This was a mess. The world building was all over the place. It’s clear the author has a whole lot of ideas but all of them were poorly executed. It felt more like a first draft than a locked and loaded book. There were so many times where I was wondering my if I’d hallucinated while reading. Some prime examples: girl cuts her hand and opens a secret passage; she explains the whole thing to the guy and how she cut her hand; in the next chapter they’re in the secret passage and she’s like woah I know this place and he’s like how and she says “long story”. I’m sorry but you literally just explained this to him. Girl is an assassin sent to kill the prince. She decides to go to the greenhouse to get some poisons and asks the greenhouse attendant to show her poisonous plants and describe how they work. She’d be identified as the assassin in two seconds. It was almost like there was a checklist of things and tropes the author wanted to have in the book and the list got longer as the book was being written. The only reason I’m giving it two stars over one is because I want to find out how the curse gets broken and there were a whole lot of ideas here (too many) even if they were poorly executed.

Enemies to lovers, academia and trials. This fantasy had everything needed to grab the readers attention! The mmc controls shadows and is a broody, mysterious prince. The fmc is an assassin who finds out she has magic when she’s on a mission to kill the prince.

I was obsessed with this book! I couldn’t put it down. The story was fast paced with the characters dealing with trying to overcome a curse.

I liked how the magic system and how they had grimories to access their magic which grew alongside their abilities. Plus the story had hot guys, secret societies and mysteries to uncover.

I’m curious to see how the story unfolded.

Thank you Netgalley and Ever King for the ARC 💕

I would be completely honest and tell you that I had a hard time finishing this book. It's because there are no spacing between the paragraphs 😭 With my poor eyesight, I struggled a lot and it feels like the letters or sentences are crammed together.

The story... The magic system is unique. I have never heard of any fantasy book using grimoire(s). Imagining them using each of their own is so magical. The flow is kinda TOO fast-paced though. It's like your going on a vacation and you want to bring everything with you so just put them all in a single suit case and now your struggling to close it in. I also had a hard time understanding the FMC. As an assassin there's these moments of clumsiness in her part that didn't fit her job description.

But if you're looking for just the VIBES and not the plot, there are a lot of swoon worthy moments written in here that made me kicking my feet and giggling like a lunatic 🤭 Also, perks for putting a reference at the end of the book. I'm not that well-versed in mythologies, so it really is nice to have some kind of explaination at the end in how how things are related in Greek Mythology.

I'm rating this 3.0⭐ There's room for improvements but still a nice read.

Okay I loved this! This was definitely giving dark Harry Potter vibes and the magic system was so unique!
This story follows our mage-hating, assassin FMC Kiara, sent on a mission to end the Cursed Prince, Lucian. But her quest for vengeance quickly becomes a battle for survival, as she gets swept into the Academy of Magic and learns things about herself she never thought possible.
This was a fun read and I loved the enemies to lovers trope!

Academy of Villain is a dark academia filled with mystery and suspense. The world building in this was great and super easy to following. The author did an amazing job with portraying characters and the overall storytelling, it made it seem as if I was really in the book. I’m super excited to see what is to come in the next books in the series

I loved this dark academia, with an assassin GMC, novel! It's based on Greek mythology and drew me in from the very beginning. I loved the characters, the setting, all of it!

If you’re a fan of Greek mythology, dark academia, and fast-paced fantasy with an addictive enemies-to-lovers romance, this book is a must-read! From the very first page, the story pulls you in with its rich worldbuilding, intricate magic system, and compelling characters. Ever King’s writing is enchanting, weaving together a tale that feels like a modern fairy tale while still delivering action, intrigue, and emotional depth.

The story follows Kiara, an assassin who discovers her own magical abilities and becomes entangled in a world of secret societies, a dark and mysterious academy, and a dangerous prince with secrets of his own. The plot is full of twists, and the tension between Kiara and Lucian is palpable—especially with classic tropes like he falls first and enemies to lovers playing out beautifully. There’s also an incredible found family dynamic, high-stakes trials, and layers of mystery that keep you turning the pages.

What sets this book apart from other fantasy academy stories is its balance of action and character development. Kiara and Lucian both undergo significant growth, and the side characters are just as intriguing—I can’t wait to learn more about them in the sequel. Plus, the way mythology is woven into the story adds a unique touch that makes this world feel immersive and distinct.

With its heart-pounding plot, unforgettable characters, and a romance that makes you ache for more, this book is impossible to put down. If you love stories like Harry Potter, Throne of Glass, or anything with dark academia and mythological influences, add this to your shelf immediately.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! I love greek mythology retellings! I was instantly drawn in by the story. It was easy to follow and get hooked on. The characters were amazing and easy to like. Kiara was definitely my favorite character. I am always a huge fan of a badass, assassin FMC.

I cannot wait to read to read more from Ever King! I recommend giving this book a read especially if you love Greek Mythology retellings!





Thank you Ever King for the copy of this book!

I am obsessed with this Greek myth inspired book, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the sequel. It's unputdownable, fast-paced, and full of twists. If I didn't have responsibilities I would have read this book in one day. There's something about a story that makes you forget that you are reading a book, that pulls you into the lives of the characters so thoroughly that you cannot make yourself put the book down, that is unforgettable. This book did just that, making me steal time away to read just one more page, to learn just one more thing. I had to know how this story will end.

"Her presence stirs the darkness within me, the familiar beast lurking beneath the surface, restless and eager for release."

Ever King's writing lures you in with her unique worldbuilding, magic system, the history of her world (that I still want to learn more of), the mythology references, and how the book reads like a fairy tale. And the tropes: enemies to lovers, he falls first, secret societies, a magical academy, and more... Kiara and Lucien had so much growth as the main protagonists, but there were also mention of a few other characters that I would love to learn more about in the next books.

"I'll fight for her, for us, until there's nothing left. Even if it means losing myself in the process. She's worth it."

I am ready to get back to this world immediately when the sequel releases later this year. Greek myth inspired stories have always been a favourite of mine, and this is already becoming a top new read for my Greek shelf!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Author. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I rely enjoyed this book. I am intrigued by the magic systems and the overall vibe of the students are good so far. There isn't any bullying for bullying sake like in other young adult academic books.
There is assassin vibes, found family, magic everywhere, and quick plot points that keep you engaged throughout! I can not wait for book 2! This is an author ill be following from now on

I struggled to read this book. It reminded me a lot of other stories I’ve read and that made it difficult for me to stay in this story. After about 30% in, it was hard to keep focused and I had to force myself to finish it. I don’t think the story itself was bad and I actually think I would really enjoy it as a movie; but reading it just wasn’t for me. Thank you for letting me have early access!!

Academy of Villains: Ever King delivers an engaging YA fantasy with a dual POV that kept me hooked from start to finish. Loosely inspired by Greek mythology, the plot is exciting and full of twists. Kiara, a fierce and resilient fighter, and Lucien, a cursed yet devoted character, share a delicious slow-burn enemies-to-tethered bond that adds depth to their dynamic. The writing style is straightforward, less flowery than I’m used to, but fits the tone of the story. A unique read that I’d highly recommend for YA fantasy fans!

Dark fantasy romance meets magic school for the elite. Say LESS. I enjoyed every single second of this book. Truly. I tried to highlight on my kindle different important/powerful sentences in the book but at the around the 20-25% mark I was too invested to even pause to do that. The writing was superb, I loved every single trope in the book (enemies to lovers but also fated pair was so dreamy!)

Thank you, NetGalley and Ever King for allowing me to read and review this book! I really really enjoyed it!

First of all, thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and author for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest opinion!

Things I liked:
🏰 The Academy setting, though we weren’t there long enough to really explore it
💫 Celestial vibes
🐦‍⬛ The secret societies
🌌 Magic merging
🐍 This had so much Slytherin vibes, like it felt like an HP fanfic at times which I didn’t entirely dislike

This book had the recipe to be really really good. And I still think some people may find it really good, but I unfortunately wasn’t one. I wanted to like it, I really did, but I just couldn’t. It felt too similar to a lot of other books. At times, it felt like there was too much thrown in to check a box. Fated mates, assassins, Academy, secret societies, magic, duels, trials, Greek Mythology, prophecies, etc. I like all of those things but there was almost too much of a good thing to where I didn’t feel like we could dive into the story. I didn’t feel connected to really anything because I felt like we got a surface-level version of everything. Like all of the secondary characters were so in the background because there was just so much plot all the time. There wasn’t much showing (like, we never saw Kiara as an assassin or saw her terrible past through her eyes) and some of the sentences felt like they explained too much so there wasn’t really any mystery. Cutting some of those wordy paragraphs might have opened up a word count for us to dive deeper into the plot. Also, this is more minor, but with a cool name like “Academy of Villains” I expected the characters to be more… villainous. Everyone seemed really nice, or if they were dark, they were dark for a justified reason. So it took away some of the vibes for me.

Overall, I don’t think I’ll be tuning in for the other books because this one wasn’t for me but I do think there will be an audience for this one. 2.5 rounded up.

Firstly thank you to netgalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

The concept of this series amd cover art had me requesting this book so fast.

Very loose greek mythology bases for a world of magic and mundane. Magic school for mages, secret societies, cursed kingdom, female assassins, classes straight out of hogwarts. This has everything a fantasy dark academia could want.

Although I loved the concept and the side characters, this was not an enemies to lovers for me when it’s so obvious from both sides but especially his that there is something from the moment they meet. Which summaries my issue with the book as a whole, it had all the right elements but didn’t tease out clues or plot just hit you in the face with them and said look we figured it out. I just wasn’t convinced by the chemistry of the main characters unfortunately. By 65% I stopped really caring how we got on which really saddened me cause I was so looking forward to this book. Intrigued to see if it changes my opinion when book 2 comes out as it seems to focus on a different couple. I don’t want to give up on the series so will give book 2 a try

I enjoyed reading this book and loved the intertwining of Greek mythology with fantasy. I loved following along on Kiara and Lucian as they traveled through the trials and to the temple. I gave 3 stars as I felt there could have been more world building at the start and a slower build up to the romance. Overall enjoyed this book and look forward to finding out what happens next!

In a kingdom where magic is fading, an evil king expands his control, destroying towns while using orphaned children as assassins in his army. Mages are sent to a brutal academy to train their powerful magic. Kiara, one of the king's assassins, uncovers she has magic and joins forces with some of these students to stop the king. Inside the academy, she discovers secrets about the prince, shadow organizations, and a dark headmaster. As students vanish and heartstrings return, Kiara’s fight for justice becomes a battle between love and survival.

Absolutely loved this book! It’s like Harry Potter vibes—fast-paced, full of action, and with a dash of dark academia! I loved the characters and the enemies to lovers storyline. The main FMC is a badass and the MMC is mysterious, conflicted, and full of those sweet moments. There are deadly trials, mysterious characters, and secrets waiting to be discovered. Can’t wait for the next book, Lessons in Loyalty —definitely pick this one up if you enjoy Greek mythology, dark academia, and forbidden love!



review will be available on my Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram on 2/8/2025

Thank you to Netgalley and Ever King for the ARC.

Plot 5/5
Characters 5/5
Ending 4.5/5
Interest 5/5

Overall 4.75/5

-I was entirely hooked throughout this book and it truly almost made it to 5 stars but I feel like 5 stars for me are just entire perfection. This almost made the cut with the universe I was transported in with the different types of mages, the curses. But then we have the plot itself. And my oh my did I love it. I feel like I haven’t read a good fantasy with quite a few fun tropes I enjoy (one bed, enemies to lovers, secrets and betrayal, sent to kill). Everything was written in a way that was fats paced and every step there was something interesting. The trials were also a fun touch although I hoped for them to be more fun and make more sense.

-I also love the characters. Going to back to the tropes thing, the romance to do fun and cute at times I was swooning for both sides. And the fact that Kiara was sent to kill the prince is something that I will always. Especially since she actually tried to multiple times, it made things all the more better. Individually Kiara and Lucian are quite interesting even though I would have loved to see more of their respective pasts although I guess it wasn’t essential. The side characters were also interesting themselves.

-The ending was probably on of the only point where I though it could have been done better. I felt like it ended off on quite a loose ended note rather than a bang like I would have liked. The plot section ended and then it was very romance focused to then end. I would definitely love to read the sequel though.

ARC REVIEW// thank you NetGalley and Ever King for this arc copy.

This is a fun book for people like me who want to try a new genre & dip their toes into dark romantasy. I love the Greek mythology elements here! The pacing felt mostly consistent, but I was hooked enough to keep reading regardless. The characters were vibrant, the plot well-structured, and the story was captivating. I think King does a great job here with the world building!

Read if you like:
*Greek mythology retelling
*enemies to lovers
*fated mates
*forbidden magic

Academy of Villains has an intriguing premise and a strong magic system, but it doesn’t quite deliver on its potential. The romance feels predictable, and the worldbuilding is a bit thin, leaving questions about Kiara’s past and the academy’s dynamics. It’s entertaining enough, but it leans too heavily on familiar tropes without fully exploring its darker themes.