Welcome to Elementals Academy, where magic is the only hope of survival, forbidden romance beckons, and an ancient secret threatens to end it all.

Summer Donovan thinks paying her way through her expensive private college is her biggest problem.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

Because when the president of the most exclusive sorority on campus goes off the rails and bullies her, Summer defends herself with something she never knew she had.

Magic.

It turns out she’s a witch. But that’s only the start of the surprises in store for her.

Soon after her magical breakthrough, Summer learns she’s destined to attend Elementals Academy—an exclusive school dedicated to witches descended from the Greek gods.

At Elementals Academy, Summer finally finds the thing she’s wanted her whole life: a place where she fits in. Although that doesn’t last long, thanks to her magic not working the way it’s supposed to, and no one knowing why.

But her biggest challenge isn’t schoolwork. Or magic. It’s Zane Caldwell—the iciest, most attractive, and most mysterious student at the school. Despite the way Zane’s warm to her one minute and cold the next, Summer feels an irresistible draw to him.

While struggling to understand her feelings for Zane, Summer soon discovers she has another problem—one far more dangerous. There are secrets lurking within the hallowed halls of Elementals Academy, and she may hold the key to unraveling them. If she can survive long enough… and figure out who to trust.

Begin the long-anticipated series by USA Today best-selling author Michelle Madow—an adventure full of magic, romance, and mythology that’s perfect for fans of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson.

Get ready for:
Dark academia meets secret magic school
Enemies-to-lovers with a broody, protective ice boy
Greek gods, secret legacies, and untapped power
Found family, power politics, and magical tests
A heroine who doesn’t know what she is… yet

My Review

I’ve wanted to read this series for a while but had to clear some TBR space first.

The story starts with Summer and her college roommate Lara living a normal Florida life full of books, gossip, and weather complaints. Then a strange event reveals there’s more to Summer than she realizes, especially considering her mom has always been a little witchy. When danger appears, Summer instinctively protects herself and suddenly her past doesn’t feel so normal anymore.

She ends up invited to Elementals Academy in Virginia, where witches specialize in different magical elements. The new girl trope works well here because Summer has no idea what she’s doing and is constantly trying to keep up. Her bubbly roommate is the opposite of her cautious personality which makes their interactions fun.

Zane, the mysterious water witch, immediately draws attention. He’s protective but also confusingly hot and cold, which keeps Summer guessing. Their connection is obvious but complicated. The story mixes elemental magic with Greek mythology and a little bit of that Twilight meets Percy Jackson feeling.

I liked that Summer doesn’t neatly fit into the elemental system and that the supernatural lore keeps expanding. The book reads YA in tone even though the characters are technically older. It focuses more on magic, secrets, and mythology rather than romance, which felt refreshing.

The ending opens up more questions and I definitely wanted to see where the story goes next in The Secrets of Magic.

If you would like to read The Discovery of Magic by Michelle Madow, you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories: Academy, Witches and Elemental