I’m super happy to be able to post my review as part of the Ultimate Blog Tour for Academy Arcanist by Shami Stovall. Thanks to Dave and the gang at The Write Reads for letting me tag along.
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Magic
Length: 446 Pages
Published: 23rd August 2022
Hopes. Dreams. And literal nightmares out to kill a young boy.
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…
Magic and fantasy are the things that really take me away from everything. This book has plenty of that along with magical creatures, too. The first book in the Astra Academy series. One that I am really eager to carry on reading.
I haven’t read anything by Shami Stovall before this book, and I now want to read every book she has written. To say I hardly ever read fantasy until a few yeats ago, I now love fantasy and even buy so many fantasy books you wouldn’t believe I never read it. This book is a great example of how the fantasy genre grabs me.
I was transported to Greys world. A boy who has no wish to follow his father into candlemaking. All he wants is to study at the Astra Academy. A prestigous place for those who have magic at their fingertips.
Grey has a massive problem. He has nightmares in which monsters visit him and hurt him. He wakes up every day, with the actual wounds from his dreams. A professor from the academy invites him to study there, and she can protect him from the nightmares. He first has to bond with a magical creature to become an arcanist. That in itself is a serious decision! Then comes the time he is needed to protect his professor, but will he be powerful enough to fight the nightmares and help her?
Immersive, fantastical, and vivid. The world building alone took me away from my life. The characters I invested in. Shami Stovall certainly knows how to create characters that feel real. Grey tugged on my heartsrings from the beginning.
I loved the magical creatures, but I am a sucker for them anyway. My favourite of all time is Dobby from Harry Potter. I know 52 and a soft touch! Ah well, Im glad I am. Especially if it means I can enjoy books such as this.
It was a great start to an intriguing series. I shall be reading the next book,without a doubt!
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Academy-Arcanist-1-Astra/dp/1957613173
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60839624-academy-arcanist?
About the Author
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: https://sastovallauthor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/
Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com
sharonbeyondthebooks.uk 