The Origins of the Six

Complete Series: Academy of Six, Control of Five, Destruction of Two, and Wrath of One

The Origins of the Six is an entertaining supernatural academy series filled with complicated characters, intriguing mythology, meaningful relationships, and plenty of supernatural chaos. It’s exactly the kind of story I love getting lost in, and another one of Ashley’s books that has earned its place on my trophy shelves.

When Ashley recommended this series to me, she mentioned it was one of her spiciest. Naturally, that got my attention, especially when she insisted it was even spicier than To Tame a Shifter. Considering how much I already enjoy her writing, I wasn’t about to pass that up! 😂

Ashley also sent me a box set signed by both her and co-author Aleera Anaya Ceres, which made this one even more special. I actually prefer reading on Kindle, so the physical books I collect are generally signed editions from authors whose stories I love enough to read again. Ashley already has quite a few books taking up space on my shelves, and this series certainly earned its place among them.

The story follows Izara Castillo, a young woman who arrives at the Academy of Six with one rather inconvenient problem: nobody knows what kind of supernatural creature she is, including Izara herself. The academy is supposed to help Prodigiums, or Prods, who struggle to control their supernatural abilities. I loved the concept of an academy filled with supernatural misfits, particularly when the mystery surrounding Izara’s identity begins raising questions about the people responsible for helping her.

Izara was exactly the kind of heroine I enjoy. She’s sarcastic, stubborn, reckless, and isn’t afraid to question authority. Beneath her attitude, though, she’s struggling with uncertainty, fear, and the possibility that her unknown abilities might make her dangerous. I appreciated that her character development wasn’t simply about discovering new powers. It was also about learning to accept herself and understanding that what she is doesn’t necessarily determine who she becomes.

Then there’s Malek, Saint, Syko, and Phoenix, and I loved how different these four men were. Malek brings the dominant, protective werewolf personality, while Saint is a sarcastic, flirtatious vampire with plenty of emotional baggage beneath his humor. Syko, the nephilim, has a gentler side but carries his own painful history and struggles. Phoenix, the incubus, understands physical attraction much better than genuine emotional attachment, which makes watching him develop feelings especially entertaining.

What I appreciated most about their relationships was that each man had his own personality, vulnerabilities, and connection with Izara. I enjoy why-choose and polyamorous romances, but I want more than an FMC surrounded by attractive men. I want genuine chemistry, emotional development, and relationships that have their own reasons for existing. Ashley and Aleera delivered that without making the men feel interchangeable.

I especially enjoyed how the group gradually developed its own found-family dynamic. They argue, get jealous, make questionable decisions, protect one another, and somehow become exactly what each other needs. Their relationships extend beyond their individual connections with Izara, which made me care about them as a group rather than simply as separate love interests. I also appreciated that their past experiences and emotional struggles didn’t magically disappear just because they found people who cared about them.

The worldbuilding was another highlight. What begins as a supernatural academy mystery gradually expands into a larger story involving ancient bloodlines, hidden histories, angels, demons, Heaven, Hell, and supernatural conflict. I enjoyed how the mythology challenged the idea that someone’s origins or supernatural species automatically determined whether they were good or evil. There were plenty of mysteries to keep me curious, and I liked discovering how the different elements of this world connected.

The humor also helped balance the darker parts of the story. There’s violence, trauma, betrayal, captivity, and plenty of danger, but these characters still manage to entertain with their sarcasm, banter, and inappropriate comments. I loved that their personalities continued to shine through even when things became serious.

I also appreciated the additional character perspectives in the later books. Getting inside Malek, Saint, Syko, and Phoenix’s heads helped me better understand their motivations, insecurities, and relationships. It added depth to characters I was already invested in and made some of their decisions easier to understand, even when I didn’t necessarily agree with them.

And yes, Ashley was right about the spice! The intimate scenes are explicit and frequent, easily earning this series 4.5 peppers from me. However, what kept me interested was everything happening outside the bedroom. The attraction worked because there were actual relationships developing underneath it, and I cared just as much about the trust, jealousy, vulnerability, and emotional connections as I did about the chemistry.

My biggest criticism was the pacing. As the series progresses, there’s a lot happening between the academy’s history, Izara’s origins, supernatural politics, mythology, individual character development, and the larger conflict. Some important revelations and emotional moments move along a little too quickly, and I would have appreciated more time exploring certain aspects of the world and allowing those developments to have a greater impact.

There were also moments when I felt the romance and spice could have taken a back seat to the plot. Not because I didn’t enjoy those scenes, but because the mysteries and mythology were interesting enough that I wanted more time with them. A little more balance and deeper exploration of certain storylines would have made this a five-star series for me.

Despite those issues, I genuinely enjoyed the entire journey. The characters kept me entertained, the mysteries held my attention, and I appreciated the underlying message that people shouldn’t automatically be judged by their origins, abilities, or past experiences, but by the choices they make.

Would I recommend The Origins of the Six? Absolutely! If you enjoy adult supernatural academy romance, strong and sarcastic heroines, why-choose and polyamorous relationships, protective supernatural love interests, found family, angels and demons, hidden identities, ancient magic, dark humor, and plenty of spice, I highly recommend this complete series. Just be sure to check the content warnings, as it explores some darker themes.

My Final Verdict: I loved Izara’s growth, the distinct personalities of Malek, Saint, Syko, and Phoenix, and the beautifully dysfunctional family they created together. The supernatural mysteries and mythology kept me invested through all four books, although I would have liked more time exploring certain storylines and allowing some of the bigger emotional moments to develop. Those issues kept it from being a full five-star read, but they never stopped me from enjoying the series. Ashley was absolutely right when she recommended this one to me, and I’m glad she did. Thank you, Ashley, and thank you both for the beautiful signed box set! 🖤

Final Rating: ⭐ 4.5/5 Stars | 🌶️ 4.5/5 Peppers

Content & Trigger Warnings: Explicit sexual content, violence, blood and gore, death, murder, captivity and imprisonment, torture, abuse, parental abuse, manipulation, discrimination, bullying, trauma, war and battle violence, demons, religious and Heaven/Hell themes, and darker supernatural themes.

–SASSY