Academy of Villains by Ever King is an enjoyable somewhat dark academia romp with familiar vibes. I appreciated the blend of Greek mythology and magical boarding school politics—it had potential and was an easy, fast-paced read.

That said, the plot felt predictable and heavily inspired by other popular series. It gave strong Harry Potter meets Fourth Wing energy, with a mythological twist. While this mash-up made it entertaining, it also made the story feel a bit too familiar. I kept waiting for a subversive twist or a truly villainous punch that never quite landed.

Still, if you’re in the mood for a comfort read filled with magic, secrets, and morally gray characters, this one might hit the spot. It wasn’t a bad book—it just didn’t stand out as much as I hoped.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Academy of Villains is a YA mythology inspired romantasy with a magical academy, dual POV, fated love, a curse, assassins, secret societies, one bed, and everyone's current favorite, enemies to lovers.

On the surface, this feels like the kind of book anyone obsessed with Throne of Glass or Greek mythology would like; however it didn't quite live up to my expectations. Every conversation is a massive worldbuilding dump making it hard to process and so many plotlines are introduced and then dropped. The book randomly becomes Gossip Girl/Bridgerton with the secret scrolls for a few chapters and then it's gone.

Kiara is supposed to be this great assassin except she's not. She fails at killing her target and recognizing when she's tailed. Actually all the assassins are not good at it despite being trained for the King. I get it's for the plot, but it bothers me that they are so bad. Also, the Headmaster makes an offhand comment about her being an assassin. So he knows and is okay with it? I'm so confused.

The book is pretty short and yet has so much packed in. The trials were so fast and a letdown. I expected more. It seemed like we were going to get some sort of conclusion and then the book just ends.

I was pretty disappointed in this. Everything is too low stakes and happening too fast without any real development to get me to care about the characters or plot. I won't be reading any more of this series.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was incredible, the plot hooked me from the beginning, with characters that held depth. The main characters had so much chemistry between them. the plot was incredible overall however i wished that the book was longer as in some areas the story felt rushed and could have been slowed down into a longer novel. overall this is an amazing book and it was a great experience to receive an arc from the author.

So: this is a grate and unique book ! I love the gothic vibes, and the sentient school? Simple love it! I love good morally gray character.. but two ? They made freak out! The tension, the chemistry between them was everything and the angst insane. So, yeah, if you love fast paced books with morally gray characters full of secrets.. well, this book is for you!

Was like Harry Potter but make it only Slytherin. Super fantastic Greek mythology dark fantasy with enemy to lovers, tons of twists and turns and secret societies. Female assassin meets cursed prince in an epic love story! Obsessed with this book.

I would recommend this to our readers who would enjoy a darker and more intense version of Harry Potter in a dark academia fantasy romance setting, with inspiration from a Greek mythology love story, I quite enjoyed this book myself!

Review will be posted April 16th 2025!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Greek mythology retelling of Nyx and Erebus 🖤🔥
Wonderfully done!
We love a SPECTACULAR enemies to lovers always and Lucian and Kiara have the BEST banter and chemistry.
Absolute perfection.🤌🏼

With secret societies 🤫 and a magic academy, I had a blast through every minute of this book and I HIGHLY recommend giving it a read! 👀❤️

Ever King delivers a lush, intoxicating dive into a world of secrets, shadows, and simmering romance. Academy of Villains follows Kiara, a former assassin with a mysterious past, as she infiltrates a prestigious magical academy tied to ancient Greek powers and dark destinies. As Kiara uncovers her latent magic, she gets tangled in deadly politics, cursed legacies, and a forbidden romance with a brooding, tormented prince. 🗡️ Kiara is a Baddie: She's not your typical heroine. A former assassin with sharp wit, haunted past, and serious fight skills — watching her unravel both her power and vulnerability is incredibly satisfying. 👀 Room for More? Honestly, the only downside is how fast you’ll want the next book. It ends on a high note but leaves you desperate for the sequel (and more screen time for the rest of the Raven Society members).

🔥 Final Thoughts:
If you're craving a fast-paced, romantically charged fantasy with morally gray characters, dangerous magic, and a whole lot of secrets — Academy of Villains will devour your weekend. It’s the kind of book that makes you wish you could walk the haunted halls of a magical academy… while kissing a cursed prince in the shadows.

I’m going to be honest, I did not finish this book because of the way there is no real indentation, and just a space for the starting of the paragraphs. I downloaded it on kindle unlimited as well as I wasn’t aware it was already available and I thought it would be different in the published version and it wasn’t. It honestly made it more difficult to read and it was all I could focus on. I read one chapter and I just couldn’t. I’m sure I’d enjoy it otherwise

Academy of Villains is a dark academia fantasy romance that totally delivers on the vibes—magic, secrets, and a seriously addictive plot. From the very first page, I was hooked on Kiara’s mission of revenge and how quickly everything starts to twist when she discovers she actually has magic. The world is full of secret societies, grimoires, cursed princes, and mysterious trials, and it gave me just the right dose of enemies-to-lovers tension, danger, and dark magic.

I wish there had been a bit more world-building and detail in a few places, but overall, this was such a fun, fast-paced read. If you love a magical academy setting and some morally gray characters, this one’s totally for you. I’m really excited to see where the series goes next!

Academy of Villains
- Magical Academy
- Enemies to Lovers
- Shadow Daddy
- Assassin FMC
- Greek Mythology inspired
- Harry Potter meets Fourth Wing meets TOG
- Dark Academia vibes

I loved that the author weaved Greek mythology into the story in a way that made sense with the story. I was hooked after the first chapter. A fantastic read!
I really enjoyed the FMC as well and the MMC.
I will say, something about this story felt like something I’ve read before. Almost like it took pieces of ACOTAR, TOG, HP, and Fourth Wing and slammed it into a book with some Greek mythology. I mean this of course in the nicest way, because I still very much adored this book, the characters and the story.

Thanks to Net Galley and the author for this arc!
It was a cute YA romantasy but also...felt shallow in many ways. It's like it hit all the points you should in a YA Fantasy but...lacked the soul or passion in the story. Very fast. There is no real explanation of world building. You just kind of have to accept that things are happening and you won't get answers. Lots of leaps without the necessary work put in to make it a logical next step. It's kind of an insta love story.

All in all, it was interesting and I dont regret reading it. It felt like an easy read but would have liked more meat in the story!

My main reason for picking this up was because I saw a review that said this book was “so Slytherin coded” and it was “Throne of Glass meets Harry Potter with a Greek mythology twist."
This book did not disappoint, the story flowed well and had the perfect enemies to lovers story. I loved the story and the characters.
Would love to know more about what Kiara’s life was like before she joined the academy.

A fast-paced fantasy with a cool premise and some fun dark academia vibes. I was instantly intrigued by the setup—an assassin meant to kill a prince accidentally ends up at a magic academy? Yes, please. The magic system, secret societies, and mythology were definite highlights, and while the romance leaned more instant attraction than true enemies-to-lovers, it still had its entertaining moments. I was hoping for more academy life and slow-burn tension, but overall it was a quick, fun read with solid atmosphere and a creative magical world.

Academy of Villains by Ever King

Academy of Villains is a dark academia fantasy packed with forbidden magic, slow-burn romance, and enemies-to-lovers tension.

The worldbuilding is lush and gothic, with a sentient school, powerful grimoires, and shadowy secrets. The main characters are both compelling, morally grey characters whose chemistry crackles on the page. The romance is swoony and intense, with just the right amount of angst.

While some pacing issues and lighter mythological elements leave room for more depth, the story is gripping and addictive—a strong start to what promises to be an exciting series.

When I applied for this arc on NetGalley, I'd never have thought to be so intrigued by it. Another book to have kept me up almost all night. I had to fight myself from keeping it down. Kiara is such a badass FMC. She's practically everything a woman wants herself to be. Confident. Independent. Magnificient. Lucien and Kiara's chemistry is wondrously magnific.
It's a bit fast paced, however all the details are so vividly described. I loved reading it. Can't wait for the next book! Applying as soon as the applications start.

This book was AMAZING.
It was so immersive, I felt like i was in the book itself. It would work well as a movie.
I really enjoyed that it wasn't dragged out, and we got to see both povs. The plot was very exciting and there were lots of twists I didn't see coming.
I was hooked the whole time and really enjoyed this gorgeous book. I love school set fantasy books !

Perfect for teens, and those who like romantasy.

“Sacrifice is often the price of change.”

How is this Book not all over the socials?
I was getting Harry Potter/Zodiac Academy vibes but with a Greek twist! I couldn't put it down and was so sad when it was over. I'm so glad this is a series because I can't wait to dive back into the world of villains. This was fast paced and I was having a difficult time trying to find a good place to pause reading. If you love deadly trials, forbidden love, an overprotective MMC or dark academia, pick up this book!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Academy of Villans is definitely something I would have picked up on my own - I love stories inspired by Greek Mythology. The pacing was great, and the plot flowed smoothly. The author did a great job setting each scene with vivid descriptions, instead of simply telling us what is going on. I loved the characters as well, each having a distinct personality. This would be a good book for those who are just getting started with fantasy, as the fantasy elements were pretty easy to follow

Good read.
It's nothing exactly new - I've noticed many tropes and topics mentioned in different books.
Half of the book was very predicible for me - then author added some new things and I got caught up thinking 'huh. Interesting’.
I had a good time and I'm waiting for the second book 🎉