I received a free e-copy of The Ring Academy - The Trials of Imogene Sol - by CL Walters, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley and the author.

This was a captivating book and there was never a dull moment. I just wish it didn't feel so rushed with the timeline. Alot happened in a span of short time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of The Ring Acadamy: The Trials of Imogen Sol.

I really enjoyed this story, but the crux for me is that the book felt rushed. We see Imogen take part in four trials, as well as her own personal trials, all in a couple of hundred pages.

I felt like when I started to get into the moment with a trial, it would be explained and over in a handful of pages.

An orphan whose parents left a horrible legacy, Imogen Sol is trying to earn a place for herself outside that legacy. A lot is at stake as she moves through the trials. The romance is balanced well and doesn't dominate the story.

I received an arc of this book for my honest review

REVIEW
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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I haven't read Sci-fi in forever, and this was a very good book to reintroduce me into the genre. What I loved most was how I was able to understand the events and the creatures in this world. The author provided information and pictures describing the different species and the world, and I really appreciated that. It made reading the book very easy and less confusing. I also liked that the setting was simple to understand in terms of its existence, and the rest of the pilots and the other aliens were not weird, unlike some sci-fi movies.
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I liked the storyline and the fmc, Imogen Sol. I liked the final trials theme, and I was able to understand what Imogen has been going through because of her infamous parents. She's a character you can't help but admire and root for. I'm glad she rediscovered herself and let go of her hurtful past. I also like Timaeus Kade, he was the perfect love interest!
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I really loved this book, and I wish it's a series because I want more of Imogen, and I still have some unanswered questions

* Thank you NetGalley & Mixed Plate Press for this ARC in exchange for this honest review. *

The Ring Academy (though, the cover is a little bit confusing, title-wise) was an interesting sci-fi about Imogene Sol, the daughter of two infamous criminals who bombed, and subsequently killed, several members of the Federation. Now 22, Imogene attends the Ring Academy, where she is competing against people who hate her to get a top spot in the Federation. If she fails, she will spend her life shoveling crap on a hell-planet, and if she succeeds, she may finally make a name for herself.

I thought this book had a really interesting plotline, but it just felt like ... a lot. The book was only 325 pages, and I feel like it would've benefited from some more information being added. They would reference things but give zero on-page information about what that thing was or how it was created. There were missives throughout the story showing more details on certain things, but as it wasn't happening when those things were actually being discussed, it did cause some confusion for me.

I felt like the mystery of who was messing with Imogene was kind of weird. The culprit didn't really make much sense to me - because the big reveal explained everything in, like, one paragraph, instead of spreading the clues throughout the book, and then summarizing it. Literally, no clues were dropped previous to the mask being yanked off, and it was kind of hard to care at that point about it.

If this author continues this series, I would hope they'd offer more details in their future stories. I would be interested in reading more from this world, and as far as recommending it, I would say anyone interested in a lighter, easier to digest sci-fi would like this story.

4.5

"You've always been the one to sacrifice."

✦ Sci-Fi
✦ Soft Romance (w/ a Consent KING)
✦ Rivals/Enemies to Lovers
✦ Dark Past
✦ Found Family

Follow Imogene Sol through her trials at the Ring Academy before she gets placed in the Federation. It's her final year and she's discovering who she is and who she can trust.

This is one of those reads that you finish the last page and automatically flip to the next, wanting more. It's a very quick read and sits between YA and NA. Recommended for those who are romance readers that also like the concepts of Star Trek, Star Wars, Divergent, and The Hunger Games.

I received this title as an eARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, CL Walters, and Mixed Plate Press for the opportunity to read this treasure!

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! For such a short book, I feel like so much happened and the author did a great job with world building (I loved the UFB informational pages included throughout!) and establishing Imogene's friendships and building her relationship with Kade. The plot was so good and kept me guessing until the end. And the ending! All I can say is wow, this was such a perfect YA sci-fi/romance, and I can't wait for book 2!

I am not going to lie I ate this book UP! It was so incredible. The care that was put into this book was evident in the map and the illustrations of the different species, and the little blurbs about the federation, trials, history, etc.
I read this book in a single day, I literally could not put it down. The action kept me on my toes! And the romance?! Sensational! I am sucker for a slow burn and this delivered. The angst and pinning was immaculate. The plot itself was so fun and I enjoyed all the trials, and unexpected twists! I can’t wait for the next book!

Phenomenal writing and a gorgeous cover!! I had no idea what to expect going into this, but I was beyond pleasantly surprised. The characters were perfectly fleshed and felt so full of life. It's been a while since I felt so connected to characters that seem so real. I'm so curious to see everyone else's thoughts!

I NEED MORE! The Trials of Imogen Sol is so gripping I was hooked from the start. The plot is interesting and the story fast paced.

The only reason I can’t give it a 5 like I’m dying to, is that there are some parts of the world building that feel like they’re missing. Or like I’d missed the first book.

It’s a phenomenal story that got me over my Fourth Wing reading slump and I cannot wait for the next Ring Academy book!

You know a book was 5/5 stars amazing when your biggest complaint is that it wasn't long enough. I want more!

When I first started reading I felt like I had been dropped almost in the middle of a story because I realized we were starting in year 7 of this academy but I'm glad that is where it started because it makes it feel like we are in a fully thought out, existing world. While I would love to see the characters in those earlier years, this is clearly just the beginning for Imogene and her friends.

I really liked the inclusion of the diegetic "info" pages that kind of reminded me of playing a video game and finding journals or other "in world" literature and was a good way to include the world building and lore without info dumping on the reader. The inclusion of drawings also helped with imagining the non-human characters.

I am normally someone who likes YA/NA enough but would prefer a little more *spice* but something about the slow build, enemies to lovers just hit so right with this one. I was giggling and kicking my feet at the smallest interactions because the chemistry was just THAT good. It is closed door/fade to black for the little bit of romance we get but I was ok with it because it wasn't the main focus and I'm hoping we get more in the next book. I also loved the friend group and "found family" vibe between the main group.

It also had some of my favorite things: forced proximity, a MMC who notices things about the FMC no one else does (we stan a man who pays attention), a touch of mystery and danger, enemies to lovers but she was the only one who thought they were enemies, hiding in a closet ;)

For fans of Fourth Wing, Hunger Games, Divine Rivals, or Divergent this should definitely be your next read.

review on socials coming soon (TikTok, insta)

The Ring Academy: The Trials of Imogene Sol is a wonderful sci-fi New Adult book. It follows our fiesty female main character, Imogene, through her 7th year at the Ring Academy. She’s the daughter of known traitors to the Federation and has received hate and disadvantage because of this all of her life. The 7th year contains four trials that determine what the students placements will be in society. It’s imaginative and different, yet contains themes and tropes that everyone in the community knows and loves.
The biggest trope is found family along with enemies to lovers. I enjoyed seeing how Imogene grows throughout the novel. There’s a twist I was slightly expecting but there were other twists I wasn’t expecting, making the book that much better.
The book starts with a description of the Federation and the different planets involved. Theres a map too, which who isn’t a sucker for a map!? The book contains drawings and detailed descriptions of some of the different citizens of the universe the book is placed in. I loved these inserts. It helped build the world even more for me.
My only criticism is that I love a book based in an academy setting and I was kind of sad that the first book took place in the last year at the school. I feel like it was a missed opportunity to make a whole series based on the school and then the placements afterwards. With that being said, I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Book 1 left off on a cliffhanger and I’m dying to know more.
I would recommend this book to anyone who loved The Hunger Games, A Deadly Education, and like books. I read this book straight through and couldn’t put it down. It’s amazing. That’s all. Pick it up in August, you won’t regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book for free and give my honest feedback and review.

"The Ring Academy: The Trials of Imogene Sol" by C.L. Walters is an exhilarating Sci-Fi novel with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure.

The book follows Imogene Sol, an orphan of infamous parents and a seventh-year student at the Ring Academy. She has a few close friends, but most cadets hate her due to her appalling legacy. Her parents were deemed responsible for the death of many during the uprising against the Federation, and her peers cast her in the same light as her parents. As the saying goes: "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge", meaning she pays for her parents' sins.

Our heroine has to pass four challenging trials/tests to secure a good placement within the Federation. Securing a good placement is no easy feat for our heroine, considering who her parents were. Nothing comes easily for her, and she has to overcome many obstacles to keep her place at the top of the class. The plot thickens when she becomes the target of someone determined to get her expelled from the Academy. As the threats accelerate and she almost dies in one of the trials, not only her future but also her life is on the line.

With the help of her good friends, Vempur, Jenna, and Tsua, she tries to figure out who is behind the threats and clear her name after being falsely accused of a crime she didn't commit. And when her fiercer competitor, Timaeus Kade, offers to help her, she must decide whether to accept his assistance. She needs to let go of her trust issues and fears and decide if he can be trusted. The wrong decision will lead to her downfall.

This is a high-adrenaline, fast-paced, and imaginative story featuring a valiant and resolute heroine one can't but root for as she deals with the bad hand life dealt her. I admired her determination and gutsiness and love her character development. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters that revealed bits of themselves, and I appreciate that the author didn't overload us with their backstories.

The world-building was great and explained through the illustrations in the book. I loved that the graphics inserted in the book also showed the different species and explained the organizations that shaped the world and the rules of the trials. My only issue with the book was that the text within the graphics was too small to read. Additionally, there is a playlist at the end of the book, which is awesome.

I found this book to be quite engaging and actually had a bit of difficulty putting it down. I loved the characters, I loved the plot, and I love that there is a second book in this series on its way. I would love to read the second book and see how this intriguing story continues to develop. I highly recommend the book to readers who enjoy the combination of trials, mystery, romance, and strong female characters. It is a ride that won't want to get off! 5 out of 5 stars!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

Follow Imogene Sol as she competes against friend and foe through multiple trials that will decide her future. Imogene must juggle both succeeding through the trials, and attempting to win against a mysterious antagonist that schemes to cause her failure. This is not just a fantasy that leaves you at the edge of your seat, it is also an engaging romance.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I would say the best aspect of this book was the cast of characters. I found myself looking forward to seeing Imogene’s interactions with her ensamble of friends. I did find myself wishing there was more backstory, and that the trials went more in-depth. However, I do think the book is a very good length. It was easy to read. I look forward to reading the next book.

This was a really engaging and fast-paced read! The author did a great job crafting an intriguing plotline that pulls you right into the story from page one.

The FMC Imogene Sol has a chip on her shoulder and a target on her back thanks to her parents who were labeled as traitors after planning an attack on the Federation. It's up to her to make something of her life but that's easier said than done when so many cadets at The Ring Academy hate her for something she had no control over. This book follows her journey through the Year Seven Final Trials which will determine her placement.

If you enjoy reading about found family, betrayal, mystery and a sprinkle of romance set in an unique fantasy setting I would add this book to your TBR!

Thank you C.L. Walters , Net Galley and Mixed Plate Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

This definitely felt more YA than New Adult but overall a fun read with an intriguing premise. I would definitely look out for more work by Walters.