Sophia is bound to her uncle the collector. She finds a chance to gain her freedom by sneaking her way into Killmarth, an elite magical college. She is a wielder and her magic is illusion. She teams up with Alden who is a botanist to compete against 50 other hopefuls in the ordeals/trials.

This book was so gripping. I really loved it. It has all my favorite tropes and the story does not disappoint! It almost immediately throws you into the ordeals(trials) and they last through the whole book. It is fast paced and it makes you not want to put it down. Sophia and Alden are very likable main characters and I also loved the side characters. It has great twists and turns and mysteries to unravel and leaves you on a cliff hanger that will have you wishing immediately for book 2.

You will love this one if you enjoy
✨Dark academia
✨Deadly trials
✨Magical wielders
✨Rivals to lovers
✨Tension
✨Twists and turns
✨Family mysteries

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

This review is already posted on my Goodreads page!

4.5⭐️!

All I can say is I am speechless. This is definitely one of the best romantasy books I’ve read this year! The plot twists kept on coming and were INSANE, so many of my guesses were completely wrong. The dark academia vibes were so strong, It made me absolutely adore this even more. Another thing I loved was how the romance was to complete and complement each other! The mysteries, found family, the romance, CHEFS KISS! That ending was brutal though, so I will be mentioning that in therapy next week! Thank you so so much Netgalley and Random House for allowing me to read this early!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars) 🌶️ (1/5 chili peppers)

First, a big thank you to Rachel Greenlaw, the publisher (Random House Publishing Group), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Ordeals as an ARC.

What initially drew me in was that hauntingly beautiful cover and the promise of a dark academic fantasy with a twist. The Ordeals introduces us to Sophia DeWinter, our determined and resourceful FMC, who’s been raised by a manipulative uncle bound to her through a blood pact. Desperate to escape his control, Sophia sets her sights on Killmarth College, the only path to breaking the bond. Using a lifetime of stealthy skills honed under her uncle’s oppressive guidance, she secures her place—and meets Alden Locke, our MMC, along the way.

Once inside Killmarth, the story really finds its footing. The Ordeals themselves are a series of academic and magical trials that blend the eerie intrigue of dark academia with a touch of steampunk and a 1940s-esque aesthetic. I was completely invested in the setting and tone. Sophia shines here—not because of overwhelming magical power, but because she’s clever, gritty, and capable in ways that many characters in fantasy overlook. I appreciated how her non-magical skills were treated as equally powerful.

Now onto Alden… He’s likable, yes. Sweet, definitely. But I wasn’t fully sold on him as a love interest. Their relationship felt a bit too fast, a little too “Hallmark movie romance” for the gritty world they’re living in. I kept waiting for someone like Knox—who arrives later in the story—to shake things up, challenge Sophia, maybe even push her to grow in new ways. But that didn’t quite pan out. Alden’s protective instincts are well-meaning, but I didn’t get the sense that he truly elevates Sophia. He supports her, but doesn’t match her.

Still, the worldbuilding and pacing kept me engaged throughout. The cliffhanger ending strongly suggests this is the first in a series, and I’m definitely on board for the next installment. Fingers crossed the romance dynamic evolves a bit—or maybe even surprises us. I’d honestly love to see Sophia thrive on her own or with someone who challenges her fire.

Final Thoughts:
A compelling start to what I hope will be a rich and atmospheric series. It blends dark magic, academic intrigue, and a strong female lead in a world that feels both timeless and fresh. I just wish the romance had a bit more spark—or at least more tension. Still, I’ll be grabbing book two as soon as it drops.

A magical college with death games, a murder mystery, and dangerous magic? Yes please! Deliciously dark with high stakes and a sizzling hot romance, The Ordeals is not to be missed!

This book surprised me in all the best ways. The Ordeals is atmospheric and immersive, full of quiet tension, raw emotion, and a little bit of magic. Rachel Greenlaw’s writing is so lyrical—it pulled me in from the very first page. I loved the exploration of grief, identity, and strength, and the way it all unfolds against such a vivid, almost otherworldly backdrop. If you enjoy books that feel like folklore come to life, this one’s for you.

A great read for those interested in dark academia and who enjoy a little magic with their mystery. Our FMC's goal is to get away from the servitude of her uncle/caretaker and find out more about her parents by entering the Ordeals. The Ordeals are challenges set forth to determine if you have what it takes to become a scholar for their magical school. In the process, she makes some friends, finds some love, and discovers herself. In additions to four factors of magic (illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists), you also have werewolves and vampires to tickle your fancy. Thank you to netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Delacorte Press for this E-ARC.

I’m sad to say this one really missed the mark for me, which is disappointing because the premise sounded promising.
The characters overall felt flat, and I struggled to feel emotionally invested in any of them. The chemistry between Sophia and Alden didn’t land for me—the romance felt rushed, their dialogue often cringey, and the whole relationship lacked authenticity. The lore surrounding the vampires and werewolves also felt underdeveloped and didn’t add much to the story. Honestly, it seemed like it could’ve been left out altogether. And the number of times a scream pierced the air throughout the book? It lost its effect pretty quickly. What could’ve been eerie and suspenseful just became repetitive and predictable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

fantasy romance readers: we are desperate for slow burn and drawn-out romantic tension
this author: you know what I'll do, I'll make the characters meet for the first time at the beginning of chapter one and have them make out...at the end of chapter one

DNF in chapter ONE, if that wasn't already clear, and I hate DNFing arcs, but I can't do it anymore

thank you to Delacorte Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review

platform: netgalley ebook arc

I really enjoyed this book! It was a perfect combination of murder mystery, fantasy, and romance! It felt like playing a game of Clue with an interwoven magic system. This checked all my boxes; magical school, magical creatures, and a great connection between characters.

Sophia and Alden’s characters are so layered and complex, I loved learning more about them as more was revealed! The romance is so swoon worthy.

The ending was a good set up for what is to come in this series and leaves you wanting more, in the best way.

Thank you NetGalley for the honor of reading this book as an ARC reader. Rachel Greenlaw is definitely an author I’ll be keeping up with from now on!

Sophia DeWinter is an orphan. Raised by and tethered to an uncle, The Collector, who sends her out into the world to steal the blood of people who he tracks. In this world magic is real and Sophia has just a touch of magic, the ability to see through illusions. It is this bit of magic that gives Sophia the chance for freedom. A nearby magical academy will strip away the tether keeping her to The Collector, but first she has to find the academy and earn her way into admission. Once she is there can she pass The Ordeals that will allow her to become a full student or will she be forced back into a life she is desperate to flee.

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the opportunity to read and review this book which I am giving 3.5⭐️. I thought this was a fast paced and fun romantasy.

My favorite parts of this book were the friendships that Sophia developed with her fellow students and the relationship between Sophia and her love interest, Alden. This had the potential to have an interesting magic system but it wasn’t fleshed out as much as I would have liked.

What I didn’t care for in this book: there was a lot happening and none of it really got enough page time to be developed properly. There are vampires, werewolves, multiple mystery elements happening including who are Sophia’s parents, who is The Collector and the pesky question of who is murdering the students! The biggest part that I didn’t like was the ending. I absolutely didn’t care for the surprise ending at all. I was looking forward to continuing this story on the next book, but am so put off by the ending that I am unsure if I will continue with this series now.

I will make sure to post about this book on my social media (TikTok and YouTube) closer to its release date.

This book!! WOW! Rachel Greenlaw’s romantasy debut combines a lush world, with a steamy romance and a plot that will keep you on your toes.

loved this book and couldn’t get enough of it. The magic system is wonderful, featuring different types of wielders: illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists—each with their own strengths and abilities. On top of that, there are werewolves, vampires, and gargoyles, which add an extra layer of suspense and danger. While the world-building is intriguing, it’s not fully developed here, but it will probably be expanded upon in the next installment.

The storytelling is intense—full of tension and atmosphere. The trials reminded me of The Hunger Games in their ferocity. That said, I did find some of the deaths unnecessary. Couldn't the failed students have just been dismissed instead of killed?

The pacing is even and well-handled, keeping the tension steady without feeling rushed. The writing is smooth and immersive, making it easy to sink into the world and stay hooked from start to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Welp. Another magical academia story that manages to fall flat for me. My second DNF of the year. From the start I found our main character tropey and dull, our plots unconnected and boring, and the whole story too overdone. I suppose if you wanted more trials like Hunger Games set in a Fourth Wing style setting, maybe this would be for you? But I loved Fourth Wing and couldn’t stand this.

For one thing, the instalove has got to go. Give me tension, give me drama, give me a reason to keep reading. Why would I want to read a romance when the two main characters have already made out by the end of chapter one?

And don’t get me started on the writing style. What voice is this? I noticed tense changes all over the place! This book needs an editor, yesterday. The characters spoke like they were in high school or even middle school at times but I’m supposed to expect them to be scholars fighting for coveted positions in the land’s best magical college? Please.

The world building and fantastic mixed with modern was not enough to keep me intrigued. They fell flat and were just as riddled with tropes as the characters were. Plus we are constantly info-dumped into oblivion. More telling instead of showing like these authors have never taken a high school creative writing class in their lives before.

Mind you, I don’t expect authors of any genre to reinvent the wheel when they write a new novel. What I instead ask is that their ideas, voice, characters, and world make coherent sense and make for an enjoyable experience. This was just not that for me.

There were things I really liked about this book, but one plot point really took away from the story.

The magic system was fantastic and well thought out. I really enjoyed the idea of a school they had to compete to get into and their specialities could help them work together.

Sophie and Alden were both great characters and fed off each other really well. Sophie was much more developed than Alden, but it truly was *her* story. The side characters were a lot of fun and added to the plot development.

Here’s what I didn’t like: the vampires and werewolves. And trust me, I love vampires and werewolves. I just don’t feel like they should have been introduced in this book. The murder mystery and magic competition were enough. Maybe the big issue in the next book could have been the vampires and werewolves. It felt like more of an afterthought.

A binge-worthy dark academy book that has so many twists that just when you think you figured it out - well, you find out that you don't. This is the type of book that can't be put down, it hooks from the beginning and keeps up until the end. Rivals to lovers, mystery, deadly trials, the academia setting and a plot that turns as much as a roller coaster - who wouldn't want to go on this ride? Pick it up for a binge read weekend and don't be surprised when you stay up way too late trying to figure it out and wanting to see the end.

The Ordeals is a dark academia romantasy with high-stakes magical trials. It is lush with a layered magic system, and an FMC that claws her way toward freedom—one deadly "ordeal" at a time. The magic system (illusionists, botanists, masquiers, and alchemists) is inventive and dangerous, and it doesn't feel like a rip-off of other popular fantasy novels.

Sophia DeWinter is an amateur illusionist with a mysterious past; she is blood-bound to a "The Collector", her uncle, who she believes sees her as property. Her only chance to escape his hold? Killmarth College, an academy for the best wielders where she must compete for one of twenty coveted spots. But first, she has to survive the Ordeals: a series of four trials where failure equals death, not to mention on of the hopefuls is murdering wielders outside of the ordeals, too. Alden Locke, the MMC, is a brilliant botanist with heaps of raw power....and raw sexuality who I absolutely did not mean to fall for. He and Sophia have a back-and-forth chemistry that evolves from reluctant allies to something deeper and (much) hotter.

I loved this book!

Thank you NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Rachel Greenlaw for the eARC!

Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 is an entertaining romantasy read, but it struggles to discern itself in a saturated fantasy genre of magical academies with trials. It has an amalgamation of tropes, many of which readers are fatigued on.

An illusionist, determined to break her bond to her uncle, stamps her ticket to an elite magical college. She'll first have to survive the grueling ordeals, which pit all illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists against each other until only the strongest twenty hopefuls remain. She partners with a practiced botanist, and she'll have to fight more than her feelings for him to escape a certain death.

Fans of stories like 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 and 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨 will feel at home with the vampires, stabby and resourceful FMC, life-threatening trials, and banter. It's a quick, bingeable read that doesn't reinvent the wheel.

Sophia and Alden's relationship is insta-lust, and while I enjoyed their early shared scenes, I found their dynamic to quickly descend into eye roll territory once I reached the halfway mark. Their dialogue was cringe-worthy, and I wasn't convinced of their feelings or compatibility.

About a third of the way through, I couldn't ignore the over-explaining of inner thoughts and decisions. It weakens the story, breaking immersion through too much telling and not enough showing. I couldn't draw inferences or interpret context clues because they weren't being given... it was being spoonfed, which is a major problem I have with many of the popular romantasy books as it immediately lowers the reading level and enjoyment. It also feels like lazy writing and rather than crafting the tale, the author chose to just put it all out there.

Sophia is seemingly raised by a ruthless collector, yet she repeatedly makes idiotic decisions during the ordeals that I wouldn't expect her to make. The entire cast acts, and speaks, significantly younger than they are, and I think this may have been better off removing the spice and aging down to YA.

The world building isn't much better than the characters, leaving much to be desired. It's an interesting mix of fantasy elements and an urban setting with cars and references to workout clothing and mascara. There's potential that wasn't fully explored.

Unfortunately this missed the mark for me, but I think devoted fans of romantasy will love it!

2.5⭐

From the first page, Rachel Greenlaw invites you into a world that feels rich with history, cruelty, and the flicker of something beautiful buried beneath. The Ordeals doesn’t rush you—it enchants you. It unspools like mist through a forest: soft at first, then suddenly full of shadows and teeth.

At the center of it all is Sophia DeWinter, a young illusionist bound by a blood contract to a man known only as the Collector. Her desperation isn’t loud—it’s lived-in, quiet, and razor-sharp. And when she discovers Killmarth College—an elite academy where a series of deadly magical trials could earn her freedom—you can feel her hope like a thread pulled taut.

I was especially captivated by the worldbuilding: botanists who wield deadly flora, masquiers who manipulate faces, and illusionists who bend light and perception to their will. It all felt fresh, darkly whimsical, and layered with tension. Greenlaw’s prose hums with atmosphere. You don’t just read this book—you sink into it.

And then there’s Alden Locke. Snarky, brilliant, and carrying secrets of his own, he’s a perfect foil to Sophia’s restraint. Their dynamic never overpowers the plot—it enhances it. The banter is crisp, the chemistry slow-burning, and their alliance full of quiet, unexpected depth.

What I appreciated most is that this isn’t a story about instant power or flashy victories. It’s about resilience. About choosing to survive when survival itself is a rebellion. Sophia isn’t loud or flashy—she’s observant, intuitive, and dangerously underestimated.

If you’re drawn to:

Quietly powerful heroines

Trials that test more than magic

Hidden truths and shifting allegiances

Dark academia meets fantasy murder mystery

Magic systems that feel grounded and original
Then The Ordeals deserves a place on your radar.

I devoured this in two sittings and finished with the haunting sense that this world is far from done with me. I’ll be waiting for more—breath held, heart ready.

Thank you Rachel Greenlaw, Ballantine, and Delacorte Press for the eARC! I absolutely loved this and can't wait to read what else Rachel writes!

The Ordeals is a captivating blend of dark academia, immersive mystery, and a romance that simmers with slow-burning tension. From the very first page, the high-stakes trials set my heart pounding, while the intricately layered mystery kept my thoughts racing with theories. The emotional depth of the relationships explored in these pages pulled at my heart, each moment unfolding with both vulnerability and intensity.

The magic system feels both imaginative and fully realized. I was especially fascinated by the concept of the Ordeals themselves, which were as dangerous as they were compelling. The added threat of rival “hopefuls” brought a delicious edge to the story, reminding me constantly of the stakes beneath the surface. While the middle of the book lingered in a slightly slower rhythm and occasionally repeated itself, those moments only added to the tension, and they never detracted from the immersive experience.

By the time I reached the end, I was breathless. I nearly dropped my Kindle as the final twists unfurled, already longing for the next chapter of this world to appear before me. Greenlaw’s gift for maintaining suspense shines throughout. Trust is a rare and fragile thing here, and I was constantly questioning every character’s motives. Even Killmarth College itself felt alive, cloaked in secrets, its purpose in the larger world still uncertain.

Sophia and Alden’s chemistry was utterly enthralling. Their banter was sharp and magnetic, each exchange crackling with tension and unspoken longing. They challenge and provoke each other in ways that feel raw and honest, and their connection only deepens as the story unfolds. The final act is packed with action and revelation, leaving no doubt that the world beyond this first book is vast, dangerous, and filled with secrets yet to be revealed.

I am completely hooked and already aching to return to this story. The sequel cannot come soon enough.

Lovers of Dark Academia rejoice! Rachel Greenlaw has gifted us with a suspenseful new dark academia book that combines magical trials, vampires, and a burgeoning love story - wrapped up in the setting of a magical college on a secluded tidal island. I read this book almost in one sitting, the suspense made it impossible to put down. And while it doesn't really end on a cliffhanger, we don't see everything resolved by its ending, leaving me hopeful that Rachel Greenlaw plans to bring us back to Killmarth at some point in the future.

Sophia De Winter will do anything to be able to leave her uncle, known as 'The Collector', and the magical bargain that she struck with him when she was only four. When she finds out that Killmarth college is holding their entrance exam, The Crucible, she does everything in her power to show up and vie for a coveted spot. Killmarth is a college of sorts, where magic wielders go to hone their craft, and its protected to only allow students to enter the grounds - allowing Sophia to safely flee from her uncle. When Sophia is paired with Alden Locke during the Crucible, the two have to decide if they want to be rivals or partners both in their quest for entrance, and after they arrive at Killmarth. Unfortunately, passing the Crucible doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to study at Killmarth, once they've arrived, hopefuls have to pass a series of four Ordeals designed to test their magic, mettle, and intelligence before they can become one of the elite 20 students to gain an official spot at the college. Once at Killmarth, we quickly learn that all is not as it seems - and not only are students dying during Ordeals, but one of their fellow hopefuls is eliminating students in between challenges as well - something strictly forbidden. Alden and Sophia have to learn who to trust as they hone their magic and compete during the Ordeals.

The pacing of this novel is impeccable. I was enthralled the entire time I read it. Rachel leaves us little clues woven into the story as we learn about the students, the college, and the threat hanging over their country even as the students compete in deadly magical trials. The plot twists were unpredictable, and I found myself second guessing who to trust at every turn. The setting of Killmarth, on a secluded, cold island is atmospheric and the perfect backdrop to all of the tension in this novel.

I very sincerely hope that their is a follow up novel written, because I would love to see the surviving characters during their time at Killmarth, and how they handle the threat to the crown that is present at the end of this book. With The Ordeals, Rachel Greenlaw has become a must buy author for me and I'm so glad that I found this novel.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine/Delacourt Press, and Rachel Greenlaw for allowing me to read an eARC of this novel to review.