The Ordeals

A Novel

By: Rachel Greenlaw

Narrated by: Maddy Lenny

“What a wild ride! Rachel Greenlaw’s romantasy debut combines captivating worldbuilding, a seriously twisty plot, and a steamy romance.”—Demi Winters, author of The Road of Bones

“A magical college with death games, a murder mystery, and dangerous magic? Yes, please!”—Tessonja Odette, author of A Rivalry of Hearts

Twenty-year-old Sophia DeWinter has only known life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he exacted from her as a child. When she learns of Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders outside of the Collector’s control, she knows it is her only chance to finally break free. But to gain entry, she will have to compete against other illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists in a series of brutal trials that many hopefuls don’t survive—the Ordeals.

Sophia knows her skills as an illusionist are weak; she only makes it through the first challenge by teaming up with a powerful (and insufferably sexy) botanist, Alden Locke. To make it out alive, she will have to hone her magic and learn to identify who is a rival, who could be an ally, and who is a murderer.

Because now, not only does she have to protect her heart but her very life. Hopefuls are being viciously picked off one by one between the challenges. In her haste to escape the Collector’s trap, Sophia may have fled straight toward her own death sentence.

Critic reviews

“What a wild ride! Rachel Greenlawʼs romantasy debut combines captivating worldbuilding, a seriously twisty plot, and a steamy romance. I thought I knew where this was heading, but boy, was I wrong. The way the layers of this story unfold made it impossible to put down!”—Demi Winters, author of The Road of Bones

“A magical college with death games, a murder mystery, and dangerous magic? Yes, please! Deliciously dark with high stakes and a sizzling hot romance, The Ordeals is not to be missed!”—Tessonja Odette, author of A Rivalry of Hearts

“Greenlaw keeps the excitement, suspense, and romance building throughout to a shocking end, leaving readers eagerly anticipating future installments. Perfect for romantasy readers who love dark academia, such as Elise Kova’s Arcana Academy, Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House, or Harper L. Woods’s The Coven.”—Library Journal, starred review

Plot driven romantacy that ticked all the boxes!

This was everything I hoped it would be….and that is rare!

The vibes/atmosphere were on point.
The right balance of trauma background and character growth for FMC.
The book was mostly adventure and some romance and had a great balance of plot driven and romance.
FMC and MMC gad great chemistry and the romance progression was not rushed and felt very believable and authentic. There is some spice and it is realistic.
The friendships and friendship/ally development also felt natural and there was no inta-love or insta-besties that I see in so many romantacies.
Unique magic system and sufficient world building without any weird info dumps.

Perfect amount of mystery, plot twists, and intrigue.
However, the last name thing was a but obvious after the forbidden hall. I figured it was something like that. But did not guess the full breadth of it. Just that there was a very similar last name and it probably fit.
I also laughed out loud at the “it’s the murderer in the parlor, with the candlestick!” Lol but i loved it.

What a ride!

This was a really fun and twisting piece of fantasy. The love was refreshing and the world original .

Beautifully written

I absolutely adored this book and was sad to finish it. Suspenseful, great world building, captivating story. Enemy to lovers slow burn with a mild spice level. Engaging characters with an interesting plot. This book is easy to devour. Excited for book 2.

4 ⭐️

Trials and a murder mystery mixed with some romance. This book was a fun read. I liked the trials; they felt high stakes. I felt a little distant from the characters though. Even the romance didn’t hit for me. It wasn’t bad, but I just didn’t feel a connection as I have with other books. I liked the story, it was unique and interesting, but I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. It was just ok.

Loved it!!

I absolutely loved this book. The narrator brought it to a whole other level with her slow, lovely velvety voice. The storytelling was excellent - it kept me captivated and entranced the whole way through. The female main character was written so well and the male love interest was delicious and kind. I liked that the smut was kept to a bare minimum and that the story was based on events and feelings more than base sexual acts, as some books seem to rely on. This is a 5 star for me. Both the written and spoken word. Well done to the author and narrator. I look forward to reading more books in this series.