Croucher, Lex - The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones

The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones

Author: Lex Croucher

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Dark Academia

Pages: 451

Publisher: Gollancz

Release Date: June 9, 2026

Format: Paperback

Size (in cm): 23.3 (height) x 15.3 (width) x 3.4 (depth)

ISBN: 9781399624640

Synopsis:

Casey McQuiston meets The Secret History in this unmissable dark academia fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lex Croucher following former childhood best friends who reunite at magical boarding school after years, only to find themselves enemies on opposite sides of the ugly secrets hidden within the gilded walls.

Welcome to the Temple School of Thaumaturgy ... and your newest dark academia obsession.

For as long as they can remember, Briar Jones dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy. Behind its looming ornate gates, the elite prep school—the place that has produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in British history—is whispered to be magical. 

Briar's best friend, Sebastian Wolfe, never cared about Temple or believed in the rumors. He just wanted them to stay together forever. 

When, at age 11, Seb gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn't, their childhood friendship is shattered. Seb vanishes onto Temple's grounds and Briar resigns themself to a mundane life. But they can't completely forget their yearning for Temple, for the extraordinary, to be one of the chosen in the ivory tower. 

Seven years later, a summer job advert a temp position sorting through the junk in Temple’s attics. Briar takes it. And they discover that quiet, sensitive Seb, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become a beautiful, arrogant villain feared by most of the school. And worse, the secrets Temple is hiding might not be so magical after all, but a dark conspiracy with implications that extend far beyond the gates.

LGBT Themes:

• Non Binary

Relevant Tags:

Fantasy, Dark Academia, Queer, LGBT, Romance, Young Adult, Fiction, Adult, Romantasy, Academia