****For fans of Shadow and Bone, Greek Mythology, and Harry Potter.****

She hates mages and magic and all they stand for. She was sent to kill the prince, studying magic at the academy, to stop the curse on the land. That is, until she discovers she has magic of her own… powerful, ancient magic. Cast into life at the academy, can she still carry out her mission while learning to hone and control her own magic? Can the cursed prince tempt her to work with him and stop the curse without his death?

Slow burn romance, magical schools, Greek mythology inspired trials, political intrigue.

This book left me wanting more; more world building, more of a glimpse into the magical life at school, more of the lore and politics of this world. I say that because the foundations laid out in the book was done well. The story arcs and characters are really good, but with the small size of the book it just left me wanting more (in a good way!). There is some redundancy in the dialogue where the same lines are repeated in a second paragraph, said in only a slightly different way, that could have been avoided. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would highly recommend it for anyone who likes fantasy and magic.

If you wished to be in Slytherin, this is giving. Dark academia, enemies to lovers, soulmates. This magic system is honestly super cool! I love the strength of our FMC and I love how will they won’t they it felt for a large portion of the book. I’ve still had a lot of questions about the world, but we’ll get there!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-Enemies to lovers
-Soulmates
-Magic system, Mages
-Dark academia
-One bed
-Trials

THE WAY I JUST DEVOURED THIS BOOK… I read this so quickly, and I have a feeling I’ll be rereading it again and again. FMC is super intriguing: orphan who was kidnapped at a young age and trained to be a nameless assassin, and the MMC: very sheltered prince of the kingdom who is immediately drawn to the FMC. Will most definitely be reading the sequel and would love to be able to ARC read for Ever King in the future!!

This was such a fun read! I’ve never read zodiac academy but I can see why people say it reminds them of it. I loved it. It keeps my attention the whole time and of course has some of my favorite tropes!! I have never read from this author before but will definitely be checking them out!!

I read this book as an ARC and really liked it. Thank you NetGalley and Ever King for this ARC.

This is a revamped version of the original with more content.

Where do I start? This book had me hooked from page 1. I loved Kiara and Lucian. She was sent to kill him but instead ends up finding out she has magic and some things she was taught weren’t exactly true. The question is who sent her to kill the prince and what happens when things thought to be extinct come back. Will she stick to her plan or will things change?

I loved everything about this book. The trials, mysteries, secrets, etc. and the epilogue I was not expecting it to be from the POV it was. I can’t wait for the next book to find out what happens next for all the characters.

Overall I really liked this book and would give it 4.5 stars.

Arriving at the Academy of Magic, Kiara is hired to rid the kingdom, Ithaka, of the prince, Lucien, but who gave her the task? While she is at the school, it turns out that she is a starmage, which is unique; Lucien is a shadowmage. It is revealed that two are more connected than they initially realized and are heartstrings. The kingdom is under a curse, and they are on a quest to break it. Bubbles are such a unique way to pass information. While Lucien and Kiara’s story is not complete and left questions unanswered, the next book in the series is going to follow a different couple.

Oh my gosh. The book I never knew I needed but once I read it. I needed more. Slytherin meets Zodiac Academy. There is more un-aliving in this then in jaws. Slow burn, the angsty mood of the characters. I cannot wait until the physical copy comes out because I will be getting it for a trophy for my shelves.

This was really good!
Remind me of Harry Potter but with heavy Greek Mythology influence.

I love dark academia books and this ws right up my alley! Loved the characters and the suspense.

A very unique magic system, and of course the villain gets the girl :)

I will definetly continue the series!!

I love Greek mythology so obviously this book was a must read. And I have to say, it did not disappoint. I'm writing this a couple of weeks after reading it and the thing that I remember the most is the writing. I love the style of writing. It convey feelings, memories and atmosphere.
I liked the type of magic. It's from grimoires and I've never read that before. It's really original.
I loved the slow burn. It was romantic and complex. Like the characters.
I definitely want to read about the other couples inspired by Greek mythology.

What did this book do to me?! It certainly cast some strong voodoo magic because I was GLUED.

I couldn’t put the book down and it may have been responsible for a few late nights. But no regrets. Because enjoyment trumps sleep and who can sleep when they’ve got a good book in their hands?!

It’s not often you root for an assassin but Kiara’s character was one you easily fall in behind. I was so intrigued as to her whole story and especially with the dynamic between herself and the Prince Lucian, it made for one addicting read. It did feel like it was going a bit round and round after a while but the story was a mover and a shaker so kept things going at a fast pace.

I think any fan of fantasy would enjoy this, and with magic, threats and an evil overlord to vanquish, there’s plenty to get stuck into. I also liked the parallels with Greek mythology which the author touched upon at the end once the book had concluded. The second book has set itself up to be an interesting one!

Proper use of Grimoire 101

This was such a good read I enjoyed so many aspects of this book it seems it was over to fast. I am ready for the next one and I hope more of this couple’s story continues in the next.
I was so invested that the Prince was already accepting of her even when he didn’t really know exactly why she was at the academy, even when he found out her reasons for being there he was still in it such a strong bond right from the start for him.
I loved the dynamics with the other characters throughout the book and how it started to already set up a stage for there heartmate bonds to start kicking in for the upcoming books.
I was so invested in this book I finished in a day, it kept me invested throughout the story I was already checking to see when the next 2 are coming because I am ready for the story to continue.
My favorite part was her first class and the first use of her grimoire that was one of the best parts for me I laughed so hard I had to reread that part.

⭐️⭐️.5

Thank you so much to NetGalley & the author for the arc!

Felt like I was back in Hogwarts! An assassin in a magical school? Sign me up! The cover is also absolutely stunning!

I loved the premise (I’m a sucker for dark academia) but unfortunately I think the book fell flat for me. Perhaps I’m not the right audience for the book? I think a true YA audience would have enjoyed it more. There was a lot of repetition that slowed it down and could have benefited from a bit more “show don’t tell.” I was often being told how characters felt instead of being able to ascertain via context. There’s a lot of potential there though - congrats to the author on their re-release of the book!

Academy of Villains by Ever King is a darkly compelling romantasy that had me hooked from the very first page. One of the standout elements for me was the slow-burn, electric chemistry between Kiara and Lucian. There's so much yearning and tension that I was completely invested in their dynamic. The dual POV storytelling and the fast-paced narrative kept me turning the pages late into the night.

That said, the speed of the story did leave some elements feeling a bit rushed. Certain reveals could have had more impact if there'd been a bit more build-up or context. And while Kiara is introduced as a lethal assassin, she gets caught in nearly every scene—which, as an assassin, doesn’t really track! She also never fully grows into her magic, leaving me hoping her journey continues in the next book.

Overall, Academy of Villains is an addictive read with a fascinating world and a dark academia edge. I'm curious to see if Kiara and Lucian’s story continues to develop because it didn't feel quite finished, and I’m definitely intrigued by the future couples Ever King has planned!

Academy of Villains feels like a darker twist on Harry Potter with strong Black Clover energy. It’s got that “what if Slytherin told the story instead of Gryffindor” kind of vibe, which was super refreshing. I especially loved the clever nods to the Greek myth of Nyx and Erebus—if you’re not paying close attention, you might miss them. As someone who’s always adored Nyx, it was exciting to see her story reimagined in such a unique way.

The pacing felt just right—I never found myself bored. Each chapter brought something new, and while I thought it might get overwhelming, it never did. The bromance? Absolutely delivering. The layers of mystery, revenge, and betrayal were perfectly woven in. The central romance starts off slow, but it really begins to bloom midway through the book. I know that slower burn might not be for everyone, but trust me—it pays off.

Thank you for the ARC!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️3.75
Academy of Villians is a dark academia romantasy with unique magic system set in a greek mythology inspired world.
~Tropes:~
~Fated Mates
~Assassin x Prince
~He falls first and harder
~Dual POV
~Nyx and Erebus love story


I loved the world and magic system in the story, I enjoyed reading about the different magical classes, the sorting system at the beginning of the year, the grimoire that’s linked to their magic, and the secret societies.
The love story was so beautiful and I loved the heartstrings idea, it made it more meaningful. I was living for the attraction and YEARNING. I LOVE a whipped man who yearns.🤭
The side characters were very interesting, I liked their friendship and found family.
The writing was so easy to understand and immersive. The description of the scenes, the magic and even the characters emotions and feelings were very vivid and on point it gets you sucked into the book.


Few things I didn’t like and made me feel disconnected to the story:
There were plot holes that I felt weren’t explained enough or at all and left me confused, a lot of things were happening at the same time it felt scattered/messy.
Also the writing felt like it needed a bit improvement as some parts/dialogues were repetitive, and the wordings in some scenes felt like I was reading a Wattpad fanfic.
I wished there was more chemistry and tension building between the main characters because for like half of the book it felt one sided and a bit dry. Also I was hoping to see more of the side characters, their stories, friendship and found family to feel more connected to them.

But overall, it was still a very enjoyable and fast read. I’ll definitely be reading the next book, but I’m hoping to see more improvement in them💕

I would recommend it to anyone who loves dark academia, dark fantasy and Greek mythology inspired stories. There’s no spice so it’s suitable for teens/YA age group, and even adults who prefer reading books with no spice.

Thank you NetGalley and author for providing me an ARC🙏💕

What a winning tale of intrigue, magic, romance and dark academia. I loved the characters and being at the school. The magic is fantasy at it's dark side. I enjoyed every minute of the book and am now waiting for book two.

I really tried to like this book, and the premise is very intriguing, but I just couldn’t get past the writing style and the Hogwarts-y scene in the beginning. Like it just was so hard to get through unfortunately.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely read the next one! I don’t think I’ve read a book with this specific type of magic system played out in this way, which was fun! I really loved our MMC! He may not know why he wants something but he knows how to go after it once he’s made up his mind. The author draws you in right at the start and keeps you entertained throughout the whole book!

I feel that this book had a lot of potential and I just could see it evolving very beautifully but for me it didnt hit the mark for me. It was a mix of hits and misses for me.

As someone who loves Greek mythology inspired fantasies and anything with celestial-based tie-ins, "Academy of Villains" hit a lot of those marks for me!

The good:
- The magic system was fascinating and felt new to me, despite how much of this genre I consume on a regular basis. Like I said though, I'm a sucker for anything celestial based.
- The references to Ithaca and the Odyssey were really well done without feeling too overbearing. My husband's family is originally from Ithaca so having the nods to such a cornerstone of Greek culture was a clever use of existing mythology.
- The trials that our main characters go through were actually one of my favorite parts of the entire book. The scenes were extremely well written and the outcomes felt satisfying.

The bad:
- The romance element felt like it could have been developed a bit more thoroughly. The other elements of the story felt so rich and this just felt a little bit lacking.