In a month, I’ve gone from magicless to one of the most powerful dark mages in the world. You’d think that would make my life easier.

But all that power is only potential until I learn how to wield it, and my enemies have a huge head start. While I’m picking up every skill I can, adversaries both within Villain Academy and beyond it are working to knock me down.

My fellow scions? I can count at least a couple of them among those enemies. The others… Let’s just say the lines between light and dark have gotten a lot more blurred.

Nothing’s safe here—not my mind, my heart, my magic, or the few people who’re proving themselves my allies. When the danger turns deadly, will I be able to save all of them and myself?

30 Chapters | 364 pages | 4 hour Read

It has taken me so many months to dip my toes back into this series. For some reason I woke up wanting to read this book and as the low air pressure is dancing out a nausea beat within my head, I needed a distraction.

You know my views on adrenaline books, and you guessed it, this one gave me the unpleasant adrenaline. To me it feels like the adrenaline I get just before or just after a panic attack.

This second book…words fail me. This is a series of 8 books, and I got the first 4 in one set. I thought taking a break between reading would put me in a better headspace to continue reading but I actually feel like the break blew away the resilience I had built up.

It is very rare that I project so much hate onto another character, but here we are. Malcolm. I honestly don’t know how Chase is going to turn his character around into someone that I don’t want to kill slowly and painfully. There is nothing remotely good about this character. I absolutely cannot stand him and his bullying of Rori is so severe and undeserved that had this occurred in real life, charges would be pressed. I’m not even sure the character has the capacity to change or even if any positive change would work with his characterisation.

Jude’s more prominent appearance was a welcomed surprise but just like Rori I felt so conflicted about his presence, seeing betrayal around every corner. A bust up was inevitable but I found myself surprised that the breakup of such a newly formed friendship actually made an impact to the character trying to understand and perhaps better himself.

Declan tends to be an oddity in my mind because the job ‘teachers aid’ causes his character to constantly shift in appearance and age in my minds eye. I find myself in two halves with Declan’s character because on the one hand he wants to protect Rori and on the other hand he doesn’t want to intervene. He’s the kind of character that wouldn’t warn you that you were ingesting poison but who would try to help you survive after.

Connor wasn’t seen much in this book, not that I am surprised because his actions towards Rori in the first book were pretty damning. He has a surprisingly strong sense of loyalty towards Malcolm, and I wonder how far he will jump before he realises what is right for him. I feel like his blind trust will come round to bite him in the bum.

Now that I’ve got all my aggression out about Malcolm, let’s talk about the MC Rori. Man, girl, this character. I would have broken down within the first chapter of book 1! She has some strong resilience but also a lot of vulnerability and openness. While she still hasn’t decided whether she wants to become a fearmancer or joymancer, she has very clear personality traits which strive her forward. She has a very large and compassionate heart and while that might be viewed as a weakness by other Fearmancers, I see it as a benefit to navigating the world before her. I see the distinction lines between fearmancer and joymancer to be restricting two sides of the same coin. Now, I don’t know if she’s going to unite the two in the course of the series, but if anyone had that power, it would be her.

Even if we remove all the magical aspects, she’s had a hell of a tough time surviving at the academy. I almost feel like the other characters are in denial over what she has suffered or even worse, haven’t considered how she might be coping because they’re too wrapped up in how they feel about the situation.

Here’s what I don’t get. When has forcing a women to bend to the will of man ever worked out? I’ve been trying to work out where the ferocity of Malcolm vendetta has come from, but I think I might have had a light bulb moment and maybe figured it out? I’m not sure but I am leaning more towards the idea that maybe he has been tricked by a command from another.

It is the only plausible theory I have as to why such an abominable character would still be included in the mix.

There is a lot of prejudice in this book and while I might have felt like I expected better from the characters, I was completely on Rori’s side with their treatment of the Naries and their belief that these humans are there to be tricked and scared. That they are no better than the mud on a shoe. It’s unpleasant to read and it’s more unpleasant knowing that this sort of scenario is still very much a part of today’s society.

The introduction of someone else pulling the strings other than the barons is a curious thought. Either it’s showing there is something worse out there in the world or it is trying to make the barons seem kinder than they are. I’m not sure at this moment what benefits the storyline the most.

I give this book a solid: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I need more positivity from both the characters & the plot to give another star!

Spice: 🌶️