I probably should have DNFed this a month ago...
Review to come. ( )

audio fiction, 1st in series (~11.5 hrs) - Teddy, a 24-y.o. Stanford-dropout banned from a number of casinos on suspicion of cheating, is in deep gambling debt when a mysterious man with the seemingly magical power of influencing others' minds offers her a solution: if she agrees to enroll at the secret School for Psychics where he works on an island offshore of San Francisco, he'll make sure her adoptive parents don't have to find out about her debts--and maybe she'll even find out a little more about her birth parents.

Fast-paced, lightweight reading with apparently college-aged students that seem more like teenagers (lots of drinking, raging hormones--though possibly Teddy is just further along the sexuality spectrum than most people, it just makes it harder to ship her with any of the eligible bachelors); not particularly diverse as far as I can tell in terms of ethnicity or physical ability/bodytypes. It's enjoyable enough, and if you are looking for a relatively complex world with some twists and lots of action this will fit, but not the best story set at a "magic" school by a long shot.

Read instead: the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik ( )

I absolutely ADORED this book and can not wait for the next in the series. Excellent characters, fun twisty plot, fantastic setting and even more fantastic premise. ( )

I absolutely loved this book - it was like The Magicians (although less angsty and depressing) meets a more grown up Harry Potter...at the police academy. I loved the characters - they were interesting and complex. The setting was unique, and the story sucked me in. This was hard to put down, and since my Kindle copy didn't show me a percentage read, I was gutted when I reached the end! I can't wait for the next book! ( )

Theodora "Teddy'' Cannon is an intelligent, strong and spirited woman, but sometimes her personality just leads her down the wrong path. But really, if you can read people....really read people....see when they are lying, bluffing, etc....why not use that talent to win at gambling? Teddy doesn't care that every casino in Vegas has banned her. She just puts on a disguise, and goes anyway. She owes money to some dangerous people and then took money from her parents to help pay that loan....she has to win. Without getting noticed. But she does get noticed. Not by security. But by a representative of a school. Turns out, Teddy isn't just talented at reading people. She's psychic. The Whitfield School trains psychics for law enforcement and military programs. It's a tough place where everyone has to earn their spot. When students start disappearing, Teddy learns there is more going on behind the scenes at Whitfield than most realize. Can she and her misfit friends figure out exactly what's going on?

This was such a fun book to read! The plot is creative and entertaining. The story had me hooked quickly. Teddy makes some bad decisions, but I still really like her as a main character. She has flaws, but she's loyal to her friends. Whitfield has a lot of secrets, and Teddy is determined to find them out. This book is a great start to a series! I can't wait to find out what happens next! I will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out!

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )