Eula Blue was supposed to be a mage. That was before the war came-before the fight for the Multiverse devastated Eula's home, and with it her hopes for a magical education.

But the destruction of the war also brought something new: the ability to travel to other planes. And when Eula receives an invitation to study magic at a distant school called Strixhaven, she leaps to take it.

Eula's journey brings her closer than she ever thought possible to her fellow students, including the mysterious Segante, a boy whose secrets Eula longs to share. But not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of the new class, and Eula and her new friends quickly become targets.

To make it through their first semester, they'll have to fight for their place in this new world-or else they'll be dead before their final exams.

Strixhaven Omens of Chaos by Seanan McGuire is clever dark academia with a Magic: The Gathering overlay. Even if you've never heard of Magic: The Gathering you will fall in love with the fantasy world, the characters and easily be able to understand the multiverse that Seanan McGuire describes in her novel. You will also quickly grasp the stakes for all the characters as they figure out their place in their new world.

Seanan McGuire is extremely talented so I never expected anything but excellence, but she has outdone herself in this book. The novel is super engrossing even with the smallest of details and even discussing laundry leads to secrets revealed. Each character has their own motivations and reasons for coming to Strixhaven and it is those deeper secrets that keep the novel intriguing. I also love the way conflict and challenges that the group faces gives us such a fantastic story.

The novel does a great job of letting the details lead to secrets emerging and a resolution that feels like it can lead to more novels within the world. And even if you don't know Magic: The Gathering you will still enjoy the novel. The fantasy world is well-built and described, making it easier for novice readers of the world to partake.

If you love fantasy, Seanan McGuire and dark academia, you will love this clever dark academia novel with intriguing characters, rich fantasy world and a fascinating multiverse of worlds to explore, especially if they bring in more worlds and characters in the next book. I found it fun and absorbing.

Rating: 5 out of 5 dragons ~~ Andrea Rittschof

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