Our Dark Incantations is a dark academia romantasy set in a magic university split into two colleges: one for "dark magic" and one for "white magic." Our main character is Mira Winters, a healer trained in light magic who is dealing with trauma from the war between the Casters, those who use light magic, and the Wielders, those who use dark magic. Part of the PTSD she suffers from stems from the scar on her arm, which she received from a substance used during the war called "Synth," a substance that essentially kills anyone who touches it. Our MMC, Dawson, is a very powerful Wielder from an affluent family who must train her in the ways of dark magic after the magic in her scar causes her to be assigned to the dark magic college instead of the light magic one.

Overall, Wanda Hellmund writes a very interesting story. Her prose is engaging, and there is constantly a plot to follow. I just felt that the fanfiction-to-book conversion was a bit underdeveloped. The magic system was very interesting, but it felt too nonsensical at times. The whole light magic versus dark magic conflict, combined with the addition of demons and the war, felt like a lot of exposition used to explain the characters' emotional states rather than allowing the characters to develop naturally on the page.

I read Damaged Goods when it came out, and I do believe it was the stronger story because, as a reader, I already had the context for the characters' emotional states, their feelings about the world they existed in, and their feelings toward each other. Without all of that original context surrounding the scar, the world, and the relationship, I just didn't feel as connected to either the world or the characters. The story felt like a husk of itself, and the characters didn't quite stand on their own. It was a fun read, but I think it relies too heavily on the original work 3.5/5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to Wanda Hellmund, NetGalley UK, and Headline for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!