Dark academia meets divine chaos (with a dash of morally gray flirtation)

Academy of Villains is like walking into a shadowy boarding school where everyone’s beautiful, dangerous, or both—and somehow, you can’t look away. With Greek mythology spun into a dark romantasy setting, Ever King takes classic gods and myths and throws them into an elite, cutthroat academy where power, secrets, and temptation are always just beneath the surface. Think mythical gossip girl meets dark magic trials.

Pros:
• The worldbuilding is super fun if you’re into dark academia and myth retellings—gods, legacies, and politics all wrapped in black velvet vibes.
• Nyx and Erebus are a dynamic pair—broody, complex, and full of that slow-burn tension I live for.
• The plot has real stakes, with enough twists and character reveals to keep you flipping pages (or staying up late with the audiobook).
• The morally gray characters are actually compelling—not edgy just for the sake of it.

Cons:
• There’s a lot going on in the beginning—world, characters, mythology—so it takes a minute to find your footing.
• Some tropes are familiar (the brooding, secretive male lead, the chosen-y female protagonist), and while they’re well done, they don’t reinvent the wheel.
• A few secondary characters felt like they had more to give and weren’t quite fleshed out yet—but I’m hoping they get their moments in future books.

If you like your mythology dark, your magic dangerous, and your romances slow-burn with a side of enemies-to-something-spicier, Academy of Villains is a solid ride. Definitely worth diving into—especially if you’re ready to root for the “bad guys.”

I liked the premise of this book. The FMC is an assassin that is supposed to kill the prince, but instead ends up joining the school because she has magic. I felt that there could have been more details in the beginning to build the story up. I did like that they used grimoires as their "wands" so to speak. That was an enjoyable and different take. The relationships between the characters is a bit odd and predictable, but also not detailed enough. Like you get the know the characters, but really only at a partial level. Not the deep connection that you crave when reading a book. There is a lot of potential for this overall story, and I look forward to the next just to see how this author's writing evolves.

Academy of Villains is a promising start to a series that blends magic, romance, and mythology. While some aspects, such as the pacing of character relationships, may not resonate with all readers, the novel's atmospheric setting and engaging plot make it a worthwhile read for fans of dark academia and fantasy romance. The book sets the stage for future installments, leaving readers eager to see how the story unfolds.

This one definitely went to town on exploring the Harry Potter/Hogwarts kinda vibes while remixing it with Greek mythology. It was definitely unique in its own way and had a lot of potential to be really freaking cool, but it just fell a little short for me.

There was so much info dumping throughout the whole book that I just felt like I was learning about the world and magic system, instead of actually enjoying it and enjoying how the characters were interacting with each other. At the beginning of the book there wasn’t even that many moments where the characters were interacting with each other or setting up dialogue, again, we were just being told everything that was happening and kinda thrust into this world without any pretence or backstory? It was just a little jarring and messy to get in to.

I’m also not really sure where the Greek Mythology element came into play, other than the two characters kind of loosely representing Nyx and Erebus. I don’t think that there was actually any clear mentions or nods towards this other than in the blurb and marketing for the book? Maybe I missed something here but it just seems like so much wasted potential to me. I feel like something really really cool could have been done to combine the two elements (Hogwarts type school and mythology), but it just focused more on the Hogwarts/magical school more than anything else and this fated mates heart string element to bring romance into the story.

I also have no idea where the romance came from? It seemed like one minute they didn’t know each other at all, other than her trying to kill him, and the next thing they’re constantly thinking about each other and making excuses to see each other. Bare in mind this felt like it was happening over the span of like 3 days. The pacing was just really fast and jarring, and I feel like there probably should have been more of a build up or struggle between the two of them before falling into this cosmic pull that they shared?
Especially since she was an assassin who was sent to kill him, and he was the royal prince who was connected to the man who killed her whole family, just seems like that wouldn’t have been the kind of thing that you got over so quickly, ya know?

I think you would enjoy this one a lot if you like things to move very quickly, enjoy a more YA kind of fantasy book, and can see past a couple plot holes or annoying moments.
Overall a pretty cool book, but it is definitely geared towards a younger audience who enjoy fantasy!

4⭐

Published October 14th 2024

Academy of Villians by Ever King is the first book in a Greek-inspired magical academy love story. It is a dual POV following main characters Kiara, a new mage raised as an assassin, and Lucian, prince of Ithaka and shadow mage.
Following the failed assassination attempt on her target prince Lucian, Kiara finds that she does have magic, her motives keep her at the academy where she learns more about the curse that holds the kingdom and learns to wield her magic. With a sprinkling of secret societies, fated love, and mythology it makes for a very compelling read.

This was a really fun take on the traditional magical academy story in a number of ways:
- The characters are older (19/20) and follows more of a post-secondary vibe as the characters are said to already have a basic understanding of magic. Which definitely allowed for more freedom for plot development, that's less focused on individual classes. This was really well done, we did get to learn about the magical basics of the world through Kiara asking questions and discovering it herself but it wasn't the main push.
- The design of the Grimoires was well done and super fun. While not an entirely new take on it, it was really well executed.
- The duels were really well detailed, without feeling endless.

The writing was stellar, clear, detailed, but not too wordy. The world was developed, but left more to unveil in book 2 where presumably there will be a major battle. There was really good chemistry between the FMC and MMC which is kept PG.

Thank you Ever King, EverKingdom, and NetGalley for the advanced copy, I can't wait to see what happens in book 2!

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy for free and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I love Greek mythology and really enjoyed this story. The twists and turns of this dark academia romantasy kept me hooked until the end. I recommend this book to all fantasy fans, but especially to fans of Harry Potter who always wanted to see a world where Slytherin rules.

Following a foiled assassination attempt, Kiara finds herself in the lair of the enemy. Her determination to survive leads her down a path there is no coming back from. More than her own survival, she wants to correct the injustices of the world brought on by a dark curse gripping the royal bloodline of her kingdom. How does she do that? By having to align herself with the cursed prince of course.

I very much enjoyed the Greek mythology meets Harry Potter, if Hogwarts were run by slytherin, vibes. There’s even magical creatures!
As captivating as the story was in the beginning, it started to lose me a little bit at their trials… like I was hoping for more.
Overall, it’s ends on a cliffhanger that will definitely have you itching for book 2 asap.

Loved this book

Thank you so much NetGalley for giving me an arc of this book

Definitely love the magic system the story and the characters. The writing was amazing.

Character development on point.

I can’t wait to devour every single book in this story.

If you love a strong FMC
A shadow daddy
Magical academy
Greek mythology you’re gonna love this book

Always love a good academia book and this was so good. I love a good villan boo. Always fall ofe the villian cause the villian will burn the world down for the one her loves

A fab story and well written. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. Enjoyed every second of reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Ever King for giving me the opportunity to read the arc!

I am a sucker for anything Greek mythology so when I saw this book was inspired by it, had fated mates and also had a magic school I was hooked. Also the cover is stunning!

I really enjoyed the mythology in the book! The plot itself sounded very interesting and had high potential. I really loved the side characters! They were really interesting and I wish we got to see more of them! Especially Octavia and Tobias!


Unfortunately the book fell flat for me as I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style and the dual point of view. It didn’t feel to me as the characters had a distinct enough voice to justify the dual POV. I personally believe the story would flow a lot nicer if it only followed Kiara.

I also wish we got to see more of the magic school! The two classes we did attend felt really interesting.

The pacing moved really fast. A lot of concepts and ideas were told not shown and moved past at warp speed. A lot of smaller plot points would have benefited from being expanded upon - if the book cut out Lucien’s POV the pacing would feel much better.

I will continue this series as I am interested in the plot to see how it progresses, because I really am a fan of the mythology in the book!

This story follows an assassin girl with no magic and her target is to kill the prince. She somehow falls into the walls of the magic academy and starts her quest to kill the prince. But along the way Kiara, the assassin finds out truths and makes her question her mission. I thought the book started off from the start with a quick pace. There’s plenty of action, magic school, trials, enemies to lovers. Definitely enjoyed this first book and can’t wait to have the chance to read the second book to follow Kiara and Lucian’s story!

The first chapters were engaging and easy to follow, pulling me right into the story. The magic system was clear and interesting, with features like secret passages, ancient libraries, floating mage lights, and grimoires that made the world feel unique. The golden apples were also an intriguing detail that added some mystery

I really enjoyed the trials, which brought action and suspense to the plot. The academy’s slightly sentient nature was a cool twist that added to the overall atmosphere

The romance was built around heartstrings, a fated magical bond, which made it feel meaningful and added to the connection between the characters. Kiara was a strong lead, and her journey was compelling

The cover of this book is beautiful and definitely caught my attention. The quote "I'll burn the world before I let her fall" stood out to me. It’s such a great moment in the story

This book was a great mix of fantasy, action, and romance. If you like magic academies, Greek mythology-inspired stories, and some romance with your fantasy, you’ll enjoy this one

Wow this book was awesome. I loved it, can't wait for book 2. The characters and plot of this book was beyond amazing. I couldn't put the book down!

This was phenomenal! Definitely exceeded my expectations.

Greek Mythology meets Harry Potter and The Mummy

Spoiler free summary:
A woman with no name is sent to kill the King's son but by whom and why? The FMC ends up getting put into the sorting ceremony where it is revealed to everyone including her that she is one of the most powerful mages. The Prince tries to push feelings away and put on a tough face but they are fated. Now they must figure out how to not only how to stay safe from people and forces outside the school but each other as well.

Vibes:
Some of the scenes in here are actually pretty funny. Her first magic fight I reread a couple of times because it was so good. The characters in this book are so different from each other it's insane. Every single person has a completely different identity. I do wish there was more of the magical aspect in this. The puzzles were great in this, you were figuring it out with them. However, it would be great to see more classes/magically challenges.

I do like how forward the MMC is. It cuts a lot of corners and unnecessary fluff. It was also great to have both characters evolving without continuous repetition of the same drama over and over again.

Romance/Spice: 2/5

Tropes
Academia setting
One bed
Fated
He falls first
FMC
Protective
Lovers to Enemies

This book follows an assassin out to kill the prince in a magic academy, when she finds out that she too has magic and a rare one that everyone thought was extinct!

This was YA and whilst I can appreciate the storyline of it, I wasn’t able to get stuck into it or that invested so I unfortunately DNFed the book at 36%.
I think that whilst it wasn’t for me, there will definitely be some people that will fall for this book hard :)

I really loved this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the writing was good, I enjoyed the plot and the pacing kept me avidly reading!!

This was a good easy read. I loved the characters in this one and the magic system was so good! I also enjoyed the academy setting and the different lessons.
However I felt some things were a bit odd. The first chapter talks about how much the FMC hates magic and wants to destroy the rulers of her kingdom. But then as soon as she discovers she has magic she instantly accepts it and wants to learn more, a very quick shift in character. There was a couple more elements that didn’t get explained properly and left a few plot holes.
Overall this was a good story with lots of potential!

Academy of Villains is a compelling opening to the Academy series. King skilfully weaves Greek mythology into a magical academy setting. At its heart is Kiara, a former assassin hiding an extraordinary magical gift. Tasked with infiltrating the academy to eliminate Prince Lucian—a cursed royal whose fate is entwined with the kingdom’s deepest secrets—her mission takes unexpected turns.

Kings' world building of the academy’s atmosphere was beautifully crafted as I could visually picture the scenes from her descriptions. The integration of secret societies and a meticulously crafted magic system deepens the suspense and enriches the plot.

A central thread of the narrative is Kiara’s dynamic with Lucian, an intricate blend of enemies-to-lovers tension and heartfelt emotional depth. Kiara’s moral conflict and Lucian’s protective, enigmatic nature add layers to their relationship. However, their bond develops a bit too quickly, missing moments that could have strengthened the emotional impact.

The boys of the Raven Society remain somewhat underexplored, though this seems intentional—likely setting the stage for deeper development in future installments of the Academy of Villains series.

Overall, Academy of Villains' dark academic atmosphere, compelling romance, and morally complex characters make me eager to continue with the next installment, Lessons in Loyalty, releasing later this year.

Dark and twisty, magical academy? HP if Slytherins were the main house? This is everything I look for and more! Thank you NetGalley for the eARC, it took me a little while to start this book but once I started, I couldn't stop!