This book is just stunning. It has all of the dark academia vibes but it’s also an adult fiction piece. We follow the story of 3 different main characters: the Rat, Léo and Magister Ludi. The story takes place at a boarding school called Montverre where student train in this thing they call grand jeu. Martin Léo is banished by the Party to the school he used to go to 10 years prior where Magister Ludi teaches and where the Rat is hiding. With time we get to know what happened when Léo used to go to school and why Magister Ludi hates him so much. 

Léo made many mistakes in his life and he’s not… very likeable to me. He’s low key misogynistic – he believes that women are inferior to men, that their place is at home, not at school. We learn that the Party he is a part of is introducing those “Purity Laws” that are highly nationalistic and especially anti-Christian and anti-Communistic and everyone that defines them.. disappears. Léo is lucky, because even tho he went against what Party wanted of him “Old Man” (head of the Party, he’s only mentioned a few times) likes him, so he was banished. 

Magister Ludi, fist female Magister at Montverre as we learn later is also aware of what happened at school when Léo attended it and she knows more than anyone would expect. 

And this book has the biggest plot twist at the end that I’d never have expected. Now that I think about it, it was hinted here and there but I never expected THAT! 

I did not expect Claire (Magister Ludi) to not only be Carfrax’s sister but also the fact that it wasn’t the real Carfrax, who Léo fell in love in when they were at school but it was Claire. And while the real Carfrax did indeed commit suicide – the Carfrax that Léo knew, his love, Claire was alive.

 

I would love to give it 5 starts but to be honest.. I’ve missed something in it. Not sure why, it’s just the feeling I got.