Twenty teenagers enter, only five become guardians....

Nightshade Academy by Mel Torrefranca

Twenty teenagers enter. Only five become guardians.

Yahshi Konya shouldn’t be one of them. With low test scores, his selection for the Empire’s boarding school raises red flags. The guardians are offering him the opportunity of a lifetime, but at what cost?

Taking a chance, he joins the aggressive military program and strikes an alliance with two trainees. Vell, the only girl, and Pinto, the overachiever. United, they tackle relentless challenges, watching their competitors dwindle.

But the Academy is not what it seems. When dangerous truths emerge,

Yahshi finds himself killing his friendships—and possibly his humanity.

“Number one: As trainees, you will have no contact with anyone

from your old life for the duration of your time in the program. There

will be no visits and no exchanges of letters or gifts. You will engage

socially with guardians and trainees, unless otherwise organized by

the Force.”

Review:

4.75 stars

So this is my fourth ARC and is by far my favorite. I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review so enjoy. I’ve deemed October as my fantasy month and have taken over Sarah J Maas. I was in need of a Throne of Glass break so hopped on my laptop and started reading. When I tell you this book is a mix of all my fantasy books it is the ultimate mix. This book is like Fourth Wing, The Hunger Games, and Harry Potter had a beautiful baby, I am so here for it. This book had me giggling, kicking my feet, crying, and laughing. It was a rollercoaster that I would happily go through again to read it for the first time.

“Yahshi? Are you...doing homework?”

Yahshi slammed his pencil down. “I’m trying to.”

“What happened?”

“I...punched Quax.”

That was by far my favorite quote of the entire book, to be honest Quax deserved it. The plot of this book is so well done, I was so annoyed when I parted from my laptop to complete my work for the day. If it was up to me I would have ignored all my responsibilities for the day and just read it in one sitting.

“Number two: On the first day of every month you’re in the

program, your immediate family will receive a two-thousand-coin

pension, and your hometown will receive five times that as a bonus in

their monthly infrastructure fund. The first payments will be delivered today, assuming you sign the contract.”

The world is confined in its intentionally suffocating atmosphere riddled with obsession, betrayal and bitter rivalries, The novel introduces questions of freedom; of egocentrism and control, of morality and accountability for actions, all structures in a way that flows beautifully, thrusting characters into impossible choices that the reader can relate to. Mel Torrefranca's writing is phenomenal; it crafts an analysis of wealth and privilege, and the lengths people would go to to attain them. I do especially like how she touched on trauma and how the characters coped with it.

“Number three: We run a competitive program that requires your

complete dedication for success. You will not get many days, and

you will not have the privilege to travel freely. You will need to follow

a strict schedule that demands growth under pressure.

One of my favorite things about this book was the characters. Yahshi is a smart and ambitious student, who is at the bottom of his class and unsure of his chances to enter the academy. When he is selected, he ends up feeling like a puppet. Quax, who once dreamed of designing buildings, gives up on his dream and is the best prepared out of the 20. Vel, the only girl selected, is not as physically strong or trained in martial arts but has speed and skills. Pinto loses his eye but is committed to becoming a guardian. Honestly more power to you Pinto, I aspire to have your determination.

“Number four: If you are filtered from the program, but the

Empire requires additional guardians on duty, your partial training

experience may subject you to a mandatory service call, regardless of

your graduation status.

There were a lot of moments throughout this beautiful book that made my heart ache for Yahshi, and the entire cast of characters. I wish I could say If I was doing what they're doing I would be able to make it to the top 5. But in the honest truth I probably would have given up after the first week because, wow that's intense. But if this book interests you I 100% recommend that you read it. If you do let me know what you think because I personally loved this.

“And lastly, but most importantly, number five: You must under‐

stand that only five of twenty trainees will graduate from the program

eighteen months from today. These five trainees will be finalized after

nine months and required to serve forty years after graduation.

However, prior to the tenth month, you are welcome to filter yourself

from the program before any life-altering commitments are made. In fact, we encourage it. If you cannot handle the separation from friends

and family, are mentally or physically unable to maintain the

Academy schedule, or experience doubts about your career path, you

are not for guardianship, and you should leave before it’s too late.

Bear in mind that your family pension and your community’s

infrastructure bonus will cease upon returning home.

“If you accept your selection, take this dagger.” He slid the tool

between them, and a dull beam of light reflected off its blade. “You

must sign the contract in blood to reflect the weight of your decision.”

Will I be reading the next book?

Yes 101%

Am I going to beg Long Island Press for an ARC of the next book?

Yes, by the way Long Island Press this is your warning as soon as I find out about the next, I will constantly be in your inbox.

Do I plan to run to Barnes & Noble to buy the physical copy on 11/11/2023?

Yes, so if you see a crazy lady running around the store stay out of my way.

Am I wishing Yahshi was real so he can take me out?

Yup, if he were to call me and offer to take me to dinner, I would be ready in an instant.

Questo libro è stato assolutamente bellissimo, devi leggerlo. Se capisci questo significa che devi leggerlo al 10000000% adesso!

Thank you Long Island Press & Mel Torrefranca for providing me with this ARC