Avalon Tower: Fey Spy Academy, Book 1

Twinmomx2

Academy and Arthurian lore mash up

"✨ Avalon Tower (Fey Spy Academy #1) by C.N. Crawford & Alex Rivers ✨ If you love stories rooted in the legends of King Arthur and Merlin, blended seamlessly with Fey lore, this book is an absolute must-read. Avalon Tower feels like a bridge between the past and the future, weaving ancient mythology into a fresh, modern fantasy that completely pulled me in from the start. The world-building is rich without being overwhelming, and the pacing is spot-on—never dragging, always keeping the story moving. The romance is carefully woven into the plot, enhancing the story rather than overpowering it, and adding just the right emotional depth. What truly stood out to me were the characters. They’re flawed, complex, and genuinely human (or fey/demi fey), making it easy to both love and hate them exactly as intended. Every choice felt meaningful, and every conflict had weight. I both read the book and listened to the audiobook, and I have to say—Amanda Leigh Cobb was perfection. Her narration brought the characters and the world of Avalon vividly to life. Honestly, I would give this 10 stars if I could. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 5/5 Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️ 2/5 (mild, but well done) I’m diving straight into the next book in the series—no hesitation whatsoever. #Avalontower #Feyspyacademy #CNCrawford #AlexRivers ["

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January 27, 2026 Verified Purchase

Anastasia Goygova

who is the real endgame?

"Avalon Tower is an intriguing read that sets up a world with plenty of promise, though it didn’t fully capture my interest in its main pairing. The story revolves around Nia, a character who shines as the heart of the narrative. She’s funny, courageous, and selfless—a protagonist easy to root for. However, the romantic subplot with Raphael, who is positioned as the endgame, felt a bit forced to me. I had trouble connecting with the chemistry between them, and somehow, Raphael didn’t quite carry the weight of a lead character. Interestingly, the Prince Talan introduced in the story caught my attention even more than Raphael. He’s mysterious, layered, and holds a certain allure that made me wish he could end up being Nia’s true partner. There’s something captivating about him, and I found myself secretly rooting for him to be the real endgame. As for the plot, while the book was enjoyable, I’m hoping the series will evolve into something with more depth and complexity. I plan to read the next book, but if the story continues in a straightforward manner without adding more layers, I’d be disappointed. Overall, Avalon Tower is an engaging start, and I look forward to seeing how it develops, particularly if it leans into the potential of a richer, more intricate storyline. ["

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November 15, 2024 Verified Purchase

Dani

So much fun!

"Let me start by saying, I've read Frost and Ambrosia by C.N. Crawford. I like her ability to do fae in the modern world - a refreshing twist on romantasy. I enjoyed those two books well enough, but I did not find them extremely memorable... ✨THIS✨, on the otherhand, was!! I don't think this book was particularly deep or super original, but boy was it fun! It had maaany common romantasy/action tropes, but all of them were done very well. It definitely felt like I was watching a fun, fast-paced spy tv show with magic!! ⭐Specifics⭐ 📌The writing for the main character was very "I'm just a silly girly. teehee" and also "my name is ryan, and my life is kinda crazy" (iykyk), but this was balanced out by everything else going on. I also didn't particularly enjoy the exposition the main character would do sometimes and I'd kinda tune it out, but again, didn't go on too long. Other than that, the main character is fairly self-aware, resilient, and kind -- generally likeable! 🙏 📌 Can i say 🎆thank you🎆 to the author for doing what a lot of authors struggle to do and SHOW the main character being smart and resourcesful rather than TELLING us how smart and resourceful she is without proving it. This aspect of the main character really made this book a pageturner. It was exciting to see what clever thing she'd come up with to get out of a situation! 📌The "normal girl is actually, maybe 'the chosen one'?" trope was here and pretty easy to see coming. However, I liked that the author gave the main character understandable flaws that actually affect her and balance out her immense strengths (mommy wounds & asthma rep 💨 woot woot!). On top of that, we get to see the main character WORK to improve herself and be creative to make up for what she lacks. 📌The attraction between the FMC and MMC is arguably largely based on the physical (instalust trope?). However, after overcoming some initial animosity (slight enemies to lovers trope?) due to miscommunication (trope?) they communicated well once things get going (second-chance romance trope?) and do small gestures to show their care for each other -- which is sweet! 💟 The romance was not the most profound love story of all time, but I thought things seemed "realistic" enough. Additionally, I appreciated that the main characters were fairly perceptive, honest, and forgiving. Overall, fairly mature - which I expect from people in their mid to late 20s! 📌There is one open-door 🌶️spicy🌶️ scene that I enjoyed (one-bed trope). 😏 It was sexy, sweet, and a little funny. Very human. The build up ⛲ to this scene made this event feel like a natural progression and the issues that needed to be resolved beforehand were not super egregious. I was also satisfied with only one spice scene, as I felt satiated with the samples leading up to this and the frequency made sense for the busy world the characters were in. 📌Although he is described as extremely hot and talented, I appreciated that the MMC seemed like a guy with integrity and intelligence. I also liked that he was not written to be some super cheesy, sex god as a lot of fae love interests are. 👍 📌In general, most of the secondary characters were fairly multidimensional and it made interactions/events more interesting for sure! 📌The magic was cool af!💜 Easily the second best thing about this book behind the spy stuff! The powers different fae have and wield is nothing unfamiliar, however, I LOVE how the author conjures up creative ways to use it -- and that the system behind it makes sense! It feels like the possibilities in this world for magic could be vast based on a person's ability and innovativeness... I also really like how the author describes what it's like to feel and use magic. There's something about her descriptions that sound so coherent & compelling... so much so that I feel like I'm experiencing what the main character is as I read sometimes! ["

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March 31, 2024 Verified Purchase

Kelsey Berman

3.5 stars

"I think this was a good read. What I liked: - slow burn/enemies to lovers trope. Raphael was super cool character that was not gloomy but more cold and detached for the majority of the book. Tension was there throughout the book through the forced proximity line. - The Fae Gillian’s really stood out with their character building, especially with the prince that could create nightmares. - Tana was a really interesting supporting character that I feel the crazy prophecies and predictions could have shined even more. What was Meh: - um what was the beginning? Starting with Alix confused the crap out of me. - Nia is an okay FMC. She was painted to be nerdy (book lover) and a bit of a loner but I never felt like she did not fit in. She seemed like a popular girl. - world building: they mentioned the fall of human society (technology) after the invasion of the Fae. But it was really brief. Could have really explained what life looked like now vs back with technology and modern society. - This is an academy book. I would not say it feels like a true academy book. The scenes with a lot of the plot building is more on the missions. The academy scenes seemed more like filler to me. I like a good cliff hanger. Next book hopefully we will get to understand Nia’s parentage and rescue Raphael please! ["

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August 10, 2024 Verified Purchase