This book was my first ever dark academia and it was so unique!! I am in awe of the fact that this was a debut.

Starting off, it took me a while to adjust to the multiple POVs, because there were SIX! But overtime, I grew to love love these characters, especially Emilio. Each character is unique in their own ways and have backstories we've yet to even get to the bottom of. I would've liked to know more about Wren, because she'll be playing an important role in the next book and was who I saw as the "main" character (despite there not necessarily being one). Same with Irene, it was harder to connect to her but I think that was the point.

I LOVED LOVED the romance between Wren and August. The angst and buildup was perfect, I was squealing for every interaction because of how slow burn it was. Olivier and Emilio are my babies, I love them so so much; they tested my patience for sure. Now... Irene and Masika....I'll be patiently waiting <3

The premise of this book was a bit hard to wrap my head around, but I did enjoy the trials. At times the pacing felt scattered, but the plot twists were PLOT TWISTING. Especially towards the end, one after another after another. That was what kept me reading.

I have full certainty that the next book will bring everything together and that I will love these characters ever more!

Thank you to Random House Children's Books | Delacorte Press and Netgalley for providing me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was so genuinely excited to read this book because it’s a Debut!!! Massive congratulations I.V. Marie!

I’m going to start with the characters because they’re truly a big highlight of this book. Despite there being 6 POVs (and thus main characters), which is a lot to start off with, I really enjoyed most of them. My favorites by FAR are Emilio and Olivier. Ugh, my BABIES. My little soft, nerdy boy, with his thick sweaters, and my sunshine, chaotic angel. Like, I was genuinely tearing up for those two. Also, I just love August—I’ll always take a broody, angsty, yearning boy. I think out of the girls, I think Masika is my favorite. She’s just a sweetie pie. Wren feels the stalest to me, she’s just kinda giving… main character syndrome, but like, I guess she is. Irene is by far my least favorite, but not because she’s poorly written; she was just aggravating to me. I felt like it was hard to sympathize with Irene when she just kept making poor decisions, and letting people down—herself included. I guess she was just so remarkably selfish.

Romance-wise. I really thought everyone was introduced in tidy pairs—Wren + August, Emilio + Olivier, Irene + Masika. Soooo with Wren and August, I love some good tension-filled, academic rivals to lovers. They were so highly cliche, but I’m not mad about it. Like I was getting daggers against throats, an achingly tense dance scene, and a “Who did this to you?” like hello, this is my enemies to lovers dreams. And Emilio and Olivier are just precious, and I adore them. They were mildly frustrating yet still adorable with just… not telling each other how they felt. And BOY did they give me a scare. Genuinely, those are my baby boys. Irene and Masika, well… yeah, that gaslit me hard. Yayyyy female friendship.

Speaking of: I’m actually so thrilled I get to write a friendship paragraph; I don’t get to do that enough. The friendships are a big standout of this book, and I don’t just mean… like the two big ones, Irene + Masika, and Wren + Louise. Which were great, but just overall. For being a 6-person unlikely friend group, I appreciated that they all tended to interact with one another all around. It made their dynamic so much more raw and allowed me to appreciate them as characters, pairs, and of course, as a group.

Onto the plot. From a complete aesthetic standpoint, I will literally never not eat up an Academy, prep school, dark academia vibe. But from a completely logical standpoint, it makes so little sense that just sitting in the middle ground of Life and Death is just a… school. I’ll go into more of my qualms with the world-building in the next paragraph. So other than that, I did really enjoy the book. I liked the competition aspect. I love a good trick maze—Every. Single. Time. I loved all the challenges and trials. Mainly, I loved how high the stakes were; it made the story feel much more… worth reading. Act-wise, it felt a bit slow at the beginning, but it picked up quickly, and then I couldn’t put it down. The end, especially, I was super enthralled.

World building, yes... I guess overall the world-building was a tad confusing, and it felt… redundant, is the best word for it, I guess. Like, I understand that this is a fantasy book, but parts of it felt so incredibly unrealistic that it took me out of the story. As I mentioned previously, it’s just so hard to wrap my head around just a random school chilling out in the Ether—like there is nothing else… just students forced to go to school forever. I also felt like there were so many variables to memorize, though so much of the school aspects ended up highly unimportant, so that didn’t end up mattering. I guess, overall, I felt like the world was somehow too rich and stale all at the same time…

That all being said. I truly think this is a unique and enriching book that is refreshing to the YA section, whilst still holding the staples and tropes that readers always gravitate to. I finished this eARC and immediately purchased my physical copy for preorder. I am 100% going to pick up the second one, and I can't wait to read everything I.V. Marie does next. Overall, a big recommendation from me.

If I told you this is probably one of my favorite books of all time would you believe me?

Because I’m here to tell you that this is literally probably one of my favorite books of ALL TIME😫

Listen I’m a a simple girl, I love a book with pure yearning and angst. A story that will leave me at the tip of toes and edge of seat. A book for the ages. And ‘Immortal Consquences’ gave exactly that.

I heard many early readers talk about this one. But I didn’t believe them at first. I told myself “it can’t be THAT good” but GEEZ I was sure proven wrong. Believe me the tears left on my kindle are proof of it

A story about people who die and up going to an academy in the afterworld to learn how to be reapers. Rivals, lovers, friends, and lost souls. The world building was such a beautiful concept that I could not put this book down. But the characters?? So beautifully written I had to pause, stand up, and applaud👏👏

But to really dig it in, Wren and August. OH MY GOD😭😫 they were EVERYTHING TO ME. Like do you love ‘Divine Rivals’? OK THEN TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THEY ARE SO IRIS AND ROMAN CODED. Their story was so heartbreakingly beautiful that I’m struggling to believe that’s it for them. I need more😭

Anyways yea, if I keep talking about them I’ll start sobbing. Overall this is more than 5 stars but I can’t seem to include that here so a 5 it is🫶

Immortal Consequences by completely took me by surprise—in the best way. From the first page, I was hooked by the eerie, atmospheric setting of Blackwood Academy.

What really drew me in was the cast. Each of the six main characters has a distinct voice and backstory, and I found myself unexpectedly attached to all of them. The queer and BIPOC representation felt authentic and layered rather than performative. I usually get frustrated with too many POVs, but here it worked—the shifting perspectives added depth and urgency as the story unfolded.

The worldbuilding isn’t overly explained, which I actually liked. It lets the mystery build naturally, though I’ll admit there were a few moments I wanted a little more clarity. Still, the magic system and rules of Blackwood were compelling, and the pacing never slowed down.

I work at a dark academia inspired bookstore and will be sure to recommend this to our young adult readers. I.V. Marie is absolutely an author I’ll be following closely!!

Immortal Consequences is an addictive dark academia fantasy YA novels that follows six students, each tangled up in their own pasts and desires and each needing to beat one another to win the academy’s cutthroat competition, the Decennial. However, as they go through the trails, each of the students realize that there are darker and more dangerous things lurking in the shadows of their school than they had ever imagined.

The premise for this one was so unique (like a magical school set in the fringes of the afterlife? had me hooked right from the beginning) and I was not disappointed. I initially went into the story because of Wren and August’s storyline because if there is one thing you need to know about me is that if I see ‘academic rivals to lovers’ listed as a trope, I am immediately sold, but I ended up loving all of the core characters and their differing relationships with one another. Emilio and Olivier’s storyline made me tear up and so emotional as well, and I think the novel does a good job balancing out these six different POVs. However, as much as I loved the characters, I do think the world-building could have been fleshed out even more, and perhaps some more focus on their powers and how they work but I’m hoping we do get to see more of this in the sequel!

Speaking of the sequel, I absolutely cannot wait to read it soon because that ending had me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen Canada for providing this e-arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions in this review are my own.

'Immortal Consequences' is your typical high school academy fantasy story. It has rivalries, alliances, romantic relationships and a difficult challenge that the main characters must compete in in order to win an ultimate prize. The one interesting twist in the story is that the main characters have all died and now find themselves in a place similar to, if not exactly, purgatory. They are responsible for 'escorting' the souls of recently deceased people who are struggling to pass on to the other side.

Blackwood Academy is comprised of approximately 500 student. All of the students are young adults who when alive had had a near death experience. One draw back to this in between life, is that after a about 500 years, a student will begin to lose their memory and will no longer be able to function in their role. They will then aimlessly wander the 'Ether'.

".....so what's the point of the Ether?" "Think of it like a passageway. A place neither here nor there. When you die, your soul ends up in the Ether. When someone dies without extra baggage, they usually cross over to the Other Side without a hiccup. But if they've got things holding them back...unfinished business..." "We have to help them, ...."

Out story follows a group of six students. Each looking to win the Decennial, a competition that occurs once every ten years. The winner from the Decennial has the option to pass over to the Other Side or become a member of Blackwood Academy's magical elite group. Each student has a reason that they want to win the ultimate prize and each elects to keep that reason secret. They find themselves forming an alliance in order to survive. To keep things interesting, they are being forced to fight against members of an evil order.

I didn't hate this story but I also didn't love it. There were parts that flowed very easily for me and others that seemed to drag. In my opinion, the premise of the story is very interesting. The setting, an elite high school, is common in young adult fiction. The between life and death aspect is unique and intriguing. I got overwhelmed at times because even though we are for the most part following six main characters, we are also introduced to several side characters; others competing in the competition as well as those that are a part of the Demien Order. At one point, the author introduced some new material that was confusing to me and didn't add to the main story; it just felt unnecessary with so much already happening amongst the main characters, the side characters, and the main plot.

Sooooooo where’s the sequel ARC? How do I get it in my hands immediately?

Marie’s debut novel is a masterclass in character work. Having an ensemble cast can get tricky - or worse, boring - fast when handled incorrectly, but every one of our main characters feels unique and engaging. Each pairing has their own diverse dynamic, from Masika and Irene’s twisted friendship to Emilio and Olivier’s quiet romance, to Wren and August’s star-crossed love. I can’t pick a favorite - I’m equally excited to see where everybody goes next. The ending has a deliciously cinematic feel to it - our heroes divided, teams readying for war on every side, tensions rising to the breaking point.

The worldbuilding is lush and immersive, both inside Blackwood’s gates and beyond. I can’t wait to see which part of purgatory we explore next.

I’m very excited to see more of Mateo, and I hope he has a more central role in the story to come. I know he’s painted as one of the bad guys, but I’m with Irene on this. I’d totally risk it all for him.

A tantalizing mix of Kit Trace & Red Flynn’s Nevermore and Amanda Foody & C.L. Herman’s All of Us Villains, I.V. Marie’s debut has me salivating for more.

The novel’s plot is a masterclass in pacing and tension, centered around the Decennial—a ruthless magical competition that’s the only escape from an eerie boarding school in purgatory. As the six chosen students navigate a series of trials, secrets unravel and alliances shift, adding layers of suspense and emotional depth. Each twist is expertly timed, and the final reveal is both satisfying and haunting.

What truly elevates this story is its character development. Each of the six contenders is vividly drawn, with their desires, fears, and pasts slowly peeled back to reveal surprising vulnerabilities and motivations. The academic rivals burn with chemistry, while the grief-stricken and the ambitious alike struggle with what they’re willing to sacrifice. Even the most morally ambiguous characters feel compelling and real.

The book’s dark academia aesthetic and high stakes are perfectly matched by its nuanced portrayals of love, rivalry, and redemption. With atmospheric world-building and characters who linger in your mind, this is a must-read for fans of magical competition and emotional depth—just shy of perfection, but unforgettable nonetheless.

I.V. Marie started her story with a girl who had been dead for 18 years and a boy who had been dead for over 100. We are brought into a school in the afterlife. Instead of peace after death, these 17 and 18-year-olds are taught to help others find peace after death. We are then introduced to four more characters and given their point of view. If you think having six POVs sounds hard to follow, and I thought the same, you'd be wrong this time. Marie wove their stories together in such a way that blended perfectly. I was on the edge of my seat for the majority of the book. The story building was fast-paced, but still detailed enough that I was able to visualize the world. Every ten years, there is a competition where one student is elected - at the end they can choose their future. This year is a little different - twelve students are elected to compete. This group of rag-tag students became almost friends, and just as they all reached peace about what would happen if they lose - the rules they knew changed. What will they do when offered to switch to the "dark" side. When they're faced with having to sacrifice or choose themselves. This book ends on quite a cliff-hanger and I, for one, can not wait until book two is released.

I.V. Maries' Debut book did not disappoint and I am excited to see what she does in the future.

What a ride! I devoured the second half of this book in a day.
Set in a magical school, six unalive teens compete in the afterlife to change their fate or stay in purgatory.
I loved the six POVs and getting a chance to read everyone's perspective. This is something that I wish I could explore in other books with trials. Each one had their own journey of not only winning and the cost that would be but also processing their own death. I need the second book yesterday
Rating: 4/5
Tear Jerker: 2/5
Spice: Bell Pepper
Tropes:
Rivals to Lovers
Found Family
Magic Trials
Dark Academia
Favorite Character: Augustine Hughes
Favorite Quote:
'"Sometimes I think that even if
we hadn't died, if we'd been born centuries apart, we would have still found a way to each other." "Destined to endure the torment of one another's company."'

The aesthetics of this book felt like if the Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and HP Goblet of Fire had a baby, but maybe a bit darker since everyone is….dead. I LOVED it! I’m calling it now, this is going to be one of (if not THE) top YA fantasy book of the year 💁🏼‍♀️.

Sometimes books with lots of POVs (6) can feel overwhelming, but this was done so well. If you’ve read Six of Crows, it felt similar to that style. I found myself growing attached to each character and sympathizing with them - even when I originally strongly disliked the character. As the story unfolds you slowly learn more about each character, what makes them tick, and where their motivations stem from. They all have so many layers!

The ending had me like 🤯🤯🤯. I can not wait for this to be published and for more people to devour this story!

So….when is book two being released?!?!?

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children’s Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review 💕

Such a fun, addictive read. The dark academia vibes mixed with dangerous trials, betrayal, and all the “do they want to kiss or kill each other?” tension completely hooked me. I flew through it and already want more. Definitely one I’ll be thinking about for a while.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for the chance to read early!

wow, this book was incredible. it follows six distinct voices in a place between life and death, and i loved that each character had their own unique personality. i had high expectations for the romances in this book, but i felt that the romance was a bit dry compared to the overall mystery surrounding the academy and the decentennial. so that plot twist was pretty astounding to me, and the trials that followed were a lot more interesting. while it did feel like a character driven book, i think that the plot driven parts were a bit more involved. maybe in the next book we’ll see more nuance into the characters, excited to read what’s next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Big love to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Delacorte for the ARC!
I thought I’d seen every YA fantasy trope—but Immortal Consequences still managed to hit me with its originality, heart, and drama. Set at Blackwood Academy on the edge of the afterlife, it follows six students—Wren, August, Olivier, Emilio, Masika, and Irene—who must compete in the Decennial for a once‑in‑an‑eternity choice: ascend, stay, or risk eternal purgatory.

From page one, I was hooked: the premise feels fresh (“six dead teens competing in the Afterlife”? Yes, sign me up), and the stakes are bone‑chillingly high. The multi‑POV approach is handled incredibly well—every character feels distinct, with their own demons, ambitions, and emotional arcs. I found myself rooting for them all—seriously rare in a POV‑heavy novels.

The world‑building is lush and cinematic: Blackwood’s gothic halls, ethereal magic trials, and underlying dread felt so atmospheric—they played like a film in my head . And while the pacing shifts—slow‑burn character moments giving way to high‑intensity trial scenes—it balances tension and emotion beautifully.

Romantic tension? 🔥 The rivals‑to‑lovers threads were tender, emotionally charged, and utterly satisfying. Found‑family vibes? Intense. Betrayal and mystery? In spades. I gasped, cheered, and yes—ended the book breathless.

Who this book is for:
If you’re obsessed with dark academia, magical competitions, multi‑POV fantasies, and slow‑burn romances where every glance cracks the tension—this is your next favorite. Think The Atlas Six meets A Deadly Education with that emotional, character‑driven punch.

This debut completely blew me away—raw, immersive, and heartbreakingly real. I’m already counting down to book 2. A must‑read for fans of YA fantasy that refuses to let go.

I came across this title way back in the day, when it was formerly called THE SOULS OF BLACKWOOD ACADEMY and I am SO glad that it got picked up and is being traditionally published by one of my favorite imprints!!! It was a major yes for me then, and it's still a yes from me now! I am so glad I got to read this story again and revisit this wonderful world and these characters!!

My review from two years ago: THIS is the kind of story I love to immerse myself in, and I think this is a really fascinating idea. I genuinely love to read stories with a magic system in place, and it checks the box for a dark academia type of story, which are always crowd favorites in the book world. This definitely left me hungry for more of the story, and when reading the synopsis to see what happens, I grew more desperate to read it! (That plot twist! I was not expecting that and I loved it!) I really connected with the three characters we were introduced to, and I am excited to see what would happen reading the other POVs. I enjoyed the way the author fed information to the reader; it felt very organic and didn’t take away from the story. Necessary backstory was brought up and woven into the story at the right time. This author has very impressive credentials and is an individual who I believe will be well received in the book world. I absolutely want to read more and think that it will be successful, with the potential for more books!

Immortal Consequences was such an interesting read! It was the kind of book that you forget you are even reading (my absolute favourite!)

The story takes place at Blackwood Academy---a part of purgatory. The school takes students and teaches them how to get lost souls from the Ether to the Other Side. However, the focus of the book is less on the classes and the academy itself, and more on an illustrious competition, the Decennial. This competition is based around four trials to test their magical abilities. Once all four trials are complete, the winner can choose between graduating and becoming an Ascended, or to cross over to the Other Side and put their soul to rest permanently. Once the story unfolds, we begin to realize that both the school and the Decennial are not as they seem.

I was a little hesitant when I saw how many POV characters there were (6!), but I.V. Marie's writing was so distinct for each character that I wasn't confused once as to whose chapter I was reading. These six characters, Wren, August, Emilio, Irene, Olivier, and Masika, are all chosen to participate in the Decennial. They form a group of "unfortunate acquaintances" , and try and help each other through the trials.

The plot twists in this book were INSANE!!! Not once did I ever predict what was going to happen or who a character really was. I can't wait for book two!

I.V. Marie puts a fantastic spin on the dark academia genre at Blackwood Academy, a magical boarding school in purgatory. Marie’s multi-POV telling of this story, while ambitious, was easy to follow and gripped me every step of the way.

In a series of magical trials only held once a decade, six students must use their wit, magic, and skills to claim the ultimate prize of becoming one of Blackwood’s Elite. The other fate that awaits them: becoming a wandering soul in the Other Side.

Getting to know each of the 6 main characters so intimately is part of what made this book so unique. The cliff-hanger ending already has me ready for book two. Overall, an excellent debut novel from I.V. Marie.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte for a first read ofbthis book.

I was so engrossed in this book from chapter one to the very end. I need book two now!!

This book was spectacular. I wish I could persuade everyone to read it!

The setting is spot on. The storyline, the characters, dialog - just everthing about the book is amazing!

I highly, highly, highly recommend!

Oh and I'm 64! It's not just a children's book!

4 stars! ⭐️ I devoured this book!

The 6 characters and POV switches kept me hooked and rooting for side characters. The main characters, Wren and August, are iconic rivals to lovers in this debut dark academia fantasy world.⏳🔮

Blackwell Academy is part of a purgatory between the living and the Other Side, sustaining the afterlife.

Fantasy focused, sub plot romance for each side character: no spice. Already SO excited for book 2!

✨Dangerous trials, dark academia vibes, 6 perspectives, secrets, yearning, magical afterlife academy✨

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

after three long weeks I finally finished this book. it was a fun read with a super intriguing concept, an academy in the afterlife. it did take a little bit for me to get into it but once I did it was very enjoyable (forget the fact that I didn't realize one of the channels names was OlivIER and not Oliver but whatevs). the plot twists literally had my jaw snapping open in absolute shock. you think for just a sec, " wait, what about this??!?" then BAM: astonishing revelation. anyways this book was so good, definitely check it out on July 27!