It Ends in Fire

As herself, Alka is a rebel, orphaned years before when a wizard brutally killed her parents. She survived by finding her father’s friend, Whispers, and training as part of the rebel group that wants to take down the wizards. But as Lady Alayne DeWinter, she is a wizard who has enrolled in Blackwater Academy, a prestigious school for wizards attended by only the best and brightest. Upon reaching the school, she is assigned to her order, the Nethros, for those who are basically expected to fail. However, Alka is not good at hiding in the shadows and playing dead. With her new friends, she makes some powerful enemies that could derail her mission before she has a chance to avenge her parents.

Similarities to the Harry Potter universe––orders instead of houses, balitesta instead of quidditch, the Great Game instead of the Tri-Wizard Tournament––abound, making this a great book for older readers, as LGBTQ themes are included and sexual situations are more mature. In between chapters, Alka reveals her character through flashbacks of her hard life, making her the hero that fantasy fiction is waiting for. It’s a must read for fans of Shvarts’ Royal Bastards series.