SOLVED. YA Fantasy book about a boy who goes to a magic school that has their students wear silver bracelets with stones to indicate the kinds of magic they have mastered. [s]

[Dara]

I read this book sometime around 2015-2016, I remember the librarian in my middle school recommending it in the new books section and I kept thinking Rick Riordan wrote it but apparently not. I'm guessing it's a new work (back then) from a YA author with a good reputation already.

I remember a bunch of details, like the main character has dark magic, and is apparently the reincarnated version of a previous villain that was slain by a heroine on the good wizard side who had light powers. She was a martyr that was idolized; I think she died in battle when she was really young, like 14 or 16 or something. The main character has a friend, I think named Chase, who actually discovers he has light powers and is destined to become the next savior or something, and the main character at the end of book just realized he is actually the bad guy that everyone in his school is afraid of. Kind of like Harry Potter, it is the first book in a series so I really want to know what happens next but forgot the name of the book as well as the author.

[Em]

The Iron Trial

Is it this one? I'm pretty sure it is, except it's a male villain.

[Dara]

Yess it is! Thank you so much I’ve looking for it for a year now!

[Em]

Awesome! Glad I could help :)