A perfect book for grown up fans of Harry Potter who love dark fantasy.

This book is a must read if you like: Trans/Non-Binary representation, magical schools, dark fantasy, complex political systems, anti-establishment stories.

My Thoughts

This dark, gritty magical academia novel answers the question what happens when magical power is kept insular and secret to the few rich elite… and left to rot.

This book hooked me in immediately. As a millennial who missed her letter to Hogwarts being able to follow Briar to their magical dream school is amazing…until it wasn’t. I loved the complexity of Briar and Seb’s relationship (or lack thereof). Honestly, I struggled for about half the book as I’ve never read a book where the main character had they/them pronouns, but it was a great immersion experience.

This book was much darker than I usually read, especially in regards to bullying. However, the complexity of the plot and intrigue kept me hooked and left me satisfied.

I feel like this book is what happens when a Non-Binary fan of Harry Potter and dark fantasy decided to write their own version of Harry Potter. It was awesome.

I really enjoyed the narrator’s performance. I appreciated the way the character’s Non-Binary identity.

As this book states, it is NOT for children. But I really enjoyed this dark, magical story.