A rare new adult book where the character actually acts like a teenager. Malik’s story is engaging though the twists were predictable. I look forward to seeing how his and Taye’s stories develop (there has to be more to Taye’s story, right?)

It was refreshing to read a fantasy novel centered on a young Black man as the main character. His voice took some getting used to but that was a me problem and not a writing issue. 

At the beginning, we get a lot of detailed descriptions of student culture at the university and that definitely read like a love letter to young Black folks. A lot of that falls away once the setting is established, except for musical references. 

The magic system was occasionally confusing. Other than colors it wasn’t clear what differentiated one person’s magic from another’s, nor what made Malik’s so special. 

There is a love story though it remains fairly superficial. I give it 1/2 sparkly heart. 💖 

There are queer and nonbinary students among the secondary characters and I hope we see them further developed in future books.

Overall it was an entertaining read. I will likely read the sequel. 3.5 ⭐️ / .5 💖