Reviews

Cruel Magic by Eva Chase

amanda_lee's review against another edition

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4.0

I like RH, academies, and villains so I went in with high hopes and it delivered.

I like Rory and that she's strong and doesn't back down. I'd like to see her continue rising to the occasion and building her strength. She's my favourite part of the book. There's not a lot of depth to the guys in this one so i'm hoping more comes in following books.

justolenka's review against another edition

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Nothing wrong with the book, just not in the mood for a bully romance, will perhaps continue sometime in the future.

radicalrad's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I liked the introduction book. Having fearmancers and joymancers is not a common trope. However, there were some common tropes in her "harem" such as the joker the bad boy, himbo and aloof. There really wasn't much depth to them in the first book but a hint of family drama making them who they are might be interesting to read about in the next installment.
I can appreciate Malcom standing on business but Connar is a coward and so is Declan.

lexee9's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This was a great read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention the entire time. I loved getting to know Rory and watching her as she is yanked from life as she knew and thrust into something totally unexpected. She had no idea that she had magic of her own and that it wasn't like her adoptive Joymancer parents but instead Fearmancer. She is essentially kidnapped on their rescue attempt and had to watch her "rescuers" kill her parents that treated her well and loved her and she loved them. She is thrust into this world that thrives on causing fear in others in order to gain magic at Bloodstone University and told that she is the long lost heir to the Bloodstone Barony. She quickly becomes a target when she doesn't just jump at the offer Malcom and the other Scions give on her first day there after stepping in when she sees Malcolm bullying and scaring a younger teen. I really enjoyed getting to know Rory and watching her stand her ground though it is very shaky for her right now. She is learning the rules here at the University and doesn't like what she is seeing for sure. She has a lot to figure out and a lot to stand strong on in the midst of grieving for her parents and having to hide that from everyone. This story was well written and flowed smoothly. I was engaged with the characters and really love Rory and am excited to see how things turn out with the other Scions. 

lavendermarch's review against another edition

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4.0

This was so interesting! I really enjoyed learning about the magic of the fearmancers. I can't wait to see Rory grow more! I'm curious about the overall system of the barons, and their role in this magic society. Of the four scions, I liked Connar the best. Declan I like less than Jude, actually. I want to get more of Malcolm's perspective. At this point, although there've been a few romantic encounters (kissing and sex) between Rory and two of the four (separately) I'm not really comfortable with her being in a relationship with any of them. They're bullying her. Right now there's a lot of damage to repair, as they've been waging an all out war on her, and I'm frankly not sure how they're going to make peace right now. I look forward to seeing what Eva Chase will write in book 2! This was an excellent novel, with darkness, a dash of romance, and of course, magic! 4 stars.

rachel_reads_rom's review against another edition

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4.0

This was one of the first bully romances I ever picked up, and when I first did, I didn't know what I was getting in for. (In my defense, having trigger warnings would have been helpful) Now that I have experience with the genre, I always wanted to revisit this series.

I'm amazed to see what once pushed my limits now felt very tame?

francesford's review against another edition

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3.0

walmart zodiac academy but kind of scratches the itch so i will keep reading

reb_reads0715's review against another edition

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5.0

Really Really Enjoyed

I really enjoyed this book. Rory finds out she’s not a Nary but it happens in a traumatic way. She ends up at Villain Academy with the 4 other Royals. This is a bully college pnr story

cdaniels21's review

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adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

tamscorner's review

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0