After a tragic childhood and serving time at Dark Vaults Juvenile Correctional Centre, seventeen-year-old Elena Matthews is offered a place at Divinos Academy. Divinos Academy a school for the royals and elite, both of which Elena is neither but what she is, is the most powerful elemental. Elena quickly draws the attention of the three guys who run the school; Roman, Cayden and Blake. They make it clear to Elena that they don't want her there and will stop at nothing to force her to leave. She won't take their s**t because how do you break a girl who is already broken? Elena isn't going anywhere and with everything that she's been through in life, there isn't anything they can do that she hasn't already faced! She's there for her own reasons. On her eighteenth birthday Elena receives a package from someone unexpected. Elena, with the help of a certain sexy Professor, starts to unravel secrets from her past. Step in a world of Magic and Elementals, the lands of Adiriel and explore your inner element. Why fall for one guy when you could have four! The Princess Of Etharia is book 1 of Divinos Academy-- The Adiriel Series with more books to come. This is a light bully reverse harem with moderate sexual content. 18+
HTF does this book have such a high rating? It reads like a school report—dry, overly fact-checked, and completely lacking in any depth or meaningful explanation. The characters? One-dimensional at best, with zero development or nuance. And the story? Barely a story—just a patchwork of tropes and ideas borrowed from other, better stories. Nothing original to see here.
Ladies take a bow!!! I wasn’t sure quite what to expect going into this. I’m a big RH lover, and a PNR fan, so I offered to read an arc for an honest review. I loved this world that was created. The heroine was tough, sassy, full of confidence and her own appeal. Who to pick as your hero? Therein lies the tough question. Multiple characters and then side characters that draw you in. You have multiple tropes, PNR, Rh, enemies to lovers. It’s not a straightforward romance. It’s suspenseful, so many twists and turns that even a ride at Alton Towers couldn’t keep up. You are kept guessing at multiple plots. I just wish that this was a complete series and book two was there ready for me to dive into. I read this in one day. You are completely enthralled. Are you up for some stalking ladies?
This book definitely needs an editor, as there were way too many sentences, which made no sense.
It honestly felt like the authors collected pieces of their favorite paranormal & paranormal reverse harem books and sort of plopped them in... Right off the bat, I can tell they are fans of Zodiac Academy and Ruthless Boys of Zodiac, but there are a few other obvious ones as well.
I say they were plopped in because none of it was explained.. For example, there are four houses and the teachers award and take away points on a whim.. I can guess as to why, because I also read that book... but it was never explained here.
The MFC punched Blake in the face when he showed concern for her. This was right after the dream, where she witnessed his father abusing him and his mom... REALLY!?
SYNOPSIS (of 4 Book Series): This series is set in an alternate world inhabited by individuals who can control one or more elements (fire, water etc.). The FC‘s (Elena) mother died when she was young which made her father obsessed with keeping her safe and making her as strong as possible through black magic. Her father dies and she is sent to Juvi for 5 years. When she leaves she finds she has a scholarship to Divinios Academy. There she meets the 4MCs. There is some initial bullying then the story focuses on the fact that she is the strongest elementals and there is a faction that wants to take her powers and usurp the reigning queen.
Heat Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🍆🍆🍆🍆 - the sex scenes pick up through the books and there are a lot of them. There are group scenes, one on one with some kink. Personally I found them crudely written and not particularly hot despite the graphic detail.
Where to start? This series is terrible. I wasn’t really reading the books by book 2 just skimming through as it was so painful to read. They desperately need editing and proof reading (apparently the FC needs “assorting” back to school🙄); the writing itself is clunky and crude (both in writing style and the characters); the story weak and there is no depth just a series of events stated one after the other: FC’s mother goes to supermarket and dies; FC’s father turns obsessive and dies; FC sent to juvi; FC gets scholarship and goes to academy; FC is strongest elementalist … Note that I am not giving spoilers here because all this happens in the space of a few chapters! There’s no real description of the FC’s life after her mother dies (or before for that matter), she’s sent to juvi for killing her father but the reasons this happened are glossed over; there’s no detail as to what happened in juvi as the book goes from her father being alive to her leaving juvi in about 2 pages. The scholarship is just a head scratcher as all you hear about it is that someone (FC doesn’t know who) gave her a scholarship to an elite academy for reasons she doesn’t know or even seem to care about but she still decides she might as well go.
The FC is just completely unlikeable as are most of the MCs. She’s rude, crude and juvenile. There’s nothing that the author says that makes her even slightly appealing including her constant swearing for no reason. I think this author equates swearing and rudeness with a cool, kickass heroine. It doesn’t work. For example, she is picked up from juvi in a chauffeur driven car. The driver tries to take her bag and put it in the boot and she just hurls abuse at him; she arrives at the academy and the deputy headmistress acts superior so the FC spews abuse. The way FC treats Hunter is disgusting and just nasty. I didn’t understand the point of his storyline as he was just a punching bag for the main characters. Putting him in the position she did then not even wanting to follow through on her promise 😠 and what was the date with Hunter all about? The MCs are just juvenile bullies and the scene completely pointless. The FC just allowed this poor boy to be constantly belittled and bullied and she was the worst.
The MCs are not likeable and you get no background on them except a bit on Blake. They’re very one dimensional and the bullying nasty and basic with Blake constantly telling the FC she’s a murdered; Roman calling her “trash” and Camden just make ins inappropriate sexual advances. Roman is crude, abusive and just a nasty piece of work. He’s gratuitously nasty to people (note how he treats the FC when he has her beaten up and makes some random boy cut off his dreadlocks just because he can). The way he tells the FC to get on her knees and talks about sex to her is completely disrespectful and mysoginistic (not shades of grey hot). Cayden is just one dimensional with an inability to think or talk about anything other than sex and his behaviour is just cringeworthy. I mean, at the end of a big battle scene where hundreds have died all he can say is it made him “hard” (this is the same scene where the FC, standing amid dead bodies, gets her “knickers wet” watching the MC brutally kill someone). Seriously? What is WRONG with this author? Does she think this is hot or sexy? It’s just wrong and disgusting 🫣
There are so many inconsistencies and nonsensical storylines. On the one hand the FC is supposed to be the most powerful elementalist and yet she is constantly being attacked and overcome; the villains (and there are a few OTT villains in this story) can kill, stab and abuse people but apparently nothing happens to them they can return to school or their jobs with no issue yet when the FC/MCs do the smallest thing they’re in big trouble. Why wasn’t Britney arrested? Why was Zoltar allowed back at school? 😡 The Queen is useless, she just sits there letting people get killed left and right doing nothing to fight back whilst the biggest villain just goes around killing whoever he wants.
All in all this is a weak story with unlikeable characters and bad narrative.
DNF. Genuinely horrendous writing. A childish, stilted, grammar nightmare, cringefest with unrealistic dialogue & interactions. I’m more upset that it even exists than at how much time I wasted trying to read it.
I was pleasantly surprised with this book! I knew I would at the very least enjoy it, just from reading the synopsis. I did not expect it to pull me in and have me so intrigued and all consumed like it has! I immediately fell in love with the female main character, Elena. I’m a sucker for a badass heroine, and that is exactly what you get with her! I caught myself rooting out loud for her multiple times, “Yes Girl! Keep kickin’ ass and takin’ names”. If I had any doubts about her in the beginning, I promise they were short lived! We got to see just how powerful and relentless Elena is, once she arrived at the Academy and starts getting bullied by three of the male students that are of higher status than she. It is let on to believe that their rank within the worlds is the reason for the animosity, when actually there is something more sinister going on. I also wasn’t expecting the spice that you get with this book! It’s definitely not heavy on the spice, but just the right amount to make things all the more interesting. This was my first experience with a bully romance (as is the sub-genre of the book) and what a wonderful introduction into this trope! I am thrilled to discover I actually love it!
The book ends on a cliff hanger, like a pretty significant one, thank goodness I don’t have to wait for the second book as it is already out! Although with the name of the book, it was obvious, sooner or later Elena was going to take a spot as “Princess of Etharia” , just wasn’t sure of the how! And OH MY GOSH, I definitely wasn’t expecting the way it happens to be the way it went! But I am eager to see how this will play out!
The only thing I did not like about the book, is there were a few sayings and terms I feel like were overused, it was more so in the first half of the book, i didn’t recognize it so much in the last half, or if it was there, I was so engrossed in the romance and suspense that I just didn’t care anymore!
I can’t wait to start book two, as the authors have already done an exceptional job with building a magical and captivating world, and I can’t wait to see what we get next! They also done a spectacular job with Elena’s evolution, and with what I can only assume will come next; I expect to see her evolve a great deal more!
If you like the Harry Potter books, I definitely think you would enjoy this as well!
I wanted to like this book. I’m a big fan of supernatural books. I love the aspect of powers and I absolutely love why-choose romances. I was excited, but I quickly realized that this book wasn’t going to be what I wanted it to be. I’m assuming the author or authors who wrote this series are fairly new. You can always tell by the need of an editor and the way they describe characters. This read like it belonged on Wattpad. I honestly hate putting bad reviews online, but I thought maybe it’d help if you knew where the faults lie. I dnf the first book and haven’t bothered with the rest in the series because I imagine it will be the same writing.
-the characters dialogue reads like high school boys with no personality’s/ generic douchebags. -the fmc is supposed to be a strong lead/ emotionally stunted by her trauma but she just sounds as if she’s playing pretend. -the sentences are all bunched together and the plot is sporadic. Honestly there’s more i should add but I think this is enough I feel guilty leaving this as it is. All authors grow in their work over time if they put in the effort and I fully believe you are capable of it. Please don’t let this drag you down at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Disclosure: The bully/academy sub-genre of supernatural/paranormal romance isn’t something I read a lot; however, I may be doing a beta-read of the authors’ next book in this series, so I wanted to familiarize myself with the story. The rating I’m providing is based on my assumption of how fans of this genre would react to this novel.
That said, I believe the first book of this series is a good start. The authors have a knack for mystery/suspense – giving readers just enough info to keep us interested, but not giving everything away from the get-go.
These authors also show flashes of something that I adore – nice turns of phrases. And this positive extends to the creation of the “magic words” that felt to me to have roots in modern language – reminded me a lot of “Harry Potter.”
I also appreciated the fact that, most of the time, the explanatory narrative of surrounding events (such as what was being studied in class) was limited. I prefer action-driven stories (that includes dialog) and I believe the authors had a decent balance in this novel. Unfortunately, I sometimes felt a jolt when an encounter or event was wrapped up a little too quickly for my taste.
The main character’s (Elena’s) evolution is also nicely done. At first, I had a difficult time engaging with her – the dark sides of her personality seemed a little heavily-drawn, without much warmth to balance the negative. And, part of my issue with Elena was that I felt I didn’t truly know her. I found myself thinking that the authors had enough material for TWO “first books” of the series – maybe a prequel is in order?
Along those same lines, I wanted to know a bit more back-story re: the men in Elena’s life. I thought that the animosity they directed toward Elena was only briefly sketched out, and, as a result, their motivations for their behaviors didn’t entirely ring true to me. (As a reader, I can be forgiving about this because I know the authors are walking a tightrope – the guys are involved in the mystery/suspense aspect of this novel and the authors don’t want to give away too much too soon.)
Another plus regarding this novel was the steam factor. Fans of fairly graphic erotica will be pleased!
There were some technical errors – mainly regarding pronouns – but not enough to detract from a reader’s enjoyment of the novel. And, American readers should know that British English is used here. (So, don’t criticize when the authors use “colour” or the phrase “different to”!)
In summary, I think fans of this sub-genre will enjoy this first novel of the “Princess of Etharia” series, and will certainly be delighted to know that the story will continue in Book Two.
'The Princess of Etharia' by Jessica Lee and Kelly Wightman was amazing! It's been a while since I read a reverse harem, and this book was a great way to remind me why I liked them SO MUCH. I really enjoyed reading this portion of Elena's story and can't wait to read about what happen next! (The book is left off on a cliffhanger) Elena has gone through so much already, and is now discovering that not everything is as it seems. Each of the heros in this story are all a different kind of 🤤😌😍. They are all amazing in their own way, and I really like that. I definitely recommend this book, 5/5 from me!
Join the #Amazing_readers and follow us for more: https://www.instagram.com/amazing_reads/ **Image (book edit) used above was made by @amazing_reads on Instagram ^^^
As the title clearly states, this is a bully romance which means throughout the story there were quite few arrogant, super hot, powerful bro dudes and flocks of women vying for their attention. It's not a bad thing, I fully expected this going into the story, but something to be fully aware of before starting this series. Most of the male students at the academy are privileged and of high status in the magical community, and Elena, as powerful as she is, is a commoner that just doesn't really fit in. She's often teased but she's a sassy, proud main character who pushes against it. She brushes them off at first, teasing and mocking them right back, but eventually she starts to wear down, seems to just accept their teasing, and the romance part of the book starts to take off.
The story had a little bit of an adult Harry Potter feel to it, with each of the students placed in different houses and participating in the potions/spells classes. Elena quickly devotes herself to learning these new skills, along with deciphering the text in her father's journal, to master her magic and take down the people coming after her. Perhaps this will be explained further in future books, but I wanted to learn more about her father and what he was up to before he died. There were also times when I got frustrated with Elena because her default reaction to everything seemed to be to lash out with a temper. Overall, though, I enjoyed the mystery and suspense as the plot unfolded.
What a great read. It's been an age since I've read anything similar *I'm really not sure why?*. My gosh I enjoyed it so much. I'm heading off to dive straight into the next, given my feeling was right I'm excited to see how this will play out. Bring on the drama I'm sure is to come.
I have been fortunate enough to be able to read this book as it’s developed and the premise is brilliant. The storyline is original, the protagonists origin story is intriguing, if a bit dark. The main characters are well thought out but leave you unsure just who you are rooting for! The world it’s been set in is different and well constructed. All ticks in the box! I’ve left it as 4 stars as the book is a bit fast paced for me in places. That being said I will be reading the next one and can see so much potential for this series!
This book was such a fun read that kept me interested from the get go! If you love a strong badass female lead character and more than one love interest i couldnt recommend this book more. Cant wait for the next book!!
This is compatible to an adult version of Harry Potter, but more bad ass. You have a bad ass character fighting her own demons while trying to find her place in the world, as well as fighting against people that don't know the really her. She shows them she can't be stopped either by fighting back, or getting them closer. This book was an excellent fanasty book to read and I can't wait to read the next...
I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review If you love steam harem reverse books this book is for you if not stay away. The heroine is a good character but i find that she is too powerful, she know a lot and try to learn in the school but the school is too "small" for her. Everyone is below her capacity, i really hope in the next book she find a balance. This book really has potential of being a good series, i really enjoyed the word authors created for the book. Is a mix of the avatar last bender and boys over flower with steamy romance. Congratulations. I really hope to read the next book.
This story takes place in a whole new world, with new places, mythical creatures and a whole worlds worth of trouble to enjoy. Great for those who enjoy the world of magic, BUT it also gets you excited in other ways, thanks to the filthy mind and uncensored desires of the lead character 😉🤭
This book isn't the kind of book I usually go for, but one of the authors is family so I said I would read the book and leave an honest review. This is a very smutty book, and smutty books aren't the kind of thing I usually pick up, so I found the smut a bit overwhelming. I think this was partly due to all of the character relationships being established at the same time. Another element that I don't usually go for in books is bully romance, which this has, but I think the changing dynamic between the main character and the 'bully' characters felt organic, with one relationship in particular developing in a way I enjoyed. I enjoyed the dark and emotional themes, the world building, and the ending. I'm excited to read the next book and see some of the potential I saw in this book explored further.
THAT CLIFFHANGER!!!!! This book got me out of my 2 month reading slump and I really enjoyed it. In a lot of ways this book reminds me of Zodiac Academy, for the first book in the series it started off great and I can’t wait to see what the next 3 books have in store. Cayden, Roman, Blake and Emmett all 4 love interest the connection between them all makes this book so much better.
Elena as the female love interest gods she’s such a badass I love her. I’m going to be binging this series all week.
Perhaps a different title to not give the story away?
Amazing start to the series but the book title kinda ruins the big reveal which although the story alludes to it, the reveal would have had more impact. Good story, all the guys are complete assholes and should not be forgiven at all but that's not the story! It's still really good, interesting and Elena kicks ass!!
I stumbled upon this book browsing and the blurb sounded amazing so I gave it a shot! I fell in love with the FMC in this book she has been through so much in her like but she is still strong as hell. The guys I really wanted to strangle most of the book. I definitely can’t wait for book 2!!
Having just finished reading an ARC copy of this book, I must say I loved it! The world that the authors have created is very rich in detail and well put together. They have done a really nice job of not only mapping out the various Kingdoms that are involved but down to Divinos Academy grounds where the main characters are living. Such a nice touch to include an actual map of these settings, I don't see that much in paranormal romance. Great job!
As for the story it definitely builds and it grabs you right at the beginning. Getting a real good glimpse of the main character, Elena’s past and the pain she’s had to endure helps me connect to this character and why she ends up being such a badass take no shit type. Then watching the plot unfold while she’s at school gets even better. Not just Elena’s character but also all of them!
Also, the intense steamy naughtiness of this book is off the charts!! Bravo! With so many hot guys floating around Elena it’s hard to choose my favorite but the authors have done a really good job at finding a nice balance between plot and the highly seductive scenes, not for the faint of heart (YAY!). Definitely not an easy task I’m sure.
There is a bit of Harry Potter meats Mean Girls vibe here when it comes to the magic these characters posses and the way they interact with each other but just for a moment because there’s also some serious deep pain their carrying around within themselves too. Also, the magical creature you encounter along the way are really cool and makes you wish they actually existed in real life cause who wouldn’t want to just take off on the back of a Griffin any day.
So all in all, yes, there are some spots that could be a bit more thorough and have more emotion involved but I also know the author’s are hard at work further molding this epically hot and super fun read. I will definitely be getting the book once it actually comes out because that cliffhanger is KILLING ME!! I completely recommend buying this book you wont be disappointed!
The story was promising, but the writing style was terrible. Shallow, no build up, often felt cut off. It felt like reading a book written by a teenager with not much writing experience. Very disappointing.
I really wanted to love this but we weren’t given a chance. Even during scenes where the main character is going through so much pain, I didn’t feel anything. It felt like a list was being ticked off. The relationship with the men had no chemistry. The plot had so much potential but it’s a dnf for me.
This is a great story. I love all the elemental magic and the school for it. Elena is awesome with her powers and her power over the men. I can’t wait for the next book!
This was another book that had elements that I loved yet so many that I didn't. I did contemplate DNF'ing but there was just enough magic and mystery to keep me interested.
What I Liked: *Elena. At first I was worried because as much as I can tolerate most character types, those that are rude to everyone aren't my favorite. Eventually, I really liked her for the most part. I seriously love special snowflake mary sues. From reviews, I gather this is an unpopular opinion but ya love what ya love. *Magic school! I love academy books but so many I have read lately could be set anywhere because so little time is spent detailing the school activities and curriculum. This book had loads of on page magic class time. I loved it. *The magic. The magic was fun to read about. *Magical creatures. I am a sucker for animals in books.
What I Didn't Like: *Some of the plot threads were nonsensical. For example (spoiler!!!), Elena accidentally burns down her house and her father dies in the fire. The court doesn't believe her version of events and she is charged with manslaughter and sent to juvie. When Elena gets to the elite magic school one of the first magic tasks is creating a truth potion. So 17 year olds learn how to make truth potions but the courts don't use them as part of standard operating procedure? Maybe this was part of the villains' nefarious plans to get her under their thumb but if so why didn't they drain her magic when she was in juvie and had no power due to her collar? Also, there were so many times when someone would come at Elena or something would happen and she didn't use spells she had already used. For example, when she goes to visit Emmet for the first time she cloaks herself but when the other professor is about to come into his room she hides under the bed. *Elena. So I have her on both lists because I loved how powerful she was but I couldn't stand that she was so friendly with the guys with what they were doing. To just be OK with someone trying to torment her when they were around their friends but then to be nice when they were alone with her. As a character, I get that she understood why they did it but to allow them to get close in private, yeah that just made her seem like a doormat. I also hated that she would be sleeping with one guy then make out with another. She wasn't committed to them so it wasn't cheating but it just felt like a crappy thing to do. Finally, why in the heck was she not trying to get more information about the people trying to harm her? This made a little bit of sense due to where she was mentally but I was screaming at her to cloak herself and get info before they try again.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the cliffhanger ending has me super curious though I have a theory on how I think that will be resolved.
I wasn’t sure about this book at first, but I am so glad I read it. The FMC Elena has gone through so much since she was a child, and the hits just keep on coming. Losing her mother at a young age changed her and her father but in different ways. Where she became angry, hurt, lonely her father became the complete opposite. So blinded by his guilt and fear of losing someone else he loved he became obsessed with his daughter’s ability to never leave him.
Elena was born an Elemental. Her mother possesses the magic of Air whereas her father possessed the magic of earth and fire. After the death of his wife Elena’s father began to dabble in dark magic in his quest to make his daughter the most powerful Elemental ever. It’s common for Elementals to control one of the four elements but an elemental who can control two is considered powerful. An Elemental who can harness the power of all Elements is not only rare but highly coveted because of the power they possess.
After a tragic accident at the age of 13 taking the life of Elena’s father; she is not only blamed for his death but charged with manslaughter and had to spend 4 years at Dark Vault Juvenile Correctional Center. Little did Elena know that this sentence was the catalyst being used to orchestrate events targeting Elena and her magic. After receiving a scholarship to Divinos Academy, the academy for the rich and powerful Elena has her suspicions. Which were confirmed by the hostile welcome she received from the 3 Princes at Divinos Academy who control 2 elements each making them 3 of the most powerful and feared elementals at the Academy: Roman: Earth/Fire, Cayden: Air/Water and Blake: Air/Fire. The sole purpose of these guys is to make Elena leave the school. Elena was bullied, harassed, embarrassed and attacked.
Elena knows that someone has gone through great lengths to get her into Divinos Academy she just doesn’t understand why. Roman, Cayden and Blake have a job to do but none of them expected to fall for Elena and her for them. Now with the help of her sexy Spells & Potions Professor Emmett, Elena is getting close to unlocking her father’s secrets and hopefully having a chance at living a normal life, but danger is lurking in the shadows with its sights set on Elena. On her 18th birthday her father left her a gift that will reveal who she really is but will she live long enough to understand.
i honestly have no words for what i just read… i mean seriously. there was no clear plot through out the entire thing, so i truly had no idea what the whole point of the story was.
also the writing was lacking. it felt like something that a middle schooler would write on wattpad. there were so many blatant grammatical and punctuational errors through the book i was shocked it got through editing.
don’t even get me started on the characters. all of them, even the fmc, were extremely one dimensional. i had no interest in any of them whatsoever, i honestly could not have cared less for anything that was going on. that and can we talk about elena not being a strong fmc?
Elena is portrayed as the strong, do-it-herself fmc. she was in juvie for a few years; in the beginning of the book you can sort of see how the word building allows for her to be a very well constructed character. however, as the story went on she became flat. the fights that her and the guys would get into seemed juvenile, not something incredibly powerful people would consider doing… i mean flipping up her skirt? how does that make them dangerous and terrifying.
the mmc were just constant sex on the brain it was annoying reading their povs. basically all of their inner monologues were just “she’s so hot i need to fuck her”… WHAT AM I READING RIGHT NOW. even when we do get semi tense interactions between them it all just gets watered down to how hot they think the other is. they supposedly bullied her and then she’s make outs with them and even hooks up with one of them!
also i found most of the dialogue between characters super cringy.
halfway through the book i spent most of my time just skimming the pages to finish it faster. i don’t think i will pick up a book from this author again.
Special Shoutout to the randomness of continually throwing out that elena is a C cup… like why did we need to know that?