Book Review: Malachite by Ashley Andersen

Title: Malachite
Series: Valmora Academy #1
Pages: 416
Publication Date: May 19, 2026
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

Malachite. Opal. Agate.
Three stones, three powers, three magical units.
Choose your unit … and hope that it chooses you back.

Arianell Nocthare has been waiting her whole life to enter the prestigious Valmora Academy, where students prepare for war by honing their elemental magic in one of three units. But there are two problems facing Aria on the night of her initiation ceremony. Firstly, her family has been cast into disgrace after her brother was executed for allegedly killing four students in an attempt at dark magic. Secondly, so far Aria has been unable to summon any magic—and being magic-less in an academy where everyone wants to spill your blood is a dangerous game. How will she enter the unit of her choosing and survive without a scrap of power?

Facing blatant scorn from every angle, especially from her brother’s best friend (the tall dark and lethally handsome, Sebastian) Aria is determined to clear her brother’s name and seek justice for his death. Forging a tentative and fraught relationship with Seb, she begins to uncover some terrifying truths about the academy. And a revelation about Aria’s power throws her world into chaos…

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

This blog uses affiliate links for some book recommendations, and if you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission. Thanks for supporting this little bookish corner of the internet!

Malachite is an engrossing and immersive read that totally caught me by surprise with some shocking revelations and twists. A dark romantasy, the story has parts that might be disturbing for some readers, so I would definitely check out the content warnings before starting the book.

Arienell is a fantastic protagonist with so much grit and bravery. Oof, she faces every possible obstacle, and she never stops fighting. Plus, she’s grieving the loss of her brother, who was accused of some pretty heinous crimes. It was definitely admirable, especially given her tragic backstory, her awful parents, and all the odds stacked against her.

I liked a lot of the secondary characters, too, as well as the found family aspect of the story. That felt especially poignant considering how Arienell is initially treated and how her family treats her. Tilly ended up being one of my favorite characters. She’s a total badass, and beneath her kind, sweet, and sassy exterior is a ruthless and fierce friend. I loved her friendship with Arienell, and the banter between them was great.

The one part of the story that I didn’t love, particularly in the first half of the book, is the romance. I like enemies-to-lovers arcs, but for me, this romance goes past enemies-to-lovers and is more brother’s best friend to rage-filled bully to lovers, and it just wasn’t for me. I get the reasoning, but he’s so insulting, disdainful, and hateful toward her that he actually emboldens others to be purposely cruel to her. And some of the terrible things he says? Unforgivable. It made it very hard for me to like him, though he did redeem himself by the end of the book. Once he admits to himself that he’s fallen for her, he falls hard, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. It has an interesting magic system, a compelling protagonist, and the dark academia vibes are fabulous. Plus, the plot twists! So good!!