Review Detail

Inside the pages of The Rise of Issa Igwe lies an adventure at a boarding school full of spooky creatures, evil villains and a lot of magic. Though the novel is a companion to Miles' previous novel The Fall of the House of Tatterly, I felt that it could be read as a standalone. I went into this story without reading the other book and was able to navigate through the story with ease. Now I want to dig into the story of The Fall of the House of Tatterly next.

Readers follow the main character Issa, who has always felt out of place as a witch. Her powerful ability as a conduit leaves her vulnerable to voices beyond our realm and sometimes gets her into trouble. Reluctantly she must attend The Siren School against her wishes and hopefully come away with a better grasp on her skills. However, when tragedy strikes Issa is on a mission to get to the bottom of the truth of what really happened and why things at her school seem more sinister than what's on the surface.

This book was a lot of fun and bit a spooky when readers dive into the magical world of The Siren School. It's a beautiful campus full of interesting classes, eager students, and creepy legends that may be more fact than fiction. Miles' creates a world to get the readers lost within its pages and you feel as if you are traveling the hollowed halls of the school while also being on edge because there is danger afoot. Because the novel is mainly fantasy, the plot feels very whimsical but it also adds in some horror elements to keep the reader guessing at every turn. Readers will be eager for each new chapter wondering what mystical battles Issa and her newfound friends will have to take on during the story.

Most of all I appreciated Issa's character development and growth as we see her overcome many obstacles in the story. She struggles with grief as well as self-confidence and coming into her own as a witch is rewarding for readers to see. On top of that, many of the other side characters felt fleshed out and didn't divert too much from Issa's focus.

There's a lot packed into this novel and I could see another book adding to the story's over worldbuilding. My only complaint is that sometimes it felt like a lot of fantasy terms were being thrown at the reader. I think it would be helpful to add a glossary for the novel's intended audience to refer to in order to not mix certain story elements up.

Overall this book was such a fun reading experience! If you enjoy fantasy stories or tales set at a magical boarding school this is one to add to your reading list.