Juliana thought she was normal; no one knows what her paranormal race is, but she comes from a bloodline so powerful that the others feel threatened by her.
Title: Paranormal Academy
Author: Jody Morse and Jayme Morse
Genres: Fantasy > Paranormal > Witches / Shapeshifters / Vampires
Read Format: Kindle Edition
Total Pages: 1,120
Reading Date: 08th December 2024 – 16th December 2024
The reading order – How to Read Paranormal Academy Series by Jody Morse and Jayme Morse
- 1 Magic 101
- 2 Wings and Charms
- 3 Elemental Blood
- 4 Spells and Pixie Dust
- 5 Fire and Ice
Magic 101
Welcome to Paranormal Academy, a boarding school for the world’s most elite witches, fairies, vampires, shifters, and other paranormal beings.
At the Academy, there are five rules everyone should follow:
- Don’t go out after curfew.
- Stay away from the Vixen, the school’s secret sorority.
- Never go into the Enchanted Forest alone.
- Professors are completely off-limits.
- Don’t get involved with dark magic users.
Well, rules are meant to be broken.
Juliana Montgomery quickly finds herself breaking every rule in the book, but that’s the least of her worries.
She never expected to receive an invitation to Paranormal Academy because she’s pretty sure there’s nothing magical about her. But it turns out she’s wrong. No one knows what her paranormal race is, but Juliana comes from a paranormal bloodline so powerful that everyone at the Academy is talking about her.
The Academy is also filled with gorgeous guys. There’s Brett Summers, whose girlfriend is convinced Juliana wants him. (And, okay, maybe she’s right). Then there’s Kaden, the guy who makes Juliana’s heart beat faster, even though he’s carrying a deep, dark secret that she’s dying to find out. And last, but certainly not least, there’s her Elemental Magic professor, Avery Tate. Sparks–literally–fly between them.
Then there are the murders that have been taking place on campus, which seem to be more frequent since Juliana’s arrival. Is it a coincidence or is she somehow linked to these deaths?
Juliana’s anxious to learn the truth about what she is. However, another person is already aware of it. This individual intends to leverage that information against her and is much closer than she realizes.
My thoughts…
Enter the world of the Paranormal Academy, where all the students live and learn in separate houses based on their paranormal race. The House of Crimson is designated for Vampires, the House of Water accommodates aquatic beings, shifters reside in the House of Were, good magic users are placed in the House of Mage, and practitioners of dark magic belong to the House of Darkness.
Juliana Montgomery thought she didn’t have any powers. So, she was surprised when she was invited to the boarding school. Her placement in the House of Mage was determined by Headmaster Crane, who remains uncertain which house she truly belongs to due to her mixed bloodlines. By the end of the story, they are still trying to figure out and do more tests.
The Characters
The female characters we meet in this first book are all supernatural beings. Juliana’s roommate Ambur is a fairy, and Draia is a witch. They are both fun to be and good friends of Juliana. The girl next door, Everly, has a beef with Juliana. She is Brett’s girlfriend and the leader of the Vixen, an elite secret sorority on the campus.
The male characters with whom Juliana has a crush are Brett, a werewolf, a half-warlock named Kaden, and Professor Tate, AKA Avery, a witch with an affinity for all four elements. But they are all off-limits to Juliana. Meanwhile, Gavin, Ambur’s boyfriend, is a fairy, and Marcus, Draia’s on-and-off boyfriend, is a cat shifter.
The concept of having familiars for magic users is also in the play. Draia has Max, the cat, and Juliana has Speckled Tree-Horn baby dragon whom she called Spike. So far, besides being cute, they have yet to show any contribution to the story.
Whilst this first book centres around the academy buildings, we also briefly venture outside the compound for dress shopping and learn some cool shop and drink names. Whilst out, a mysterious woman named Rowena freaks out when she remembers her dream about Juliana. It’s a mystery yet to be told in the story.
Coming Up Next
There is also mention of the Dark Coven, which operates outside of the school, and they are preparing a war with the academy because of Juliana. So, besides her race mystery and her boy’s problem, that would be the next concerning issue.
There is also the immediate internal threat related to the Vixen: will they end up being friends or foes? Where does the pink glow portal lead to? What about the mission outside the academy that the Headmaster Crane is about to send her to? What’s the purpose? I can’t wait to figure it out.
I love the story so far, and what I enjoy most about this book is Juliana’s slowly learning about her heritage and the powers that come with it. But when it comes to the mental blocking, I’m slightly confused when she suddenly was able to block Brett 🤔. When did she learn?
Wings and Charms
She’s one step closer to unlocking the truth about her paranormal race…
Juliana and her friends are sent on a mission over the Halloween break. All they have to do is find a tree. What could possibly go wrong?
One hint: everything.
Along for the ride are Brett Summers and Kaden Connors—not just one but two of the guys who Juliana is crushing on. #awkward
To make things worse, the Blackwood Forest is at risk of being burned down. They need to find the tree before it’s lost forever.
And if that’s not bad enough, Juliana has no idea what’s in store for her back at Paranormal Academy.
My thoughts…
In this second book, Juliana is getting close to knowing the truth about herself. But the tragic event right at the end of the story conveniently cut it short. Misfortune strikes someone close to Juliana, but, I can’t believe he’s gone for real. I simply won’t accept that the authors would be so cruel to her!
Storywise, I enjoyed the mission set in the haunted forest; however, I wish there had been more challenges and events during the quest. Something that would strengthen the bonds between them.
But maybe working as a team in the future isn’t in store for them. Perhaps it was just a one-off mission. Nevertheless, one good thing during the mission was getting Ambur familiar.
Joining the Vixen also plays a big part in the story. A group that we will read more about in the coming book. The nature of friendships and rivalries has been determined in this instalment and no doubt major things will happen next, one that I cannot wait to find out.
Some minor issues, like incorrect character names, don’t bother me too much since they don’t impact the overall plot. However, the mental block issue between Juliana and Brett is frustrating. Now, Juliana claims she doesn’t know how to navigate it. Say what now?
Excerpt
Book 1, chapter 31
“I can’t hear what you’re thinking,” Brett commented as I continued to stare at his room.
I turned to face him. “That’s because I blocked you from listening in on my thoughts.”
“You seem to block me out a lot lately.”
“I don’t like the idea of you listening to me,”
Book 2, chapter 1
“I really needed to learn to block him from listening in on me.”
I hope the next book will be better, with few or no mistakes, and feature more action!
Elemental Blood
Her blood is the answer to everything… With Avery gone, Juliana has to figure out what it means to have elemental blood. She doesn’t know it yet, but everything is about to change. A war with the Dark Coven is on the horizon, and she may be the only one who can save both the paranormal and human worlds.
My thoughts…
This is a short review of the third book. While the story was shorter than the previous instalment, it was still enjoyable and packed with actions. The plot thickens with new challenges and revelations. Who lent dark magic to Juliana? What explanation does her father have?
As we face a bigger dilemma, I hope Nellie’s death isn’t overlooked and that rescuing Ambur is a priority moving forward. I hope it wasn’t just for the sake of getting the story going. Where is Kaden? I’m tired of his disappearing shit. And finally, I knew it!
Spells and Pixie Dust
When Juliana volunteered to become Queen, she didn’t realize she would have to make the hardest decision of her life. With the coronation quickly approaching, she’s left to figure out what happened when she blacked out on the night of the Halloween party. One thing’s for sure: she seems to have an enemy on campus. Caught in a web of lies and secrets, Juliana has to figure out what’s real and what isn’t before she’s crowned Queen.
My thoughts…
I enjoy how the story has unfolded thus far; it has been a delightful journey. However, there are some issues, such as repetitive information and one serious case of name error, which took my breath away for a moment. I initially thought Juliana had made a mistake and that the cover was about to be blown. It turned out to be just an error on the author’s part.
CHAPTER 19
These are my friends, Draia, Everly, and Ember,” I said, pointing them out to her.
I’m also still waiting for the Vixen to step up and fulfil their role, but so far, it has been a letdown. The group hasn’t stood out in any way. I hope the final book will address all the questions, including the long-awaited question of who sent Spike to safeguard Juliana.
Fire and Ice
As Juliana steps into her new role as Queen, there are a few surprises. She’ll be returning to Paranormal Academy — but not as a student. And that’s not all.
She has a murder to solve, someone from her past decides to return, and the long-awaited war with the Dark Coven is almost upon them.
That’s not even to mention the serious game of tug of war in heart. To say that things have gotten complicated would be an understatement. Juliana’s love life is a hot mess.
My thoughts…
I felt the story had so much potential. But the execution wasn’t perfect. So much had been left out, and some plots seemed to be rushed. The conclusion was very brief, and there were still so many explanations that needed to be done. For instance, Juliana’s Water race never surfaced, the earth elements have also never been confirmed, and it’s unclear who spelt Avery.
Additionally, I find it frustrating that some plot points contradicted what was previously established in the previous books. For instance, Spike had long been identified as not Juliana’s familiar, yet the story continued to assert that he was.
Another inconsistency was that Avery had witnessed Kaden and Juliana share their kiss, only for Avery to suddenly be unfamiliar with Kaden when Juliana wanted to take him on a mission.
Excerpt
Book four – Spells and Pixie Dust – Chapter 23
“And his lips just happened to end up locked with yours?” Avery shook his head. I don’t even know what to do right now. I want to be with you, Juliana. I want this to be a real marriage. At least, I wanted it to be. But then I walk out here and catch you kissing Kaden Connor.”
Book five – Fire and Ice – Chapter 8
“I remember Kaden Connor. He was in one of my classes.” He paused. “Why does inviting him to come along with us worry you?”
“I just think it might be awkward, given the circumstances.”
“What circumstances?” Avery asked.
I realized that he didn’t know about me and Kaden’s history. I could have blamed it on his memory loss, but I wasn’t sure if he had been aware of my relationship with Kaden even before he forgot everything about me.
Not satisfied with the ending of the story! No retaliation from the Water Kingdom? I find it quite unbelievable. The only part I truly enjoyed out of it was the family reunion.
The second wedding also felt too soon. Furthermore, the war concluded before it even started, with Juliana appearing weak as the chosen one and not making any notable contribution.
In my opinion, the story’s poor execution may stem from it being co-written by two authors, resulting in discrepancies in the narrative. Overall, as I mentioned, it holds promise, but it requires editing, and the protagonist needs to exhibit greater strength!
