Kuxtal Academy: The Beginning

Thank you to Nelle Nikole and Mikayla D. Hornedo and NetGalley, for the amazing opportunity to read : Kuxtal Academy: The Beginning as an ARC.

Key words : fae, magic school, found family
These are my thoughts during and after the reading.

The big map of the academy makes me glad I don’t study there—I’d be lost. Pinterest boards are a big yes, and the pronunciation guide is helpful, but I don’t think the magic guide is necessary since it should be explained in the book maybe just as a reminder for book 2. The start is promising, with bad parents but a good sibling dynamic, making me want to read more. Koa and Sienna are definitely endgame. Wren’s first appearance left me unsure, but now I love him. There are too many powers (20!!), and I’m confused most of the time, but Wren has that “bad guy with a pure heart” vibe that I like. Koa being at school and having a club is impressive time management. The beginning was hard to get into and a bit long, but it gets much better. Orange and green as favorite colors scream Katniss and Peeta to me. I’m tired of the parents they are so annoying !! and it took me a while to understand the relationship between Iris and Celeste. The fated mates and tattoos felt a bit too much like ACOTAR, but I still liked how it was explained. I’m excited to read the rest—I wasn’t expecting much from the book but was pleasantly surprised by its blend of magical realism and fantasy.

A fantastic start to a series I'm ready to gobble up!!! Mayan-inspired urban fantasy romance

This book follows a Mira and her older brother Koa at the elite Kuxtal Academy. Mira has been living with her aunt to escape her family's political drama and pressure but the death of her aunt and the appearance of a mark that means she must attend Kuxtal Academy, bring her right back into the mess of things. Koa is already a student at Kuxtal and has begun to make a name for himself with a secret club and some secret business dealings.
*note from me- Kuxtal is a college so everyone is adults and I'd say while the academy is the setting, not much time is actually spent in class (not a bad thing!)

Some things I love:
- A unique magic system inspired by Mayan mythology (please someone let me talk about how cool it is for hours)
- we get two romance plot lines!!! one for each sibling
- representation of characters with dyslexia and anxiety
- mystery and secrets
- spicy spicy spice

Erm...What?!?! You can't leave me like that at the end of the book!!?

I really got into this book, I loved the pov being from brother and sister Mira and Koa. And the fact that there is a Pinterest board at the beginning of the book made it a lot easier to imagine the characters the authors wanted to portray to you the reader..

There was a read connection between the characters and I loved the development throughout the story. I just hope Wren isn't too bound to the Cynod to realise his love for Mira.

I did feel this was a long book and it took a while to get going, it wasn't until I was half way through the storyline that I got hook into the book.

Slow burn romance.

I can't wait for book 2, after that cliffhanger!!

Wow...I needed time to clear my thoughts after this book. And I mean that in the best way possible! I was so excited going into this book as loved the idea of this being set at an academy, and was thrilled that this story is Mayan-inspired. I love diversity in stories and I really hope to see more of it in general. So Kuxtal Academy definitely delivered!

I've seen a lot of people drawing parallels between this and Zodiac Academy, and I definitely think this story is distinct enough to be recognised on it's own.

The authors really achieved capturing my attention and drawing me into the world and story right at the beginning, and I felt like that very rarely let up as the story progressed. It's a long book, but I was grateful for that as I didn't feel ready to leave.

So excited for what's to come!

Thank you to Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op and the authors for the opportunity to read this ahead of time and share my views on.

First and foremost, I want to extend my thanks to Mikayla D. Hornedo and Nelle Nikole for writing this fresh take on fantasy academia. Additional thanks to NetGalley and GXLD Page | Primal Instinct Publishing for the amazing opportunity to read Kuxtal Academy: The Beginning as an ARC. I was drawn to this title after finishing another title by Hornedo and was particularly interested in the concept of Mayan-inspired, fae fantasy.

The dual POV story itself focuses on Mira and Koa Canek, siblings born to politically powerful parents who treat them like an inconvenience at the best of times. After losing her maternal role-model, Mira finds herself and her best friend forced to attend Kuxtal Academy which is the elite post-grad school where Koa attends. The start of the school year opens Mira up to new friends, new love interests, and new information about her family, her world, and the history of her people. This book is full of slow-burn tension (multiple couples), murder and mystery, political turmoil, and lots of questions left open to wonder about until the next one is released.

At times, it was hard to remember that these characters were in a school setting. Understanding that it is post-grad (early/mid 20s), the situations that they find themselves in are significantly involved, so having them also attend classes, it's a little tough to wrap my mind around and disrupts the view of the characters. I loved that they included a detailed outline of the magic roles and pronunciations to refer back to. I am also a glutton for punishment and adored that it was a 600+ page story because it let's you really delve into the details. I will absolutely be waiting for the second book to continue diving into the web of this world!

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this, especially the ancient Mayan references.

I also liked the characters. The girls were both strong FMCs. The boys were typical bad boys but with a strong caring and protective side for the girls. I think I prefer Wren over Koa, as he's more inclined to allow the girls to make their own decisions. However, Koa did have some personal development through the book.

My biggest complaint is that this book felt like it was a book of two halves. The first half felt completely different to the second half. Maybe the authors split the writing? The spice was all in the second half, which was a bit jarring and a bit over the top, especially when the sex scenes were so close together and very long-winded.

There are also a lot of unanswered questions, and it ends on a massive cliffhanger. I will definitely read the next one, but I would like to see the next one be a bit more cohesive.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you SO MUCH to the authors and NetGalley!! Apologies for my severely late review.

First I want to say that as a Mexican with roots in the Mayan culture, this book was everything to me and more. From the representation, to the diverse cast and the language — it was such an incredible read for me. And the way mental health/illness was represented and woven into the story was absolutely phenomenal!

Rating is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: 5/5
World building: 5/5
Lore: 5/5
Spice: 2.5/5

I really should mention that I full on sobbed at the way grief was represented within the first chapters. I had to take a pause and come back because having lost my own parent, it was nearly identical to the way Mira was grieving. I really appreciated and loved that.

Mira + Sienna are the two best formidable and lovable best friend duo I’ve ever read. I loved their dynamic and the way they had each others backs no matter what. Mira the reserved, safe, smart and Sienna the bold, fiery, stern one. We have 4 main characters but Mira is my girl. She is me and I hold her so dear.

But the MMCs? Koa + Wren? I cannot express how they’ve made my top lists. Koa the player, but loyal big brother. And Wren, the bad boy but gentle caring soul. Don’t ask to choose, I fell in love with both for different reasons but maybe I prefer Wren 👀

I love the way both MMCs complimented both Mira + Sienna but also mirrored them in some ways.

As far as the world and the story, I had so many thoughts and feelings? The gods, the power system, the magic, the lore — this was so exciting to read about!! I was shocked at how much I understood and I LOVED that the levels/shifters etc. were highlighted and clickable to refer to the glossary. I needed that for the first third and now I could tell you which power belongs to what level and shifter/title haha. I loved how the magic was described, and Koa’s form??? I WAS KICKING MY FEET SCREAMING.

THAT ENDING. THAT. ENDING.

I need book 2 immediately. I love Kuxtal Academy and the authors for bringing such an amazing story to the forefront of fantasy. This is how culture is represented.

this was a cute book! I enjoyed the characters and the plot, but the writing style was probably the strongest for me. also the cover is super cute. def gonna add this to my collection

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Kuxtal Academy really surprised me. I knew I was going to be a fan because it is rooted in Mayan mythology and I am a huge supporter of Latine Indigenous representation!! But boy did I love this even more than I thought I could. The dual POVs of Mira and Koa were great, I loved that brother and sister duo. Mira and Siennas friendship made me believe in [platonic] love!!! The spice was steamy!! The crime was criming!! The magic was magicing! lol This book really feels like it has it all without feeling crammed or overpacked into a book. I cannot wait for the follow-up novel. Nelle Nikole and Mikayla D. Hornedo did a great job of setting up this world and creating deep ties to the characters in this book without ever feeling bored or slow. 10000/10 recommend! I am obsessed!

Yet another amazing academy setting fantasy romance that everyone needs to add to their list! Thank you so much for the arc!

Great read! Amazing and unique world of dark academia. I can not wait for the next installment to release. Amazing start to the series!

I was incredibly excited to read this story, inspired by Myan gods and mythology having a little interest in the area myself. And the book was good.

Mira and Kia are siblings, separated as teenagers to keep her safe and away from their unspeakably awful parents who are members of the governing elite. Koa has done everything he can to protect Mira, including developing his own underworld criminal endeavours, to ensure the two are not reliant on their parents. In the meantime, Mira has been living in relative safety and obscurity with her aunt and best friend until the day her aunt suddenly and mysteriously dies leaving questions unanswered. Almost immediately after, Mira and her friends Sienna, are summoned to attend the elite Kuxtal Academy, a sort of graduate school for Fae, which Koa already attends.

At the academy, they get swept up into Koa's dealings and Mira meets Wren, Koa's business partner and a jaguar shifter. There's an element of instant love for both couples, some learning about the old gods which are no longer permitted in favour of the new singular god, and a good old-fashioned mystery with a seriously climatic ending (and a big cliffhanger!).

The first two-thirds of the book (which is pretty long) are seriously slow, almost getting to the point of dragging on while nothing much of note happens. I was a little tempted to give up. But the last 20% suddenly sprung into action, and I suspect all the scene-setting done in this book will serve well for the be follow-up. I'd say stick with it - I found it worth it in the end.

This story offers a fresh take on dark academia that I love. The characters are so relatable, and Meems is my absolute favorite. I'm eagerly looking forward to more!

Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for approving me for this ARC and to Nelle Nikole and Mikayla D. Hornedo for such a wonderful twist on Fantasy Academies and bringing in great diverse characters!

4.75 ★’s

“𝖠𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗇𝖽 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝖺𝗒, 𝗐𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗐𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖿𝖺𝖼𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖺 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗎𝗌𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗌. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗌𝖾 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝖼𝖺𝗆𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗎𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝖿𝗈𝗋𝗀𝗈𝗍𝗍𝖾𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾, 𝖻𝗎𝗍 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗌𝗉𝖺𝖼𝖾, 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗋𝗀𝗒 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗈𝗋 𝖽𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗋𝗈𝗒𝖾𝖽.”

WREN IKARI!!!! KOA CANEK!!!! Hello I’m so obsessed!!! THE ENDING?? NELLE, MIKAYLA EXCUSE ME WDYM!!

Seriously, I enjoyed this so much. The Mayan Mythology was everything and more, I loved learning about the lore of it, the different levels of power and of course the dual POV at a fantasy academy!!! Who doesn’t love reading about a fantasy academy that’s a little unhinged with shifters, fae, elementals and a few morally grey mmc’s!! 😮‍💨

I will note that this isn’t super heavily based around the academy itself imo but it is still present!

The anxiety representation was so wonderfully done in my opinion. I related so much to Mira’s anxieties and the way she processed her emotions. Mira’s therapy sessions were my therapy sessions, OKAY😭 when Dr. Puebla gave her the tools to break down her anxious thoughts and replace them with positive or neutral thoughts it really stuck with me. Also Wren being a therapy KING, I love him so much ok.

And our girl Sienna being the dyslexic queen she is!!! The plot twist she brought in I cannot wait to see where the story goes 👀 And her and Koa??? 😭 I’m dead, I’m sick I’m so obsessed with them.

I cannot wait for book two!!

First I absolutely love when books have older characters as I fell as though I can connect with them on a deeper level and greatly appreciate that!

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the POV characters weren’t in love with one another and that is so refreshing! The sibling relationship was written well and loved the dynamic between Koa and Mira.

I was not expecting a murder mystery but going into it but in my opinion it gives off that vibe just a bit and I’m not mad at it! It’s such an interesting take to the norm. I absolutely loved the found family Weaved throughout.

I am 100% ready for the second book!

Thank you to NetGalley and GXLD Page(primal instinct publishing) for this arc which is available today!

Ok so this is a Mayan inspired fae academia romantasy that also has some mafia vibes going on and a mystery too. Like hello mash up genres but it works! I had so much fun reading this novel even if at times I was lost and confused.the characters are fleshed out and memorable. The world and magic system are easy to follow kinda. The spice is spicy. Overall if you dig this genre then this is the book for you.

I received this ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never picked up a book quite like this one. The incorporation of Myan mythology made it unique and stand out in comparison to other fantasy books. It was refreshing to experience a new magic system and I was intrigued by how it fit into this world. I also appreciated that the book was an urban fantasy; it allowed me to focus more on the magic and plot rather than the world-building.

Some other things that I loved:
- Koa (who reminded me of Ruhn Danaan)
- The underlying mystery aspect
- The bond between Koa, Mira and Sienna
- Kuxtal Academy and its magic levels
- The ending!!!! I need to know what happens next

While I enjoyed these elements, I felt like the length of the book and the plot’s progression was not always balanced. Although a lot happened, it sometimes felt like not much was occurring too. I would have loved more exploration of the academy as the exclusivity of it and how it determined the world was such a big thing! I also wished that the relationships between Koa/Sienna and Wren/Mira had developed more slowly as they seemed to escalate quite quickly. However, as this is a series, I’m excited to see how the story continues to unfolds.