The story follows two main characters, Damianos and Rickter, whose perspectives alternate with each chapter. Both are accepted into a school focused on exploring the metaphysical. With personal experiences in this realm, they’re drawn together to deepen their understanding and eventually work on uncovering new insights.

Initially, the characters felt quite flat—both the protagonists and the side characters. However, as the story unfolds, Damianos and Rickter develop more distinct and relatable traits, evolving from one-dimensional figures into well-rounded individuals. This growth is one of the book’s strengths, though some of the interpersonal dynamics felt oddly immature for characters of their supposed age, resembling the behavior of teenagers more than adults.

The book’s approach to communication is particularly intriguing. At times, conversations are refreshingly direct, while at others, they hold back and leave much unsaid, creating tension and keeping the reader engaged. Despite some slow moments, the story became increasingly compelling, and I found myself fully immersed in its world. The metaphysical concepts, especially the idea that the subconscious shapes reality, were fascinating and thought-provoking, making the book an engaging exploration of these themes.

That said, the pacing could have been better. Much of the story unfolds steadily, but the conclusion feels rushed, as if trying to fit too many developments into the final section. The ending felt abrupt—not just because it hopefully sets up a sequel, but because it left so many threads unresolved. Additionally, the frequent mentions of personal care products seemed excessive and distracted from the story.

Overall, the book is gripping and full of exciting ideas, even if it has its flaws. While the characters could have been more consistently developed and some parts of the narrative felt rushed, I enjoyed the journey and am curious to see how this universe will expand in the future.

I am very thankful to have gotten to read this book as an arc . This is a 3.5 star read but I rounded it up to a 4. I really enjoyed this book. The plot, the characters, the romance, the setting, everything was so perfect. It definitely gave off the secret history vibes. It was going to be a 4.5 star read but I disliked the last 20 percent of the book. It felt like we lost all the romance development and it also felt a bit rushed. Some decisions also felt like they didn't fit the characters and that threw me off. But it was still very interesting. There were so many plot twists that I didn't see coming and they left me on the edge of my seat.
The ending felt like there will be a second book which I really hope for, but then again it could also be an open ending. I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the secret history.

It's hard to review this book without giving too much away, but I'll give it a try. It has a fantastic romance with great tension and a compelling story that kept me reading until the late hours, and I need more from this author!

really thrilling story with some awesome themes. it was very well written and worked quite effectlviely. 4.5 stars, rounded up. tysm for the arc.

This book has become my entire personality. I'm still recovering from the emotional rollercoaster it put me through. It's completely altered my brain chemistry and has become a new favourite of mine. 

This might be one of the most thought-provoking dark academia books I've ever read. From start to finish, every element of this book drew me in (and I can't stress enough how much it got me thinking!) I went into this book blindly, only reading the blurb and I highly recommend going into Risen Apes with as little knowledge as possible to fully immerse yourself in the experience.

I was hooked from the very first page. The writing is poetic yet informative with such a clear tone, language and pacing that really swept me away.
 
Damianos and Rickter are both well-written characters, different sides of the same coin, who feel real. Vana has done an incredible job of letting us into their minds and allowing us to see how they evolve throughout the story. I need book 2 immediately!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Vana Elaire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, this was not for me.

The synopsis and the setting drew me in at first, but the overall execution was lacking for me and none of the characters were able to grip me or make me feel any sense of urgency with the story. The ending was disappointing and rushed, and overall the book felt very repetitive and like it was recycling the same beats over and over again.

I wanted to love it, because the premise is interesting and the cover is beautiful, but it just wasn't the one for me.

This was so good! I had such a good time reading this book. The story was super compelling and interesting, things went really badly really fast by the end, and I couldn't stop reading! I was totally not expecting all those twists and where the story was going lol
I also really like both MCs, they were really similar in some ways, but also had very different ways of thinking and different morals, that it truly made me think about our human consciousness. It kinda made me have an existential crisis!
I loved the chemistry between Damianos and Rickter, and their relationship was so interesting. I'm really looking forward to a next book! (maybe? PLEASE!) The ending felt like it could have a sequel, but it could also just be an open ending. I just really want to read more about this world and characters!
This really felt like a villain origin story, and I loved it!

We were meant to change the world together. Where’d it all go wrong?

Well now I don’t know what to do with myself.
This was utterly captivating. The characters were perfection, the setting fantastic and the plot just kept evolving in a way that added depth to the premise.
It was so unlike anything I’ve ever read.

Rickter and Damianos are such incredible characters. The way they complimented each other’s journey and shared so much of their psyche and opinions only to be foil characters was exquisitely done.

The exploration of the metaphysical through the lens of a cynical mind was fleshed out so well. I think it’s definitely going to garner some strong opinions in the review field but for those that are curious about the what’s and whys of the universe are going to eat this up.

I wish I could delve into so much more of the plot in this review but I want to leave it as spoiler free as possible! The title reflects the contents in such a perfect way.

I can’t even make up my mind about which side I would choose after finishing this. There are strong pros and cons for both arguments.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an early copy of this work. This is my honest opinion.

2.0

Setting: Pennsylvania
Rep: queer protagonists, Black author

This concept has so much potential but this book is a really poor execution. The writing left a lot to be desired - it needs to be edited heavily - and there's a LOT of repetition. I got very tired of the characters constant ranting about being brought into this world without consent. The main characters were very similar and difficult to distinguish and the side characters had no fleshing out at all. Despite being set in a university, we only see about 2 classes and for the most part it's big time jumps and long conversations. There was little chemistry between the boys, and the two sex scenes came out of nowhere and were poorly written. This needs SO much work. Also, the end was just stupid and way too rushed.

Vana Elaire's writing style is incredible. I read the book in one sitting, and nothing could have made me put the book down before I was done with.

My review won't be too detailed, on purposed, because I think discovering this story without knowing much is the best way to appreciate it. This is a dark academia novel, exploring profound themes such as human consciousness, out-of-body experiences, sleep paralysis, and metaphysics. It also tackles complex questions about religion, existence, the purpose of life, and the limitations of the human mind—all executed with remarkable depth and precision.

Some parts were a bit hard to follow, especially for someone like me who isn't used to read such books, but I don't think the author made it complicated to the point of making it inaccessible.

The two main characters were perfectly written. They both felt REAL. It was easy to relate to them and fall in love with them. The side characters are only included for the sake of the plot; each one has a purposeful role in the story. In addition to their contribution to the main narrative, they are also fascinating in their own right, with their personal struggles and beliefs adding depth to the overall experience. Vana Elaire created conflict and had the characters debating various subjects without ever sounding condescending or judgmental, which can be hard to do when you tackles religion and similar topics.

AND THE ROMANCE? GOD. The romance. The chemistry between Damianos and Rickter is out out his world. Their relationship evolves in such a way that you can't help but need more and more and more. They have such an unique dynamic and complete each other perfectly and as their bond deepens, it becomes impossible not to crave more.

Thank you NetGalley, Rose & Ink Publishing and Vana Elaire for providing me a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Rated 4.5/5 stars for The Storygraph and 4/5 for Goodreads.

As an avid fan of Olivie Blake’s The Atlas Six and M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains (comparable to The Secret History), I was beyond excited to pick this book up. Now, when I tell y’all I devoured this shit… I mean, I obliterated my sleep schedule to finish this book. My friends have seen me do this before–I’ll stay up until like 8 in the morning finishing a book just to wail about how it’s over.

This time, I said, “I swear to fucking god, if there isn’t a second fucking book, I’m going to start a fucking fire.”

Vana Elaire is an incredibly talented author. Her way of writing is captivating and fun, and it’s easy to tell that she really lets herself get into the minds of her main characters. Their narrative voices feel so real and unique to them; Damianos and Rickter felt wholly individual and alive.

I can comfortably say that I definitely saw some things coming. This was at least a tiny bit predictable. However, I can also comfortably say that I didn’t see T H A T coming. You’ll know what if/when you read this. I like to think that I’m pretty damn good at predicting where things will go in a book, but I think Elaire does an amazing job of making sure that you aren’t expecting the ending. It left me with my head in my hands and a need for MORE.

Overall, I genuinely loved these characters (save Tobias and… others…) and cannot wait to see what Elaire does with them in the future. I had such a fun time reading this, even if it made me a bit existential here and there (it absolutely did–I feel like I will never stop thinking about consciousness and humanity and–).

Thank you to NetGalley, Ink & Rose Publishing, and Vana Elaire for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.