Five students from five very different planes received an invitation to attend the prestigious Strixhaven School of Magic. They each arrive with an agenda and a desire to get the most out of the experience, but not everyone is happy to see people crossing planes, and they'll have to worry about more than just final exams.

It's not exactly beginner-friendly if this is going to be your first foray into the world of Magic: The Gathering. You will have terms, names, magic systems, and a whole lot of history dropped on you with next to no explanation to back it up or explain. Kudos to McGuire's writing that you don't necessarily get lost in that quagmire of complexities, but be forewarned if you're the kind of reader who likes to understand everything about the world the story takes place in. It also helps that it's the rebuilding after a war as seen through younger characters, so there are some explanations and exposition to help out a bit.

What it does have going for it is that it manages to include almost every YA trope you could hope for and mix it with some magically light dark academia. The emotional teen drama is present and accounted for, highlighted by dark motivations that push the teens into dangerous situations and to trust each other when their initial reaction is to take everything on themselves.

I don't feel like it pulled me into the world of MTG or has me salivating for more, but I was entertained, and that's all I ask for.

Happy thanks to NetGalley and Inklore | Random House Worlds for the entertaining read!