2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
I would encourage you to check out this book if you'd love to read about rich teenagers going through a semester at a high class, rigorous boarding school because that's pretty much all this book is, which isn't a bad thing.

The four characters are competing with each other to become heir, but they have no idea how they are being judged, which created a plot that was pretty subtle. Most scenes are the characters going to class, or in detention, or at the dining hall, all scheming and plotting and trying to figure out how to pull ahead of the others in a competition they have no events for. Although I did enjoy seeing the internal politics of the school and how the characters dealt with those. But I feel like this book was caught somewhere between having a compelling plot and no plot just vibes. It really was like they were just living life with a side dish of scheming, so if you've ever wanted to attend a rigorous, super fancy boarding school, read this book! I wish there were certain things they were supposed to be doing rather than just living and hoping they're doing the right thing, although the uncertainty of the competition did add delicious tension. As did the romance. Nothing was easy and everyone had to work for their relationships.

As for the characters, they all had compelling motivations and interesting, unique personalities, but I didn't click with any of them. I did enjoy seeing how everyones thoughts and feelings and relationships changed, and loved how they all came from very different backgrounds. Seeing four different ways of thinking and leading, and their different desires and personalities was a fun contrast made even better because we saw how they came to be the way they were. The messy familial relationships between parent and child and how that influenced the characters was very interesting. I was also surprised by the ending, as I wasn't expecting there to be a sequel, but there definitely will need to be one-- the story does not feel complete.

As for the writing, I think the style just wasn't for me, which obviously hampered my enjoyment. I think the writing could have benefitted from some slimming down and tightening up, but I can see that that wouldn't be the case for everyone.

Overviewing the book makes it seem like it would be exactly the kind of story I'd love, but something just wasn't clicking. I would encourage you to read the book however, as I think it was a case of just not right for me personally.

I just finished Royal Heirs Academy by Lindsey Duga, and wow, what a ride! This book pulled me straight into a world full of romantic tension, royal drama, and juicy family secrets. Set in a glamorous boarding school, it follows four teenagers who are vying for the chance to inherit a European kingdom.

From the very beginning, I was hooked. The story took me on such an emotional rollercoaster—one moment I was swooning, the next my heart was aching, and then I’d find myself angry or even in tears. The way all those feelings were woven together kept me completely captivated.

The pacing was perfect—fast and engaging. Honestly, I couldn’t put it down. I devoured every page, and when I reached the end, I found myself wishing there was more. If you love stories with drama, romance, and twists that keep you guessing, this book is a must-read!

Alaric Durham, Emmeline Rhodes, and Titus Cross…three teenagers raised under very different circumstance with a few unusual things in common. They didn’t know their parents, families, or love. Now, brought together at an elite boarding school, Almus Terra Academy, a shocking secret will turn their lives upside down. They are all the grandchildren of Leander Eldana, King of Ashland. Pawns in their grandfather’s mysterious plans, they were separated from their family sixteen years ago and raised in secret for their own safety. King Leander has now brought them forth from hiding to take their places amongst the royal family. They, along with Sadie Aurelia, scholarship student and loyal Ashland subject, will compete against each other to be named King Leander’s heir and wear his crown. The four heir apparents must navigate a cutthroat competition while finding their places amongst the complex hierarchy of Almus Terra. Who will win and who will find themselves collateral damage in the conflict for the crown?

Lindsey Duga’s Royal Heirs Academy is a delicious mix of Gossip Girl and Game of Thrones with a heaping helping of Succession. There are no creatures on Earth more devious than teenagers and when money, power, and prestige are on the line the games they play can be down right brutal. Duga does not shy away from showing them in all their vicious glory. She weaves a tale full of intrigues, machinations, and power struggles. It’s fascinating and unnerving in equal measures. All four of the main characters are extremely complicated individuals, full of insecurities and delusions of grandeur. Readers can find themselves both sympathizing with and hating them at the same time. Typical teenagers to the nth degree! Duga is able to make them relatable as they maneuver through very unrelatable circumstances. The story is fun and fantastical, a little bit fairy tale and a little bit horror story. It grabs you from the first chapter and keeps you guessing as your loyalties ping pong back and forth from one teen to the next. It’s a grand, high stakes drama and I can’t wait for the next installment of Duga’s twisted game.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ROYAL HEIRS ACADEMY by Lindsay Duga

🏫 Boarding School
👑 Royal Drama
♟️ Heir Competition
🏰 American Royals x The Inheritance Games
🖤 Enemies to Lovers

This was QUITE the way to end 2024 reading! If I had read this earlier, I'm positive it would have ended up on one of my best-of lists. Maybe I'll have to make an exception and stick it on one for 2025 since that's when it's technically published. 🤔 Usually I consider that cheating, but I might have to make an exception here.

I'm still giddy over this ride. If you loved American Royals, you'll definitely like this. I daresay I may have even liked it more? The plot moves and with the competition angle, the stakes feel much higher. I loved all of the characters. (Okay, I didn't LOVE all of them, but they were all very well-rounded and although we had 4 main characters, their voices were all unique.) And that ending? 🤯 Give me the second book nooowww.

This is one that both adults and teens can enjoy. Even though it says for grades 9 and up, I think it'd be fine down to 7. Everything is closed door and besides a little bit of drinking, I didn't get any other major red flags for content. The writing is also seriously fantastic.

Alright, Lindsey Duga, I'm in. When do we get the next one?

Royal Heir Academy by Lindsey Duga is a fun novel featuring unique characters, a cut throat competition, and political scheming.

Although the novel had a slow start, by the end I found myself immersed within the story and the high stakes. Specifically, I devoured the last 20% of the book.

As readers, we get to see inside the minds of all the characters competing for the throne, including Titus, Alaric, Sadie, and Emmeline. Personally, I loved Sadie’s perspective the most, and found it the most entertaining. I also enjoyed seeing the intricacies of Emmeline, as she is a cunning young woman and a force to be reckoned with. I appreciated how all of the characters were somewhat morally grey, and even if you hated what a character was doing, you could still find sympathy for them.

The story also featured a little romance, but I wouldn’t read this book purely for the romance aspect, as it was smaller. It featured somewhat of a love triangle trope, but made it work somehow.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and would read the next one, even though it took a long time to pick up. I think it’s perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games series or the American Royals series!

The ending of the book sticks out for me because it felt pretty badass of *redacted* to do what they did and it really shows their character development. Titus, Emmeline, Sadie and Alaric all have a POV in the book; this helps develop the nuances in their characters and what drives them. Although I am biased toward Sadie and Titus, Emmeline and Alaric are written in a way where it is hard to hate them as characters because I understand the hand they were dealt and my hate is reserved for their actions. I feel that the four potential heirs should’ve interacted more with each other and in different variations. The book also could’ve benefited from a bit more conflict to create more action.

Royal Heirs Academy is a fun YA novel filled with drama, romance, secrets, and betrayals. Emmeline, Titus, Alaric, and Sadie all receive acceptance letters to the infamous Almus Terra Academy, a school that breeds world leaders, business executives, and technology pioneers. For them, their studies are the least of their concerns, for each is competing to be named heir apparent of Ashland. Titus, who has always known about his royal lineage, is terrified of disappointing his parents, especially since they do not know about his biggest secret. Emmeline has always wondered why she was raised by nannies and assistants. Now that her parents have finally revealed themselves, she just wants to get to know them and experience a loving relationship. If being named heir is what that takes, she will stop at nothing. Alaric, who was first raised in foster care and then on the streets, is determined to make a better life for himself - and show all of the privileged elites that you don't have to be raised with a silver spoon to be successful. Finally, Sadie, who is still struggling over a recent tragedy, wants nothing more than to help those who truly need it, including endangered sea animals. Being named heir would give her the power to make life-changing decisions and help the less fortunate. When the four meet at the academy, tensions couldn't be higher.

Royal Heirs Academy has everything an exciting YA drama needs: enemies-to-lovers (to enemies?) romance, family drama, competition, revenge, and all of the plotting and scheming. The book definitely gives off Gossip Girl vibes with notes of Elite. The characters are all well-developed, and the author does a great job providing the necessary backstories for each. The author ends the book on a cliffhanger, so be warned. I cannot wait for the next book in the series! This was an easy five-star read for me!

In ‘Royal Heirs Academy’, Alaric, Emmeline and Titus (King Leander’s grandchildren) are competing with Sadie (a local orphan) to become the future heir of Ashland. The four heirs are sent to Almus Terra Academy to learn and compete for the title. The concept of a school to train future world leaders was intriguing, but the execution was underwhelming.

My first issue with the book is the accents/speech. There was an effort to make Alaric sound Irish and Emmeline was raised in NYC. However, the majority of the other characters speak with an American accent, despite the Academy being located in France and featuring students from around the world. For example, Titus was raised in London and the student council president, Calixa, is the daughter of the President of France, but I would never guess that based on how they talk. Additionally, Sadie refers to her family as ‘Mah’ and ‘Grannah’, which feels very out of place with how she speaks otherwise.

I also did not understand the lack of training from the crown. Yes, taking classes at the academy in international business, etc. is helpful, but if the grandchildren were raised elsewhere they would likely need to learn the history, alliances, etc. specific to Ashland.

I’m also confused by the series of events that setup the book. I felt the reasoning why the parents were not in contention for the line of succession was not explained well. Furthermore, King Leander claims the reason why he sent the grandkids away was because he not only wanted to protect his grandkids, but also raise them differently than their parents. However, there didn’t seem to be an effort to raise the grandchildren with different values, leading to the grandchildren also coming off as spoiled and ruthless.

Lastly, the timeline for naming an heir feels short. King Leander claims he can change it at any point, which sets up the rest of the series, but I feel like constantly changing the line of succession would cause confusion and undermine the people’s confidence in the heir. Additionally, the whole competition feels like it would create the infighting that led to civil wars in the past, which the King is trying to avoid.

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Royal Rivalries? Check. Blackmail? Check. Deceit? Check. Romance? Check. A good underdog story? Also check.

Leander is King of Ashland. However, his stronghold is weak. He is scared for the safety of his family and the legacy of his kingdom. He sends his three adult children away, has them send their children/his grandchildren (the potential royal heirs) to foster care, and requires them all to cut ties with the potential royal heirs until the kingdom is stronger.

Fast forward 16 years later. The kingdom is stronger and King Leander is now looking for who should be heir. He finds his three grandchildren (2 boys, 1 girl), all living different lives, and one additional girl, a commoner from Ashland, who he identifies as a potential fourth heir. He sends them each to Almus Terra Academy to demonstrate who should become the heir.

Though the story line is okay for tweens, there is one scene in the book that begins to move towards an adult theme, leading me to keep my recommendation towards high school. It was good book and a good read.

Was expecting something more like Gossip Girl, Fate, or Maxton Hall, but this was a totally different direction than I was anticipating. The writing style was easy to follow, but I couldn't find myself interested in the fighting or drama.

This was a decent book overall, but it wasn't extraordinary. I think my main problem with it is that it felt like I'd read it before. The story was almost a mashup of American Royals, Paper Princess, and The Inheritance Games. While I'm fine with books that remind me of others, there wasn't enough original or unique content for me to appreciate this story on its own.
The ending was unrealistic and it was obvious that Sadie would be chosen as heir just for the sake of the underdog winning.
Bonus points for chronic illness rep. 3.25/5⭐.

I wanted much more from this read. The characters were just okay at best and I had a hard time keeping track of who was who, mostly because I didn't enjoy the characters. Someone else might like this but I found it to be bland and just run of the mill.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lindsey Duga and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

King Leander Eldana has ruled Ashland without naming an heir to the crown. When his grandchildren were born, he sent them away to be raised out of the public eye. They are older now and it's time to name his heir! How will he do it? In the halls of Almus Terra Academy, a boarding school infamous for breeding the world’s next generation of leaders.

Titus has always known he’d inherit Ashland’s future. Alaric was not raised with a silver spoon. He may not be fit to be king with his hand-me-down clothes or his short temper. Emmeline only wants to please her parents. If that means securing the crown, she won’t hesitate to destroy anyone in her way. Sadie is not an official grandchild and has no idea why she’s been given a chance to bring new blood to the throne.

A fast-paced enjoyable read! I was definitely surprised by the ending. I cannot wait to recommend this book to others!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the advanced reader copy.

I was hoping Royal Heirs Academy would be the kind of fun romp, peek behind the curtain of royal life that Katherine McGee's American Royals series was. Unfortunately, I found this book to meander and get bogged down into details about each character that could've been held off on until we had more invested in them. Disappointing, for me.

honestly a little disappointing. a very standard idea undermined by how the characteres are done and how little i sympathize for them. 3 stars. tysm for the a rc

Reading this transported me back to the early 2000s YA. Every main character read the same with no individuality and completely ego driven. The descriptions of the setting was done well but that’s about it unfortunately.

Quick and easy read, kind of a no brainer but definitely enjoyable. I recommend to anyone who wats an easy and light read.

Such a fun read. While kind of what I expected from a YA book it still kept me engaged and loving the story and characters… while finally hoping for more in this installment at the end because it just doesn’t feel like enough because it was that good.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review!

To be honest, this book started really slowly, and I almost gave up and DNF. But I’m glad I stuck with it to the end, and now I can’t wait for the sequel. I think it’s tough to write from four different perspectives and make you feel for each character and yet feel so upset at each character as the perspective shifts. While all compete for a throne, the underlying story of revolution and trying to make the world a different and better place while suffering under the rule of the wealthy few, really resonated. I thought this was great, and if it had hooked me from the beginning it would have probably gotten 5 stars.

Also, I am rooting for Titus and Sadie, not so much for Emmeline and Oliver. Oakley was a little frustrating, but I loved her complexity and humor, I just wish we saw more of her being friends with Sadie and not just Emmeline. I am stumped about how to feel about Alaric. I liked that he stood up to his dad, but you can’t decide what you want to root for him for. And King Leander needs to go. Really looking for to the sequel.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free kindle book! My opinions are my own and are freely given.

I loved this book so much and really hope there are more coming! ❤️ King Leander sends away his three grandchildren when they are babies to protect them and to make sure they don't turn out as horrible as his own children did (I really need more backstory on that if we get more books). Now, years later, Titus, Emmeline, and Alaric (cousins) are reunited at Almus Terra Academy, learning about their royal birthright and that they will be fighting over the title of heir. To top it all off, the king chose a random girl, Sadie, to also fight for the title of heir (not physically fighting, btw).

The author does a great job developing the characters, which is often a hard thing to do when they are going back and forth between the POV of four different people. Each person is so clear that you have no problem switching between the different POVs. I definitely have decided who I don't think should get the crown, but not sure who really should. I mean, they are all sixteen and being pitted against each other. So maybe the one who is the 'villian' may have been friends with everyone if not put in this situation. Maybe they should all just start a revolution and take down the monarchy as teenagers lol

Will be looking for more books by this author! Really hope this is going to be a series :)