Semester Aboard by Elizabeth Kirke

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

If you love clever writing, this MUST be on your TBR. For me, a clever word smith is a huge green flag of how much research and time went into the development of the story. This was the very first thing I noticed after I started reading Semester Aboard. Elizabeth is unbelievably clever. Every word choice was very clearly intentional. While reading Semester Aboard, there were many moments I picked up on foreshadowing and now having finished the book, I can remember much more foreshadowing and well placed words. That in itself, makes me want to read the story all over again to see what I will catch the second time around that I may have missed the first time around. THAT makes an incredible author to me. If your writing makes me want to reread your book immediately after I have finished, you are a Top Tier Author.

In addition to the clever word play, the story was wonderful and immersive. The magic in this world was thoroughly built brick by brick. The world Elizabeth created was designed so well that you really believe this could be our reality and we just happen to be the humans among the magic we cannot see or do not remember (memory potions and all).

Beware Spoilers Ahead

I want to be Jen, the female main character of Semester Aboard. Unfortunately, I’m 37 so no magic surfacing for me, I’m well beyond the maximum age for that experience. Imagine though, you take a college semester aboard a ship and while you are experiencing one life changing event you stumble into another. Jen discovers she has magical capabilities and stumbles into a group of other magics who help her train this new ability. How I would LOVE to discover I had magic...yes, I’m envious of this main character. She is observant, smart and stronger than she seems to believe. One of the characteristics about Jen that I enjoyed the most is how inquisitive she is. After discovering she is a witch and capable of using magic, she challenges the members in this group of new found friends to give her answers frequently. The story is told from Jen’s point of view, and the readers get a chance to watch her put the puzzle pieces together. 

One of my favorite “Jen” moments is when she’s finally had it with being kept in the dark from her new friends. Throughout the book they give her rations of information about magic and magical beings. Never the full picture. Never more than exactly what is asked. When her confidence snaps into place and she yells “I’m sick of being kept out of it! I feel like for everything you tell me there’s always another secret! Just because I didn’t know about magic doesn’t mean I’m an idiot!” I’m a sucker for woman who stands up for herself and this scene was excellent. ESPECIALLY, because of the secret she figures out that sparks this scene. But I’ll leave that one for you to read about. 

The group of magics Jen stumbles into - Danio, Mariana, Charlie, Thomas, Tethys - are initially very hesitant about her. She witnesses magic from Danio and the group starts to keep tabs on her while they wait to wipe her memory only to discover she’s a magic too. After they learn she’s a magic, their attitude toward her flips 180 degrees so fast. The group brings Jen into their crew and begin working with her to develop her magical abilities. 

Of this crew, Charlie is one of my favorites. Circling back to the authors clever word play, Char (or Chalie), is a fire elemental. He enjoys spicy foods, hot temperatures, can’t go in the rain, when he enjoys something it’s “toasty” and when he’s frustrated it’s “ashes”. Charlie checks in with Jen often and he’s frequently the one who teaches her about the history of magic. I loved reading their discussions and learning about the developmental depth of this universe Elizabeth created. 

Speaking of teaching Jen, Thomas is the one who works on teaching Jen how to use magic and her wand. In the beginning, Thomas is clearly keeping Jen at arms length, somewhat refusing to get close to her and let her in. As the story progresses, we get to see Jen chip away and his walls and Thomas soften toward her. Their situationship is sweet and you will find yourself rooting for them while you read. Another one of my favorite moments in this book is when Thomas finally drops his last barrier with Jen. They are laying together and Thomas opens up about the day he lost his familiar, his parents, and assisted in saving a couple of werewolf pups during a vampire attack. This moment was so significant in the shift of their friendship into “we are more”. First of all, the emotion in this story was heart breaking, heart warming, intense, with a sprinkle of comedy to make sure the reader isn’t totally ruined. Second, despite Thomas’s withdrawn behavior toward everyone including Jen, this moment is the most clear “I truly do care about you more than I can say” moments. 

All the characters are extremely well developed characters that are easy to love, I’ve only highlighted Charlie, Thomas and Jen, but it is very clear these character bios that Elizabeth has made are extremely thorough. And clever. I cannot emphasize that word enough. Everything about this world and the characters in it was so well vetted. 

Even the villains…Elizabeth made villains LOATHSOME. I loved it. The main villain in this story is a vampire who has infiltrated the cruise ship and has been feeding from humans without their consent (illegal). The main characters work on finding out who the vampire is and attempting to capture or kill them. The various battles scenes written are the perfect level of violence, drama and intensity. They were so exciting to read, especially the final battle. Even in these high intensity battle moments, Elizabeth manages to work in something clever you may not have thought about. The group is able to blend their various magical abilities and build on each other’s strengths to overpower vampires and dhampirs in several extremely exciting chapters in Semester Aboard. 

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect for fans of: young adult, paranormal, urban fantasy, academia, vampires 

Potential Triggers: mention of suicide attempts, death of parents, death of friends, on page battle scenes.