I enjoyed this book! Everything from the romance to the plot mysteries were done well and kept me intrigued til the end. On the whole, an interesting world and characters though the ending did feel a little rushed—almost like a cliffhanger for the sake of it, and some of the mystery/world building felt that way too (i.e. we’re training you against Big Bad Threat but like, we’re not gonna tell you fsr bc plot convenience). I’ll probably read book 2.

This book is everything! It has a steamy romance, an amazing magic system, killer trials to enter a magic training school, vampire baddies, a serial killer… it’s a wild ride but one that I am here for every second of!! I could not put this down!!

Old magic. New power. A contest to die for.

This was magnificent. A story and characters that suck you into their world and has you totally invested in them.

Dark academia, magic and monsters.

There had better be a sequel!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! This was a great romantasy read that kept me hooked the entire way. This had a great magic system with multiple types of wielders which was so fun to read about! Fantasy books based in academy settings are some of my favourites types of books and this one did a great job! Not only that but the trials were so engaging and made it so hard to put down the book!

Honestly undecided on this. The atmosphere and premise was great and I was super excited for this but it just fell a bit flat for me.

For some reason I just could not connect with the authors writing style aside from setting the atmosphere. It felt under developed and a little forced.

I did also feel like I was re reading a spin off of many other books all merged. It didn't feel unique for me sadly.

Wow 5* read. I was lucky enough to get this as an ARC I read the woodsmoke woman’s book of spells last year and absolutely loved it and this book the ordeals I may say I enjoyed it even more Rachel is such a good writer I will now read ever book she’s wrote. It’s up there with the likes of fourth wing there’s romance magic vampires werewolf’s and what a cliff hanger it ends on I’m hoping this is the start of a series

Absolutely loved this book and cannot wait to see how Sophia and Alden stories will continue now the ordeals are over…

I loved the world building and the character development, especially for Sophia as the MFC,
I was obsessed right from the beginning and preordered the physical copy of this book 1/4 the way through reading the ARC.

The twists and turns kept me captivated and there were so many levels to this story that were intertwined perfectly.

This is one of my favourite reads of 2025 so far and definitely one for anybody to put on their TBR. Think I’ll even be doing a re- read when I get my physical copy upon the release date.

Thank you Rachel 🙏 I’ve got another romance / world to obsess over.

I nearly called in sick to work so I could keep reading this book!
Every word earns its spot adding tension, character depth, world building or building relationships.
Has she bitten off more than she can chew? What starts as FMC Sophia DeWinters only chance to escape her trapped life, blood bound to ‘The Collector’ and forged into his weapon, soon becomes a daily fight for survival as the School she is so intent on is much more deadly than the thought.

Firstly - dark academia with deadly trials - I really enjoyed this version. What I liked was the choice in them. At every step, ‘hopefuls’ are given the choice to leave. If you survive an ordeal but aren’t within the rules, you go home. So yes, it’s government sanctioned murder of other young adults, but one they can walk away from repeatedly.

Secondly - the magic system. I loved it. Very creative categories of magic - masquiers, illusionists, botanists & alchemists. Each category has different specialties and in rare cases, there are people that can master two. So you never quite know what someone is capable of, in some cases until its too late!

Thirdly - the relationships. First we have the romance. Possibly why I enjoyed it so much. Its there, its very much part of the character growth but is it the central storyline? Id say no. The spice is very low. But the connection is very high. The friendships are great too. Someone who has been alone and isolated having to learn to trust others to help her survive. Which is hard when there is a murderer running around campus as well. Has Sophia chose. Wisely in her allies? You’ll find out

Weave together an some found family in a world where you’re pitted as rivals, a rivals-to-lovers romance who can’t stay away but can’t quite trust each other, government conspiracy with unstable political borders, and a healthy dose a delightful magic system, werewolves, vampires & gargoyles to make this book an absolute must read.

There’s a few things more I’d love to say but don’t want spoilers or too close but some great twists in here. I picked a few of them, others definitely caught me off guard.

100% will recommend this to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley & HQ Stories for providing me the ARC of this book to read.

I was absolutely hooked on this book from the start, then had to take a break from reading due to being so busy, and when I came back to The Ordeals it took me a little while to get back into it, but oh my God I loved this book! The last few hours were amazing and I FLEW through them!
Rachel just had me HOOKED! She had me excited, nervous, panicking, happy, heartbroken. I absolutely cannot wait for book 2. Like, I need it now!

I love academic settings in fantasy books when they're well written, and this book delivered. My favourite trope is found family, and Rachel delivered there too! And who doesn't love a nice slow burn romantasy? The love interest in this book is a big ol' bundle of swoon, and does not disappoint!

I already had a copy preordered before I was lucky enough to be gifted the ARC, and I cannot wait for my trophy copy to arrive. Book 2 cannot come soon enough! I need more 🙈

Thank you so much Rachel, the publisher and Netgalley for a fantastic ARC!

Tropes:
○ Academic setting
○ Found family
○ Rivals to lovers
○ Slow burn
○ Forced proximity
○ Magical school
○ Murder/Mystery
○ Trials/tests
○ Magical/Mythical creatures
○ Secret identity

AHH...immersive, atmospheric, addictive and mesmerising!! Loved everything about this book; the writing, the pace, the push, pull and lure of the magic and fantasy and the character development and I devoured it completely. I was captivated throughout and it had my whole being from the beginning. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about it.

Sophia DeWinter had vulnerability as well as strength and was totally believable and root-worthy as a character....and I can't thank you enough for not making her a 'giggler'.
The relationship between her and Alden was just the right mix of rivals to lovers, and the side characters were perfect. Greg was a firm favourite of mine from the start.
This was truly a perfect example of not wanting to put it down, and not wanting it to end.

Love that it was Buffy inspired...Sophia DeWinter's group is definitely where I would want to be

A truly captivating and spell-binding read!!

😍 Sophia and Alden are amazing together 😍

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about this world, I was utterly lost within it.

All the characters were fully fleshed out and I loved reading about what they have all been through in their lives and then what they all go through in the Ordeals. Which in themselves were very well thought out and fun to read.

Sophia is an excellent FMC, following her throughout was gripping and made me cry 😭 The magic system in this book was brilliant and enticing.

I can't wait for the next book, I want to know more about the different powers and how they are going to move forward after that ending!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

THAT CLIFFHANGER SHOULD BE ILLEGAL!!

Rating: 4 ⭐️

Let me start by saying The Ordeals is one of the most gripping fantasy books I’ve read in a long time and I devoured it in just a few days!

The story follows our protagonist, Sophia, who is desperate to escape the clutches of the Collector by earning a place at the elite magic academy, Killmerth. But first, she must survive a series of deadly ordeals filled with magic, mystery, and mortal danger. Along the way, she reluctantly partners with Alden Locke who is a rival she doesn’t fully trust but can’t seem to ignore, especially when her heart starts betraying her whenever he's in the room.
As Sophia navigates a world of shifting alliances, she must learn to distinguish friend from foe and untangle the secrets that surround Killmerth and her own past.

From the very first page, the world-building drew me in. It was vivid, immersive, and easy to follow. Sophia is a flawed but compelling character, shaped by a dark history, and I loved watching her grow throughout the trials. Her journey including building trust, facing death, and finding strength was powerful and genuine. Not a single page dragged; the plot twists had me saying, "Just one more chapter," until suddenly it was 2 a.m. I especially enjoyed how each trial carried a deeper meaning, adding layers to the story’s themes.

I did knock off one star because the romance occasionally felt rushed. As a romance girlie, I’m always ready to set sail with any ship, and while the chemistry between Sophia and Alden was undeniable, I felt the relationship could’ve used more buildup. There were missed opportunities to deepen their bond, which would’ve made those romantic moments land harder.

That said, this was an incredible read. I’m still dreaming of Killmerth’s shadowy halls and forever awaiting to read about Sophia and Alden’s next ordeal...

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC 🫶

I really needed a palette cleanser after the last book I tried to read and ended up not finishing, and this was it. I really enjoyed this.

I love books that are dark academia and have trials. This is more focused on the trials, but there's an element of dark academia as well.

There are a couple of interesting plot twists in it that I really enjoyed. And I thought that there would be more and was actually pleasantly surprised that there wasn't.

The two main characters were pretty well-written and had a fairly sensible relationship. They both knew their own minds and eventually opened up about the secrets that they were keeping.

All in all, a really good read, and I'm looking forward to the next.

After being trapped into servitude as a child, Sophia is ready to escape at any cost. And the cost seems to be her participation in a dangerous set of trials, where the prize is enrollment at a school for magic.

This is a good fantasy (personally I wouldn't describe it as romantasy - although there is a romance it feels like a secondary consideration of the plot, not the focus) with interesting magic and world building. I enjoyed the characters and will be intrigued to pick up the next in the series!

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I thoroughly enjoyed this magical romantasy with its dark academia, mysterious school with deadly trials vibes. It’s full of intrigue and mystery with an interesting magical system with different types of wielders such as illusionists and botanists. There’s a bunch of supernatural beings such as vampires, werewolves and gargoyles, added to the mix giving it a unique feel. Add to that a rivals to lovers romance between the headstrong main character Sofia and the intriguingly mysterious botanist that seems to pop up when he’s most needed, but that doesn’t overshadow the plot and this could be one of my favourite books of the year!

This book has a really interesting magic system and a fresh perspective. But I think the motivation of the protagonist felt a bit contrived, and overall the narrative felt disjointed. I really wanted to like this book more than I did but it just didn’t feel like everything fit together well enough.

A magical ride I couldn't put down!

This book swept me up from the very first pages and held me captive until the end. This story delivered everything I was hoping for - magic, adventure, and a world I could lose myself in.

The plot moves at a satisfying pace without dragging and the world-building is well-balanced. While some twists were a bit predictable, that didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. On the contrary, I found myself so engrossed that I often forgot to check my progress while reading.

The only part that didn't quite work for me was the romance, which felt a little forced. But don't get me wrong, there were some beautiful moments between Alden and Sophia and I feel that there will be more to their love story.

Overall, I had a great time reading this. It was fun, appropriately paced and never a struggle to get through. Definitely one I'd recommend to fantasy lovers looking for their next escape.

Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Full of atmosphere, really well paced and such good characters. I started reading this one night before bed because I wasn't in the mood for my current non-fiction read, I then didn't stop reading for a solid two hours taking me later into the night than usual.. but this book is so worth it, I enjoyed every aspect, it's a really good take on magical trials and I cannot wait for more in this world (I hope!).
Also because you can't talk about a romantasy book without the romance.. great slow burn but I love how they are still both their own individual people and you could take the romance out and it would still be a great book.

I instantly loved the world building and the magic system of this new book. It felt different to what I’ve read before with the categories of wielders. Sophia was a good lead character with an unknown story of how she became trapped with the Collector. I liked the love interest, Alden but felt that the whole rivals to lovers aspect wasn’t really there in the story as they team up quite quickly.

The cut throat trials really were cut throat and it did grip me to keep reading with the unknown murderer as well as the vampires and werewolves joining the plot line. Overall it was a good read, and I will read the next one to see what happens!

The Ordeals is a darkly enchanting romantasy that blends magical academia with deadly competition. Sophia DeWinter is a compelling heroine, fighting for freedom through brutal trials at an elite magical school. The world-building is rich, the tension high, and the slow-burn romance with Alden adds heart without overpowering the plot.

Though the pacing stumbles early on and the magical system can be dense, Rachel Greenlaw delivers an immersive and emotional debut. A strong pick for fans of The Hunger Games meets A Deadly Education.