This was such a fun book!! It was filled with great, interesting characters, who you will fall in love with. I really look forward to reading more and finding out what happens next and what kind of creature Alex turns out to be!! I have some guesses, and I’m excited to see!!

I’m on the fence with this one. The idea is good, but the mechanics and execution were not. First of all, I know I read an ARC, but there were so many errors! Next the world building was minimal and what we did get was an info dump at the very beginning. I needed more about both the world and they Creatures in it. Also we needed more character development. Now this may just be me, but one day it was Halloween and a few pages later it’s Christmas and there was no change in the world or characters. Finally I felt like this was more of a children’s book, almost in the vein of Percy Jackson or Harry Potter. (Not a criticism, just an observation, especially for its labeling). So while I liked the premise I needed a lot more depth.

Alex lives in Las Vegas with his mum, his dad left years before, he has a best friend called Carlos, goes to school and does all the normal teenage things. He lives a normal human life. This all changes when a man called Durant turns up and tells him he is a half creature and needs to enrol at Fios Academy.

At the Academy Alex learns that he’s not only about to change into a creature but he is also in the running to be the next Scion.

Alex gave me slight Nick Gautier (The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon) vibes to start off with but they were soon forgotten as I got into the story. It’s a quick read as you don’t want to put it down!

The characters are all great and hopefully in the next books you learn a bit more about the back stories of Elvy, Win, Yoshi, Mano and Dana.

One of the best YA fantasy series I’ve read in a while and looking forward to Book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC,

A lovely book about creature boarding school and learning about your other half.

Alex grew up in the human world with no idea that his father was a creature and that he too could potentially be one as well! When he is escorted of to a new school in a new world, we learn about this world with him. The reader only gets to know as much of the world as Alex does. This does leave a lot of questions regarding the Scion and the candidates and more about the creatures we've met which is why I've only rated 4/5 stars. But seeing how Alex interacts with his new surroundings and the new people he meets is great!

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the loyalty shown. Of course, I liked the idea of a book about creatures. The story was also entertaining and made for a quick read.
All that being said I do have few criticisms. The creatures could have been explained better. Especially given that Alex had no idea, that would have been a very easy way to explain things. I didn't really understand the Sion things and Why Alex, other than the fact he was the main character, was in the running. Finally, I would have liked more female representation on Alex's team. Especially when his competition is "shamed" for having only one male, Alex is basically doing the same thing.

I certainly would read the next book in the series but I am going to need some better explanations in the future.

I loved the premise of this, and I gave it a good shot, but by the halfway mark I had to give up. There wasn't anything really engaging about the plot or the characters - any time a problem sprung up it was solved almost immediately with no real work out in, and characters were just kind of there as set pieces.

This book reminded me of a knock off of Bella Forrest's Spell Shadow Manor series mixed with a little of Harry Potter. The main characters even have the same name, which is Alex.

It has some competitive characters with a variety of personalities, but it was hard to connect with any of them. I do believe it has a decent plot and I liked that Alex had to get others to join his cioral, which was not easy.

Even though this book one didn't wow me I will give the next book in the series a try.

I loved the idea of this book. But I struggled to get into it Having a teen of my own, is probably a contribution to the trouble getting through it. It is by no means bad. The struggles of finding the place to fit in and trust others in a magical school, are so similar to real life; it resonated a bit too much.

For those ready to dig into the story, you are in for an enjoyable tale. Mythos was not stretched to an unbelievable place. Solid characters. Good plotline.

Starting with a thrilling prologue of a chase in the woods and a murder, this story was gripping from the start. Then we meet Alex, a regular 14yr old from Las Vegas, who finds out he's not as regular as he thought. He is a Creature, but will not know what kind till he goes through the Change. Circumstances lead him to attend a secret school with werewolves, Valkyries and so many other creatures of legend.

The story presents a very interesting mythology, that enriches the world building. The explanations are done quite well, mostly as conversations. Also, the author obviously has a great sense of humor, which translates not only to the premise, but to the quips from Alex and the other characters.

Danger is implied tot he protagonist from the beginning, and we can feel it permeating in the air. Also Ruth has done a fine job in showing us how Alex is getting used to his new situation, new allies and future worries. I really like Alex's group, but I think Yoshi is my favorite.

The 3rd person POV has a 1st person feel to it. I genuinely enjoyed Alex's inner thoughts, the sarcasm. He is an honest, noble and kind boy.

Prejudice is a main theme here, as is the trappings of arrogance and the strength we achieve from friendship and teamwork. Also raises the question of destiny.

Adventurous, magical (pun intended), and loads of fun. With so many surprises and questions, that have us squirming in anticipation for the sequel. A more than satisfying start to what promises to be an incredible series.

This book is amazing 🤗📖 I read it in one day, it’s an paranormal shifter ya book.
It’s written in an intriguing style, you don’t want to put the book down.

What’s it about?
Well Alex comes home with his best friend Carlos and finds an strange expensive car in front of his house.
He sends Carlos home and from the moment he comes in, he knows something is up...

Alex gets the news he is ‘different’ and needs to go to an special school...

The book gives you an mixed vibe in the style of; Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and it’s an good mix.
I really loved reading it, can’t wait till the next one comes out 🥳

I found the book to be a bit of a cross of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Being as I enjoyed both of those series of books that wasn't a deal breaker for me. There was enough original content to keep me engaged and the writing style helped with that too. I enjoyed it enough that I would read the next in the series.

I recieved a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


It took me a little while to get into this book, but I am finding that with all books just now so mostly likely just me. I liked learning along with Alex, it as fun book with some serious aspects. A group of kids put into a dangerous school or situation is nothing new but the scion idea was a new one on me. I still don't fully understand it but I am hoping that in the next book all that will be explained.


Alex was a great main character, he took to the odd situation really well. I liked how he handled himself, he did feel a little older than the 14 he was meant to be. The other characters were a bit meh for me, felt like they were there just to make up numbers.


The great hunt was very good. I really enjoyed that part. It was probably the most exciting part for me. I raced through the whole hunt in one sitting and was almost late to work.


Overall I really enjoyed this book, I have pre-ordered book two and cannot wait to read it.


4 out 5 stars

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will admit, I am a sucker for anything at a secluded secret school. I love books like these and I cannot wait until the next one is out!

Thank you kindly to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

I enjoyed the idea of this book but for me I was not capturing the whole thing, maybe? I was hoping for more from this book.  Alex Ayers is not an ordinary boy.  I was thinking Percy Jackson or something when I first look at this book and read the brief tidbit about the book.  I guess it was just not the right book for me in the end. "This book was given to me for free at my request from Netgalley and I provided this voluntary review."

I know what you're thinking...
Ugh. Another fanbtasy series in a secluded private school?
YES!!!
This was freaking awesome!
Only issue I have is now I have to wait for the rest of the series to be written & published 😭
I hate waiting.
Much love to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my DRC.

I received a #ebook copy via #netgalley. I read the first 3 chapters and my internet went non existant so I will be attempting in the future days or months to come. From what I did read I will definitely be enjoying this title.

Alex Ayers life changes in an instant. One minute hes a an average kid, hanging out with his best mate, the next he is taken off by a stranger to Fios Academy to find out who or what he is.
Its a great, fast paced story which never lets up, but keeps you wanting more. Alex has a bit of an attitude, but then that is typical of most adolescent boys
This should appeal to both young adults and adults alike. Im looking forward to the rest of the series

I really enjoyed this fun journey into a world of monsters! Alex is a good lead - thrown in the deep end, he does sometime acclimatise quickly, but overall I found his arc believable. And I loved his friends, the overlap of his old life and his new one was quite well done, and felt realistic. Plus I loved that he and his mum had friends who appeared to treat them as family.

My favourite part was the scavenger hunt, that sounded like fun! And the lessons we get to see glimpses of were pretty interesting. In fact that probably my only real complaint - the book sort of whizzes through bits, so we get a lot up front that worked well, and then suddenly time is flying by and then the end of the year / book has arrived. That part was a little dissatisfying if I’m honest, as I wanted a little more world building around the types of creatures, their hierarchies, the scion, the ciorcals etc. In places Alex seemed to suddenly understand more without us going through that process with him.

But overall, the sense of fun and the concept sold the book for me, and I will definitely be looking out for book two.

Alex comes home one day to find a strange guy in his living room. He claims to be his uncle and that he has to take him to a faraway magical school.

Living with just his mother, ever since dad left, he is not all that eager to jump in. But he doesn't have that much choice.

It a huge shook that he has to leave all that he knows and go to a new, strange place. It doesn’t get that much easier when he arrives at the school, especially arriving blind, not knowing this strange new world, how it works and where exactly does he fit in.

He makes friends fast and with their help bravely takes on a new role.

I love the world and the mythology of it. It’s very well developed and very interesting. My favorite part was a scavenger hunt, magic puts a whole another spin on it. :)

It’s a very good story and can’t wait till the next one.

This book was okay - I had fun reading the story; the characters were enjoyable and the plot was easy to follow. I do think that the writing was a little over the top at times. I also had a hard time personally connecting with the characters, which is what made the book a bit less enjoyable for me as a reader. If this is a genre you typically enjoy, you will probably enjoy this book.