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divya_reader's review against another edition
4.0
This was an interesting story about Alice, a young girl who gets a scholarship to study at a prestigious magic school. Here she makes friends and comes across few students who seem to be hiding some secrets. The story really picks up speed in the second half. An interesting story that is a page turner! I received a free copy of the book and this is my voluntary and honest review.
norwegian_bookshelf's review
3.0
Thank you Diana for sending me this arc in exchange for a review!
Firstly I want to say that I really enjoyed this book! Knowing this is Diana’s first book had me in awe. The world building was so freaking amazing and I was almost throughout the whole book thinking how on earth Diana came up with all this. (in a good way) I do however wish the technology and magical aspects were explained even more as I found it very interesting! It was sometimes hard to picture everything.
The mystery in this was intriguing and kept me guessing throughout the book! The entire book has a lot of "One of us is lying" feels to it and everyone you meet has a secret and you can never know if they’re telling the truth, or not. It was a lot of twists and turns that I really didn’t see coming!
Overall, this was very good! especially knowing it’s a debut novel. I just know whatever the author’s come up with next, it’s gonna be good.
Firstly I want to say that I really enjoyed this book! Knowing this is Diana’s first book had me in awe. The world building was so freaking amazing and I was almost throughout the whole book thinking how on earth Diana came up with all this. (in a good way) I do however wish the technology and magical aspects were explained even more as I found it very interesting! It was sometimes hard to picture everything.
The mystery in this was intriguing and kept me guessing throughout the book! The entire book has a lot of "One of us is lying" feels to it and everyone you meet has a secret and you can never know if they’re telling the truth, or not. It was a lot of twists and turns that I really didn’t see coming!
Overall, this was very good! especially knowing it’s a debut novel. I just know whatever the author’s come up with next, it’s gonna be good.
emiliew's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alice has a dream of becoming a world class inventor and is lucky enough to gain a scholarship to Welkin Academy to pursue her dream. It soon turns into a nightmare when she finds a message in her room from the previous occupant who is now missing. As she starts to solve the clues and uncover secrets she finds herself pulled into a dangerous game with no way out.
This book is like a cross between Zodiac Academy and The Inheritance Games! It brings intense puzzles and secrets in a magic academy setting. Since I loved both of those series, I think you can guess how much I enjoyed this book too!
This book is like a cross between Zodiac Academy and The Inheritance Games! It brings intense puzzles and secrets in a magic academy setting. Since I loved both of those series, I think you can guess how much I enjoyed this book too!
mary_kroma's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s really funny how it took me 19 years and, specifically, this book, to realize that my absolute favorite genre has always been a mix of fantasy and mystery. This novel has such a perfect combination of dark academia, magical objects and detective plot lines, I’m sure it will lure most readers.
One of the things I loved the most about this book if the message it carried, especially closer to the end - violence can’t be beaten by violence without generating even more of it. I feel like these days not everyone really understands just how important remaining humane is.
As to the characters, I’ve got multiple fictional crushes, and I adored the complexity each and every character had. I also liked how the main character turned out to be less “smart” than we believed she was and how everything had many layers. The same can be said about the main relationship which was far from the main focus of the story, but it still taught us a lot. I know some might find the whole indecisiveness a bit tiresome, but honestly I’ve related to it much more than to most romantic plot lines I’ve read about.
I loved the world building of this book, but I didn’t get enough of it, so I would gladly read a second part if it’s written.
P.S.: I’m so happy to see my fellow Ukrainian authors thrive, I really hope this novel gets the recognition it deserves
nelli_lakatos's review
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“𝒜 𝒽𝓊𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈 𝒽𝒶𝓈 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓂𝒶𝓀𝑒𝓈 𝒶 𝒸𝒽𝑜𝒾𝒸𝑒. 𝒲𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝒶𝓈𝓀 𝒻𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓃𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓈𝒷𝑜𝓇𝓃.“
𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 is a mysterious, engaging and entertaining novel. If you enjoy dark academia then I can assure you, you’ll love this book.
A magical school, a missing girl and a new student who takes her place. So many exciting moments, puzzles and intrigue. I never knew who to trust so honestly I just didn’t trusted anyone. I loved how everything revealed itself towards the end, there was so many twists, I truly had a fun time!
Perfect for fans of Harry Potter, Academy of Breath and Fire and One of Us is Lying.
serendipitousbooknook's review
4.0
"When the mask falls, the monster is born."~Phantom
Backed by a mysterious benefactor and replacing a student of the same name who unexpectedly disappeared, Alice finds herself drawn into intrigue as she enters the prestigious, magical academy Welkin.
Cryptic messages on her very first day, leads Alice on a twisted game filled with puzzles, unknown rules, unseen threats, and unlikely allies as she strives to prevent herself from becoming the latest victim.
This book is perfect for fans of Harry Potter with its magic system, academy setting and slice of life experiences that lend a realistic quality to the read.
This book was well written and kept me guessing every step of the way.
Backed by a mysterious benefactor and replacing a student of the same name who unexpectedly disappeared, Alice finds herself drawn into intrigue as she enters the prestigious, magical academy Welkin.
Cryptic messages on her very first day, leads Alice on a twisted game filled with puzzles, unknown rules, unseen threats, and unlikely allies as she strives to prevent herself from becoming the latest victim.
This book is perfect for fans of Harry Potter with its magic system, academy setting and slice of life experiences that lend a realistic quality to the read.
This book was well written and kept me guessing every step of the way.
karensbooks's review against another edition
4.0
[I received the book from the author]
Rating: 3.5 stars.
First, I want to say that this is an impressive first book!
Diana introduces us to many different characters. It might be a bit overwhelming at first but she creates unique personalities for each of them, making them easy to remember. Alice, our main character, is a dreamy girl. I appreciate that Alice is not the stereotypical overpowered character, she is struggling with her classes and does not really stand out. Her personality plays an important role in the book, and the twist is unique and creative.
I appreciated how Sunny gives me Enid vibes from Wednesday. She is such a cheery and friendly person, and most importantly she is an amazing friend to Alice.
The plot is mainly character driven, with puzzles and interesting conversations. The characters all play an important part to the story’s progression and I had fun trying to figure out their role in the puzzles.
I enjoyed how Diana is describing the characters and giving them different personalities and vibes. I had no issue creating pictures of the characters from her vivid and thorough explanations. What I do miss is some descriptions of the plot and feelings, at times I felt the plot happened a bit too fast without much build up, and I would have appreciated a bit more explanation beforehand.
Since the title is close to Alice in Wonderland, I did have fun trying to see the links between the old story and Diana’s story. I believe that Alice’s friends were the white rabbit, and that Richard was the Mad Hatter. I have some other theories as well, but I will not say as they will be spoilers.
The story managed to surprise me multiple times, and the ending made me gasp. I did not expect it at all and I loved the sudden turn. The puzzles were intriguing and difficult, but not too complex to understand. Already looking forward to reading more from this author.
Rating: 3.5 stars.
First, I want to say that this is an impressive first book!
Diana introduces us to many different characters. It might be a bit overwhelming at first but she creates unique personalities for each of them, making them easy to remember. Alice, our main character, is a dreamy girl. I appreciate that Alice is not the stereotypical overpowered character, she is struggling with her classes and does not really stand out. Her personality plays an important role in the book, and the twist is unique and creative.
I appreciated how Sunny gives me Enid vibes from Wednesday. She is such a cheery and friendly person, and most importantly she is an amazing friend to Alice.
The plot is mainly character driven, with puzzles and interesting conversations. The characters all play an important part to the story’s progression and I had fun trying to figure out their role in the puzzles.
I enjoyed how Diana is describing the characters and giving them different personalities and vibes. I had no issue creating pictures of the characters from her vivid and thorough explanations. What I do miss is some descriptions of the plot and feelings, at times I felt the plot happened a bit too fast without much build up, and I would have appreciated a bit more explanation beforehand.
Since the title is close to Alice in Wonderland, I did have fun trying to see the links between the old story and Diana’s story. I believe that Alice’s friends were the white rabbit, and that Richard was the Mad Hatter. I have some other theories as well, but I will not say as they will be spoilers.
The story managed to surprise me multiple times, and the ending made me gasp. I did not expect it at all and I loved the sudden turn. The puzzles were intriguing and difficult, but not too complex to understand. Already looking forward to reading more from this author.
jeanzlibrary's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
My first ever ARC read you guys and I enjoyed it SO much!!!
First off, I just want to thank the author Diana Shafran for sending me a copy of her book.
If you’ve read ‘One of us is lying’ or ‘Harry Potter’, I definitely know you should give this book a read. It was an absolute whirlwind trying to figure out which characters to trust. The plot twists were insane and this book had a great mix of fantasy, mystery, thriller and romance.
One thing I was absolutely obsessed with was the dark academia atmosphere. I haven’t read dark academia in so long, and this book made me realise that I miss it 😂
Dark academia, thriller and mystery go hand in hand (the perfect combination) and the author has written it so well that I was on the edge of my seat! Also who doesn’t love a good competition? This book had it all!
First off, I just want to thank the author Diana Shafran for sending me a copy of her book.
If you’ve read ‘One of us is lying’ or ‘Harry Potter’, I definitely know you should give this book a read. It was an absolute whirlwind trying to figure out which characters to trust. The plot twists were insane and this book had a great mix of fantasy, mystery, thriller and romance.
One thing I was absolutely obsessed with was the dark academia atmosphere. I haven’t read dark academia in so long, and this book made me realise that I miss it 😂
Dark academia, thriller and mystery go hand in hand (the perfect combination) and the author has written it so well that I was on the edge of my seat! Also who doesn’t love a good competition? This book had it all!
shelves_by_sim's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
First of all, I am obsessed with this cover. It is so simple and yet it's powerful and authentic and I just love it so much. I absolutely adored this book, it was like The Four by Ellie Keel meets The Inheritance Games with a splash of Harry Potter's whimsical and magical atmosphere but give it sci-fi realism vibes! This was such a cool mash-up of different elements and it totally worked!
I loved the cozy college mystery vibe, the grand mystery of the missing girl, the way every single character gave me the creeps and I just didn't know who to trust! I loved the game aspect introduced into this story. There was deception and puzzles and plot twists that I would have never seen coming! I loved Alice's character, she feels like this real girl who has just been accepted to the school of her dreams and instead of flourishing, she finds it difficult to navigate this new private school environment with everything else that she has to deal with and that experience felt so authentic to me!
Even though every single side character was a suspect in my eyes, I still ended up liking some of them. Although the Liars were especially creepy, evasive and sometimes just outright threatening, there was still something about them I liked. I did not see a certain character's betrayal coming and I think that's what shocked me the most! Especially the ending. This was such a good read and I cannot wait for the next book in this series!! ❤️
I loved the cozy college mystery vibe, the grand mystery of the missing girl, the way every single character gave me the creeps and I just didn't know who to trust! I loved the game aspect introduced into this story. There was deception and puzzles and plot twists that I would have never seen coming! I loved Alice's character, she feels like this real girl who has just been accepted to the school of her dreams and instead of flourishing, she finds it difficult to navigate this new private school environment with everything else that she has to deal with and that experience felt so authentic to me!
Even though every single side character was a suspect in my eyes, I still ended up liking some of them. Although the Liars were especially creepy, evasive and sometimes just outright threatening, there was still something about them I liked. I did not see a certain character's betrayal coming and I think that's what shocked me the most! Especially the ending. This was such a good read and I cannot wait for the next book in this series!! ❤️
bookzillakat's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
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
I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book from the author. I read the blurb and if you know me, I'm such a sucker for a thriller. I read through them like they are going out of style.
When I started this book, immediately the prologue grabbed me. I was hooked! I enjoyed all the twists and turns and the puzzles! I LOVED ALL THE PUZZLES !!! The characters and the stories atmosphere were incredible! It gave me the vibes of a more modern Harry Potter with a dash of Pretty Little Liars and a sprinkle of Scorpion. That being said I loved it. I loved hating some of the characters and then being taken on a rollercoaster to find out that I actually love them. THIS ENDING THOUGH? MISS DIANA IMMA NEED A FOLLOW UP ASAP. I NEED TO KNOW WHAY HAPPENS. THE SHIPS?! I NEED IT!
There were some minor things that I didn't like as much, which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5. I'm not really a big fan of third person POV's in books, but for this one it worked. There were also some phrases that were repating to much for me as well as some lack of character backstory. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book! Thank you so much again for sending me a copy and allowing me into your world!
When I started this book, immediately the prologue grabbed me. I was hooked! I enjoyed all the twists and turns and the puzzles! I LOVED ALL THE PUZZLES !!! The characters and the stories atmosphere were incredible! It gave me the vibes of a more modern Harry Potter with a dash of Pretty Little Liars and a sprinkle of Scorpion. That being said I loved it. I loved hating some of the characters and then being taken on a rollercoaster to find out that I actually love them. THIS ENDING THOUGH? MISS DIANA IMMA NEED A FOLLOW UP ASAP. I NEED TO KNOW WHAY HAPPENS. THE SHIPS?! I NEED IT!
There were some minor things that I didn't like as much, which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5. I'm not really a big fan of third person POV's in books, but for this one it worked. There were also some phrases that were repating to much for me as well as some lack of character backstory. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book! Thank you so much again for sending me a copy and allowing me into your world!