ARC Review: Dickensen Academy

Dickensen Academy isn’t a typical boarding school. The faculty is hiding an unbelievable secret within their fine arts program. When Autumn Mattison receives an invitation to attend the high school, she yearns to escape her overbearing father yet remains reluctant to leave her mother and brother. Her doubts fade away when a vivid dream convinces her she belongs there.

Away from home, Autumn discovers a unique school environment that awakens her creative potential, and her new friends become like a second family. However, as she uncovers more about the dark side of the school and struggles with its curriculum, she questions whether Dickensen Academy is truly where she belongs.

When tragedy strikes, Autumn must learn to believe in her own power and stand up to her greatest fear or risk having her memories destroyed to protect the school’s secrets. Caught between secrets and dreams, can she find her true self?

Review

I thought was a very interesting book, it started off as many YA fantasy books do with a teenager going to a school they think is normal and something unusual or superatural happens.

Autumn was an interesting main character, she grew lots as a person over the course of the novel. I liked her interaction with her room mate, it was a good friendship. They had each others backs and there was even a little normal teenage girl jealousy which sorted itself out.

The romance was sweet and it grew at a decent pace, there was no insta love which I liked.

The bit part that makes this book unique is the dreams, it is very well done and actually made me smile when I started reading about it. I would have liked a little more detailed as to how the founder of the school found out about his special talent and more detail on how the dreams were sent. But as this is a book aimed at teenagers I can forgive this.

Overall I really enjoyed this book but it seems to be a standalone and I feel there are a lot of loose ends.

4 out of 5 stars

Lion Shifter: Magical Creatures Academy #2

Rina Nelle Mont is finally a part of the paranormal world. But it isn’t rainbows and roses like she’d imagined.
The Magical Creatures Academy only accepts those supernaturals with the greatest potential. She’s now certain she has what it takes … and then some. She has more power than she has bargained for.

The Academy is the leading institution for paranormal creatures in the world. Its students are the finest of shifters, vampires, and fae.

In Rina’s opinion, Prince Leander Verion is the finest of all the fae, but he’s also entirely off limits. She lacks the requisite pointy ears to make her an acceptable match.

But Rina is far from acceptable, she’s exceptional. If only she can learn to master her wild powers … before they master her.

Whether she likes it or not, Rina is about to find out why she has rightfully earned her place at the academy.

Lion Shifter is the second book in an exciting new magic-filled urban fantasy, starring a girl with lots of moxie, fine brawny shifters, BFFs with questionable morals, and pygmy trolls in need of an attitude adjustment.

Review

I raced through this book almost as much as the first. Still loving the character’s although rina seems a little niave. I do like her two friends although they are very different. And her brother he seems like the dream guy, and the dream big brother.

The story line moved well. I liked the action and the descriptions of shifting are really well done. Her relationships with the prince is interesting, seems like he is teasing her though, stringing her along for some reason. Only time will tell though.

The ending, was not to my liking, mainly because I like everything ends well for the good guys ending, not realistic at all, so I really cannot fault authors who let put in some challenges for their characters and show readers that it is possible to overcome obstacles.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.

Why haven’t I read book 3 yet? It’s not out. 😦

4 out of 5 stars

Want to try the first one? Check it out here.