Having read Leia Stone before and generally enjoying her style, I came into Fallen Academy: Year One expecting something fast-paced and addictive, and it delivered. Set in a world of angels, demons, and a divided academy, this book balances the familiar tropes of the genre with a few fresh touches, like a clever take on how the powers appeared in the world that gave the story a nice twist.

The heart of this book lies in its relationships. Brielle isn’t the strongest protagonist I’ve read, but she’s got a good heart, stands up for what’s right, and had a few standout moments that won me over. Her best friend truly shines as a supporting character, and the side cast in general is one of the book’s strong suits. The slow-burn romance with Lincoln was fine, it hit the right notes, but didn’t feel especially unique.

The pacing was quick, just the way I like it, with engaging magical battles and tense academy scenes that kept me turning pages. One moment that stood out was when Brielle boldly challenged a demon- it was a pivotal turning point and gave her character a satisfying spark.

While there were a few moments that made me frown, minor frustrations in the plot or interactions, it wasn’t enough to dim my overall enjoyment. The world-building, while not groundbreaking, was interesting and pulled me in. I finished the book wanting more, and I’ll definitely continue with the series.

I’d recommend Fallen Academy: Year One to fans of YA academy fantasy looking for a familiar but fun story with strong friendships, paranormal flair, and high-stakes tension. Sometimes you just want a book that feels like coming home.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I don't know why but this book felt SO nostalgic for me, it reminded me of being a teenager and reading Cassandra Clare or Jennifer L. Armentrout! Fallen Academy is a super fun urban paranormal romantasy, you've got enemies to lovers, a sassy heroine, a ride or die friend that brings donuts, and a high stakes warring world of angels and demons! I loved the world Stone has created, it felt fresh and nostalgic all at once! When the angel/demon war started there was an unintended consequence, humans started to gain their powers and whichever beings trait you take on, effects the school you go to and the rest of your life! Brielle has already been promised to the demons but when she sprouts black wings the angels fight for her to go to their school. She is matched with the devastatingly handsome mentor, Lincoln, he is of course an asshole but we love him anyways!! Very excited to continue on with this series!

This book is a mix of urban fantasy, romance, and dark academia and was very fast paced. The angel vs. demon conflict adds a fresh twist, and the world-building has some cool elements, though I wish there was more time to develop certain aspects. The enemies-to-lovers dynamic keeps things engaging, but the romance moves a little to fast for my taste. A lot of the side characters felt underdeveloped, and a few moments were rushed. The banter is fun, and the tension between the main characters was entertaining. I felt like this one leans a little too into the tropes for my liking.

Sadly this wasn't my favourite. I really loved the information in the blurb and I thought it would have been a favourite of mine, but it didn't hit for me. Love the spice. But things were inconsistent and then things would also happen too fast. Ie. there was a demon attack but then all of a sudden things were back to normal. I would have liked to see a little bit more built in between to get an idea of the characters.

This book was a total rollercoaster—in the best, most addicting way! Brielle is a fierce, sarcastic heroine you can’t help but root for, and the whole angel vs. demon-gifted setup gave me major Vampire Academy meets Shadowhunters vibes. The world-building was super cool (black wings? secret contracts? elite magical schools?? yes, please), and the tension between Brielle and Lincoln was straight-up delicious. Their banter had me laughing one minute and swooning the next. It leans a bit into familiar tropes, but honestly, that’s part of the fun. If you're in the mood for drama, danger, and a broody celestial bad boy—you’ll fly through this one. Solid 4 stars!

Great dark academia fantasy! The banter is to die for and I can't wait for the next one in the series! The struggle of the heroine to grow into her powers and gain at least the acceptance of the students around.. A new twist on the angels vs demons trope, and I love it!

3.25/5

This was fun for an urban/angels vs. demons fantasy. There was enough worldbuilding to establish the context of the angel/demon conflict and keep me following along. I enjoyed the pacing, as I felt consistently engaged with what was going on. I also enjoyed the enemies-to-lovers romance though I was surprised it progressed so quickly, especially given that this is the first book in the series.

There were many many side characters despite the short length of the book, so I couldn’t quite keep up with them all. All of the romantic relationships were some degree of messy which I didn’t love. This was definitely upper YA in terms of the sexual content, which I wasn’t really looking for when I first investigated this book. I wouldn’t quite describe this as dark academia given that it felt very lighthearted and there was plenty of humour, though I’m not a fan of dark academia in general.

This was my first read from Leia Stone, though I have yet to read my copy of her work Cold Hearted (co-written with Julie Hall). I would be interested in checking out some of her other works, though I’m not sure whether I would continue this series.

I'd recommend this to fans of urban fantasy with a significant romance element.

Thank you to Bloom Books for providing me with this copy for review via NetGalley!

This book is a quick read and easy to follow. The storyline intrigued me, but I became disinterested after the 50% mark because it was so predictable. This series has the potential to be good. I may finish it, but I am not rushing to continue reading it anytime soon.

2/5

This wasn’t a terrible book by any means, but it is not my type of book. I love the fantasy elements. However, everything else came off as juvenile and immature, including the dialogue. For example, I cringed when James said “eww, boobs.” It screams elementary school, and the characters are older than 5-11 years old, so this kind of dialogue feels misplaced.

The book had all the right tropes that would’ve made me feel excited if I weren’t cringing every time a character opened their mouth. If I were younger, I would’ve liked this book.

This was so good. I loved the plot and characters. It was paced perfectly. I didn't wanna put it down and was on the edge of my seat

fast paced, romantasy, enemies to lovers, magic school, war between angels and demons, it was all that I needed .

Firstly thank you NetGalley for the Arc in return for my honest review.

I wanted to really love this. Magic school, angels and demons, enemies to lovers. Everything which on paper would be perfect for me.

I'd read the first two books in the Kings of Avalier series and enjoyed them so thought this would be similar.

It was definitely similar; however I was so distracted by the way the book was written as if it was by a teenager trying to use all the cool abbreviations like "YOLO". When checking, I realised that this series was a re-release from 7 years ago and that probably explains the slightly more immature writing style.

It is definitely a YA/NA book, and reminded me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Overall the I think it would appeal to its target audience of around age 14-16 year olds a lot better than for me more than double that age.

I can't rate this any higher than a 3 because I did feel several times throughout of DNF'ing but was pulled in by having to find out what happened. I have no desire to see where the rest of the series goes though.

A great fantasy book. I loved the concept of all humans being blessed by angels or demons. The fmc was a badass and I loved the tension between her and the MMC. The build up of the storyline was great and I can’t wait for book 2.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This story was so much fun! It was fast paced and super entertaining. I loved these characters and seeing how the story developed. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!!

I enjoy Leia Stone's writing. I appreciate that the style can come across as a bit juvenile in places, and the author often uses repetition throughout her stories. This is an older book of Leia Stone's that is being published traditionally, meaning her writing has definitely changed in the past 6-7 years. Regardless, I really enjoy the fun, fast paced stories that she tells.

This is the first in the Fallen Academy paranormal romance series. The concept is fantastic, the execution is alright and the character development is somewhat lacking. I'll definitely still read the rest, because I find Leia Stone's plots and stories to be addictive as hell.

Fallen Academy: Year One
3.5🌟🌟🌟

A fun, well written Angel VS Demon YA romance! The characters were very likable (well, all but one), and following Brielle on her year one journey was a very good time. While this book has a lot of the things you find in a typical YA fantasy romance, Leia also adds a ton of unique elements that kept me intrigued throughout the story.

If you like found family vibes, this is also a good read for you, Bri's friend group is great and felt very genuine. I also love how fast-paced this book was, I can't wait to see what comes in year two!

Thank you to Netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick, enjoyable read. This series is perfect for anyone new to fantasy, or for someone who struggles with tons of world building. The world building in this book was extremely easy to comprehend and digest. I also think this series would be great for a young adult audience as some of the verbiage is clearly geared towards a high school / college aged reader. Very intruiging plot, and I can't wait to see where it goes!

This one loves to scratch that fourth wing itch for me. I think its the school setting that is so addictive. I loved the characters dynamics.

Readers who revel in fast-paced, character-driven fantasy adventures will find themselves captivated by this tale. The narrative is brimming with witty banter, supernatural showdowns, and underdog protagonists who must navigate the treacherous waters of a morally ambiguous world. If you're drawn to stories where the lines between good and evil are blurred, and where quick wit is as valuable as a sharp sword, this book is for you. Prepare to be swept away by a whirlwind of action, intrigue, and unexpected twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page.