What a second book. The perfect continuation from the first one. I’m falling in love with the characters more and more. A must read series absolutely brilliant

So, this review is massively overdue, because I somehow was convinced I’d already posted it!! I know. I’m so sorry.

What can I say about Lessons in Loyalty that I haven’t already said about Academy of Villains? That I loved it ? Already said that then. That the dark vibe is just gothic enough to make my heart pound, without versing into horror (I’m a wimp, can’t do horror)? Yup, I said that before as well.

Thankfully, this second instalment in the series is packed to the brim with goodness, so I won’t have to look too far for something else to tell you.

First of all, Bastian. Oh my gosh, Bastian! Do you like a morally grey man, full of vulnerabilities and absolute devotion, who doesn’t let himself hope but still somehow does, who will do ANYTHING (and I mean anything) to protect those he loves? If you do, than go no further, this is your man. (Well, not really, cause he’s Lyla’s!)

And I do adore her as well. Put it simply, I wanted to hug her for the whole of the novel. I think I’m a little bit in love with her too. She’s so nurturing, and while she’s what you’d probably describe as a “soft” character, her strength of caring makes her want to be strong for others, as well as herself. And she is SO strong in the end.

The chemistry between them is off the charts. You thought Kiera and Lucian had it bad for each other ? Well, Bastian and Lyla make them look like repressed school kids. These two will make you believe in unconditional love if nothing else does.

Then there’s the creepiest villain ever, seriously she makes my skin crawl, there’s that really weird vibe about her and her hold over Bastian is just creepy (yes, I know I’ve said this already, but it bears repeating. Creepy creepy creepy!!!) Which, let’s face it, is exactly what we want in a villain.

The setting continue to be on of the strongest points in the story, dark academia x greek myth inspiration, done really well, skirting neither too close not too far to the original. More an inspiration than a retelling really. What really does pick up in this one are the Sailor moon vibes, which are so much stronger I felt, as we learn so much more about the star marked warriors.

OK this is already too long so I won’t talk aout the side quest, the river Lethe, the witches, the portals… You’ll just have to discover all that yourself.

I do feel the series will continue to go from strength to strength, I can already tell there is soo much more to come and I can’t wait to discover more about the world and the secret history.

Fingers crossed we’ll get Octavia’s story next…

Thank you NetGalley and Ever King for the ARC

I think I loved this even more than the first book. While I loved getting glimpses of Kiara and Lucien again, Lyla and Bastian stole my heart. I love the world building and the interweaving of the Greek Myth retellings with strong FMCs. Having a core female friend group, where Lyla, Kiara and Octavia are able to trust and rely on each other, and trust in their own strengths and selves, and become stronger people because of it, is so well written and such a key part to found family. I can’t wait for the next book in the series, I’m hoping it will be either Dorian or Tobias’s story next.

Thanks so much to Ever King and Everkingdom for the eARC of this book. I loved diving back into this world! the pacing was better then the first and I loved that, I love this greek mythology world. This second book did not disappoint.

How I LOVE stepping into this Greek mythology-inspired world! Lessons in Loyalty is book two of the Academy of Villains series and it does not disappoint.

The story picks up where book one ends and follows Lyla and Bastian as the MCs this time- more magic, more drama, more secrets and more intrigue as we delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding the kingdom.

Thanks to being part of the Royal Court and to NetGalley I received an e-ARC and now I am counting down the days until book three is released!

Lyla and Bastians story did not disappoint in this mythological sequel. I love when side characters step into their own powers. They both have pasts, purpose, and problems to solve. But fate and destiny prevail. Now we all get to learn the lessons together. I can't wait for the next installment and the next Ravens story!

Lessons in Loyalty is the second installment in the Academy of Villains series by Ever King 🪴
Picking up after Academy of Villains, this book shifts the spotlight to two side characters, whose story draws inspiration from the myth of Aphrodite and Adonis, infused with a dark, magical twist.

Magic is vanishing. The kingdom teeters on the brink of collapse, and the cruel king who rules it all is obsessed with claiming the legendary golden apples of immortality. Ruthless in his pursuit, he’ll
destroy anyone who dares to stand in his way.

Lyla Stark is the strong and independent carer of the greenhouse at The Academy of Mages and she loathes Bastion Lightcroft. Bastion Lightcroft is a clever and cunning mage who is well versed in stealing from Lyla’s greenhouse and harbouring dangerous secrets.

They were never meant to trust each other, let alone fall for each other.
But as destinies entwine and the stakes rise, Bastion and Lyla must decide: protect their hearts, or risk everything for a love that could change the fate of their world.

While the setting is familiar, Lessons in Loyalty introduces an entirely new mystery, a fresh slow-burn romance, and a chilling new threat that looms over the academy.
If you're drawn to dark academia laced with myth, magic, and morally gray characters, the Academy of Villains series is for you!

I enjoyed this book more than the first! 😍 I liked Layla and Bastion and the tension between the two was 🔥! I think both characters had more depth and backstory which was helped by their presence in book 1.

Thank you to NetGalley for my review copy.

If you’re here for:
✔️ morally grey chaos
✔️ enemies who might kiss or kill
✔️ plot twists you won’t predict
✔️ and a magical school that honestly needs a therapist...
Then Lessons in Loyalty will absolutely wreck you.

If Academy of Villains broke me open, Lessons in Loyalty buried the remains, danced on them, and whispered, "You still trust people?"

This sequel doesn't slow down, it Freakinggggg escalates. The betrayals feel deeper, the stakes sharper, and the characters more unhinged (in the best, most addictive way). Ever King doesn’t believe in sophomore slumps, she believes in sophomore slaughters.

What I loved most is how Ever King plays with the concept of loyalty, not just in its obvious sense. But in how it warps love, ambition, and survival. Every character is standing on shaky ground, and you can feel the tension in every conversation, every spell and every sideways glance.

There’s more emotion here too, uughhh so raw and messy and real. I found myself wanting to scream at some characters, hug others, and then scream again. The romance burns, yes, but it’s laced with danger and doubt, and that makes it even more irresistible.

I can't wait for book threeeee!! I want it now!!

I can’t decide whose story I loved more.. Lucian and Kiara or Lyla and Bastian!? I vibes so much with Lyla! I loved her perseverance and willingness to explore what she was first uncomfortable with. She turned into such a badass with Kiara, Octavia and Lyla being a team!

Ever King does their stories well! Both books started with a bang and you immediately get to dive into the characters. There’s no dilly dallying and Ever keeps the reader intrigued and thinking!

Do I need book 3 right now!? Absolutely!
Will I be in a hangover until then? More than likely!

This was my new favorite book in the Academy of Villains series! Bastian and Lyla had such great chemistry and I love that Lyla developed such strong female friendships. I can’t wait to see what Ever does in the next books and digging more into the how to lift the curse. I loved that we still saw Kiara and Lucien in this book as well and am so excited for the next one. Secretly hoping it’s about Tobias and Octavia !!:)

I couldn't love this series more! I'd give it 10 stars if I could! I love how each book focuses on a different couple but following the same story line. I love Lyla and I want some magical butterflies and little barklings too! Each one just gets better and better. If you like academia but with dark magic, enemies to lovers and forced proximity, magical creatures and secret societies then this series is for you. I received this as an arc to review and I couldn't be happier. I couldn't put it down even to sleep.

What a great follow up to book 1! I loved the continued world building and character development and can't wait to see this authors writing and storytelling evolve!!

This was a wonderful sequel, picking straight up from book one and answering some questions I had been left with. I enjoyed the pining throughout this book, the two characters really felt meant for one another and like their love and happiness was hard won. It was also really nice to get a different insight into the academy through the new perspectives, reading each character’s bias led to a much more developed view of the world.
Thank you to the author for the arc, my views are my own.

4.5/5

The world building for this book was amazing. Throughout the book, I felt like I was there and I could vividly see many of the different scenes in my mind. I also thought that this book was paced perfectly. There was a perfect blend of world building scenes to plot / action scenes, which helped move the book along nicely. I also didn’t know what to expect going into this book and I was not disappointed.

I loved that this book was dual pov so we were able to get both Bastian, our mmc, and Lyla’s, our fmc, povs. I found my self excited to read both character’s perspectives and I never wanted to skip any chapters since I connected so easily with these characters.

It was also great to see Lucian and Kiara again from book 1, and I am very interested in the characters Dorian and Tobias now.

I thought that the beginning was a little slow and hard to get into, but once I was able to get more comfortable with the main characters, the book was great.

Thank you for allowing me to read an eARC of this book for an honest review. Can’t wait for the next book!

This one picks up where the first one ended which I appreciated. There wasn't a lot of recapping what happened from the first book. Lyla is quiet and keeps to herself. I enjoyed seeing her character grow in strength and confidence. I loved the friendship that formed between her, Kiara, and Octavia. And I really enjoyed the parts with Kiara and Lucian. They are still my favorite couple...for now.

Bastian was dealt a rough hand. I liked getting to know more about his past and the reason he acted the way he did. Seeing his character learn to be vulnerable and loved was the best. 💛

I do hope the Ravens and the Starmarked learn to get along and talk to each other as a group. It would really help with trying to figure out all the clues. So many secrets being kept!

I am so excited to see what is discovered in the next book. I have some theories floating around in my head and need to know if I'm right! Also, need to know whether we get Tobias or Dorian's story next.

I am loving this series! Lessons in Loyalty gives us the story of Lyla and Bastian (who we were briefly introduced to in the first book). I enjoyed their back story and the push/pull between them. This book has everything, magic, love, action, mystery… as the story continues to unfold I am anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I like that the book is well paced, told from multiple POVs, and included aspects from Kiara and Lucian (I loved their story as well and am glad they were still included in this book). Thank you Ever King, the Ever Kingdom, and NetGalley for the eARC.

📚Book Review 📚
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Series: Academy of Villians
📚: Lessons in Loyalty
✍️: @everking
Genre: Dark Academia Romantasy
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First of all thank you @everking and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
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This book is book 2 in the Academy of Villians series. They are all greek mythology retellings! The first one was based off of Nyx & Erebus. The second one is Lessons in Loyalty is inspired by Aphrodite (Lyla Stark- FMC ) & Adonis (Bastian Lightcroft- MMC) 💛
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Right from the start I was so excited to get a few chapters throughout the book with the og FMC & MMC (from the first book). Ever King's descriptions & metaphors makes me picture it all so vividly. I feel like I'm right there beside them on their adventures! The world building is amazing! I feel like every little thing said and done is hinting at future books!! I couldn't stop highlighting everything like - ?!?! 👀.
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Lyla was an absolute delight. I related to her in so many ways!! Her softness made people not take her seriously then she came out stronger than ever! Im so jealous of her green house. I love gardening and always wanted one! - Also so jealous of her bedroom 😫
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Bastian is what I would call a misunderstood villian. He's such a sweetheart and tried to make the best of his situation. My heart goes out to him. ❤️
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Romance:
You can feel the crackling chemistry between Lyla & Bastian right off the bat. The PINING, JEALOUSY, the POSSESSIVENESS- all of the romance had me kicking my feet in the air! The spicy scenes had me SWOONING!! I had to set my kindle down and walk around my room for a bit every time they even brushed hands it made me so giddy! 🤣
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All in all I would rate this 5/5 ⭐️. I would rate it even higher!!
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I recommend this series if you love greek mythology, dark academia,
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📅 Mark your calendars June 24th 2025
I'm going to preorder this one as soon as I get my next check!!! (I need my bookshelf trophy!!) I'm makes me so happy to be a part of The Royal Court!
Can't wait for the rest of the series!!
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Disclaimer: I've received an advanced reader copy and am leaving this review voluntarily and in my own words

I loved this story soo much more than book 1.
Dont get me wrong Kiara and Lucian are my babies i love them
but....


Daddy Bastian ughhh I love him he has my heart
he says things like "that my girl" and " you wont just feel me in your body. You'll feel me in your magic"
likkkeeee yessss Bastian lol what ever you say.

then we have Lyla sweet girl who keeps to herself and is strong and courageous.

now I thought i wasnt gonna be that into this story but yess possessive mmc and strong shy loving fmc i love it.

I also love how we still got bits and pieces of Kiara and Lucian, i was worried we wouldn't get anything. I wish there was a little more but over all i loved the story.

I can't wait for the

Thank you Netgalley and Ever King for giving me the chance to continue reading this fabulous story.

Lyla... what a personal grow she did in this book!
I was pleasantly surprised with it! In this book we enter the Lyla and Bastian relationship and their banter, tension was soooo good!
And a really good thing was also Bastian secrets, which we can finally know and they were more than I expected to be! Good plot, good tension and banter and more than ready for book 3!

4.5 stars

This book continued on from Academy of Villains but with a new couple, Lyla and Bastian.

Lyla is beautiful, soft, a Forestmage who lives in the greenhouse and enjoys her time with the plants more than most people. Bastian is the king's servant, and he's being forced to do the king's commands no matter how dark. They are opposites but as they are thrown together, they find themselves coming to appreciate each other more and more. I really liked these two, their romance was sweet and a little swoony. I appreciated Lyla's growth as a mage and her learning more about the kingdom, the witches (enemies of mages), the subplot around the Starmarked warriors.

In a world where the king is corrupt, and heartstrings are recently returned, there's political unrest, a little less focus on the magical academy itself but we get more of the Ravens, the secret society sworn to protect the royal family. The Ravens are developing plans to try and save the kingdom but mostly, the focus is on Bastian and Lyla and their budding romance, and Bastian's turmoil about doing the king's evil bidding.

This book was really enjoyable, it was a bingeable read and I love the Greek mythology connections.

I'll be looking forward to book 3!