Hello, everyone! I finally read Rogue Community College by David R. Slayton. This is another book from my NetGalley backlog that I didn’t get to read last year because of all the packing/moving eating into my reading time. I’m excited to share my review. So, read on to find out all of my thoughts!

Set in the same universe as the Adam Binder series, Rogue Community College is a delightful fantasy with lots of magic and mayhem … and more than a few dinosaurs.

Isaac Frost is an Undertaker, a magical assassin sent to infiltrate and destroy the elves’ new school for wayward practitioners.

His efforts are thwarted, however, by his attraction to another student—an elf immune to Isaac’s cynicism—and by the school’s chaotic nature. Worse than that, the school itself seems to be alive, forcing Isaac to ask himself how on earth he’s supposed to assassinate a building.

When Isaac hesitates, his client threatens to send another hitman—one who won’t discriminate between the intended target and the students Isaac is starting to think of as family.

***Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley. My review contains my honest thoughts about my reading experience.***

I was so excited to return to the world of Adam Binder. Thankfully, Slayton didn’t let me down. Rogue Community College was an excellent addition to this world. It managed to be something new and fresh while also incorporating elements and characters from the trilogy in the background. I appreciated that the cameos never felt gratuitous but instead were utilized sparingly as integral pieces of the story.

An academic setting is one of my favorite things to read. The school in Rogue Community College was unique in so many ways. I loved getting to explore its oddities alongside Isaac. It was truly a school for misfits, and the building having a life of its own fit that vibe so perfectly. The classes were interesting, as well, and provided a great means to impart important information to the reader while also establishing the group dynamic between the students.

The plot of Rogue Community College kept me engaged. I was so curious to see how a building could be assassinated, and the adventures of Isaac and the other students were intriguing and often fun to read. The story had a lot to offer, including the assassination plot, the mysteries of Isaac’s background, and all of the training to become a guardian. I can honestly say that I was never bored. The ending was an absolute gut punch, though, and slightly infuriating. I’ll be disappointed if there’s not more to a certain character’s story in future books. Their fate, while poignant, was just so sad and felt premature.

The characters were my favorite thing about Rogue Community College. The main character, Isaac, was so compelling. He’d experienced so much trauma and was being forced to train as an assassin. Killing the school was to be his final test. Upon becoming a student, he slowly made friends with his classmates and had to determine whether he could stand to continue lying to them. He also struck up a relationship with Vran, one of his classmates. They were so cute together, and I adored every scene that they shared. In general, Vran is just the absolute best and is one of my favorite characters in the entire Adam Binder universe. The entire cast really was outstanding, though, and I hope to get to know more about the supporting characters as the series progresses.

Overall, Rogue Community College was a really fun book. It was dark at times, but there was always an undercurrent of hope and humor, too. The story was a great mix of magic, mystery, academia, and found family. It was a fantastic addition to the world of Adam Binder. Therefore, I rate it 4.25 out of 5 stars.

There you have it! My thoughts on Rogue Community College by David R. Slayton. Have you read this book or any others by Slayton? Let me know your thoughts down in the comments! You can find my thoughts on the finale of the Adam Binder trilogy here, if interested. Happy reading!