Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies by Breanne Randall ~ a Review

by MK French

Eléa Deniz returns to her childhood home and finds that the estate is now the Shadowcraft Academy, an elite graduate school meant to train mages to fight wraiths. Her father is the headmaster with an agenda of his own, and her magic remains finicky. Eléa stays to learn,  and is torn between her first love, Alex, and the irreverent Logan. Elia is also caught between family secrets, a secret society, and the weight of her own magic.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

May 2026; Dell; 978-0593875025
audio, ebook, print (384 pages); paranormal romance

While this is the second book in a series, it's a standalone novel. This is good, because I hadn't read the first book. There are many references to the first book, especially in the opening chapters, giving us the background as reveries, memories, and info dumps. She's attending school, so there's a sense of dark academia to this book. The lessons are not just about magical history and spellcraft, but battle against wraiths, research into the curse on shadowcrafters, and finding the truth, no matter the cost. Not all of the students survive even the first day, telling you all you need to know about the school. We're also told right away how Eléa's father tried to sacrifice her for magic, so he's not an avenue that we can trust or rely on from the start. 

The story moves quickly from test to test, and Eléa learns more about her magic abilities, why she was tortured in the past, and the secrets hiding in the Academy. Alex and Logan both draw her in, and the reason for that turned out to be an interesting one. I liked some of the concepts behind the magic types, the curse, and the wraiths. The ending felt a little too rapid and easy as it wrapped up generations of mistrust and the big bad's machinations. 

Buy Curses, Keys, and Secret Societies at Amazon

Born and raised in New York City, M.K. French started writing stories when very young, dreaming of different worlds and places to visit. She always had an interest in folklore, fairy tales, and the macabre, which has definitely influenced her work. She currently lives in the Midwest with her husband, three young children, and a golden retriever.

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