Oh wow where to begin? If this book is [author:Jeff Wheeler|1549088]s normal level of eloquent writing, depth of creativity and imagination and flawless delivery I need to read more of his books!

The Invisible College is open to all who can perform magic and everyone has the potential through singing or playing an instrument with intent. Then imagine an immortal enemy that periodically attacks humanity with illnesses that specifically targets what makes magic possible by making survivers deaf and incapable of learning said magic or losing the ability altogether.

The immortal enemy, the Aesir, is terrifying to me. They came from a frigid environment on a moon circling a dying planet so they can't stand heat. The Aesir taught humans some of their magic when they settled on the world in which this book takes place, so at one point the two races were living in harmony.

"They are beings of impeccable justice, which they consider the highest of all virtues. But do not be fooled by their cold beauty, the splendor of their magic, or their awe-inspiring songs. The Aesir are no longer our friends. (...) Something must have shifted (...) Regardless of the cause, we now know one thing: they now seek to destroy us (...)[W]hen they awaken, (...) they begin to hunt us again. Like rats.(...) [T]hey consider it within the bounds of justice to exterminate us."

And isn't that terrifying? They sleep to recuperate from the heat, and all the while you are praying that you are not the generation that will be decimated, when they awaken.

Unfortunately, our three main characters draw the short straw and have to face the Aesir; Robinson Dickemore Hawksley, a member of the Invisible College, professor at a university teaching a newly developed alphabet that helps, amongst others, deaf people learn how to speak, including McKenna Aurora Foster, the daughter of a rich investor who was sick and became deaf at a young age, and last Joseph Crossthwait, a member or a secret branch within the ranks of the Invisible College. Guess what he does? Hunts down another terrifying kind of Aesir magic called Semblances. The hair-raising magic that work while they slumber (besides the illnesses that spring up occasionally)? The ability to imposter a human that was close to death. The human is unaware that they have been possessed. Only a few are aware of that Semblances exist and they work to find and kill them so they can't send information back to the Aesir.

The story moves along at a good pace that keeps you engaged in the story of these three individuals. Time skips happen throughout the story but it is handled really well, like fx weeks go by while while Professor Hawksley is tutoring McKenna. It makes it feel like a lot is happening in a short time, when in actuality it is months.

The only reason I didn't give the book 5 stars is because of the Hawksley's manic actions when approaching McKenna about his feelings. He asks for advice from her parents, and then proceeds to ignore said advice. It felt extremely out of character and it soured my regard for him. Hopefully an explanation will be given in the sequel as it seemed like a compulsion or something!

The one downside to reading ARCs is that you have to wait an extra long time before you can read the sequel. I want answers to my questions!

The action in The Invisible College is set in the 19th century, in a land that has been living in the shadow of war for hundreds of years. This war takes place between mortals and beings sleeping in the glacier, who wake up from sleep on average once every 100 years and immediately start trying to exterminate people. No one knows when this conflict began or what its origins are. However, everyone speculates that it may be related to the magic of ice creatures, which people have acquired over the years and started to use in defense against the invader.

What absolutely delighted me in this book is the magical system, the development of which is supervised by a secret society called The Invisible College. Magic in this book is a very complex aspect. The tool used to cast spells is usually music. It can be singing, it can be an instrument, and thanks to the fact that magic is absolutely everywhere and has a kind of consciousness and belonging, the magic present in living animals can be used, for example, to animate a mechanical horse that will pull a tram along the city streets. The members of the Invisible College engage in such experiments, welcoming into their ranks all people interested in exploring the secrets of magic, regardless of their origin.

The main characters of the book are a soldier, a young inventor and a young girl who is preparing to make her debut in society. However, since McKeena is deaf as a result of the plague inflicted on humans during the last Awakening, entering the society is a huge challenge for her. The girl wants to blend in with the crowd so that no one can recognize her disability, so the mentioned inventor, who has unique skills in this matter , is hired to help her. In the meantime, our military officer is preparing for another Awakening of the enemy and is looking for spies who could have infiltrated society for years.

The Invisible College is a book that surprised and delighted me. I couldn't tear myself away from it, the story was excellent and the world-building was very original. The magic system here is so complicated that at times I had to wonder if I really understood its concept. The war going on in the background adds drama to the story, and the romance is absolutely beautiful. I must admit that a 19th century romance, where the characters blush because they found each other's eyes in the crowd, definitely tugs at my heartstrings.The book ended in a great way, which opens the way for the author to the next volumes of history. Ancient magic, war with sleeping legendary beings and 19th century urban fantasy with a steam punk twist are definitely something I liked. I think I will also read other books by this author. I really liked his writing and the way he introduced the reader to a new world. I need more!

What really drew me in was the magic system: music and tones! What kept me reading: the relationships between the characters.
What made me feel a disconnect: the blurb sort of sold me a war front. What I got instead was the equivalent of the bombing of London in WW2 and people desperately clinging to keep to their normal lives during the catastrophic event.

There's a saccharine sweetness to the story--this by no means is a war story, so much as a love in war story. And y'know what? I loved it. I read and write a lot of serious stuff, so it was great to read something more innocent and light-hearted--gives me something to hope for!

While the main story questions are answered satisfactorily, I can't help but feel like the overarching story will end in one of two ways, and I hope it's in that twist that leads to a happy ending for everyone involved. But who knows--we'll have to find out in the next book!

Would definitely recommend this story to someone who would want a light fantasy read. I had a lot of fun with this one!

TLDR: I was really looking forward to this book but I was unfortunately let down.

What really confused me about his is that the writing itself was good but the story was so flat. Every conflict seemed to be resolved immediately or not resolved at all. I don’t think the description is what this book is really about. The war of worlds between humanity and the aesir was pretty low stakes. There wasn’t really much talk of it. They didn’t even end the war. They hardly even talked about the Aesir. Robinson is also supposed to teach magic, or atleast that’s the conclusion I drew from the description, to McKenna. They have a romance that I didn’t ask for and that seems to be what the book is really about. I wish it were marketed as a magical realism romance or a romantasy instead of a fantasy with a war and magically beings. I don’t know man… I’m having trouble separating my thoughts because there was so much good but so much to be desired.

I will say that, as a Christian lady, there seemed to be some lovely biblically moral themes at the core of the book and I always love encountering that ❤️

The premise was very interesting and the writing was al right. But the pacing suffered because of its overuse of academic pandering, which effected the narrative negatively. The bones for a great story are definitely there, and I appreciate the inclusion of a disabled character which was very decently handled in the parts I read. I did not finish do to these issues and it's fairly slow pacing, which is more of personal taste issue.

What an interesting, smart, academic fantasy with some romance as well. It moved a bit slow but was smart and created a fun world to get immersed in.

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC gift in exchange for my honest review.

Below you can find my full review I posted on Goodreads. A big thank you again for approving me for this ARC, it was a joyful blast to explore this world and I wish the author and the whole team a very successful launch and release!! I cannot wait for the sequel!

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So it has been a week and I haven't forgotten anything about the plot.
This alone should be a sign to go and read this right now.

In all seriousness, this was such a delightful experience. I have recently started to get tired of the same old tropes, plotlines and characters, so I was very very sceptical when I requested this book. From the description it sounded right up my alley and I did not want to get my hopes up too much – but I wasn't disappointed. On the contrary.

I came for the characters but stayed for the world. The world-building is so well done.
As a reader, you are not overloaded with information (no exposition through explanation, thank god!), but instead you are slowly eased into the rules and systems of this world. It is very steampunky, which was a pleasent surprise. In general, vibe-wise it reminded me at first of a Lovecraftian story, and afterwards it gave me the feels of The Golden Compass or A Winter's Promise. Both books are completely different than The Invisible College though, in every regard. But if you are a fan of those, then I could see you liking this book too.

At the beginning I was only a bit confused by the concept of the intelligences , but that too was explained in time. I still have some questions i.e. to those (how do they get enough of them to power the whole city? are some more rare than others? could you use different intelligences for the same thing?) – but I think those questions are just minor ones that might be explored in the later books anyways.

Speaking of which, the magic system was a nice change from what is currently favored in the fantasy genre (sorry folks, no shadow daddies abound). It's steampunk meets fullmetal alchemist meets ... I don't know what else to compare it to, but it is vital to be able to hear – as magic is dependant on your musicality. Too bad that our main protagonist McKenna is deaf, but that's not something that will stop her to learn the craft. She is so full of will and wit that I'm sure that she will go places. I don't want to say more, because it's just so fun to learn about it as you go. Its connection to the Aesir (the immortal beings that threaten this world) is also really cool.

In general, the characters are very well fleshed-out, (some of) the side characters too.
Robinson and McKenna are lovely and I adored that neither of them were "perfect".
Especially Robinson as the male character was anything but handsome and buff and his character wasn't such a copypaste you will find in 80% of fantasy books nowadays. That was so refreshing.
The deaf rep was also well handled in my opinion and it was a delight to watch McKeena grow.
We also got some POV scenes of Joseph, which I did not find as compelling as the other two, but that's just me. He could have been a bit more three-dimensional in his character traits. If he's a bit more likeable, it would have created a bit more tension. However, his chapters were scarce and short, so I didn't mind that too much.

The writing was solid. Nothing out of this world, but fitting and not cliche or overly dramatic.
It was an easy read though, nothing to complain here.

The ending has a cliffhanger but oH IT'S A GOOD ONE
I usually hate cliffhangers with my whole body and soul. However this one? This one was FINE.
I felt absolutely excited about the prospect that the story is not over, and in general, the last 25% of the story opened some new questions that I NEED to see answered asap. To say that I cannot wait to read the sequel is an absolute understatement haha. (please I need to hold it in my hands as soon as possible)

All in all, it was a joy.


A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read an eArc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing steam punk story! Loved the unique world building and magic! It was slow in the beginning but started picking up around 20%. Good for urban fantasy lovers

Easy a 5-star read from me! I usually like romance in the fantasy books I read, so I was quite pleased when there finally were some romantic prospects a bit into the book. Wheeler introduced us to a brand-new world in this book, with compelling characters and rich descriptions of both the setting and the characters within. The magic they use is quite different than many other fantasy books I’ve read, and I’m a fan!

I have so many questions about the end! Need the next book like yesterday.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I want more already!!! Another fantastic world built here, and I enjoying sinking into it. Can't wait to see what happens next.

While not necessarily original, I did find the plot and storyline interesting. While slow, I was interested in what would happen next with the war between the Aesir, especially with the Awakening ongoing. However, the romance in the book was lacking as neither character seemed to have any chemistry between each other, and neither character was particularly compelling.

It was nice that one of the main characters was deaf, as well as the inclusion of other minor deaf characters. However, it felt more like the main character pitied the deaf characters vs, the deaf characters being strong, independent, and standing independently.

Jeff Wheeler also leads the readers to a twist at the end of the book but then decides to twist that twist. Instead of being a "gotcha" moment, it just felt forced as if he wrote himself into a corner and couldn't get out.

I will probably continue reading this series, not due to a love of the characters but to see how the war plays out.

⭐ 4.5 (Rounded Down)

"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.”

I very much enjoyed this book.

I thought the plot was well written and I truly felt I could place myself in the world I was reading. This is one of those stories I would like to see turned into a movie.

I loved the hint at romance, it was very cute and had me kicking my feet. However, I would have liked to see Robinson & McKenna interact more in the first half of the book, instead of their thoughts of their interactions in hindsight.

Some things in the book annoyed me but I think it was more purposeful character flaws than a failing on the author's part. Joseph was my main issue with the book, only because I didn’t like him. He was devoid of any likable qualities for me, it seemed as though he thought he was above everyone.

Nothing about this book felt predictable and I loved that.

Truly inventive fantasy with a strong character focus and an engaging magic system! Thank you to NetGalley and 47North for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Invisible College turned out to be much more romance-focused than I expected, but I am so far from mad from it, actually. Wheeler introduces us to such rich, likable, compelling characters that you can't help but be incredibly invested in their relationships, both romantic and not. We are introduced to a unique magic system and setting, and our central characters have to work around these circumstances for their relationship to flourish. As we explore the world and how all of humanity is forced to grapple with a frighteningly powerful alien race, the Aesir, Wheeler easily weaves in fitting twists and drama. I think the only thing I really wished for was a better sense of the various appearances of characters and their surroundings. Maybe it's because I was reading too quickly, but I feel like I don't even know the eye color of many characters! Despite this, though, I had a really great time reading this novel and finished it in a day. This is definitely 4.5 stars for me!

If you love sci-fi and fantasy books with an academic setting, you’ll probably love this one! This book has a super interesting world building and magic system, I also loved the little bits of romance we had. I felt like everything was very different from what we are used to and that’s such a good thing nowadays. It was definitely a great start to the series and I would highly recommend this book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Pretty cool read. The world building was detailed and helped picture what was going on. I had a good time reading. It was an absolute page turner

BRAVO Jeff! Another unique world, unique magic & an overall good fantasy.

A page turner set in 1800s with a school of magic theme and an ancient evil being fought against.

Just what I wanted!

A multi POV story with great worldbuilding that totally sucks you in! I loved the magic system it was so intriguing. There was tension, hints at a romance, an academic setting and it kept me wanting to read more. Looking forward to more books

A mortal sorcerer sets out to defy the dark magic of an ancient race awakening to wage war on mortals in an epic fantasy of adventure and love by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler.

Millennia ago, a magical race called the Aesir found a new home on a distant world. Attracted to the cold during an ice age, they hibernated for hundreds of years at a time. With each awakening, however, they saw their world changed by ever-evolving mortals, encroaching on their territory and way of life. Two civilizations with opposing magic poised to clash, over and over. Now, the Aesir are awakening to wage a new war—this time to exterminate their enemy once and for all.

Robinson Hawksley is an elocutionist at the Invisible College who has perfected a way of teaching speech that relies on harnessing the intelligences that create magic to train the sorcerers. The world needs more sorcerers to protect against the looming Aesir threat, and Robinson’s newest charge is McKenna Foster, a barrister’s daughter rendered deaf after a bout with a plague unleashed by the Aesir. As progress develops between them and they grow ever closer, there also comes a strange connection to the Aesir—one that crosses the boundaries of time itself and the unfathomable mysteries of the Unseen Powers.

Emerging from their icy fortresses, the Aesir begin their bombardment. Can Robinson and McKenna, brought together by magic, stop an endless war with powers even they have yet to fully understand?

A great book for anyone who likes the magical school trope, but with a more adult feel. This is definitely Jeff Wheelers best book to date, and as much as I did enjouy his previous series, this has the potential to be even better. Definitely recommend!

So so so cool! Love to read stories that can take me out of my comfort zone and this one did exactly that! Jeff Wheeler is a genious obviously!