Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Art of Exile by Andrea Max is a first person-POV YA science fantasy. Ada is an untrained Sire, a magic user, and has received an invitation to attend an academy to hone her skills and join one of the Guilds. But she has another motive besides learning magic: she has been recruited by her family to take the Alchemy Guild’s information and bring it back to the provincial world to help fix society.

There are three love interests: Kor, the childhood friend, Rafe, the annoyed-to-lovers archetype, and Michael, the slightly older guy who is forbidden fruit because while he’s only three years older than Ada, he is a teacher and she’s a student. While one of the love interests seems to be completely out of the running by the end of the book, I can say that I’m not entirely positive who Ada will choose in the next books or if she will have to choose at all. One of the love interests is depicted as Bi/Pan and not the biggest fan of monogamy, so this could end in a poly relationship and I’m here for that.

The Guilds act as specialized houses for learning magic, with some focusing on art others on the sciences. Students do not simply choose the Guild they join; they have to do a presentation and the Guild masters will offer a spot and then the student will choose from among the offers (if there are multiple). In a lot of ways, it’s similar to applying to multiple colleges and they look at your application and decide from there, so this will probably resonate with teen readers who are in the middle of applying to higher education.

This is definitely more of a science fantasy rather than a straight sci-fi and the ties to real world scientific figures keeps it from being purely fantasy. Like many YA fantasy and sci-fi, the plot ties directly back to real world issues as Ada wants to take the information she believes the Guilds are keeping to themselves and help others. When she confronts Michael with this, he doesn’t disagree with her but mentions that the provincial world hasn’t historically handled having that kind of knowledge handed to them well. I found this to be believable because some of what we have done with science has been horrific, to say the least, and I have no doubt that if magic is real, that the Guild of Mages has been asking themselves for centuries if we can be trusted.

Content warning for mentions of cancer and assault

I would recommend this to fans of YA fantasy with a sci-fi bend and readers of science fantasy looking for a book exploring Jewish traditions and mentions of interfaith backgrounds

well-written fantasy with a definite da vinci code vibe. the plot points were reasonably standard but worked well anyway. 4 stars. tysm for the arc.

Thank you so much Simon Teen for the e-ARC!
This was such a good read and overall a great YA fantasy! At first the worldbuilding did confuse me a bit and it was hard to keep every aspect straight, but it improved as I got deeper into the story. Despite this, I really loved the world that was created and the mix of fantasy and dystopian that this book has.
I was very invested in the plot, especially in the second half, but I also enjoyed the friendships and romances in this. The way that it ended seems like there may be a second book, and I would definitely love to continue this story if there is a sequel!
Overall I definitely recommend!

Wouldn’t it be nice to have a secret group of people who have most of the answers to the world’s problems? Ada definitely thinks so but she thinks it’s selfish to keep them hidden. I was very amused by the first few scenes of this book. Ada meeting the mysterious attractive guy in Florence but she is also in some undercover mission. You definitely got my attention. Afterwards, when this whole other world opened up to Ada, it was a lot to take in. I enjoyed the how the history was interwoven and brought up how painters and idealists of the renaissance were ‘masters’ or ‘sires’. I had fun reading about this sorta magical school for Ada to learn her sire powers. I even thought it interesting that she is still spying for her Family since she is of the ideal that the knowledge should be share to the world. Somewhere on the scenes about this school, I got a bit lost. Especially with this love triangle? (Not sure if it is one exactly but felt like it) michael had so much potential and then boom he is not a contender anymore? Don’t get me wrong I enjoyed the Rafe introduction and where it went but Michael had potential too. I do like how Ada finds herself and at the end embraces it. At the end looking back, I realized it was a good book but there were some elements that felt unnecesary. Loved the magic building and the hidden world

I really wanted to love this book but one of the love interests being 21 and the FMC being 17 didn’t sit right with me. Their interactions rubbed me wrong. I wish Ada had been aged up a bit.

I really liked the premise of this book and the Harry Potter/Hogwarts vibes though.

“I was wrong.” He grins. You are totally my type.” 😏

What an amazing debut novel! I’m so obsessed with this world and the characters. Andrea weaved together the perfect blend of academia, romance, and politics! This book had a solid foundation of elements from other stories that I love but it added such unique aspects that I truly fell in love with it.

The love triangle was done so well and Ada definitely has a tough choice to make. Both Michael and Rafe have positive character traits but they also each have their own flaws! I think deep down I’m on Team Rafe though!

This was such a powerful story and had aspects that I felt are really relatable to what we’re seeing in the world today. The last 10% of this book was such an emotional roller coaster and I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the next book!

If you love light academia, secret societies, science/magic, love triangles, found family, enemies to lovers, fake dating, and mentor x student, then this book is for you! The Art of Exile releases on May 13, so be sure to check it out!

Thank you so much to @simonteen for an advanced copy! 💙

This book starts off strong and carries that momentum through to the end. I really liked the Jewish rep in this book! I was not expecting it and it was amazing. I also loved the academia setting and the bits of romance. At times this felt a little too harry pottery with the idea of the weeds.

Ada has just been kidnapped ... And rescued, by the man she'd just been on a first date with. When the man then offers her a place at a secret school, part of a secret advanced civilization, she can't resist - even though she intends to act as a double agent and betray her new friends.

This was such an interesting premise, and a brilliant magic system. I was intrigued by Ada and her friends and family, although at times I'm not sure I totally understood the world building. I'm keen to read the sequel!

Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review.

DNF'd at 21%, so only rated based on what I read. This book should have worked for me (and my students) in every way: secret school, ancient and renaissance art, Da Vinci Code vibes. But the writing was a bit uneven. We had pee jokes thrust against having wine as a high schooler with an older man. Yes, there is context for this, but it created a very confusing reading experience. What’s the tone here? How serious are the stakes? I worry this will lead students/YA readers to put the book down and not pick it back up.

This felt like a homage for classics like Harry Potter and Sailor Moon. The protagonist, Ada, reminds me of Sailor Moon by being clumsy, boy-crazy, fairly bad at school subjects but talented at an obscure sport. The setting reminded me of Harry Potter with the hidden train / train station, school in a remote hidden place, Guilds similar to Houses and Hoverjoust sport which takes the same focus as Quidditch including the House Cup / tournament between the Guilds. We also have a colorful cast of side characters including a quirky lesbian best friend, a young prodigy, a Black senior student who helps Ada catch up, a mandatory bully snob, helpful and unhelpful teachers, etc.

The main plot centers Ada spying on the hidden world of the Makers on behalf of some secret society her mother belongs to. This raises a moral dilemma for Ada, is one secret society better than the other and why the world can't just become an utopia. There is a good amount of social commentary that's likely to resonate with the readers, especially if you have negative experiences with American healthcare. There's also an emotional arc of Ada dealing with her insecurities and feeling like she's a black sheep of her family and must desperately prove her worth, which I feel is a universal theme in YA.

The prose is well written, the plot is easy to follow, the worldbuilding is accessible, and Ada represents many common traits of teenagers: thinks she's oh-so-adult when she's 17, talks back, is very hormonal, flukes at school, but in classic YA manner turns out to have a very rare and in-demand magical power.

Recommended for fans of love triangles, magical schools, secret societies, Renaissance art & famous historical figures, and readers who feel nostalgia towards YA from the days of Fallen and Divergent.

Thank you Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, Margaret K. McElderry Books & Netgalley for the ARC.

Ugghhh. This was not my kind of book.

It had a mix of my least favorite tropes, a love triangle, a 'romance' with someone in a teaching position, and a rude romantic interest. Plus, one of her romantic leads was a blond, stuck-up guy who was rude to her about being an outsider joining the magic society. I couldn't stop picturing this as a Hermione and Draco fanfic after I put those pieces together. Anyway, onto the stuff in books that is important to me. The magic system wasn't explored as much as I would have liked. It seemed like a cool idea, but it was very loosey-goosey. Even though the main character was taking magic classes, we never learned much about the magic system. The history was touched on, maybe not as well as I would have liked (some timelines were a little hard to put together), but it was talked about. The main reason I disliked this book was that everything seemed overshadowed by romance stuff, or just the FMC admiring hot guys. This is not how I would spend my time if I got into a magic school but to each their own. I found it a bit annoying, though.

This book was very much a romance with magic and art stuff as the background, and that was not what I was advertised. On the other hand, if you enjoy these tropes and kind of story, I would say pick up this book! It's pretty well written, and I could see other people finding it an entertaining read. It's just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this arc.

I really wanted this to be like Legendborn based ont he way it was written (secret societies! mysteries! family! ancient backstories) but unfortunately really couldn't get into it. I may revisit it later but for now it really wasn't working for me.

Adventure after another abounds in THE ART OF EXILE. Perfect for fans of Chloe Gong, Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Leigh Bardugo, Andrea Max’s winning debut has got hidden schools, mysterious powers, historical family feuds and intricate world-building. Add this to your summer reading list!

Unfortunately I will be DNF'ing this book around 6%.
The ages of the characters are a large no for me and the way it is written makes it exponentially worse.
17 Year old FMC wanting to be with a 21 Year old MMC.
Her commentary on his "to-old-for-me abdomen." was where I realized that even if the mystery/magic was good I would not be able to continue this book further.
Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC but this one just wasn't for me.

This was a DNF for me. The beginning had me interested but the more I read the more I lost interest. I can't even comment on what I read because I put off writing this review and now I can't remember anything.

Younger me probably would have liked this though.

I don't even know what to say at this point. Setting aside everything else (and there's a lot), one of the love interests is in his 20s while the fmc is 17 and then he accuses her of basically seducing him and emotionally manipulating him! HA! and the other love interest drugged a woman, drank her blood, and then compared her to an animal. I'd k word both of them (and i don't mean kiss) can't believe I read this whole thing. a secret society hoarding knowledge and science and technology that could save lives in broader society that looks down on regular folk and I'm supposed to think the people trying to take that knowledge and share it with the rest of mankind are the bad guys? it's literally the 1 % vs the 99 % and I'm sure as hell not with the 1 % baby

I really loved this book with the secret societies, magic and the main character trying to reach her potential. She's often caught between her feelings and pleasing her family and wanting to help her grandfather. Interesting story I couldn't put it down

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

There are no words I can use to convey how much I ADORE this book.

But gravdamn it. I can try.

Andrea Max has created something truly beautiful in The Art of Exile. I can’t even fathom how incredibly talented this woman is: I would study her brain if I could. She has taken old and overused tropes and twisted and manipulated them into something NEW and unique! She has created a world that could rival Harry Potter and makes it INCLUSIVE in a way that HP never was.

Let me explain. Hogwarts had houses based on personalities… Arcadia has guilds based on TALENT. And it’s not exclusive to “magic” users. Arcadia accepts great and exceptional minds: they’re ALL Makers. Not everyone in their community is a Sire (a person with the ability to generate Ha’i or life force.) AND, I’ll do you one better. Once you become a master in your chosen guild, you have the opportunity to join another guild and master that talent. You can become a Master of ALL guilds. (Did I blow your mind yet?)

What I love about this idea of talents and “non-magical” people having talent… is that it truly reaches you deep inside. I could be a hell of a Cipher. I read this book like “oh my gosh, is THIS why my brain is so overly developed? Is this why my brain just works so much more than others? Was I supposed to be a Maker?” This book reaches to those kids who were weird or “gifted” and gives them a sense of belonging.

Now, on top of the above (yes, there’s more), we have an overarching theme of who deserves this grand knowledge that the Makers have? Why are the Makers keeping their society a secret? Doesn’t the provincial world deserve this knowledge as well? To cure disease, save lives, etc? The Art of Exile asks these questions in ways that Harry Potter never did. Muggles were beneath wizards, that was it. I won’t spoil too much about this arc in the book but it’s such a controversial and important topic that has such relevance in today’s society and I love that Max does not diminish its importance in the slightest.

Now, the characters. Ada is my hero. She is this girl who has always felt like she didn’t belong in provincial society but never understood why, why her ability was hidden and why she was ostracized by her Family. When her Family pushes her to infiltrate this magical school, she finally finds a place where she feels that belonging. And I almost cried at some of the beautifully deep moments where she reflects on this. When she’s with Georgie who becomes her best friend and confidant especially. Georgie is such a breath of fresh air in friendship. And her being a woman in STEM? Yes! 🙌 I was sad to see that we didn’t see many Cipher students but Georgie made up for it with her computer skills.

So… the men. You know it’s a good love triangle when you just can’t decide between them! On the one side, you have the older mentor, Michael, who all at once is sweet and nervous and also extremely emotionally manipulative. It felt like he was manipulating MY emotions as the reader. I was entranced okay. On the other side, you have the rude and arrogant Rafe who calls her a Weed and also learns to respect and appreciate her and her abilities. He is the Draco to her Hermione. And at first I didn’t even consider him an option but he wormed him way into my heart and by the end… I think I’m Team Rafe?? I do think it will depend on how the series progresses though!

What else can I say?

Yes, I know.

What I find most emotionally destroying about this book… is that I NEED people to read it. I am not joking about this. The Art of Exile has the potential to blow minds and make all of us start THINKING again. I’m distraught thinking of all the readers who will never find this book because I know it’s not on many radars. And so I will scream about this book from the highest mountains, shout into the voids of the oceans, and throw it at random strangers in bookstores.

Just. Read. It.

Secret societies and dark academia are making a comeback and who are we to deny it? Absolutely loved the technology vibes and the dystopia/fantasy that has been sorely missing from YA lately.

Light Academia, secrets, mystery societies, found family and a love triangle. What more could you want?

The author weaves an adventurous tale following Ada Castle as she plays a double agent of sorts to prove herself to her family. But of course, all is not what it seems, and she has to put together different pieces of the puzzle and discover the truth for herself. Along the way she makes new friends and enemies, and falls into a love triangle with no clear cut choice. Although, I did feel as if the story and many scenes were setting up to lean more towards one than the other. (I won’t pick a side because I never choose correctly, but I’ll see what Ada decides along her journey.)
Overall, I thought that the main character was relatable even in her doubts, insecurities and thoughts. I definitely would love to follow Ada’s story to the end.
After reading this book, I wasn’t sure how to classify it. Is it fantasy, but it’s so science based. Is it sci-fi, not quite because there are so many fantasy elements. I personally think that it’s a delightful mixture of both, immersed in history and art. Either way, I would highly recommend it.