Welcome to The Ordeals
Discover the brand-new sizzling romantasy and magical dark academia adventure, The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw publishing 7th October 2025.
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Old Magic. New power. A contest to die for.
Sophia DeWinter has been bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector since he exacted a blood bond from her as a child.
When she learns of Killmarth, an elite academy for magic wielders outside of the Collector’s control, she grabs it as her only chance to break free.
But to attend Killmarth, she must pass their entrance test - the deadly challenge called the Crucible...
Do YOU have what it takes to join the mission for Killmarth College? If you pass the test, not only will you be assigned your magical type, but you will be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five limited edition proofs!
Are you bold and brave enough?
Special edition available at Waterstones.com
Killmarth College is an elite academy for magic wielders. Each year they hold an entrance test - the deadly challenge called the Crucible...
The location and time of The Crucible though is kept secret.
How did you learn about it?
Now you know the location and time, you arrive at Alabastor House at midnight.
You are greeted at the front door by a butler and ushered inside. He asks you to choose a room to wait in. Which room would you pick?
As you enter the room, you hear the door lock behind you. You see a note on the table.
You have five minutes to leave the room.
Welcome to the Crucible.
You are trapped, there is no way out, and the room is quickly filling with poisonous smoke.
You must use the magic you wield and the objects around you to escape.
Which one would you pick?
Well done, you have managed to get out just in time.
You stumble into a dark passageway. There are many voices around you, and as your eyes get used to the dark, you see that there is a dimly lit courtyard in front of you. A wide, empty expanse of grey flagstones. As you peer into the space you can see two bodies on the ground.
'They tried crossing a few minutes ago', a voice says close to your ear.
Suddenly some of the squares are doused in flames, some sprouting coiling plants, while some are just empty. You can’t stay here, you know you must cross the courtyard, but can you do it on your own? Better to team up with someone, but who?
You and your partner need a plan! How will you get across the deadly courtyard?
PLOT TWIST
Your partner has reached the safety of the other side, and you are only two squares away from safety when an impossibly strong vine wraps around your ankle...
Congratulations you have passed the Crucible and welcome to Killmarth College!
We can tell by your answers you are a Botanist – you have an affinity with plant life and can manipulate and bend living matter to your will. You might specialise in creating new life, sparking it from a seed quickly, or shaping plants with your will to pick locks. You may also have some ability as a human healer, including knitting wounds together.
You have earned the chance to be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five limited edition proofs!
Congratulations you have passed the Crucible and welcome to Killmarth College!
We can tell by your answers you are an Illusionist – you have the ability to bend another’s mind to believe what you want them to believe. As your wielding is cerebral, this may be as simple as dimming every light so it appears dark to them, creating the illusion of an object or if you are very powerful, manipulating many minds at once, or creating an entire house or landscape that does not actually exist.
You have earned the chance to be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five limited edition proofs!
Congratulations you have passed the Crucible and welcome to Killmarth College!
We can tell by your answers you are a Masquier – you can tailor yourself to appear as another person after careful study, including changing your voice to resemble theirs. Masquiers go on to be excellent spies for the Crown in the territory of Kellend. Some rare masquier wielders can also change their appearance to resemble not a person but an object or plant matter, such as a tree.
You have earned the chance to be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five limited edition proofs!
Congratulations you have passed the Crucible and welcome to Killmarth College!
We can tell by your answers you are an Alchemist – rarest of all wielders and arguably the most powerful, you can manipulate any non-living matter and bend it to your will. You might specialise in manipulating metals, creating portals to travel between two locations using a mirror or by changing stone into glass. The beautiful birdcage design over the train station in the capital city of Dinas Tar in the territory of Kellend was created by alchemists just like you.
You have earned the chance to be entered into a prize draw to receive one of five limited edition proofs!
