Thank you Delacorte Press for the digital copy of Ruinous Ends by I. V. Marie!

⚠️ SPOILER ALERT: This review is for Book 2 of The Souls of the Blackwood Academy series and may contain spoilers for Book 1 (Immortal Consequences). ⚠️

📕 Title: Ruinous Ends
✏️ Author: I. V. Marie
📖 Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
⭐ Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
📝 Book 2 of The Souls of Blackwood Academy

The Decennial is over, but for the students of Blackwood Academy, the fight for the afterlife has just begun. The infamous school was hiding more secrets and lies than any of the Decennial’s participants could have imagined. And there’s still so much that remains buried beneath its ancient foundations. Now the future of the academy, and all the souls within it, rests in the hands of six former pupils. Any of them could be the hero the afterlife needs… or the villain who will destroy it for good.

REVIEW

Ruinous Ends is a multi-POV YA Fantasy with dark academia elements, written in third person perspective. This is the sequel to Immortal Consequences, and while it does not include a full recap of the first book, the early chapters provided enough organic references to prior events to help me recall the most important points.

The story picks up very soon after the events of the first book and quickly establishes the goals of each character and the cataclysmic stakes, getting me invested right away. While the first book was all about the Decennial competition, Ruinous Ends is a battle between the Demien Order, Blackwood Academy, and the rebels, a fight for control of the afterlife and a fast paced and epic conclusion to this duology. You can expect dangerous quests, powerful magic, and secrets that could destroy the afterlife.

The character arcs are all so good, especially Irene and Masika’s tumultuous friendship. I loved the tension between Wren and August, her hesitancy to trust him again after his betrayal, and the sweet romance between Olivier and Emilio. I also really loved the supporting characters, with a special shout-out to Benji!

I really enjoyed this book; it was bittersweet, hopeful, and a perfect ending to this story.