“Crown of Light and Shadows” by G.K. Derosa is a fast-paced, enemies to lovers romantasy with all of my favorite tropes! This book would essentially be the result if “Hunger Games,” “Fourth Wing,” “Harry Potter” and “The School of Good and Evil” had a baby - a novel filled with death trials, dragon riders, sexy shadow daddies, rival schools of light and dark Fae, and magical menageries.
Aelia Ravenwood was raised to believe she was a Kin - a human - that upon their 20th birthday are bound to a Fae for a life of servitude. However, much to her surprise, it’s revealed on her birthday that she’s been selected to attend the Conservatory of Luce in Feywood, a prestigious academy that spits out elite graduates that go on to become the king’s guard. Oh - and she’s supposedly a Light Fae (or at least, partially). She is whisked off to her new academic home by broody Professor Reign Darkthorn.
Aelia is thrown into a world where most everyone is looking out for themselves and their post-academic career as a king’s guard. With the exception of a good few - including Aelia’s new roommate, Rue - many of the Conservatory’s students hold prejudices against Aelia for being less than and weaker than the other Light Fae in attendance. Despite having challenge after challenge stacked against her and other students (and even her own teammates) trying to sabotage her tenure at the school, Aelia is stubborn, fierce, and unwilling to back down from adversity.
With Reign’s help, Aelia meets each challenge of her trials head-on - even going as far as bonding with a dragon (an almost unheard of feat in academy history). She finds herself falling for the handsome, slightly older professor - whom we come to learn is a shadow daddy from the Court of Umbral Shadows, the Dark Fae academy across the river from the Conservatory. Despite a peace treaty between the two courts, tensions between the two schools are on the rise and a potential war looms in the not so distant future.
I absolutely LOVED this book! While there are clear parallels between Derosa’s novel and some of the aforementioned best-sellers, this book’s storyline was unique. The world building was incredible and each scene made me wish I was there! I’m a sucker for a good student-teacher, forbidden relationship and while Aelia and Reign were not that far apart in age, I was all for the sparks flying between them. Reign is pivotal in Aelia’s growth and development and in discovering her true parentage in the novel. These two cannot stay away from each other, despite their best attempts - they are magnetic and I was here for all of Reign’s protective, “touch her and you die” vibes!
If you’re looking for a romantasy that reminds you of one of your favorites and leaves you with a cliffhanger that will have your jaw on the floor, check out G.K. Derosa’s latest.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
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