Academy of Villains flips the classic fantasy narrative on its head. Instead of noble quests or golden-hearted heroes, we’re thrown into the shadows, where orphans of war are molded into lethal weapons by the very force that destroyed their homes. It’s dark, gritty, and brimming with moral complexity and that’s what makes it stand out. This book asks: What if the bad guys had a reason to be bad?

At the heart of the story is Kiara, an assassin born of trauma and raised to obey. Her mission? Infiltrate the Academy of Mages and eliminate Prince Lucian Darkwing. But as she pretends to belong in a world of spellcasters and powerful Grimoires, she stumbles into a magical ceremony that links her to the very forces she despises. From here, her path diverges, pushing her to question loyalty, identity, and even her own capacity to love.

What makes this book worth picking up?
The magic system is genuinely intriguing, Grimoires as living extensions of mages, elemental affinities layered over personal spellbooks, and a deep lore that feels both fresh and inspired. Ever King weaves a world that feels like a gothic cousin to Harry Potter, with echoes of Greek myth, court intrigue, and shadowy societies. It’s atmospheric and emotionally charged, with just enough romance to leave your heart aching and your mind spinning.

Highlights:
-A morally gray protagonist you want to root for
Hidden identities, deadly secrets, and unexpected alliances
-A slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc that’s as tense as it is tender
-A “found family” vibe hidden under layers of distrust and duty
-That only one bed scene? Chef’s kiss.

Critiques:
While the pacing hooks you early on, there are moments, particularly in the middle, where the narrative lingers a bit too long in internal monologues or world-building exposition. Some side characters, though promising, don’t get the development they deserve, and the romance occasionally overshadows key plot threads. That said, these are minor issues in what is otherwise a bold, immersive debut.

Final Verdict:
If you're a fan of dark academia, anti-heroes, and morally tangled magic, Academy of Villains should absolutely be on your shelf. It’s not just a story about power, it’s about reclaiming identity in a world that tried to erase it.

Academy of Villians by Ever King 🌟

As the ruthless king decimated towns in his pursuit for magic, the children orphaned in the attacks are captured, and trained to be assassins. Known as The Nameless, their identities are stripped to become weapons for the king.

Kiara, one of these assassins is tasked with killing Lucian Darkwing, Crown Prince of Ithika.

To do so, she must enter the Academy of Mages. Forced to face the magic wielders she hates in order to find him, she unintentionally takes part in a ceremony that determines the magic class of the mages. It’s here that her life’s path is altered and she begins to question everything she thought she knew, including who the true enemy is.

A combination of Harry Potter vibes and Greek Mythology, Academy of Villains has an interesting magic system, with mages wielding Grimoires that they draw spells from when needed and each mage having their own elemental power on top of this. The story is laced with magic, intrigue and a romance that defies light and dark powers.

💚 Dark Academia
💚 Secret Society
💚 Heart Bonds
💚 Magic
💚 Greek Mythology
💚 Only 1 bed
💚 Enemies to lovers

This book had so many promising elements—assassins, mages, curses, secret societies, trials, and a mysterious prophecy involving three keys. Unfortunately, instead of building these threads into a cohesive narrative, it felt like the author threw every idea they loved into the mix at once and hoped it would stick. The result? A bit of a whirlwind.

We start with a badass assassin who randomly discovers she has magic and is immediately whisked off to an academy where, shockingly, there’s already a dorm room waiting for her and no one questions it. That’s kind of the vibe of the whole book—plot twists with no buildup, big developments with little explanation, and characters who just… go with the flow. For a trained killer, our main character doesn’t seem to have much bite, and we’re given no real insight into her past, her boss, or her actual training. And then there’s the prince—he’s supposed to be cool and important, but he remains more of a vague idea than a fleshed-out character.

The pacing is fast, and while it’s entertaining if you don’t think too hard, it leaves a lot of questions in its wake. Why did they stop looking for the keys? Why does no one question anything? Why do major magical events seem to happen without consequence or explanation?

If you love chaos, magic, and a little mystery without needing all the dots connected, Academy of Villains might be your kind of fun. But for readers who crave tighter worldbuilding and logical character development, this one might feel a bit too crowded.

As a lifelong fan of Greek mythology, I really enjoyed the core concept of this book. It was a lot of fun to see the story of Nyx and Erebus reimagined in a modern, magical academy setting.

The opening scene, where the students receive their magic, hooked me right away. It had that same kind of thrill you get from the sorting hat in Harry Potter or the Awakening in Zodiac Academy. It set the stage for what felt like a big, exciting story to come.

After that, though, the pacing slowed down. I appreciated the world building, and I can tell the author has done a ton of work to develop Ithaka and its surrounding lore. I even looked at her website and saw just how detailed everything is. But in the book itself, that depth didn’t quite come through. It felt like the world was being held just out of reach. Similarly, I had a hard time connecting with the characters because I didn’t feel like I really knew them well enough to care deeply about their journeys.

The trials brought the momentum back and added some much-needed excitement, but those scenes also felt a bit rushed. We’d get through one trial and be on to the next so quickly that I often found myself trying to catch up with what had actually happened.

All of that said, I think this is a strong YA debut with a unique premise that will appeal to younger readers, especially those who enjoy myth-based fantasy. I went into it expecting something a bit more in the New Adult range, but given the tone and the absence of romance or spice, it’s clearly aimed at a younger audience. The chemistry between Kiara and Lucien was great!

Overall, I’m intrigued by the world and premise, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the story goes in book 2!

This is one of my favorite fantasy book so far. From the first page it grips your attention, and you don’t want to put it down. I read this book in two sittings. I really love the writing, it was so descriptive and engaging, and you can easily picture the locations, and the settings. I really love the FMC Kiara, she was really strong and stubborn and very likable. I also love the MMC Lucian, and their relationship was so well executed. I really love the other characters in the book, and I think it will have very good found family.
I definitely think that this book gives Harry Potter and Throne of Glass vibes, and I absolutely love that. I think that this book can be read by anyone, despite their age. I love the unique magical system and cannot wait to learn more in book 2. I would recommend this book to anyone that loves:
🤎 Greek mythology - Nyx and Erebus
🤎 He falls first
🤎 Enemies to lovers
🤎 Academic setting
🤎 Closed door romance
🤎 Assassin x prince
🤎 Fated bonds

The fmc is badass. It gives a new harry potter vibes. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book.
Thank you net galley!

A straight word romantasy novel, the first in a series. Kiara comes the academy as an assassin to kill the prince, but unexpectedly finds she is a powerful mage and instead studies there. Over time she learns to kind of like the prince…

She lost everything, her home, her parents and her name. She was still a child when she was trained as assassin in a secret army of the king used against his enemies.
Slowly the magic is disappearing and all as to do with the cursed prince. She is sure once the curse is lifted all will be better for the people. So she infiltrates the magic academy set into killing the prince. When she is discovered her whole live is changing again. Not only does she has her old, nearly forgotten name Kiara back, no also how is it possible that she has magic? She is in possession of magic which is assumed to be lost and soon even more secrets unfold.


I really enjoyed the start into this new series. What I really liked is that Greek mythology gets mixed here so well with magic and an academy setting.
When the story starts you assume that we have an assassin set out to do a job and then bit by bit during the story all aspects of the story line unfold. That Greek mythology is woven into the story you learn while reading (and at the end of the book there is very fine information about the connection). We have an academy setting with secret societies, the usual bullying and fighting but also a headmaster and an Oracle who give hints but are not showing all their cards.
Finding out what really goes on, who is involved in what was well written.

Kiara is for me a really great character and I liked her right from the start. She lost as young person everything and had to undertake a harsh and hard training to become an assassin. Still she has a good character and I got right from the start a connection to her. I liked it to learn with her more about magic and to find out more about secrets, learning to understand what is really going on in the kingdom.
Lucian you could assume has a nice live as prince but then you learn that this is absolutely not the case. I like that his magic seems to be dark and bad but in reality he is such a good person. With him we learn more about the mysterious history of his family.
The idea with the Heartstring which connects both on such a deep level was interesting. I liked it a lot that Kiara is not willing to accept this as she doesn´t know Lucian, was set so far on killing him and then she is supposed to accept that he is her true love and together they are more powerful. For me it was good to read that she struggled with it. That Lucian on the other hand has right from the start a connection to her, wants to keep her save and protect her was for me believable.

For me a good start into this series and I am looking forward for the next book what is awaiting Kiara and Lucian then.

⊹ 2.75 stars ⚔️

First of all, I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

So, this wasn’t my favourite book… There were definitely some parts that were working, however there were some that were not. The plot was all over the place in my opinion, and at times I was so lost as to what was even happening. There were plot holes and things that weren’t really explained—or not until the very end. like what did the trials that were sprung upon them have to do with the curse? The curse wasn’t even explained until the last 10% of the book. Among other things like that.

The presmise is basically that there’s a girl who is an assassin hired to kill this prince. She somehow sneaks into a magic academy, but discovers she has powers instead that she never knew about. I was intrigued by this, and there were some other interesting concepts, such as heartstrings, the nameless guild of assassins, merging their powers, etc. However I just felt like it wasn’t executed the best.

The characters and world felt underdeveloped—I just couldn’t connect to them. As for the setting, it’s like it was trying to mimic Harry Potter but make it dark, which sort of worked? The writing was only okay, and I also wasn’t the biggest fan of the dialogue. One of the characters literally said, “Let’s show him what we’re made of!” which is a little too cliche for my taste.

Despite this, I will admit it was slightly entertaining at times. Overall, i think there was definitely lots of potential, but the execution wasn’t the best in my opinion! But I can see why some people may have enjoyed this more than I did.

Thank you again for the arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

Run, do not walk to read Academy of Villains. If you love Skulduggery Pleasant/Shadowhunters/Harry Potter you'll love this. There's magic, adventure, passion and power. There were also a few newfound tropes that I really enjoyed - enemies to lovers, he falls first, touch her and die, touch him and die. We're thrown straight into the action and the unknown, wondering what will happen. I felt so immersed into this new mysterious and seemingly volatile world. The underlying tension that steadily builds between Prince Lucian and Kiara is everything. This story is a high stakes, must succeed action adventure and it's not even over yet. I can't wait to read more in this series to see where it takes this group of young mages. Academy of Villains is already one of my favourite fantasies and is another book that's made me fall completely back in love with reading fantasy.

I LOVED this story! Think Harry Potter but make it Slytherin, add a FMC assassin who wants to kill the prince, a fated romance that binds them, and Greek mythology references and you’ll have this amazing book, it is SO good.

We follow Kiara, an assassin who on behalf of the king, infiltrates the magic academy to kill the prince. However once there she is thrown into the schools magical sorting ceremony where she finds out she has not only magic, but celestial magic—long thought to be eradicated. Kiara finds out that not everything is as it seems but now when is forced to work with Prince Lucian to break the curse. We get to follow along through magic classes and trials as they work to solve the mysteries and curses.

This is exactly what I wanted in a story and would highly recommend picking up immediately for older teens, young adults, or even older adults if you are like me and love these types of vibes.

Unfortunately this book really wasn't for me i was really looking forward to it but I dnf at 65% and it was a struggle getting that far ,it really wasn't gripping me and felt a bit all over the place if I'm honest ,it lacked world building and the characters were lack luster and lacking descriptions

Imagine throwing Greek mythology, sexy fated bonds, and secretive magical societies into a blender and hitting FRAPPE! That's Academy of Villains in a nutshell—a romantasy cocktail that promises to be your next book obsession if you've got a soft spot for Throne of Glass, Sailor Moon, AND Harry Potter!

This dark academia series follows different couples in each book (all inspired by Greek love stories) as they navigate a cursed kingdom full of political schemes, monsters, and magical trials that'll make your head spin! Plus, you get both characters' perspectives, which is always a treat for the nosy reader in me!

Did I enjoy it? Well, I definitely vibed with the atmospheric setting! Though everything zoomed by faster than my last coffee buzz—especially the romantic connection.

The mythology elements were chef's kiss—definitely the highlight! And can we talk about the magic system? Grimoires as power sources? Secret societies? Several scorching-hot potential love interests? Sign me up! I especially enjoyed the unique twist on love bonds—not your typical fated mate scenario!

But here's the thing… by the finale, I wasn't exactly clawing at invisible pages for the next instalment. I went in expecting more actual ACADEMY stuff, you know? Where were all the magical classes? The study groups? The found-family vibes with classmates bonding over homework and hexes? There were hints of dark academia aesthetics, but anyone expecting more (like me) might be disappointed.

Would I recommend it? If you're in the mood for mythology-inspired romance with magic and intrigue—absolutely! Just don't expect to be enrolling anytime soon!

If you’re looking for your next magical fantasy read this book is for you! It has a new magic system that I found very creative! The book follows a FMC as she is tasked to complete a mission as an assassin and suddenly ends up in a magical school where she must use her new found powers to survive!

The tension between the MMC and FMC as the struggle between wanting to be near each other but also wanting to kill each other gives the best enemies to lovers vibes!

Overall it was a good blend of romance, magic and fantasy!

Thank you to Netgally and the author for this gifted ARC. All opinions are my own!

Academy of Villains - Nyx & Erebus

Massive thanks to NetGalley and author Ever King for the ARC!

The cover and the blurb of this book caught my eye and I knew I wanted and needed to read it.

I had so much fun reading it! A dark fantasy with a FMC assassin and MMC named Lucian? It’s giving Slytherin vibes and I’m 100% here for it.

Secrets, love, magic and trials you’ll find it all in Academy of Villains. The magic system is based on grimoires, making it feel fresh and interesting. The academy itself is more of a background for the whole plot, but we still get to see some lessons and the scholar life. The trials were a great addition to keep the pace.

The romance definitely takes center stage here, with the fate angle playing a big role. I also love how well-developed the side characters are - and Kaspian? I’m obsessed. I need his book immediately.


Now onto some complaining (only a little bit, just some observation).
I feel like the synopsis promised a bit more than the book actually delivered. Don’t get me wrong - I still really enjoyed it - but some elements either didn’t fully show up, felt rushed, or were too predictable. I also wish the enemies-to-lovers tension between Kiara and Lucian lasted longer. I would’ve loved to see them battle it out a little more before giving in.


That said, it was still a fast, fun, and engaging read that kept me entertained from start to finish. It’s one of those simpler romantasy stories that completely pulls you in and doesn’t let go.
A solid start to a promising series. Can’t wait for book two!


Rating:
7/10


Fated mates • Greek mythology retelling • Enemies to lovers • Magic • Dark academia fantasy • FMC assassin • Secret society

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the author, Ever King, for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Truthfully, I loved the premise of this book, especially the unique magic system. What do you mean they summon magic using a book, the Grimoire??? And the rules that govern it are so cool! These elements alone had me instantly hooked.

I loved the brotherhood within the Raven Society and how quickly Kiara became friends with Octavia. They opened up to each other so naturally and started uncovering the truth about the kingdom’s magic together. Even the magical history of the kingdom was incredibly intriguing.

However, the romance fell flat for me. I was expecting a proper enemies-to-lovers dynamic, but I didn’t feel much chemistry between them, especially with how quickly Lucian seemed attracted to Kiara, mostly due to the “bond” they unknowingly shared. When it was revealed that they were connected by the Heartstring, their relationship started to feel forced.

I loved Lucian’s obsession with Kiara, which made sense, especially with how she was described as such a strong-willed girl (𝘠’𝘈𝘓𝘓 𝘕𝘌𝘌𝘋 𝘛𝘖 𝘙𝘌𝘈𝘋 𝘏𝘖𝘞 𝘖𝘉𝘚𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘌𝘋 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘋𝘌𝘓𝘜𝘚𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘛𝘏𝘐𝘚 𝘗𝘙𝘐𝘕𝘊𝘌 𝘐𝘚), but I struggled to enjoy their moments together. Kiara’s attraction towards Lucian felt mostly physical, and the Heartstring just pushed them closer without enough emotional development.

Plot-wise, I think the confusion was partly on me. I started this without revisiting the blurb, so I was caught off guard when the characters were suddenly thrown into a series of trials to break the kingdom’s curse. It felt like those trials were more of a setup to give the MCs more scenes together. I was hoping for more intense challenges, especially with the mention of magical creatures, but the trials ended too quickly. (𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 🫣)

Overall, it was still a good read, and I had a great time while reading it. However, I don’t feel compelled to pick up the next book, even though this one ended on a cliffhanger.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook

I binged this in one sitting, too caught up in the story to take a break or sleep. This was a fun read, and I loved the Academy setting and the magical system was different and intriguing. I really enjoyed Kiara and Lucien, her black cat personality worked well against his confident, snarky, yet caring one. Both had truths change everything they thought they knew, and the way their trust in each other built made their romance feel so much more satisfying. I can’t wait to read more in this series, there are still mysteries to unlock, and The Ravens to get to know.

“You’re mine now, Kiara”

This book was such a fast-paced and magical ride. The worldbuilding was fun and unique, especially the grimoire-based magic system ( I loved the Grimoire rules)! I also appreciated the lore section at the back of the (version I had) the Kindle version, it gave me a really interesting insight into the universe.

The plot moved very quickly. The Trials, they felt a little rushed, but the stakes were high and the danger felt real, so I was still hooked. Kiara and Lucien’s relationship, developed fast but I can’t lie their chemistry was sweet. Their fated connection was soft and intense all at once. This books was fun, and sometimes that’s what matters most.

Rating: ★ ★ ★.5 /5
Spice: ♥︎/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Ever King for the ebook copy.

A dark magic academy, secret societies, Greek myths retellings… say no more, this sounded like a great read for me! And you know what? It was!

The story of Nyx and Erebus is not one I was very familiar with, so this didn’t end up being the driving factor for my interest. What completely drew me in was the setting (dark academia is a favourite trope of mine) and more than anything the unfolding relationship between the main characters.

The pacing was fast, which meant I hardly ever skipped ahead - if you’re expecting lengthy descriptions you might be left wanting more, but I myself was happy to run along with the action.

The atmosphere throughout is vaguely oppressing, with the feeling of an unrealised threat looming. I think this was done very well and really fitted with the dark academia factor. I kept expecting an unknown enemy to jump out of the shadows - but the shadows themselves might be the scariest things here… Do not pick up this book if you’re looking for a sunny setting! It’s full of malevolent, swampy forest, dangerous monsters, a cursed bloodline, murderous classmates, and faculty verging on psychopathic.

There were a few scenes that truly made my heart race and chills run down my back, however bear in mind though that I am very easy to scare. If you’re used to reading horror / crime, you’ll likely find this very mild. This was just the right level of scary for me!

Now, kept the best for last: I loved the romance between the characters. The dual POV was well done. I got very attached to the MMC and enjoyed the fact he fell first and wasn’t shy about telling her, while not pressuring her about returning his feelings. Also, I’m actually a fan of protective MMCs!

I feel Ever King has a knack for crafting “quotable” dialogue. I highlighted a LOT of passages. I’ll give you 2 of my favourites:

“- I’m not here to light up your life, Lucian.
He steps closer - closer than I’m ready for - his body nearly brushing mine. He tilts my chin with two fingers, his touch feather-light.
- But you do, Kiara. You light up everything around you.”

“Love is the frequency of magic.”

All in all, I had a great time with this book, and I can’t wait for the second tome in the series, Lessons in Loyalty, which thankfully will be out shortly!!

Lions, and Tigers and bears oh my... nah, Mages, Starmages, and Shadowmages oh my. Academy of Villains starts off right in the thick of things which left me a little confused, but that's okay. This book is fast paced and action packed. A lot of information is thrown your way, but keeping up wasn't a huge problem.

Kiara was sent to assassinate Prince Lucian, so yes this was a true enemies to lovers story. Besides being hired to kill Lucian there was other obstacles in their way and watching them navigate through it all was heartwarming and I could't help but smile through out their journey.

Lucian I loved and Kiara had to grow on me. She was so abrasive, but I could understand why she was.

I liked the story and was excited to see their journey continue because I felt like it was unfinished so to my surprise the second book is about different characters. I'm confused to say the least.

*Thank you to the Author, Ever King and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*