10 STAR RATING FROM ME!

This book is RAW and EMOTIONAL! It is REAL, SUSPENSEFUL, and CHILLING! Yet is also ROMANTIC, HEART WARMING, and so, so FUNNY!

Cooper James does an amazing job in creating a world where you have the magical academy, in this case Scion Military Academy, and magic in the forms of classes, spells, and DRAGONS! However, she does not stop there. She entwines modern real world elements of our current day living. The two mesh together so well in her book it is the best of both worlds for readers of fantasy and reality based fiction alike.

The Main Female Character in this book is Annalise Corvin a 20-year-old woman who leads a horrific existence through no fault of her own. Annalise is strong of will yet carries emotional baggage from her ongoing trauma. In the beginning she is surviving day to day with the help of her best friend Matt Reyes. He is her protector, her friend, her “emotional teddy bear”. Yet Annalise is no scared, weak girl. Yes it all affects her, yet she learned to never give up, to keep pushing forward. After a horrific event they both end up at Scion Military Academy.

At Scion her life changes in so many ways. Annalise grows and finds a family in her new friends. They are perhaps the first true friends she has ever had besides Matt. She meets adults in the form of her teachers and they are hilarious yet tough on her. Think college with magic! As she goes through her first year the plot twists and turns in suspenseful ways that keep readers on their toes. I laughed, I cried, I cringed, I dreamt of the world when I went to sleep! Perhaps one of my favorite parts was when she met Tyr who I know will most likely play a larger part in Book 2. I will say the ending was one I was not prepared for and chilled me to the bone. It was one I was in no way expecting yet fits in the story perfectly.

This book had me captured from Chapter 1. I could not wait to read more and in fact, I did marathon readings to 1:00 and 2:00 AM on two different nights! I ended the book crying, screaming, and wanting more. I need more!

Get this book when it comes out on 3/2/2026 and you will NOT regret it. However, please read the trigger warnings before starting as there are many intense scenes. I will end by saying that there is comfort in the knowledge that this is only Book 1 so yes there will be more. I am very honored I was chosen to ARC this book and it is now one of my favorites.

I received a free copy of this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

AMAZON AVAILABLE 3/2/2026! https://a.co/d/0gxIBpL2

https://sandrabooksbooksbooks.com/