4/5 ⭐️
1.5/5 🌶️

Um hello? This book. THIS BOOK. A dark academia book with 4 different trials, but here’s the thing, you get a peek into 6 of the 12 contestants thoughts and desires when you read their POVs, leaving you conflicted on who you truly want to win. The stakes are high and only one person will walk away unscathed.

The chapters were short, the characters flawed in the sense they all have their demons of what they are fighting for. Some want the power associated with the outside order, others want the power associated with being Ascended. No one wants to become a lost soul who wander for eternity.

There are twists and turns and the ending had me in a chokehold. So if you want a book that has you guessing and deciding who you want to win, this would be it!

Thank you so much NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and I.V. Marie for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was SUCH a fun read! I loved the magical academy setting, the trials, and the mystery that wove throughout. The first half felt a bit slow, but after the 60% mark I didn’t want to put it down! I’m very excited for the sequel and think this is a fantastic book for the 14-16 age group!

*Actual rating is 4.5 stars*

If you have ever wondered what a dark academia set at a school in purgatory would be like, then look no further than Immortal Consequences. Set at the Blackwood Academy, the book follows six students as they have to compete in the Decennial. It’s a set of deadly trials that allows the winner to change their fate, instead of slowly wasting away in purgatory. But things are never simple, and between fierce competition and growing relationships, dark secrets are starting to surface.

I had a fun time with this one, but since there were six main characters, the downside was no-one got properly fleshed out. Even with everyone’s POVs. So while I liked all of the main six, I never got properly attached to any of them. I also ended up caring more about the platonic parts of the relationships over the romance. The plotline is quite unique, the world is interesting, and the writing makes it a quick read. But you shouldn't look too closely at the plot and start picking it apart. Just sit down, keep your arms inside the vehicle and enjoy the ride.

So while Immortal Consequences is not perfect, it’s entertaining and I’m interested in seeing where the sequel will take the story.

I was drawn to this book because of my love of dark academia and magic. That combination is a guaranteed favorite! The book drew me in immediately, which I love. The story is told in several POVs. If you aren't a fan of multiple POVs than this might be a little difficult for you. However, I am a fan and I was easily drawn to each character. Each character is likable and flawed in the most perfect ways. This is ideal because I never minded switching POVs because I truly wanted to see the story through each of their viewpoints.

The story has twists and turns, a little enemies to lovers, and LGBTQ representation with the sweetest relationship in the book! I think the magic and concept is unique which can be hard to do with so many stories out there.

I am looking forward to more of the Blackwood Academy story! Can't wait for book 2.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Childrens/Delacorte Press for providing the opportunity to read this ARC. Now I have to get my pretty trophy book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)

Initial thoughts: I have been so excited for this book!! Rivals to lovers?! Magic school in the afterlife? Like please get me there!! No proof for this one, but they approved me for the earc and I got ecstatic!

What I liked 🤩: EVERYTHING! We follow 6 characters, and as a person who can't handle more than 2 povs, I was a bit worried, but I loved every pov!!! I could easily discern whose head we were in because the characters are very different from each other. Each character was fully fleshed out with their own quirks, mindset, emotional baggage, and dreams and desires. I'm telling you; I loved all 6 of them!!!

Wren is the A student, dedicated to the academy and what it stands for, determined not to repeat the same mistakes in the afterlife. August is the broody secretive A student who also happens to pretend that he is the bad guy. (he needs a hug, that's all)

Olivier is the epitome of charm, I swear he melts me into water (he also needs a hug!) Emilio is a newer student, determined to do the right thing and succeed in his studies like Wren. (he needs lots of hugs and confirmation)

Masika is a fierce talented who makes some tough calls and is an excellent friend. (I'd have a crush on her) Irene has tons of emotional baggage and has a strong need to succeed and earn power, both social and magical. I loved her ambition!

THE YEARNING AND LONGING, PEOPLE!!!!!!!!! THEY PULLED MY HEARTSTRINGS SO MUCH!!! HOLY MOLY, DEAR AUTHOR, MAKE THEM HAPPY!! THEY ALL NEED HUGS AND LOVE!! DID I MENTION, THE INTENSE LONGING?! LIKE SUPER, "THERE'S ONLY YOU IN THE UNIVERSE BUT I'M SO AFRAID SO I STARE FROM A DISTANCE" LONGING?!

The worldbuilding was so cool and the plot had twists and turns but also giving us space and time to rest. I loved it all, and I just enjoyed every second reading this book! Sure, the problems with the academy were obvious, as August pointed out, but then again, imagine dying and waking up at an academy between lost souls you need to reap and whatever comes next in the circle of life. They need to adjust to a lot of things, physical and emotional changes, and they're 18 years old. Could it have been more twisty? Yeah but then again, I loved it how it was, too.

What I didn’t like 🙃: Nothing. Maybe it could have been faster paced?

Overall: I enjoyed this one a lot!! I am so glad and relieved that it lived up to my expectations and hopes! Fresh, original worldbuilding! Rivals to lovers! Friends to lovers! Inclusive world! LGBTQIA+ rep! What an excellent read this was!

SE info: This is the August YA pick for a box, and it also has a Waterstones exclusive edition. The first edition has sprayed edges, too. I am renewing my box!

3⭐️

I enjoyed Immortal Consequences! The intriguing premise kept me engaged, and the trials (my bread and butter!) added a lot of tension and excitement.

However, I struggled to connect with the characters; they felt one-dimensional and their relationships lacked depth.

The world-building in the afterlife setting also felt limited. The visualizations left me wanting more detail. Like, is it just a school surrounded by nothingness?
Now, I might be lacking in imagination, but I feel like the world in this story needs more specifics to be more captivating, especially when it comes to how this afterlife/limbo functions.

Also, while the world-building of this story was easy to follow, I still felt like I was missing something…
(I apologize if this is confusing; I've been up all night reading, and I wanted to write this review before I forget. I may revise it after getting some sleep. :p)

The ending absolutely piqued my curiosity about continuing with this series, leaving me eager for more! I’m itching to dive into the sequel and discover what happens next!

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. I just think a few tweaks could make it even better!

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House Children’s | Delacorte Press, and I.V. Marie for this eARC in return for an honest review.

⭐️3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC!

I had a pretty fun time reading Immortal consequences, a little predictable maybe but still an interesting premise and I feel the author pulled it off pretty well.

This story takes place in the afterlife, but I feel as though the world-building should’ve been more grand and descriptive. Instead it just felt small to me, hard to understand, and I ended up picturing school grounds surrounded by the void. When they were able to leave the school though, it was much cooler.

I’ve grown more tired of books with trials and games being the main plot over the years. That was the case for this book too at first, but then a couple plot twists occurred and it really did become more interesting.

As for the characters, unfortunately I didn’t care about them a whole lot. There wasn’t someone I specifically felt attached to or hoped would win. The “enemies to lovers romance” between Augustine and Irene didn’t even feel like a true enemies to lovers, more like they were just too stubborn to admit their feelings to each other.

The ending of this book did leave me wanting more, so I most likely will be reading the sequel.

I had to snag a copy of this when I saw the cover and was intrigued by the idea of a school in purgatory.

The story begins following a group of 6 students at Blackwood Academy, going through trials to see which single person will earn the choice to become a member of the Ascended or move on to the Other Side. If you enjoyed the maze challenge in the fourth Harry Potter, you'll enjoy the equally if not even darker take of these trials.

It's also intriguing to see how each of the students tackles choosing between their desperate need to win versus helping their friends/enemies through truly dangerous challenges.

I'm intrigued to see where the story goes from here!

I was really excited for this book, but I think it skews too young on the young adult scale for me. I love YA fantasy, but the dialogue in this book felt very immature. It just didn't work for me.

The switching of the POVs was smooth, but some of the POVs were just not very interesting and I found myself getting really bored.

The world building felt clunky at times, and I found myself having to reread certain paragraphs explaining the houses and magics.

All in all, not a bad book, but I don't think I'm the target audience for it.

Purgatory is being trapped in high school for centuries until you lose your mind.

There are six POV characters: six students who died as teenagers and are now essentially cursed to go to magic school and reap lost souls. Their only way out is to 1) be the Chosen One every 10 years and either become a super cool prefect or pass on to heaven/wherever, or 2) gradually lose their memories and then wander Purgatory after lost souls for their rest of their mindless ghostly existence.

This is a fun YA fantasy that I read in two sittings. There's a trial plotline, there's romance, there's betrayal and power struggles and a good cliffhanger. The pacing is steady and engaging and my attention never drifted.

Six POV characters are a lot to juggle for any book, and I do feel like some characters were fleshed out more than others. I thought Masika was the least realized character, which hurts me because I exist for lesbians. And it did bug me a bit that every character seemed like they were being paired up. Romance doesn't have to be a requirement in a character arc. That said... I did enjoy two of the developing romances we got (4 of the POV characters). One is het and angtsy, the other is Achillean and sweet.

Dark Academy and Enemies to Lovers
I had a bit of a hard time getting through this book. Everytime I started to DNF it some kind of twist would happen and pull me back in.

There are multiple POVs, but if you can keep up with it, its well worth it.

Students are picked by different Housemasters to partake in a competition. Winner gets full access to their powers. 4 trials, 12 competitors. Who will win? But as each trail passes and more nominees are "disqualified" things start to change. Secrets are reviled.

This was such a fun story. An academy for the afterlife, enough secrets to fill the whole place, and a twist at every turn. As we follow Wren, August, Emilio, Olivier, Irene, and Masika as they navigate Blackwood Academy, we find out that they're being kept in the dark on more than they ever thought possible. Secrets kept by the academy, fighting for the balance in the ether, the students must work together, but they're being forced to compete instead.

Watching the relationships between them ebb and flow to what they think is happening was really fun! I really liked the way this was set up and how things were revealed.

This is a high school drama with a twist: all of the characters are dead, and some have been attending Blackwood Academy for centuries. The biggest problem for some students is that after a variable amount of time, their memories of their mortal life begins to fade. The only way to avoid complete memory loss is to referred for the Decennial, when one fortunate student is given the chance to demonstrate their skills and Ascend - to become a member of the faculty. But only one student can Ascend each decade, so competition for that one space is intense.

There were things I like me and things I disliked about this novel. It is written from the point of view of various students in rotation, and if the reader misses the chapter title indicating which character’s viewpoint is being represented, it can get a bit confusing. The underlying philosophy of the afterlife as represented in this book is interesting, and is not tied to a specific ideology, and that was nicely done. The interactions between various characters - their actual ages notwithstanding - are very adolescent; realistic, but sometimes overtake the plot.

I read and reviewed an advanced copy of this novel provided by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

At Blackwood Academy, nestled in the eerie threshold between life and afterlife, the rules are clear: you enter to atone or to rise—but you never leave…unless you win. Every ten years, the Decennial begins. It is a series of magical trials designed to test not just strength or wit, but the very soul. Only one student can win their freedom. The rest remain bound to Blackwood’s shadows. Forever.

This year’s contenders are the school’s brightest and most dangerous:
• Two academic enemies with a bond neither understands—nor dares to break.
• A grief-stricken girl whose love died before graduation.
• A power-hungry rival who will burn the world to escape.
• A golden boy who swore he’d never fall in love—until he met the Academy’s newest secret.
But the game is rigged. And someone—or something—is watching from the dark.

Haunting, seductive, and razor-edged, this is The Secret History meets The Atlas Six with a paranormal twist—where love and ambition blur, and only one can walk away free.

Welcome to Blackwood. Win or perish. Eternity is waiting.

Let's talk about "Immortal Consequences" by I.V. Marie.

"Corruption isn't born. It's created."

It's been a while since I've read a young adult novel, but diving right into this dark academia by new author I.V. Marie was just the ticket I needed. For one thing, the premise was completely different then what was expected, and the "how we got here" kept me wondering throughout the book.

Typically I get lost in multiple points of view, but it was interesting to see how this group of "dead" students became "unexpected consequences" due to their standing within the school. As six students make their way toward partaking in the Decennial - an event held every ten years, where one student excels and gets the chance to "move on" or become one of the elite "Ascended".

Each student has their own back story on how they got to Blackwood Academy, the school that is located on the precipice of the afterlife. But it's not all who go to the Academy, only a select few get chosen, and they are schooled in all manners of unique magics, that would eventually help them as they continue their journey toward the afterlife. There is unrequited love, enemies to lovers, tragic stories, betrayals, and shadow magic. All things that make for an exciting read. Overall, the book was an enjoyment to consume it kept me intrigued, and made me wonder if truly "life" ends after death.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's | Delacorte Press, and I.V. Marie for the pleasure to review and give my open and honest feedback.

✨ Found family
✨ Paranormal/Afterlife
✨ High Stakes
✨ Dark Academia
✨ LGBTQ representation
✨ Trials
✨ Magic wielding
✨Multiple POVs

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🫑
Series: Book 1 of ?

Immortal Consequences has become one of my favorite 2025 reads! We follow six students at Blackwood Academy, a school established to train a few chosen deceased to reap souls, as they enter the Decennial. The winner can either remain to become one of the elite and receive their full magic or they can pass on. However, the Demien Order has been getting closer and closer to the school grounds, urging the administration to take some drastic measures.
This was such a remarkable story and a very unique twist on purgatory. Blackwood Academy set the stage for true dark academia and I am such a sucker for trials, enemies-to-lovers, and witty banter. The plot moved along without sacrificing character development. I could not get enough of this cast of characters and I was on the edge of my seat with some of these twists!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for the ARC!

4.25 ᯓ★

→ I actually throughly enjoyed this one!! The short chapters were PEAK!!! I feel like I flew through this book I was eating it up! This really caught my attention from the first chapter.

→ imagine Harry Potter but as if Hogwarts was a magic school in the afterlife. This book was dark, gothic, and filled with twists and turns. Every 10 years there is a decennial where a chosen student can go through 4 trials to be given the chance to choose from being an Ascended or to go to the Other Side. Once I read there was going to be trials I was so intrigued!!! There is also dark magic in this book which really reminded me of the Death Eaters from HP. I like having the balance of good & evil in the afterlife - it gave the characters a choice in life even after death.

→ the tension?? the yearning??? the rivals to lovers?? my gosh this was written to well!!! finally a fantasy book with rivals to lovers were they don’t become lovers within the first 20% LOL.

→ in the beginning there is a lot of characters thrown at you and I was nervous that it would be too confusing. I didn’t find it confusing at all and I actually really liked getting multiple POVs to this plot!! I think this book really set this series up and I’m looking forward to the next one!!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Delacorte Press for allowing me to read this book & give my honest opinions!!

Not what I expected but interesting! I think the premise and concept are super fun but would've loved to see the writing level upped just a tad, even if this is YA! It felt very simple.
Would also like some of the characters to have been rounded out a little more for a little more punch behind their choices when they happened. However, for the number of characters the balance of each viewpoint was very well done.
Overall, not bad but definitely for the younger audience with such a clear and easy to follow prose structure.

This book was quite the start to a series with an ending I never would have predicted! More accurately, I would rate this 4.5 stars for the twists and surprises at the end.

At a glance:
- Dark Academia
- Games and Trials
- Purgatory
- 3rd Person POV with Multiple Perspectives
- Multiple Romantic Relationships
- LGBTQ+ Rep

Immortal Consequences follows six students at Blackwood Academy, a school in purgatory teaching students magical abilities and how to help souls pass on. At each Decennial, one student is selected to showcase their knowledge and given the choice to be among the Ascended professors/administration at the school or pass over like most souls to a fate unknown. This year, however, 12 students are selected to compete for the one spot, including our six main characters. While competing, they uncover secrets about the school and the true nature of the forces in purgatory.

This book gave me Harry Potter vibes with a dash of romance. There’s the setting of a magical school with houses, but what truly made me think of Harry Potter was the way the characters are sneaking into places they are not supposed to be to find the truth. The stories are completely different but if you’re searching for that vibe, I think you’ll enjoy this book.

The romance was cute. It’s YA fade to black. There’s a couple (M/F) who acts like they don’t like each other. They aren’t enemies to lovers, but they tease each other. The other couple is best friends (M/M). They are both unwilling or not ready to admit their true feelings, but it’s obvious to almost everyone that they love each other. I found this relationship to be particularly sweet.

Having several main characters made the games and trials aspect completely unpredictable. I had no idea who would win; a resolution felt impossible. I was cheering for most, not all, of the characters. The downside to the many perspectives was that it took me a decent amount of the book before I felt I understood the motives and desires of most of the characters. I do not have strong mental visualization, and I think that might have hindered me in the beginning when I needed to differentiate so many characters so quickly. I needed the time and pages spent with each character. Once I got to that point, I was enjoying the story a lot more. Plus, the last quarter of the book was a wild roller coaster of revelations and betrayals. The set up for book two has so much potential, and I think this series could really be great. I’m looking forward to the next one!

Thank you Net Galley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for the opportunity to be an ARC reader!

3.5 ⭐️
YA - 🫑
Tropes/Highlights: Found Family, Afterlife, star crossed lovers, enemies-to-lovers, LGBTQIA+ representation, dark academia

First, a big thank you to NetGalley, Random House, and I.V. Marie for allowing me the opportunity to read the eARC of Immortal Consequences. This book is based on a unique concept of special factions of purgatory in the afterlife, one being the Blackwood Academy, the Diemens, and then a third I won’t spoil. The students at the Blackwood academy compete every 10 years in a competition where the winner gets to pick whether they Ascend to become teachers at the Academy or pass over to the Afterlife that is an unknown.

This book follows 6 different students and their own personal journeys, as well as journeys together through this competition. It follows the following 6 people, but really three couples of people: Wren/August; Olivier/Emilio, and Irene/Masika. While there is some romance in this story, it is NOT the central plot point so those who go into it with that in mind I think will be disappointed.

Now, admittedly, I am not a big fan of multi-POVs because I find that it thins out each of the character’s development and then I don’t really care about any of the characters too deeply. I think that happened for me in this book. I explained this story to my husband as a well written story that may just not have been for me.

I think if readers like YA, dark academia, fantasy with a competition setting, a small touch of romance, and multi POVs, then you’ll really enjoy this book.