Fallen Academy tells the story of Brielle, a human girl in a world where angels and demons battle to rule Earth, where humans are gifted powers and must join a side and train to fight in the war.
Brielle is the daughter of a necromancer, gifted with demon powers and enslaved to a demon master. Brielle lives in the demon city and is promised to her mother’s master. She expects to attend the Tainted Academy and learn to serve her demon master, but is shocked when she develops angelic powers and becomes a Celestial (with a dark twist) and must attend the Fallen Academy, to learn from angels.
Lincoln Grey is Brielle’s teacher at the academy, another Celestial, and they immediately rub each other the wrong way. It’s not quite enemies to lovers but they are definitely reluctant allies before they start to feel the heat.
The world in this story is a little futuristic (if the world went through an uprising and humanity was forever changed) and definitely a bit bleak in the demon city. The Fallen Academy ticks the magical academy boxes with classes, training and found family.
The writing in this story was easy to read and follow and had upper YA vibes (though the characters are 18 and older), possibly partly because of the ‘school’ setting.
The plot was interesting, though slightly predictable with the angels and demons battling over Brielle. I really enjoyed it, I’m a big fan of these types of stories and I read it a day and will definitely look forward to the next book in the series.

"Fallen Academy: Year One" hits the familiar beats of paranormal academy romance - forbidden love, found family, and magical powers wrapped in an angels-versus-demons package. While the concept of humans inheriting celestial powers is intriguing, and the chemistry between Brielle and Lincoln provides some entertaining moments, the execution feels a bit unpolished. The writing often skews younger than the characters' ages would suggest, with modern slang that sometimes pulls you out of the story.

Despite its flaws, there's something undeniably addictive about this quick read. The pacing keeps you turning pages, and while the plot might be predictable, it's still an entertaining escape if you're in the mood for a light paranormal romance. Just don't expect deep world-building or particularly complex character development - this one's more about the fun than the finesse.

Thank you to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun read, and I loved the concept of angels and demons on Earth, battling it out. The idea of humans getting powers as a result of the Angel's fall to Earth and war against Lucifer was definitely new to me and I loved that it resulted in a separation between Angel and Demon Cities (even if the names are lacking).
The FMC, Brielle, whilst definitely heading towards becoming a total badass, seems quite immature for her age and considering her upbringing. More than a few cringey things came out of her mouth/thoughts. I loved the MMC Lincoln however he did seem to turn into an entirely different character about half way through the book without any real development or explanation.
The found family aspect was good, and I loved Brielle and Shae's relationship and how they bonded with their little group at the Academy.
Despite the downsides, I still found the story fascinating and I would pick up the second book to see what's going to happen next.

I've read a couple of other works from Leia Stone, so I was excited to get selected to read this. I devoured it within a couple of days. I will say I enjoyed this book enough to read the rest of the series, but not enough to reread it.

I liked the idea of this book, but the writing felt extremely juvenile. To the point it took me out of story. There was a lot of modern slang for the time; it was written like "YOLO". It was very cringy for me and further disconnected me from the story.

This was an interesting read for me because about a quarter of the way through I realized I’d read it a few years ago.
The set up for the series is there and it’s not as convoluted as some series make it.

I do love a forbidden romance and it does deliver in an PLL manner for those interested. I do love a YA with a magical school setting so this definitely delivers for those craving those vibes and academic feel.

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for this eARC.

I enjoyed this, I found it easy to follow in terms of world building/magic systems, the plot went at a nice pace, the characters could of been fleshed out a bit more but as it's the first in the series I'm expecting that to come with later books!

I enjoy reading anything by Leia Stone, so when I saw this I had to read it. I did enjoy this book, not my favorite though. The characters were interesting and I enjoyed the world.

Well, for the first book it was good, I expected more but it was really entertaining, to be honest.
It's a quick read, it's easy to read, I liked that.
It's been a long time since I read a PNR/urban fantasy, especially a war between angels and demons, it took me back to 2015 haha ​​I love it.

I liked the characters, it wasn't bad, I just didn't fall in love with them enough, but I liked them a little.
I feel like some things happened quickly but it wasn't that bad.
Anyway, I do recommend it because it is very entertaining, and I want to read the next books.


(Re-release: Mar 18


Thanks netgalley / Bloom books for the arc

I am intrigued! I really like the magic system so far and the story! I think the relationship seemed to move a little fast for it being the first book so I’m interested in seeing where this goes!

This book was cliche. From the plot to the character arcs to the romance, I felt like I could predict everything that was going to happen.
That being said, this was well written, and while I knew what was going to happen, I still found myself wanting to read more.

3.5 ⭐️ This is a YA fantasy/ paranormal book although the characters are over 18, it is written for a younger reader.
The storyline is pretty interesting, very easy to follow.i read this in half a day.
There is a little bit of sex described but it’s very minimal.
I do like to read YA books and iv read another of the authors series but this was maybe aimed a little too young for my liking, some of the language used was a little immature for me and it was like a first love/ insta lust story which is something I don’t typically enjoy.
But if these things are for you or you are a younger reader I think this would be a good book to pick up

Thanks netgalley for this arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy of this book.

Apparently I read this in 2018????? I did not remember I had read it and completely read it anew now 7 years later. And funnily enough, my rating is still the same.

This was a quick and easy read with all the basic flavors of a paranormal romance. It wasn't written particularly well, the worldbuilding wasn't particularly fleshed out, and the characters didn't have a lot going for them. However, it was still entertaining, and I want to know what happens next. I'm not going to recommend this as a stellar piece of literature, but if you know you like paranormal romance, then maybe this is for you.

And I'm out.

This was my first book by Leia and it has me hooked, I couldn't put it down at all. I'm invested in the series so I of course had to buy the rest of the series and take time off work

This book was just ok! I read it fairly fast for only picking it up right before bed every few days and it kept me entertained but I probably won’t be picking up the sequels. I think my main problem was with the writing style. It felt very choppy at times and also had some absurd modern language that literally made me sigh each time i saw it 😂. None of the sayings felt like they belonged and took me out of the story each time.

Otherwise, the premise of the story was interesting and different than my usual fantasy reads and kept me curious the whole time. I liked the Angel versus demons vibe and the school line setting. Like it said fun, kept me entertained. Just didn’t love the writing style!

I loved this book and am now working my way through the series. It is captivating, the characters are relateble and yet still show flaws so they can grow. I love the world building and the different "creatures" and the way they are portrayed. I absolutly loved this book and cannot wait to see where Brielle's character goes and where the storyline takes

5/5 a must read and glad I found this new author to me.

Fallen Academy : Year One by Leia Stone, republished by Sourcebooks Bloom Books, is a fantastic angel-demon, ya, higschool bully romance.
I started reading and fell hook, line and sinker for storyline and characters. The story continues in the next books, ends in a cliffie and is not a stand alone, consider you warned.
An incredible story, excellent written 5 stars.

Brielle is an demon gifted human who goes to Fallen Academy because a fallen angel vouches for her admission. She is attracted to her teacher Lincoln but he tries to resist their mutual feelings amidst politics....

An interesting read. Lots of chemisty between the leads. The relationship reminds me a bit of Vampire Academy. Enjoy the romance a lot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

The premise is fun and I do love fantasy academy type stories so this seemed quite promising.

We’re introduced to a young MC who seems to be quite selfless and although we zip through the somewhat world building quickly via information dumping, it’s not terribly done. I don’t mind the “chosen one” idea if it’s done well.

What then fails is basically every other character is skin deep and lacked anything but a one dimensional facade to play stereotypical roles in a seeming classic tropey YA fantasy. What a shame. BUT they are loveable and not super annoying (most of the time).

The romance was so rushed and predictable so don’t give too much thought into that if you want to enjoy this.

The writing is better than some of the other ones I’ve read by this author - so that’s a bonus. Perhaps because it’s getting out of the “self published” zone now so an editor has tweeked Stones work.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. :)

dnf @ 21%
if i have to read the word frick one more time….
also “mr. winky wink?” are we being serious

thank u publishers for the e-arc but the writing was just too juvenile for my tastes ~

🔥 Romantasy meets dark academia with angels, demons, and all the chaos in between! 🔥

Set in a world where celestial war reshaped humanity, Fallen Academy: Year One launches you straight into an epic battle of good versus evil. When angels descended to war with demons, they left behind traces of their powers—some humans are now blessed with angelic gifts, while others carry a darker legacy.

Enter Brielle: at her awakening ceremony, she expects to gain angelic wings and join the chosen. Instead, she sprouts black wings and finds herself in a precarious position. Bound by a contract she made long ago to save her father, Brielle faces a future in Tainted Academy—until a fallen angel intervenes and lands her in the hallowed halls of Fallen Academy, the elite institution for Angel City’s chosen students.

Here, she meets her mentor: the impossibly handsome and intensely stubborn Lincoln Grey, a celestial teacher who challenges her at every turn. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their relationship is marked by constant clash. Just when Brielle begins to navigate this strange new world, a demon arrives and reveals secrets she never knew she was hiding—secrets that could upend everything and everyone she cares about. In this high-stakes environment, Lincoln and Brielle must find a way to keep her safe…and resist the undeniable pull between them.

🌟 Why You’ll Love It:
• Magical School Setting: Perfect for fans craving that immersive, academy vibe where everyone wields extraordinary powers.
• Angel & Demon Politics: A unique spin on celestial warfare with humanity caught in the middle.
• Steamy Tension & Banter: Lincoln and Brielle’s chemistry crackles on the page—think star-crossed attraction with plenty of sass.
• High Stakes & Epic Battles: Action-packed scenes, dark secrets, and apocalyptic undertones that keep you turning pages.

If you’re a fan of series like Vampire Academy or House of Earth and Blood, Fallen Academy: Year One will scratch that itch for angelic intrigue, forbidden romance, and fantastical danger. Let your wings spread and dive into a world where destiny isn’t just chosen—it’s earned.

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