After discovering she possesses magic, Quinn Saxton must attend Istrin College and partake in their brutal trials to prove her worth. She has only two options: rise in the ranks, or die. At this lethal school, murdering your classmates to get to the top is not only expected, but encouraged.

A Deadly Education meets The Hunger Games in this debut dark-academia romantasy, set in an unforgiving dystopian world, where an underdog with magical powers must navigate the halls of a lethal magic school, all while guarding herself from death… and her heart from falling in love.

The students at Istrin College know there are only two options in first year: Rise in the ranks, or die. At this lethal school, the strength of a student’s magic is directly dependent on the class rank they earn in the Istrin Trials, and murdering your classmates to get to the top is not only expected, but encouraged.

When common-born dock worker Quinn Saxton is unexpectedly forced to enter Istrin, she knows the odds are not in her favour. But Quinn is used to being crushed under the heel of the people beside her, so she’s more than willing to spill a little of their blood to walk out alive. What she doesn't expect is to find an unlikely ally in Rennick Allard, the son of one of the most powerful magical families in Acith. But his allure is hard to ignore.

In order to survive, Quinn must navigate scheming, vicious students who believe themselves above her, all while struggling with her emerging feelings for Rennick – feelings she can’t afford in this literal cutthroat environment. Quinn will do whatever it takes to keep herself from being powerless, even if it means being cold-blooded enough to not just survive the Istrin Trials, but to win.