I love a good dark academia moment! And this book gives you just that. There’s a mixing of tropes in this book but the story line is very easy to follow. The author did a great job with the symbolism and giving you the overall picture. I definitely recommend this book especially if you into the world of magic!

You may be sighing internally at the prospect of yet another dark academia novel, but this one’s good.

There are a few Harry Potter-esque things here, like different Houses, how you’re chosen for a house and a forbidden area surrounding the school. However, this book has a very detailed world, and it stands on its own very well.

We are introduced to six dead teens who are desperately hoping to escape the limbo they’ve awakened in. One way to do this is by getting the top nomination every ten years, passing some trials and ultimately becoming an Ascended, with less work and more access to power. The alternatives are to exist for so long at Blackwood that you begin to lose your memories, and then you’re doomed to a dreary place called the Ether, for eternity, OR join the Demien, who live outside of the school gates and have completely given themselves over to shadow magic, in the hopes of gaining more power.

Something has been changing at Blackwood, however, and not for the better.

Read this to find out more!

Thanks to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book swept me away in a way that very few books have managed to do in recent years. What stood out most was how carefully and equally each character was crafted. While there’s a clear FMC and MMC, the secondary characters felt just as real, raw, and essential to the story, and not just like supporting players in someone else’s journey. This made the stakes of the story hit so much harder. I.V. Marie’s intricate backstories and delicately woven relationships are what made this world come alive for me.

The setting itself is pure magic! It's seemingly the perfect mix between Hogwarts and Basgiath, with an academy feel that brims with wonder, danger, and an air of mystery that lingers around every corner. The school felt alive, with the magic almost humming through its walls, and I found myself experiencing it through the characters’ own sense of awe. It gave me the same nostalgic feeling I had as a kid reading Harry Potter for the first time, that constant blend of light and dark magic, wonder and tension. The competitive aspect and afterlife theme reminded me a little of Phantasma, yet felt wholly unique to this world.

I also adored the diversity and queer representation, it felt authentic and added so much depth to the dynamics between characters. The only thing I could note in terms of drawbacks, is that the multiple POV's could potentially feel overwhelming and chaotic to some readers, even though it only enriched the experience for me. Overall, Immortal Consequences is a beautifully constructed, magically enchanting world that whisks you away and leaves you desperately wanting more! <3

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and honestly review this story!

All I had to hear to make me want to read this book was 'dark academia set in the afterlife', and I was hooked. But could it live up to my expectations? Yes, yes it could! First, have you seen the cover?! Gorgeous! The story is set, as noted, in the afterlife, at the Blackwood Academy, where select kids go when they die to learn to reap souls and do magic. When our 6 main characters are chosen to compete in a once-in-a-decade competition to decide who gets to make the choice to either formally graduate and join Blackwood's magical elite, or choose to cross over to the unknown Other Side, they are ecstatic. But this year's Decennial will be much different than previous ones, and these competitors will face challenges with real consequences. They set out to solve the mystery of why things are different this time, but will they all come back?

Wow, what a ride! The world building in this book was phenomenal, and the characters were very well written. We got to hear from each of our main group of characters in their own chapters, which may sound confusing but it's really easy to follow whose POV you're reading because each character is unique and comes from a different place, usually shaped by what happened to them when they were alive and how they actually died. The suspense is there in spades and kept me glued to the edge of my seat. I can really understand why this book is a Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick!

All in all, I enjoyed this book very much, and can't wait to read the next book, which I hope is out sooner rather than later!

5/5 stars.

*** I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House Children's, and I.V. Marie for the opportunity to read and review Immortal Consequences.

I really enjoyed the world that this book cultivated. I've been having a hard time with dark academia being neither dark nor a true academic setting---just sort of a mishmash of tropes. BUT, this did not disappoint. The setting and vibe for this story were very well realized. I was sucked in by the plot and the characters, and the story didn't let go of me until the very last page. I honestly didn't think I would like this as much as I did!

I have many feelings about this book, one of them definitely being the desperate need for book 2.

Immortal Consequences had it all: Secrets and heartbreak, beautiful melancholy in the perfect dark academia setting, such a cool magic system and some of my favorite tropes.
While I wish I had fallen a bit deeper into the book, I still enjoyed it so much and also someone please make this an audiobook!


PLOT

I LOVE the premise, the world this takes place in which in and of itself is so gloomy, angst inducing and mythical, scarily infinite in its darkness and still at times so small it almost feels suffocating.

It took me a while to get into the book because it seemed to start smack in the middle of a story, but in hindsight this made absolute sense. I liked the world building and pacing a lot and think they set the perfect stage for the layers that were revealed throughout the story.


CHARACTERS

Six main characters is a lot and I will say, it did make it a bit more difficult for me to immerse in the story fully. That being said, the different POVs were all relevant and well done, each gave unique insights and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss them.

There were two pairings I was particularly involved in and both broke and mended my heart several times. The other two characters, while obviously connected even before the plot of the book, felt a bit more separate.

Wren and Olivier I each loved for being multi layered characters. While I didn’t necessarily understand them fully at first, their complexity ultimately made sense and me like them all the more for it.

August is obviously my week spot and I loved all different sides of him.

Emilio has my heart and undoubtedly deserves the world and a warm hug.

Masika still feels a bit difficult to grasp at times but was a necessary counterpart.

And Irene - well, Irene too has layers, they’re just very well hidden and I think it made me feel about her exactly as was intended for the story.


WRITING

Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and tone. It shifted slightly for the different characters but not too much for it to feel like a connected read. At times, especially towards some of the bigger conflict scenes in the third arc, I felt like there were a bit more “telling rather than showing”-situations than I’d have liked but seeing as it was something that only bothered me briefly and not until I was somewhere around the 80% mark, I didn’t mind too much.

And again, I would love to have an audiobook of this! I’m sure the extra dimension would only elevate and already very good book.


TROPES
- Dark Academia
- Secrets and lies
- Gothic vibes
- Magical tournament
- Enemies to Lovers
- Mutual Pining
- Gothic Vibes
- Unique setting
- Cool magic system
- Angst
- Banter
- Magical labyrinth

---

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's and I.V. Marie for an ARC of this book (that by the way has a stunning cover)

Wow wow wow I crushed this book! We are being spoiled with dark academia books this year. It’s one of my favorite tropes so with the addition of rivals to lovers, high stakes trials, and slow burn romance I am all in!

From the start I was so invested! Immortal Consequences follows six students at Blackwood Academy, a school located in the afterlife (yes everyone is in fact dead), where they learn magic and how to reap souls. This was such a unique setting and the world building was beautifully done! I thought it was a refreshing and unique take to the afterlife. Especially as you get further in the book and start uncovering all the secrets of Blackwood Academy and The Demion Order!

Now I’m not usually a fan of lots of different pov’s but it worked perfectly in this book. We were able to learn and relate to all of the characters so I never felt like we were missing out on understanding the characters. For me personally there was never a pov I wasn’t looking forward to. Each character is so complex and different that I loved reading about all of them. But my favorite has to be Wren and August. I'm pretty sure I highlighted almost all of their interactions. The slow burn cat and mouse game between them was amazing! I could go on and on about them but they have easily become one of my favorite book couples!

The writing and pacing was excellent! This is a very enjoyable and bingeable read. The magic system is interesting to read about and I loved the different houses the students are split into. I loved the twists and turns and after that ending I need the next book! I’m so excited to learn more about this world and its characters!

Immortal Consequences by I. V. Marie is book one in The Souls of Blackwood Academy.
This book did not disappoint!
Y’all! So intriguing!
The mystery, dark academia, and magic was freaking phenomenal!
It was basically everything I want in a YA fantasy book!
Did it keep me glued to the pages? Did it keep me up at night until I finished it? Am I dying for the continuation of the story? Yes, to all of the above!
I was swept into the story from the very first page. I immediately loved the magic, the world-building, and the characters.
A thrilling dark academia fantasy read that was utterly amazing.

Where do I even begin with this book, the story was so well written and the characters so well developed. From the first chapter it had me hooked and the chapters were short and we got to see the thoughts of all six of the main characters. I had some twists figured out but others just came out of nowhere, it was an easy to read and very descriptive so I could easily picture and follow what was happening. Honestly, the author did such a good job cannot wait for book two in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Childen’s/Delacorte, and Ms Marie for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I’m definitely not the first to pick up on this, but there are some strong Atlas Six vibes here, but make it YA. Wren and August, rivals, tons of repressed longing and tension, sort of friends but also sort of enemies; Emilio and Olivier, two friends whom everyone else assumes are lovers but are too afraid of losing each other to take that last step, and Irene and Masika, two damaged girls who don’t know how to be friends trying to be best friends. There’s some other teens too but it’s clear that THESE are The Six. All the teens at Blackwood Academy are dead; they reap souls and learn how to navigate the Ether with Magic. Each year the best of the students is selected to choose between Ascension - full access to their Magic, no chance of forgetting their humanity, and a solidified position at Blackwood - or crossing over into the unknown. This year, though, things are different: 12 students will be competing for this chance. Winner gets the choice and losers get… eliminated. The entire afterlife might be at stake though as a rebel group, the Demien, are looking for a way to bring down Blackwood for good.

The author pulled off the 6 POVs pretty well. I had my favorite amongst the characters and amongst the pairups too, but I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone. I definitely felt the tension between the characters - of various types!- was well handled. I particularly liked the trials when the characters had to confront painful elements of themselves and their pasts. The Magic and the world building was a little confusing at first but I caught on by the time things picked up. This is a solid upper YA that adults could easily get caught up in too. I’m very interested to see where the story goes from here (rooting for you, Wren and August!!!! Sssssshhhhhhhh 🤫) so I’m looking forward to book 2.

Dark. Twisted. Addictive. 💀🖤
I just finished Immortal Consequences by IV Marie, and WOW—this book had me hooked from page one.

If you love morally gray characters, forbidden romance, and high-stakes supernatural drama, this one's for you. The world-building is rich, the pacing relentless, and the tension between the leads? 🔥🔥🔥
Let’s just say… “enemies” has never felt so intimate. 👀

IV Marie writes with a sharp, lyrical style that’s equal parts poetic and savage—perfect for fans of dark fantasy who aren’t afraid to dive deep into obsession, revenge, and redemption.

What a unique concept! I loved this book. Dark academia mixed with the afterlife. Sprinkle in trials, a dark secret society, romance and friendship. It was wonderful. I loved the multiple points of view of this book. Each character had such a distinct personality that it was so easy to differentiate them all. Oh and you said you wanted more yearning right? Then you really need to meet August. Trust me on that one.

Once the trials started, and the secrets began to unfold, I could not stop reading. I loved the twists and turns throughout, and I can't wait to learn more from this world. I definitely recommend Immortal Consequences!

Wow wow what a completely unique and captivating world! I was completely immersed from start to finish and didn’t want it to end, I desperately need the next one immediately. Dark academia mixed with a little enemies-to-lovers and a whole lot more. All told through six POVs that is beautifully done. You'd think it'd get messy but it works out so well and I love all the characters! Despite the complexity of the magic system, the plot remains engaging and easy to follow. Holy smokes, bring on book two!

･ﾟ 𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 ·˚˖‧
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑹𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒎 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒔, 𝑫𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝑨𝑹𝑪!

❝ Grief isn’t the villain. It just wants to help you remember that despite losing someone, despite the sadness and heartache and pain . . . there was also once love. ❞

╰𝚂𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚛 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚎╮

✦ Name: Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie
✦ Pub Date: 29 Jul 2025
✦ Rating: 4,5/5
✦ Genre: YA fantasy dark academia
✦ POV: 6 Povs
✦ Spice: 0,5/5
✦ Age: 14+
✦ CW: De*th, Bl*od, Gr*ef
✦Representation: LGBT+ characters

࣪ ִֶָ 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚘 ·˚˖

In this place beyond life but not yet at the edge of death, six young souls find themselves at an academy where eternity is at stake. Each of them has been given a second chance, but the price will be high.

·˚˖ 𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 ˖˚·

Honestly, I just want to say that I really loved it! Can I have more, please? I devoured this book, it read so easily, it was written in such an engaging way, and it had that flavor of a well-written story, wow...

While I was stuck on one theory, I completely forgot the obvious one, so when it hit me, I teared up in shock, and then I straight-up cried at another twist. But after that, it got easier to breathe. Why would you do this to me 😭

·˚˖ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜 ˖˚·

I got attached to every single character. The only thing that annoyed me was how they all thought they were unworthy or didn’t matter, like, come on, you all think the same way, but you all deserve love and kindness! Someone wrap up August and Olivier, please 🤭

I really liked that we got chapters from six different characters, and I could see each of their perspectives! And what’s more, I actually enjoyed reading all of them, which doesn’t happen often.

࣪ ִֶָ ⊹ 𝙸𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 ·˚˖

↠ Magical academy (but in the afterlife)
↠ Dangerous trials
↠ Academic rivals to lovers
↠ Do they want to kiss or kill each other?
↠ Dark academia vibes
↠ Pining! Longing! Yearning!

A magic school in purgatory holds a contest for a chance to Ascend or Pass Over. Six students find themselves in the middle of a competition for their future, but playing the game will change everything they know about the afterlife.
This multi-POV gauntlet will take you deep into the between of life and death. These friends, frenemies, and passing acquaintances are faced with trials that challenge more than their magical abilities. Will what they learn about themselves help them rise above or pull them into the depths of the Ether?

This one is lots of fun for the multi-POV lovers. It has Atlas Six feels and romantasy elements while being more accessible for younger audiences. With the themes of death and pain along with angst and steam (not spice) I would gladly give this to upper mid/upper teen readers. I really love the unique setting and worldbuilding. It feels familiar with teens in a magic school but the purpose and backdrop make it unique. The six characters all have their own reasons for wanting to win, and their internal struggles and personal growth shine alongside the fast-paced challenges. Lots of twists and surprised around every corner have you guessing till the end.
Sometimes the writing fell flat, I thought the beginning was really jumpy, but smoothed out as soon as the action started in Part Two. There are a lot of common literary phrases that make it feel a little blah, contrasted with word choices that give the feeling like it’s trying really hard to be fancy but missing the mark. Overall, the characters and the plot have me hooked and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

What a fun and unique story! I had a lot of fun with this book! The magic system was pretty interesting and unique. I’m hoping we get to learn a little more about it in future books. I liked how the setting took place in the afterworld, I haven’t read many books in this type of setting before so that made it really fun for me.

I thought the plot was captivating, there were a lot of twists and turns that I didn’t catch on immediately so it was fun trying to guess where the story line was going. I will say with how many points of views we get throughout the book, it was hard to follow certain characters and there were some characters that I favored over a few others so having the point of view change almost every chapter was hard to get used to. I do understand why the author chose to write this way and it did add to the uniqueness of the overall storyline.

Overall I enjoyed the book and the plot twist at the end and am excited to see what comes next!

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the advanced reader copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

You’ll enjoy this if you like:
•Sci-Fi/Fantasy
•Afterworld Setting
•School Setting
•Unique Magic System
•Multiple POVs

Rating: 4.5/5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading dark academia, dark/deathly trials, magical systems, LGBTQ rep, slow burn romance, great character development, multiple POVs (6 exactly) and it’s fast paced.

What if I told you there was an after-life school, where you would be taught to shepherd lost souls. Oh, and nothing is really exciting at the school for many many years, other than the yearly Decennial trials. The winner will earn the right to ascend and join the magical elite, or they can choose to pass into the afterlife. However, there is one thing you should know: after years of being a reaper you start to lose a piece of yourself, and you start to forget the only way to overcome this is to win the Decennial trials or to embrace the darker side.

This book was fun, and even with multiple POVs, I didn’t feel as though I was lost and that is all due to the way that the author handled all of the characters differently and also that they were all interwoven together. I loved that each character had their own distinct voice and each of them developed throughout the book at their own pace. I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters and I don’t know if I have any favorites because each of them was so well written that I found myself able to connect with all of them in different ways. I loved the plot and the eerie setting vibes that I was getting from the school and the trails, oh and I can’t forget even the teachers (well some of them are just creepy lol). I loved the whole not knowing who the villain is and who the good guys were because each character is written in depth, and each of them have their reasons or another. I do have to say that I didn’t see that ending at all and the character who was hiding something. Oh, and that cliffhanger, that was something else and I need the next book soon so I can put pieces together.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ | 🫑

Let me set the scene - I was doom scrolling through Netgalley as one does.. and here comes in, a upper YA, dark academia fantasy - set in the afterlife/purgatory with a super pretty book cover. It was an immediate request for me, and to my surprise I got it!

So .. Welcome to Blackwood Academy! It's a legendary school located.. well you guessed it -- in the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once you enter the academy's gates there isn't a way out - except for Decennial. (bum bum bum)
What's the Decennial, you ask?

Well, it's a cut-throat I mean .. once-in a life time, magical competition.. I mean celebration, with only one survivor.. I mean victor. The victor who survives.. I mean pass the trials gets a choice to either join Blackwood's magical elite or cross over to the mysterious Other Side.

This year, six of Blackwood's top students have been chosen to face the Decennial trials. But how what happens when they aren't really the only one's playing the game..

Listen I ate this up, dark academia lives in the sweetest parts of my heart and this delivered. We have six, yes SIX POV's and while this may actually be the most POVs I've read in a book thus far, I actually loved it. Each character continued to build up on the story, or their past and while I didn't find myself getting confused, I did find myself being like WHERE IS 'X's chapter every now and then. Though some more background on the characters would be nice, this is a series and I imagine we shall learn more as we go (at least I hope so). These characters are complicating, and all have their secrets, fears and dark pasts and don't judge because, you think you may hate someone, until you don't. You think someone's a sweetheart until well, they aren't.. The tension, the pining, THE BANTER was HIGH and if I'm not a sucker for some good tension & banter than I don't know what I am.

Did I mention it's release day! Go enjoy this dark academia, dark trials, magic, LGBTQ+ rep, slow burn, with loads of tension, banter, rivals oh.. and there's a ball.

-- Quotes --

"You may be a top contender," Wren said with a tinge of bitterness, "but so am I."
He shrugged. "I suppose you're right. But... I reap souls faster than you. Which, despite your annoying capacity to consistently get high marks, actually means something in the grand scheme of things."
"Well. I'm sure I'm not the first girl to tell you this, but faster isn't always better."

--

Emilio chuckled. "How much time do you have?"
"For you?" Olivier signed. "An eternity."

--

"Find me. Wherever you are, wherever we end up, don't stop looking for me."

--

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review. #ImmortalConsequences #NetGalley

Thank you to PRH Audio for the ALC.
This story was a wild ride with all the POVs. Nothing says dark like a school for the dead stuck in purgatory. The beginning of Immortal Consequences starts slowly as you get to know all the characters, but once you move into the games and trials portion of this story, it picks up. The story weaves back and forth between their magical lessons and the Decennial trials for a sole (soul) victor. There are blossoming friendships and relationships, but I'm so team August and Wren because August is just so intense.

I thought the choice to have six different narrators for each character was going to be too much, but in the end, it was great! Finding narrators who can bring life to so many characters is hard, but each of them really did a fantastic job. Each chapter is a single character's POV, but within each chapter, you have conversations with the others, and this is where you need to have narrators who shine.

If you're a fan of:
Enemies to Lovers
Secret Society
Dark Academia
Games and Trials
Plot Twists
You'll love this story.

• multi POV
• dark academia
• set in the afterlife/purgatory
• deadly trials
• rivals to lovers
• found family

I was captivated from the very first page. This book pulled me in, in a way that one hasn’t in so long. I cannot wait for the sequel.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Delacorte Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review 🖤