Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.
Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.
Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.
Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.
Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.
All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.
Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.
Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.
Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.
Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.
Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.
All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.
Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.
Title: Immortal Consquences
Author: I.V. Marie
Publisher: Random House Children's
Expected Publication Date: June 29, 2025
Review:
Thank you to Random House Children's Publishing for sending me a copy of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own. I was disappointed to be denied a copy of this book on NetGalley but then the publisher contacted me to see if I'd like to read and review and I jumped at the chance.
Wow! Wow! Wow! I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did. It had so many great elements that checked all kinds of boxes for me. A magical academy a la Harry Potter. Hunger Games type competition. Stranger Things type creatures who are freaking scary and definitely out to get everyone. Plus a dark academia setting with an undead feel and good and evil factions. All this within the realm of the dead. It was so much fun to read.
I loved the multiple POVs the author used to give us so many different visions of what was happening during the entire book. If differing POVs is not your thing, you might not like this one as there are six, but I found it fascinating. The dynamics between the characters was enjoyable. And the entire crew gave a found family feel. It was great to get to know each and every character this way. Each character was well developed and Marie absolutely made me care for each and every one of them. They were relatable, despite the element of them being dead souls. The POVs were easily distinguishable and the characters were likeable with lots of flaws to make them even more understandable. The alternating POVs also kept me interested in the story as I wanted to know what happened to each and every one of the characters; what their end game was and why.
The pacing was action packed. There was always something happening that moved the story forward and kept me interested in what would be happening next. I was never bored, not for one single minute.
And the slow burn romances were on point. This book is definitely YA. I am a big romance reader so I always worry about a young adult romantasy and what it will hold for me. There is definitely fade to black with any scenes that contain the hint of a sexual encounter, but that didn't make the romances any less enjoyable. And the angst, oh the angst. I think this is what did it for me. I didn't need to spice because the longing and chemistry Marie did create was on point! There is great LBGTQ+ rep in this book, as well.
Marie also did a fabulous job with the world building. It's filled with such great description and a well fleshed out magical system that was easy to understand. This part absolutely reminded me of Harry Potter with it's different dorms acting like the houses for the different magical abilities. And I loved her writing. It was easy to read and smooth.
This book is easily in my top 5 for this year. And I just knew there would be some crazy twist and a bit of a cliff hanger for this one but I didn't care. I was sad to come to the end and would love to have the second book right this very minute. I cannot wait to read what comes next!
If you're looking for an action packed paranormal read with dark academia the likes of Harry Potter and trials the likes of The Hunger Games, this one is it. I am absolutely enamored and on board with this series and cannot wait to see where Marie takes this story line!
Author:
I.V. Marie was born and raised in Miami to a Peruvian mother and Chilean father, where she acquired a penchant for afternoon cafecitos and developed an all-consuming obsession with books. Her writing ambitions began behind her grandparents’ computer, where she spent her childhood crafting spooky and fantastical short stories. She holds a BA in Communication Studies from Loyola Marymount University and currently lives in Los Angeles, where she spends her free time going on walks with her chaotic, but loving dog, Mr. Darcy.
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