Supernatural Academy: Freshman Witch

By: Ingrid Seymour, Katie French

Narrated by: Kasi Hollowell

Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

Of course, magic is real. Everybody knows that.

Since it came out on the news that Supernaturals exist, I’ve heard they can do spells, shape-shift, live forever, you name it. Wonderful, right? 

Whatever. 

In my world - where I’m homeless and spend my time avoiding rats and meth heads - magic sounds like major BS.

But, when I’m accused of stealing and they’re about to arrest me, the item I took disappears from my hand as if by magic. WTF?

Just like that, the Supernatural Academy swoops in and recruits me. But I don’t belong there, and everyone else agrees, including, Rowan Underwood, this rich and annoyingly handsome warlock who has it in for me. He’s investigating the theft of magical artifacts, and he thinks I’m involved.

Seriously? I just got here.

But I can’t worry about that, not while dead kings try to drain my essence or a spell from these angry pixie minotaurs sends my hair follicles into overdrive until I look like Cousin It.

Yet, I can’t avoid Rowan, and while I learn enough magic to stay alive, I also need to keep myself from falling for a guy who’s clearly my worst decision ever.

You’ll love this magical academy audiobook because everyone wants a chance to become who they are truly meant to be. 

Get it now. 

©2019 Katie French (P)2019 Katie French

Great Beginning!

A great start for a great series. I loved every minute and didn't want to stop. I can't wait to read the next book.

Great Start To Series!

First off, I am a huge fan of Kasi Hollowell as a narrator. She always does an amazing job and she didn't let me down with this one either.

This is an amazing kick-off for the series. I wouldn't have initially said I was thoroughly invested in the story and characters but that did change. For some reason, it just took me slower to find my connection with them. I'm thinking it may have been to do with a book hangover and the fact that I didn't want to let the other characters from my other book go just yet lol.

The characters are likable and the love/hate tension between Charlie and Rowan are intense. She's determined not to fall for the guy that "rescued" her from off the streets after her friend so quickly and tragically was killed. Unexpected and unknown to her, magic lives inside her and hence she is brought in to the academy to learn about magic. She is extremely hesitant to start off with for many reasons but she decides to stay because for once she has regular meals, a bed and a place she can stay and promised safety.

What I really liked though that although there are a lot of prejudices within this world and a lot of rich kids around her she finds an amazing best friend who is kinda just as socially awkard as she is herself. Charlie does initially try and shake Disha off since highschool and friendships had never really worked out for her in the past being that she never had much money even when her family was around...but well Disha is a persisitent girl and just doesn't quit. She may be wealthy but she's not an entitled snob, she's just like Charlie really. Lonely.

But like I mentioned before it's a very prejudice world she has walked in on and from the moment she walked into this new life nothing was particularly easy. She also wasn't as safe as she thought and promised she'd be. Something is happening at the academy and someone is letting in creatures that are endangering lives and magical artifacts are being stolen etc. She decides to team up with Disha and a displeased Rowan to find out what is truly going on...but its never that simple right?

I do feel like the story could've been a little bit more in-depth but all in all I wasn't displeased by it. I had kinda already guessed who was behind it pretty early on and was sold on my decision not long after. I will say I wasn't really expecting that ending. I kept waiting for something more dramatic to happen I wanted it to go out in a display of power so was a little disappointed there but I did like the little additon of what happened to Rowan. That was an interesting turn of events - I read a little sneak peak of the next chapter in the following book and was like okay now I need to know what happens even more.

So although it wasn't my all-time favourite academy book, I do feel like it has a lot of potential to grow and am curious where the story will go.

Thank you Ingrid for the chance of listening to your audiobook in place of an honest review! <3

Happy Readings everyone!

Who knew! Charlie's a supernatural witch!

I love this book! Charlie's life has so many changes and challenges, she's gone through so much in just a few months from one surprise to another. First her best friend in the world is murdered, then a magical academy! Things get better with the insert of Desha and her huge personality & eventually Rowan who's takes her breath away, as new friends.
There's just so much to take in from this book!
I totally recommend this book. I now need the next book!

whirlwind adventure!

This story just sucked me in! I absolutly love Charlie. Her character is street smart, spunky, caring and kick ass! I cant wait till books 2 is available to listen to and continure onnthe next adventure Charlie and her friends get into and whats next with her and Rowen .
happy listening !

Fantastic well written paranormal school saga!

Charlie and Tray, what a pair, l loved Tray from the start with his imagination and humour, what a great guy.! l couldn't help but be on Charlie's side, boy that girl has had it hard and wow, more to come. I am looking forward to finding out which of her dead parents were witches and why she was specially chosen during the school year. And the twins were funny. l really want the next book. The narration was fantastic. RECOMMENDED. Clean read.

Brilliant Fun Listen

Charlie Riveria does not have the most glamourous life living with her friend, Trey, in an abandoned warehouse in an abandoned part of the city. Being homeless, they live a fairly carefree existence, with no rules, and their only worry being about food each day (since they have shelter), and the odd bit of random theft. Life has become a bit stranger since the Supernatural’s announced their presence – that is the Vampires, Werewolves, Witches and Warlocks and all the other fantastical creatures announced that they were real, and lived amongst humanity.
They were sick of hiding though, and wanted to be a part of society, and had struck a deal with the President of the United States (I’m not sure if that means that there are only Supernatural’s in the US, or that the Supernatural’s believe that the POTUS can speak for the rest of the world??), so that they could live amongst humanity, and that they would Police themselves – which was easily done as they were so few in number. Not many people carry the specific gene required to become one of the Supernatural.
At the start of the story, Charlie and Trey are together in their little hideout, when there is a sudden earthquake, shaking the already unstable and decrepit building. Running to safety, they encounter several Supernatural’s, a Werewolf, a Shadow Creature and a Man who can vibrate separate parts of himself as either a weapon or a disguise. After a quick engagement with them, Trey is left mortally wounded, and Charlie is taken captive. There is a second altercation just after, but this time, it is someone that appears to help Charlie, and they take her to what appears to be a school of some sort.
Charlie quickly learns that, to her horror, she is actually a Supernatural, and that she has the ability to do Magic.
Even worse, she has been enrolled at the Supernaturals School!!
This story quickly unfolds, as we have the cute guy, who is also a Magic Caster, and although he initially appeared nice, he is not very nice at all, even though he is, to Charlie’s total dismay, totally gorgeous.
Charlie also discovers that most of the students come from Families that have had magic all their lives, and as such, they understand it, have even had some pre-emptive teaching in it, whilst she is a totally useless.
She is quickly saved however, by her new BFF, the stunningly beautiful, delightful, and always happy, Disha, who has more money than she knows what to do with, and makes Charlie her pet project.
Charlie is initially skeptical of this, but soon realises she needs a friend – and the two quickly become bonded at the soul.
Unfortunately, Charlie has a penchant for finding trouble, if there is an accident within a mile of her, someone she is involved (I will let you read about it), but during one of these incidents, Charlie comes across something she shouldn’t.
An item of extreme power, able to kill in an instant, painfully if the person laying on the grounds face is anything to go by, and Charlie can’t put it down.
The World-Building in this book is just AMAZING – there are a billion books with Wizards, Witches, Werewolves and Vampires, and French and Seymour have taken all of these people and creatures, and, whilst still paying homage to all of the ‘Original’ aspects of their cult figures, they have made them their own (without doing stupid things like making them twinkle in the sun…) I will let you read what they have done, but it is wonderful, and makes for a great read. This is one of the more important aspects of this genre, if you don’t get this right, you can ruin your whole story, and they have done such a brilliant job.
Just as Masterful, is the Character work, from Charlie’s confused, but powerful attitude, to Disha’s beautiful personality, to the tormented soul that is Rowan Underwood, as well as all the other amazing characters, each of them are gritty, in-depth, powerful and realistic (their personalities). It makes for such a great read when the story has such remarkable characters.
This is just a great fun read, full of action from start to finish, Charlie is such a brilliant character, making this book so enjoyable to read with her captivating personality. There is so much to this story as well, it is part Mystery, part Thriller, sitting in the Urban Fantasy genre, with Romance as well, and enough Action to make a Bond Movie look slow and boring. Throughout it all, is just this wonderful character story of a girl, in an impossible situation, trying to work out what happened to her friend, to her, (well to her on several counts actually), as well as understanding the who, how, why, where, when and what of these new Supernatural abilities she suddenly has.
Doesn’t matter what you like to read, this just won’t disappoint, French and Seymour have done such a wonderful job, can’t wait for part 2!!
Kasi Hollowell is a new Narrator for me, this having been the first time I have ever heard her. I thought she was a perfect choice for Narrator, especially for the main character, providing that right amount of sass for a street kid, crossed with the sheer terror of a young teenager who is in a situation that they want nothing to do with. She is truly captivating as Charlie. She has a beautiful voice that is easy to listen to, making it a joy to listen to this story as an Audiobook, and she does such a great job with creating both Male and Female voices. She is able to create clearly distinctive voices, so that you know who is talking, without being told, making this really easy to listen to. She is really clever and creative with voice and sound effects (growling etc). Overall Hollowell gives a true Masterclass in Narration, and it was a real joy listening to her read this book, I look forward to listening to her future books.

Good read but nothing original

I liked the books and I liked Charlie.
The only thing is that its too close to Harry Potter. Especially for those who have read all of the books where they will find similarities and villains that is to close to be a coincidence.

This book is so good

Ingrid and Katie is a great collaborative pair. I really loved these ebooks and now I love the audios. Kasi is amazing at narrating this book I cant wait to start the second

ugh

A simplified hogwarts knockoff, stripped of subtlety, loaded with east coast exclusive snobbery, rendering it suitable for older readers. Coeds salivating over male teachers, gag me with a spoon.

Nice first book!

This book was a good listen and had some twists and turns you won’t expect, I’m looking forward to the next book.

Freshman Witch

I really enjoyed this book. Charlie was living on the streets with her best friend when everything changed. She gets thrown into a world of supernaturals. Loved the twists and turns along the way. If you enjoy magic and the academy setting then I recommend this book. It was very entertaining and kept me interested throughout. Can't wait to see what next year brings for Charlie and her friends.

YA academy but more so

Overall, I really enjoyed this: the academy world is rich, the romantic arc isn't straightforward, there are twists, turns, friendships, failures, a really enjoyable mystery arc and the end of this chapter wasn't entirely predictable either (I thought that something else would happen to 'him' - if you've read it you'll know what I'm talking about).

It is a typical YA academy book like many others, in the fact that if you like that trope you'll like this, but of the ones I've listened to and read lately, it's beefier/more so

New Beginnings

This was an amazing start to the Supernatural Academy series! Charlotte has been homeless since her mother’s death and her father’s alcoholism made him abusive. It’s just her and her best friend Trey against the world trying to survive each day at a time. When a trip to the drugstore goes wrong, her life is turned upside down, and she’s accused of being something that she hates- a supernatural. I absolutely loved Disha, the girl she met on her first day who declared that she would be her best friend. She always says what she’s thinking, is completely blunt, sheltered, and is always there for Charlie no matter what. Rowan is definitely misunderstood, but I enjoyed watching his and Charlie’s relationship develop throughout the book. I liked the categories that people were placed into within this world: Supers (the witches and warlocks), Lessers (every other supernatural being), and Regulars (humans). This book was filled with mystery, magic, drama, and wonderful characters that kept me invested in the story!
Kasi did a fantastic job with this narration! I loved how well she could bring Charlie and Disha’s personalities to life and the distinct voices she gave each character. She hooked me from the start and wouldn’t let me go with her performance!
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

1st instalment of the Supernatural Academy series

Following the death of her mother and disappearance of her alcoholic father, Charlotte Riviera has been living on the streets along with her friend Trey, to avoid going into foster care. When she falls foul of the law, she inadvertently activates her magic and finds herself targeted by rogue supernaturals known as subversives, who recruit supernaturals like her for nefarious purposes. Tragically her friend Trey, loses his life while trying to protect her before she’s rescued by the Dean of Supernatural Academy, MacGregor Underwood and his son Rowan.

Waking up at the Academy, Charlie is initially defiant and mistrustful of her surroundings as well as those in authority. Eventually she strikes a deal with Head Dean Lynssa McIntosh; to undergo a trial period in which she’ll be under the protection of the Academy and not lack for anything while she learns to control her unpredictable powers. Charlie agrees to stay on a temporary basis.

Before long, Charlie has settled in to her new life at the Academy despite her antagonism towards the Underwoods and even strikes up a friendship with Disha. Charlie comes to realise, however, that the protection she was promised was vastly overrated. There’s danger and mischief afoot at the Academy and suspicion falls on Professor Answorth. When an ancient artefact known as Aidada’s Cuffs chooses Charlie to be their bearer, her life take a drastic change.

Freshman Witch is the first instalment of the Supernatural Academy series by Ingrid Seymour and Katie French. The book was fast paced and started off interesting enough but I struggled to engage with the plot and secondary characters for some reason. Charlie was an appealing, relatable protagonist and from the offset I felt invested in her story due to her unfortunate childhood and the loss of her friend Trey. Her initial mistrust of those at the academy was completely understandable.

Despite the academic setting, we are only introduced to three students; Georgia (briefly) Rowan and lastly Disha. Their backgrounds were not elaborated on in this instalment although it appears that both characters have their own novellas throughout the series. Rowan was a troubled, introverted individual who the reader will sympathise with due to his estranged relationship with his father as well as a curse that plagues him.

The staff consist of the McIntosh twins who are like chalk and cheese, the stoic and implacable Macgregor Underwood, the charming Professor Henderson and the enigmatic Professor Answorth. In the background we have some vague plot going on in which someone is trying to steal magical artefacts, one of which for reasons unexplained, chooses Charlie to be their bearer.

The world building was interesting in that we have a supernatural caste system that consists of Supers (Witches and Warlocks) Lessers (Other supernaturals) and Regulars ( humans) I’m sure as the series progresses, we’ll learn more about the subservients and the threats they pose.

I received an advanced free audible copy of Freshman Witch which was narrated by Kasi Hollowell. I was impressed by the way she was masterfully able to bring each character to life with their own unique voice, switching effortlessly between characters and accents.

An unusual world

Great teenage story that kept you wanting to know more about this world. Some colorful descriptions made me wince a bit but otherwise a good beginning to this series.

Narrators voice is young and fits with the book.

Mixed feelings...

When I saw the blurb about this book I jumped at the opportunity. I started listen to it and by halfway point I wanted to quit, I couldn't engage with the story!! The FMC seemed dumb for someone who was homeless for so long and a few other things that simply weren't working for me that includes the interaction between FMC and the MMC. But Being stubborn I push through and finished the book by then the story had picked up the pace and I started to enjoy it a little bit. It's an okay book with a good performance but it just wasn't for me.
Have a try and decide for yourself.

Supernatural Academy

I loved the beginning, it had me hooked. However, once the book set off it started to slow down in pace and did not change, this for me is not good.
Don't get me wrong I liked some of the characters like Disha because she was not what I expected and I even liked Rowan. You could tell he was battling with himself about his feeling with Charlie and he was hiding something. I felt he was a bit of a mystery.
But the main character Charlie I couldn't even connect with and did not really care what happened to her.
The book is predictable but I don't mind this if we had something else to pull us forward like the build up of tension.
This book is not for me and other might love it.
Give it a go and make your own decision.

Great audiobook from a great book !

I really enjoyed the story, style of writing and narrator's voice. All characters were very credible. I would really want to know what happens to Charley in the next book as the cliff hanger in the sneak peak of book 2 is a real tease

Charley has a terrible start in life, and it pulls on the heart strings.. I love her growing power and fab bff in school. Angst for the love interest at the moment...