Magic Bound (Ravencrest Academy 1) by Theresa Kay

I’m a little brain dead after finishing this book. Chronic pain was a killer last night but it did give me ample time to devour like the majority of this book….So that was a good use of time right?

Now that we have settled my awesomeness and skills of choosing wisely, let me unload my brain on you haha…this should be fun.

First things first…you are going to want to one-click this book it’s really that simple. All you Young Adult Academy lovers out there I have found your next binge read. It has everything we love: an enemy to lovers vibe twisted in with some slow-burn romance, add in a society of witches and shapeshifters that practically hate each other…it’s a world on precarious grounds of laws and acts that need some serious attention…You know you want it so go and get this little gem right HERE pre-order, pre-order.

Gah I literally loved so much about this. I was captured almost immediately into this world and I Gah, I literally loved so much about this. I was captured almost immediately into this world and I couldn’t help but just want more and more. It had the perfect balance of intensity weaved into the story…and although I personally felt this book was more setting the ground for world-building and learning all the important elements and layers, there was not one moment that left me wanting to take a break. It was almost strange how intensely this book controlled my brain. If begging worked, I’d give my best impression of Oliver with that sad face and pleading eyes. Theresa does it work?

That’s all well and good but you want more too, don’t you?

Unlike this master, I shall grant your request lol.

The book starts off a wee bit slowly, but bear with it a moment…So we have Selene, I believe she is 17? but don’t hold me to it haha…She is thought to be a blank, basically human, born of a witch but with no supposed powers, or so she thought…she was left as a baby with a shifter pack and was adopted in by a couple within. The pack is her family and is all she has ever known.

But at a party with her best friend Reid, her cousin, she gets into a teensy incident where some witches are on pack land…which is a no-no. Anyways, Selene is hit with some magic that sets off something inside her and she learns she does actually have magic, and a heck of a lot of it too. Which means that her magic was bound.

Long story short, to protect herself and her family she must attend one of the top OSA (Order of Supernatural Affairs) Academies and finds herself quickly on the road to Ravencrest. To add extra pressure to the situation, she has to succeed at all costs otherwise she’ll put not only herself in danger but also her loved ones. You see being a witch raised in a family of shifters is definitely going to call a lot of attention from the Coven Council…and the fact that the shifters were aware she was a witch only complicates matters further…add in that she also happens to be the daughter of a well-known bloodline, Andras’, which they plan to use in their favour to gain extra protection.

“…The only reason the Coven Council hasn’t already carted you away for ‘questioning’ is because I pulled the strings that got you enrolled at Ravencrest. As a student here, you’re under the jurisdiction of OSA, and that offers you some protections. As an Andras, you have even more protections. But if you continue acting like you don’t belong here, eventually someone will decide that you’re correct. You do not want that.” It’s on the tip of my tongue to say that I don’t belong here and I do want that, but not at the expense of something bad happening to my family. I’m here to stay—whether I like it or not. And I better make the best of it.

– Magic Bound (Ravencrest Academy 1)

Selene is now brought into a world where she is living with witches, at this academy, struggling to learn about this power inside her and becoming acquainted with this witch world…you’d think would be hard enough right? But on top of this, she has to cram all this witch knowledge into her head, as quickly as possible, so she can catch up with the rest of the class. This will be no easy feat….

But by being on the opposite side for the first time, it is showing her a much clearer picture of these two worlds… and that no one side is perfect. Everything in her life is flipped and she needs to learn to survive in this place and fast.

Surrounded by people very much apart of the politics of this world, you quickly start to learn a lot more information and see all the games that people are playing…But on top of all that, there are new laws that the witches are trying to bring about which is kinda making some of the shifters revolt so I’m guessing you can see how having her there will shake things up even more. It’s all very full-on.

Now I’m going to rewind just a teensy bit to her first day at the academy, where she meets my heart-throb by literally running into him. Welcome to the scene Tristan…our moody, arrogant, mostly jerkish guy who 100% stole my heart from the beginning. He was the boy that just sorta jumped out of the page at me and I just knew he was like this tortured soul and just wanted to wrap him up and give him a big ole hug lol. Yeah, yeah we already established I’m a weirdo haha.

I slam into someone. Everything in my hands goes flying, and I land on my butt on the ground. Dammit. I should have been paying more attention. The guy standing over me, clearly another student as he’s wearing what must be the school uniform, stares down at me. As in, literally looks down his perfect, lightly freckled nose at me. His hair is barely on the blond side of dirty blond, neatly combed, and trimmed close to his head at the sides and a little longer on top. Golden-brown eyes the color of dark honey go from the top of my head to my flip-flopped feet and my purple toenails. I’d say he’s the hottest guy I’ve ever seen if his lip wasn’t curling in distaste. The expression makes the high cheekbones and sharp lines of his pretty face turn into something cold and hard. “Sorry,” I say, offering a weak smile and a shrug. “I’m late, and I wasn’t looking where I was going.” His gaze makes another pass over me, and then he huffs and steps around me without a word, leaving me to gather the scattered papers alone. Wow.

– Magic Bound (Ravencrest 1)

Totally great first encounter lol he even refuses to talk to her…don’t worry though circumstances just keep pushing them together. Oh and the slight spell that binds them together for a little while def helps there 😉

But one thing you should no about this shmexy man is that he’s a St James…that may not mean a lot to you, but his parents are something major in the witching world, and they are the ones trying to get this new shifter law in place…you see how Selene and Tristan may butt heads a bit? Hmm yeah…so you should know and be prepared to especially want to throw a well-aimed punch right at his mother’s perfect little face. Grrr coz this woman is just craaazzzy.

I think that about covers what I’m willing to divulge. I seriously recommend you dive into this new story. I can’t wait to be able to re-enter this world and see as Selene learns more about her blood, power and destiny.

Gotto say that ending really got to me lol…I didn’t want it to end there and I just wanted to whinge and whine like a child lol

My heart was pulled in many directions with that end…but it has opened the story for so much more…book 2 I have a feeling will only pull on my heartstrings even more and will more than likely amp up that intensity. Eeek. I live for that stuff haha.

Get ready to fall in love with everything this world has to offer as Selene tries to find her feet in a world that is changing fast.

Thanks to Theresa for the awesome opportunity to read the ARC of this book in place for my honest review….it has been an absolute whirlwind.

If you want to chat about this book just comment below…I’d love to hear your thoughts.

More reviews to come soon. I just received a new ARC today in my emails for Wicked Academy: The Masquerade book 2 by Nissa Leder so I’m sure that’ll be read in no time. As for what’s next after that…hmm I haven’t made it that far lol. I do know that a few authors I ARC for do have some works coming out but I haven’t heard any confirmed news just yet.

Anyways, thanks for following and reading my rambles.

Cheerio book nerds x