Killing November by Adriana Mather

Killing November

by Adriana Mather

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Hang a Witch comes a thriller set at a secretive boarding school where students are trained to carry on family legacies that have built--and toppled--empires.

November is as good as dead. She just doesn't know it yet.

At the Academy Absconditi, there's no electricity, no internet, and an archaic eye-for-an-eye punishment system. Classes range from knife throwing and poisons to the art of deception. And the students? Silver-spoon descendants of the world's most elite strategists--all training to become asassins, spies, and master imporsonators.

One is a virtuoso of accents--and never to be trusted. Another is a vicious fighter determined to exploit November's weaknesses. And then there's the boy with the mesmerizing eyes and a secret agenda. November doesn't know how an ordinary girl like her fits into the school's complicated legacy. But when a student is murdered, she'll need to separate her enemies from her allies before the crime gets pinned or her...or she becomes the killer's next victim.

Reviewed by Sam@WLABB on

5 of 5 stars

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Rating: 4.5 Stars

For centuries, a handful of families have been orchestrating some of the biggest historical events. Welcome to the Academy Absconditi, where the children of these elite families come to train and perfect their skills in things, such as: strategy, mind games, subterfuge, knife throwing, climbing, and sword fighting.

When a "family emergency" arose, November was whisked off to this top secret boarding school in an undisclosed location. Little did she know, this was not your average school. Not only did November hone her skills and learn the secrets of her family while at the Academy, she was also forced to fight for her life.

Well, THAT was an unexpected and fantastic surprise! I had loved both of Mather's previous books, and though this one was quite different, it was equally as fabulous and entertaining as the others.

I was quickly wrapped up in the world of the Academy and the Strategia, who are the ruling families. Their connection to prominent world events and how they manufactured them was the stuff conspiracy theorists' dreams are made of. As always, Mather wove lots of interesting historical tidbits into the story, and I was utterly fascinated by the events she chose, as well as how she blended them seamlessly into this tale.

I also loved going to class with November. What they learned and how they learned it was so interesting, but at the same time, terrifying. The Academy dated back to the 1030s, and still subscribed to many archaic rules of justice. Students were punished by being thrown in the dungeon or having to suffer "an eye for an eye" consequence. There was one scene, which was especially savage. I just couldn't believe the culture of this school.

Yes, the Academy was quite an intriguing place, but it was also a place, where you had to constantly watch your back, as November quickly learned. One of the biggest mysteries, which was solved by the end of the book, was who was trying to kill November and why. I was definitely keeping my eyes wide open as November and the twins, Ash and Layla, attempted to solve the mystery themselves. Lots of action, lots of lying, lots of precarious situations -- Mather really kept me on my toes.

The characters, the action, the alliances, the history, the mystery -- I was onboard for it all. I did not realize this was a series, when I selected this book, however, I am now pretty excited about it, because I am itching to learn all I can about the world of the Strategia.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 March, 2019: Finished reading
  • 16 March, 2019: Reviewed