I absolutely loved reading The Ordeals. It was A Darker Shade of Magic meets an adult version of Nevermoor; more blood, death and sizzling romance.

I was completely drawn to Sophia Dewinter and I felt the world building was intruiguing and inviting. The challenges were absolutely brutal and the tension built is captivating.

I was on and off rooting for the romance, I thought it was very much a thread within the story, rather than the focus, which I particularly enjoyed as it left plenty of space to layer the plot, including Sophia's search for answers about who her parents were.

I think this book is ideal for urban fantasy fans who enjoy a layered and compelling story, peppered with a hot slow burn romance. I honestly loved it.

Please tell me this is just the start!!!!

Old Magic. New power. A contest to die for…

A contest to die for? This book was to die for!

A deliciously deceptive and dangerous dark academia with magic and supernatural monsters!

When I say this was addictive, I wasn’t lying! Every spare moment I could find I was reaching to read this. This is one of those books that I could see turned into a film or TV series because the writing was so immersive and atmospheric it practically jumped off the page.

I loved how the magic system was crafted and how easy it was to become so invested in the story and the characters you couldn’t help but cheer them on through each of the ordeals! Interwoven between the main action is an element of mystery that keeps you on your toes and has you wondering all the who’s, where’s and why’s. Everything comes together in a very tense final few chapters which completely took me by surprise! I won’t say much more but I’m praying there is going to be a book 2!

Outstanding! What a truely amazing book. The way Rachel weaved her magic in this book is incredible. Flawlessly weaving her take on magic, magical schools, vampires and werewolves and making it all seem so effortless and seamless is amazing. Her take on the magical world had me gripped from the first few pages and only left me wanting more and more. I found it hard to put this book down! This definitely made me reminiss over my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but in a completely different unique way. The Ordeals themselves leaving me on the edge of my seat! There were a few twists I did not see coming which left me gasping audibly To say I was disappointed when this book was finished is an understatement! I need more! I need more magic, more of the characters I have grown to love, more of their back stories and what is going to happen next. I honestly can't wait for more. Well done Rachel, absoltely well done!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets the Scholomance series!

I inhaled The Ordeals! Binge-worthy from start to finish, I devoured it in less than a day - and it would have been even faster if I hadn’t had to work! The last third had me on the edge of my seat. It was wild, twisty, and impossible to put down. I loved the fresh take on vampires and werewolves, seamlessly woven into a magical world that feels like it’s only just beginning to unfold. There’s obviously so much more to come too - more world, more magic, and more twists, and I can't wait to see where this series goes next!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

Rachel Greenlaw has done it again! So many books have been written about entrance to magical schools, but few have been done as well, and with such insidious darkness as The Ordeals.

From the Crucible onwards, Sophia is out of her depth, untrained and seemingly weaker than the rest of her competition. The Ordeals is a tale of trust and deceit, power and ambition, love and fear. The more she learns to trust herself and the circle around her, the stronger she becomes, until she is a blazing powerhouse by the end!

Like in the 'Woodsmoke Women', there is an underlying darkness that never quite overpowers the story, but is always in your peripheral, a threatening, visceral fear. A masterpiece, and a beautiful reminder that strength in numbers is not a weakness!

A spellbinding and intense romantasy where danger, magic, and love collide in a high-stakes competition for survival.

Sophia De Winter has spent her entire life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he forced on her as a child. When she hears about Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders beyond her uncle’s reach, it’s her one shot at freedom. But to gain entry, she must survive the Ordeals—a series of brutal trials designed to test the most skilled illusionists, masquers, botanists, and alchemists. Many do not make it out alive.

Sophia’s illusions are weak, but she gets through the first challenge by teaming up with Alden Hughes, a powerful and undeniably attractive botanist. As the trials progress, she must master her magic, determine who she can trust, and figure out who is sabotaging the competition. With hopefuls being picked off one by one, Sophia must confront the terrifying reality that her escape from her uncle might lead her straight to death.

This book is everything I love in a story—atmospheric, cutthroat, romantic, and filled with fierce women and high stakes. There is so much yearning and tension throughout, as Sophia navigates the dangerous trials and her growing feelings for Alden. The Ordeals is a fast-paced, immersive read that keeps you hooked from start to finish.

If you love stories filled with magic, intrigue, and fierce competition, The Ordeals is a must-read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A million wows!

This was like a Hunger Games./Harry Potter/Buffy The Vampire mash-up.

Deathly competitions - check
Magic in a studious environment- check
Vampire battles - check

Sophia is tied to her uncle, and she is planning to escape him at the start of the novel, She knows somewhere she can go to that the spell he cast when she was young will break. She will be protected. She will then have to compete in a series of challenges to earn her place at the college.

It's an amazing world, full of brilliant magical ideas and bold, lovable characters. The love interest, Alden? ooof!

Greenlaw is a master storyteller. Every page, every word, all brilliantly crafted. So many different characters. the plots, the twists. I loved it all, And the ending ? Floored me.

Need more of this world, these people, I was devastated when it had ended!

to the publishers, the author and the gods please let me have the next instalment of this story!!!
i am hooked, i devoured this book I could not put it down.
think, early cassandra claire, think The Night Circus this book just has ‘it’
amazing just amazing

This addictive new romantasy was an entertaining adventure with magic, trials, romance, and many twists. The ordeals were truly nerve wracking, and they had me on the edge of my seat.

The MCs start as rivals, but they soon join forces in a “keep your enemies closer” kind of way, which of course turns into more. I loved how their romance was written.

Another aspect I really liked was Sophia’s determination and how she used the skills she gained working for her uncle to observe, to listen, and to learn, skills which helped her analyse people and strategise in the trials. I love a clever FMC who can think on her feet and is also not afraid to take a chance!

The magic system was so fascinating, we have illusionists, botanists, masquiers, and alchemists, each with their specific abilities and I don’t think I can pick one because I was so intrigued by all types.

Truly a great new fantasy and I cannot wait for it to come out because I want the physical copy for my collection.

Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Sophia has been bound to her uncle since she was a child and must undertake dangerous missions for him- her life is not great! So when she learns about an academy that trains magic wielders and thinks that it will be an opportunity to escape him, she grabs it with both hands, doesn't take long to realise that he isn’t the only threat that she needs to worry about! To become a scholar at the academy each hopeful must compete in the ordeals, which are used to whittle down the applicants in brutal and devastating ways! I loved the camaraderie and loyalty in this book, there was a definite whiff of Buffy tenacity about Sophia and her new friends with their incredible will to succeed together no matter what is thrown at them. I feel we have only scratched the surface of this world, but I am excited for whatever is coming next.

The Ordeals is amazing. I loved Rachel's previous adult book and was offered the chance to read this one early. I jumped at it, and I am so glad I did.
Atmospheric and immersive dark academia with deadly trials.
I was fully invested in Sophia's story. I did not see the ending coming, although I did suspect there might be more to Sophia that meets the eye.
Rachel Greenlaw has created an intriguing world full of magic, mayhem, and supernatural creatures. There are so many layers to this story, it is complex, and it is beautiful.
Definitely going down in the favourite books pile!

Thank you to HQ for providing this for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Sophia DeWinter has been bound via a blood bond to cruel uncle for most of her life and she is bristling at the chains that bind her. She longs to attend Killmarth Academy so she can hone her wielding and when she can she takes a chance to escape there. At Killmarth each hopefully is put through a series of deadly trails called the ordeals designed to weed out the weak. Sophia teams up with another hopeful Alden Locke in order to make it through but the ordeals are only the beginning.

Noooo the ending torn my heart in two, hopefully the author can repair it in the next book. It took me a little while to get into this book but once I got into it I was truly hooked and did not want to stop reading. I loved Sophia and Alden, they were a good team. I really can’t wait for the next book, I have to know what happens next. The authors writing really drew me in, loved it.

The Ordeals was a really fun fresh take on a magic school setting with just enough familiar elements to feel nostalgic.
Rachel Greenlaw really made this her own by crafting a quite creepy atmosphere and adding the Buffy-esque vampire slaying into the mix. The magic system is interesting with four different kinds of magic: botanists, illusionists, masquiers and alchemists.
I had a lot of fun with the trials and exploring the school but I will say that this is quite a romance heavy book and I wish we’d spent a bit more time on the former rather than the latter.
The romance was a little instalovey, however I liked that the author actually leaned into their emotional connection rather than just basing it off physical attraction. Also shoutout for the males taking contraception in this world!
In my opinion the twists were very obvious early on but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment throughout. I’ll definitely be looking forward to the sequel!

Thank to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the premise of this book, at first glance just another read about a loner wanting to get into a magic academy, fighting all the odds & managing to get a foot in the door but this is so well crafted, it stands out from the crowd.

I loved Sophia DeWinter, the writing is spell binding, she is such an interesting character, you’re drawn to her story instantly. It’s a lovely twisty story, you’re never sure where the story is going but know you need to keep reading. It’s very dark in places, intense and heartbreaking at times but I Loved it, please let there be a second book.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

An exhilarating, high stakes romantasy that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The world building, the peril and slow burn between Alden and Sophia made The Ordeals five stars for me.
I never knew what was going to happen next and I greatly enjoyed unlocking the secrets of the college and the shadowy Collector.

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

An exhilarating read, full of twists and beautiful writing, with a slow burn romance and plenty of magic. This could have been a cookie cutter off the peg offering but instead was just spellbinding and immersive. Highly recommend.

A terrific first novel in the series setting up for the next instalment. The story charts the progress of Sophia De Winter as she goes through the Ordeals, the only way she can find to escape from the Collector that has hitherto controlled her life. She must pass the four ordeals to be accepted at the magic school, or die trying. Will she learn quick enough or will she die trying…

4.5⭐️ 2🌶️

- Dark Academia
- Rivals to Lovers
- Found Family
- Forced Proximity
- Magic Systems

When Sophia hears of Killmarth, an elite academy for magic wielders, she’ll do anything to prove worthy of a place to escape from the sinister Collector to whom she’s been blood-bound since childhood. But to secure her place at the academy, Sophia must first endure the Ordeals – a series of deadly challenges that separate the weak from the powerful. But as the hopeful wielders are picked off one by one, Sophia must swiftly embrace her abilities as an Illusionist and discover who her allies are if she has any chance of joining Killmarth and becoming a scholar. As her feelings grow for her partner Alden Locke, and with the line between enemy and ally so thin, Sophia must figure out who she can trust if she is not only going to succeed but escape the Ordeals with her life.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC.

The Ordeals is an absolutely stunning, whirlwind of a read! There’s no slow-burn that keeps you waiting on the edge of your seat here; this book is a full-on sprint from the very first page until the last. It’s the first book I’ve read by Rachel Greenlaw, and I was captivated by her utterly immersive writing style. The plot is so cleverly woven that it keeps you guessing until the very end, and I genuinely couldn’t put it down!

The world-building is brilliant, reworking familiar tropes and aesthetics into something unique. I loved the inspiration of St Michael’s Mount; the descriptions of Killmarth and Marazia took me right there. I could literally see Marazion and Penzance in my minds eye!

I was invested in the MCs Sophia and Alden from the very start, and loved that they both fall for each other simultaneously sooner rather than later. Their relationship is sweet and not too over-the-top, the perfect blend of charm and romance!

I do think the writing style steers more towards YA/New Adult, but that really didn’t stop me from loving it one bit.

Perfect for fans of dark academia and Fourth Wing, I can already see how popular The Ordeals will be. I will be thinking about *that* ending for some time - I’m still gathering myself back together! It’s the first book in a duology, so I’m already counting down to book 2 to read the conclusion of Sophia’s story. I cannot wait!

I LOVED this book! I give it all the stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

It’s like Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games. Think magical trials, dark secrets, high-stakes challenges, and a slow-burn romance that had me completely hooked.

Sophia and Alden are the kind of characters you root for from the first page. Both are fierce, independent, and deeply driven in their own ways. I loved how they clashed and challenged each other, but also how their bond grew so organically.

I honestly didn’t want it to end. Highly recommend to anyone who loves fantasy with grit, heart, and just the right dash of romance and spice.

10/5★

Obsessively immersive, twisted, and heart-pounding—this is one of the most gripping reads I’ve had in a long time! I was captivated from the very first page to the last.

This book is pure Buffy meets Goblet of Fire, with a badass heroine, a dark academy setting, a fiery rivals-to-lovers dynamic, and a series of brutal, magical trials that will keep you breathless. It only took a few pages to hook me. By chapter three, I was literally jumping out of my seat and screaming. It’s rare for a book to have me this emotionally invested so quickly. I’m loving the thrill, the plot twists, and the absolute chaos. Every chapter felt like a heart attack waiting to happen, in the best way possible!

Sophia and Alden are everything. The banter? Sizzling. The chaos? Delicious. I can’t keep up with them—and honestly, I never want to. I am devouring every moment they’re on the page. The trials were uniquely crafted and unpredictably insane. one of them actually made me stop breathing!

I was jumping, screaming, terrified, hyperventilating, grinning like a fool - just wow. What a wild ride! The author pulled me straight into this world, and I never wanted to leave. It was such an escape from reality, and I am so grateful for it. My heart and soul were completely consumed by this story. Words honestly fail to express how much I loved it. I am obsessed.

The writing? Phenomenal. This was my first book by this author, and I’m so thankful it reignited my love for fantasy. Each chapter was exciting, addictive, and left me wanting more. I need the next book — I can't sleep without knowing what happens next!
And that ending? An absolute banger. It was perfect and left me completely dysfunctional for days.
Please. I’m begging. Can I have the next book? The very fiber of my soul needs it.

Huge thanks to HQ publisher and NetGalley for the early copy—I truly appreciate it. This book felt like a work of art, and every opinion here is 100% my own and from the heart.

Wow where to begin with this one! I was very lucky to get an arc of this book. Thankyou HQ publishers and NetGalley.

Mysterious, chilling, and utterly addicting, I was wrapped up in this from the beginning.
As i was reading, I thought I knew where it was going but it managed to catch me off guard several times!

The aesthetic is unapologetically dark and moody. With gloomy weather, deadly trials & an intriguing magic system. It gave me everything I want from a dark academia book.

The love interests are technically rivals to lovers, but it’s more of a ‘keep your enemies close’ sort of vibe pretty much from the onset. I’d say it’s relatively low spice which i felt fitted perfectly with the story as there’s lots going on.

The ending is a total whirlwind ( in the best way) it had me audibly gasping! And then in tears… and then left desperately seeking the next book 👀

The Ordeals comes out on 7th October this year so If you’re looking for a deliciously dark and thrilling read this autumn, look no further. This book covers it all. This was an easy 5 ⭐️ for me!

I can’t wait to re read this when my SE arrives 😍

This completely swept me away. I honestly could not put this down! The world-building is absolutely stunning—dark academia vibes with a unique and interesting magic system that feels fresh and immersive. You really get pulled into the atmosphere of Killmarth College and the high-stakes world of the Ordeals.

The character development is so well done, especially with Sophia (our FMC). I felt such a strong emotional connection to her—she’s fierce but vulnerable, and you’re constantly rooting for her. The pacing is relentless in the best way possible; each trial amps up the tension, and the last few chapters had me gripping my seat. No joke, I was holding my breath.

And the slow burn between the FMC and MMC? Chef’s kiss. It unfolds so naturally and adds just the right amount of romantic tension without ever distracting from the intense, life-or-death challenges they’re facing (which, by the way, are VERY real—like they might die real).

If you’re into romantasy with high stakes, a vivid magical world, emotional depth, and some serious trial-by-fire energy, The Ordeals needs to be on your radar.

This is definitely a 5-star read for me!

#NetGalley

Really enjoyed this, the characters were well thought out and there was enough of their back story to understand them without it taking over the whole story line. The story line itself was exciting and unique, quick paced and kept you guessing throughout. Can’t wait to read the next book!

Another one I could not put down and devoured in one sitting. I absolutely recommend this book. Be ready for an afternoon or evening of completely neglecting any chores as this one will have you hooked within the first chapter. I live for books that leave me speechless and this book did just that. I actually feel quite sorry for the next book that I read because there is no way it be able to compete with this magical gem!