Actual Rating: 4.5☆

Academy of Villains is a dark academia romance inspired by Nyx and Erebus.

The story begins with one of the Nameless hired to assassinate Prince Lucian at the Academy of Magic. She makes a careless mistake and finds herself at the sorting ceremony where the mages elemental magic are revealed. When she is called upon the platform, a stone pillar reacts to the magic she is unaware of even possessing. She is what she hates most, a mage. Kiara's element is celestial and believed to be eradicated many years ago. As Kiara learns how to use her magic, she awakens a magical thread that may alter her original mission. Kiara might need the prince alive to save the kingdom.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The concept of this story was so interesting, and I enjoyed it way more than I was anticipating. This is a series I plan on devouring!

I loved the magic system. The mages receive their grimoire based on their elemental magic. The grimoires start out blank, and when needed, the spells appear to the user of the grimoire. To everyone other than the owner of the grimoire, it stays blank. The mages elemental magic also has a beast form. I loved Kiara and Lucian's beast forms! The mages also have an affinity, for example, healing or being able to know when someone is being dishonest.

Lucian is our shadow daddy, and I love him. He is respected as the prince and feared for his element. He is a Shadowmage. He possesses cursed, dark magic that he spent years learning to control. When he meets Kiara, his control falters. He was aware that Kiara was planning to assassinate him, and he was exhilarated. Like, this man had a fancy lamb chop dinner awaiting her, as if it were a date and not her sneaking into his room to assassinate him. As we get to know him, he is actually so sweet, caring, and genuine.

The imagery during battles was beautifully written. I could easily visualize Kiara's celestial magic: her starblades slicing through the air, stars shooting down from the sky, exploding in a glowing light as they hit their opponents.

I highly recommend this book if you love dark academia, trials, secret societies, and elemental magic.

dark academia • dark fantasy • dark romance • enemies to lovers • greek mythology • magic • retelling • romantasy • secret society • self discovery • shadow daddy

*A sweet thank you to NetGalley and author for approving me to review!*

My very first ARC review ever and this book really exceeded my expectations!

3.8/5

“Love is the frequency of magic.”

Full of all the tropes we love, Academy of Villains has so much to offer, to think about and to discover. This was jammed packed with complex fantastical concepts: secret societies, magic systems, prophecies & fate. This story follows Kiara, a Nameless assassin, who was hired to kill the dark prince, Lucian, to stop their kingdom’s curse. Little does she know she’s about to embark on a much bigger adventure filled with dark secrets, magical discovery and fated mates.

The Magic Academy itself has very gothic-Hogwarts vibes and does have some parallels/similarities to Harry Potter. I would’ve loved more of *something* that wasn’t quite there, but I seriously can’t wait to learn more about this world. The beginning of the story felt rushed, this is a very fast paced book: good & bad. There are so many things going on at once. I definitely feel like things need to be flushed out more and need more depth, but expecting great things & more world-building in the sequel! The writing style is super entertaining and kept me wanting more and more!

Kiara & Lucian: I do feel like Kiara switched gears too quick with her feelings for Lucian - but it could also be something that her heartstring really influenced in her. There was enemies and then there was lovers, it happened very quickly, but the banter was fun! Lucian is just so sweet and a lot of his dialogue made me giddy!

“I want her in ways that’ll erase that defiance, that hatred from her eyes. I want her to look at me differently. To see me. To want me. To need me.”

I LOVE the secret societies, can’t wait to meet more of them and get more depth on all the Raven Society boys.

I never thought I would read something that would make writing an ARC review so easy, it was a great read and I’ll definitely be reading the sequel!

“In that moment, it hits me-he was the darkness I craved, and I was the light he couldn’t escape.”

Be sure to check this out on Amazon to support the author!

Academy of Villains by Ever King
4 stars

Did I choose to read this book based of the cover alone? Yes, yes I did. Do I regret my choices? No, not even a little bit.

After page 3, maybe 4, I was absolutely hooked on this book. Like it was so fast paced that you couldn’t put it down even if you wanted to. It kept me intrigued but also kept me questioning, which is a win.

One of the biggest things about this book is the world building and descriptions. Jesus. I can’t even explain how absolutely flawless everything is because if the descriptions. It was so beautifully done and I am in utter awe of King. There was not a stone left unturned with how beautiful this was. From the bigger locations to the smaller more detailed descriptions, all of it was flawless. For a new author, King is really going to be one to watch with the amount of detail that’s used throughout.

Kiara is out strong, badass FMC who is tasked with killing the Prince of Ithaka. She is strong willed and just such a strong character, the way King portrayed her is brilliant and I have no complaints about her at all. Fantastic. Now, the Prince, Lucian. My oh my, I need him. Like now! Every single thing about him is just *mouth watering* phenomenal. He is the one we want but cant have. Typical.

Anyway, back to the review - fantastic, must read, brilliant.

Book Review: Academy of Villains by Ever King

Academy of Villains by Ever King is an exhilarating, fast-paced fantasy novel that will have readers hooked from the very first page. As the first book I’ve read in this series, I must say that I am thoroughly impressed by Ever King’s writing, and I can’t wait to dive deeper into the world they’ve created.

The story follows Kiara, a skilled assassin who has been tasked with an impossible job: to kill the prince. However, things take an unexpected turn when Kiara discovers that she possesses magic—something she never knew she had. This revelation shifts the entire course of her mission, leading her down a path that intertwines with Prince Lucian, the very person she was supposed to eliminate. Together, they embark on a dangerous quest to defeat a dark and powerful force threatening their world.

One of the standout elements of Academy of Villains is the incredible world-building. King has created a rich and immersive universe filled with magic, political intrigue, and fascinating characters. From the moment Kiara enters this world, readers are transported into a realm that feels both familiar and wholly unique. The atmosphere is dark and suspenseful, keeping the tension high and the pages turning. The balance between action, mystery, and character development is skillfully maintained throughout, making it a page-turner that’s difficult to put down.

Kiara is a compelling protagonist—strong, resourceful, and flawed in ways that make her feel real and relatable. Her dynamic with Prince Lucian adds a layer of complexity to the story, with tension and chemistry that keeps readers eagerly anticipating what will happen next. The romance is slow-burn, but it’s the kind of connection that feels earned and organic, which adds emotional depth to the narrative.

I also want to highlight the author’s ability to blend high-stakes action with moments of introspection. The quest to defeat the dark lord is thrilling, but it’s the inner growth of Kiara and Lucian that truly elevates the story. As they uncover secrets about their pasts and their powers, they are forced to confront their own beliefs and make tough choices that will shape their future.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Academy of Villains. It was an absolute pleasure to read this book, and I look forward to the next installment in the series. If you’re a fan of fast-paced fantasy with a strong, complex heroine, an intriguing plot, and a richly developed world, this book is a must-read. Ever King has crafted a captivating start to what promises to be an unforgettable series.

Rating: 5/5 stars

Incredible blend of dark academia, romance, suspense and magic, I didn't realise this was YA when I requested, I don't read a lot of it (for no reason I just tend to sway towards adult) but this was fantastic, some YA can feel TOO young but this felt believable and authentic, loved the pacy plot, it's giving Slytherin X Chilling Adventures of Sabrina vibes will definitely be reading more by this author!

I really enjoyed this book and I am so grateful to being given the arc of this book in return for an honest review, I was so excited about this book and it really did live up to my expectations!

I quite often choose books based on their covers. Sometimes I am disappointed and some other times I find great stories and new authors.

Academy of Villains has a gorgeous cover and I decided to request a copy on NetGalley even though I rarely read YA. I am glad I did it.

The world building in this book is perfect. The characters are strong and mature and their growth is noticeable. The plot is good and still developing.

I also loved the connection to Greek mythology.

I can't wait to read the rest of this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Ever King for this ebook! This is my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book! I am a big fan of Greek mythology and love how this book is inspired by it. Definitely gives Dark Academia vibes and I thought there was a nice blend of magic, romance, and suspense. Definitely would recommend to fans of the romantasy/fantasy genre!

Magical adventure like no other!

The nameless trained her. Her mission is to kill the Cursed prince, not find a name for herself and explore magic she didn't think she had.
The prince didn't even know he was cursed. When a star mage arrives after many years, his world is turned upside down. Not only is she the complete opposite of everything he was raised to believe, but they have a connection unlike any other. Their heartstrings connect.
Will he hand her over to the King or will he fight for their future with her?

I loved the magic system in this book! and the idea of the star mage! I'm genuinely curious about the world prior to the disappearance of the star mages.

Can't wait to read the rest of the series!

Thank you for the arc!!

After seeing this cover and reading the description, I was so stoked to read this book. Kiara (fmc) is a trained assassin who is tasked with killing the prince but ends up finding out she is a rare mage that has to face trials and tribulations while dealing with emerging feelings for the one she was tasked to kill.

As for the romance, I feel so conflicted. Personally I am a slow burn girly, but I also blush and kick my feet knowing when the guy catches feelings fast and falls hard which occurs in this book. I would have liked to see more development between characters but this is not a deal breaker for me. The enemies to lovers trope is solid, and the tension between Kiara and Lucien is *chef's kiss*.

As for the challenges the main characters have to face, this also develops in fast succession and if you like a quick read this is okay, I am someone who likes full details and drawn out plots but this is just my own personal take.

Overall, I am glad I was able to read this book and I do look forward to the second book. Academy of Villains ends leaving a perfect opening for a second story and I am excited to see where Ever King takes this story. If you like a mix of Harry Potter, Throne of Glass, and Zodiac Academy, this book is for you!

✦ Academy of Villains ✦

A 𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙮 inspired by the 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙈𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙮 love story of Nyx and Erebus.

I found this book to be an enchanting, sweet tale that weaves together romance, Greek Myth, magic, and dark fantasy elements anchored by the pursuit to destroy the curse on the Kingdom. The author had me hooked from the first sentence: 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦. I mean!?!

Kiara – not magicborn. Orphaned, captured, and stripped of her name and identity and trained as an assassin for the King’s guard. Book begins with a mission gone wrong, and fate has another plan for her.

Lucian – Crown Prince of Ithaka. Powerful shadowmage with cursed, dark magic.

I just loved the love story between Kiara and Prince Lucian. It wasn’t insta-love, they grew into their bond and trust. Their scenes consisted of chin lifts, one bed, steamy kisses, deadly trials, and great banter. I loved the portrayal of the heartstring bonds; it was magical how the author described them. I could truly picture it. I loved the character growth in the book. Both the FMC and MMC grew individually as well as together. I like that most of the story took place at the magic academy but the story doesn’t focus on the academy aspect too much. The focus is on the bond between our powerful Shadowmage Prince and Starmage FMC. Also, I enjoyed the side characters tremendously.

“𝘒𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘢,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, “𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶.”

Hidden secrets, powerful spells, revenge, and heartfelt relationships, you would be remiss to not add this one to your tbr!

Thank you @netgalley for a copy of Academy of Villains!

Map: yes!
Pub Date: 15 Oct 2024
Rating: 4.5/5

I love books that revolve around kingdoms, magic and greek mythology. So I had to request this ARC on @netgalley

The book aspects:
⚔️: the fantasy is a 5/5
🪄: the magic system is a 4/5
♥️: enemy to lovers, the romance is cute and charming 5/5
🔥: There wasn't really spice in it (slowburn), well definitely some breathtaking kiss scenes. So 2/5
👥: The characters are all amazing. The MC's were badass but Idk why Tobias has a special place in my heart (I will explain) 5/5

Review 📄 :
The first line of this book says it all "I've been hired to Kill the prince".
Kiara, the nameless, the assassin has always hated the Cursed King and all the mages of the kingdom. So when she was hired to kill the prince and free the kingdom from the dark shadows that roams around it, she couldn't be more ready. As Kiara went to fulfill her assignment in the Academy where the prince stays, she was forced to undergo the sorting ceremony for new students. The result changed everything, if not for any, Kiara herself is a mage and not just any but one of the rarest that was believed to be out of existence. But despite that our badass MC was determined to kill the prince and save the kingdom, yeah because mages are still arrogant assholes. Kiara decided to stay as a student and understand everything about this academy, full of secrets, until she discovers that there is another way to save the kingdom with support of her enemy, the prince. Sadly only one of them is predicted to last, But who?
.
My opinion:
As a potterhead I can approve that there was a little bit of Harry potter vibes in this, obviously the sorting ceremony. But I also felt a bit of Bridgeton vibe to be specific lady whishledown vibes, the gossip bubbles scene.
As I mentioned above that Tobias has a special place in my heart, I kinda ship him with Kiara. I found their interaction scene cute and funny, all that "you are not mine but Definitely my type", I melted. You guys take lucien, Tobias is mine!!
I need the next book rn!! I'm so excited to know more about the Raven society especially Tobias.

At the very beginning, I loved this book. It was just hitting right. But then a lot of things started happening. Some of them felt aimless, some felt out of place, and one particular scene felt so out of character for one of the MCs. Moreover, I didn't feel like I knew the characters as people. Even though I knew their backgrounds and some thoughts, I still couldn't learn who they really were. The ending left me disappointed since all their trials didn’t have a sufficient payoff.

Thank NetGalley, publisher and author for providing me with ARC copy

This is like every one of my favorite books mixed together with a greek mythical mix to it... I do wish there was more background on characters and felt like I wanted more detail about certain parts of the book. Otherwise I did enjoy this! Thank you to NetGalley and Ever King for the ARC of this book!

If you love Zodiac Academy without the spice and Harry Potter then this book is for you.. I loved the way that the characters grow throughout the book and realise that together they're stronger.. doing what they must to save the kingdom from the Curse and finding themselves along the way.. the storyline and the trials were brilliant and I really enjoyed the flow throughout.. I can't wait to find out what comes next..

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

academy of villains by ever king is the first in the fantasy series which is inspired by greek mythology.

this story follows kiara, a nameless assassin with no magic, who has been tasked to infiltrate the magical academy to kill prince lucian whose family is linked to a curse that has plagued the lands that cost her her parents. she detests magic and mages for her loss and wants vengeance. however, in her efforts, she is forced into the mages sorting ceremony at the academy and discovers she is actually a mage herself and one of the most rare mages.

while she keeps her true identity to herself, she is still onto her plan of killing lucian. she learns more about the academy, secret societies, how to wield her magic and finds herself conflicted with not only her mission and her hatred for all things magic but how she feels with her own magic and most importantly, the prince himself.

this story amazed me from the get go. i honestly enjoy fantasy books set in dark, academic settings and throw in some greek mythology for extra layer of intrigue and… just wow. it’s fast paced with an amazing magic system and world building that feels so atmospheric. the trials at the end? on edge the entire time.

kiara is a badass and strong-willed FC despite her tragic backstory which only adds to the layers of her. her indecision mixed in with self discovery was written so well as she learns more about her own magic and how it influences her mission. lucian made me giggle many times with his sarcasm and broodiness. he is intrigued by kiara from the beginning and wants to know who she is and what her intentions are. (bonus points for being a shadowmage). their chemistry was insane as they both juggling their motives and feelings, conflicting at many times. his protectiveness and her learning to accept his help? their back and forth? the development? just chefs kiss. overall, i am obsessed and i need the next one tomorrow.

if you like harry potter, zodiac academy and throne of glass then this book should be on your TBR. !!!

I was honored with an ARC copy of Fate and Fury provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. Thank you!

What a fun read! I'm highly impressed with Ever King's writing. She did a great job blending mythology, magic, and romance while adding a healthy dose of action and mystery! What drew me to this series was a review touting it as a blend of Harry Potter and Throne of Glass—some of my favorite stories of all time. They were not wrong!

It was so fun how the action instantly kicked off on page 1. The detailed world-building and thoughtful explanations of how their magic system works were seamlessly incorporated throughout the book, which I appreciated as I could absorb all of the information for safekeeping when mentioned again in the future. The story reminded me of Aelin's arc in Throne of Glass, except Kiara's is compressed from several books down to 1. There are pros and cons to compressing that insane character growth in just one book, but I think Ever King did a solid job.

This was a fast-paced and interesting read. Featuring unique aspects and a nod to familiar themes in other popular fantasy series. I look forward to Ever King's next installment in the Academy of Villains series!

Oh gosh….where to start. First off I want to say I hate writing negative reviews like this, but I won’t every sugarcoat or lie. I never DNF a book, especially an ARC. But it was so hard not to with this book, It was actually torture to finish this.
There really is not anything I like about this book. From the worldbuilding, to the plot, the characters and tropes. Everything in this book is either a copy of another book, or beyond repetitive and unoriginal.

The only few things I can say is that the magic system was interesting, use of elemental magic. The side characters were funny and I enjoyed the scenes with them. The plot was somewhat okay, but not until at least 50% through the book.

First issue is that it really is a knock off Harry Potter. The school, the classes, the sorting process. Even the description of the floating lights in the dining hall, or class of caring for magical creatures. I mean it was incredibly obvious. This was not drawing from inspiration but really copying the books but changing small features.

The female main character Kiara, is a complete generic, but badly done, copy of the “I am the poor nameless girl, but I am overly confident, and actually super special/important” She is supposed to be an assassin to start, but is a terrible one. Like actually horrible, caught twice immediately by her target. The male main character, Lucien, is another copy and paste of the broody troubled prince who craves danger.

But mainly, if I have to hear one of the following statements again. I WILL FREAK OUT.: something about her/him, drawn to her/him, what is he/she doing to me, she is dangerous. They jumped from wanting to kill each other, to immediately obsessed with each other, to together and inseparable. Like we get it! Was literally on every page, over and over again, and was incredibly annoying and immature.

The writing overall was just very childish, the whole book repeated the characters limited mental thoughts over and over again. The plot was somehow both rushed and a total mess, by the end of the book there was so much that was presented but unsolved, I was completely unsatisfied and she really gave us nothing in terms of explanations.

Academy of Villains was like a good, comfort read. It took elements of my favorite books growing up along with recent romantasy releases and combined them. I liked the ease of the world building. Some times fantasy based plots can take up so much time and details to build things up. This was easy to understand and picture. The enemies to friends to lovers was a bit quicker than I expected but can understand why given some circumstances and turn of events. The characters were enjoyable and had entertaining wit and personalities. It sets it up for a sequel and I am eager to follow the characters along.

I liked the idea of the story more than how it was carried out. It had a similar feel to Harry Potter and Throne of Glass, but it didn't quite measure up to them. It has a solid start, but the future books in the series will need more development.

The characters didn’t feel very real or interesting. The male characters were all shades of grumpy without distinction. If there were fewer characters, the author could have focused more on developing each one.

The plot was okay, but it needed more detail to make it engaging. There wasn't enough background information to help us connect with the characters or the story. Some parts of the story took up too much time and didn't relate to the main plot, which distracted from the novel itself.

Finally, we all enjoy tropes, as they can be fun. However, using them right from the first chapter felt too obvious and set a predictable tone for the rest of the book. Also, there was no enemies to lovers or slow burn. He was obsessed immediately. Even though the idea was interesting, the writing felt too formulaic.