Book Reviews

Book Blurb

PhD candidate William Yderis comes to Efeldon University to teach and finish his degree in charmcrafting. For methodical, sedate, and scholarly William, the school defies his expectations—and not in a good way. The biggest surprise comes when William meets his boss, absent-minded Archmage Taliesin Karsus, a man as infuriating as he is sexy.

As William struggles to carve out his place at the university, he is drawn in to Tal’s chaotic experiments… and drawn to Tal despite his logical mind’s protests. And if Tal’s wavering affection isn’t enough to complicate William’s studies, he uncovers a plot involving an ambitious staff member, brainwashed students, sexual assault, and a threat to the lives of everyone on campus. When it comes time to face the danger, William is on his own. For the first time in his life, he’ll have to trust in his heart instead of his head.

Book Review

Set in a fantasy world where magic, dragons, and sea monsters exist, ‘I Experimented Once in College’ is the tale of William, a geeky mage intent on obtaining his PhD and Tal, a mysterious archmage with a secretive agenda. It is written with a lot of humor, has quirky and endearing characters, and reminded me of Harry Potter more than once – well, if he ever went to a magical college. Except this is a decidedly grown-up version with challenges all its own.

William made me laugh. I am sure he would be devastated if he knew, but his pedantic personality, initially overly confident attitude, and desperation to find how he fits in a university that is “beneath him” are so perfectly over the top that they become tongue-in-cheek. William is basically a geek with an attitude, and believes his previous achievements and the fact he transfers in from a more well-known university –forced by budget cuts - entitle him to respect. But respect is not what he finds. It starts with the fact he was supposed to be an assistant professor and instead ends up as more of a personal assistant to an absent-minded archmage who, in William’s not-so-humble opinion, is not exactly capable. Then there are all the shenanigans going on aside from the classes he still needs to take, and William isn’t sure he’ll ever be able to do the magical research he needs to write his dissertation.

William has a lot to learn – and I am not referring to his magical abilities. His flaws made him very likable, and his attempts to figure out what was going on were not just entertaining but quite suspenseful. The nature of the mystery that William is trying to solve changed as well, and that made the story more interesting. I started out believing that the archmage was secretly chasing after William, but it ended up being something much more sinister. And no, I am not telling, that would spoil the surprise.

William and Tal’s relationship does not get off to a good start. Not even their working relationship is good, never mind the personal angle. While they are attracted to each other despite the age difference, the mysterious goings-on and Tal’s refusal to tell William what is happening make trust almost impossible. William has a lot of growing to do before his heart and emotional abilities catch up with his brain and mental powers. It was a journey I really enjoyed watching.

If you like stories where you can learn what’s going on along with the main character who tells it, if a relationship that starts out on very shaky footing before a romance develops is your thing, and if you’re looking for an entertaining, funny read that is both somewhat dark and engaging, has a perfect final confrontation between hero and villain, and a great ending, then you will probably like this novella. I certainly loved the combination of fantastic characters and imaginative setting.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook
Length	Novella, 103 pages/35641 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	11-May-2016
Price	$4.99 ebook
Buy Link	https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/i-experimented-once-in-college-by-aishlar-snow-6730-b