start date: 30/05/2021 | end date: 01/06/2021

genre/tropes: action, fantasy, magic, world building, friendship, fake dating, goth girl + himbo jock trope, rivals-to-frends

summary: el attends a magic school that has no teachers, no holidays and low chances of survival. the school is filled with danger and el must find a way to survive through strategic alliances and the use of her dark power.

thoughts: THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVOURITE BOOK OF WHAT I'VE READ SO FAR !! i very much like the dynamic between the main character and the love interest and their interactions got me giddy tbh. it's a very diverse book, with the point of the magic school being open to people all around the world. i genuinely enjoyed this book so much to the point that i'm scared for the future ones because this was so good i'm scared that the next few wont be able to live up to it or the storyline will be ruined somehow idk but yes this was a very good book. it is also a v quick read and a cheap buy (big w lol) i personally do not like heavy world building but this book was so enjoyable that i was able to put myself into it and picture the setting and the monsters and everything.

• would i read this again?: YEAH FOR SURE I WOULD AND I HAVE !!
• do i recommend this book?: HELL YEAH I DO !!

more ramblings (spoilers): AGAIN IM BRINGING UP HOW DIVERSE THIS BOOK IS !! the point of the school in this book is to teach diferent magic wielders how to use their powers and a lot of students try to diversify their classes by learning different languages because the school curates the students' learning by what they know and different culture have come up with different spells in the past. i think it's a good concept and it feels good to read about people from around the world being dropped into one place. i'm again going to bring up the fact that is book was written by a white woman and she did a pretty good job of writing in different people from different cultures. she fucked up with the story when she included an unnecessary part about how dreadlocks attract unwanted monsters but she posted an apology for it and promised it would be taken out of future reprints of the book and i reckon thats a good resolution to the problem.

there's also the rivals-to-friends-to-lovers part that i loved. i wouldn't really say "to lovers" in this book but the way it seems to be going it's going in that direction. i loved the fact that el was tellin everyone that she was dating orion without him knowing to use his status for her benefit was so good but even better when it turns out he knew the whole time and he thought that they genuinely were dating JKSFGHSKDJF; MY HEART !! i love me a himbo i really really love me a himbo