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Dark academia by Craig Schaefer? Yes, please. Especially the kind that leans hard into the dark. Castaways delivers good story, some eldritch horror vibe, and strong coming-of-age arcs.

Amy Nettle is a classic down-on-her-luck protagonist. She’s stuck in a dead-end life with limited way out. And when things go really south, the mysterious black envelope arrives. Suddenly, she’s whisked away to Saunders Academy, a magical school on a storm-tossed island surrounded by carnivorous mermaids, towering leviathans, and an ever-present sense that something is very wrong.

And if you flunk out? You get sent back to your old life without your magic, your memories, or even the promise of escape. And no one here wants to go back.

I’m a huge fan of Schaefer simple and concise writing. And characters. Amy and her new friends are coming of age in the middle of a mystery that keeps getting bigger and more terrifying. There are hints that this school - and whatever forces control it - are tied to the broader Daniel Faust/Harmony Black universe, and that may suggest an even larger conflict on the horizon.

For fans of Schaefer - it’s not as dark as other series, but it does get dark here and there.

Magic school has never felt this dangerous, and I loved every second of it. Now, where’s the sequel?