Join or Die

Perfectly ordinary adolescent boy in Las Vegas--single parent family, one good friend, starting high school--suddenly discovers he isn't human. Well, only half--his mother is human, his father, absent for six years, is a Creature. Yes, Creature: those entities of fairy tales and mythology? 'Tis real, they are. And Young Alex will be their Scion.


Creatively imagined and fantasized, JOIN OR DIE is Book 1 of HEIRS TO THE SCION Series. This is YA Fantasy, but I rate it 18+ for language.

3.5 stars

Join or Die follows Alex, a young teen from Las Vegas, as he discovers not everything is as it seems and all the myths he’s ever heard of are actually true. One day Alex learns he’s half human/half creature and it’s not safe for him to stay at home. He has to leave behind everything he knows and loves to move to a boarding school for creatures just like him.

Ive read a few fantasy academy/school books recently but Join or Die is one of the better ones. It’s funny, well written and full of likeable characters.I especially liked the group of loners Alex befriends, both individually and together as a group. I’m looking forward to seeing how the story evolves in the next book.

I found this story to be very creative and original. I enjoyed the story as well as the characters. It was very well written and I didn’t put it down once until I was finished.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a quick read, like only a few hours quick read. I thoroloughly enjoy the paranormal trope of "I'm a what!?" so this book worked really well for me. I live for a good boarding school YA read, and this one reminded me of that Scooby Doo movie where Scrappy, Shaggy and Scoob teach at that boarding school for young monsters. Was that off topic? Perhaps, but a vibe is a vibe.

What a fun read this book was, I can not wait for the next installment on the series! When I picked up a copy of the book, I was undecided on what I wanted to read next, so I decided merely on the cover art to pick Join or Die. And what a pleasant surprise it was.
Alex Ayers life is turned upside down when he finds out that Creatures that Myths and Legends talk about are real and he is one of them. When he joins Fios Academy he quickly learns that he could be the next leader of them all. Joined by a band of misfits, Alex needs to learn fast about what it means being a creature and how to survive before he ends up being killed.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Join or Die is a very peculiar book. Alex's life, a 14 years old from Las Vegas, is turn upside down one day when a friend, Durant, of his absentee father came into his house and revealed to him the most weird truth: he's a Creature, a magical being, his father is a dragon and Durant is one too.
Since during puberty every Creature went through the Change, transforming them into what really are (vampire, dragon and so on),Alex is forced to give up his old life and to go to the Fios Academy, a sort of Hogwarts for magical creatures. There he will learn more about his powers and this new world and how to use the glamour to walk among mortals. He's forced to give up his life to protect his mother and friend, Carlos, pushed into a new world and school.
Not only that. Durant told Alex there were two different dimension, the mortal and the creatures' one and that the Creatures' world is protected and ruled by the Scion and his ciorcal (Gaelic word for circle, a group of trusted friends and allies). Years ago the Scion was attacked, some members killed and a sort of truce was set: The new Scion would step down in 5/10 years time and the Fios Academy will prepare Scion candidates. Without knowing anything about this world, Alex became a candidate, pushed into a new reality.
Helped by his roomate Elvy, a vampire, who shown him around, Alex is forced to adapt to all this and to the game of politics, creating his own ciorcal, surronding himself with peculiar friends.
Elvy, vampire/elf mix, shunned by other elves since he went through the Change and become a vampire, a sensible and smart character.
Yoshi, raised by his father and abandoned by his mother and twin, he's funny and boisterous and he didn't yet Change.
Win, a magic werewolf, the strategist and Kara, the half Valkyrie and half Berserker. His ciorcal collided, during the book, with Raina's one, a distant cousin of Alex, another Scion's candidate. While Alex learned to navigate school and politics, making friends and building his ciorcal, a killer is hunting Scion candidates and, between lessons, books, discoveries and hunts, Alex and his friends have to protect themselves and try to survive.

I really liked this book. It's a quick reading and sometimes a bit rushed, I'd loved to know more extensively about the other Creatures, Breed, more descriptions and stories. Like the main character, the reader is pushed into a new world, without knowing anything and it was exhilarating getting to know more about Fios Academy and Alex's friends. I could see how Alex is divided by his mortal world, his missing his mother and Carlo and normality and the new, dangerous and exciting one. I loved reading about his friends, I loved Elvy and his identity crisis and how Win and the others convinced him to do what he love. Yoshi was such a cute and gossipy one and I'd love to know more about Kara, a real hurricane. I enjoyed reading about the hunt, it was so funny and I loved the riddles and clues, so exciting!
The real identity of the killer didn't surprised me so much, but I wish it would have been better placed and explained, above all the reasons behind it,since it was left a big hanging. I loved reading about Durant and Alex's father, so mysterious and peculiar and to discover Raina's character.
I'd love to know more about this world and its characters. This book was a quick and funny reading,
I recommend it to anyone who wants to be shoved into a new world and reality, surrounded by furred characters, icy touchs, mysterious riddles and politics.
Above all, a book about friendships and to love and trust one other.

Holy creature feature,!! This book blew me away. I’d say it rivals Harry Potter. No seriously, I want the second book. If I have a proper review it would spoil it all. Because you just can’t talk Babur the book without diving in the deep end of FIOS. I love love love this book. The charcters are bad ass!! Whew I’m ready for book 2.

A very fun read!! Easy to read great story. So many creatures so many things going on loved this book. What a great little fantasy book.

I loved Join or Die and am ready for the second book!
There's a great range of all sorts of Creatures in this story and Alex, the main character, has a wicked sense of humor. He collects some unique friends in his new school and has to solve some mysteries as he's new to all this supernatural stuff. But since his dad is one of the Creatures and has a connection to a very powerful being, he soon finds himself in the middle of a fight he has to win...
This was a great read and fans of supernatural YA books will love this one.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this start to another fun book series.

Honestly, this was a great book. Excellent world building and it kept moving. Wonderful characters and Kara is my favorite by far, but we won't discuss why. Author J. Adrian Ruth never got us bogged down in 1000 words where 200 would do just fine. Now for my few not so happy remarks. I am volunteering to be your proofreader because Author, you are in dire need of one. Letters (-s, -d and at one point an -ly) left off completely. Misagamist was used instead of misogynist. A few punctuation errors, very few, finishes that out. I would keep stumbling over these errors which interrupted the flow of the story. I want to be immersed in a story and that won't happen with these bobbles. The other concern I have is the kids' swearing. They just haven't gotten the rhythm of it yet. I think they just need one or 2 less swear words per sentence, depending on its' length, and they'll get good lol. Now, I enjoyed this book so much that I am doing the toddler-is-getting-a-cookie happy dance waiting for "Change or Die." Thank you Author Ruth for a truly great story! P.S. pssst need some more clues as to what he is. I am dying here🤔😩😞😕 lol

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book was surprisingly good. I was a little worried when I realized this was more like a middle grade book. The main character Alex is only 14, but the first scene had me hooked. It started with a person running through the woods from someone trying to kill him. I think while the characters are on the younger side any age would enjoy reading this.
Join or Die reminds me a lot of Harry Potter, it has a young boy who finds out he is something more than he thought and then ends up going to a new school with other kids like him. He has to learn about himself and his new heritage..
So this story follows Alex who finds out that he is a creature. What kind? no one will know until he actually shifts. A friend of his father comes to find out if Alex will be changing in to a creature, when he finds out that he will Alex is taken to a special school on the other side of the Veil where most of the creatures live full time, especially the ones who can't pass for human.
One of my favorite parts in the story is when Alex and his friends enter into a school wide scavenger hunt..

So I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter, or like paranormal creatures like vampires, elves dragons, shifters and much more. I will absolutely be reading the next book in the series when it's released..

This one was a pleasant surprise! It’s a Young Adult fantasy book, about supernatural beings named ‘Creatures’, who live alongside humans, both in the mortal realm and in an Otherworld realm. The story revolves around Alex Ayers, a 14 year old boy who discovers that his absent father is really a powerful Creature, a dragon shifter to be precise, and he will soon change to become a Creature - although nobody knows exactly which type of Creature he’ll be yet....

Alex is whisked away to a school in another realm, Fios Academy, as Creatures who go through their change are unsafe to be around humans. He needs to learn all about this new world, and his place within it, which is actually a pretty important one. He’s a candidate for the next Scion, who basically rules Creatures and stops the rampant interbreed wars that used to take place. He is one of two remaining candidates left at Fios, he discovers that the candidates are being hunted and killed by anarchists who wish to see the end of the Scion. The other candidate, Raina, is a distant cousin to Alex, and is already hostile towards him as she knows they need to battle each other eventually to become Scion.

Alex needs to find allies and form his ‘ciorcal’ (Celtic for ‘circle’) to ensure he survives long enough to compete for the post of Scion. He meets Elvy, a boy who thought he would be an elf but in fact became a vampire - and has been rejected by his former eleven friends, Yoshi, a Japanese American boy who, like Alex, has no idea that there was another world - his mother is a ‘Yuki-onna’, and as they are always female, she took his twin sister Imma and left him with his human father, Win, a werewolf shifter and spell caster, Kara, a Valkyrie and beserker and Mano, a taciturn older boy who gradually becomes enmeshed in the group.

Alex deals with betrayal, politics, life threatening danger and the return of his estranged father, as he navigates his first year at Fios.

There is a lot of great stuff about this book, and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series as they’re released. The world building is pretty good, and the characters are likeable. There’s still some mystery about certain things, which means that the reader will be hanging on for the follow ups, a big battle is on the horizon for us to look forward to, and people to root for.

The only real issues I have are that some of the relationships seemed to happen too quickly, and a few things seem to have been skipped which may be important. For example, Alex’s dad was attacked and injured, but it wasn’t really explained how he was attacked. The intimation of his injuries seemed to become a fact that everyone seemed to know, without explicitly telling the audience. The relationships seemed too ‘insta-friendship’ - which is a nice change from ‘insta-love’, but still not the most believable - with Alex having best friends within hours of arrival at Fios. Now I’m going to guess that the author is going for the ‘he has something magnetic and very leader-y about him’ that inspires such quick relationships, but it’s not always the best writing.

An issue some people may have if their teens plan to read this book is the language. It doesn’t bother me, but I’m an adult and swearing doesn’t bother me anyway, but I’d imagine some parents don’t want their 14 year olds reading the ‘f bomb’ in a YA book. Seems a tad out of place.

All in all though it’s a great start - and hopefully by the time it’s released the grammatical errors and editing mistakes will be fixed from the ARC version - and definitely makes me interested to read more!

Well this was so much fun!

Alex is a 14 year old boy living with his mother, when one day a he comes home to find a strange man called Durant in his house who turns his world upside down. Alex discovers he isn’t human, his father was actually a dragon shifter which makes Alex a Creature.

Due to the fact Alex is going to Change soon he has to leave home and is sent to Fios Academy a school for the supernatural.

I liked Alex as a character and his snarky sarcastic dialogue, it added witty humour to the story. I laughed out loud at some parts, for example:
“What’s a paranormal monster school doing in Kentucky? I mean the chicken dude is kinda creepy-looking in a molester kinda way but hardly boogieman material.”

I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Harry Potter and is looking for a more urban, modern twist with plenty of humour and action. CW for bad language.

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was received as an ARC from BooksGoSocial in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

What if you woke up one day to a dragon shifter that tells you that you will eventually morph into a creature and they need you to save their kingdom before you get killed That is the case for Alex as he is visited by a dragon shifter and is told exactly that. While now surviving his new school, Alex forms a mini-army of misfits including a vampire, class gossip, werewolf, and Valkyrie and they must band together to save themselves before they get killed and Alex transforms into a creature that is unknown to him. This book would be perfect for everyone to read during Halloween season to get in the mood or for someone you likes a scary thriller year round.

We will consider adding this title to our YA collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

There's a few grammatical and wording issues in here but overall what a fantastic book. Think this will appeal to fans of Harry potter. Alex is a great character; I loved that we hear his thoughts throughout as it adds to the story so much. The introduction to eachnof his new friends is well done and by the end I was already itching to read the next in the series.

Solid 4/5 stars!

Not gonna lie, I wasn't expecting to end up enjoying this as much as I did. I'm a huge fanatic when is comes to supernatural/paranormal books, but for some reason this one made me a bit nervous. For the most part, the synopsis does a really good job of telling you what's in store without giving anything away. I will say, I thought that the first quarter of the book felt much more of a middle grade read to me. After that quarter though, it starts to mature a bit more and go into what I would personally consider to be YA. Alex is 14 years old here, so it's not much of a surprise that the book felt somewhere in the middle. The world-building in this is actually crazy good! I loved getting to learn more about the world, as well as learning more about the Scion and the Creatures that exist. Character development was well done, but there were a few issues I had from time to time. The main one being part of a twist (which I obvs can't reveal) that fell flat for me. I wasn't connected enough with all the characters in order for it to shock me. Despite that, the characters are quite relatable and I had a fun time hearing their banter. Some of their word choices made me feel a bit weird -such as "Boss- even though they make sense. That's more of a nitpick on my end though. Overall, this is a short book that has a fun storyline with excellent world-building and lovable characters. While I wouldn't classify it as MG, it can definitely be read by the those in the higher ages of MG. The ending does a great job of being conclusive while also leaving enough questions and room for the sequel. I actually look forward to the sequel and plan to read it whenever that releases!

Great addition to the YA genre. Lovers of Percy Jackson will enjoy this series. Likeable characters . thoroughly Enjoyable. Can’t wait for next chapter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I gave this book 4 stars. I enjoyed this book a lot, it was fun, snarky, and intriguing. Alex is a 14 year old living with his mother when one day a man named Durant arrives at his house and explains that he is not actually human. He takes Alex back to Fios Academy, a boarding school filled with various Creatures.

Alex was a fun protagonist and his witty/snarky personality shines throughout the story. He and all of his friends are well developed and I fully enjoyed each of them. The story felt a tad rushed, sometimes a chapter would end and then suddenly they would be onto the next thing. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

My only quibble with the book was the language, and that’s just my personal preference. There is a lot of cursing in this book, it felt like it was on about every other page. Sometimes it just felt a little unnecessary and with so much of it sometimes it would take me out of the story.

That being said, I really enjoyed this book. I definitely got some Percy Jackson at Hogwarts vibes. I plan on continuing in this series and I would definitely recommend this book.

My review is currently up on GoodReads and has been posted on Instagram on 12/14/2019

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.**

I enjoyed this as a 'I've finished Harry Potter - what can I turn to next' sort of book. Teenager, change is happening (in more than one way for poor Alex, who turns out to be a creature as his father was a Dragon shifter). There is love, adventure and a journey to be had.

I will mention a warning about language as it is not appropriate for a primary/elementary school library - it is better suited for a middle/high school library.

While it is a story that has been done before (Harry Potter, Percy Jackson etc) it is a fun read with sarcastic humour and a few witty comments spread throughout the pages. If you enjoy fantasy YA, then this is definitely a pick for you, I am looking forward to the sequel when it come out.

Join or Die was a very entertaining YA fantasy novel, which although it does not do anything new, was an engaging read full of believable and quirky characters. Alex is a young teen from Las Vegas who early in the novel realises he is not human and is whisked off to a boarding school for creatures who are a breed of human and other things such as vampires (his room mate). He's also very powerful , although he does not yet know how to harness his power, which is a big part of the novel.

The story cleverly balances the fantasy aspect with the fact that Alex is still a teenager and that is convincingly portrayed in the plot and the misfits be bands himself with. It sets itself up nicely for a sequel. Well worth checking out.

I loved this book so much. It was the perfect mis of fantasy, mystery and young adult reading. A simple and easy book to read. Was a favourite from this years reads. I cannot wait to read more from this series.

A boy finds out he's different from other boys and is called to attend a magical school. A familiar storyline, however, doesn't make for an uninteresting one.
This book tells us of Alex who is half-human and half Creature. I particularly like the portrayal of Alex's family, a struggling single mother and a missing father. Alex is good and angry about his father's abandonment which makes for an edgier character than Harry Potter and for edgy dialogue, although nothing that isn't pretty realistic teen usage.. A number of teens do experience abandonment by parents and this is interesting territory to explore.
As Alex learns to get along in his new school, he makes unusual friends, a vampire-elf, a werewolf, and a Valkyrie. He also learns more about his absent father, while worrying about what will happen when he comes to the "Change." During that phase of his life, he will find out more about his Creature side. He's not quite there as this book ends. More of the story is coming and I liked this novel well enough to seek out the second book.

Join or Die was a pretty good book. I mean, it doesn't hurt that Alex was completely adorable throughout it. However, I will admit that the beginning was a lot to take it. Lots of information was being dumped onto my lap and it took me a while to get into the book. Alex was definitely thrown into a new world rather quickly. Kind of like Percy Jackson? I will admit that the book definitely picked up after that though.
My rating is 4/5 stars.

This was a super fun YA read with the lovable and cute Alex as the main character. Persevere through the start of the book despite being barraged by information. This will all help to make sense of the rest of the book. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Join or Die was a pretty good book. I mean, it doesn't hurt that Alex was completely adorable throughout it. However, I will admit that the beginning was a lot to take it. Lots of information was being dumped onto my eyes.. but I completely get it as well. Alex was definitely thrown into a new world rather quickly. Kind of like Percy Jackson?

I will admit that the book definitely picked up after that though. It really was fun to dive into but it also kind of makes me hesitate for book two. Mostly because I don't want it to fall into second book syndrome.. and I also don't want so much info dumping either. Yet, I'm intrigued and want to dive in head first.

This book is a good start to hopefully a Series I#d like to continue to read.
At first it was a little rough, seems to me Mrs Ruth had to find her voice for her characters.
But she definitely found it and it was exciting, thrilling and spooky.
I'd like that all the kids at this school come from a long line of monsters, because we got enough heroes and wizards.

Now it's time for dragons, vampires, werewolfs and all the other creatures of the night.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this book.

This was a fun, fast paced read. Alex was a cute main character, he's been through a lot since his dad abandoned his mom and him. He's a bit jaded but he's a nice guy and stands up for others which was awesome. He also doesn't judge people right off the bat and the friends he made will be even more loyal because he gave them a chance and will do anything for them.
The beginning of the book is a bit of an info dump, but Alex is being introduced to a whole new world so it fit in the context of the plot. The scavenger hunt was a fun storyline and helped bring the circle together. I enjoyed all the magical creatures we encountered in the story and it seems there are many more to come! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Alex and his friends will become after the Change.

Until he comes home one day to find a Bugatti Veyron in his drive, Alex has absolutely no idea what he really is. Suddenly his absent father's best friend is whisking him away to a boarding school for creatures, where he will have to learn how to blend into human life once he changes into whatever creature he will become. But the change isn't all he has to worry about. He's descended from the Scion, a supernatural peace keeper and now has to compete to become the next in line.
I really enjoyed this first book of the trilogy. I love that Alex isn't afraid to show his feelings, and the friends he makes at his new school are almost like a second family to him. Bring on book 2!

I absolutely loved this book. It's a bit like Harry Potter, but for Creatures. There's a magical school where Creatures go in Kentucky. Some Creatures are half human, but almost all are waiting for the change when their true creature identity emerges. The children are a mix of various different types of Creatures. What they will truly emerge into could be anything.

At the school, when their true nature emerges, the teachers and administration will know what to do to help them harness their powers and keep them under control. Because there's nothing like a group of teenagers with newfound powers running all over the place.

Alex Ayers hasn't seen his father in such a long time. He ran out on him and his mom when he was young. When Durant, a friend of his father's, turns up at his home to whisk him away to this magical school, Alex is not thrilled, because it takes him away from his school, his best friend and his mother.

Alex quickly adjusts to this new school. What Durant did not tell him is that candidates to become the next Scion are being killed all around the world - and Alex is a candidate. Only he and his cousin are left, the only two heirs to the Scion. When they reach their senior year, they will fight each other to become the Scion. They must create a ciorcal of Creatures that will fight alongside them. Raina has her way of doing things, but Alex is more interested in creating a ciorcal of friends that he can trust.

Book one is freshman year for Alex and his friends.

I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. I am very interested in seeing how this plays out for the kids.

Highly recommend, especially if you are a Harry Potter fan!

https://librarytalker.blogspot.com/2020/01/join-or-die.html

Alex Ayers is a regular kid with a bit of a temper, a best friend, a single mom, and a pretty good life in Las Vegas. That all changes when his absent father's best friend shows up and tells him he has to leave to attend an exclusive magic school before he Changes into some sort of mythological/magical creature.

At 14, he doesn't have any choice, so he's sent off to Fios Academy to learn about his past, his present, and his possible future as the next Scion who, with his ciorcal of friends, keeps the Creature community in line.

He's got competition for the Scion job, though, and also a few Creatures who aren't happy with any Scion being in charge.

Alex has to learn about his own half-Creature self and history before things get out of control.

Final thoughts: I enjoyed the book while reading it, but I can't help comparing it to Harry Potter. He's about the same age. He si half-human (Muggle) and half-Creature (Wizard). He's a Chosen One. There are forces against him from the start from competition in the school to dangers from without. There's a barrier to protect the school from outside harm. There's a mysterious headmaster. He's forming a circle of friends who all specialize in different things that he'll need as time passes. The list goes on and on. But, again, I enjoyed the read. If I see the sequel pop up, I'll probably read it, too. And it does look to be at least a few books if it goes year-by-year at the school.

Rating: 4/5

Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC.

This novel has a lot of potentials if the author played around with the creatures a bit more because there is supposed to be a depressed vampire having an identity crisis, but he only has an issue with who he is and dresses in black. There is a boy with a very bubbly personality who gets overlooked because the creature is only on the female side, so there is the suspense of waiting to see what kind of monster he will become.
The prologue needs to be clarified if it is from Alex's perspective or the scion who got murdered before Alex even knew any of this existed. Also, this book could use another few rounds of editing because there were a lot of sections that I had issues with because I was too busy trying to decipher what the author wanted to say.
I could have finished it in a day, but life happened.
If people like mythologies this is definitely a book to check out as long as you are aware that the book is not perfect.
4 out of 5 stars

A bit of a slow start with all the introductions of characters and world building/background. Alex's past and new life are still a bit of a mystery. We get some answers in this book but I expect there will be more in the next. I really enjoyed the scavenger hunt part and wish it was a bit longer. His group of friends (and enemies) are varied types of creatures from myths, horror stories, legends. Overall a good read

I received Join or Die by J.Adrian Ruth for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on the 1st June 2020. I will include links to the author at the end of the review.

TW: violence, death

Join or Die is about a fourteen year old boy, Alex Ayers, who finds out that he is not entirely human as he once thought. He is introduced to a secret world full of monsters in a boarding school designed to help young creatures adapt in the mortal world.

It includes all of the usual supernatural creatures such as vampires, werewolves and wizards as well as some fun creatures that you don't usually see in books such as valkyries, berserkers and yuki-onna. It was so original to have a a mix of these creatures and intriguing to learn about some legends that I hadn't heard of before. Additionally, I loved the angle of the young creatures having to learn how to survive in the mortal world. In a lot of books you find that the half-human characters have to forget about the moral world and just learn about the new ones, it was so clever how this book turned that trope on its head.

Alex Ayers, our protagonist, is thrown into this world suddenly when an old friend of his absent father reveals that Alex is on the verge of the 'Change'. He has to move away from the only home he has ever known to face becoming a supernatural creature, having to make new friends whilst also having to constantly look over his shoulder as his life is in danger. A little detail that I thought was a really nice touch was how Alex's homesickness was portrayed. It was a great reminder in this new world that he is just a kid and even though he is introduced to a world of magic, he is still going to miss his mum, friends and home.

The world building in this book is fantastic! I love all of the little details that were similar to our world but slightly different to accommodate the Creatures/ the Otherworld.

There is so much enjoyable content offered in this book, there is definitely something for everyone. It explores family, friendship and even contains my favourite book trope of unlikely friends becoming family. There is mystery, betrayal, rivalry and bucket loads of magic plus a pretty spectacular scavenger hunt.

This book is perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson! It shares so many lovable elements from both of these books such as going to a remote boarding school or having a complicated relationship with parental figures. Reading Join or Die gave me the same magical and warm feeling that I got from Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, I know that this series is going to be just as special.

On that note, I was excited to hear that this was going to be part of an ongoing series (Heir of the Scion). This book was the perfect set up for further books as it resolves so many questions but there is so much potential for further growth and upcoming challenges for all of the characters - I'm so excited to see what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for this opportunity!

Wow! Great story. Really enjoyed seeing Alex learn about the different Creatures and to navigate a new world. Cannot wait for the next one.

Listed as YA, this book is really for everyone who enjoys an entertaining story of how quickly lives can change when truths come out. A young man learns that his life is not what he thought it was and his future plans have now entered the fantastical. Coming of age is difficult enough without learning that your destiny is not within your control. How this young man faces these changes and grows into that destiny is a wonderful story that will make you laugh and cry and keep you reading "just one more chapter".

Thank you for my copy netgalley
I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to book two
Alex has found out he is not quite human and is off to live at Fois academy where he embarks on a whole new life of discovery
The book is easy to read I did it in 2 days the characters are likable and the story morish
I did get a bit frustrated at parts where back story I felt was half explained at took a while to enlighten us on what was going on but I guess that is as much my impatiance
All in all a really good read

I absolutely love fantasy stories and especially the ones like this book, where people find out, they are not only human as expected. This book is a fun read, when we discover together with Alex, how different he really is. And then the school – we all love school setting, not only because of Harry Potter.

Alex is a great character and fun to read, bit sarcastic as I like. The plot offers action and fun the same time and surprises are guaranteed. The friends he find in school are as unique as he is and they are so much fun as well. Diverse and still so matching. That I especially liked about this group.

The book is full of magic and dragons, great characters and lots of surprises – a big recommendation for all lovers of fun fantasy books.

I was so excited to pick up another book in this genre and this one did not disappoint! The story is creative, the writing is great, and the characters are relatable, even with their supernatural statuses. Can’t wait to read the next book in the series!

Alex comes home one day to find a strange guy in his living room. He claims to be his uncle and that he has to take him to a faraway magical school.

Living with just his mother, ever since dad left, he is not all that eager to jump in. But he doesn't have that much choice.

It a huge shook that he has to leave all that he knows and go to a new, strange place. It doesn’t get that much easier when he arrives at the school, especially arriving blind, not knowing this strange new world, how it works and where exactly does he fit in.

He makes friends fast and with their help bravely takes on a new role.

I love the world and the mythology of it. It’s very well developed and very interesting. My favorite part was a scavenger hunt, magic puts a whole another spin on it. :)

It’s a very good story and can’t wait till the next one.

I really enjoyed this fun journey into a world of monsters! Alex is a good lead - thrown in the deep end, he does sometime acclimatise quickly, but overall I found his arc believable. And I loved his friends, the overlap of his old life and his new one was quite well done, and felt realistic. Plus I loved that he and his mum had friends who appeared to treat them as family.

My favourite part was the scavenger hunt, that sounded like fun! And the lessons we get to see glimpses of were pretty interesting. In fact that probably my only real complaint - the book sort of whizzes through bits, so we get a lot up front that worked well, and then suddenly time is flying by and then the end of the year / book has arrived. That part was a little dissatisfying if I’m honest, as I wanted a little more world building around the types of creatures, their hierarchies, the scion, the ciorcals etc. In places Alex seemed to suddenly understand more without us going through that process with him.

But overall, the sense of fun and the concept sold the book for me, and I will definitely be looking out for book two.

Alex Ayers life changes in an instant. One minute hes a an average kid, hanging out with his best mate, the next he is taken off by a stranger to Fios Academy to find out who or what he is.
Its a great, fast paced story which never lets up, but keeps you wanting more. Alex has a bit of an attitude, but then that is typical of most adolescent boys
This should appeal to both young adults and adults alike. Im looking forward to the rest of the series

I received a #ebook copy via #netgalley. I read the first 3 chapters and my internet went non existant so I will be attempting in the future days or months to come. From what I did read I will definitely be enjoying this title.

I know what you're thinking...
Ugh. Another fanbtasy series in a secluded private school?
YES!!!
This was freaking awesome!
Only issue I have is now I have to wait for the rest of the series to be written & published 😭
I hate waiting.
Much love to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for my DRC.

I recieved a free copy of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


It took me a little while to get into this book, but I am finding that with all books just now so mostly likely just me. I liked learning along with Alex, it as fun book with some serious aspects. A group of kids put into a dangerous school or situation is nothing new but the scion idea was a new one on me. I still don't fully understand it but I am hoping that in the next book all that will be explained.


Alex was a great main character, he took to the odd situation really well. I liked how he handled himself, he did feel a little older than the 14 he was meant to be. The other characters were a bit meh for me, felt like they were there just to make up numbers.


The great hunt was very good. I really enjoyed that part. It was probably the most exciting part for me. I raced through the whole hunt in one sitting and was almost late to work.


Overall I really enjoyed this book, I have pre-ordered book two and cannot wait to read it.


4 out 5 stars

I found the book to be a bit of a cross of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. Being as I enjoyed both of those series of books that wasn't a deal breaker for me. There was enough original content to keep me engaged and the writing style helped with that too. I enjoyed it enough that I would read the next in the series.

This book is amazing 🤗📖 I read it in one day, it’s an paranormal shifter ya book.
It’s written in an intriguing style, you don’t want to put the book down.

What’s it about?
Well Alex comes home with his best friend Carlos and finds an strange expensive car in front of his house.
He sends Carlos home and from the moment he comes in, he knows something is up...

Alex gets the news he is ‘different’ and needs to go to an special school...

The book gives you an mixed vibe in the style of; Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and it’s an good mix.
I really loved reading it, can’t wait till the next one comes out 🥳

Starting with a thrilling prologue of a chase in the woods and a murder, this story was gripping from the start. Then we meet Alex, a regular 14yr old from Las Vegas, who finds out he's not as regular as he thought. He is a Creature, but will not know what kind till he goes through the Change. Circumstances lead him to attend a secret school with werewolves, Valkyries and so many other creatures of legend.

The story presents a very interesting mythology, that enriches the world building. The explanations are done quite well, mostly as conversations. Also, the author obviously has a great sense of humor, which translates not only to the premise, but to the quips from Alex and the other characters.

Danger is implied tot he protagonist from the beginning, and we can feel it permeating in the air. Also Ruth has done a fine job in showing us how Alex is getting used to his new situation, new allies and future worries. I really like Alex's group, but I think Yoshi is my favorite.

The 3rd person POV has a 1st person feel to it. I genuinely enjoyed Alex's inner thoughts, the sarcasm. He is an honest, noble and kind boy.

Prejudice is a main theme here, as is the trappings of arrogance and the strength we achieve from friendship and teamwork. Also raises the question of destiny.

Adventurous, magical (pun intended), and loads of fun. With so many surprises and questions, that have us squirming in anticipation for the sequel. A more than satisfying start to what promises to be an incredible series.

I loved the idea of this book. But I struggled to get into it Having a teen of my own, is probably a contribution to the trouble getting through it. It is by no means bad. The struggles of finding the place to fit in and trust others in a magical school, are so similar to real life; it resonated a bit too much.

For those ready to dig into the story, you are in for an enjoyable tale. Mythos was not stretched to an unbelievable place. Solid characters. Good plotline.

A lovely book about creature boarding school and learning about your other half.

Alex grew up in the human world with no idea that his father was a creature and that he too could potentially be one as well! When he is escorted of to a new school in a new world, we learn about this world with him. The reader only gets to know as much of the world as Alex does. This does leave a lot of questions regarding the Scion and the candidates and more about the creatures we've met which is why I've only rated 4/5 stars. But seeing how Alex interacts with his new surroundings and the new people he meets is great!

Alex lives in Las Vegas with his mum, his dad left years before, he has a best friend called Carlos, goes to school and does all the normal teenage things. He lives a normal human life. This all changes when a man called Durant turns up and tells him he is a half creature and needs to enrol at Fios Academy.

At the Academy Alex learns that he’s not only about to change into a creature but he is also in the running to be the next Scion.

Alex gave me slight Nick Gautier (The Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon) vibes to start off with but they were soon forgotten as I got into the story. It’s a quick read as you don’t want to put it down!

The characters are all great and hopefully in the next books you learn a bit more about the back stories of Elvy, Win, Yoshi, Mano and Dana.

One of the best YA fantasy series I’ve read in a while and looking forward to Book 2.

Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the ARC,

This was such a fun book!! It was filled with great, interesting characters, who you will fall in love with. I really look forward to reading more and finding out what happens next and what kind of creature Alex turns out to be!! I have some guesses, and I’m excited to see!!

I really enjoyed this book, although i dont believe the title does it justice. still not sure how it plays in exactly. really interesting story that weaves together all the different creatures and gives them such personalities. I really fell in love with some of the characters (Elvy is my favorite although Kara is really raising in the ranks). I hope to be able to read the rest of the series when it comes out.

*I received this book from Netgalley for my honest review*

This is a really cool mixture of Rosario+Vampire and Harry Potter. Alex’s life is thrown for a loop when he finds out he is halfbreed—half human, half creature. I won’t spoil what he is, as that is a big mystery he has to discover, but it is a really cool twist. He is mad his father left him and never told him the truth, and that resentment plays a big part on what he need to do to accept his fate.

I liked the other characters as well, especially Elvey, the half vampire-half elf roommate. That is, actually, one of my favorite mixtures and one that I think would be cool to read more about. Both a creature of life and death—a cool dynamic that hasn’t been touched on. I also like Yoshi and how he is a Japanese creature. The author did a great job of mixing a few different creature myths from different parts of the world.

All in all, if you like Percy Jackson or Harry Potter or Rosario+Vampire, I think you will like this series! The story is a little on the shorter side, but to me that is nice as it is a relaxing read.

Join or Die focuses on Alex Ayers’ life and the unexpected news he gets on a seemingly ordinary afternoon after school. He finds out that he is a Creature thanks to his father’s dragon blood. However, he does not know what kind of Creature he is yet and for this reason, he is whisked off to a private academy for Creatures. In this new world, he makes friends with some very odd Creatures and has some very weird adventures. He also learns that he is a lot more important than he thought in the world of Creatures. He is being groomed to be the next Scion, the leader of all the Creatures. However, his notoriety makes him a target for renegade Creatures who are fed up of being controlled and he finds himself wondering if he would actually live to be the next Scion.

Alex was the perfect main character. He loved his friends and they, in return, were extremely loyal. I loved the fact that even though he was far away from his original best friend, Carlos, he made sure and spoke to him nearly everyday. I liked his other friends as well, but I was fascinated by Mano the most. He was also a half-breed like Alex and nobody was sure what he really was. However, judging from his actions, he seemed to really care for Alex and I hope he joins his ciorcal (mini-army).

The plot was really interesting. I found myself sneaking peeks at work to see what next Alex was doing.

What I liked in particular was the fact that the author did not just include the normal Creatures. There was a wide variety. There were vampires, elves, succubi, Valkyrie, shifters and even a Wendigo. There were mythological beings from Japanese culture and Polynesian culture. I hope to see more in the following books.

My only issue was that there were quite a few grammatical and spelling errors. I felt like another round of proofreading would have corrected most, if not all, of these very simple errors.

I am hopeful that the author publishes the other book in this series soon. This is a series I definitely want to continue reading.

Suitable audience: This is a book I would definitely recommend to teenagers who enjoy fantasy and mythology. Adults would also enjoy this series.

Recurrent themes: Magic. Monsters. Creatures. Mythology. Loyalty. Friendship.

Violence: Some violent incidents. However, the author does not describe them in detail
Sexual Content: None
Profanity: Some obscene language but not too much.
Religious Themes: None
Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking: None

this was a fun concept, the characters were great and I had a lot of fun reading it. I liked the use of different mythic creatures and hope there is more to the story.

The race to save Otherworld

This book is initially set in the human realm, before Alex suddenly receives a visitor who tells him that his absentee father is a “Creature”, the various monsters out of myths and legends, and that he most likely will transform into one, too.

So there Alex is, a half breed with a human mother, suddenly taken away to a private boarding school for Creatures in another realm, Otherworld, leaving behind his best friend, Carlos, his mother, and everything he’s ever known. Worse than that, he’s told that he’s the Scion Heir (leader of all the Creatures), being a descendant of the original Scion, and that he’ll eventually have to battle the other Heir to become the leader of all.

Luckily, he somehow manages to find his place in this new world, making new friends who gradually form a part of his Ciorcal (Celtic for “circle”), the group that will support, protect, and guide him, if and when he does fulfil his destiny.

In the meantime, however, he has no idea what Creature he himself is going to be, and has to face off a Creature who has been killing off all of the Heirs. Along with some other hijinks with his Ciorcal, it’s a fight for survival he hadn’t been warned of or planned for.

I must say that the beginning didn’t thrill me quite so much, but the last part of the book made up for that and was pretty good. I can only assume that this is because this is quite obviously the author’s first book, with it having at times too much information, then at others not enough. There are still quite a few typos in this book, but I’m guessing that that is because it is, at the time of ARC release, still not fully edited.

However, despite its similarities to other Paranormal schools, it has enough differences in it to make it a new take on the idea, somewhat familiar yet with unique elements.

Hopefully the sequel, once it’s finally released, will further develop the ideas here and, after reading the preview, it looks like we will find out more about the current Scion and the ongoing war against him.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free digital ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

When I got approved for this, I was like oh not another fantasy series about a secluded private school. Well, after finishing this, I enjoyed this one the most! The only downfall is I have to wait for the rest of the books in this series to be released. I want them now. I want to know what happens.

It’s probably the last book I will finish for 2023 and what a book to finish on!! I am completely in love with this book and I so need the next book in the series.

It is a YA fantasy type of book. Alex’s life is turned upside down one day and we have no idea why. I really liked that we were as clueless as Alex about everything. We didn’t have any information that Alex didn’t about the school, way of life or the creatures. I loved learning along the way and to be honest, I don’t think we have even scratched the surface of this world! There is still so much we need to learn and I just can’t wait!!!

I have no idea if there will be a book 2 but my gosh I want one! I need one! I became so engrossed in Alex and his cirocals’ world. His band of misfits were entertaining and loyal and everything you want in friends and defenders.

The variation of creatures was fascinating too, learning about the mixture of “Breeds” and half “Breeds”. There really is so much to this book and world that I can’t wait for it to be expanded.

The writing sucked me in straightaway as from the very first page I was hooked. I have definitely ended the year on a high with this gem. It’s been sitting on my NetGalley shelf for far far far too long and in a way I am glad. I’m hoping it means that I don’t have to wait much longer for the next book!

It has been compared to so many popular books but in my opinion, it is its own little gem.