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Dark Witch Academy #1
Gemini Queen
I summon the lightning.
I claim my power.
The warlocks of Icarus Academy claim me.
I start my night as a cat burglar in Singapore and I end up queen of the witching world. Too bad this rags-to-riches fairytale's a gig I never applied for and won't accept. My witchcraft is wild and lethal, so I've renounced my power. I'm a fish out of water at Icarus Academy.
But these four sexy warlocks who rule the school just won't take no for an answer.
They want me to claim my power. They want me to summon the lightning. And they want to claim me as their consort.
Because the witching world is dying, and I'm their last chance. But there's a queen killer on the hunt. Unless I figure out how to claim my power before the killer claims my head, there's a global extinction event looming.
With my name written all over it.
Gemini Queen is a dark witch academy why choose paranormal romance that features teacher-student forbidden love, steamy group interactions, possessive males, sexy shifters, first-time M/M, bi awakening, and a powerful heroine who doesn't have to choose.
I claim my power.
The warlocks of Icarus Academy claim me.
I start my night as a cat burglar in Singapore and I end up queen of the witching world. Too bad this rags-to-riches fairytale's a gig I never applied for and won't accept. My witchcraft is wild and lethal, so I've renounced my power. I'm a fish out of water at Icarus Academy.
But these four sexy warlocks who rule the school just won't take no for an answer.
They want me to claim my power. They want me to summon the lightning. And they want to claim me as their consort.
Because the witching world is dying, and I'm their last chance. But there's a queen killer on the hunt. Unless I figure out how to claim my power before the killer claims my head, there's a global extinction event looming.
With my name written all over it.
Gemini Queen is a dark witch academy why choose paranormal romance that features teacher-student forbidden love, steamy group interactions, possessive males, sexy shifters, first-time M/M, bi awakening, and a powerful heroine who doesn't have to choose.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2022
About the author
Laura Navarre
18 books1,127 followersAmazon category bestselling author Laura Navarre (she/her) whisks you away from your day-to-day with spicy-shifty wild & witchy why-choose romance starring hot bi heroes and the women who love them.
A long time ago in a galaxy far away, Laura wrote dark fantasy romance for Harlequin, while her sinister twin Nikki Navarre wrote sexy spy romance. Now, with eighteen sexy stories released worldwide, this Washington, DC-based nomad writes dark witch adult academy why choose romance featuring bi heroes, badass heroines, and enough heat to set your Academy uniform on fire!
Laura is a cat lover, globetrotter, wine addict, PhD candidate, and president of Ascendant Press. When she isn’t conjuring witchy worlds, she’s a diplomat with a professional background in weapons of mass destruction and an MFA in writing popular fiction. She’s a Golden Heart finalist, two-time winner of the Golden Pen, winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association romance award, 2023 New England Readers Choice award winner, 2023 winner of the Holt Medallion for Best Virginia Author, 2023 Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal RWA PRISM dark paranormal romance finalst, and other awards.
She’s also relentlessly obsessive, alarmingly efficient, and a recovering perfectionist. She’s deeply suspicious of the Oxford comma, but she’s never met an em dash she doesn’t love.
Do you love possessive alphas, dragon riders, dragon shifters, British bullies, teacher-student forbidden love, age gap angst, and dark witch adult academy why choose romance? Follow Laura for free in the Witching World, her reader community on Ream, and score monthly free reads here! https://reamstories.com/witchingworld
Stalk Laura across the witching world like the queen killer stalks Zara at the Icarus Academy! Her adventures are trackable by witches, warlocks, wolf shifters, and mere mortals alike at:
https://reamstories.com/witchingworld
http://www.LauraNavarreSciFi.com
https://www.facebook.com/LauraNavarre...
https://www.tiktok.com/@LauraNavarreA...
https://amzn.to/3FrX5t7
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura...
http://www.goodreads.com/LauraNavarre
A long time ago in a galaxy far away, Laura wrote dark fantasy romance for Harlequin, while her sinister twin Nikki Navarre wrote sexy spy romance. Now, with eighteen sexy stories released worldwide, this Washington, DC-based nomad writes dark witch adult academy why choose romance featuring bi heroes, badass heroines, and enough heat to set your Academy uniform on fire!
Laura is a cat lover, globetrotter, wine addict, PhD candidate, and president of Ascendant Press. When she isn’t conjuring witchy worlds, she’s a diplomat with a professional background in weapons of mass destruction and an MFA in writing popular fiction. She’s a Golden Heart finalist, two-time winner of the Golden Pen, winner of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association romance award, 2023 New England Readers Choice award winner, 2023 winner of the Holt Medallion for Best Virginia Author, 2023 Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal RWA PRISM dark paranormal romance finalst, and other awards.
She’s also relentlessly obsessive, alarmingly efficient, and a recovering perfectionist. She’s deeply suspicious of the Oxford comma, but she’s never met an em dash she doesn’t love.
Do you love possessive alphas, dragon riders, dragon shifters, British bullies, teacher-student forbidden love, age gap angst, and dark witch adult academy why choose romance? Follow Laura for free in the Witching World, her reader community on Ream, and score monthly free reads here! https://reamstories.com/witchingworld
Stalk Laura across the witching world like the queen killer stalks Zara at the Icarus Academy! Her adventures are trackable by witches, warlocks, wolf shifters, and mere mortals alike at:
https://reamstories.com/witchingworld
http://www.LauraNavarreSciFi.com
https://www.facebook.com/LauraNavarre...
https://www.tiktok.com/@LauraNavarreA...
https://amzn.to/3FrX5t7
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/laura...
http://www.goodreads.com/LauraNavarre
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
July 19, 2022
If you wanted to read Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, but didn't want to brave the 5 book series, this book can serve as a quick and dirty alternative. Biiiiig emphasis on quick and dirty--characters start banging in chapter 5...that's only 4% into the book lol. (BTW, I'm not insinuating that that's a bad thing, it is what it is.)
Some words and phrases to give you a feel for what to expect: paranormal reverse harem, MMMMF (but MF, MM, MMF, and MMM all happen), fated mates, shifters, scenting your partner, mating bites and mating fever, teacher/student relationship, bi-curious characters and characters not even curious turning out bi, murder mystery, chosen one, etc, etc. I could keep going but I think my point has been made. There's a lot jam-packed in this standalone why choose story.
The writing has a lot of…personality, to say the least. The tone and style of each characters' POV DOES change but going from one to another can be jarring and I'm not entirely on board with the delivery. Zara is a headstrong ballbuster, so her chapters do reflect her brazen personality. There's a lot of purposeful attitude (I couldn't help but picture her flipping her hair or looking at her nails while thinking/saying the stuff that goes on in her chapters) but I feel like the writing could've been more graceful and eloquent while exhibiting the informal mood the author was going for. Then you get to Neo or Lucius's POV and these more "cerebral" characters' chapters are full of convoluted narrative with questionable word choices. It's all a trip.
You know how people say they read stuff for the "plot" but by plot they mean smut. That definitely applies here. The plot is nothing new and leaves much to be desired. The book actually takes place in the span of less than a week, so while it's technically all fast-paced, not much really happens. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to witness Zara learn to command her powers, or more magic in general. The displays of magic we did get were really neat and I would've loved to see more of it! The author's note did say she only meant this to be a standalone but wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, so fingers crossed!
Overall, I had fun reading this but I unfortunately was not a fan of the writing, plot, and execution of this book. If you're looking for a fantastical magic academy, I wouldn't recommend this. However, if you're in the mood for spice with a magical academy backdrop, this could work for you!
Thank you Netgalley and Ascendant Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Some words and phrases to give you a feel for what to expect: paranormal reverse harem, MMMMF (but MF, MM, MMF, and MMM all happen), fated mates, shifters, scenting your partner, mating bites and mating fever, teacher/student relationship, bi-curious characters and characters not even curious turning out bi, murder mystery, chosen one, etc, etc. I could keep going but I think my point has been made. There's a lot jam-packed in this standalone why choose story.
The writing has a lot of…personality, to say the least. The tone and style of each characters' POV DOES change but going from one to another can be jarring and I'm not entirely on board with the delivery. Zara is a headstrong ballbuster, so her chapters do reflect her brazen personality. There's a lot of purposeful attitude (I couldn't help but picture her flipping her hair or looking at her nails while thinking/saying the stuff that goes on in her chapters) but I feel like the writing could've been more graceful and eloquent while exhibiting the informal mood the author was going for. Then you get to Neo or Lucius's POV and these more "cerebral" characters' chapters are full of convoluted narrative with questionable word choices. It's all a trip.
You know how people say they read stuff for the "plot" but by plot they mean smut. That definitely applies here. The plot is nothing new and leaves much to be desired. The book actually takes place in the span of less than a week, so while it's technically all fast-paced, not much really happens. I was a bit disappointed that we didn't get to witness Zara learn to command her powers, or more magic in general. The displays of magic we did get were really neat and I would've loved to see more of it! The author's note did say she only meant this to be a standalone but wouldn't be opposed to a sequel, so fingers crossed!
Overall, I had fun reading this but I unfortunately was not a fan of the writing, plot, and execution of this book. If you're looking for a fantastical magic academy, I wouldn't recommend this. However, if you're in the mood for spice with a magical academy backdrop, this could work for you!
Thank you Netgalley and Ascendant Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Shelved as 'dnf-shelf'
January 22, 2023DNF at 6%. I could tell that this wasn’t for me. I have nothing against explicit scenes, that has nothing to do with my rating. The FMC was very insufferable and had that manic pixie dream girl perfection going on that just didn’t vibe well with me. Dialogue, internal and external, was very cringe to me. I’ll chalk this up as a fluff read for some people but this would have been a difficult book to get through as that’s just not my preference for smutty reads.
July 26, 2022
This is a dark and intense read that’s gripping and entertaining. We meet Zara who starts out as a cat burglar and ends up at the Icarus Academy for witches and warlocks as she is the queen of the witching world!! Throw in some hot and handsome consorts and you have yourself a reverse harem, though this is definitely hot and steamy there is a lot of mm action so if that’s not your thing, beware! Our female mc Zara is a total bad ass, is sassy and strong and she has incredible chemistry that is off the charts with her mates. Add some suspense and intrigue and a few twists and turns and you have an enjoyable read!
October 12, 2022
Wasn't for me :(
January 15, 2025
1 Horrifying Star
I want to rate this book fairly based on the storyline and quality of writing…but that’s not going to happen today. This book has essential triggers that weren’t mentioned anywhere. I never would have picked up this series otherwise.
This was an enemies-to-lovers, bully, NOT reverse harem. The males love and respect each other and are all in a relationship together. The FMC is used for sex only in hopes that they can breed her . The males degrade FMC and treat her like garbage, and they won't even leave her with the right to make decisions about her own life or body. They want her body? They take it with or without consent. They don't want her to have independent thoughts or feelings? They'll break her. She is essentially a fuck-toy with a uterus.
I went into this book looking to read dirty, smutty, steamy sex. What I actually read made me a little (a lot) sick. I don’t like dub-con. I don’t like hate sex. I don’t like when the FMC is treated like she’s worthless. They literally want to break her mind, so she “does as she’s told.” The guys treasure their new and old MM relationships but treat the FMC like trash. That’s a massive trigger for me.
I wanted to like this book, but there isn’t anything about it for me to like.
👀 Multiple POV’s
👥 MM, and more MM, and then some MMM… barely any MF
🎓 Professor/student forbidden love
👑 FMC isn’t a real queen; the blurb is misleading
‼️ Enemies to lovers, Bully RH
‼️ ALL THE TRIGGERS!!
🌶 There is a lot of sex in this book, just not the kind I wanna read about.
🔥 fast burn
I want to rate this book fairly based on the storyline and quality of writing…but that’s not going to happen today. This book has essential triggers that weren’t mentioned anywhere. I never would have picked up this series otherwise.
This was an enemies-to-lovers, bully, NOT reverse harem. The males love and respect each other and are all in a relationship together. The FMC is used for sex only in hopes that they can breed her . The males degrade FMC and treat her like garbage, and they won't even leave her with the right to make decisions about her own life or body. They want her body? They take it with or without consent. They don't want her to have independent thoughts or feelings? They'll break her. She is essentially a fuck-toy with a uterus.
I went into this book looking to read dirty, smutty, steamy sex. What I actually read made me a little (a lot) sick. I don’t like dub-con. I don’t like hate sex. I don’t like when the FMC is treated like she’s worthless. They literally want to break her mind, so she “does as she’s told.” The guys treasure their new and old MM relationships but treat the FMC like trash. That’s a massive trigger for me.
I wanted to like this book, but there isn’t anything about it for me to like.
👀 Multiple POV’s
👥 MM, and more MM, and then some MMM… barely any MF
🎓 Professor/student forbidden love
👑 FMC isn’t a real queen; the blurb is misleading
‼️ Enemies to lovers, Bully RH
‼️ ALL THE TRIGGERS!!
🌶 There is a lot of sex in this book, just not the kind I wanna read about.
🔥 fast burn
February 6, 2023
Wow! Just wow!! I did not expect to love this book but it was freaking good… shifters and witches and warlocks oh my!! And the spice?? Out of this world 🔥🔥🔥
November 30, 2022
I adore the Zodiac aspects of the story and how the factor into not only the hierarchy but also the powers of the characters.
Zara is such a strong but also playful and fun FMC. Her love of diving is such a different hobby for a FMC especially one whose story is set in a paranormal world. Her conflict over the future the world wishes her to claim and the trauma she has experienced in her past is very well played out across the storyline.
Neo, Ronin, Lucius, and Vasili are all well written characters with personalities that compliment not only Zara but also all of her other mates as well. The incredible spice was definitely an added bonus to this wonderful poly relationship they built!
Zara is such a strong but also playful and fun FMC. Her love of diving is such a different hobby for a FMC especially one whose story is set in a paranormal world. Her conflict over the future the world wishes her to claim and the trauma she has experienced in her past is very well played out across the storyline.
Neo, Ronin, Lucius, and Vasili are all well written characters with personalities that compliment not only Zara but also all of her other mates as well. The incredible spice was definitely an added bonus to this wonderful poly relationship they built!
July 3, 2022
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
If you’re looking for a thoroughly thought out plot with completely original characters that is solely based around the paranormal world, look no further! The book honestly focuses on our FMC’d developing relationship dog the men sing it’s interesting to see their dynamic!
The witching world is so diverse and categorized by different labels—it’s like Hogwarts in that sense….and our FMC has a man from each….
Mogadon— telekinesis, levitation, teleportation & any physical manipulation of matter (ex. cutting off someone’s air supply)
Valyrians— gifts of the mind; harnessing fire, telepathy, clairvoyance etc.
Kryll— the politicians & merchants; good at swaying minds & handling money; weather magic (earthquakes, cyclones, rain, alchemy etc.)
Proteans— shifters
4/5 stars
If you’re looking for a thoroughly thought out plot with completely original characters that is solely based around the paranormal world, look no further! The book honestly focuses on our FMC’d developing relationship dog the men sing it’s interesting to see their dynamic!
The witching world is so diverse and categorized by different labels—it’s like Hogwarts in that sense….and our FMC has a man from each….
Mogadon— telekinesis, levitation, teleportation & any physical manipulation of matter (ex. cutting off someone’s air supply)
Valyrians— gifts of the mind; harnessing fire, telepathy, clairvoyance etc.
Kryll— the politicians & merchants; good at swaying minds & handling money; weather magic (earthquakes, cyclones, rain, alchemy etc.)
Proteans— shifters
4/5 stars
August 1, 2022
I really enjoyed how I got to see Zara grow into her role as a queen, and I was super excited to see a M/M, F/M representation in this book. I think the author did great with exploring sexual identity and curiosity.
However, this felt more like an all over sex book rather than sex and plot. There wasn’t a plot to it, other than Zara acclimating to her new world and confidantes. There was maybe one or two challenges, but nothing that kept me on the edge of my feet. I love steamy books, don’t get me wrong, but only when there is a plot that can be followed along while said scenes are written. But this was pure sex. If that’s all you want in a book and you don’t really care about plot lines and thrilling action, then this is absolutely the book for you.
However, this felt more like an all over sex book rather than sex and plot. There wasn’t a plot to it, other than Zara acclimating to her new world and confidantes. There was maybe one or two challenges, but nothing that kept me on the edge of my feet. I love steamy books, don’t get me wrong, but only when there is a plot that can be followed along while said scenes are written. But this was pure sex. If that’s all you want in a book and you don’t really care about plot lines and thrilling action, then this is absolutely the book for you.
August 8, 2022
Not a fan of the inner monologue “yeah I’m Bi…it’s the 2020’s” 🙄 yes. It is. So show that’s she bi or just let it be a thing- breaking the fourth wall out of left field is annoying and takes you out of the book.
The —my sister would be here if a DIFFERENT PERSON THST SHARES THE SAME LAST NAME. Hadn’t killed her so I’ll hate you for no reason- trope is played and tired and nope.
Also. 😂🤣 the houses killed me.
It’s too much. It’s too much fantastical for one book.
Found family. Chosen one. Powers. Fated Mates. Hate you but love you. Insta lust.
It was just a lot.
I dont know.
The —my sister would be here if a DIFFERENT PERSON THST SHARES THE SAME LAST NAME. Hadn’t killed her so I’ll hate you for no reason- trope is played and tired and nope.
Also. 😂🤣 the houses killed me.
It’s too much. It’s too much fantastical for one book.
Found family. Chosen one. Powers. Fated Mates. Hate you but love you. Insta lust.
It was just a lot.
I dont know.
July 10, 2022
ARC from NetGalley
This is a paranormal reverse harem romance with copious sexy bits (graphic banging starting early at 4%), a meh plot, highly irritating characters, and myriad plot holes.
The fated mate trope here makes 0 sense. Lucious says he would have been her fated mate if he was a student instead of a teacher. Does fate know that? Is fate like oh dang well I guess he's a teacher so no dice? It is inferred that the fated mate is voted on, so please tell me how this is fucking fated?
On the note of the fated mate, Neo is an absolutely enraging imbecile, and Zara is at first upset by his overwhelming overbearing idiocy but then does an about face and just gets the warm completely out of character fuzzies when he cancels her lease and has all her shit shipped to the island without asking her, which he can do because apparently being the "fated" mate of the fucking queen means that you own her and can have her cable cut off if you want to.
I mean, of the available books in this genre, specifically paranormal erotica that tries to pretend it's romance, this book is not bad. If you just want to get yourself in the mood, don't hesitate.
This is a paranormal reverse harem romance with copious sexy bits (graphic banging starting early at 4%), a meh plot, highly irritating characters, and myriad plot holes.
The fated mate trope here makes 0 sense. Lucious says he would have been her fated mate if he was a student instead of a teacher. Does fate know that? Is fate like oh dang well I guess he's a teacher so no dice? It is inferred that the fated mate is voted on, so please tell me how this is fucking fated?
On the note of the fated mate, Neo is an absolutely enraging imbecile, and Zara is at first upset by his overwhelming overbearing idiocy but then does an about face and just gets the warm completely out of character fuzzies when he cancels her lease and has all her shit shipped to the island without asking her, which he can do because apparently being the "fated" mate of the fucking queen means that you own her and can have her cable cut off if you want to.
I mean, of the available books in this genre, specifically paranormal erotica that tries to pretend it's romance, this book is not bad. If you just want to get yourself in the mood, don't hesitate.
February 1, 2023
I can't even believe the level of spice I just read in Gemini Queen!
⠀
"𝑹𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒍 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒌-𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒐𝒆."
⠀
I'm absolutely in love with these characters and this universe! I have so much more to say about my love for this book and the spice but it would all be sensored. Lol Can't wait to read book two!
⠀
⠀
"𝑹𝒆𝒃𝒆𝒍 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚, 𝒔𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒌-𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒚𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒓𝒐𝒆."
⠀
I'm absolutely in love with these characters and this universe! I have so much more to say about my love for this book and the spice but it would all be sensored. Lol Can't wait to read book two!
⠀
July 10, 2022
I received this ARC from NetGalley and the author and am giving my honest review.
Gemini Queens is the first academy story ever written by this author but you wouldn't be able to tell. It has a well though out plot with original characters with amazing world building. Usually in any paranormal romance you have limited species or categories for the paranormal (i.e., witch, shifter, and vampire are usually the more well developed in the story). However, in this story we have such a diverse array of the paranormal and they all have unique labels (Mogadon, Valyrians, Kryll, Proteans). I loved the uniqueness of this paranormal world and add in the steaminess of Zara's harem and you have a really great read. This was a great first in series and I'm excited for what comes next.
Gemini Queens is the first academy story ever written by this author but you wouldn't be able to tell. It has a well though out plot with original characters with amazing world building. Usually in any paranormal romance you have limited species or categories for the paranormal (i.e., witch, shifter, and vampire are usually the more well developed in the story). However, in this story we have such a diverse array of the paranormal and they all have unique labels (Mogadon, Valyrians, Kryll, Proteans). I loved the uniqueness of this paranormal world and add in the steaminess of Zara's harem and you have a really great read. This was a great first in series and I'm excited for what comes next.
July 29, 2022
The Future Queen Finds Her Harem
Zara wants nothing to do with magic, nothing to do with being queen, and has been on the run for years to avoid this fate. When she’s finally dragged to Icarus Academy, she has to learn to use her magic while navigating relationships with her fated mate (Neo), her headmaster (Lucius), her bully (Vasili) and her enemy (Ronin). This is a group of young adults, so wild hormones are to be expected, but throw in magic and you have wild pheromones, mating bits, and broadcast telepathy (of some pretty steamy thoughts) to contend with as well. I loved how the steamy scenes between all the main characters were so sumptuous and detailed - it felt so decadent and real, like I could almost see myself there. This story builds and builds in intricate detail, creating a wonderful story full of character and heat. I was absolutely engrossed in this story, reading well past my bedtime!
July 4, 2022
BLURB:
I start my night as a cat burglar in Singapore and I end up queen of the witching world. My witchcraft is wild and lethal, so I've renounced my power. I'm a fish out of water at Icarus Academy but these four sexy warlocks who rule the school just won't take no for an answer. They want me to claim my power. They want me to summon the lightning. And they want to claim me as their consort.
Because the witching world is dying, and I'm their last chance. But there's a queen killer on the hunt. Unless I figure out how to claim my power before the killer claims my head, there's a global extinction event looming.
Whew this book was beyond hot. I mean, more porn than plot but the plot was there under all of the MMMMF smut. Although this is a standalone book, I think the author can get a sequel out of this one because a few things were left in the air. Zara has been running from her birthright for 5 years. Doing everything her power to avoid attending Icarus Academy for witches and warlocks. After all, she is the answer to the witching world’s dying race, but she wants not parts of that world. Zara’s first day at Icarus Academy was filled with bullies and pranks simply because of who she was.
Saddled with a fated mate she never agreed to accept and a dorm full of cohorts; Zara is ready to make an escape like the cat burglar she is. Zara plans to escape seems to dimmish the more time she spends with her claimed consorts and her fated mate. A true enemy to lovers’ tale. Ronin Pendragon of House of Leo has a personal vendetta against Zara for the death of his sister which he holds Zara’s brother to blame, Vasili Romanov of the House of Scorpio who is a lethal and powerful warlock on campus that pretty terrorizes the entire student body, Neo Mercury of House Capricorn the brainy , bi-curious bookworm virgin who is also Zara’s fated mate and lastly Lucius Aries the Headmaster who is responsible for all of the cohorts in house of Augustus. The more time Zara spends with each of her consorts the more they began to see that there is more to the Gemini that meets the eye and that she is not a diabolical as the previous Queen and what started out as a love hate relationship soon blossoms into love between the 5 of them with Ronin, Vasili, Neo and Lucius vowing to do everything in their power to protect their mate and Queen from the one who is set out to destroy her.
Zara possess great power that she’s unable to control and by claiming each of her consorts as part of the Queen’s harem she learns how to harness that power without losing control. Zara can bring the men in her harem together in ways they never imagined especially with most of them hating each other only to realize there was a deep love beneath the surface of all of them; they just needed their Queen to pull it to the surface and it's that love and commitment that strengthened their bond to protect one another with their own lives.
This story is full of erotic steamy scenes within this MMMMF trope. There is a lot of M/M action going on in this book. Therefore, if you have an aversion to sword play you may want to pass this one by because literally every man within this trope is involved with each other one way or another.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I start my night as a cat burglar in Singapore and I end up queen of the witching world. My witchcraft is wild and lethal, so I've renounced my power. I'm a fish out of water at Icarus Academy but these four sexy warlocks who rule the school just won't take no for an answer. They want me to claim my power. They want me to summon the lightning. And they want to claim me as their consort.
Because the witching world is dying, and I'm their last chance. But there's a queen killer on the hunt. Unless I figure out how to claim my power before the killer claims my head, there's a global extinction event looming.
Whew this book was beyond hot. I mean, more porn than plot but the plot was there under all of the MMMMF smut. Although this is a standalone book, I think the author can get a sequel out of this one because a few things were left in the air. Zara has been running from her birthright for 5 years. Doing everything her power to avoid attending Icarus Academy for witches and warlocks. After all, she is the answer to the witching world’s dying race, but she wants not parts of that world. Zara’s first day at Icarus Academy was filled with bullies and pranks simply because of who she was.
Saddled with a fated mate she never agreed to accept and a dorm full of cohorts; Zara is ready to make an escape like the cat burglar she is. Zara plans to escape seems to dimmish the more time she spends with her claimed consorts and her fated mate. A true enemy to lovers’ tale. Ronin Pendragon of House of Leo has a personal vendetta against Zara for the death of his sister which he holds Zara’s brother to blame, Vasili Romanov of the House of Scorpio who is a lethal and powerful warlock on campus that pretty terrorizes the entire student body, Neo Mercury of House Capricorn the brainy , bi-curious bookworm virgin who is also Zara’s fated mate and lastly Lucius Aries the Headmaster who is responsible for all of the cohorts in house of Augustus. The more time Zara spends with each of her consorts the more they began to see that there is more to the Gemini that meets the eye and that she is not a diabolical as the previous Queen and what started out as a love hate relationship soon blossoms into love between the 5 of them with Ronin, Vasili, Neo and Lucius vowing to do everything in their power to protect their mate and Queen from the one who is set out to destroy her.
Zara possess great power that she’s unable to control and by claiming each of her consorts as part of the Queen’s harem she learns how to harness that power without losing control. Zara can bring the men in her harem together in ways they never imagined especially with most of them hating each other only to realize there was a deep love beneath the surface of all of them; they just needed their Queen to pull it to the surface and it's that love and commitment that strengthened their bond to protect one another with their own lives.
This story is full of erotic steamy scenes within this MMMMF trope. There is a lot of M/M action going on in this book. Therefore, if you have an aversion to sword play you may want to pass this one by because literally every man within this trope is involved with each other one way or another.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 25, 2022
WOW!! Fantastic book with lots of interesting characters 😉. Laura has hit this out of the ballpark with 🥵😱🤔🤬. A great story with lots of heat. Loved it!! ❤️❤️📚👍
July 31, 2022
This was the second fantasy story I have read, and this was 180 degrees different than the first one. Gemini Queen is an extremely fast-paced fantasy adventure, so you need to hold onto your hat.
There are more than just two main characters in this story. The telling is sharp and crystal clear with very little left to the imagination. This is good. I like not having to "read between the lines" to get the meaning of what I'm reading.
Zara, the female protagonist, is a witch who has suppressed her powers, but she is about to turn 21, the point in her life where she just invoke them or cause catastrophic destruction of her clan and those of the other three cardinal clans. Since she is reluctant to cooperate, the three male protagonists must convince her otherwise, setting up some epic confrontations.
I discovered that both the prologue and the book carry the same title, and I was sent the prologue for ARC review, but as you can tell, there was a lot in just the prologue. Enough to entice me to continue with the whole book. The dialog is crisp, dirty and direct, so if you do not like a lot of four-letter words and/or explicit personal interactions in your reading material, this read may not be for you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There are more than just two main characters in this story. The telling is sharp and crystal clear with very little left to the imagination. This is good. I like not having to "read between the lines" to get the meaning of what I'm reading.
Zara, the female protagonist, is a witch who has suppressed her powers, but she is about to turn 21, the point in her life where she just invoke them or cause catastrophic destruction of her clan and those of the other three cardinal clans. Since she is reluctant to cooperate, the three male protagonists must convince her otherwise, setting up some epic confrontations.
I discovered that both the prologue and the book carry the same title, and I was sent the prologue for ARC review, but as you can tell, there was a lot in just the prologue. Enough to entice me to continue with the whole book. The dialog is crisp, dirty and direct, so if you do not like a lot of four-letter words and/or explicit personal interactions in your reading material, this read may not be for you.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 2, 2022
Yes. This was EFFING GOOD. Smut GALORE. MM GALORE.
Honestly im docking it a star because its a standalone and should have been an ENTIRE FRICKING SERIES. If you dont like too much smut with your RH novels, this isnt for you.
Sometimes it feels really good to just read some erotica and this was it! With a great storyline and concept and extremely well written. This story reminded me alot of of Zodiac Academy which I absolutely love. It was nice to read something like this again while we await the finale.
Thank you LN for this book! Please think about making more, I feel like this is JUST the beginning with Zara and her boys!
Edit : Bumping this to a 5 as author confirmed shes working on a series! Which is the BEST news!
Honestly im docking it a star because its a standalone and should have been an ENTIRE FRICKING SERIES. If you dont like too much smut with your RH novels, this isnt for you.
Sometimes it feels really good to just read some erotica and this was it! With a great storyline and concept and extremely well written. This story reminded me alot of of Zodiac Academy which I absolutely love. It was nice to read something like this again while we await the finale.
Thank you LN for this book! Please think about making more, I feel like this is JUST the beginning with Zara and her boys!
Edit : Bumping this to a 5 as author confirmed shes working on a series! Which is the BEST news!
November 28, 2022
DNF 39%
A big NO here! I don't know what I like in this book🧐
Well, I think I dislike everything: first the bullying! It should have been announced in the blurb or trigger warning🙄 I don't read book with bullying!!!
Then the FMC is just a vulgar brat. It doesn't feel like a RH but more like a poly and there are too much MM for my taste.
The guys are driven by their dicks and are mainly interested by the FMC to breed her, control her, or bully her and not in a sexy way🙄
The storyline is farfetched, the plot with the assassin has been read over and over...
A big NO here! I don't know what I like in this book🧐
Well, I think I dislike everything: first the bullying! It should have been announced in the blurb or trigger warning🙄 I don't read book with bullying!!!
Then the FMC is just a vulgar brat. It doesn't feel like a RH but more like a poly and there are too much MM for my taste.
The guys are driven by their dicks and are mainly interested by the FMC to breed her, control her, or bully her and not in a sexy way🙄
The storyline is farfetched, the plot with the assassin has been read over and over...
July 8, 2022
Absolutely fantastic!! Queen Zara and her harem. A very long book (which I love). I was enthralled from beginning to end. The story flowed well and I just loved the male characters, especially vasili. What a character!! I recommend this book! Do not miss it. There are lots of sex as you would expect in a reverse harem story but there is also magic to go with it. Great read
August 1, 2022
loved it!
Absolutely loved this book! Storyline hooked me, loved all the individual couple and group dynamics with Zara and her men! “ Goblin King /Vasili “ is probably my favorite , brings back David Bowie vibes but each of the men had their own charm and draw. Would love to read more in their story!! Recommend!
Absolutely loved this book! Storyline hooked me, loved all the individual couple and group dynamics with Zara and her men! “ Goblin King /Vasili “ is probably my favorite , brings back David Bowie vibes but each of the men had their own charm and draw. Would love to read more in their story!! Recommend!
July 26, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The reluctant queen and the four men who want her. I'm not sure which guy was my favorite. Ronin, Vasili, Neo, or Lucius. All of them were fascinating. I hope that Laura will continue this story. I'd like to learn more about Zara and the guys.
August 2, 2022
Your very welcome my review was just Submitted to zon here's what I wrote Zara is a cat burglar and has renounced her power because it is wild and lethal but on a night of a heist in Singapore she gets technically kidnapped and told she is the next Gemini Queen and is on route to Icaras Academy to learn. There are Four 🥵🔥 Hot and Sexy Warlocks that run Icaras,
First is Ronin Pendragon of House of Leo a Flamethrower and Psycho Brit who also is in love with the Headmaster, who hates Zara because her brother is the one responsible for the death of his sister and himself, and one other he is one of the ones to kidnap/save her from her father who was hunting her,
Vasili Romanov of the House of Scorpio he is a lethal and powerful Warlock and Alpha on campus he practically scares everyone at Icaras he hates and loves Neo,
Neo Mercury of House Capricorn the brainy, bi-curious bookworm virgin who just happens to be Zara’s fated mate and is devoted to Zara his mate and Queen,
and lastly we have Lucius Aries the Headmaster slash wolf shifter, the other one to save/kidnap Zara back to Icaras, who is responsible for everyone in the house of Augustus.
This book was just yummy and steamy with lots of M/M scenes and just plain sexy you will need a fan near to fan yourself.
Some tropes are teacher/headmaster-student,forbidden love, steamy group interactions, possessive males, sexy shifters, first-time, and bi awakening
First is Ronin Pendragon of House of Leo a Flamethrower and Psycho Brit who also is in love with the Headmaster, who hates Zara because her brother is the one responsible for the death of his sister and himself, and one other he is one of the ones to kidnap/save her from her father who was hunting her,
Vasili Romanov of the House of Scorpio he is a lethal and powerful Warlock and Alpha on campus he practically scares everyone at Icaras he hates and loves Neo,
Neo Mercury of House Capricorn the brainy, bi-curious bookworm virgin who just happens to be Zara’s fated mate and is devoted to Zara his mate and Queen,
and lastly we have Lucius Aries the Headmaster slash wolf shifter, the other one to save/kidnap Zara back to Icaras, who is responsible for everyone in the house of Augustus.
This book was just yummy and steamy with lots of M/M scenes and just plain sexy you will need a fan near to fan yourself.
Some tropes are teacher/headmaster-student,forbidden love, steamy group interactions, possessive males, sexy shifters, first-time, and bi awakening
September 29, 2024
Not sure why I just put myself through all that
I figured seeing as this series has 5 books it would be a complete stand alone. What I got however was feeling like I was chucked into the middle of a story.
I struggled to remember who's powers did what, who's bloodline meant what or their importance. It's as though as a reader we are meant to know them as well as they know each other. Also there was no background as to why the supernatural community left it so late to stop their decline.
I didn't get much of Zara to decide if I liked her or not. The bit I got was she has a one track mind and it all leads to smut.
I have no issues with smut but I wish all that could have been dialled down. The 5* reviews make sense if one was looking for a lot and I mean a lot of MM, MFM or MMF.
More focus and effort could have been made to make this an easier plot to follow. It doesn't help that I'm not really a fan of MM I felt like a Lot of focus was on the boys. Begs the question on why the book wasn't just about them.
For all I know this series does end up focusing on Zara but I'm not there for it after all this.
I figured seeing as this series has 5 books it would be a complete stand alone. What I got however was feeling like I was chucked into the middle of a story.
I struggled to remember who's powers did what, who's bloodline meant what or their importance. It's as though as a reader we are meant to know them as well as they know each other. Also there was no background as to why the supernatural community left it so late to stop their decline.
I didn't get much of Zara to decide if I liked her or not. The bit I got was she has a one track mind and it all leads to smut.
I have no issues with smut but I wish all that could have been dialled down. The 5* reviews make sense if one was looking for a lot and I mean a lot of MM, MFM or MMF.
More focus and effort could have been made to make this an easier plot to follow. It doesn't help that I'm not really a fan of MM I felt like a Lot of focus was on the boys. Begs the question on why the book wasn't just about them.
For all I know this series does end up focusing on Zara but I'm not there for it after all this.
July 27, 2022
A fun and entertaining smokin’ hot academy RH! To be honest, I’m not a big fan of academy stories - maybe since I’m getting a little long in the tooth 😜 but for the most part I really enjoyed this story. If you’ve read the Astral Heat series, you will already be familiar with the races and some of their powers so it was interesting to discover they have made their way to Earth at some point.
I enjoyed Zara’s character and those of her harem - with the exception of Neo. I had a hard time believing she accepted him without more conflict between them. To add to my distaste, the “babe” endearment in just about every conversation they had was like nails on a chalkboard for me 😬 I was also a little confused about how just a single fated mate was determined from their natal charts as Zara was also able to choose her remaining mates and thought this could have been fleshed out and explained better.
All in all though, a well written, high heat story that I hope will continue so we can see how Zara and her mates make out as the new rulers of the arcane races!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed Zara’s character and those of her harem - with the exception of Neo. I had a hard time believing she accepted him without more conflict between them. To add to my distaste, the “babe” endearment in just about every conversation they had was like nails on a chalkboard for me 😬 I was also a little confused about how just a single fated mate was determined from their natal charts as Zara was also able to choose her remaining mates and thought this could have been fleshed out and explained better.
All in all though, a well written, high heat story that I hope will continue so we can see how Zara and her mates make out as the new rulers of the arcane races!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 7, 2023
If you love feisty heroines with a badass attitude and a sexual hyperdrive then Gemini Queen might be the book for you. A why choose reverse harem paranormal romance, where Zara is trying to avoid taking up the mantle of her powers, as she is just as likely to kill everyone.
This is an extremely steamy, polyamorous tale with four very yummy warlocks who Zara slowly claims one by one, even though she does not intend to mate with any of them. They are just too irresistable!
Against the backdrop of a declining magical gene pool, Zara is the queen who might just save them all, and the warlocks are just as determined they are the ones who will help her.
I loved all the characters, it was just the school environment that didn't really work for me. They all come across as older, especially as they are so sexually active and adventurous. If you lost the uniforms, and made it more like a university with maturer students then the context would work better. But that's just me. The book is easy to read, and very well written. I loved Navares descriptive prose, especially of Vasili, who is the most complex of the characters.
Overall, an off the charts steamy read with some really lovely characters. I can see why readers wanted a next installment.
This is an extremely steamy, polyamorous tale with four very yummy warlocks who Zara slowly claims one by one, even though she does not intend to mate with any of them. They are just too irresistable!
Against the backdrop of a declining magical gene pool, Zara is the queen who might just save them all, and the warlocks are just as determined they are the ones who will help her.
I loved all the characters, it was just the school environment that didn't really work for me. They all come across as older, especially as they are so sexually active and adventurous. If you lost the uniforms, and made it more like a university with maturer students then the context would work better. But that's just me. The book is easy to read, and very well written. I loved Navares descriptive prose, especially of Vasili, who is the most complex of the characters.
Overall, an off the charts steamy read with some really lovely characters. I can see why readers wanted a next installment.
July 20, 2022
4 Stars
This book hooked me in from the start and it was very steamy from the get go!! I enjoyed all the different personalities of the characters and felt that they were well written.
The first character we meet is Zara who does not want to take up the mantle of being the Gemini Queen and does everything she can to avoid it until she can’t. After being caught she is taken to the Academy, where at first she tries to plot to get away but eventually she learns to accept her role as queen. This includes a fated mate for Zara, Neo who is the person who wanted to help Zara with her training and so they can be together. Zara eventually ends up with her Harem of men who are all different and come together to help her.
This book is a reverse harem with romance. It’s has MMFMM action as well as plenty of MM too. Several tropes such as enemies to lovers,friends to lovers and Teacher / Student relations.
The plot and world building was good and I enjoyed the storyline that it followed and the fact that it wrapped up by the end of the book.
I did enjoy this book and at times felt that it was more sex than plot but overall it was a great read. It’s a standalone book but I would be interested to read more about this world and the characters in it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for this early eARC.
This book hooked me in from the start and it was very steamy from the get go!! I enjoyed all the different personalities of the characters and felt that they were well written.
The first character we meet is Zara who does not want to take up the mantle of being the Gemini Queen and does everything she can to avoid it until she can’t. After being caught she is taken to the Academy, where at first she tries to plot to get away but eventually she learns to accept her role as queen. This includes a fated mate for Zara, Neo who is the person who wanted to help Zara with her training and so they can be together. Zara eventually ends up with her Harem of men who are all different and come together to help her.
This book is a reverse harem with romance. It’s has MMFMM action as well as plenty of MM too. Several tropes such as enemies to lovers,friends to lovers and Teacher / Student relations.
The plot and world building was good and I enjoyed the storyline that it followed and the fact that it wrapped up by the end of the book.
I did enjoy this book and at times felt that it was more sex than plot but overall it was a great read. It’s a standalone book but I would be interested to read more about this world and the characters in it.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Author for this early eARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2022
This is a fast burn academy romance which is full of action, steam and drama. Love the female character, Zara is a strong female character who has tried he best to escape her father to avoid attending Icarus academy. As the last remaining pure blood, she is expected to become the Gemini queen. However, Zara is a cat burglar and has no wish to conform to any rules thank you very much. She is captured whilst on a job by Ronin and Lucius and brought to Icarus academy to try and embrace her powers and her destiny with the help of Ronin, Lucius, Neo and Vasili. although she tries very hard to escape at every given opportunity. The chemistry is hot! If you’re into paranormal, fated mates trope you’ll enjoy this.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 28, 2022
Overall, I really liked the story and where this was going. I liked the different um...family lines?...and the traits that went with each. I liked the Interstellar Angel stories and recognized some of the same characteristics. I'd like to see what happens next with Zara and her crew, how she learns to control her powers, if they save the species, and how they all settle into their separate and combined relationships. I'd like to know more about Zara's friends, and since there was some shifter bites, how does that affect them in the future?
Editorially...I have suggestions. (Proofread, cut some things, tidy it up, we get it they each have a smell stop telling us in every chapter).
However, like I said, overall I like what's happening here!
Editorially...I have suggestions. (Proofread, cut some things, tidy it up, we get it they each have a smell stop telling us in every chapter).
However, like I said, overall I like what's happening here!
July 23, 2022
Zara is an amazing FMC, she has faced numerous traumatic events in the past which has moulded her to who she is today. I love her personality and how she doesn’t really filter anything she says, and how she is just brutally herself. Her style is also eccentric, with her long beautifully coloured hair.
Zara is thrown into the academy against her wishes, she must stay safe while trying to escape - this isn’t what she wants her future to be, she wants to make her own decisions.
The men in this book are all hot AF and the sexual tension is completely off the charts. The steamy scenes are so very detailed and spicy with a great mix of rh and mm.
Loved the paranormal aspect, the sexy shifters, the unique powers and quirks of the different groups were fascinating.
The storyline is well thought out and written with such emotion and detail I honestly couldn’t put it down. Great twists and suspense- loved that I could never guess what would happen next.
Overall,a fantastic book. I will definitely read more from this author.
Zara is thrown into the academy against her wishes, she must stay safe while trying to escape - this isn’t what she wants her future to be, she wants to make her own decisions.
The men in this book are all hot AF and the sexual tension is completely off the charts. The steamy scenes are so very detailed and spicy with a great mix of rh and mm.
Loved the paranormal aspect, the sexy shifters, the unique powers and quirks of the different groups were fascinating.
The storyline is well thought out and written with such emotion and detail I honestly couldn’t put it down. Great twists and suspense- loved that I could never guess what would happen next.
Overall,a fantastic book. I will definitely read more from this author.
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