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Immortal Consequences by I.V. MarieThe Souls of Blackwood Academy #1
Published by Delacorte Press on July 29, 2025
Age Group & Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: Publisher
Six students at Blackwood Academy, an enigmatic boarding school located at the edge of the afterlife, must compete for the once-in-eternity chance to change their fate—or risk remaining stuck in purgatory forever. An unputdownable debut full of hairpin twists, shock betrayals and world-defying love, for fans of The Atlas Six.
Welcome to Blackwood Academy: the legendary school located at the fringes of the afterlife, where students are fated to spend the rest of eternity shepherding lost souls. Once a pupil enters the school’s arched gates, there is no way out…except for the Decennial, a once-in-a-decade celebration that rewards nominees who pass its trials with a choice: formally graduate and join Blackwood’s magical elite, or venture into the unknown and cross over to the mysterious Other Side.
Wren Loughty is certain that this Decennial, she has what it takes to earn the nomination—unless, that is, her academic archrival Augustine Hughes steals her spot.
Irene Manette Bamford has never cared about playing by the rules. She’s willing to break whatever (and whoever) stands between her and getting the hell out of Blackwood, including her best and only friend, Masika Sallow.
Olivier Dupont gave up on securing the nomination ages ago. But after he meets Blackwood’s newest student, Emilio Córdova, he’ll do anything to keep Emilio from leaving him and crossing over to the Other Side—even if it means claiming the victory for himself.
All of them are determined to be Blackwood’s chosen candidate–and all of them would do anything to win. But none of them are prepared for what’s to come. Because this Decennial will be different. This time, the Decennial isn’t a celebration…it’s a competition. And there can only be one victor.
Six nominees. Four trials. Untold danger. Wren, August, Irene, Masika, Olivier and Emilio are about to learn: there are some fates worse than death.
A copy of the book was provided for review purposes - thank you! Receiving a copy does not guarantee a positive review and therefore does not affect the opinion or content of the review.
Trigger & Content Warnings: car accident (mentioned), drug overdose (mentioned), violence
You know how you sometimes feel like it’s been so long since you’ve read a book so good it sits in your head for days after you read it? Immortal Consequences is going to take up brain space in my head until the sequel comes out; I’m so glad I crossed paths with this book because it is amazing, and I can’t wait for the sequel to come out.
Marie’s debut is the first in The Souls of Blackwood Academy series, set at a prestigious academy in the afterlife where there are rarely new students. Every decade, a student is nominated for the Decennial, where there are four trials they must pass before they’re given a choice: set their soul permanently to rest and go to the Other Side, or graduate and join the academy’s elite group (called the Ascended) where they gain full access to their magical powers, acquire glowing eyes that set them apart from the rest of the student body, and never have to reap souls again.
In addition, they never lose their memories of their life before they joined the academy; those who stay too long slowly but surely lose their memories (called The Forgotten) until they remember nothing and then are removed from Blackwood to wander aimlessly in the Ether, helping souls cross over.
It’s such a unique and refreshing take on the dark academia genre, and the world-building is so well done. There’s a fantastic balance between information that’s divulged to us and the pacing of the story — there’s never a moment where I felt like Marie was info-dumping us. While there are some things I wish we could’ve gotten more info on, like the magical abilities the students have some access to and the Ascended, there’s some setup for this to be covered in the sequel. I also really liked that there’s a certain air of mystery and unknown of the afterlife even when there’s a whole world here.
Immortal Consequences is told from six POVs who are all hoping to gain the nomination for various reasons: Wren, Augustine (August), Irene, Masika, Olivier, and Emilio. There’s a lot of POVs, but each of their voices and personalities are so distinctive from each other — I absolutely love them despite some of their flaws, and I feel like they have a well-rounded depth to them. Their interactions and dynamics were so entertaining to read even when they’re in conflict, and you can practically feel the tension and yearning between some characters.
Immortal Consequences is fast-paced and captivated me on every page. It’s a strong start to a series, and it’s shaping up to be a new favorite series of mine (I absolutely ran to get my own copy of this book after finishing the eARC). I can’t wait to see how this unfolds!
About I.V. Marie
I.V. Marie was born and raised in Miami to a Peruvian mother and Chilean father, where she acquired a penchant for afternoon cafecitos and developed an all-consuming obsession with books. Her writing ambitions began behind her grandparent’s computer, where she spent her childhood crafting spooky and fantastical short stories. When she is not writing, you can find her rock climbing or watching atmospheric YouTube videos with her dog, Mr. Darcy.
She is represented by Ariele Fredman and Gwen Beal at United Talent Agency. Her debut novel, Immortal Consequences, is coming from Delacorte Press/Penguin Random House in Summer 2025.
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