Sent to the ruthless academy for magicals after years hiding from the authorities, I’m behind, poor and, with my pet pig in tow, struggling to fit in.

No surprises I’m picked out for ridicule by the other students – as well as the teachers.

And four men in particular seem determined to make my life here hell.

The man who caught me.

My grumpy, sharp-tongued professor.

The star of the school’s dueling team.

And the academy’s deadly heart-breaker.

They all find their own special way of torturing me, but I’m determined not to bow.

I hate them.

And yet when I’m with them, I feel like a fish on a hook, tugged in their direction, my insides swirling with a lot more than simply hate.

Is this magic or something far more dangerous?

So, here’s the thing. I have not been in the mood to read this January. I know, I know, new year, the perfect time to get back into reading. I had a few dnf. I got a Kindle Unlimited book that was recommended on TikTok. I shouldn’t have been surprised that it was terrible! I made it maybe 3 chapters in before my mind revolted. I was so incensed by the drivel I had been reading that I had to rant to my work colleagues. I also started another book that was a retelling of a classic story, but in my mind, thinking of ‘the mad hatter’ in an attractive sexual way did something to my brain. I think I’ll keep Alice in Wonderland as a beloved children’s book, thank you very much.

On to this book. It’s been sitting in my Kindle Library for approximately 3 months. I had a clear-out of my Kindle library at the end of 2025 because, like others, my interests have changed. I think I spoke about this before. I’m still into my crime thrillers, but I have been obsessed recently with reverse harem tropes. Not for everyone – I know.

Like many reverse harem’s this book is set in an academy. It’s a trope now and can be easily overdone and lacklustre. I enjoy the trope when it is done well. This book isn’t original by any means, but I would say it was 85% captivating and enjoyable.

The premise, magicals are registered by the authority and are required to attend Arrow Hart Academy until they turn 21. Our MFC Rhianna – Rhi –, raised by her aunt in secret from the authority, finds herself captured and sent to the academy to learn. Insert much suspicion and withheld information here!

The trope of an MFC attending a magical school where she is the underdog, unaware of her own power and skills, is an old one. And not just in the world of reverse harem. Getting this trope right, I’ve realised, is a finely balanced line. If you’ve been following me for a long time, then you know I value world-building, character development, and plot structure the most. In reverse harem books, these three must be equal to the smut, or I just don’t find myself interested.

Authority aside – because we really haven’t learned much about that force yet. There are four main characters aside from Rhi and one supporting character.

The men are: ‘The Man in Black’, Professor Stone, Spencer, and Tristain.

The supporting character is Winnie.

Rhi meets ‘The Man in Black’ first, and that remains his name throughout the book. Mysterious, talented, handsome. We don’t know much about him.

Professor Stone, we met him second. Leather jacket, scowl, hothead and hot body. I didn’t think we’d meet him again, but it turns out that he is a Professor at the academy Rhi is sent to.  He is very snarky and very opposed to Rhi’s presence.

We meet Spencer and Tristan at the academy. Spencer is the buff, powerhouse dueller. Tristan is the golden prince house captain.

They each feel a pull towards her. They each wonder why her and why now. We are not given the answers, but it’s pretty self-explanatory in my opinion.

On to Rhi. She is a force; I’m just not sure which one yet. She has, to put it nicely, been living under a rock. When we find her, she has been living on her own for a year. As an unregistered magical, she really has no training at all and enters the academy completely blind to what it will teach her. She’s scrappy, a lion with claws. She can fight for herself and also hide in the shadows. There is a lot of bullying-style enemies-to-lovers aspects in this book, and I think her character accurately portrays the behaviour of being on the receiving end. She has moments of hurt, shame, and anger. She cries, she lashes out, she hides away.

Ever had an MFC with a pet pig? No. Am I jealous? A little bit. Rhi’s connection with Pip the pig gives the reader the needed emotional outlet, the emotional relationship that she can cling to in a way that she can’t with others, because she doesn’t necessarily trust voicing her feelings.

Winnie is the supporting character. She is the woman that Rhi shares a room with. She is her guide around the academy, her confidante and her champion. There is much that Rhi keeps from her, but they are still able to form a seemingly strong bond. It will be interesting to see how the friendship develops and whether Rhi brings her into her full confidence.

Contrary, I’m sure, to popular belief, I enjoyed the lack of smut in this book. Simply because, had it been heavy, it wouldn’t have worked for the characters or the trajectory of the book. Rhi hasn’t just been unregistered and sheltered, she has no social experience, a virgin with a capital V. And unlike other books where that status seemingly disappears instantly and is replaced by a sex mad character, I appreciated the author playing more importance on the characters themselves, exploring how they thing, behave and act, rather than opening that particular jar too quickly.

I do have to say that I don’t particularly think that Rhi has learned much since she’s been at the academy. At least, I haven’t seen much proof of what she has learned. But then again, I think the element of study is secondary to the character’s evolution.

There are a lot of bullying ‘laughing’ events that you would most likely associate with rom-com high school films. I mentioned above that the level of bullying felt realistic to the character. Sometimes I read enemies-to-lovers and find the enemy to be a totally dark character with no redeeming qualities, with no room to come back to the light. There are some female bullies in this book that are really just there to feed the plot, and didn’t make much of a dent in my mind as I read. Spencer and Tristain are the main bullies that are relevant to the story, and even in their bullying, there are moments that make no sense to Rhi, but as the reader, they gave me a little smirk.

I see a lot of potential in this series, which I believe is currently 5 books. I don’t know whether the series is concluded at the time of writing this – I’ll find out as I read. So, I can see many avenues for the characters to explore and many opportunities for them to evolve.

I suppose I am more interested in learning more about the authority, which has been very vague in this book. If I follow the experience of similar settings, it has the potential to become the root of all problems and knowledge, so I would like a better understanding of the establishment. I would like to learn more about Rhi, her past, but also the magic she wields at present. I would like to see her become more open to the world around her and find a social circle that respects and cherishes her. I would like to learn more about the fated men. I know very little about ‘The Man in Black’ (whose actual name I have just learned) and Stone. I would also like to learn more about Spencer and Tristain and why they act the way they do. I’m interested in Stone’s idea of separating himself from what is fated and in how Rhi will change the lives of the men she is with.

I would also like Winnie to evolve, to become a vital confidante to Rhi and be able to form a long-lasting bond with her.