Okay, listen up, fantasy romance lovers! If you're tired of the same old tropes and want something dark, twisty, and utterly addictive, you NEED to read the Bleak Beginning.

Imagine Zodiac Academy meets Wednesday with serious gothic vibes – that's Altair University. Our girl Alexandra Prescott shows up, and immediately, the powerful Legacy families are out for blood because of her dad. She's literally surrounded by enemies, trying to navigate this super secretive, cutthroat institution. It's giving "trust issues even more trust issues," as one reviewer perfectly put it.

And then there's him. The leader of the Legacy group, with those piercing emerald eyes. He's determined to drive her out, but the magnetic pull? Ugh, it's everything. That enemies-to-lovers tension is off the charts, I can feel it.

This book is packed with twists and secrets to uncover, and the pacing is fast and furious. It's not just romance; it's a dangerous game of survival where the stakes are deadly. If you love dark academia, a heroine fighting for her life, and falling for the guy who should be her biggest enemy, then clear your schedule. You're about to get obsessed.

Perfect for fans of: Dark academia, enemies-to-lovers, secret societies, and stories where the stakes are life or death.

Think dark academia meets dystopian sci-fi, with a touch of magic and a whole lot of attitude.

Right from the jump, the tone is moody and intense. This isn’t your typical "school for the gifted" vibe. Altair University feels more like a high-stakes survival course disguised as education, and the title The Bleak Beginning is no joke. You’re dropped into a world that’s gritty, oppressive, and mysterious—and Vant wastes no time building tension.

This was the first time I picked up a bully romance and actually enjoyed it! Amber Vant finds the perfect balance between angst, tension and romance in this book. I cannot wait to the next instalment in this series!

Pretty good start! I really liked the inteoduction but I still habe to say that it was quite short. I‘m looking forward to the next books just because I quite liked the mystery and the protagonist

In my opinion, the first book carries the weight of convincing me to invest in the rest of the series. If the first book doesn’t hook me, I’m out it’s the ultimate test for the series. And this is one of the books.
I'm left so confused and asking myself what's the whole purpose of the book. nothing.
It seems to me no plot, no romance at all, and gothic? if this is what gothic is, then I know nothing about gothic.
I feel I was just reading about childish bullying and ridiculous conversations around college students and supposed to be adults.
Throughout the whole book, it was very difficult for me to think of the world building. everything went so slow, and yet I got nothing out of it.
It was just a very disappointing experience for me

Thank you NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I was really excited to read Altair University; I love a good college bully romance, but I found that Altair University just didn't grip and tear out my heart as I'd expect. There were so many times I wanted to DNF it, but I pushed through. My main issue is that I couldn't connect with the main characters, or the Legacies. I think we were really missing a found family dynamic in this book - this poor girl needed some friends!

Thanks so much to the author, NetGalley, and Victory Editing for the ARC.

Just as others have stated, if you like the universe of Zodiac Academy this series seems like it’ll scratch that itch. I love Billy romances so this was soooo good. Cant wait for book 2.

This was a fast, addictive read with dark gothic vibes, think Twisted Sisters and Deadly Class energy, which I totally love. The plot follows Alex Prescott, who is dropped off at Altair University, which is basically her last shot to get it together, but the school seems to be sketchy and full of secrets. Then three gorgeous guys—Sylvester, Camden, and Bishop—decide to make her life miserable... and she doesn’t know why.

To be honest, Alex starts off super unlikable and rude to everyone, but you’re still kind of rooting for her - she’s rough around the edges, and as you learn more about her, you start to understand why. The guys feel a bit superficial right now, but I’m hopeful we’ll get more layers in book two. The bullying was kind of juvenile (glitter bomb, broken plumbing, etc.), but it still kept me engaged.

I really liked the side characters and the tension building in the background (Alfie is so adorable in an innocent way). The flag scene was soooo good and dynamic! I wish there were more like that. Overall, it’s a fun, moody start to a series I’ll definitely keep following.

The review has been posted on Goodreads on 05/17/2025 https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7575338022

I got this book in exchange for a honest review

Rounded to 4 stars

It’s giving….. normie zodiac academy

Luckily I’m always down for a good bully romance

AND it’s not bad, so if you have a ZA size hole you need filled, this series will do it.

I’m definitely reading the next.

Altair University: The Bleak Beginning has a moody, gothic setting that I really liked—dark academia fans will probably love the vibe. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t quite work for me.

It feels very YA, which isn’t really my thing these days. The main character, Alex, honestly annoyed me at first, but I will say she had some solid character growth as the story went on. That said, I still struggled to really connect with her or the rest of the cast.

One of the biggest issues for me was how repetitive the bullying got. I get that it’s a central part of the plot, but it just felt overdone and ended up making me lose interest rather than drawing me in. Pair that with the super slow pacing—it’s definitely a slow burn—and the whole thing started to feel like it was dragging.

Since this is book one in a series, I expected some loose ends, but there were a lot of unanswered questions. Instead of feeling intrigued, I just felt kind of frustrated by the end. The cliffhanger might hook some readers, but it didn’t do much for me.

Overall, I think this might appeal to readers who enjoy YA dark academia with a heavy dose of drama and slow build—but it just fell flat for me. Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review it!

This had such promise, but nothing happened…. It has Zodiac vibes but I definitely didn’t connect in the same way… every time something nearly happened it just fizzled, I wanted so much more. The ending is a cliffhanger yes…. But it’s more just an abrupt stop that wasn’t built up… I wanted to like this- but it fell so flat….

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 — 5/5 stars
🌶️ — Low spice (1/5)
🕯️ — Dark academia
❤️‍🩹 — Bully romance
🔍 — Intrigue & mystery
🧩 — Games (trials)

Altair University is a slow burn in many ways. I started off not liking our FMC, which is hard to me... and then, somehow, I was HOOKED and rooting for her. Amazing character development! This has some serious Zodiac Academy vibes as it is a bully romance that does not hold back. There is a lot of mystery around the characters and their histories which is what kept me reading. Not to mention the slooooow burn romance. The book is a two parter (which I didn't know and was WRECKED when I found out I need to wait until June to find out the conclusion!) I can't wait to find out how Bishop and Alex's story ends. @ambervant did a pretty epic set up in book 1 that I know will pay off in book 2.

2.5 rounded 3

I had high expectations, but in the end it felt flat. From the first few chapters to the end, nothing really happens in this book, and I was just disappointed. Alex has no more answers than the ones she starts with - and yes, I understand this is book one. It does give Zodiac Academy vibes with the "legacies" being bullies, but other than that, it just doesn't work for me. The back and forth between Alex and the boys is just a bit redundant after a few pages.

However, it reads well, and it's easy to read, so pick it up if you like
- Bullies & pranks
- Academia vibes
- There is a ball
- Some kind of game played by students

I received an ARC via NetGalley, but the file couldn't be sent to my Kindle, so I got the book from KU, as it's already published. This review is my own, and I'm leaving it voluntarily.

This felt a lot like zodiac academy but a more young adult version. It was a little hard to get into at the start. We never really get a great answer as to why the boys hate Alex so much other than something her father did. And a lot of the pranks they pulled were very juvenile. That being said, about midway through I did really get into the book and ended up enjoying it very much. I ended up loving Alex’s character and surprisingly really liked Alfie. I will definitely be reading book 2.

Also I absolutely love all of the detailed drawings at the beginning of each chapter!

I adore reading dark academia books, so this title was perfect. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The storytelling is top-notch, and I was hooked from the start. It's a creative story full of intriguing characters. Worth a look!

I loved the dark gothic school setting. It has a touch of magic. We are following Alex. She is being forced to attend Altair University. When she arrives, she instantly realizes she is going to be miserable. She is instantly bullied by the guys of the Legacy family. She comes to realize that they hate her because of her father's past. A past she never knew of. Alex learns the hard way not to trust anyone at the school. I loved the Alfie character. His magic tricks had me laughing. Poor guy, haha. The ending of the story was the beginning of the games. I can not wait to read Book 2, to see what happens after that cliffhanger!