Supernatural Academy Series...
Last month I started Jaymin Eve’s SUPERNATURAL ACADEMY series-the books, not the Peacock animated series set in the same world. I’d heard about the show and the indie author making it big with a filmic adaptation of her works story. Naturally, I was eager to dive in and get to know the characters and their world. I finished the first two books before I stalled out, so knocking out the third one is a March project. However, I think I’ve read enough to see what makes the world compelling and where the story falls short for me.
Like most urban-fantasy worlds, this one is populated by various sorts of supernatural races: vampires, fae, shapeshifters, mages, etc. At the top of the supernatural hierarchy (and the rarest of the races) are the Atlanteans, descendants of the famed sunken city, a city that some want to raise from the depths that claimed it. All this is tied up in a war between rival factions of gods: those who want to raise the city and those who want to keep it and its secrets hidden. All this intrigues me. I want to know more.
Maddison “Maddi” James, an orphaned girl on the run with supernatural powers she doesn’t understand and can’t control, is brought to the Academy to learn about her heritage and develop her powers. Naturally, she finds herself at the center of the Atlantean conflict, which also puts her in the middle of the “Atlantean Five,” the five hottest and most desirable boys at the academy.
Yes. Five. And, no, this isn’t a reverse harem story, though that would make it a bit more believable. Maddi feels an instant bond with all of them, especially the head of the hot Atlantean dude club (Asher Locke), and all his buddies are totally cool with them hooking up and love her too but never put the moves on her. Except for the lion shifter who is a bit too huggy for Asher's liking. But they’re all just friends. Really.
Really?
While readers seem to respond positively to Maddi’s sassy, snarky self, all I see is a main character who doesn’t have much agency. She’s less a fully realized main character, and more a girl things happen to. Now, to be completely fair, she does have goals at various times and does take the initiative on occasion, but neither is enough to carry the weight of a protagonist. She’s also got extreme Mary Sue-itis. For example, she arrives at the school and instantly becomes besties with the girl who brought her in and with the headmaster’s daughter. She instantly gains the ire of the mean girls club, who do little except talk shit to/about her until they do something that threatens her life. Fortunately, the hot-Atlantean guys club sweeps in to take care of them for her. If she’s in a fight that’s going badly, someone will show up to save her or one of the baddies will turn traitor and help her.
Can’t find a hidden Atlantean library with key information the team needs? Oh, it’s because it will only open for Maddi. Oh, and its “librarian” is an ultra-powerful fairy queen that thinks Maddi’s just THE BEST! Maddi can’t control her magical powers that threaten other people? No worries. The most powerful sorcerer in the world can make an amulet to help her. Oh, and he becomes her adult bestie. Maddi hasn’t spent years learning to fight like the other supes? No problem. One of the rarest and most powerful dragon shifters and his mate will teach her. And they think she’s cool, and the mate wants Maddi to join her bad-ass girls club.
For the most part, the "good" characters in the story instantly like and want to help Maddi, and the baddies hate her on sight.
And...well...for a supernatural academy series, there seems to be more time spent shopping, dressing up, going to parties, swimming, and fucking than there is in class. And classroom scenes are sort of integral to this genre. The longer ones are mostly info dumps of magical races or history. Nothing exciting like the chaos of the Cornish pixies or the infamous “wingardium leviosa” scene from the Harry Potter series.
So I find myself in the position of wanting to see how the conflict plays out in the story, but I feel like every problem that crops up along the way will have an easy/convenient solution. While I can see the glimmerings of what might be a faint character arc, the series is definitely one that is heavier on the events and ideas than on the character. I guess that’s okay. I mean John McClane in DIE HARD doesn’t have a character arc, and I still watch the hell out of that movie.
Like most urban-fantasy worlds, this one is populated by various sorts of supernatural races: vampires, fae, shapeshifters, mages, etc. At the top of the supernatural hierarchy (and the rarest of the races) are the Atlanteans, descendants of the famed sunken city, a city that some want to raise from the depths that claimed it. All this is tied up in a war between rival factions of gods: those who want to raise the city and those who want to keep it and its secrets hidden. All this intrigues me. I want to know more.
Maddison “Maddi” James, an orphaned girl on the run with supernatural powers she doesn’t understand and can’t control, is brought to the Academy to learn about her heritage and develop her powers. Naturally, she finds herself at the center of the Atlantean conflict, which also puts her in the middle of the “Atlantean Five,” the five hottest and most desirable boys at the academy.
Yes. Five. And, no, this isn’t a reverse harem story, though that would make it a bit more believable. Maddi feels an instant bond with all of them, especially the head of the hot Atlantean dude club (Asher Locke), and all his buddies are totally cool with them hooking up and love her too but never put the moves on her. Except for the lion shifter who is a bit too huggy for Asher's liking. But they’re all just friends. Really.
Really?
While readers seem to respond positively to Maddi’s sassy, snarky self, all I see is a main character who doesn’t have much agency. She’s less a fully realized main character, and more a girl things happen to. Now, to be completely fair, she does have goals at various times and does take the initiative on occasion, but neither is enough to carry the weight of a protagonist. She’s also got extreme Mary Sue-itis. For example, she arrives at the school and instantly becomes besties with the girl who brought her in and with the headmaster’s daughter. She instantly gains the ire of the mean girls club, who do little except talk shit to/about her until they do something that threatens her life. Fortunately, the hot-Atlantean guys club sweeps in to take care of them for her. If she’s in a fight that’s going badly, someone will show up to save her or one of the baddies will turn traitor and help her.
Can’t find a hidden Atlantean library with key information the team needs? Oh, it’s because it will only open for Maddi. Oh, and its “librarian” is an ultra-powerful fairy queen that thinks Maddi’s just THE BEST! Maddi can’t control her magical powers that threaten other people? No worries. The most powerful sorcerer in the world can make an amulet to help her. Oh, and he becomes her adult bestie. Maddi hasn’t spent years learning to fight like the other supes? No problem. One of the rarest and most powerful dragon shifters and his mate will teach her. And they think she’s cool, and the mate wants Maddi to join her bad-ass girls club.
For the most part, the "good" characters in the story instantly like and want to help Maddi, and the baddies hate her on sight.
And...well...for a supernatural academy series, there seems to be more time spent shopping, dressing up, going to parties, swimming, and fucking than there is in class. And classroom scenes are sort of integral to this genre. The longer ones are mostly info dumps of magical races or history. Nothing exciting like the chaos of the Cornish pixies or the infamous “wingardium leviosa” scene from the Harry Potter series.
So I find myself in the position of wanting to see how the conflict plays out in the story, but I feel like every problem that crops up along the way will have an easy/convenient solution. While I can see the glimmerings of what might be a faint character arc, the series is definitely one that is heavier on the events and ideas than on the character. I guess that’s okay. I mean John McClane in DIE HARD doesn’t have a character arc, and I still watch the hell out of that movie.