The Ordeals" is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy novel with elements of dark academia, romance, and a unique magical system. It features trials or challenges within a magical academy setting, along with romantic subplots, mysterious elements, and a touch of "found family". While I found the romance a bit predictable and wished for more background on the world, others will find the plot engaging with the well-executed fantasy tropes, and the immersive writing style.

The Ordeals is dark, gripping, and emotionally intense in the best way. From the first few pages, I was pulled into a world full of tension, moral ambiguity, and characters who felt deeply real—even when they were at their worst.

Man I been getting so lucky with these fantasy books lately! This one had such a cool world and magic system and can’t wait to read more into this series to learn even more about it. I thought she did a great job building up the FMC and made her likable in my opinion. I do think some things were a bit easy to guess on how things would turn out but to me didn’t detract from the story. It was semi slow burn so yay for that. Could use a bit more yearning hehehhehe. But overall good cast of characters and gave a story worth following along for. Thanks NetGalley and random house publishing. This was a treat for sure and so glad I got to read it early! Can’t wait to own a physical copy of this!

Wow.... I was absolutely enamored with this book. As soon as I met our FMC, Sophia, I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down. For any reader that has a hangover from Throne of Glass and wants a heroine as brave as Aelin, this book is certain to fulfill that role.

The world building was absolutely fantastic! It felt almost as if I walked into a gothic novel, but with motorcars, workout clothes, and maybe a little (a lot) of magic.

As the first chapters unfold, we meet our main cast of characters as they begin a harrowing journey to complete a rather unconventional entrance exam into their magical college, Killmarth. When Sophia first meets Alden, readers will instantly swoon over his rugged charm (truly the perfect MMC). Then, readers are swiftly introduced to Tessa and Greg, our sweet, funny, companions. These four unlikely friends form a quasi alliance to get through their magical tests and we quickly watch all hell unfold.

Sophia and Alden quickly begin to turn from rivals to partners to lovers. What a tale that turns out to be- them learning to trust each other as lust quickly becomes something much more powerful.

Like other books including magic, this one includes magical creatures like werewolves and vampires, but painted in a new light where you aren't sure what the true lines of good and evil are.

Take a walk through the halls of Killmarth, feel the salty air, and buckle up reader. You may just be left on a cliffhanger.

The Ordeals was a great read for a rainy weekend. I was intrigued from page one. The writing style managed to atmospheric while still simplistic enough that the fantasy world and elements were easy to follow. That made for a really grabbing world and magic system. At times the book felt a bit YA with tropes and characterisation, but I don’t necessarily find that to be a downside-just something I noticed a few times. I’ll be sure to check out the next book in the series.

A magical romp. This author's take on not only magic, but vampires was a wild ride from beginning to end. Lots of mystery and even some lush vibes between Sophia and Alden. Loved watching them grow closer. MC Sophia is also fierce, while also being clever and grows into a powerhouse character. Cannot wait for the sequel!

Well paced, with a few fun chapter titles (hints of the movie Closer via Panic at the Disco song names) and a goodish mix of dark academia vibes with some fantasy elements, as well as a fun enough central romance. If you're into that for a Fall read, or if you wanna scratch that "haven't read something like Divergent in a while" itch, this'll likely work for you!

Personally, though, it left me feeling like it had the potential to be much more well-rounded, and so it didn't quite fully capture me, even beyond it being the first in a duology.

[Possible very slight spoilers follow]
I guess in part because it felt predictable in terms of tropes –i.e. main character that secretly has more power than imagined– and at times a bit undercooked.
For example, some of the world-building and magical elements felt underexplored, in terms of settings in the main school (say, a closed-off hall that seems interesting/consequential but is barely described one time) and of most creatures outside of the main wielders/wizards (and sometimes those wielders, too, such as most of the professors who kinda just blurred together, as did many other students who weren't even named before being offed).

And the characterization of the FMC felt inconsistent. Like, we're repeatedly told she's methodical as heck, but also she leaves behind important documents and doesn't think to check relevant papers until it's plot convenient near the end.

Prose was also repetitive in a tell-don't-show way (i.e. FMC talks about wards that strip magic away in a voiceover then another character says verbatim "there are wards that strip magic away," then FMC repeats that again just a few sentences later...). But from what I've seen on tiktok that probably works for some readers, so I won't knock the author for adding this in, though I'll say it made it read more YA than adult.

That all said, it was a fine enough quick read, I did kinda like what little we got of the MMC and some other characters, and I might seek out the second part when it comes out since the ending has an interesting hook.

2.8/5 as it did entertain even if it also frustrated me.

It's been a while since a book hooked me from page one like this, I felt like this was a total rollercoaster from start to finish, and oh what a ride it was! I would describe this as a romantic fantasy with trials, set at a magical academy, with mysterious and paranormal elements. There's a lot going on, including a unique, elemental-adjacent magical system, werewolf and vampire cameos, general confusion/suspicion of basically everyone, and unknown lineage. I especially enjoyed the overall absence of many overdone fantasy tropes, and appreciated how well done the few the author used were executed (notably slow burn and found family.) The characters were so well written, that I found myself simultaneously liking each of them, while being convinced they'd be exposed as the villain in the end. Like I said, this was a wild ride!

It's obviously a set-up to a longer series because we're left with so many more questions than answers, and I could not be more thrilled (though am annoyed that now I have to wait even longer for book 2!) Lastly - WTH WAS THAT ENDING?!?!?

ps - LOL at that one star review by the weirdo who was mad IN THE FIRST CHAPTER that she wasn't going to get a slow-burn? Who's gonna tell her? 🙄 (Won't be me, I block lazy reviewers.)

The Ordeals follows twenty-year-old Sophia DeWinter who has only known life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he exacted from her as a child. When she learns of Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders, she knows it is her only chance to finally break free. To gain entry, she will have to compete against other illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists in a series of brutal trials that many hopefuls don’t survive—the Ordeals.

A couple of reasons I gave this a 4⭐️....

This wasn't "dark academia" to me. It lacked that moody, atmospheric vibe and writing style that that genre has. I also felt like the story was a bit rushed, so I'm hoping we can get more background on the magic system and/or world building to help tie things together a bit more. Lastly, I was hoping for this to be more rivals to lovers but from the start this was giving insta-love and I'm not a fan of that personally.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and look forward to what's next after that crazy ending!

The Ordeals is haunting, lyrical, and quietly intense in all the best ways. The atmosphere pulled me in, the mystery kept me hooked, and the emotional undercurrent caught me off guard—in a good way. It’s beautifully written and gave me that deliciously unsettled feeling I love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. To be honest this book was like wrong book wrong time for me honestly. Maybe i would have gotten into this more if i was in a more fall mode but honestly this book didn’t live up to me. The characters felt kind of bland to me and don’t get me started on the romance. The trial part of this was cool but that was the only part of this that i really enjoyed. I don’t know if i would continue this series but the cliffhanger did kind of keep me wanting to keep reading.

Rating: 3/5

This was a pretty solid book for me - I enjoyed reading it, but it wasn't a standout for me.

Starting with what worked for me, it was a fast-paced page-turner! I prefer when fantasy novels are quick in terms of something always happening and keeping me wanting to read more. I was the most engaged during 'The Ordeals' (trials/challenges) themselves. I LOVE books with competitions, and I with the backdrop of dark academia in the novel, it was super fun to follow! The way that the magic and world came into play during The Ordeals was intriguing, too. I found the magic system itself to be relatively unique, and I was also captured by the situation between Sophia and the Collector (and in general the secrets surrounding her past/family). Greenlaw does a great job with her vivid descriptions, too!

I found that there were a few things that didn't work for me. I don't think the writing style particularly worked for me. As an adult novel, it read YA to me. The language seemed pretty simple, the dialogue (pertaining to the romance, specifically) was a bit too "cheesy"/young for me, and I found that the writing/narration became increasingly heavy-handed when it came to sign-posting the themes. Sophia's narration started to feel very didactic in ways that didn't trust the reader to gather the messages/morals themselves.

I wasn't super engaged with/by the characters. The romance between Sophia and Alden, specifically, was a bit frustrating, as both characters (for most of the book) were incredibly inconsistent and flip-flopping back and forth about their feelings and actions. I found Alden's character during the first two-thirds to be a bit contradictory, at times, at least in terms of his actions and particularly his dialogue (seeming to go back and forth between oddly formal and then jovial/joking). Overall, I found myself not compelled by the characters, and the world/details became a bit convoluted and hard to follow after multiple 'information-dumps', so I was less engaged as the story went on.

That said, it was still a quick and enjoyable book. I found the competitions and academic setting to be the strongest part of the book, so I'd recommend it to those who like dark academia and trials! I'd also recommend it to romantasy readers, as the romance does become stronger towards the latter portion of the story!

*Thank you NetGalley, Random House, and Ballantine for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Rachel Greenlaw’s Compass and Blade series, so I decided to check out this book, her adult debut. After reading it, I can say I prefer Compass and Blade, but The Ordeals should appeal to a larger audience.

It’s dark academia romantasy with deadly trials, a favorite of many readers these days; it reminded me of recent release Arcana Academy. However, like with that book, there aren’t many unique elements, and I was hoping to be more gripped by the story. The writing, however, goes down easy.

The premise of this book was 100% up my alley, but unfortunately it didn’t fully hit for me. I did not enjoy the writing, it seemed kinda choppy and pretty simple. The straightforward-ness and spoon-feeding nature of it all made me roll my eyes more than a few times. I was interested enough to read the whole thing, which counts for something. It was definitely insta-lust, so I wasn’t fully invested in the romance, and it was also very trope-y to the point where it felt a bit forced. I was never shocked by any of the twists, and I felt like everything that was supposed to be a surprise was so obviously built up that it fell flat. Sad I didn’t love this one like I hoped!

OKAY?!?! I am obsessed with that story omg

A college for magic wielders, but they have to pass a set of trials to earn their spot among the scholars? An immediate attraction between the mmc and fmc that only builds and builds as they flirt and partner up during the trials?!?! AHHHHHHHHH

I absolutely loved this story, the speed and pace at which everything unfolded was PERFECT for me! I like how we were kind of mislead for a bit too - I definitely made some guesses about what was going to happen based on what we were told and I LOVED that this plot wasn't predictable. The morally-grey concept of the Collector was so interesting!!!!! His whole character was such a dilemma in itself, we don't really know how we feel about him from start to finish!

I loved the way Sophia pushes through all her obstacles.... she knows what she is capable of, despite what everyone around her says. And she trusts herself, her will, her fight and her instincts. ALSO Alden is HOTTTTTTTTTTT - emotionally reassuring, physically present, protective, literally everything about this man was a SMASH.

IF YOU LIKE THESE THINGS THEN THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU
- academia setting/college for magic
- trials and ordeals
- vampires and werewolves
- immediate attraction turns into devotion
- found family
- unexpected story & plot twists

this book needs way more hype! Can't WAIT for this to release in October so I can grab a physical copy for my shelf!!!

Um, this was SOO good?!?! A unique dark academia with a fast pace and characters that I couldn’t get enough of. I can’t wait to continue this story! 👏🏻

This was such a great surprise I found myself enjoying so much the plot, the characters, and overall the book. it was such a fast pace, beautiful written, romantic book and I just know that I am going to buy every single special edition of this book if it ever comes out because it has so much potential And I am here for it.

Wowwwww. This was such a fun ride!!

If you love deadly games + trials plus an academic setting plus a fun magic system. You will love this! There’s a touch of mystery and plot twists and turns that keeps you guessing and turning the pages!

I loved the FMC, Sophia. She was such a baddie who continued to grow and push herself throughout the book. Alden, her partner in the trials and love interest, isn’t the most interesting MMC in the world but he has some great moments. And I enjoyed their romance. Sophia is definitely the star of the show!

If life didn’t get in the way I could have read this book in 1 sitting. Definitely binge worthy and such a fun read! And that ending!!!! Wow! I’m so looking forward to seeing what happens next!

I knew before I even finished reading 50% of this novel that it was going to be a 5 star read. After finishing it, I am thrilled to say that I stand by that rating! I loved everything about this book despite not being a fan of the insta-love trope. The 'trials' trope can also be very hit or miss for me, but I loved the way things transpired and enjoyed how fast-paced the action throughout the story was. The FMC and MMC were both actually likable, and I truly rooted for them the whole time. The only negative of this ARC is having to wait SO long for book 2!

Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC opportunity!

If Hunger Games, Echo Fort, and other Academia/Trials based romantasy - this is definitely going to be your vibe. The ending was WILD and kept me captivated in all the right ways. I've immediately put this author on the map for watching in the future.