The Trials of Blackbriar Academy

Blackbriar Academy, Book 1

By: Olivia Ash

Narrated by: Amanda Dolan

I shouldn’t be here, and everyone knows it.

Blackbriar Academy is an enchanted school on a magical island, and everyone wants in. It’s a home away from home for the most advanced mages in the world—and only the absolute best of the best are given an invitation.

By some freak accident, I managed to get one.

If I pass the trials, I get to stay. With nowhere else to go, Blackbriar is my one shot at having a real life, and I won’t let anyone take this from me.

But there’s a catch.

It turns out the people on this island are being trained to hunt the darkness—basically, they’re being trained to hunt me.

To survive, I have to hide what I am. As a half-mage, I shouldn't have any magic at all. And yet, my natural abilities are almost impossibly powerful—and incredibly illegal. Over history, magic like mine has corrupted the souls of those who were born with it. They’ve all gone dark—razing towns and murdering hundreds of thousands throughout history.

All but me, and I have no idea why.

As the trials get more and more challenging, it’s clear I’m being hunted. If I’m caught—I die.

At Blackbriar Academy, nothing is ever as it seems...but I have nowhere else to go.

Nothing, and no one, will stand in my way.

The Trials of Blackbriar Academy is a full-length novel with a powerfully magical heroine, a riveting story line, and an alternative relationship dynamic that supports our badass heroine's right to choose more than one man. Get ready for a heart-pounding story filled with an academy fantasy romance unlike anything you’ve listened to before.

Buckle in for heart-pounding action, breathtaking magic, deadly assassins, four drop-dead gorgeous leading men, lots of toned muscles, and most importantly—a young woman’s journey of justice, self-discovery, and freedom.

Warning: The Blackbriar Academy saga is a reverse harem series with explicit scenes and is meant for mature listeners who enjoy spellbinding stories with a few very steamy, fan-your-face moments in their fantasy fiction.

Includes a special bonus note from the author.

©2019 Olivia Ash (P)2019 Podium Audio

Good narrator

The narrator did a good job with the characters. The story is just okay. The main female character is repetitive in her mental monologues, and the story might have been enhanced by the male characters' POV. It's an interesting story, but it is dry in parts, lacks emotional depth in the romance department, and there are some plot holes that I scratched my head over.

I enjoyed this book

I always start a new series with a certain level of cautious optimism. I was pleasantly surprised by this book, even though it took me a few chapters to get into it. Now, I’m hooked and look forward to finding out what happens as the series progresses.

Unputdownable

At first I was skeptical. The The first 5 minutes were so so and I was ready to move to the next title in my library. I am so glad I waited because about 10 minutes in and I was hooked. It is rare that a book grabs a hold of me and makes me either read or listen non stop-losing sleep and being a zombie the next day. This is one of those books! Halfway through I purchased book two and now I’m tired, the sun hurts my eyes and my brain is at half capacity but you know what? I’m starting book 2 right now.

Fell in love

This was the first audiobook I listened too and it made me fall in love with listening to books, the story line is amazing and I can't wait for book 2

Intriguing

The world this author has created, is captivating. I am really looking forward to getting to know more about the environment, and how our characters grow within it. I do, however, think that the story was slow in the beginning, and, for a character who largely was raised by trolls, she sure is easy to get to know, and, to give her trust away. I do wonder if her first sexual encounter was in this story, because, if so, it seemed more... aware and assured than a virgin.

The narrator was good at not speaking in monotone, but, did pronounce some words wrong, which really threw me off.