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.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for giving me an arc of this book.

This book has such a great theme and I found it quite interesting. Some parts were hard for me to get through, but that may just be me because I need to be in the right mood for this type of book. Overall, there was good banter, enemies to lovers and parts of it truly reminded me of HP. I think so many people would enjoy this and really have a good time reading it! :)

This is a fun YA fantasy read. The magic system and world are well developed and interesting. The dark academia setting mixed with secret societies, and a Greek mythology retelling kept me immersed in the story. Great read for those looking for enemies-to-lovers, academia setting, secrets, and magic.

Ever King’s Academy of Villains is an enthralling dark academia fantasy romance that blends a magical school setting with Greek mythology. The story follows Kiara, a former assassin with hidden magical abilities, as she infiltrates a dangerous academy. Packed with trials, secrets, and an enemies-to-lovers romance, the book delivers gripping twists and an immersive world. Fans of morally gray characters, intricate magic systems, and complex relationships will find much to enjoy. It’s an exciting start to a promising series.

Dark academia and a enemies to lovers book is a yes for me! Was it any good? Yes, I like Kings writing style. It has a nice pace and the banter is so much fun. I would love to read more about the magic system, but maybe that will be explained more in the next book. Because I really hope there is a next book. I need to stay some more time in this setting.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ever King, and the publisher for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.5 stars

I devoured this story. I loved all the elements in this story: the school for mages, secret societies, an evil king, and a strong FMC. The only things that would have made it even better were more about Kiara’s lessons in class, more inner dialogue, and longer. I wanted more of the story. I can’t wait to continue the series.

If you're a Harry Potter and/or The Serpent and the Wings of Night fan, you will more than likely enjoy this one too.

This book has:
• Dark Academia
• Enemies to Lovers
• Shared room / one bed
• Magic!! And lots of it!
• A cliffhanger

This book is quite fast-paced compared to other similar books. The Enemies to Lovers happens quite fast (imo). But for the first book it definitely gets to the point and leaves you wanting to read on to the next book in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ever King for this ARC.

I would like to give this book 3.5 stars but it won’t allow me to. I was unsure at first if I would like this book, but honestly, I really enjoyed it. The plot was beautifully written and I enjoyed following the story of the characters. I look forward to reading the next book.