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Ren has proved she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks mean nothing if she fails to get into one of the major houses at Balmerick University.
Enter the impossibly rich Theo Brood. Fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays; Theo is travelling home with the scholarship kids—which doesn’t sit well with anyone.
A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students find themselves stranded as they are set down in the middle of nowhere.
And one of them is dead.
It’s up to Ren to get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the group is harbouring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods …
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Ren has proved she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks mean nothing if she fails to get into one of the major houses at Balmerick University.
Enter the impossibly rich Theo Brood. Fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays; Theo is travelling home with the scholarship kids—which doesn’t sit well with anyone.
A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students find themselves stranded as they are set down in the middle of nowhere.
And one of them is dead.
It’s up to Ren to get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the group is harbouring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods …
This engaging fantasy story begins in a magical school called Balmerick. It is highly hierarchical, with family bloodlines holding all the power. A ruling family must sponsor a student for them to secure their future career. It’s an ancient land, once populated by dragons, and the remnants of their unique magic remain.
Ren and her friend Timmons are both scholarship students from poorer families. Despite Ren’s brilliance, her excessive studiousness and inability to ingratiate herself with the wealthy families do not help her ambitions. Ren and Timmons travel to and from school in a magical portal, which works like a bus powered by candles and magical currents. When waiting in the portal one day for the magical current to take hold, two wealthy students who are being punished for misbehaviour get into an argument with another student just as the portal activates. The magic goes haywire. They are all transported to the Dires, an ancient forest many days travel from their homes, and one of the students is dead on arrival. The rest must work together, despite their dislike for one another, if they are going to survive the terrors of the woods.
This first book in a duology is an exciting mix of dark academia fantasy and action adventure set in an intriguing, magical land. Fantasy lovers aged 12+ will enjoy the fast-paced challenges Ren and her companions must undertake to survive.
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