Blackwood Academy isn't a choice. Select few are chosen to join the ranks of higher learning in the afterlife. When an unexpected addition is set to arrive it sets the story and our 6 main characters into action.

Wren is trying to be a better version of herself, Irene is out for power, Olivier does want to forget, Emilio wants everything to go back to how it was, Masika is stuck in the past and August to drawn to one of them.

They each have their reasons for needing to win the Decennial competition but they learn as they compete that nothing is what they were told.

The world building and characters arcs throughout the story were intriguing and the background details were interwoven in so that it didn't feel like a data dump.

I can't wait for the next story.

Thank you, NetGalley and the Publisher for the e-arc of the book. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5
No, you are joking...you do not understand. You are telling me that this is a DEBUT??!! I am obsessed.

"Immortal Consequences" is set in a unique fantasy world on the edge of the afterlife, where students compete for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change their fate or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; it was filled with reveals, twists, and turns that I never saw coming. It evoked a range of emotions in me—aching, anger, swooning, and laughter—every emotion you can imagine.

I appreciated how the narrative allowed us to delve into the minds of all the main characters, providing a deep understanding of their internal traumas and grief. The portrayal of their past experiences and the grief they carried gave us insight into how these elements shaped their identities.

I also enjoyed the critique of academia. It was well-executed, and we gained valuable insight into academic life, an aspect that some fantasy works often overlook in the name of "dark academia."

However, my only critique is that I wish the characters' appearances were more distinct and polished. For example, I only learned that one character has red hair when I was about 30% through the story; I had been imagining her with black hair up until that point. Another instance is when I discovered that one character is French around 80% of the way through; if it hadn’t been mentioned, I wouldn’t have known.

I didn’t mind this choice because I felt it might reflect the author’s intention for her characters in the setting of the “afterlife,” where certain things might not be important or could exist only vaguely. However, this approach can be problematic for some readers.

In the end, I loved this book. I can feel through the pages how much the author worked hard to build these characters, a unique setting, and a plot, which sometimes made it hard for me to believe that this is a debut book.

This book was really good for being a debut novel! The world, characters, and magic system were chefs kiss. I am very excited for the next book after this. My only complaint is that it was a bit too long. Overall, I would recommend.

From an intricate and fresh new world, to a large cast of characters facing a perilous competition, there is a lot to love about Immortal Consequences by I.V. Marie. But, at the same time, I found myself struggling to pick this book up after the first act, bored with the tropes the characters fell into and how they almost felt like caricatures of popular book characters. I ultimately wanted to love this more than I did in actuality. I.V. Marie has a bright future as a writer, but I could also tell this was a debut. I will probably still continue on with the series, as I can only see the author growing and making her characters more nuanced as she becomes a more seasoned writer.

A multi-POV, dark academia fantasy set in purgatory with deadly trials, rivals-to-lovers and enough pining and longing to fill the Grand Canyon

What’s to love…
- fast-paced, easy to binge
- Grade A tension, longing and pining
- dark academia vibes
- deadly trials
- found family
- interesting world and magic
- multiple romances to root for

What didn’t work for me but might work for you…
- Personally, too many POVs makes it hard for me to connect with the characters - I found myself more interested in one particular couple, which made each POV switch mildly frustrating. I think if you don't mind multiple POVs this one will probably work for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Immortal consequences was such a fun book! I loved the different POVs,. Six POV can be a lot, but the way I.V. Marie explored and developed these characters was outstanding! Her writing is beautiful and the story and description is immersive and engaging from the start.
The only thing I would have wished for was a little bit more explanation behind the magic system and the world building, but I'm confident these elements will be addressed in the sequel! So excited to see where it goes and excited to follow her journey!
Thank you to Delacorte

Immortal Consequences is a wonderful read, and the author is so good at what she does that I quite literally couldn't put it down once I began to read it. This book, while marketed heavily as an academic rivals-to-lovers story, follows an ensemble cast, and they all shine individually and are very much distinctive in their perspectives.

Oh my goodness this book was so unique and soooooo freaking good!!!!! I was worried at first about the 6 povs, but she didn’t disappoint and it was easy to follow and awesome to get an in depth look into each main character. This world really is so unique and I loved the school setting mixed with deadly trials. And let me tell you this was a slow burn in such a good way. The ensemble cast really helped propel the story along and had you wondering how would you ever be able to choose who should win in all of this. And then the ending my goodness mind was blown!!!!! I can’t believe I have to wait so long for book two because it was just so beyond amazing also wren and August!!!!!! Such a perfect pair!!!!! Thanks to NetGalley , I. V. Marie, and delacorte press for giving me a chance to read this awesome book!!!!!

The premise of this book was so unique and interesting. I loved the idea of following, effectively, repeapers who help ferry lost souls to the Other Side. The story was fast paced which was great as well. Perfect for Dark Academia lovers.

Stuff I loved: The book didn't shy away from the tough stuff.
At the end of the day - this book deals with death in a very real way. I felt that very compelling. Especially when you have characters that are already dead, worrying that their friends are going to die.
Blackwood Academy as a setting was very cool. Kind of like a gothic Hogwarts. Loved it.
The threads woven throughout the book leading to something else out there that could be at work were great.
Good mix of flawed characters.

Stuff that could have been better:
The magic system at time seemed somewhat nebulous at times, would have loved that expanded on.
With so many POVs there were times when they blurred together. From what I can tell, our 6 main characters all arrived at Blackwood at different times - but they all speak with very similar cadences. Theoretically someone like Emilio who was only pulled within the last decade, would have a different pattern of speach then Oliver, who has been there long enough that he in danger of Forgetting.

Overall a really strong debut for this author, and I look forward to reading the continuation of the series!

The premise of Immortal Consequences is fascinating; a world that combines The Hunger Games and Arc of a Scythe with Dante's Inferno. I can tell that this novel was full of creativity and ideas, but for me it ended up falling a bit flat.

To start with the positives:
- I enjoyed the varying POVs, especially the plot line with Emilio and Olivier
- All of the characters were memorable for the most part
- The world of Blackwood Academy is incredibly interesting
- The magic system is well thought out
- The trials were fun (if fun is the right word)
- The plot twists were very solid

What didn't work for me:
- I think that this novel will skew towards the younger end of YA vs. the later end of YA that I had assumed it would be. It does contain closed door romance.
- The pacing of the story felt off - we had *quite* a bit of introductory details and general background, but spent relatively little time within the actual trials and difficult situations. Something like the first 10-15% felt like we were simply walking around campus.
- August and Irene both felt very tropey, which isn't always a bad thing, but it did make me feel less engaged in their plot lines.
- Mateo felt like he didn't really play much of a role at all, and at the end of the book we're left with a ton of questions about him.
- The plot resolution for Lou didn't work for me, it felt a bit unsatisfying.
- The ending felt rushed! I would've loved a little more time to learn about everyone's plans.

All in all this was far from a bad book, but it might be one that follows slightly too closely in the footsteps of The Hunger Games for me. That being said, I'm still intrigued to see what happens in the next book due to the cliffhanger we were left on.

As always, all my thanks to both Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I found this storyline to be refreshingly unique but I felt the characters and world were not fully fleshed out. While I appreciated the short chapters, the frequent POV changes hindered my ability to connect with the characters. The romantic chemistry characters was lacking, leaving me underwhelmed. The storyline progressed quite slowly until the final 10-20%, where the action intensified and left me intrigued. I’m interested to see where this story goes! Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC.

This book has probably one of the best and the most unique settings I've ever read. I love everything about it. The plot?? The mystery?? Spectacular. The characters?? Amazing. And the YEARNING?? Perfection. This book has rivals to lovers love story (one of the main few) and the longing from both sides is so good I needed to take a moment and scream into my pillow every time they had those scenes. Not gonna lie, the book had a huge potential to be a five star read for me. BUT the trials took that one star away. First one was fine but the rest of them were... dull. And kinda boring. If we took the trials out of the picture, it would've been an easy five stars. But they're the backbone of the plot and I can't judge the book without them. Basically that's the only problem with the book for me personally. Also I'm kinda terrified for the second book. But on the other hand, I can't wait to see everyone growing in their power, confidence and resilience. And I have a suspicion that second book will DELIVER. Urgh, I can't wait!!

Immortal Consequences was an incredibly fun and unique take on academia. Solid debut and would highly recommend.

2.5 rounded to 3

Two points for a wonderful idea, one point for some representation.

Alas, the execution was not for me. It was clear the author had tackled a multi-POV book without knowing how to write one. I wish I could suggest a binge read of 19th century novels, which demonstrate how to effectively weave together a huge cast, with a narrative drive that grabs attention. A flat-toned info-dump at the start that still manages not to answer vital questons (like why does Blackwood exist in the first place? Who started it? Who green-lit starting it?) followed by the same scene repeated multiple times makes for a real slog to get through.

Again, though, great idea!

Immortal Consequences was an excellent story! It's the tale of several students at Blackwood, an afterlife academy, where teenagers who die under traumatic circumstances are able to attend a school and help others cross over until they join the ranks of the Ascended or cross over themselves. Wren, Irene, Masika, August, Emilio, and Olivier share their points of view as they participate in the Decennial competition. Strange occurrences in the form of Louise's shadow magic and increased appearances of the Demien order keep the story interesting, and some of the Headmasters at the school may have different motives than those that first appear. This book was filled with fantasy and suspense; my only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger and I can't wait to see what happens next!

WOW! What a story! My rating: 4.5 stars rounded up

The dark academia vibes were on point in this book! I couldn’t get enough of it!
I loved the setting and the worldbuilding of the afterlife. It was done in an interesting but very digestible way. Such a creative concept for a book as well!

The overall construction of the story and writing was fantastic. It’s hard to believe this is the authors first book!
The characters felt so real and jumped off the page straight into your heart. There are multiple POVS which can sometimes be intimidating but each one/character was so distinct with their own struggles and thoughts. The author did a good job with making each character their own.
In addition to all that, the action sequences kept things moving, exciting, and were also well written!

The ending had me jumping out of my seat with that cliffhanger! I absolutely cannot wait for the next book and will be picking it up as soon as it comes out!

I think this book will be hugely popular, and for good reason! I highly recommend checking this one out if you love dark academia, rivals to lovers, found family, magical academies, and/or multi POV books! And even if you don’t, I’d still recommend giving it a try, I think it might surprise you!

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was awesome!! The characters were amazing the plot was amazing! There wasn’t a characters point of view that I didn’t care about. They all had separate problems and aspirations that made you want to get back to each of their point of views and root for them! It was hard to pick a favorite. The magic was top tier, I want to dive more into what they can do. And the couple(s)!! I just want more!!! I do think there were plot twists being thrown left and right that there wasn’t enough time to really digest them before the book ended, but it does make me want to read the next book as soon as possible so I can know more about what’s happening. Specifically Wren and August, I just need to know how that continues. So many questions that need answers, I can’t wait for the next book!!

In this fast paced YA fantasy death is only the beginning for a group of teens now tasked with reaping souls to the afterlife for hundreds of years. At an academy dedicated to training deceased teens how to use magic a conspiracy unfolds when a competition to become an Ascended being goes awry.
Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3⭐️.
While I did enjoy most of the characters in this book and enjoyed the angsty, pining relationships that developed between a few of them, there were just too many POV characters in this book.
The competition that is undertaken by the characters had multiple trials/tasks to be completed and these went on for way too long.
In general this book was just ok and is not something I would recommend.

this debut novel was FANTASTIC. for lovers of multi-POV, high-stakes trials, and YA dark academia based in the afterlife. theres tension, theres magic, found family, second chances, betrayals, you name it. i enjoyed the world building and characters but my favorite was the trials.

the world building was giving like harry potter vibes with the school atmosphere(different houses based on characteristics/abilities). i’m hoping for more in the next book to learn more about the magic system. i cant wait for the next book after that cliffhanger.

Blackwood Academy, a school for learning magic in the afterlife. Is there really more that needs to be said? This was such an interesting read and I really enjoyed it. It has multiple povs and the character development was done well as I felt invested in each character and their story.

Overall I really enjoyed this dark academia, which is a genre that can be very hit or miss for me. This one definitely hit the mark!