Royals of Villain Academy

When mages slaughter my parents in front of me, I have no time to mourn. The murderers drag me into a society of dark magic where power is created by fear. It turns out I'm the long-lost heir to one of their royal families—guaranteed to possess a talent even more vicious than most. And I'm trapped here until I accept my role. But I don't want these wicked skills I have no idea how to tap into. I don't want the mansion or the fancy clothes or the massive bank account I inherited. I especially don't want the attention of my fellow heirs: four scorching-hot, arrogant men.

I was starting to think I knew what I was dealing with at the university, best known as Villain Academy. I’d come to believe that by owning my role as the last remaining Bloodstone, I could change this place for the better. Then, a series of shocking revelations turns everything I believed on its head. The other scions have my back now, with all the trouble that's brought them. How much more will they have to sacrifice before we can find some kind of peace?

I thought I was ordinary Rory Franco: college student, artist, and over-protected daughter. Then, mages barge into my family’s home, murder my parents, and whisk me off to a university known as Villain Academy. It turns out I’m Persephone Bloodstone, the long lost heir to one of the five royal families of dark magic. I’m destined to learn how to manipulate the world with fear—and to stand beside the four other scions: the scorching-hot, arrogant young men who rule this school. The four of them crush anyone who doesn’t kowtow.

In a month, I've gone from magicless to one of the most powerful dark mages in the world. You'd think that would make my life easier. But all that power is only potential until I learn how to wield it, and my enemies have a huge head start. While I'm picking up every skill I can, adversaries both within Villain Academy and beyond it are working to knock me down. My fellow scions? I can count at least a couple of them among those enemies. The others...let's just say the lines between light and dark have gotten a lot more blurred.

Do I want to spend my summer with my vicious classmates at Bloodstone University - better known as Villain Academy? No, thank you. But I've got to find a way to tackle my enemies before they try to destroy me again, and the trail to potential answers starts there. I've had it with taking the high road, though. Come at me, and you'd better believe I'll hit you back just as hard. Maybe that'll mean I have to tap into my dark magic instincts more than I'd ever have planned to, but I'm not letting one more person I care about get hurt.

Every time I turn around, new opponents are looking to knock me down. No part of the magical community is safe. And now my enemies have left me with a horrible accusation hanging over my head, using so many tricks I can barely defend myself. If I want to clear my name and keep my freedom, I have to turn to the guys who once made my life hell. They've changed their tune and made amends, but how far can I really count on them? Especially if they find out that my greatest foes are within their families.

I was starting to think I knew what I was dealing with here at the university best known as Villain Academy. Not so much. But can I really trust a shocking revelation from someone who's proven to be my enemy? There's no way to answer that without diving in. If my mother is still out there alive, I have to uncover the truth. Even if it means putting myself back in the hands of the mages who've betrayed me before.

Having my birth mother back in my life? To say it's a big transition is an understatement. Especially when she's basically a stranger to me, and I'm not sure yet whether I can trust her to be any more maternal than the average fearmancer parent (which, spoiler, isn't much). Unfortunately, the other barons aren't giving me time to ease into the situation. They've turned their sights on my fellow scions and newfound lovers, putting them under fire from far too close to home. As if that wasn't enough, an unsettling plan is unfolding that threatens every student on campus.

I've won one victory against my enemies, but it seems the barons are just getting started with their new, vicious schemes. They'll stop at nothing to expand their power. Any move I make to oppose them could have horrible consequences for both me and the guys I love. My only hope is playing along until the right opportunity comes my way. There's a chance I could sway my mother if I can earn her trust. She may be brutal when she feels she needs to be, but I've seen glimpses of a softer side underneath.

The battle lines have been drawn. My fellow scions and I stand on one side and the power-hungry barons on the other. The scheme they've put in motion could shatter both our community and the non-magical world. Neither I nor the guys I love are willing to let that happen, but with the barons throwing both laws and parental bonds aside, we're short on options. The fate of our world could come down to a literal battle for our lives - one I'm not sure we have any hope of winning.