Immortal Consequences (The Souls of Blackwood Academy #1)
By: I. V. Marie
Recommendation: 🌕🌕🌕 - (Out of 5 🌕)
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantacy, Romance
Length: 512 Pages
Pace: Slow
Moods: Challenging, Dark, Emotional
'Immortal Consequences' is your typical high school academy fantasy story. It has rivalries, alliances, romantic relationships and a difficult challenge that the main characters must compete in in order to win an ultimate prize. The one interesting twist in the story is that the main characters have all died and now find themselves in a place similar to, if not exactly, purgatory. They are responsible for 'escorting' the souls of recently deceased people who are struggling to pass on to the other side.
Blackwood Academy is comprised of approximately 500 student. All of the students are young adults who when alive had had a near death experience. One draw back to this in between life, is that after a about 500 years, a student will begin to lose their memory and will no longer be able to function in their role. They will then aimlessly wander the 'Ether'.
".....so what's the point of the Ether?" "Think of it like a passageway. A place neither here nor there. When you die, your soul ends up in the Ether. When someone dies without extra baggage, they usually cross over to the Other Side without a hiccup. But if they've got things holding them back...unfinished business..." "We have to help them, ...."
Out story follows a group of six students. Each looking to win the Decennial, a competition that occurs once every ten years. The winner from the Decennial has the option to pass over to the Other Side or become a member of Blackwood Academy's magical elite group. Each student has a reason that they want to win the ultimate prize and each elects to keep that reason secret. They find themselves forming an alliance in order to survive. To keep things interesting, they are being forced to fight against members of an evil order.
I didn't hate this story but I also didn't love it. There were parts that flowed very easily for me and others that seemed to drag. In my opinion, the premise of the story is very interesting. The setting, an elite high school, is common in young adult fiction. The between life and death aspect is unique and intriguing. I got overwhelmed at times because even though we are for the most part following six main characters, we are also introduced to several side characters; others competing in the competition as well as those that are a part of the Demien Order. At one point, the author introduced some new material that was confusing to me and didn't add to the main story; it just felt unnecessary with so much already happening amongst the main characters, the side characters, and the main plot.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Available July 29th, 2025
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