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Ironside Academy, Book 3

De: Jane Washington

Narrado por: Jennifer Sterling

Duración: 14 h y 37 m

Resumen del Editor

As friends become enemies and enemies become villains, the Ironside underbelly casts a very wide shadow over everyone within its walls.

The academy that once promised Isobel Carter salvation has pulled back the curtain and revealed itself for what it truly is: A pretty little prison.

She may have been reduced to a puppet behind a screen, but at least the Alphas of Dorm A are there to heighten her performances, quicken her breath, and flood her face with color for the cameras. Maybe they will even catch her when she falls. Or maybe they have been pulling the strings all along.

The bars of her prison may be gilded, but survival is a messy game, and what do Sigmas do when they can’t keep their hands clean? They get filthy. Beware the pretty monsters, because this social media game just got brutal.

©2023 Jane Washington (P)2024 Jane Washington

So much love for this series and these characters!

~~~~ Original E-book Review (2023) ~~~~~

This author has done something incredible with this story. I cannot get enough of Illy and her Alphas. So many reveals and movement in this book, I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone but IT'S EPIC! We get to know the alphas even more than previously, each getting their time with Illy and figuring out their illegal powers (most of them) and seeing feelings develop between them (even thought they never will admit it haha). I love the steamy moments as well as the vulnerable moments. I swooned so hard with some characters I wasnt expecting and one of my favs in the previous one fell a bit honestly, not that its a competition but I was shocked how well this author made me fall for more of them.

I thought it would be difficult with so many guys to keep track but you really get to see their personalities and go-tos in this one, so it made it way more easy to follow. I absolutely fell for Oscar in this one. Like he wasnt my fav in book 1, his relationship with his sister in book 2 endeared him to me, but this book.....just be ready to have the little heart emojis, a smirk, and butterflies with him. Like SO GOOD! I also was pleasantly surprised by the kink going on in this story haha. We get some mentions and some glimpses but I am so excited to see where things go moving forward. I was shocked by some of the more meeker Alphas (they were just getting warmed up, now they are letting their walls down its no holds bar haha). I was happy about getting to know Gabriel more. We still don’t know everything but his steamy moment with Illy was amazeballs. I wanted to hug Niko so badly, not gonna lie, and Killian. I was a little meh about Theo in this one. Nothing bad, but he didnt move a lot growth wise/reveal wise so he felt a little stagnant. I think that may be my only critique but I loved everything else!

The storyline was also incredible. We get more time with the alphas, Illy, and their powers/focuses at the academy. I loved the dance number, won’t spoil it but my brain was envisioning it and it was stunning. I cannot wait for more in the rest of the series as the Icon competition continues. I loved with a certain professor stands up to someone in her life who deserves a whole more karmic justice. I am super intrigued by who Illy can see (not ghosts, but the apparitions). I am interested to see who they are referencing and how they tie in with the government/academy. The reveal with Illy and the artifact was cool and how things shifted as the book goes on. I didn’t even think about the reveals she had with the different facets of the artifact and what that means for her. Again trying not to spoil anything. I couldnt stop reading this book, I was in book reading heaven, not wanting to stop and like eat and sleep haha.

I cannot recommend this book enough! 5/5 stars from me! It’s got everything you need: romance, steam, driving plot, interesting sub plots, engaging side characters (good and bad), some yummy hint of kink. What more can you ask for?? We get someone coming back after the horrible ending of book 2 and that shocked me. I couldnt believe they were there and everything. That intro/reveal was a tad clunky for me, just because we had to wait for a lot of the explanations. Again very small feedback but I think it had to be done this way for more impact to the story. I wish I could be Illy with all these delicious alphas, also to finally find herself and be happy with her surroundings and herself was beautiful to see. It’s definitely not an easy journey for her or any of the guys, but they finally all realize they can trust one another and need each other to get through this. Here’s to book 4 ❤️❤️❤️

OH and I would highly recommend rereading/listening to books 1 and 2 (I listened to the audiobooks leading up to this release). The narrator does a great job with this world and bringing the characters to life and with how intricate this story and nuances are, I will probably need to do a reread/relisten before every release. I won’t want to miss any clues or hints the author may have teed up 😍

~~~~~~ Audiobook Review (2024) ~~~~~~

I snatched up this audiobook once I saw it was up for grabs, perfect timing for my re-listen leading up to book 4’s release later this month! I love these characters so much, I am so eager for more books but I am already dreading this series coming to an end haha. I usually am a proponent for duet narration BUT this narrator does such an incredible job with ALL the characters, I didnt miss having a male narrator. I couldnt get enough of this story and these characters and the narrator really helped hit a home run yet again with this audiobook and bringing it to life for all us readers.

I think the highlights with the audio included seeing the walls come down between Illy and some of the Alphas. The emotional rollercoaster they all go through was done so well. The narrator’s performances with the new side characters we get to know (The Guardian and her family), the growing tension with Illy and some of her guys, the hurt when Illy found out more secrets, the 🔥🔥🔥 with her and Gabriel and her and Oscar and now throw Moses in the mix....🤯🤯🤯. No critiques for the audio at all, cannot wait for book 4 on ebook and on audio! I need these physical books on my shelf too. One of my favorite listens so far this year!

SIGMA NOOOOO!

Firstly, I dislike the harem genre because important female traits tend to get lost and smothered in male testosterone. With that said, I am finding it difficult to see this female MC as a heroine and not a constant victim that make the story unbearable at times for me. Don’t get upset this is merely my opinion. For reasons I can’t reconcile, I abhor weakness in my gender in whatever form it’s expressed: So the Sigma fragility, her lack of control, confidence, lack of a backbone and inability to dispel unwanted alpha commands in important situations tend to trigger my inner Xena Warrior Princess. Her mother was broken and damaged and taught her daughter how to be the same type of woman. The kind I find detestable. Don’t get me wrong, there were moments I celebrated in the book when I saw a bit of steel/black widow in the MC but those moments were fleeting. Towards the end, I thought that the MC was finally becoming something more. Something new. Someone fierce and strong to rival the alphas but alas that was a stupid hope: I am curious about the overall direction of the story. b/ c of the ridiculous amount of issues the MC seem to be drowning in. I am hoping to see a new cunning,, unbound and empowered heroine instead of a subjugated, victimized and fragile person forced to conform and submit to politically correct societal standards and stereotypes in that world. So until the next twisted episode of a broken Sigma at Ironside Academy I will be waiting.

The cliffhangers are going to kill me

When Jane said “if it’s kinky it will be in these books” I didn’t know she meant ALL THINGS KINK hahaha. This book was hot, emotional, funny and soul crushing. Illy and her 10 men are finally getting closer emotionally as well as physically and I am HERE FOR IT!

Love the story development

Jane Washington never fails to keep me on my toes with her stories. I’m looking forward to the next book.

This is why we don’t start unfinished series!

I cannot handle this! Honestly, why do I do this to myself? I just binge read 3 books in fewer than three days and now I have to wait for book 4. Additionally, we aren’t 100% sure how many books there will be. Rant over.

It’s getting easier to keep the characters organized in my head. Who’s who, first and last name, ability and how they fit into the group. With Eleven main characters (and not nearly enough fanart) it was difficult to keep them straight in my head.
I love the super slow burn, the intense world building, the behind the scenes politics.