Quick Take
- Narration: Vivienne LaRue handles the world-building exposition and the emotional beats between Skye and Dallan with equal facility, her voice fits the fantastical female-centered setting well.
- Themes: Found belonging in an alien culture, slow-burn romantic tension, loyalty tested by identity
- Mood: Warm and immersive, with a romantic undercurrent that builds steadily
- Verdict: A confident second installment in the Chronicles of Arianthem that deepens the world and the central relationship without losing the approachable tone that made the first book work.
I came to The Sjofn Academy the way I suspect most listeners do, through the first book in the Chronicles of Arianthem, curious whether Samantha Sabian could sustain a world built on such unusual premises. The Ha’kan, an all-female race that treats monogamy as aberrant, have been at war with the nomadic forest people the Tavinter for generations. That setup could easily tip into something gratuitous or thin. What holds it together is Sabian’s genuine investment in her characters and the seriousness with which she treats the cultural collision at the story’s center.
The Sjofn Academy is the second installment, running just under ten hours at 9 hours and 52 minutes, narrated by Vivienne LaRue and released in April 2021 by Arianthem Press. It holds a 4.6 rating across 283 listeners. The premise is a peace gesture: Queen Halla invites the Tavinter chieftain’s daughter, Skye, to attend the most prestigious school in Arianthem. What follows is equal parts fish-out-of-water story, slow-burn romance, and political intrigue, with Skye navigating a culture that operates by rules entirely foreign to her upbringing.
Our Take on The Sjofn Academy
The central relationship between Skye and Princess Dallan, who serves as her mentor at the Academy, is handled with a patience that this kind of story often abandons in favor of faster payoffs. Skye’s uncertainty about where she stands, what she is feeling, and how much danger she is actually in shapes every interaction. Dallan’s laughing dark eyes are Skye’s first signal that this education is going to be more complicated than she expected, and Sabian earns that complication by building it slowly rather than declaring it. One reviewer described being moved to tears by the love and companionship in the book, and that emotional response is not unearned.
Reviewer JenLovesBooks, who read the first book with high hopes, noted that Sabian’s character development has become much better in this installment, and that her erotic scenes have moved out of the ambiguous territory between innuendo and graphic into something more deliberate. That evolution reflects a writer growing more confident in her material. The main character is still, as noted, somewhat too perfect, Skye’s unexpected military competence arriving precisely when required is a recurring convenience, but within the logic of the series, it functions more as genre expectation than genuine flaw.
Why Listen to The Sjofn Academy
Vivienne LaRue’s narration is a consistent strength. She differentiates the Ha’kan court characters from the Tavinter characters in a way that keeps the ensemble legible without resorting to exaggerated accents. The world-building in Sabian’s Chronicles is dense with invented cultural detail, the Academy’s rituals, the social hierarchy, the political history of the Ha’kan-Tavinter conflict, and LaRue delivers that exposition at a pace that lets it settle without becoming a lecture. For a series built on a very particular atmosphere, getting that atmospheric delivery right is essential, and she does.
Reviewer Kailen, who has followed the series for a decade and reread this book at least five times, noted that Sabian weaves each book craftfully to lead to a final destination, with unresolved threads from earlier books emerging in later ones. That layered structure rewards returning listeners and makes the audio format particularly suitable, you catch details on a relisten that you missed when following the plot for the first time.
What to Watch For in The Sjofn Academy
Listeners beginning with this book rather than the first in the series will encounter world-building context that is referenced rather than explained. The Chronicles of Arianthem assumes you understand the basic political geography and cultural dynamics established in book one. Starting here is possible but not recommended. Additionally, one reviewer noted wishing that the supporting character Inga had been more than a minor player, she appears in several scenes that suggest a more complex role, then recedes. That minor frustration with underdeveloped supporting characters recurs in the series, though it does not undermine the central storyline.
Who Should Listen to The Sjofn Academy
Best suited to listeners who have already read or listened to the first Chronicles of Arianthem book and want to continue with Skye and Dallan’s story. Also well matched to readers of f/f fantasy romance who prefer emotional slow burns to immediate resolution and enjoy immersive world-building as part of the romantic context. Listeners wanting a faster pace or a more conventional fantasy plot structure may find the Academy setting’s slower rhythms frustrating. The series has a devoted readership for good reason, and this installment delivers what that readership is looking for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to read the first Chronicles of Arianthem book before The Sjofn Academy?
Yes, strongly recommended. The second book assumes familiarity with the political conflict between the Ha’kan and Tavinter, the world’s geography, and the established characters. Starting here without that context will mean missing significant background.
How explicit are the romantic and erotic scenes in this audiobook?
More explicit than the first book in the series, reviewers note Sabian’s scenes have become more descriptive in this installment. The content is adult but not graphic in a way that overpowers the plot. Listeners comfortable with f/f romance in the adult fantasy genre should find the balance appropriate.
Does Vivienne LaRue voice all character roles or does the narration shift?
LaRue narrates throughout as a single voice, differentiating characters through register and cadence shifts rather than distinct character voices. She handles the Ha’kan court and Tavinter characters distinctly enough to keep the ensemble legible.
Is The Sjofn Academy a complete story or does it end on a cliffhanger?
The central arc involving Skye’s first year at the Academy resolves, but larger series-level questions remain open. Reviewer Kailen’s note about each book leading toward a final destination suggests ongoing threads are intentional, you get resolution of the immediate story while the larger world continues.
