A social outcast with a chip on her shoulder. A rare magic buried in the past. When one discovers the other, she earns the right to attend the Ocean Academy. But will the gift that qualified her for admittance prove to be her undoing?Coral’s life on the ocean floor is a lonely one. Being a half-human half-octopus puts a target on her back—one that earns her almost daily persecution from the … persecution from the “high-born” Nymphs. However, after a bloody brawl with some underwater hooligans, Coral discovers she has access to a rare form of magic that her family had long since tried to bury. Her unwitting display of power in front of a professor from the coveted Ocean Academy earns her an invitation to attend the most prestigious prep school in the ocean.
Desperate to change her social status, Coral dives into the opportunity of a lifetime only to discover that magic is hard to master, prejudices run deep, and the powerful prey on the weak. Unwilling to give up or succumb to the pressures of campus life, Coral is convinced the only way she can survive her first year at the Ocean Academy is to unlock the secrets of her past and discover who she was born to be. But can she uncover the truth before her future is ripped away from her?
Secrets of the Past is the first book in the YA fantasy Ocean Academy series. If you love reading about magical mermaids, destructive divas, and the mysterious machinations of the rich and powerful, then you’ll love Sarah Elizabeth’s brand new Academy adventure.
Buy Secrets of the Past and dive into this exciting new series today!
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„Secrets of the Past“ is the first full-length book in the new “Ocean Academy Series” by Sarah Elizabeth, a short prequel (“Transformation”) offering an insight into Finn’s character, the high-born sea Nymph, is also readily available.
Coral, the main character, is a human/octopus hybrid, a fact that makes her into an outcast and the target of choice for the high-born Nymphs. After a particularly hideous encounter with the rowdies, she taps into some forgotten magic, which she uses to fight the attackers and barely escape. However, her display is witnessed by a professor of the reclusive “Ocean Academy”, who offers her a place at the institution.
This marks the starting point of a new chapter in Coral’s life. Soon enough, Coral realizes that a place at the academy doesn’t instantaneously makes her immune to human prejudice, thus she embarks in a journey to unlock the secrets of her own past and gain a place for her own at the academy.
“Ocean Academy” is a refreshing innovative addiction to the already enormously successful Academy subgenre in YA fantasy. Inhabited by all kinds of maritime creatures, it will appeal to both, Disney fans and old Andersen lovers, as well as everyone who is seeking for a very original take on magical mermaids, evil curses, the wicked sea hag, sea nymphs and last but not least, one of the most originals main characters in YA fantasy…. a human/octopus hybrid girl
Another reason to love the sea!
I read portions of this book while at the beach and it was lovely to smell the salt air and listen to the waves while immersed in this underwater world! I love “Academy” books and in this series we meet Coral, who has made an unusual and unexpected discovery which catapults her into a foreign and often treacherous environment. As she literally navigates stormy waters, Coral makes unlikely friends and allies. Can’t wait to read Book 2!
This was my first book ever that I have read about any underworld life. This story took the typical mermaid story (which other than the little mermaid I have never read one) and added other oceanoids characters. The background was amazing, it felt like I could reach out and touch the fish, or even talk to the octopus guardian. The graphic imagery was amazing.
The is a coming of age story, where a girl from the lower end of the ocean wins the ability to go to the prestigious high school in all of the water worlds. Entering the academy has caused nothing but trouble for Coral since the beginning. The was picked on by the “high born” students.
Trying to decipher the new magic she found she had, learning about her family’s past, and trying to get through school all at once seems like a lot. Although, along the way, Coral picks up some great friends like Finn, Nixie, and some others.
Trusting her counselor Calypso, they work through some of her problems. Calypso has given Coral so much help to learn who she is, what will she do with the information she finds? Will she allow her “friends” into that personal bubble to help her or not?