Nightshade Academy has so much promise as a series and will appeal to many readers who like this type of story. For me personally as the 1st book in a series it felt like there was a lot of words but not much happening. And when things did happen it felt rushed and lacking in description. It frustrated me as a reader as you got glimpses of how strong narratively the book could be. As the plot is intriguing.

I am so disappointed in myself for not being able to read this amazing book prior to it's archive date. However this story is amazing! I love books that are about military style academies. I am so happy to have bought this physical book and read it separately from Netgalley,

I really liked this book. It was a great setup for the series to come. I liked the storyline and the characters. Look forward to reading more!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I really enjoyed this overall. This world is so well set up and the author used amazing descriptions and imagery for the world building so I felt like I was in the academy with them!

I enjoyed the dark academia setting with a truly cut throat competition and this book gave the hunger game vibes. It was also refreshing that our main character Yahshi is not a prodigy or indestructible it made them a lot more relatable and allowed me to connect to him more.

The plot was super strong in this book and the author did a great job at making you think it was going one way and then doing a complete 180 flip and going in a completely different direction. It was very twisty and although it was YA there were some strong adult themes and it was quite brutal.

I really enjoyed the writing style as it was easy to follow and I don’t find myself getting confused. This allowed me to read this book fairly quickly and the pacing really helped with this. I’d love read more of the authors work.

DNF at 30%

The writing feels so juvenile. The plot had potential but so much of it does not make sense.

DNF @ 67%

This book... drags. I started it so long ago that I've practically forgotten what the premise was. I kept trying to pick it back up, but I just couldn't get into it. I really gave it my best shot.

What I do remember is the characters feeling very cold and lacking in humanity, which may have been the point, but I didn't find it very easy to connect to the story because of that.

I have to say that the comparison of this book to The Poppy War is acute. In fact it feels like this book tries to imitate the style of R.F. Kuang. The difference is that the characters in The Nightshade Academy aren't morally grey, they're just confused. In fact, there's no one to root for at all.

Overall, the book could have benefitted from a large amount of plot trimming and better character development.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for
giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Final rating: 2/5

I'm sorry to say, but this book was not my cup of tea. The writing was weak, the world building was weak, and I felt as if I was fighting through mud just to keep going. When a book doesn't grip me, especially one marketed this way and promises intrigue and deadly competition, in the first few chapters, I'm not continuing.
I might give it another try if I can be convinced otherwise. As of now, I will not be continuing this book.

DNF @ 20%.

I sadly had to DNF this title at around 20% but not through any fault of the author or story or writing. I just had to make some choices about some of my ARC commitments and full time university work, as well as being a full time stay at home mum. My time was just spread too thin and I wish I could provide some better feedback.

Of what I had read of this title, I found it enjoyable and quite promising. It would definitely be something I would pick up if I saw it in store or if I saw it browsing through my Kindle. I would love to come back to this title at a time when I have more time to properly appreciate the story.

Thank you for giving me the chance to ARC for this work and I wish I could’ve completed the book before my download expired and before life got in the way.

3.5 Stars!

For some reason, academy settings always seem so alluring, and this caught my eye!

Set in an alternate reality which echoes imperial China, this has slight shades of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and The Poppy War as teens across the realm vie to be selected for that rare spot in the Belladonna Guardian Academy. Being chosen is an honor as their families and district get a generous stipend for as long as they remain in the competition, and being the best of the best means a chance to become a guardian of the Force as twenty students are whittled down to the premier five, showing they have what it takes to protect the empire and fight off treacherous traitors.

This story focuses on 15 year old Yahshi who is an unexpected pick. Once at the top of his class, a traumatizing incident several years back causes an obsession in him that he can’t let go of. It’s possible that his inquisitive dogged mind brought him to academy attention, and he’s not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing.

As Yahshi fights his suspicions, he also struggles with wanting to know the truth about the venerated Force. He can’t help but admire their cause, nor can he deny his inner competitive side. In such a charged setting, it’s no wonder that motivations are questioned, friends become foes and foes become friends, all with an underlying commentary on indoctrination, political conflict, shades of morality all tied together with plenty of pervasive secrets and hidden agendas.

This had the classic school competition with a pretty cutthroat elimination process. Yahshi is not a prodigy and is not infallible. Each student had their own personal reasons for wanting to be in the academy which was varied and interesting. Be aware that the themes presented in this were quite adult, and I was pleasantly surprised regarding the various ways the author took this story, thinking it would go turn here but ended up going there. Remember too, this is YA. Some actions and reactions were not mature and there is a lot of growing up that was done and still needs to be accomplished.

Overall, I enjoyed this set up, and the premise was interesting. This ends with a big reveal, and I look forward to the next book to see how Yahshi and his friends prevail!

Thank you to the author and Lost Island Press for a copy via NetGalley in exchange for a review posted to Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5965071155?book_show_action=false

5/5 stars⭐


twenty teenagers are selected to join an academy where they are trained to defend the empire and only five can remain and become guardians.

the story follows our protagonist, yahshi, who gets selected to join the academy and he later discovers the truth behind the academy that he has been obsessing over for the longest and is now torn between submitting himself by turning a blind eye and going along with their games and lies or seeking the truth, are the nightshades truly all they claim to be?

i had high expectations for this book and it was everything i could ask for and more, i enjoyed the world building immensely, one of my favorite aspects of this book was yahshi, vell and pinto's friendship their found family dynamic is going to be the end of me, they also reminded me of the harry potter trio at times. i loved yahshi and all of his flaws and i liked the depth of his story and cant wait to see more of it in the future books, watching him trying to redeem himself and be a better person after the mistakes he has done was satisfying to see and i loved how mel wrote his character thoughtfully, being a child who is lost is not a sin and not everyone is perfect. we witness a couple of conflicts and betrayals by the end of the book which took some twists and turns, im looking forward to seeing yahshi and vell and how their relationship will develop. the ending was insane it made stop reading and hold my head in my hands i still cant warp my mind around how i wasn't able to clock it. overall this book was beyond amazing and i cant wait to read whats next!
thank you netgalley, mel torrefranca and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange of an honest review.
ALL THE STARS to nightshade academy. nightshade academy is out today!

Thank you to Net Galley, Lost Island Press, and Mel Torrefranca for the opportunity to receive an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Twenty teenagers enter. Only five become guardians.

Yahshi Konya shouldn’t be one of them. With low test scores, his selection for the Empire’s boarding school raises red flags. The guardians are offering him the opportunity of a lifetime, but at what cost?

Taking a chance, he joins the aggressive military program and strikes an alliance with two trainees. Vell, the only girl, and Pinto, the overachiever. United, they tackle relentless challenges, watching their competitors dwindle.

But the Academy is not what it seems. When dangerous truths emerge, Yahshi finds himself killing his friendships—and possibly his humanity.

A gripping tale of power, betrayal, and redemption, Nightshade Academy will leave you walking the tightrope between good and evil.

My review:
This book is FANTASTIC! It grabbed me from the very beginning. Major young adult dystopian vibes - which I happen to love. The characters, both side and main, were well done. They were developed well and all very individual but they mixed well together. The plot was really engaging.

THE ENDING! I jumped out of my seat. This is absolutely a MUST READ!! I can't wait for the rest of the series.

This was an ok story. It was a bit hasty, the first half breezing through the elimination process and the second half having most of the plot. There wasn’t much emotional connection with the characters or the story, even the main ones. I didn’t care who got eliminated, and I didn’t really care about the lives of the Underground members.

I couldn’t get the hang of the setting either. It was pre-industrial with some oddities like coffee dispensers that made me think the author hadn’t quite thought the world through. Descriptions were otherwise sparse, so there was no comparing it with existing cultures. With the jumping narrative, it was a bit difficult to immerse in the story.

Yahshi was an ok character, but his anger soon became tiring, especially since there was no proper background story to measure it against. I liked how he wasn’t a prodigy or the chosen one, so the chances of him surviving the elimination process weren’t entirely obvious. He was the underdog. And then the ending ruined that. I don’t think I’ll be continuing with the series.

4-4.5/5. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book! This was a great read and I am definitely going to want to continue with this series. I am super disappointed the other books are not out yet especially since this book ended on a cliffhanger!

This is a YA book that has some darker twists to it. It starts off with a murder taking place and the effect that murder had on the main character, Yahshi. Yahshi had changed after witnessing the murder, which was committed by his best friend’s sister (Cal), and seeing the Empire’s reaction to it. The Empire then had Cal drafted into the Academy which is where recruits are going through a boarding school of military type training till there are only 5 recruits left and these 5 recruits then become guardians. The recruits are filtered from the program in a variety of ways that makes the book stressful at times.

Yahshi gets selected to join the Academy, even though it was not something he intended to do, nor does his father want him to join. But he decides to accept the chance to go to the Academy. I felt like I had a love/hate relationship with Yahshi. At times he was a great character in the sense that he always stuck to his principles and tries to do the right thing. But at other times, he was super annoying and whiny—especially when he felt the right thing was not being done. Which I get you want fairness in the world, but there are good times and bad times of when to take a stand and make your voice heard, and Yahshi was terrible at determining when to do that.

Yahshi’s attitude is probably my biggest complaint and his terrible decision making (at certain times). His attitude made interactions between other characters awkward at times as well. There are quite a few scenes where I was disappointed in the character’s interactions with each other. I noticed there was a lot of dialogue that ended with “he/she spat” (not like spitting, but as in tone). This felt overused and most of the time it felt like it was used improperly, because in the next instant the tone would be normal or casual.

The pacing of this book was done well, I found it hard at times to put this book down. I did get hooked into this story and found myself wanting to constantly know what was going to happen next. Especially towards the end when things take a drastic turn, it was really hard to put down. And just when I was super invested and could not wait for what happened next, the book ended…☹ Like I said, I definitely wish the other books were out and I could continue the series.

Another plus was that even though this was YA, there was no romantic relationships! Not that I do not like romantic relationships in books, but it was nice to finally have a YA book not have one for a change. I will say I could see a potential one forming later, but for now, it was nice to just have a book focused on the story! I feel like so many YA books suffer because they are only focused on the relationships, and this one was able to focus solely on the story, and it definitely shows, the story was great!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book – a creative blend of fantasy and dystopia. 20 teenagers are selected for training at a military academy and go through a series of challenges till only 5 remain to enter the elite military. The story is very character driven; the characters feel so real that you feel as if you knew them personally. However, there is plenty of world-building and an immersive story world is slowly but beautifully built throughout. I loved the slight hints of how the story might twist like the part in the book where you can tell something is off when one of the trainees is discovered to be a spy and shares with Yahshi that his own father might not be who Yahshi thought. Some aspects of this story might feel similar to Hunger Games or the Legend trilogy. This also would be a great read for someone who is interested in the new best-seller Fourth Wing, but wants something with less violence and less vulgarity. This book is categorized as YA but the themes tackled (freedom, death, choice, justice etc.) were handled with greater eloquence and finesse than in most YA books I've read; this is probably why I enjoyed it so much. The ending was absolutely epic, I didn’t see it coming and now I’m eagerly awaiting book two and the rest of the series so I can find out what happens.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, this was such a fun and interesting read! The Hunger Games meets a very mild version of The Poppy War and I'm living for it! It's marketed as fantasy but it's definitely giving 2000s YA dystopia vibes. The amazing world-building, the immersive writing style, and the character-driven plot made it so hard for me to put the book down. I had my doubts about it because I haven't heard of the author or the book before, but I'm so happy that I decided to request this ARC. I love the fact that there's a song for each chapter, it's such a fun idea for those who like to listen to music while reading! But I did forget to play the songs because I started reading the next chapter right away and couldn't stop.

I'll definitely read the next installment in the series because of the cliffhanger! But I promise, the book is really good and you should definitely give it a shot if you enjoyed The Hunger Games and The Poppy War.

4.5/5 stars:
The beginning of the story is a bit slow, but once it begins to pick up you will be completely drawn into this world. The author does a great job describing the scenes, and the characters are well-developed. I appreciated the interactions between the characters and seeing how their relationships progressed, such as Pinto who wasn’t very fond of converts, and Quax who developed a rivalry with his childhood friend. I enjoyed seeing how the events that unfolded during the prologue affected each of our characters differently. Yahshi becomes obsessed with the events that took place that day, which drives him to sign the contract and join the academy to seek a deeper understanding.
I was a huge fan of the academic/dystopian setting that this story had. I felt that Mel’s writing style was captivating, you can tell just how much effort was poured into this story. This has made me interested in picking up her other books. I can’t wait to see what’s to come in the following books, especially after reading those unexpected turn of events.

"The rules are in place to control our emotions. Because if they control our emotions, they control our actions. And if they control our actions, they own us completely."

To say I was impressed by this book would be an understatement.
Nightshade Academy is if like R. F. Kuang's The Poppy War took place in a dystopian world. Twenty students are selected to take part in an intense military training program, but only five will make it through.
I thought the pacing was great and the plot was amazing. I found it hard to put down the book, especially after the 50% mark. It's full of twists and turns, most of which I did not predict ahead of time.
The characters were awesome as well. I loved the main trio the most. Yahshi reminded me a bit of generic YA boys from the early 2000s dystopian era at first, but he quickly distinguished himself with his curiosity and bravery. Vell was super cool and she reminded me a bit of Venka from the The Poppy War, but much nicer. Similarly, Pinto reminded me of Kitay but more anxious. The portrayal of their relationships as a whole was super realistic and I found myself caring deeply for each of them.
I also just found out that not only does the author have super cool official fanart (Pinto's character design is adorable), but there is a podcast where each character is voiced by a different actor and there are even sound effects! I listened to the first five minutes of the first episode, and in the future, I'd like to listen to the whole thing.
If you wanted more time at Sinegard during The Poppy War or if you're looking for a unique dystopian that plays on the lies the government hides from us, this series is not one you want to miss.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC.
4.5/5
(also...that ending????)

My jaw is still dropped open from the ending.
In a lot of ways, this is a standard distopian teen book. Our main character ends up in a place that he believes exists to serve the government in a positive way but slowly the shine fades and he starts questioning everything.
Occasionally there are so many names that it's hard to track what's going on, but in some ways that's a benefit. The main character has complicated and dynamic friendships. He trusts deeply, and doesn't pigeon hole himself to one thing.

I liked the book:
- Fun concept and i believe it would appeal to fans of Fourth Wing
- Very good concept with the school
-Poor bunnies!

What i felt could be improved:
- I felt like i read a trilogy all smushed into a book
- Weirdly specific time skips which made awkward pauses in the book
-Not well enough developed characters.

As the first book I read for fun after finishing my dissertation, I'm so glad it was this one. Thanks for the opportunity for this ARC.

I love dark academia books, and this one did not disappoint. The book starts with the main character in primary school and then continues with him at an elite academy to become a Guardian. Throughout this time, he has faced with many moral dilemmas.

This book has great pace and pretty decent character development. Some of the characters are a bit more shallow than others, but there is a large cast before they are whittled down.

There is a great twist towards the end of the book, which I didn't work out until just a couple of chapters before the end. It's also a bit of an emotional rollercoaster throughout. I highly recommend it.