IMMORTAL CONSEQUENCES

Trapped indefinitely in adolescence and forced to reap souls, the students of purgatory’s Blackwood Academy boarding school have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to escape their fate in this debut.

Wren, August, Emilio, Olivier, Irene, and Masika are “unfortunate acquaintances” nominated to compete in the Decennial Festival, which offers the opportunity to join the Ascended as school leaders or cross over to the Other Side. Either way, it’s a chance to avoid eventually losing all memories and sense of self and wandering the Ether for eternity. But as the competition begins, a mysterious new student who can harness shadow magic appears. In between the Decennial contests, the classmates try to get to the bottom of this mystery, unraveling more threads along the way. Some inconsistent and anachronistic worldbuilding elements are distracting in places. This ancient institution admits students who have died anywhere in the world (their commonality is that each one had a near-death experience before their actual untimely demise), and there’s racial diversity in the supporting cast. The six leads, several of whom are queer, include Wren, August, and Olivier, who present white, as well as Emilio, who’s cued Latine, Irene, who has some Korean heritage, and Masika, who reads Black. The mystery at the heart of the story is compelling and will engage readers all the way up to the cliffhanger ending, which will leave them yearning for the sequel to tie up loose ends.

A compelling plot compensates for issues with worldbuilding.