Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 440 pages
Author: Cliodhna O’Sullivan
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Perfect for fans of Powerless, Lightlark, and Red Queen, this heart-pounding romantasy forces a girl to make an impossible watch the boy she loves get exiled for lack of magic, or pass her formidable powers off as his own.

In a world where dragons soar through the skies and magical abilities are an elite privilege, the ruling family of Ailm’s Keep is on a Can their son Ionáin prove that he can channel magic, or will his entire family be cast out in disgrace?

Éadha, a servant girl who loves Ionáin, is shocked to discover shortly before the test that she can wield magic herself. It’s extremely rare for a girl to have this talent, especially outside the few great Families. At Ionáin’s moment of truth, when it’s clear he is about to fail, Éadha makes a desperate gamble to save him from humiliation by pretending her magic is his, forfeiting her own claim to power.

Her decision sends them both to an academy of magic, where she must shield her secret from every grim Master and scheming apprentice—especially the handsome but enigmatic Gry. As Éadha enters this whirlwind of patriarchy, class, heartache, and jealousy, she also learns about magic’s terrible cost—the human price that Channellers willingly pay to maintain their power.

How far would you go to empower the one you love?

NOT SO MUCH.

This was only on my radar because I get the YA book-only sub from Fairyloot. And well, this one was a bit of a miss for me. I think the general idea is there but it lacked in the execution spheres.

Mostly I was really tired of Eadha defending, interacting with, trying to save Ionain. He wasn’t worth her breathe and showed that over and over, meanwhile she keeps going back, they keep making out and thus created a cycle of torture for me. I don’t mind different love interests or a love triangle but I feel like this didn’t work for the situation. It caused plot drag and lack of attention. Combining that with the repetitive prose and I am grateful this wasn’t a super long audiobook.

I do enjoy a dark academia setting and of course, dragons. Maybe that plays out better in the next book? I’m kind of tempted to try but might have to wait to see some reviews first. I did like the audiobook narrator a lot so that was a plus too. I’m intrigued by the ending and a few things here and there. The FMC has a great opportunity for an awesome character arc, we’ll see!

Overall audience notes:

• YA Fantasy Romance
• Language: very low
• Romance: make-outs
• Violence: moderate
• Content warnings: sexaul assault

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