I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

When August’s brother disappears before his sophomore semester, everyone thinks the stress of college got to him. But August knows her brother would never have left her voluntarily, especially not after their mother so recently went missing.

The only clue he left behind was a note telling her to stay safe and protect their remaining family. And after August is attacked by a ten-foot-tall creature with fur and claws, she realizes that her brother might be in more danger than she could have imagined.

Unfortunately for her, the only person with a connection to the mysterious creature is the bookish Virgil Hawthorne…and he knows about them because he is one. If he doesn’t find a partner to help control his true nature, he’ll lose his humanity and become a mindless beast—exactly what the secret society he’s grown up in would love to put down.

Virgil makes a proposition: August will join his society and partner with him, and in return, he’ll help her find her brother. And so August is plunged into a deadly competition to win one of the few coveted candidate spots, all while trying to accept a frightening reality: that monsters are real, and she has to learn to master them if she’s to have any hope of saving her brother.

Short and Sweet Review

August’s brother Jules has just gone missing but everyone thinks the stress of school got to him, but August knows that her brother wouldn’t do that especially after their mom disappeared. Jules left August a note before leaving warning her that monsters are real and to stay safe. Shortly after that August is attacked by a monster. The only person who seems to have a clue about what’s going on is Virgil Hawthorne. Virgil offers to help August find her brother in exchange for her to become his partner and help him control the beast inside. August accepts and she’s thrust into a deadly competition, where she’ll have to learn how to master monsters in order to find her brother.

I found this book to be intriguing. August is our main character and we only read from her POV, she’s a character who’s rough around the edges but she cares for those that she’s close to. When her brother goes missing she immediately knows something is wrong because it isn’t like Jules to just leave people worrying. When August encounters a monster herself she knows there’s more to Jules’s disappearance. Which is where Virgil comes in, he’s knowledgeable about monsters because he is one but he needs August’s help to make sure he can control himself. August agrees because she’ll have more resources to find her brother. August ends up learning about a society and going through training to prepare for becoming one of the candidates who makes it. Virgil is a good character he was more level headed and logical and he had a way of balancing out August and her more act now think later approach to things. We have other side characters and friends in this book who help August and Virgil but I feel like these two are the most important. This is the first book in which appears to be a series so there was a lot of world building and August is new to this world so we’re experiencing it with her which was good but I can see where it becomes too much. The story balances a few different aspects, school life, competitions, and a bit of mystery. The connection between partners was interesting, Virgil needed August so he wouldn’t lose himself to the monster within and I liked how August took her new task seriously.I think there are a few points where the book seems to dump a lot of information on the readers at once but in the end it all makes sense.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The plot will keep you hooked and this new world that Sambury is building will leave you wanting more. I’m excited to see what the next book has in store. If you like fantasy and dark academia look no further and check this book out.