Book Review: Academy Arcanist

Hello and welcome back! It’s been a while since my last post and I really miss talking about things I like most: BOOKS!!

Anyway, I had the pleasure of participating in the blog tour hosted by The Write Reads. This was yet another fantastic read that I can’t wait to talk to y’all about!

Academy Arcanist by Shami Stovall

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Magic
Length: 446 Pages
Published: 23rd August 2022

Blurb:

Hopes. Dreams. And literal nightmares out to kill a young boy.
Gray Lexly, son of a candlemaker, wants to escape his life of old-world technologies and study at the prestigious Astra Academy, a school for arcanists—those who can wield magic. But Gray has a major problem. Every night, as he sleeps, he’s visited by monsters. When they injure Gray in his dreams, he wakes with the same wounds in real life…
On the night Gray might finally die in his nightmares, he is saved by the kind and mysterious Professor Helmith, a powerful arcanist. She offers to protect Gray and invites him to attend Astra Academy.
Before that can happen, Gray must bond with a mystical creature to become an arcanist himself. Will he bond with a unicorn? A pegasus? A kitsune? Whatever he bonds with will determine his magical abilities, so he must choose wisely.
And when trouble finds Professor Helmith, Gray must become powerful enough to help her and fend off the terrible nightmares, before it’s too late…

Amazon / Goodreads

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com

Academy Arcanist was a thrilling adventure to embark on from start to finish. Monsters who could harm—even kill—humans through dreams? Count me in!

I really loved the world-building and how rich it feels. And don’t get me started on all the mythical creatures!! I was really having a great time reading about those and learning about their unique powers. I was also ever so eager to read more about Astra academy, which I think the author did a fantastic job describing.

I also liked reading about all the characters in this book. On a side note, I would like to mention that I found the MC, Gray, a bit annoying (especially) at the beginning. I felt like he was quite self-centered and the fact that he was ashamed because his brother was gentle and liked poetry didn’t help matters at all. Luckily, he seemed to improve towards the end of the book.

Overall, Academy Arcanist is a book you’d love to read if you like fact-paced YA with magical creatures within a magical school.