By Coral Gables Gazette staff
Books & Books in Coral Gables will host Miami-born author I.V. Marie on Saturday, July 18, at 6 p.m. for a discussion of Ruinous Ends, the second and final installment of her Souls of Blackwood Academy series.
Marie will be joined in conversation by South Florida writer R.J. Valldeperas. The event is free and open to the public, with books available for purchase and a signing to follow.
Published by Delacorte Press, Ruinous Ends follows Immortal Consequences, Marie’s debut novel, and returns readers to Blackwood Academy, a school set in the afterlife. The sequel picks up after the Decennial, as six former students confront the secrets beneath the academy and the possibility that any one of them could save — or destroy — the world they inhabit.
A dark academia series reaches its end
Immortal Consequences introduced readers to Blackwood Academy and helped establish Marie among YA fantasy readers drawn to dark academia, romance, moral ambiguity and stories told across multiple points of view.
Ruinous Ends closes the duology by expanding the academy’s mythology and shifting among six character perspectives. The book arrived July 14 as a Good Morning America YA Book Club pick, in a 480-page hardcover edition with flower-patterned sprayed edges, colored endpapers and an exclusive foil-stamped case.
The series has been positioned for readers of dark fantasy and academy-set ensemble stories, with publisher comparisons to The Atlas Six, Six of Crows and the television version of The Vampire Diaries.
A Miami author returns home
Marie was born and raised in Miami to a Peruvian mother and Chilean father. Her author biography describes an early love of books that became a writing habit at her grandparents’ computer, where she spent much of her childhood crafting fantastical short stories.
She is the author of Immortal Consequences, Ruinous Ends and the novella Twisted Vows. Away from writing, Marie has said she spends her time rock climbing and watching atmospheric videos online with her dog, Mr. Darcy.
For Saturday’s event, Marie will be in conversation with Valldeperas, a Peruvian and Venezuelan writer based in South Florida.
A Coral Gables stop for YA readers
The event continues Books & Books’ role as a gathering place for authors and readers in Coral Gables, from debut novelists to nationally known writers.
Saturday’s program gives local YA and fantasy readers a chance to hear Marie discuss the close of a series that began with a Miami author’s debut and now returns to South Florida at the moment of its conclusion.
What to know
I.V. Marie appears in conversation with R.J. Valldeperas at 6 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Books & Books, 265 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables.
Admission is free with RSVP. Seating is not guaranteed, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early. Copies of Ruinous Ends will be available for purchase, with a signing to follow.
Author: Coral Gables Gazette News Staff
Originally established in 1996 and relaunched as a digital publication in February 2025, the Coral Gables Gazette is an independent local news organization dedicated to factual, objective and accountable community journalism. Our newsroom reports on the people, policies, institutions and events shaping Coral Gables, Florida, providing residents with timely, informative coverage of the issues affecting their community. Our reporting includes City Hall, local government, municipal elections, public spending, real estate development, business, education, arts and culture, and neighborhood affairs throughout the City Beautiful. We follow City Commission decisions, examine public records and report on the businesses, organizations and individuals contributing to Coral Gables. We believe informed residents are essential to a healthy, engaged community. Stories published under the Coral Gables Gazette News Staff byline are prepared or compiled by the publication's editorial team. We strive for accuracy, fairness, transparency and clear distinctions between news reporting, opinion and advertising. Readers are encouraged to submit news tips, corrections, editorial inquiries and story suggestions through our Contact page and learn more about our standards through our Editorial Policy.
