Academy Arcanist by Shami Stovall #BlogTour #BookReview #YA #Fantasy #5stars

What’s it about (in a nutshell):

Academy Arcanist by Shami Stovall is the first book in the second series. It takes place in the epic fantasy world surrounding Astra Academy, a school designed to instruct new arcanists in utilizing and honing their powers from the magical beasts they are bonded with.

My Reading Experience:

I love Shami Stovall’s fantasy world, which is chocked full of mystical beasts. It’s such a fun world to immerse myself in and experience. I loved it in her first series – Frith Chronicles – and continued to enjoy it in this series – Astra Academy. I’ve read fantasy stories where people bond with dragons, but this is the first I’ve read that has every manner of mythical creature plus some created by the author (I believe) that can bond with people who prove their worth. Each creature has its own unique magical powers that are shared with its bonded person. The details involved in creating this world are just phenomenal. I felt like I was there experiencing the world for myself – choosing a creature to bond with and participating in the trial of worth.

I love that the plot is so dangerous and thrilling. You come into this world learning that Gray is experiencing dreams where the wounds he suffers in the dream, he suffers for real. That is really borderline horror. It never fully crossed the line between thriller and horror, but it has plenty of thrills and is created in the way I love for a thriller. The plot is tightly focused, the pace fast, and the dangers are life-threatening – I was on the edge of my seat from the beginning.

I also enjoy the dark academia-ness of the Astra Academy. All of the students are, for all intents and purposes, adults though most are around 15 or 16, which is fitting for this YA story. Having the students come together to learn and collaborate also allows the reader to get to know all of the creatures better, which the story wouldn’t have been the same without.

Overall, I had a great time back in this world and loved the thriller plot mixed with myth and magic. And, if you are wondering (especially those that have been reading my reviews for years and know I have a particular mythical beast I adore) – yes, there are dragons!!! There are a few different types, and they are among those magical creatures people bond with.

Characters:

The characters are all very well-developed. I didn’t care for the main character – Gray – at first. His personality was off-putting to me, but he definitely had a distinctive personality, whether I cared for it or not. I loved that through the course of the story, he grew in age and maturity into a main character that I could get behind and one who started to show real potential for being the hero of the story/series.

His twin brother Sorin is so much the Sam Wise to Gray’s Frodo. I just loved Sorin, his love of poetry, and his natural instinct to protect people from others and themselves. He has such a big heart! I also loved this little twist that made him unique among his character type – whenever he saw someone needing help, he would send Gray to help instead of doing it himself. And Gray always did as Sorin asked, even if grudgingly. 

These acts helped Gray grow into a much better person, and I loved Sorin even more for seeing that Gray needed to do these things in order to grow.

Narration & Pacing:

The story is told in first-person narration through Gray. I have mixed feelings about that because, as I’ve already mentioned, I didn’t really care for him initially. But it’s an excellent narration style to keep the dangers impactful and the pace fast.

Read if you’re in the mood for:

• Every manner of mythical beasts
• Magic and mayhem
• A thrilling, dangerous plot

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐