If you’re here for:
✔️ morally grey chaos
✔️ enemies who might kiss or kill
✔️ plot twists you won’t predict
✔️ and a magical school that honestly needs a therapist...
Then Lessons in Loyalty will absolutely wreck you.

If Academy of Villains broke me open, Lessons in Loyalty buried the remains, danced on them, and whispered, "You still trust people?"

This sequel doesn't slow down, it Freakinggggg escalates. The betrayals feel deeper, the stakes sharper, and the characters more unhinged (in the best, most addictive way). Ever King doesn’t believe in sophomore slumps, she believes in sophomore slaughters.

What I loved most is how Ever King plays with the concept of loyalty, not just in its obvious sense. But in how it warps love, ambition, and survival. Every character is standing on shaky ground, and you can feel the tension in every conversation, every spell and every sideways glance.

There’s more emotion here too, uughhh so raw and messy and real. I found myself wanting to scream at some characters, hug others, and then scream again. The romance burns, yes, but it’s laced with danger and doubt, and that makes it even more irresistible.

I can't wait for book threeeee!! I want it now!!

I can’t decide whose story I loved more.. Lucian and Kiara or Lyla and Bastian!? I vibes so much with Lyla! I loved her perseverance and willingness to explore what she was first uncomfortable with. She turned into such a badass with Kiara, Octavia and Lyla being a team!

Ever King does their stories well! Both books started with a bang and you immediately get to dive into the characters. There’s no dilly dallying and Ever keeps the reader intrigued and thinking!

Do I need book 3 right now!? Absolutely!
Will I be in a hangover until then? More than likely!

This was my new favorite book in the Academy of Villains series! Bastian and Lyla had such great chemistry and I love that Lyla developed such strong female friendships. I can’t wait to see what Ever does in the next books and digging more into the how to lift the curse. I loved that we still saw Kiara and Lucien in this book as well and am so excited for the next one. Secretly hoping it’s about Tobias and Octavia !!:)

I couldn't love this series more! I'd give it 10 stars if I could! I love how each book focuses on a different couple but following the same story line. I love Lyla and I want some magical butterflies and little barklings too! Each one just gets better and better. If you like academia but with dark magic, enemies to lovers and forced proximity, magical creatures and secret societies then this series is for you. I received this as an arc to review and I couldn't be happier. I couldn't put it down even to sleep.

What a great follow up to book 1! I loved the continued world building and character development and can't wait to see this authors writing and storytelling evolve!!

This was a wonderful sequel, picking straight up from book one and answering some questions I had been left with. I enjoyed the pining throughout this book, the two characters really felt meant for one another and like their love and happiness was hard won. It was also really nice to get a different insight into the academy through the new perspectives, reading each character’s bias led to a much more developed view of the world.
Thank you to the author for the arc, my views are my own.

4.5/5

The world building for this book was amazing. Throughout the book, I felt like I was there and I could vividly see many of the different scenes in my mind. I also thought that this book was paced perfectly. There was a perfect blend of world building scenes to plot / action scenes, which helped move the book along nicely. I also didn’t know what to expect going into this book and I was not disappointed.

I loved that this book was dual pov so we were able to get both Bastian, our mmc, and Lyla’s, our fmc, povs. I found my self excited to read both character’s perspectives and I never wanted to skip any chapters since I connected so easily with these characters.

It was also great to see Lucian and Kiara again from book 1, and I am very interested in the characters Dorian and Tobias now.

I thought that the beginning was a little slow and hard to get into, but once I was able to get more comfortable with the main characters, the book was great.

Thank you for allowing me to read an eARC of this book for an honest review. Can’t wait for the next book!

This one picks up where the first one ended which I appreciated. There wasn't a lot of recapping what happened from the first book. Lyla is quiet and keeps to herself. I enjoyed seeing her character grow in strength and confidence. I loved the friendship that formed between her, Kiara, and Octavia. And I really enjoyed the parts with Kiara and Lucian. They are still my favorite couple...for now.

Bastian was dealt a rough hand. I liked getting to know more about his past and the reason he acted the way he did. Seeing his character learn to be vulnerable and loved was the best. 💛

I do hope the Ravens and the Starmarked learn to get along and talk to each other as a group. It would really help with trying to figure out all the clues. So many secrets being kept!

I am so excited to see what is discovered in the next book. I have some theories floating around in my head and need to know if I'm right! Also, need to know whether we get Tobias or Dorian's story next.

I am loving this series! Lessons in Loyalty gives us the story of Lyla and Bastian (who we were briefly introduced to in the first book). I enjoyed their back story and the push/pull between them. This book has everything, magic, love, action, mystery… as the story continues to unfold I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I like that the book is well paced, told from multiple POVs, and included aspects from Kiara and Lucian (I loved their story as well and am glad they were still included in this book). Thank you Ever King, the Ever Kingdom, and NetGalley for the eARC.

📚Book Review 📚
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Series: Academy of Villians
📚: Lessons in Loyalty
✍️: @everking
Genre: Dark Academia Romantasy
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First of all thank you @everking and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
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This book is book 2 in the Academy of Villians series. They are all greek mythology retellings! The first one was based off of Nyx & Erebus. The second one is Lessons in Loyalty is inspired by Aphrodite (Lyla Stark- FMC ) & Adonis (Bastian Lightcroft- MMC) 💛
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Right from the start I was so excited to get a few chapters throughout the book with the og FMC & MMC (from the first book). Ever King's descriptions & metaphors makes me picture it all so vividly. I feel like I'm right there beside them on their adventures! The world building is amazing! I feel like every little thing said and done is hinting at future books!! I couldn't stop highlighting everything like - ?!?! 👀.
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Lyla was an absolute delight. I related to her in so many ways!! Her softness made people not take her seriously then she came out stronger than ever! Im so jealous of her green house. I love gardening and always wanted one! - Also so jealous of her bedroom 😫
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Bastian is what I would call a misunderstood villian. He's such a sweetheart and tried to make the best of his situation. My heart goes out to him. ❤️
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Romance:
You can feel the crackling chemistry between Lyla & Bastian right off the bat. The PINING, JEALOUSY, the POSSESSIVENESS- all of the romance had me kicking my feet in the air! The spicy scenes had me SWOONING!! I had to set my kindle down and walk around my room for a bit every time they even brushed hands it made me so giddy! 🤣
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All in all I would rate this 5/5 ⭐️. I would rate it even higher!!
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I recommend this series if you love greek mythology, dark academia,
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📅 Mark your calendars June 24th 2025
I'm going to preorder this one as soon as I get my next check!!! (I need my bookshelf trophy!!) I'm makes me so happy to be a part of The Royal Court!
Can't wait for the rest of the series!!
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Disclaimer: I've received an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review voluntarily and in my own words

I loved this story soo much more than book 1.
Dont get me wrong Kiara and Lucian are my babies i love them
but....


Daddy Bastian ughhh I love him he has my heart
he says things like "that my girl" and " you wont just feel me in your body. You'll feel me in your magic"
likkkeeee yessss Bastian lol what ever you say.

then we have Lyla sweet girl who keeps to herself and is strong and courageous.

now I thought i wasnt gonna be that into this story but yess possessive mmc and strong shy loving fmc i love it.

I also love how we still got bits and pieces of Kiara and Lucian, i was worried we wouldn't get anything. I wish there was a little more but over all i loved the story.

I can't wait for the

Thank you Netgalley and Ever King for giving me the chance to continue reading this fabulous story.

Lyla... what a personal grow she did in this book!
I was pleasantly surprised with it! In this book we enter the Lyla and Bastian relationship and their banter, tension was soooo good!
And a really good thing was also Bastian secrets, which we can finally know and they were more than I expected to be! Good plot, good tension and banter and more than ready for book 3!

4.5 stars

This book continued on from Academy of Villains but with a new couple, Lyla and Bastian.

Lyla is beautiful, soft, a Forestmage who lives in the greenhouse and enjoys her time with the plants more than most people. Bastian is the king's servant, and he's being forced to do the king's commands no matter how dark. They are opposites but as they are thrown together, they find themselves coming to appreciate each other more and more. I really liked these two, their romance was sweet and a little swoony. I appreciated Lyla's growth as a mage and her learning more about the kingdom, the witches (enemies of mages), the subplot around the Starmarked warriors.

In a world where the king is corrupt, and heartstrings are recently returned, there's political unrest, a little less focus on the magical academy itself but we get more of the Ravens, the secret society sworn to protect the royal family. The Ravens are developing plans to try and save the kingdom but mostly, the focus is on Bastian and Lyla and their budding romance, and Bastian's turmoil about doing the king's evil bidding.

This book was really enjoyable, it was a bingeable read and I love the Greek mythology connections.

I'll be looking forward to book 3!

This is book two in the series. If you have not read book one, I suggest you do! It's Good, but in my opinion, book two is even better.
I love Lyla! She comes off as sweet and innocent, but don’t let that fool you because the girl can care for herself. Bastian comes off as mysterious, and morally gray. The tension, banter, and spice between these two were on point!
Believe it or not, I love me a Villain so I loved Kore as a character😈
The magic system, the magical objects just all the details that went into this book-this whole series is so good.

** spoiler alert ** OMG—the magic continues in this book & I was absolutely blown away!! It was SO fascinating learning about Bastian’s spiritmage powers & Lyla’s forestmage abilities. I adore these two—their grumpy x sunshine dynamic was slow-burn perfection! 🔥

We’re diving deeper into Ithaka’s secrets & I am so here for the DRAMA. The literal gasps I let out while reading were real—uncovering some of kingdom’s history was wild. 🫠

I definitely missed my OGs, Lucian & Kiara, so their POVs were everything. I also loved seeing more of Dorian, Tobias & Octavia! It’s such a great setup for book 3 & I’m dying to know which couple we’ll follow next. One of my favorite things about this series is how each book features a new couple, but the story continues seamlessly. It’s honestly unfair how lovable each character is. Like… how am I supposed to pick a favorite!? 🥲

Also—the girl power?! Fierce, soft & everything in between. It reminded me that strength looks different on everyone. And OMG, the barklings! These adorable little creatures help Lyla in her greenhouse & gave total baby Groot vibes. I want one SO BAD! 🌱

✨️Finished Reading✨️

Academy of Villains : Lessons In Loyalty by @authoreverking
Pages ~ 532
ARC

✨️"....They are nightmares made real..." ✨️

▫️ My thoughts ▫️
Another Greek mythology Retelling... SIGN ME UP. I waited for this one!
I enjoyed this story. I did feel like this book was more medium-paced. There's a lot more world-building and details in this story.. It was full of tension and some slow-burning spice. 🔥 Also add the betrayal, magic, and the lore that comes with it. Character growth was fantastic and different POVs.
Lessons in Loyalty is just a beautiful story. What else can I say without spoiling it for you? 😍

✨️ "...Scattered. Broken. Drawn to strong magic like moths to a flame." ✨️

▫️ Tropes ▫️
🔹️Greek Mythology Retelling (Adonis & Aphrodite)
🔹️The villain gets the girl
🔹️Fated bonds/heartstrings
🔹️Found family
🔹️Secret societies
🔹️Rivals to lovers

I love everything about these two characters, the slowly swooning and falling that happens throughout this book. The gentleness you get to see from Bastian, never thought I’d see that side, my heart was thumping during a certain scene at the beginning of this book. Even though Bastian never thought he would find someone who would love him for him, he finally found his person 🫶🏻

The banter between both Bastian and Lyla during this book was everything, It’s on of my favourite things seeing that during books. The way they were both protective of each other, had my heart melting.

The and of the book also has me pondering what the next book will be about.. I’m hoping there’s a next book anyway.

⭐ 4 | 🌶️ 2

Ready for some Lessons in Loyalty? Because we’re heading back into Ever King’s Greek mythology-inspired world, and I could not be happier 💛

Bastian. I knew I was going to like him from book one, but he absolutely exceeded my expectations. Loyal, intense, emotionally layered — I was sold. And Lyla? A total badass. Their dynamic had me hooked from the start.

I loved that this book was a direct continuation from book one, even with a new pairing at the centre. The worldbuilding expanded beautifully — more lore, more magic system details, and more character growth across the board.

I did have one small gripe (which I won’t mention here to avoid spoilers), but honestly? It wasn’t significant enough to take away from how much I enjoyed the rest of the book.

Book 3 can’t come soon enough. I’m already placing bets — Dorian? Tobias? 👀 Either way, I’ll be devouring it.

Huge thank you to Ever King for this eARC!

"Maybe the greatest dangers aren’t the gods we remember, but the ones we’ve forgotten."

☆☆☆☆

I just finished reading the second book in the Academy of Villains series, Lessons in Loyalty by Ever King!

This one picks up after the events of the first book but mainly follows Lyla and Bastian. They are both mages at the Academy of Magic in Ithaka, where Lyla is a Forestmage that tends to the greenhouse and Bastian is a Spiritmage who is part of the Raven Society. Bastian has a tendency to steal from the greenhouse, and Lyla can't stand him or trust him for that matter... until she starts falling for him.

Bastian is hiding some deadly secrets, though, and it all starts to unravel once Lyla gets pulled into his life. I really enjoyed reading from Bastian's point of view! And his banter, not only with Lyla but Samson!! He's also dark and brooding, and it's perfect!

This book is so full of mystery, action, and magic! While Kiara, Octavia, and Lyla try to figure out more about the pendants and their magic, Bastian is struggling with his own battles, like dealing with Kore and Moros. It really picks up in the second half of the book, and gets intense!

You'll love this book if you like:
Greek mythology
Politics
Dark academia
Secret societies
Fated mates
Mages & magic
Forced proximity
Hogwarts x Gossip Girl

This book just got released on June 24th, and is available to read now!!

A huge thank you to Ever King for the opportunity to read this ARC. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.

This is the second installment in the Academy of Villains series, and I’ve been hooked since the first book. I couldn’t wait to dive back into this world, and I was really looking forward to what would happen next.

I’ll be honest..I expected this book to follow the main characters from Book 1 more closely, so I was surprised when the focus shifted to Lyla (our flower girl 🥺) and Bastian. But it didn’t take long for me to fall in love with them too. This sequel is definitely more character-driven, centering on their story, though the worldbuilding remains rich and immersive.

That said, the slower pacing did stand out a bit for me. It wasn’t as fast paced as I had hoped, but the emotional depth and character development made up for it.

Expect more heart-tugging moments, deeper romance, and a broader look at the world Ever King has created.

I’m so glad I stuck with this series, and I’m already looking forward to what comes next!