Ok. This was a great start to a dark magical academy. I laughed out loud with the scene after the Met. She was hoping to catch him in a compromising hot scene and finds him... snacking. ahahsh (readers will know what it means)
She is a Sire, and to get her family's acceptance, she spies on those hiding in the Genesis Academy. She has a difficult time accepting that these Masters have so much knowledge and power that could help in the common world.
There are so many fun scenes, the acceptance to the guilds, the tournament, creating a golem bird, dealing with his highness, ahaha.There are Valkyries and dragons, jewish traditions. Fun read and fun characters. Ok. This was a great start to a dark magical academy. I laughed out loud with the scene after the Met. She was hoping to catch him in a compromising hot scene and finds him... snacking. ahahsh (readers will know what it means)
She is a Sire, and to get her family's acceptance, she spies on those hiding in the Genesis Academy. She has a difficult time accepting that these Masters have so much knowledge and power that could help in the common world.
There are so many fun scenes, the acceptance to the guilds, the tournament, creating a golem bird, dealing with his highness, ahaha.There are Valkyries and dragons and Jewish traditions. Fun read and fun characters.

I decided to DNF The Art of Exile at 32%. When I started reading, the first 10% really pulled me in and had me excited to continue. Unfortunately, once Ada arrived at the Genesis Institute, the tone and pacing shifted in a way that didn’t work for me. The writing began to feel much younger than expected, reading more like a middle-grade novel despite its initial tone.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of The Art of Exile by Andrea Max.

I really enjoyed reading The Art of Exile. With that being said, the first 50% or so was difficult to get through. I struggled. For me the issue was specifically around the world building and establishing the magic system used. Most of the time it felt more like a lecture than organic. What was done really well were the art and historical concepts. They were woven into the story in a way that they felt organic and felt like they had a place. I really love how that was used. I think this is a solid start to a new series. Now that the world building is established I hope that the next would be more of the parts that I really enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really loved the premise of this book- I love the da vinchi code and the idea of those ystery aspects being woven into a scifi fantasy was too good to pass up!

Unfortunatly, it was a big miss for me. I don't know if I am just not the right audience for this book, or if myabe I've just officially grown out of the YA genrea, but I felt like this book was really unpolished and some of the references/ideas in the book were really glaringly obvious and/or just.. kidna lazy feeling.

Example one: calling the guard around the school Ava is in the Avant Guard? Really? That's something I expect from a middle school book, not YA.
Example 2: having almost everyone names after a major person in either history, mythos or lord of the rings for some reason really took me out of the story- if Aragon is indeed a name from a mythology I'm unfamilair with, I'll concede that but my first thought is the LOTR character which REALLY thre me for a loop.

I also felt like the author was trying to base a lot of the plot points off of mythology but it was really mishmashed up and didn't make a lot of sense, especailyl with the intense worldbuilding that takes place in the beginning.

I felt also that the romance in the sotry was.. weird? The FMC immediatly lusts after one of the MCs like.. as soon as she sees him in the beginning and then the romance lines continue to have a weird level of sexual tension that i was NOT a fan of.

The ending was a cliffhanger, which is to be expected in the first of a series, and honestly a lot of the last half of the book gave me early 2000s dystopia YA vibes (thing Divergent) in a weird way.

This may be a great book for ages 12-16, but I don't think I'd read anything by this author again.

Overall I thought this was a fun read, filled with so many things I love—dark academia, magic, secret societies, mystery, and betrayals.

As far as the world building goes, I liked the blend of fantasy and real-world that was present in this book. I will say that some aspects of the world felt complex, so it took a while for me to truly feel like I was enveloped in the world and understood how everything worked. There were many different guilds and magical powers that took some time to get used to and remember; but once I did, I enjoyed it all. Having said that, there were elements of the magic system and academia aspect that I wished were fleshed out a bit more, but that could be fixed in the final version.

I thought the characters were pretty interesting to follow, though it took a beat for me to settle in with them. I thought Ada in particular had a pretty good character arc (even if she made some questionable decisions along the way). I’m not the biggest fan of love triangles most of the time (and in this case, I didn’t particularly care for either boy), so I wish we had seen less of that and focused more on Ada’s exploration of power, but I’m sure other readers will feel differently.

The pacing was quick and action-packed, which I really liked once I settled into the story. And while I guessed a lot of the twists, I liked watching the secrets be revealed. Readers should go into this book knowing there are a lot of details to keep track of in the first half; but if they can get through it, the second half is great.

All in all, it was a fun read. And I could see myself reading the sequel in the future.


Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC!

This wasn’t bad. The writing was fine, and the story started interestingly. Where this book lost me was how dense the world-building was. So much was explained about the world that didn’t really matter, and the things I wanted to know weren’t explained.

Also, the character interactions were weird. So many people trusted the MC immediately. For a society trying to hide itself, that seemed impractical. Where this book really lost me, though, was the insta-lust between the MC and another character, but then he turns out to be a professor at this secret science school?? He’s only a few years older than her, so that 1)didn’t make sense and 2)was obviously just meant as a barrier so they couldn’t instantly be together.

Not a bad book, but not one I was excited to pick up again.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately the 21 year old MMC interest for a 17 year old FMC did not sit right with me and I lost interest in continuing the story any further.

Thank you regardless to Simon Teen for the ARC! I appreciate and am grateful for the opportunity, even if this one wasn’t for me.

2 I’m giving this a two stars only because it starts with the part about how profound it is to see Michelangelo’s David for the first time. I love the Renaissance, art, Italy, YA literature. I do not love this book. The writing itself is fairly bland. The magical powers reduced to video game script and the love scenes predictable. I was so excited to read this, because what a great premise! Alas, it isn’t great or even good. Maybe a romance starved, art history nerd, gamer girl geek will like it? Maybe.

Historical secret societies, prophecies, and betrayal. I loved this book.

The Art of Exile surrounds Ada Castle- the child of a long line of people who belong to an ancient secret society dedicated to finding a secret school founded by the Renaissance masters after they were exiled. After Ada is chosen to infiltrate the school, and spy for her family, she finds the reality she’s thought she knew, completely flipped.

The start of the book with the statue of David was brilliant, and it truly drew me in. I loved how fantasy was incorporated into the story, but was also explained in a scientific way. I also thought the school itself was so well crafted, and the guilds intrigued me so much. There were so many plot twists and secrets. The romance was something I totally wasn’t expecting, but I LOVED it so so much. If you like the Da Vinci Code, (specifically Angels & Demons), I really think you’ll like this book.

Right from the first sentences you're drawn in, however, it is a bit of a slow start, and the chapters feel wordy and lengthy. Though the beginning chapters aren't as fast paced they feel necessary for world building and character development.

The world building is complex and took me some time to actually get settled and understand fully, there are a lot of different types of magic, powers, guilds, and secrets societies, so the slower start was helpful. It's a more sophisticated version of Harry Potter.

I never have strong feelings on a love triangle, but this one is done really well! I always feel like in a love triangle is always apparent who we should actually root for, but not here! I’m looking forward to reading what’s next!

Jewish Fantasy? Check. Enemies to Lovers? Check. Light academia? Check. This book was so good! I loved how Jewish the storyline was and how central it was to the school and the magic system. Andrea Max nailed the concept. My one thing was that I wish the world were flushed out a smidge more. There were points where I felt slightly lost or thought I was missing part of the story. I feel like that will develop further with the sequel. But besides that, I was so invested! Ada was a great female main character, and I enjoyed her perspective throughout the story. I felt seen with the Jewish representation, and honestly, could use more of that in fantasy. The new friendships were also well done. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Rafe. I knew from the second he showed up that I was going to like him. He was snarky, but protective, and his personality was the perfect contrast to Ada's. The book took me on a journey, and I liked that it was set in a made-up world alongside our modern one. The fact that this was a debut has me loving it even more, and I'm so excited to see what Max will do next! Thank you to SimonTeen for the ARC to read and review!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This novel explores identity, memory, and displacement through a richly introspective lens. The writing is layered and thought-provoking, and there are moments that really shine with emotional depth.

That said, this one moved a bit slowly for me. While I appreciated the themes and literary style, I struggled to stay fully engaged throughout. It felt more like an intellectual exercise than an immersive reading experience at times.

Still, if you're into literary fiction that leans reflective and philosophical, The Art of Exile might be a rewarding read for you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon Teen for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review
The opening of the book was interesting enough to catch my attention with Ada’s undercover mission at the museum and a cute meet-and-greet with a stranger who shares her interest in history. This book was an intriguing read with elements of dark academia, secret societies, dash of magic, mysterious schools, internal betrayls, kinda love triangle (not a fan) and as usual some horny teenagers. It gave me Percy Jackson and Harry Potter vibes, especially the blend of fantasy and the real world. The world-building was complex, and it took me a really long time to settle in and get hold of all the characters. It was a bit tricky to keep track of different types of guilds, their magic, and how powers work. I wish we could get more insight into the magic system and the academia part.

Ada started as a self-conscious teenager who thought she was not good enough. Her journey was interesting to watch. She grew throughout the book (still made stupid decisions), but the love triangle didn’t work for me, and it didn’t seem to contribute much to the story. I wish the book had focused more on her journey to explore power, not on exploring cute guys. Michael had a lot of potential as a character, but he didn’t get much focus. On the other hand, I didn’t like Rafe’s character, he was your typical snobby fantasy royal who took satisfaction in bullying his opponents.

I saw most of the plots and twists coming once I got hold of all the characters. The first half had a lot of details, but the second half of the book really pulled me back in. The pace was quick, and a lot of action was happening, as well as secrets were unraveling.

Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this. The magic, history, and romance elements were engaging, but the side plots seemed unnecessary. Would I pick up the sequel? Probably.

This felt very much like an homage to Harry Potter in a way. I loved the characters, I enjoyed the academic setting as YA fantasies are always more interesting in academic settings. I also enjoyed the moral dilemma Ada faces and the secret society that helps uncover truths about her own family. Kept me on my toes!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Art of Exile by Andrea Max is a first person-POV YA science fantasy. Ada is an untrained Sire, a magic user, and has received an invitation to attend an academy to hone her skills and join one of the Guilds. But she has another motive besides learning magic: she has been recruited by her family to take the Alchemy Guild’s information and bring it back to the provincial world to help fix society.

There are three love interests: Kor, the childhood friend, Rafe, the annoyed-to-lovers archetype, and Michael, the slightly older guy who is forbidden fruit because while he’s only three years older than Ada, he is a teacher and she’s a student. While one of the love interests seems to be completely out of the running by the end of the book, I can say that I’m not entirely positive who Ada will choose in the next books or if she will have to choose at all. One of the love interests is depicted as Bi/Pan and not the biggest fan of monogamy, so this could end in a poly relationship and I’m here for that.

The Guilds act as specialized houses for learning magic, with some focusing on art others on the sciences. Students do not simply choose the Guild they join; they have to do a presentation and the Guild masters will offer a spot and then the student will choose from among the offers (if there are multiple). In a lot of ways, it’s similar to applying to multiple colleges and they look at your application and decide from there, so this will probably resonate with teen readers who are in the middle of applying to higher education.

This is definitely more of a science fantasy rather than a straight sci-fi and the ties to real world scientific figures keeps it from being purely fantasy. Like many YA fantasy and sci-fi, the plot ties directly back to real world issues as Ada wants to take the information she believes the Guilds are keeping to themselves and help others. When she confronts Michael with this, he doesn’t disagree with her but mentions that the provincial world hasn’t historically handled having that kind of knowledge handed to them well. I found this to be believable because some of what we have done with science has been horrific, to say the least, and I have no doubt that if magic is real, that the Guild of Mages has been asking themselves for centuries if we can be trusted.

Content warning for mentions of cancer and assault

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy with a sci-fi bend and readers of science fantasy looking for a book exploring Jewish traditions and mentions of interfaith backgrounds

well-written fantasy with a definite da vinci code vibe. the plot points were reasonably standard but worked well anyway. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you so much Simon Teen for the e-ARC!
This was such a good read and overall a great YA fantasy! At first the worldbuilding did confuse me a bit and it was hard to keep every aspect straight, but it improved as I got deeper into the story. Despite this, I really loved the world that was created and the mix of fantasy and dystopian that this book has.
I was very invested in the plot, especially in the second half, but I also enjoyed the friendships and romances in this. The way that it ended seems like there may be a second book, and I would definitely love to continue this story if there is a sequel!
Overall I definitely recommend!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a secret group of people who have most of the answers to the world’s problems? Ada definitely thinks so but she thinks it’s selfish to keep them hidden. I was very amused by the first few scenes of this book. Ada meeting the mysterious attractive guy in Florence but she is also in some undercover mission. You definitely got my attention. Afterwards, when this whole other world opened up to Ada, it was a lot to take in. I enjoyed the how the history was interwoven and brought up how painters and idealists of the renaissance were ‘masters’ or ‘sires’. I had fun reading about this sorta magical school for Ada to learn her sire powers. I even thought it interesting that she is still spying for her Family since she is of the ideal that the knowledge should be share to the world. Somewhere on the scenes about this school, I got a bit lost. Especially with this love triangle? (Not sure if it is one exactly but felt like it) michael had so much potential and then boom he is not a contender anymore? Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the Rafe introduction and where it went but Michael had potential too. I do like how Ada finds herself and at the end embraces it. At the end looking back, I realized it was a good book but there were some elements that felt unnecesary. Loved the magic building and the hidden world

I really wanted to love this book but one of the love interests being 21 and the FMC being 17 didn’t sit right with me. Their interactions rubbed me wrong. I wish Ada had been aged up a bit.

I really liked the premise of this book and the Harry Potter/Hogwarts vibes though.

“I was wrong.” He grins. You are totally my type.” 😏

What an amazing debut novel! I’m so obsessed with this world and the characters. Andrea weaved together the perfect blend of academia, romance, and politics! This book had a solid foundation of elements from other stories that I love but it added such unique aspects that I truly fell in love with it.

The love triangle was done so well and Ada definitely has a tough choice to make. Both Michael and Rafe have positive character traits but they also each have their own flaws! I think deep down I’m on Team Rafe though!

This was such a powerful story and had aspects that I felt are really relatable to what we’re seeing in the world today. The last 10% of this book was such an emotional roller coaster and I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next book!

If you love light academia, secret societies, science/magic, love triangles, found family, enemies to lovers, fake dating, and mentor x student, then this book is for you! The Art of Exile releases on May 13, so be sure to check it out!

Thank you so much to @simonteen for an advanced copy! 💙