Format: Kindle, 199 pages
Release Date: July 29th 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy
The whimsy of Harry Potter meets the dark seduction of Holly Black's The Cruel Prince in a tale perfect for fans of academy fiction
It all started when I almost died.
First, I was healed from my wounds by a mysterious stranger masquerading as a doctor. A stranger who then vanished.
Two weeks later, a letter was delivered to my house by smoke and spiders inviting me to a place called Spellwood Academy.
As it turns out, I’m half mortal, half fae. My mother and grandmother have been keeping secrets from me. Who my father really is, where I’m really from. And, most recently, that the "accident" that nearly killed me was no accident at all. Someone is trying to kill me. Someone not human.
Spellwood Academy is the first installment in author Kate Avery Ellison's Spellwood Academy series. 17-year old Kyra Solschild's world is abruptly turned on its head when she survives an accident which should have killed her all thanks to a mysterious stranger seemed to appear out of nowhere to keep her alive. After watching spiders deliver an acceptance letter with her name on it, her mother and grandmother are forced to tell the truth. Finally. Kyra is actually 1/2 fae which means that she must attend Spellwood Academy along with other mix bloods and fae.
Spellwood is supposed to be a place where Kyra can learn about her heritage, the fae history, Danger & Defense training, and be protected from those who want her dead. She becomes friends with Tearly, a renowned archer, Lyrica, and Hannah. The last two are also her roommates. In this world, there are (7) courts: Summer, Winter, Spring, Autumn, Sun, Water, & Dark. Kyra has been told by her mother and Grandmother Azalea that her father was from the Spring court.
There’s a lot of things to remember besides the school’s rulebook: Don’t
go into the crypt at night. Don’t go in the labyrinth ever. Don’t attend
any Basilisk parties (they’re dangerous). Don’t attend any Toadcurdle
parties (they’re boring). Don’t go into the south woods alone at night.
Don’t go into the west woods alone in the winter. In fact, avoid being
in the woods alone at all times. And absolutely no spells, charms, or curses allowed on school grounds.
Everyone has to join a
society at Spellwood. There’s Toadcurdle for the students who like
machinery and nerdy games, Dewdrop for those who prefer cupcakes and
books to adventure, Stormtongue for the clever who drink tea and debate
mermaid philosophy, Flameforge for the brave and fearless, and Briar and
Basilisk for the snobby elites. After an initiation night of twisted games and surprises, Kyra shocks her roommates by choosing Briar.
But, in the meantime, Kyra becomes aware that her mother and grandmother are still keeping secrets from her. Someone is still trying to kill her for some reason. She also becomes aware that Lucien isn't the broody, angry person she claims just because he hates people. He has a past that gives pause to holding any grudges against him. He also seems to have a very strong connection to Kyra who is from the Sun court, not the Spring Court, and light is supposed to devour the dark, while dark extinguishes the light. The two courts have been at war for a hundreds of years.
The reason for my rating is actually pretty simple. Besides the hint that something is very wrong, and that her mother and grandmother have once again thrown Kyra into the deep end of the pool without explaining or training her how to react to the situation she finds herself in. How can someone keep a secret from their child for 17 years and then expect them to be safe and sound at a school where full fae have no use for half fae? The most telling aspect of this story was that the brutal facts of Kyra's predicament didn't become fully enlightened until she found herself having to save herself from someone she trusted. If you follow this story, you will see definite comparisons to Harry Potter. I think it would have been better for the author had she created her own world, and not relied on something that has came before her.
*I voluntarily read this book without any obligations of writing a review. My review is based on my observations and notes and not on expectations by the author or anyone else.*
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