Mattson Academy

by Jay O'Keefe, Peyton Frederickson (Editor)

When bloodthirsty monsters invade Mattson Academy, a school for magic, new student Connor McTaggart and his friends take it upon themselves to investigate. Danger lurks in every corner, and unbeknownst to Connor, he has stumbled into a gruesome ritual performed by one of his classmates, making him the next target. Connor and his friends must find who's behind these attacks before it's too late - and still study for midterms.
Mattson Academy explores various Folk aspects and includes a diverse cast of characters, from half-mermaids and intellectual orcs to grumpy old wizards and ancient dwarves. It's a ride the whole family can enjoy!

434 pages, Paperback

Published September 5, 2023

About the author

Jay O’Keefe grew up in Maryland, raised primarily on video games, anime, and fantasy novels. Though he had always wanted to work in game design or art, he eventually turned to writing. He decided to bring his childhood to life in his writing by crafting a fantasy novel that read like a video game, all while evoking a manga splash page in the reader’s mind. When not writing or drawing, Jay spends time with his wife and son, or is buried within the myriad of pets his wife and son bring home that he (not-so) secretly loves.

Reviews

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. The setting of Mattson academy reminded me of all the best things that I love about Hogwarts. I also loved how many different magical and mythical creatures there were. This book absolutely packs a punch in terms of plot, character development, deep topics about fitting in and being accepted. Truly, this is the perfect book for fall and winter (and the rest of the year). But nothing says fall like a book at a magical academy. Do yourself a favor and read Mattson Academy.

[AshleyReadsThings · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like this book is good for even the younger crowd. If you grew up loving the world of Harry Potter or you liked the School for Good and Evil you might really enjoy this one. It's more modernized and there's more than just humans attending this Academy. I love that our character started out with a friend right off the bat and wasn't going completely blind into this new school. I always find writing about schools especially magic based schools to be a hard feat to do. It's one of those things that you either hit the nail on the head or it's a complete miss and Jay did a phenomenal job.

When we are first introduced to the school we get to imagine what Connor is seeing as he is taking in the surroundings and little simple details into what others attending the academy look like and behave. There's elves, fairies, trolls, dwarves, like so many creatures we love in fantasy books. I also really enjoy the whole letting them have the day to meet the teachers and get brief introductions into their future lessons before they are just thrown into it. It's a really quick fun read and is perfect for the fall.

This is definitely worth a reread!

[Kathleen O'keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A YA fantasy with manga/anime vibes includes: a diverse ensemble cast of misfits, a modern spin on mythology, and teenagers dueling with magic. While the book is written with a high school audience in mind, it is a lot of fun for adults looking for an easy but engrossing read!