4⭐ (3.5 rounded up)

I thought the premise of this book was super interesting—necromancy, an elite college, forced rivals-to-allies… all the right ingredients! But for some reason, it never totally hook me. It kept my interest, and I liked the dark academia vibes, but the execution felt a little flat in places. The worldbuilding could’ve gone deeper, and some parts just didn’t hit as hard as I hoped.

Still, I did enjoy it overall! The plot was unique enough to keep me reading, and I’m glad I picked it up.

Thank you NetGalley and Turner Publishing Company for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion! Needless to say, as always, all thoughts are my own and I have not been influenced in any way.

Wow… this was such a great read, the idea behind the spires and gravers was just amazing. The thought that has gone into the story building is absolutely next level and I just haven’t read anything like this before.
There’s a lot of angst alongside revelations of Hal’s character which I loved to read about and I genuinely cannot wait for the next book!