Alright, so I was really looking forward to reading this book. After seeing its GORGEOUS cover in the library at the high school where I work, I knew I needed to pick it up. However, while I’m not completely disappointed in the book itself, I wasn’t completely satisfied with it either. 

So, I want to jump into what I liked about Immortal Consequences before getting into what I disliked. I truly LOVED August and Wren as characters and their romantic tension. They have a great enemies to lovers vibe and even more conflict as the story goes on. I loved the mystery surrounding everything and the story idea as a whole with Blackwood Academy. I thought it was all super mysterious and intriguing with this elusive immortal academy and the big bad Demiens who are trying to destroy all souls.

Without spoiling anything, this story idea is that some souls are basically “picked” to become students at Blackwood Academy, thereby becoming immortal after death and can’t feel pain. They are tasked with learning about their magic, helping guide souls to the other side so they can find peace, and potentially becoming an Ascended (so they can access their full magical potential and truly be immortal). Because if they don’t become an Ascended, they risk forgetting who they were in their human lives if they stay at Blackwood Academy for too long, and then they get cast out into the Ether, forced to help souls pass on but never being able to pass on themselves. Like I said, the plot and story itself were really cool and well executed for the most part.

With that being said, I also REALLY struggled with the fact that this book had SIX point of views. I can handle two (August and Wren would have been plenty), but SIX??? It honestly took me out of the story so many times to try and place where this specific character was and it made me feel less connected to all the characters as a whole. It was too much to juggle in my mind and I could have done without a few. Emilio, Masika, and Olivier could have definitely had their POVs cut as I didn’t find them wholly necessary to the story. I thought Irene’s POV was interesting and gave a lot of insight into different parts of the immortal realms, but she was such an infuriating character that I hated being in her mind or following her character at all (I mean, where are her redemptive qualities???). 

Spoilers ahead.

All of these POVs lead to the climax of the novel. Basically two of their professors and Masika’s long lost (to the Demien Order) love, Catherine, save Emilio, Olivier, and Masika. The professors and Catherine are no longer part of the Demien Order because they see the destruction that they and Blackwood Academy will eventually cause to all souls. August is part of the Demien Order because his sister, Edith, basically forced him into it. He had sworn to bring Wren to the Demien Order once she became Ascended, but realized his unrequited feelings for her and (even though she gets taken anyway) swears he’d never let them take her. Irene becomes the Ascended presumably only to be a spy from the inside for Mateo, who recruited her into the Demien Order. 

Overall, while I found the book super interesting and LOVED August and Wren, I could not get over the fact that the book had six POVs. Irene was insufferable, and the other three “main characters” did not give off main character vibes. I may or may not read the second one, but I haven’t decided yet. At first I rated the 4 out of 5 stars because it felt like a 3.5 to me, but with reflection, it’s definitely closer to a 3/5 for me. 

Source: Audiobook from Libby Public Library

(P.S. You can read this book for free by signing up for a free trial of Audible, which gives you two free audiobooks of your choice!)