This was a slow burn read that had some
really good elements to it that kept me engaged
in the plot .
Character are well developed and has depth to them.
Finishes up on a bit of a cliffhanger though.

Heir of Shadows is a spicy paranormal romance with a “why-choose” twist, perfect for readers who crave magic, danger, and complex relationships. The story follows Marigold, a hidden heir to necromantic power, who’s suddenly thrust into the supernatural world after a vampire attack forces her to enroll at Wickem Academy. There, she meets three other heirs—Keanne, Elio, and Cyrus—who don’t exactly roll out the welcome mat.

The enemies-to-lovers energy is strong, though at times it leans heavily on the “enemies” side. The transition from outright hostility to romance felt a bit rushed, especially given some questionable behavior from the male leads. Marigold's quick forgiveness was hard to buy, which made certain emotional beats feel unearned.

The magical setting had great potential, but the world-building didn’t always deliver. Some scenes lacked the depth and vivid description needed to fully immerse the reader. That said, the book moves quickly and keeps the tension high, especially toward the end where stakes escalate and secrets unravel.

Despite its flaws, Heir of Shadows is entertaining and sets up future installments well. If you enjoy steamy slow burns, morally gray magic, and reverse harem dynamics, this might be worth checking out—just go in expecting a bit more romance drama than fantasy depth.

Thank you Netgalley for the arc.

Came here to give this book a try due to its similarities to zodiac academy (as a huge fan of the series!). This book definitely did deliver similar vibes…

an FMC who knows nothing of magic until she is thrust into a magical academy setting (think dark academia) and finds herself the object of negative attention coming from the male heirs (think bully / toxic turned romance).

I enjoyed the book for the vibes as a whole, I do think there is room for improvement in terms of world building, plot, dialogue and character development however i still had enjoyment reading as a whole. As this is book 1 in an on going series i am expecting overall improvements in the following books as the author takes us further into this magical setting.

Thank you for the gifted copy!

I could not get enough of this book. The story was amazing. The characters were well written. The mmc’s Keane, Cyrus, Elio & the fmc Marigold. Did not disappoint in the drama, the angst, the romance, & the lol moments. This book has it all. I am so excited to see how the rest of this series turns out.

Amazing story of finding out who you are really inside and what you are willing to risk for those you care about.

Marigold finds out she's different and is whisked away to lead a new life where others don't accept her and think she is below them. Some fear who she is and what she could do like her father tried to do.

You have some enemy to lovers going on here too. I am hnoping there will be more books as it does end in a cliffhanger of sorts. Time will tell I guess, but man I need to know if there is a HEA to Marigold's story.

The story will keep you engaged and dying for more.

Exciting, mysterious story - I was super intrigued by the magical system and the politicking in this book. A great start to the series, I’m excited to see what happens next.

This RH Academy romance bring darkness, magic, intrigue, and mystery together. The romance is a slow burn but doesn't impact the pace of the story. It has a fast and easy to follow pace. This was an excellent introduction to Marigold and I'm so excited for the nextbook.

Great start I loved the world building in this book and the focus on the plot. It still has some spicy scenes, and it is a slow burn, but it's a great story. I can't wait for the next book to come out since it ends on a cliff hanger.

Received as an ARC, I am leaving my honest review. Gripping and suspenseful, this story really kept my attention as the plot unfolded. A young woman who knew nothing about her heritage suddenly becomes the central figure when the magic of an ancient wellspring calls her to step up and save the pure magic from corruption. Her fate is beautifully revealed as key players, three other heirs, come together. She arrives at the university as an outcast, shunned by all accept a few who have her skill. She is a necromancer, a powerful one, and the secrets of the dead start to reveal an evil plot of power. Can she change the damage the high council has done before it is too late? Teaming up and finally receiving respect from the other heirs opens doors to the heart where forbidden romance starts to bloom. Secrets kept hidden are revealed through old transcripts and now it is a race against time before the corruption takes its final hold. The ending is a cliffhanger that just makes you want to know more

Heir of Shadows was a great dark acedamia fantasy book! I loved all the twists and turns and the connection Marigold has with each of the other heirs! I would definitely recommend this book and I cannot wait for the rest of the series!

Marigold is so strong and determined. Though, she has a lot to figure out and there are plenty of people against her, I like how she found a familiar and a few good secondary characters so it wasn't just her against the world. Just her against the heirs, and expectations and magical theory class.

It was a good read, with good characters. There were some consistency issues and a few things that make little to no sense, and I could not for the life of me figure out the timeline. But Mari dragged me in so fully I could overlook the minor issues and just enjoy the story. I'm looking forward to more.

This is my first time reading this author so I didn’t know her writing style. It’s a short read and has lots of elements, gives a Harry Potter/Zodiac Academy vibes. The premise was fun but the writing felt a little lacking. It felt a little too fluffy and cheesy for the actual plot. It is a shorter book and I do struggle with those as I appreciate details. I think for me the details were more poetic than world building. Could be a fun read for many.

Thank you so much for this ARC opportunity

I enjoyed this book. It was chock full of drama and gave mystery and fantasy. This was a new to me author and I will be reading more. Loved that this was a why choose

Heir of Shadows by Cali Mann is perfect for readers who like magic, paranormal romance. The book also has enough spice for those who appreciate open door scenes. Another trope that will interest readers is why-choose with the FMMM setup.

Marigold is a magical heir hidden in the world of humans. She had no idea her father was a strong necromancer until she was attacked by vampires. Brought to Wickem Academy, Marigold meets the other heirs of the magical world - Keanne, Elio, and Cyrus. Though welcomed horribly, Marigold kept herself from surrendering and slowly earned the respect and attention of other heirs. They then need to work together to undo the corruption in the magical world that would control them and their magic.

World building of Heir of Shadows felt flat in some places. When the premise is good, I want to feel immersed in the world. Unfortunately, this book need some work in the world building. Some descriptions insufficient and did not pique my imagination.

I know that the focus of the story is Marigold and the three MMCs. However, I think there was too much work on the men hating Marigold that the development into a romantic plot was unbelievable. The betrayal in the end seemed forced as well. Some of the behaviors of the male characters were problematic that I was bothered by Marigold forgiving them easily.

Overall, this book was a quick read. I think the set up to the next book was done well. I may read the book just to see what happens to the characters.

It's always awesome to discover a new to me author that exemplifies excellence in their genre. This is the first Cali Mann book I've read but won't be the last. From the first page, this is intriguing with mysterious and well defined characters. The story is fast paced with a slow burn romantic element. Happily this is a first installment so I will be able to spend more time in this world.

This was so full of drama I felt like I was back in my small town high school. Add in all the political intrigue and dark romantasy and this is sure to be a major success! I can't wait to hear all the book clubs talk about this one and come up with theories for the rest of the series

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

3.5 stars

I struggled a bit with the world and character building but I'm attributing that to the shorter length (less than 300 pages). I didn't realize this was a why choose until the end when the second one came out seeimingly nowhere. I'd like to have seen that a bit more fleshed out. Also a bit a of a bully romance which is admittedly not something I enjoy.

I loved Scout though!

Heir of Shadows is the kind of dark academia romantasy that sinks its fangs into you—full of secrets, politics, and an elite academy with enough danger and drama to make your head spin (in the best way).

Marigold’s journey from blue-collar maid to shadow heir of the magical council was reminiscent of Harry Potter, and fun to read. The world-building? Chef’s kiss. Between necromantic, fire building, illusionary, and portal building bloodlines, magical school trials, and deadly alliances the stakes never let up. I genuinely enjoyed the Rocky Mountain setting of Wickem Academy, the political maneuvering, and the overall lore—it’s fast-paced, and full of potential. When it comes to the romance though.... I was expecting the "why choose" trope to shine. The three heirs' dynamic with Marigold felt a little rushed and emotionally under developed....especially the latest entanglement. It came out of nowhere, and made zero sense to the storyline. It would have made more sense at the beginning of the book.

Also, on a personal note, if I never have to read the words "taint", "folds", or "honey blonde' in this series again, it’ll still be too soon. Just… no. 😂 And, "taint" wasn't even used in an anatomical or sexual context. It was nearly every other word (or so it seemed) in the final chapters.

All that said, I’m definitely invested in where this story goes next. With a little editing and proofing for book two, I can see this series being an absolute hit. It has all the right elements. They just need to come together a bit more harmoniously.

This book was such a wild ride—in the best way! Heir of Shadows throws you into a dark, twisty world full of secrets, magic, and danger, and I honestly couldn’t stop reading. The main character is fierce, a little broken, and totally determined, which made her easy to root for. She’s got a complicated past and a powerful future ahead of her, and watching her grow into her strength was so satisfying.

There’s also plenty of steam and tension—if you like your fantasy with a side of spice, this definitely delivers. The romance is intense and messy (in a good way), and the whole story has that edge-of-your-seat vibe, like anything could happen next.

If you’re into dark fantasy with morally grey characters, forbidden powers, and a bit of heat, Heir of Shadows is absolutely worth diving into.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This was my first book by Cali Mann, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! Heir of Shadows gave me extremely strong Zodiac Academy vibes—with the magic, bullyish tendencies of heirs, academy setting, and broody love interests—which made it feel a little familiar, but in a okay way. While it wasn’t the most original story I’ve read, it was still incredibly entertaining, fast-paced, and kept me turning the pages. If you love magical schools with witches/ necromancers, secrets, and a touch of danger, this is definitely worth checking out!