book! Combine that with greek mythology and you are in for a wild ride. This book had me hooked from the first chapter, I loved the badass FMC assassin with a tragic backstory and the cursed MMC prince.

The tropes in this book include fated mates, one bed, shadow daddy, unique magic system and of course all the feels with the romance.

Unfortunaly this book felt a bit rushed and the actual quest (FMC infiltrating the school to kill the royal bloodline) seemed to be almost an afterthought. I would have liked the pacing and world building to be little bit more slower, which is rare.

But all and all, this was a good read and I did enjoy it.

Book Review: Academy of Villains: Nyx and Erebus (Greek Mythology Retelling) by Ever King

Academy of Villains: Nyx and Erebus by Ever King is an engaging and twisty retelling of Greek mythology that takes a fresh spin on the timeless gods Nyx and Erebus. The novel transports readers into a world where these ancient deities attend an academy filled with mystery, power struggles, and dark secrets.

The story centers around Nyx, the goddess of night, and Erebus, the god of darkness. The chemistry between them is palpable from the start, and their complicated relationship adds a layer of depth to the story. Both characters are well-written and multi-dimensional—Nyx is strong, but also grappling with her vulnerabilities, while Erebus is brooding and complex, with motivations that keep you guessing. The way their relationship evolves through the book feels real and compelling, making it easy to root for them despite their flaws.

Ever King’s writing brings a fresh, modern twist to Greek mythology while staying true to the gods’ original complexity. The academy setting works well, creating a unique mix of ancient and modern that keeps things interesting. There’s a lot of tension throughout the novel—not just between the characters, but in the wider world they inhabit—and it keeps the plot unpredictable. Every page seems to reveal something new, and the twists will definitely keep you on your toes.

The pacing is spot-on, never feeling too slow or rushed. The romance between Nyx and Erebus builds slowly, but you’re hooked by their dynamic right from the beginning. It’s a balance of romance, action, and emotional depth that doesn’t feel forced.

Overall, Academy of Villains: Nyx and Erebus is a dark, captivating read that’s perfect for anyone who loves mythology with a modern edge. It’s got the right mix of suspense, romance, and divine drama to keep you turning pages, and if you’re into books that explore complex relationships set against a rich, supernatural backdrop, this one’s definitely worth checking out.

What drew me to this book was the cover and the premise of the story. I felt that there was so much potential however it didn’t quite reach it. The pacing felt really uneven, with lots of new elements to the plot that was introduced at different points but not completely tied up enough- I feel like the author was relying on it being a series and therefore introducing too much for the first book.

The character were fine, the side character was a tad unforgettable. It was enemies to lovers but I felt that it was more he falls first, they pretend to hate each other but the yearning and hate just wasn’t developed enough.

I did find the title confusing, these characters didn’t seem like villains in my eyes. Would be intrigued to see how the story continues.

What a ride! We’ve got a badass ex-assassin sneaking into a magic academy, secret societies, fated mates, and a cursed prince—basically, all the drama you could ever want in a fantasy romance.

Kiara’s mission is simple: take out the prince, end the royal bloodline, and go on her merry way. But plot twist—she actually has magic (shocking, I know), and suddenly, she’s tangled in a web of dark academia secrets, dangerous alliances, and a romance that had me internally screaming. The chemistry? 🔥 The angst? Delicious. The tension? A+ material.

That being said, some twists were super predictable, and I kinda wished we got more academy life—like, give me more of the classes, trials, and morally gray scheming! But honestly, I was still eating it up. If you love a good enemies-to-lovers with a side of magic and betrayal, this one’s for you.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion! Can’t wait for the next book! 🖤✨

[3 stars]

Entertaining read. You sort of get a combination of everything in here. Magic school, check. FMC that is an assassin with a tragic backstory, check. Dark and dangerous MMC who is also a prince, check. Secret societies, check. Trials and tribulations, check. One bed trope, check. Honestly the point I’m trying to make is that while I am a sucker for all of the above, it was a lot to tackle in one book. The author was trying to include a bunch of popular fantasy elements throughout this first novel that the main plot felt a bit murky. Also I never got a “villainous” vibe from this novel despite its title….

However you do get what is advertised! Academy of Villains feels like entering Hogwarts (for a few seconds) but with FMC influences from Throne of Glass while predominantly reading like a Zodiac Academy novel. So Zodiac Academy fans, this one is for you! I believe that the future installments will focus on the other members of the raven society which could be intriguing so I won’t count myself out of this series yet.

All in all, had fun but was left wanting more depth and refinement out of the characters and plot.

Note || Thank you immensely to NetGalley & Ever King for providing me with this digital ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The cover and the title roped me in! I was so intrigued! I think this has all the right themes and tropes to be great but somewhere in the middle I lost my interest but still liked it! You’ll love this if you’re a big fan of dark academia, great banter, enemies to lovers, shadow daddy 😏, and one bed tropes.

I didn't really like this book. It seemed like a mash up of fan fictions from a few popular series. They even use the line "The magic chooses the mage." The details seem unrealistic. This is supposed to be an academy for advanced students, and yet noone notices that the new student knows absolutely nothing about magic. The idea of the grimoires was an interesting one, but it is entirely under-used throughout the book. The description says the book was inspired by mythological epics (its even in the title description) but this did not come across well for me. The actual quest, or journey, part of the book seemed an afterthought to be rushed through at the end and I'm not sure how the characters are supposed to fit with the greek myth being claimed as inspiration.

Greek mythology, Harry Potter-esque academia, & a cool magic system… what more could you want in a book?!

I was hooked from the first chapter. This book was very easy to follow/read (which is appreciated in fantasy) & the characters are extremely relatable thru their trials/everyday lives. I cannot wait for book 2!

I really enjoyed this book. The magic system was so unique and I couldn't help being gripped by this book.

Loved the start of this book - gave a lot of Zodiac Academy vibes, strong magic in someone who doesn't know they have magic, group of bonded boys trying to control the situation, add to that a overarching evil that needs to be conquered and seems like it's a great action adventure combo. The start of the book at the academy looked like we were going to learn bits and pieces of magic that would be needed later in the book to complete some quest, but several pieces just got left behind. The whole greenhouse and poisons combined with the boys having their own "potions master" who's constantly fiddling with unknown vials, but then it just didn't go anywhere. I was waiting for an "ah ha" moment where that would be woven back in, but it didn't happen.
The quest at the end was a bit under the mountain feel, but without the page flipping risk of will she won't she, it's a bit flat in that they just proceed through the trials without having much go wrong. We're left at the end without the curse being broken, the magical heart string was a bit anticlimatic and since we left behind most of the other characters when we went into the trials - we don't really have much connection with them.
Overall - there was a lot of great world building and setup that felt like it wasn't used as strongly as it could have been. Maybe it's setup for a book two - so I'll still be looking for that when it comes out to see what happens next.

The world-building and character development are strong, and the novel’s twists and suspense will keep readers hooked.
Also, the mythological aspect is the best

Imagine a mash-up of all of your favorite fantasies and then give it its own twist.

Thank you NetGalley and Ever King for providing me an eARC of this book!

This is what it felt like to read Ever King's Academy of Villains. I found the magic system to be fun with the grimoires required to harness magic. The concept for this was great. I will devour any story that features an assassin FMC, a magic academy, and shadow wielding love interest. Kiara's magic was very cool and I loved watching her learn to use it. There was so much potential for this to be a 5 star read. it unfortunately just did not meet the mark.

There are many bits in the story that are too strongly connected to other widely known fantasies. From the magic academy with sorted houses, the character named Bellatrix, and the names of many classes to the young girl raised in an assassin's guild after her parents were murdered, it all just hit a little too close to the Harry Potter / Throne of Glass realm. Regardless of this, I think the writing was just not very strong. There were so many moments that had great potential that were but too short, not given the time they needed to resolve in a satisfying manner. There were also scenes that felt useless or confusing.

It was overall an enjoyable read which is why it is getting 3 stars! I think a strong editor could really help this series reach it potential that I feel it has.

A twist on Greek mythology, set in a school for mages to learn to control their magic. Yes there was only one bed in the inn but the spice level is implicit at best.

You've got your shadow daddy and your fated mates which made this an enjoyable read.

It started out strong but it starts to flag towards the end. Not enough to spoil the book, it's a great story but it dropped it from 5 stars to 4. I'm not sure I knew the characters too much better at the end compared to the beginning.

Great for lovers of Romantasy set in magic schools.

Cool world. Great for fans of Harry Potter and Zodiac Academy. The plot was very typical for this type of world. I hope to learn more about the raven society.

3.75 ⭐️
rounded up
Thank you to NetGalley and Ever King for the ARC!
This book started off very trope-y and I didn't really have high hopes. Especially when I read the line- "there you are, l've been looking for you." That is very high lord of the night court coded and to be honest I still don't see a point in that particular line being in there.
Nevertheless as I went on I was captivated by the story and it started to develop into something fairly unique!
I would love to see more world building and also more of a back story on Kiara, I feel like we don't really know much about her other than she is one of the Nameless and an assassin.
This is definitely YA and if I would've read this when I was 16 l would've been absolutely obsessed. With that being said, I still really enjoyed the story and am curious to see where it goes. It has so much potential and is pretty well written!

Delightfully dark and wickedly fun, Academy of Villains throws readers into a school with a cast of morally gray (and sometimes downright devious) characters. The story crackles with tension, competition, and plenty of sharp-edged banter. The main character’s journey from underdog to potential menace is thrilling to watch, and the world-building adds just the right amount of danger and intrigue. While some plot points feel a bit rushed, the fast pacing, scheming, and chaotic energy make this an addictive read for fans of villainy done right!

Academy of Villains follows Kiara, an assassin trained since birth to be one of the Nameless. Her latest mission? Kill the crown prince of Ithaka and break a dark curse. But when things don’t go as planned, she realizes the only way to complete her task is by working *with* him instead. As tensions rise and trust is tested, their partnership becomes more complicated than either of them expected.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of its ties to Greek mythology, which is my hands down favorite. Thankfully, it delivered! The story leans into familiar fantasy tropes, but with plenty of action and twists that kept me turning pages. The writing was fluid and easy to sink into, making for a quick read.

Where it lost me a bit was with the characters and their romance. Lucian’s overprotectiveness went *way* overboard. I get that he cared about Kiara, but she’s been a trained assassin her whole life—she doesn’t need someone constantly hovering over her. And while I liked Kiara, I expected her to have more conviction. Her feelings for Lucian shifted too fast for my taste; one second, she wanted nothing to do with him, and the next, they were kissing. I would’ve liked to see their dynamic develop more gradually.

Despite those issues, I still enjoyed the book! If you’re into fast-paced fantasy with assassin-royalty dynamics and a bit of Greek mythology woven in, this one’s worth picking up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Ever King for my free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.