Mage Storm: A why choose paranormal academy romance (Starfall Academy Book 2)

First off I actually let out a quiet scream at that ending. My husband even came to check on me. Spoiler alert...I'm not okay. In this book we see some character growth (not from everyone though) as well as getting more backstory. This book has us off to find the vampire mate. I absolutely love Kenji. The banter between him and Raven will have you laughing. He is always where he needs to be. He also has a tendency to meddle in the best ways. Maverick really leans into the "Carebear" nickname. Zane is the definition of 'only soft for her's. Alaric is still fitting his nickname but he seems to slowly be losing his battle against fate. Kai is so sweet and quiet but he has quite a possessive side that was very hot. As for Rasmus we are only just getting to know him so I'm definitely interested in seeing what he is all about. This story was a perfect continuation. We really saw how the characters struggled in dealing with their wants, needs and having other people wanting Raven too. Every little piece of information we get shows us a little more about Raven, her men and what's going on in the world. However, they also drop bombs in the middle of the road leaving you to pickup what you thought would happen and re-evaluate. The book was a great pace and I devoured it in one sitting and was left desperate for the next book.

WARNING! Cliffhanger! This is an evil one, about 5/5 on my trauma scale, so if you hate them, you might want to get this book but not read it until the next one is out! Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of book one, Raven and her mates are fighting the demon invasion at the academy. Things are quickly resolved, and then it is time to go find the missing/hidden vampire, but not before issues arise! The trip takes them North, and does involve our heroine getting much closer to a number of her mates- yes this book is full of some very spicy 🌶️ scenes! That’s not all however, there are a number of action scenes to round it out. While I am enjoying this story, despite the annoying cliffhanger, I had to admit I was right there with Raven, rolling my eyes at the antics of her mates by the end of the book. Some of them (mentioning no names), need a lesson or two- in sharing/caring/communication. I did feel a little sorry for one of them, but also annoyed that he hadn’t shared his concerns. Anyway, there are lots and lots of dangling story threads left, like: was the blood born vampire virus caused by the mages? Are the mages responsible for the feral shifters? What about the missing people? Is Alaric’s dad involved? What is Raven’s dad up to? What about Kai? Is Kenji leveling up? Why does he keep stealing, is there a reason behind it? I’m looking forward to the next book and hoping we get some answers soon! If you’re a fan of RH/Academy romance, you’ll enjoy this fast paced, and action filled tale.

I absolutely love this series so far. It has everything I look for in a series. Definitely recommended for any booktok girlie!

I received an eARC of this book. This is book two of the Starfall Academy series. This is a why-choose paranormal romance series. The first book, Witch Fire, had me hooked. It was chaotic and fun, but had real potential for some deeper layers. Unfortunately, Mage Storm did not have the same magical quality for me that Witch Fire did. I was pretty disappointed that the major reveal from the cliffhanger of Witch Fire was sidelined for the majority of the book in favor of a different plot thread. One of my criticisms of Witch Fire was that the book seemed to be doing too much at times, so it was nice to see one plot thread become the major focus. However, I think it came at the expense of the cliffhanger and grand reveal that opened the book. I didn’t see much in the way of character development. The setting for this book shifts away from Starfall Academy, so much of the cast of the first book doesn’t even show up here unless they get mentioned in conversations between the main group. And our main characters don’t really seem to grow or change much in this book. The male main characters really start to be siloed into one or two unique traits meant to tell them apart. The writing was passable. Much like the first book, the tone is very blunt, simple, and even a little cheesy at times. It works well enough for this kind of book. I didn’t notice any obvious errors, but I also wasn’t looking closely for them. Overall, I gave this 3.25 stars. I am still enamored enough by the first book that I can overlook a lot of the flaws in this one. I had an enjoyable enough time reading it, even if it wasn’t everything I hoped.

This series is my new obsession! The characters and plot are so engaging and every time we learn a little more all it does is deepen my curiosity. Can't wait for the next book!

I loved the first book and eagerly awaited this sequel, but I’m extremely disappointed. The story promised strong soul mate bonds, yet it isn’t until 90% of the book that the characters completely disregard that promise. Suddenly, everyone in the harem is free to pursue each other sexually, completely undermining the emotional stakes and the special connection that made the first book so compelling. This betrayal of the core premise is unforgivable, and I won’t be wasting my time on the next book.