For fans of Naomi Novik and Kerri Maniscalco, a dark academia fantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love and a twisty murder mystery set within the perilous halls of a magical institute, as a death mage who hates her magic and a poison mage who hates her are forced to work together to stop a killer before one of them is next.
Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola Corvi hates her magic. When it kills her sister, Olivia, she knows that the answer lies within Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days.
Behind its prestigious reputation, Gorhail hides a dark secret. Olivia's death was only the beginning of a trail of murders that leads Viola straight to Sylas, a poison mage with three magical snakes, whose hatred for death mages runs deep. When the murders take a personal turn for Sylas, he is forced into a reluctant alliance with Viola.
Thrust into Gorhail's treacherous passageways and perilous catacombs, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling conspiracy: someone is hunting students at Gorhail for their magical relics, and if they don't uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.
