By L. R. Friedman
Star Rating: 5
Blurb:
A hidden portal isn’t something most students bargain for when they enroll at Halston University.
When a mysterious black envelope arrives during freshman orientation—one inviting Kyleigh Roberts to the school’s prestigious secret society—she immediately feels an unexplainable pull to pledge.
What Kyleigh doesn’t realize is that getting closer to the answers she’s been searching for will force her further from everything she’s ever known.
She plummets into a dark realm full of magic and twisted creatures that once only lived in her bedtime fairy tales. Grappling with explosive powers that begin to emerge, Kyleigh stumbles into a stranger—a woman with glowing eyes who claims she can help.
Since Aislin discovered her gift, she’s been nothing more than a weapon—one wielded by criminals. The idea of freedom has always been just that, an idea. A luxury for those who don’t possess her talent for delivering a swift and merciful death. But for the first time, she’s given a shot at the freedom she’s craved for years.
The catch? She must use her gifts one final time to carry out a mission fueled by revenge against the man least deserving of her mercy.
When Kyleigh and Aislin’s stories become entangled, the two women from worlds apart must find a way to join forces against a vengeful king or risk remaining pawns in a deadly game played by those in power.
Introduction
Possible spoilers below this section
Genre: Dark portal romantasy
Setting: Halston University and Celaria
Intended Audience: 18+
Trigger warnings: I don’t see any explicit trigger warnings however I am going to put a gore/violence warning on here just so you are aware that there is a whole bunch of that.
Writing Style
I love the imagery and the descriptions of the author’s world. The methods of travel and their descriptions has also blown me away. I also love how everything tied together creating the character growth that I love to see before the end of a book. The characters are realistic, and so are the emotions they deal with during their journey. A plot line that I did not expect nor see coming (please keep in mind I do not read synopsis’ before reading a book). I loved learning about the world, and the characters do a great job propelling the story forward.
The story is told in multiple POV’s the most notable being Aislin, and Kyleigh (Ky).
Character Information:
In this book we have 2 FMCs.
Aislin an assassin working on her living situation by killing people with her powers, until the queen hires her for a job.
Kyleigh is going to college for the first time at 20 years old, and some how manages to get on a secret societies radar. During their initiation, she ends up falling through a portal suddenly in a world completely different than her own.
There are also chapters from King Redmond’s perspective and a few other characters. I’m interesting to see where some of the sexual tensions between characters goes.
My Opinions
I did not expect this book to go as hard as it did. IT was a whirlwind from start to finish with unique characters, and insane conflict. I love the world and the different kinds of magic that can be found throughout it and the way those magics are described. I cannot wait to explore more of this world with the characters in the next book. The cliffhanger had me immediately reaching for the next one.
If you like secret societies, hidden worlds, different kinds of magic, strong independent hard headed women, and dragons. You should check this book out.
Definitely a must read for Dark Fantasy lovers. I loved the plot of this book because it didn’t remind me of other books. I’m sure the author has her inspirations but she made this story her own with how it is presented to the reader.