A Guide To The Darkwood Academy Series By Lynn Rhys

Book Reviews
Written By Shenaye Suggs
 
"A phoenix doesn't die. It rises from the motherfucking ashes."
— From The Flames [Book 3]
 

What’s It About?

Darkwood Academy is a dark high school bully romance written by Lynn Rhys. It tells the story of a recently orphaned Phoenix Hayes who becomes the newest student on scholarship in a school that never accepts new students as a senior.

Given a directive from their fathers to send Phoenix running, Daxon, Mason, and Colton get the whole school in on the bullying...that is until sparks fly and they begin to fall hard for the red headed Phoenix.

Full of twists and turns, this series is an emotional rollercoaster that keeps you on your toes. It is a dark reverse harem [or why choose] romance where Phoenix ends up with all three guys, but not after many roadblocks, heart-breaking revelations, and intense drama.

The full series is available on Kindle Unlimited. You can find it in my Amazon Shop here, or you can click the images below to go to each book.

Tropes Include: dark romance, high school romance, bully romance, mafia, reverse harem/why choose, happy ending, and more.

The Setting

The Darkwood Academy series takes place in the fictional town of Black Forest, Massachusetts — mostly on the actual campus. The three books span both the Fall and Winter season, giving a darker vibe to everything. The school itself is old, with classic architecture but modernized interiors where it counts. It is an elite school with all of the students living in luxury apartments on campus. Set up like a college, the students live in various towers while the classes are sequestered in the buildings that relate to the field of study.

The Main Characters

While there are many characters in this book series, there are 4 that the books center around: Phoenix Hayes, Daxon Emerson, Mason Turner, and Colton Langford.

Click an image to read a brief description on each character.

The Side Characters

While there are many characters in this book, there are a some side characters that you’ll find make a big enough impression.

Click an image to read a brief description on each character.

My Rating For The Whole Series

★★★★★ — 5/5 Stars

This series took me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I enjoyed it thoroughly from start to finish.

I’m a sucker for a good bully romance, especially when it’s at some posh private school. This book checked all of those boxes and more.

Phoenix Hayes, the main female character, has everything thrown at her. From the Queen Bees of the school bullying her to the mafia being after her to the fathers of her three guys doing everything in their power to take her down…let’s just say it seems like Phoenix just could not catch a break. There was so much she didn’t know, and every time one question was answered, a hundred more seemed to pop up. But throughout it all, Dax, Mase, and Colt held her down. Were they overbearing at times? Yes. Overprotective? Absolutely. But when you really think about it…her situation warrants it.

This is one of the few bully romance series I’ve read where I was truly shocked the entire way through. As soon as I thought I’d figured something out, it turned out I was completely wrong. Lynn did a phenomenal job keeping me on my toes.

She also did a great job writing the characters themselves. Usually with reverse harems, the guys all kind of fall into your typical stereotypes, but these guys, they were genuinely like their own people. They weren’t just slapped with a stereotype. They were nuanced. And God, they worked together so well. With reverse harems it’s always up in the air how the guys get along, but these guys were already solid and a unit before meeting Phoenix. She just made them even more cohesive.

I highly recommend you give this series a read. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting and actually went above and beyond my initial expectations. Always check the trigger warnings before reading as this is a dark romance and sensitive topics and situations do occur.

Happy Reading!

xo,

Shenaye

Book One: From The Ashes

My Personal Rating — ★★★★★ — 5/5 Stars

After losing her mom and dad in a tragic way, Phoenix Hayes is whisked away to an elite private school: Darkwood Academy. Now living with an aunt who wants nothing to do with her, Phoenix feels utterly alone. And it only gets worse from there...

When the 3 Kings of Darkwood Academy decide she’s not meant to be there, the whole school gathers together to push her out. Little do they know, Phoenix is a lot stronger than she looks...

I give this book 5/5 stars. It’s angsty, full of the deep, dark bully romance I’ve come to love, with 3 guys who go from following their fathers’ orders to protecting the one they love, even at the risk of death. With twists and turns and more mysteries to solve, this emotional roller coaster had my giggling, kicking my feet, and on the verge of tears while wanting vengeance for my girl Phoenix. If you love a story where the FMC takes and gives back 10x harder, one who never backs down and continues to get back up, this is the story for you. It’s book 1 in a trilogy, full of spice and angst and is available on Kindle Unlimited. You can get book one in the Darkwood Academy series here.

Book Two: From The Darkness

My Personal Rating — ★★★★★ — 5/5 Stars

Just when Phoenix thought things couldn’t get any worse... they did. Reeling from a broken heart, she made a drastic decision, one that could have ended everything.

Realizing their mistake, Daxon, Mason, and Colton come to her rescue and refuse to let her fall. Declaring their love, they become her protectors, but can Phoenix trust them after what they did to her?

Book 2 in the Darkwood Academy series gets 5/5 stars from me. The angst continues. And while the bullying somewhat dies down, a major twist occurs just when you think things couldn’t get any worse for Phoenix. Let’s just say an unexpected player reveals themselves to be her stalker and chooses to claim her. In a rush to rescue Phoenix, the guys wills’ are tested and their truest feelings revealed. But will it all be enough to make Phoenix feel safe?

This book had me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. I couldn’t put it down. And yes, it ends on a cliffhanger, one that makes you immediately want to download book 3. It’s available on Kindle Unlimited [and Amazon in general] — you can get it in my Amazon Shop here.

Book Three: From The Flames

My Personal Rating — ★★★★★ — 5/5 Stars

From The Flames is the last book in the Darkwood Academy Trilogy. And if you think that things can’t get even more complicated — book 3 in this series will blow you away. The whole time I’m reading it I just kept thinking, “There’s no way it can get worse.” I was proven wrong, time and time again.

Now, did I get a bit frustrated with Phoenix? Yes. I felt like she kept putting herself in dangerous situations — but at the same time I understood that she was tired of feeling caged in and was, in her own way, rebelling. I loved seeing her and the guys work through their communication issues. The guys, while still very protective, began working with her instead of dictating her every move.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book. I honestly thought I had it figured out since book plots [for me at least] are usually pretty easy to figure out. This one threw me for a loop though. I also love love love the ending. I don’t want to spoil it with quotes or anything, but I will say that Phoenix gets her happy ending which she more than deserves.

I give this book 5/5 stars [the whole series too]. I loved all three of the guys. They truly operate as one unit even though they are three distinct people. We even get to meet a new party — Andrew — who remains just a friend, but his loyalty to Phoenix and the guys was just amazing to see.

Overall, great story, great plot, the twists got me, and I loved the ending. Everything wrapped up beautifully. Everyone got what was coming to them and I enjoyed reading about everyone going down. That’s all I’ll say on that.

From The Flames is available on Kindle Unlimited [and Amazon in general] — you can get it in my Amazon Shop here.

A Playlist For Darkwood Academy

Below, you’ll find a playlist full of songs that either matched the vibe of the school, the students, the main characters, or the events that occurred throughout the series. You can listen below via Apple Music or Spotify.

Don’t forget to give me a follow on whichever platform you use most and add the playlists to your library as new playlists and music are always being added!

Did you listen to the playlist? Let me know what you thought of it in a comment below or tag me on instagram [@shenayesuggs] or use my hashtags #shenayesuggs or #thatgirlsreads so I can see that you’re listening!

Other Books You Might Love

An Important Note

For Authors

Are you an author wanting art for your book? I can help you with that! Send me a quick message via my contact page here to get the ball rolling.

For Readers

Are you a reader wanting to see a specific book or book series covered on That Girl’s Reads? Send me a quick message via my contact page here and I’ll add it to my TBR.

This post contains affiliate links. Also, all character images have been generated using AI.

Shenaye Suggs

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