Ironside is more than a regular academy. It’s also the biggest reality TV show in the world … and a very elaborate, very luxurious prison.

Their hallowed halls are ruled by the Betas, Omegas, and Deltas—but this year, the officials are stirring things up.

Isobel Carter—the only rare Sigma to be accepted—is the first sign. But there are others. Many others. A sudden influx of powerful Alphas will turn academy life, and Isobel’s life, upside down.

She might be the lowest rung on the ladder, but in order to survive Ironside, where social media is king and consequences are deadly, she will need to make her mark.

She will need to climb.

This isn’t a game for the faint of heart, and those who rise should be prepared for a beautiful, brutal fall.

Beware the pretty posers, because this social media game just got dangerous.

Okay, so this was a bit of a whirlwind, bear with me.

I’ve been in a massive reading slump. Left my job. Went on holiday. Started a new job. Starred at the piles of unread books and didn’t read any of them. Tale as old as time, I have felt the burn of not reading but not been able to bring myself to read either.

I was on Amazon this morning ordering some frames but being on Amazon is never good for a bookworm and I dipped into the recommended Kindle reads section and came out with this book. Piler (Ironside Academy Book 1). When I read the blurb, I was a bit unsure because I never got into the Hunger Games, never watched the films, and was never interested in it.

But I decided to take a chance and in this instance I’m quite happy I did. I know I say that a lot!

So, the first couple of pages made me think that maybe I’d made the wrong choice in deciding to read this book and that is from the sheer amount of main characters. I even made notes.

The premise of the book is that the human world and the gifted world live separate lives. The gifted live in ‘settlements’. The gifted are: Alphas, Betas, Deltas, and Omega’s. In this instance the Omega’s don’t take precedence as being the ‘heart of a pack’ or ‘weakest of the classes’, etc. They are all at Ironside Academy to learn but mostly to compete in a competition. Yeah, that’s right, the competition. They’re essentially on a game show. Filming never stops and there is hardly any privacy. The show is broadcasted to the masses. Perfect setting for a story really.

The story is told in Isobel Carter’s POV. She is essentially the focus of the book and series. She doesn’t fall into any of the four categories because she is a Sigma. Sigma’s are the lowest of the low. They are empaths and have the ability to absorb the negative emotions of others. Isobel comes from a cruel family and carries much trauma on her shoulders but through the book she bends and twists but never fully breaks. She gets bullied by men and women alike, she deals with the cruelty of her father, she lives just to survive. She has no desire on entering the competition or featuring on the show. She is also more susceptible to feeling and absorbing the emotions of other Alphas.

She is constantly nudged however, by the 10 Alpha males that wrap themselves in her business. Yes, you heard that right, 10! In a ‘why choose’ romance, I’ve generally read books with 3, 4, or 5 suitors. Even I balked at 10! So, let’s break those ten down.

Moses Kane – shrouded in mystery and easy to anger. We don’t learn much about him in this book but his interactions with Isobel are frayed at best and anger fueled ice at worse. He is the twin brother of Theo and shares his secret weakness.

Theodore Kane – Theo is the first one who decides to be friends with Isobel. He is like a burst of sunshine. He strikes up a deal with Isobel for her to teach him to swim and there starts their friendship. It’s clear Theo feels more than friendship towards Isobel, but it isn’t acted on physically. There is however, A LOT of emotions. Not a great place for Isobel to be!

Elijah Reed – He hates bullies. He stands up for Isobel when she is being bothered without really knowing her with any certainty. He’s a dancer, like Isobel. He’s quiet and controlling. He is determined not to fall into what he sees as Isobel’s web of chaos but really, no one is immune to that fall.

Gabriel Spade – He is very close to Elijah, and he is very sensitive to changes. He likes to be in control in a different way. If I was to take him out of the book, he could fall into the Autism/ADHD spectrum. He unintentionally gets close to Isobel but unlike others who try to avoid her at all costs, or those that stick by her side at all costs, he seems firmly planted in the middle. I am sure I will learn more of Gabriel and Elijah in the next book.

Kilian Gray – Is a man who is used to being invisible. Literally! His gift is invisibility. But he is also used to being overlooked and forgotten. He has silver hair that often falls into his eyes. He is sensitive and there is a rumour going around about his sexuality that people either seem overly concerned about or not bothered about at all. He is the second man who grows close to Isobel. He grows close to her in friendship but there is an underlying tension of something he won’t yet admit to himself.

Cian Ashford – Has the gift of divination and I’m not really sure what to do with that information. Outside of the divination classes we don’t really get to see him put his powers to use. He doesn’t like Sigma’s and warns Isobel to ‘stay in her lane’. He’s considered to be a man-whore.

Oscar Sato – Is not to be crossed. That was the main thing I learned about him in this book. I don’t know what his gift is, if any. He seemed to collect favours from Isobel. He’s dark and stormy, mysterious and dangerous. He doesn’t like the complication Isobel has had on the group. He is the first to notice the changes revealed in the climax.

Mikel Easton – One of the two professors living in the Alpha Dorm. I don’t know much about him. He seems to look out for the other 8 Alpha’s but I would say his role is more of a big brother than a professor.

Kalen West – The other professor living in the Alpha Dorm. Like Mikel, I don’t know much about him. He’s included in the climax at the end but there isn’t enough information on him to form a proper opinion of him.

According to Amazon, this is the first book in a series of 6. I’m not going to lie. I devoured this book in about 3 hours. I was so engrossed in what I was reading. Partly because I was so suprised by the size of this reverse harem but also because I was captivated by the little twists and turns and the hints of mysteries and secrets to be unravelled. I wan’t consciously looking for the ending to this book, I was not surprised by it per say but the extent of it did intrigue me. I think the secrets being held by the Alpha’s can only be held for so long, and whatever their intent, they will bubble over eventually. I wonder though, if their secrets will have consequences for just themselves or for Isobel also.

It is clear to me that Isobel is smart, he may hide behind her Sigma status and has lived a life obeying the commands of those above her. But I do not think it will take her long to figure out the meaning behind her discovery at the end of this book. I don’t think it will take her long to seek out the subtle changes, to catch a look in an eye, to understand the weirdness around her. I think she is far too perseptive for that. Perhaps I am giving her too much credit. I’m sure she will evolve and change through the series but from the glimpse I’ve gotten from her in this book, any trail she blazes down is sure to be chaotic.

I hadn’t heard of Jane Washington as a writer before, so diving into her work was a new experience for me. I mentioned that the majority of the book is told from Isobel’s POV but what I forgot to mention is that we do get POV’s of the Alpha’s throughout the book. However, these are not titled chapters, they are page breaks. It can get a little confusing at times but I understood the relevance and the reason Washington included them. In a book like this, it’s essential to get everyone’s perspective to create a complete image and understand how the characters can ebb and flow around each other.

I am interested to see the direction this series takes. I will probably not make any predictions. I am interested to see the relationships blossom between Isobel and the ten Alphas – whatever those relationships may be. Most of all, I am curious to uncover all the vague half answers to questions and to understand why people are acting in a certain way.