♡ Thank you for the free audiobook, PRH Audio.
Synopsis
Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.
Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.
After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.
As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College, and the way her mentor’s tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it’s a test she’s terrified she is going to fail.
Thoughts
This is one of my top reads of the year. I really did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The story was so captivating that I could not walk away from it. This book is one of the few standalones that I think could have been deliciously drawn out into a series. I finished it wanting even more of the atmospheric writing and immersive storytelling. I enjoyed the book’s perfect mix of dark academia, horror, fantasy, mystery, and romance. And that ending. Wow!
☊ Listening to this via audio was outstanding. Narrator Tracie Frank did a wonderful job!
Question
Do read dark academia or horror stories?