12 books where academies are battlegrounds for power
Step inside these formidable academies where learning isn’t just about spells or swordplay — it’s about survival, politics, and ruthless power plays. These twelve stories transform hallowed halls into intense battlegrounds, where alliances shift like quicksand and every lesson could be a trap. Behind the classroom doors, students don’t just compete for grades—they fight for control, status, and sometimes their very lives. If you crave drama, intrigue, and magic tangled with ambition, these books are your ultimate ticket to academies where power rules above all else.
1. “The Magicians” by Lev Grossman
Brakebills isn’t your average college—it’s a testing ground where prodigies clash, dark forces lurk, and power corrupts at every turn.
2. “A Deadly Education” by Naomi Novik
In the Scholomance, magic is a battlefield and survival means mastering your craft — or becoming monster chow.
3. “Kingdom of the Wicked” by Kerri Maniscalco
Wicked witches, dark secrets, and political games turn the academy into a dangerous arena where only the clever thrive.
4. “Vicious” by V.E. Schwab
Though not a traditional school, the secretive learning and rivalry here pit two friends against each other in a deadly power struggle.
5. “Nevernight” by Jay Kristoff
The Red Church trains assassins who duel with blades and wit, turning education into a bloody contest for supremacy.
6. “The Cruel Prince” by Holly Black
Elfhame’s court-school blends magic, manipulation, and danger — where political cunning decides who reigns supreme.
7. “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman
The Thunderhead’s apprentices grapple with deadly authority, making every lesson a test of loyalty and power.
8. “The Queen’s Rising” by Rebecca Ross
In an elite academy where noble houses compete, ambition can be as sharp as the swords at your side.
9. “Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn
Magic school collides with secret societies, turning campus life into a treacherous fight for ancient power.
10. “Iron Fey” by Julie Kagawa
Fairy courts and mortal academies intertwine, crafting battlegrounds where political alliances shape destiny.
11. “Shadow and Bone” by Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha training ground hides deadly rivalries and power plays, as students vie to become the kingdom’s most feared weapon.
12. “Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard
Silver elites and red commoners clash in elite academies where blood and magic decide who controls the throne.
These books strip away the cozy classroom fantasy and throw you into arenas where knowledge is power, and power is everything. Get ready for lessons in loyalty, betrayal, and survival—because here, the stakes are deadly high, and only the strongest rule the academy.
