#Review - Briar Blood by Kate Avery Ellison #YA #Fantasy

Series: Spellwood Academy #2
Format:Kindle Edition, 323 pages
Release Date: November 11th 2019
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Kyra is still alive.

But after a harrowing assassination attempt and a shocking revelation leaves her reeling, Kyra must rally her courage and use every bit of her wits to figure out what's going on, and who wants her dead.

She has new secrets to keep.

New roles to learn.

And Spellwood Academy's annual, secret War Between the Societies is about to begin! Winner gains access to an area of Spellwood that holds the answer to a secret.

Kyra needs Briar to win.

Meanwhile, other things are distracting her... namely, a certain elite prince whose kisses are like fire. A prince she's supposed to stay away from. A prince she can't resist.

Briar Blood, by author Kate Avery Ellison, is the second installment in the authors Spellwood Academy series. Protagonist Kyra Solschild learned some devastating secrets in the first installment. She's possibly royalty thanks to her missing father and she has magic. Now, she has to keep a low profile for fear that another assassination attempt will likely be successful. She still has no clue who is responsible since her former BFF has been expelled after her role in trying to kill her.  

 

She's been forbidden & spelled by her mother and grandmother Azalea from telling anyone, including her roommates Lyrica and Hannah. What's even more disturbing is that Lucien, her would be suitor, was right about her bloodline. The last we saw Lucien, someone spelled a statue that came alive and knocked him unconscious after they kissed. Lucien has serious questions about Kyra. Is she some sort of troublemaker? Was she hired by his brother Griffin to get close to him? Or, could she be a spy? 

 

The curious part is that they are supposed to be enemies and light is supposed to poison the night which Lucien belongs to. But, something more is happening and it demands answers. Is there meeting fated, because if not, why do they affect the other so much? Meanwhile, Kyra gets a bit more aggressive in seeking answers. Briar has some words with her Danger and Defense instructor Joras due to the fact that he is sworn to secrecy regarding her heritage, and he would rather she ran quickly away from trouble instead of walking right up to it and challenging it. 

 

She decides to investigate who Tearly was seeing and who she answers to and why they want to kill Kyra. To make things even more interesting, the 6 societies have what's called a war between them. It takes place between Summertide and Hollowfell. Each society has to protect their orbs. The one left standing wins. There are hints and clues given at each society which challenges contestants to the limits. The worst part of the war is that the same society wins almost every year. Since Briar wants something in order to unlock key secrets, she talks her society, Briar, into an unusual alliance. 

 

Normally Briar easily hands over their orb quickly and that's it. Not this year. This year they could be the last ones standing if Kyra's plans work. Kyra also entertains the thought of really learning how to fight since Joras refuses to help her. She really needs to learn since literally anyone can be an enemy. This is also a bad time to be half human with movements in several courts gaining tracking to rid themselves of those like Lyrica, Hannah, and Kyra.

The thing that drove my rating was the ending. It's stunning. It's heart breaking. It forces you to choose to read the next installment in hopes you get the resolution you believe it should have. It leaves Kyra in a devastating frame of mind which can only lead to more surprises in the next installment.

 

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#Review - Spellwood Academy by Kate Avery Ellison #YA #Fantasy

Series: Spellwood Academy # 1
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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