I love this paranormal fallen angel romance! Can’t wait to read the rest. Lincoln and Brielle had a fantastic enemies to lovers romance and Lincoln’s cabal of warriors are exactly in like with my favorite trope!

Fallen Academy is a great YA book. Brielle will be forced to be a slave in the demon world to repay her mothers debt, unless she can find a way out of it. She will either be demon gifted or angel blessed. When her black wings appear she knows she is not normal and will have to prove herself to fit in.

Fallen Academy : Year One by Leia Stone 📕

In a world split by Angels and Demons, Brielle joins Fallen Academy to train to join the army that fights the demons. However, soon after finding out she’s a celestial, black wings sprout from her back in the awakening ceremony and now Brielle knows something is wrong. Lincoln, her broody and handsome teacher, seems to dislike her from day one and they continuously clash. Together, they must fight demons and come to terms with Brielle’s secret whilst trying not to fall for one another.

My review: 📖
Strong start: the descriptions made the world-building very clear and I completely understood the different angel and demon characters.
It’s very clear early on where the storyline is going to go with the MFC and MMC.

However, the world-building starts to deteriorate later on and explanations and descriptions are not really given for things that could really improve the overall storyline. For example, Lincoln’s trailer - why does he have one? It’s at the edge of the wood but what’s around it? Are there any other ones around it? Does anyone else get a trailer because otherwise it’s very random…

The fact that Brielle cannot fly but then suddenly in the space of a chapter she can is really difficult to accept. All Lincoln had to do was drop her from a height and she’s flying - totally unrealistic. There needs to be a build up.

The sudden introduction of Fred - Brielle’s love interest to make Lincoln jealous- was super jarring. Where did he come from? There needed to be a build up there also.

The first few fighting scenes - where Brielle and Lincoln fight demons - are very basic but get the job done. However my main problem with them is that Brielle saves him every time with something simple. He’s meant to be one of the best fighters they have and yet she’s saving him so easily?

The big three-month jump just as the romance starts *internally screams*! I really dislike time jumps because I feel like it takes away the build up from the storyline. Having said that, I understand why it’s done a few times in this book because otherwise everything would be repetitive. Jumping just as the MFC and MMC get together is frustrating though!

Overall, an interesting storyline. I’m intrigued where the story is going to go so will probably pick up the second book personally.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books for access to the book.

My rating: 3 ⭐️

Fallen Academy: Year One is an entertaining read with a solid mix of humor, romance, and action. While it doesn't break new ground in the fantasy genre, its fast-paced plot and witty characters make it enjoyable, especially for YA readers.

The story itself leans into familiar tropes—special schools, forbidden romance, and an underdog protagonist with rare abilities. While that makes the plot somewhat predictable, the pacing ensures there’s never a dull moment. However, the writing does feel a bit young at times, reinforcing its YA appeal.

Overall, if you’re looking for a light, fun fantasy with humor and romance, Fallen Academy: Year One is worth a read. Just don’t expect anything too groundbreaking.

Honestly, I ate this book up. Devoured. Book. Crack. Angels vs Demons. Good vs Evil. I’m OBSESSED.

First off, Brielle and Shea? Badass women who don’t take shit from anyone. Besties Luke and Chloe? Love them.

Then we have Lincoln and the boys. 🤤 smoking hot with Angel powers? Yes, please.

I am hoping there will be some spice as the series continues as I believe this may be meant as an NA series but we will see. There is literally no spice until 99% so if smut is what you’re looking for, this book is not for you.

The dialogue was super cheesy at times, but again, I 👏🏻ate 👏🏻it 👏🏻up. I have never been so thankful to see this book series has been out for years so that I can immediately dive into the next one to find out what happens to the crew.

On to Year Two! 😉

Wow — what an absolutely fantastic read! This Angel vs. Demon YA story had me hooked from the very first page. The characters are so well written — you’ll quickly fall in love with most of them (with one clear exception!). Brielle’s journey through her first year at the Fallen Academy is one you can’t help but cheer for, and I was completely invested in her mission to get through the Gauntlet. I especially loved the twist about what the Gauntlet actually involved — it was such a clever and unexpected turn.

It’s fast-paced, full of action, and packed with twists that kept me turning the pages. I loved the world-building. At 18, their fate is revealed, and they begin training at the corresponding academy. It’s such a unique and intriguing concept, and it’s executed so well.

A few moments reminded me of Fourth Wing. The tension, the training, the high stakes — it all kept me completely engrossed. The writing is detailed and engaging, with plenty of unexpected events and fast-paced action.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves urban fantasy with strong characters, a unique magical world, and a story that moves quickly and keeps you hooked.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book.

I absolutely devoured this book—just like I do with all of Leia Stone’s books! Fallen Academy: Year One is a fast-paced, engaging read that I couldn’t put down, and I’m already eager to continue the series.

The characters were a highlight for me, with interactions that often had me laughing out loud. The banter between Brielle, the main female character, and Lincoln, the main male character, was especially entertaining and added a great dynamic to the story.

This book offers a fun and unique twist on the classic angels vs. demons trope, where these celestial forces battle for control while humans suffer the consequences. If you love action-packed fantasy with humor, romance, and supernatural intrigue, this is a must-read!

“Those of us with greater inner light attract the most darkness.”

3 ⭐️

When angels fell to the earth in an epic battle with Lucifer, their combined powers lingered, affecting all of humanity.

Being labeled either Demon Gifted or Angel Blessed is all Brielle can think about as she completes her Awakening.

But black wings aren’t normal & neither are the powers & many questions that come with them.

Things finally start looking up when she’s assigned a handsome teacher at Fallen Academy. Lincoln is strong, broody, & off limits.

With everyday being a fight for life or death, Brielle learns who she can trust as she prepares for her fate.

What to expect:
🪽 slow burn
🗡️ unique magic system
🪽 grumpy / sunshine
🗡️ touch her & ☠️
🪽 supernatural academy
🗡️ he trains her

This book felt like a huge hug from the early 2000’s … like a cozy series on the CW. It was creative & cheesy in all the best ways. The banter was perfect & the FMC was a baddie who didn’t depend on a man to save her.

I loved this story! It was such a fun read! I’ll be waiting for the second one on net galley or kindle unlimited! I love brielles story and her character so much. She’s funny and loyal to her friends. I’m excited to see where her character goes.

Such a fantastic YA read! Loved the Angel vs Demon aspect. You will quickly love all the characters because they are all so wonderful. I can’t wait to see Brielle off into the next journey in Year 2!

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc.

Wow, what a ride! Fallen Academy: Year One is a fast-paced, addictive read that throws you headfirst into a world where celestial and demonic powers collide. Right from the start, I was hooked by the unique concept—humans being marked by angels or demons, the intense academy setting, and the high-stakes magic system. Leia Stone builds a familiar and fresh world with just the right mix of action, humor, and romance.

Brielle, our snarky, determined heroine, is easy to root for, and her journey kept me flipping pages at lightning speed. The blend of light and dark magic, the intense training sequences, and the sizzling chemistry with Lincoln all made for an entertaining read. I loved the camaraderie between the characters and how friendships and rivalries played out at the academy.

That said, the ending felt rushed. The big twist—while definitely intriguing—had me frustrated. Brielle’s over-the-top reaction to the revelation felt a little forced, only for all that emotion to vanish almost instantly. I wanted more buildup and a deeper exploration of her feelings instead of a quick resolution. It just didn’t hit as hard as it could have.

Still, I devoured this book and had so much fun with it! If you love fast-paced paranormal fantasy with strong heroine vibes, an engaging magic system, and a touch of romance, this is absolutely worth picking up. On to Year Two! 🔥✨

This was a fun, fast-paced read that I didn’t want to put down. Since this book is very fast-paced, the pacing does feel off at times, and you don’t get a ton of world building or descriptions, it also makes Bri and Lincoln's relationship seem very fast-paced. One minute she hates him and can’t stand to be near him, and then all of the sudden they are together.
The plot of this book was very entertaining and a little predictable at times, but overall I enjoyed it. My only real complaint about this book is that the writing felt very juvenile and cliche at times. I would say that this book is YA/NA but the writing feels very YA. The ending of this book left me very intrigued to see what happens next and how everything will play out.

The characters in this book were so much fun to read especially Bri and her best friend Shea. They would truly do anything for each other. Bri is very bold and not afraid to say what she is thinking and I really enjoyed that but as the book went on she started to complain a lot more and it felt like a shift from her from the beginning.

I devoured this.
I had so much fun learning about this new world.
Bri is such a badass and adore her and her bestie Shea who is just as much as a badass as her.
The way this has been set up makes for an interesting series and can’t wait to continue reading this series because that cliffy has sucked me right in.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fallen Academy: Year One was quite the read. Although the writing was incredibly cringey, I was intrigued by the story. While my rating is very low due to the writing, I did still enjoy reading.

The characters and the way they interacted often had me laughing. Stone's characters in this story remind me of those in her other series, Gilded City, which is not a bad thing. However, Shea and Luke did seem to be a bit stereotypical. The banter between Lincoln and Brielle was entertaining. Had the writing not been cringey, I would have rated this higher. I enjoyed the magic system. It was easy to understand and follow. The plot was interesting enough to overlook most of the faults in this book.

Overall, I finished this in one sitting. I was thoroughly entertained. I will probably read the rest of the series because I am curious to see how this one ends. Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for the arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought this one was okay. Nothing fantastic, but it was entertaining enough. I won’t be rushing to read the rest of the series though.

This book was so fun!
Bri was literally every 19 year old who got thrown into a situation against their will. And she made the best of it! A total bad ass! I love her strength for family and friends and her sass.
Lincoln was literally another version of Rowan from ToG in my opinion. Like he’s gonna beat the crap out of her but for her own good.

The plot was great! This story line is defiantly self driven. It’s a fun twist on an age old tale of angels vs demons.
Seeing arch-angels in a new light was fun too. To hear them be not the top guys was pretty interesting. I cant wait for book 2!

Thank you Sourcebooks Bloom Books, NetGalley and Leia Stone for providing an ARC of Fallen Academy: Year One in the leadup to its rerelease later this month.

Fallen Academy is a fast paced paranormal fantasy which would be ideally suited to a teen/YA or someone just starting to enter the world of fantasy reading. There was very easy world building and left open for the next book.

The romance is a bit cute, it’s a quick easy read (I read it in one sitting) however a lot of the dialogue felt a bit cringe. YOLO was used at the end. 😬

🌘 Paranormal Fantasy
😈 Angels & Demons
💖 Low Spice Romance

Thank you to SOURCEBOOK Bloom Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of re-release in exchange for an honest review.

3.75⭐️. Was this a little cliche, predictable, and a little cringy at times (dare I say)? Yes. But did I also read this in less than 24-hours and enjoy it? Also yes!

Fallen Academy: Year One was my first read by Leia Stone, and I throughly enjoyed this! This was a very fast-paced, single pov, young-adult rated, paranormal-romantasy, easy read. The world-building was easy to follow and very straight forward. The characters had relatable qualities to them as well which also made the read more enjoyable. The concept of angels vs demons in the human world and recruitment academies was intriguing and kept me interested. For a fantasy-type book, this didn’t require of a lot thinking and tracking, making for an effortless, easy read. It wasn’t too dark and had lots of light-hearted moments as well.

As the tension between the fmc (Brielle) and mmc (Lincoln) was good at the beginning, but as it progressed it did get a little cringy (also, lots of winking lol), in my opinion, but it is also a YA book, so I can’t get too picky with it. Although, there were some moments that made me question if this was a YA book or not (maybe leaning more towards NA sometimes)…. But the writing style definitely leads more YA for sure. I do love a quick read, and this was one of them, but there definitely were some moments in the plot that were a little brushed over and felt a little jumpy. I didn’t loveee the age difference between the fmc and mmc. Even though the fmc was technically very close to turning 19, it still didn’t sit great with me, but I understand the YA target audience and age selection for the characters none the less. There were some possibly questionable, possibly stereotypical moments regarding some characters that I’m not quite sure how to feel about as well, but I’m sure it wasn’t ill-intentioned. But in my opinion it is still something to note.

Overall I would say the first 50% of the book was great and really drew me in, but the last half although was more action-packed, didn’t have the same pull. Despite that, I would still be interested in seeing where the series leads.

—

Overall Ratings:
Star: 3.75⭐️/5
Spice 0.5-1🌶️/5
Emotion: 0.5-1💧/5

Tropes:
🤍 Paranormal Romantasy
🤍 Angels vs Demons
🤍 Magical Academy
🤍 Coming of Age
🤍 Forbidden Romance
🤍 Grump x Sunshine (kind of)
🤍 Slow Burn (YA)
🤍 “The Chosen One”
🤍 Mentor & Student

DNF @ 15%
I mostly requested this book because I’ve heard such great things about this author and wanted to give her a try. Also, the premise does sound very cool. The first couple pages, the writing threw me off. It definitely wasn’t mind blowing but it also was just clunky. Even for a teenagers pov it read as very awkward. The explanations about how humanity is stuck in between a war of heaven and hell got my attention and I wanted to learn more about it, despite not liking the writing.
Unfortunately, the side character came along. Our possibly only black/hispanic character in the whole book and she is written in a very stereotypical way. Loud, bitchy, rude, mother abandoning her to demons. Now that isn’t stereotypical but to have no father and then have the mother abandon her, that’s stereotypical. A harmful one at that. Reading her character descriptions immediately turned me off from the book.
Personally for me, I couldn’t continue after that. The not so great writing, the stereotypes, and the fact that I know this is going to be a chosen one story where our main character is an idiot makes me not want to finish.

BOOK: FALLEN ACADEMY: YEAR ONE
AUTHOR: LEIA STONE
PUB DATE: MARCH 202
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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.
👿👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼😇
I literally read this book in a couple of hours, four hours top. My favorite thing about this book? The cliches! It was a typical YA novel about a special girl with mysterious powers and a handsome love interest, and I loved it. This means a lot to me because it has been a while since I read a YA book that I liked , and I didn't get bored. In addition to this, I loved the world building. It was interesting, and I can't wait to see more of this world!
😇👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👿
I liked the FMC, Brielle. She was someone who wanted to be free, and I loved her love for her friends and family. She's also brave and willing to put in the work to be stronger. I saw her grow from someone who was scared about what her powers would be to someone who has gained a little bit of confidence about her powers and who she is.
👿👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼😇
I also liked the side characters consisting of the male love interest, Lincoln and her best friend, Shea. They were an amazing support group to our FMC and they all put their lives on the line for each other. Of course, I liked Lincoln the best! I can't wait to see more of his relationship with Brielle.
😇👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼👿
This first book was mainly about introduction, reading about Brielle getting her powers and settling in school. I only got a hint of what's actually happening with the angels and demons. But, I don't mind, I can't wait to see what's coming for the characters in the sequels. I have high expectations
👿👩🏼‍❤️‍💋‍👨🏼😇
This book was amazing, and I'm sure you would love this if you love YA and fantasy.
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