Graving. Spiring. Necromancy and divine fuelled combat. Welcome to St. Penderghast’s, where ambition is everything and survival is never guaranteed.

This book had so many of my favourite things: dark academia, academic trials, enemies-to-allies tension and unique magic systems. I was immediately intrigued by the world of spirers and gravers especially the gruesome and fascinating magic behind graving (raising corpses and shaping them into eldritch monsters?? Yes please).

Halen and Alastair’s dynamic brought just the right amount of tension. She’s sharp edged, angry and driven by something darker than ambition. He’s all polish and privilege at first glance but their forced alliance slowly peels that away. I loved watching them shift from bitter rivals into reluctant partners and maybe something more.

The worldbuilding had a lot of potential, an elite school with public combat trials, magical hierarchies and hidden agendas. And the final chapters? Pure payoff. I’m very ready for what comes next.

If you like dark, magical academia with a sharp bite, unique magic systems and characters who are just trying to claw their way to power (or back to it) this is a fun, fast-paced read with strong bones and killer potential.

Thank you to Daphne Press and NetGalley for the ARC, this was such a fun read.

A RATHER VENGEFUL ACCORD - Danielle Knight

St. Penderghast’s es una universidad de élite para nigromantes y gladiadores, que promete gloria a quienes logren dominar las artes arcanas del graving o el spiring.

El graving es, básicamente, la nigromancia; y el spiring es el combate con espada impulsado por energía divina contra horrores no-muertos en Coliseos. Halen Kilchoir, nigromante, mataría (juas!) por estudiar en St. Penderghast’s bajo la tutela de su heroína, Mortritis.

Pero la única forma de entrar es aceptar un peligroso pacto con su rival mortal, Alastair Faulton — un consumado spirer, y el exasperante, formidable (y guapísimo aunque estirado) heredero exiliado de la gran dinastía Faulton.

Si de verdad necesitas que te siga explicando la trama es que has vivido debajo de una piedra los últimos 20 años de la fantasía juvenil, y no entiendes el concepto de rivals to lovers.

Danielle Knight os trae una versión más de la historia de siempre. Escuela chunga, presuntos rivales, innecesaria, animadversión, obligados a colaborar, [introduzca escenario con una sola cama para dos personas], él en el fondo no es tan malo, ella no es capaz de comprender la profundidad, la sensibilidad y las heridas que esconde tras su congelado corazón.

Y a lo mejor soy yo, pero se me ha acabado la paciencia con este tipo de subgénero de la fantasía juvenil. Habrá quien os la venda como Guideon La Novena meets Una educación Mortal.

Pero es que es la misma historia de siempre, en un escenario, tampoco demasiado trabajado, aunque con una visión suficientemente oscura de la nigromancia.

Si lo que lo que te he explicado te motiva lo suficiente, adelante. A mí me ha dejado bastante... meh. Quizás porque es un tropo que está llegando a su fin.

Valoración: 💀💀(2 Gideons)

This book is a dark academia novel that leans into necromancy and combat, mixed with a bit of enemies-to-lovers-ish tension, all set within a Hunger Games-esque society that is drowning in politics and the razzle-dazzle of high society that borders a performative extravaganza.

Hal is our FMC, an aspiring graver (I would describe it as a necromancer), although certain circumstances lead her to become a spirer and seek the approval of an abettor, as part of a pair alongside her rival, Alastair. While all this unfolds, she faces a great deal: fighting her nature as a graver, striving for her parents' approval, and battling her own self-sabotaging tendencies and negative thinking (in my opinion).

Alastair: Alastair begins as the rival MMC. He comes across as arrogant and classist in that classic “golden rich boy” sort of way (I love him actually). But as the story develops, it becomes clear that Hal never really gave him a fair chance or a chance at all. We start seeing that his entire life is burdened by certain family dynamics. His somewhat forced alliance with Halen allows us to see their relationship evolve into one built on mutual respect and vulnerability (on his part primarily). One of his advices to Hal, “everyone has a goal,” sums him up perfectly, as he’s doing everything in his power to get back in his father's good graces and reunite with his family.

Romance:
It’s a slow-burn, rivals-to-allies dynamic, with some forced proximity due to the nature of the contest. While the romantic aspect leans more towards emotional tension than affection, it ultimately works in the story’s favour. This approach gives the relationship room to evolve naturally, from rivals to co-conspirators without losing the underlying tension.

Secondary characters:
The hierarchy in this world is so individualistic that any moments of genuine cooperation came as a surprise to me! There are professors with hidden agendas, abettors who are impossibly superficial (very reminiscent of The Hunger Games), and magical creatures who, despite being integral to the world’s history, are viewed as something negative. While our focus mostly remains orbiting around the central duo, a few characters stood out to me and they were Edusa, Tieran, Lourdes and Mortritis (I DISLIKE HER)!

Worldbuilding & Politics:
The spirers and gravers system is an imaginative structure that mirrors class divides and power struggles rooted in a past war. St. Penderghast’s is an academy where students are either gravers or spirers. The rivalry between these two roles is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting aspects of the book. I do think the political structures behind the school and the world itself could benefit from further development, hopefully explored in the sequels?

What really won me over and kept me reading was the setting and the political intrigue, especially the way it blends combat with the aesthetic of dark academia. The plot was so refreshing that I’m so glad I picked it up. And those final two or three chapters? They’ve definitely left me looking forward to diving into the next book!


Rating: 4.25/5✨

Thanks to NetGalley and Turner Publishing Company for the ARC.

This book starts with a BANG (well, dead people) and keeps up the suspense and action the entire ride! Such a fun book.

Halen is THAT girl.

4⭐ (3.5 rounded up)

I thought the premise of this book was super interesting—necromancy, an elite college, forced rivals-to-allies… all the right ingredients! But for some reason, it never totally hook me. It kept my interest, and I liked the dark academia vibes, but the execution felt a little flat in places. The worldbuilding could’ve gone deeper, and some parts just didn’t hit as hard as I hoped.

Still, I did enjoy it overall! The plot was unique enough to keep me reading, and I’m glad I picked it up.

Thank you NetGalley and Turner Publishing Company for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion! Needless to say, as always, all thoughts are my own and I have not been influenced in any way.

Wow… this was such a great read, the idea behind the spires and gravers was just amazing. The thought that has gone into the story building is absolutely next level and I just haven’t read anything like this before.
There’s a lot of angst alongside revelations of Hal’s character which I loved to read about and I genuinely cannot wait for the next book!