jaymieearley's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
knoelle_'s review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I normally like dark, bully romance but the characters in this book just really pissed me off. I’ve heard such good things about this book but I was a little disappointed. I did find some of the book to be kind of funny and it brought the lightness to the dark that was needed. I do want to see what happens in the next book so I plan to read at least the next book.
hey_bookworms's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but I definitely didn't love it. I had been led to believe that this would be the next Harry Potter, and it would be the adult version, including all the romance I could want.
Hi, I'm still wanting.
To start, Darcy and Tory Vega are a set of twins who are struggling to survive and they end up being whisked away by Professor Orion to a mystical school. He reveals to them that they are Fae and ultimately the long lost children of the last King and Queen of Solaria. They are entitled to the throne and their inheritance on one condition. Survive and graduate from Zodiac Academy.
Herein lies my first issue with this book. Survive. I'm sorry when teenagers/college kids have the right to attack their peers and the professors are like, "it's chill. Defend yourself."
The book for the most part is the day to day life of the twins at the academy, but there is the underlying plot of obviously the power struggle between the four Celestial Heirs, who have been promised the throne because the twins were presumed dead, and also the murder aspect, as there have been increased Nymph attacks that have gotten closer and and closer to campus.
There was decent world building in the book, but I was left wanting. I am overall really confused as to what exactly Solaria is like outside of the academy? I also don't really understand the political side of things because literally how should the rightful heirs have to prove themselves to these Celestial families? Like I get it in terms of this particular story....but yeah.
Also, romance. We are straight up in this for the long haul because the slow burn in this is apparently real. I'm not sure how much slower it could possibly get at this point. There are a few scenes between Tory and either Darius or Caleb and Darcy and Seth, but at the end they are still the bullies in this book, which may change? At this point, I have no idea.
I liked the horoscopes each morning, but as someone who does not follow star signs at all, using them to define people's personalities was really confusing for me. I also liked the use of the atlases. I thought those were kind of fun and a nice way to bring the academy style book into this current era with FaeBook.
The ending was super abrupt and I would have been v angry if I was reading this as it came out because how do you even come back from that?
Hi, I'm still wanting.
To start, Darcy and Tory Vega are a set of twins who are struggling to survive and they end up being whisked away by Professor Orion to a mystical school. He reveals to them that they are Fae and ultimately the long lost children of the last King and Queen of Solaria. They are entitled to the throne and their inheritance on one condition. Survive and graduate from Zodiac Academy.
Herein lies my first issue with this book. Survive. I'm sorry when teenagers/college kids have the right to attack their peers and the professors are like, "it's chill. Defend yourself."
The book for the most part is the day to day life of the twins at the academy, but there is the underlying plot of obviously the power struggle between the four Celestial Heirs, who have been promised the throne because the twins were presumed dead, and also the murder aspect, as there have been increased Nymph attacks that have gotten closer and and closer to campus.
There was decent world building in the book, but I was left wanting. I am overall really confused as to what exactly Solaria is like outside of the academy? I also don't really understand the political side of things because literally how should the rightful heirs have to prove themselves to these Celestial families? Like I get it in terms of this particular story....but yeah.
Also, romance. We are straight up in this for the long haul because the slow burn in this is apparently real. I'm not sure how much slower it could possibly get at this point. There are a few scenes between Tory and either Darius or Caleb and Darcy and Seth, but at the end they are still the bullies in this book, which may change? At this point, I have no idea.
I liked the horoscopes each morning, but as someone who does not follow star signs at all, using them to define people's personalities was really confusing for me. I also liked the use of the atlases. I thought those were kind of fun and a nice way to bring the academy style book into this current era with FaeBook.
The ending was super abrupt and I would have been v angry if I was reading this as it came out because how do you even come back from that?
heathermaclaughlin's review against another edition
3.0
3/5 STARS
It was an ok start to what I’ve heard is a great series, so if it doesn’t get better after book 2 I might not continue - but for now I’m intrigued.
Tory and Darcy are twin sisters, they have had a rough life and they book opens with one sister trying to break into the house of a former foster parent to find the money that they had hidden in a wall. She doesn’t get caught but comes close before a stranger is there to help
Darcy’s chapter starts out with her stealing a motorcycle and bringing it to her connection to sell. She then also runs into this stranger and he follows her home.
So basically Tory and Darcy are Fae and this stranger - Orion, is here to take them back to their home so that they can become the rightful heirs to the throne. Sounds a bit much right?
Well it is - this book flips back and forth between the two sisters on each chapter and that was annoying, I never felt like I was in one place for very long and it was so confusing Bon who was who in the beginning and then they both had multiple love interests and then I really couldn’t remember who was who.
There is a group of guys who right now at they heirs to the throne and of course they feel threatened - and they girls kinda have crushes on them?
It doesn’t really end with a cliff hanger just more of a “Well show you we are not afraid” vibe
It was an ok start to what I’ve heard is a great series, so if it doesn’t get better after book 2 I might not continue - but for now I’m intrigued.
Tory and Darcy are twin sisters, they have had a rough life and they book opens with one sister trying to break into the house of a former foster parent to find the money that they had hidden in a wall. She doesn’t get caught but comes close before a stranger is there to help
Darcy’s chapter starts out with her stealing a motorcycle and bringing it to her connection to sell. She then also runs into this stranger and he follows her home.
So basically Tory and Darcy are Fae and this stranger - Orion, is here to take them back to their home so that they can become the rightful heirs to the throne. Sounds a bit much right?
Well it is - this book flips back and forth between the two sisters on each chapter and that was annoying, I never felt like I was in one place for very long and it was so confusing Bon who was who in the beginning and then they both had multiple love interests and then I really couldn’t remember who was who.
There is a group of guys who right now at they heirs to the throne and of course they feel threatened - and they girls kinda have crushes on them?
It doesn’t really end with a cliff hanger just more of a “Well show you we are not afraid” vibe
aliveinbooks's review against another edition
2.0
I really should’ve DNF this book halfway through. It’s very obviously a adult harry potter rip off and my inner feminist was screaming throughout this book. I hated that the twins were constantly being referred to as very powerful yet the were helpless nearly the entire time. I get they are not able to control her powers completely but they still had some grasp of being able to call it forth. The twins not being able to control all their powers should not equal totally helpless. The constant bullying in this book was very juvenile. I also didn’t care for the “school” life. They’re all 18+ but this felt like high school not college life. I just didn’t vibe with it.
kbyard's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
brianna_meshelle's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
So I gave into this book and it was not at all what I was expecting. If you take Sophie lark, plus typical smutty bully romances, plus Harry Potter you get this book. I literally finished this in a day because the writing was so good. The plot wasn’t bad but definitely kept me intrigued. I do feel that the plot is a little slow and dragged out, for example we should know by know what order the Vega twins are in but hopefully next book. The cliffhanger ending was definitely shocking and I’m excited to jump into the next book.
So I gave into this book and it was not at all what I was expecting. If you take Sophie lark, plus typical smutty bully romances, plus Harry Potter you get this book. I literally finished this in a day because the writing was so good. The plot wasn’t bad but definitely kept me intrigued. I do feel that the plot is a little slow and dragged out, for example we should know by know what order the Vega twins are in but hopefully next book. The cliffhanger ending was definitely shocking and I’m excited to jump into the next book.
salenabarratt's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0