"If you think death is the worst thing that can happen to you in this place, then you definitely have not been paying much attention."  A magical academy in a magical dimension, hidden from the eyes and ears of the human world. It should've been the magical adventure of a lifetime, but, to Uriel Alvarez, a young street urchin who was abducted from the streets and forced into its dark and looming walls, the San Jose Academy of the Dark Arts is a waking nightmare from which there is no escape. The school is brutal, callous, and grim. Death lingers in the hallways, the walls and the floor are splattered with blood, and one might find an organ or a limb or two hanging from the ceiling. Its students and apprentices are encouraged to kill each other by any means to prove who is stronger.  Uriel, however, finds himself uniquely suited to the harsh and savage life within the Shadow Academy. Dark and sinister plots, ancient and bloody feuds, vicious student politics, and cutthroat betrayals await him.   Under the tutelage of the Dark Lords and Ladies, who rule the Academy, Uriel Alvarez must learn to use the eldritch powers that lie dormant within himself, before he becomes another forgotten corpse. With a rare and powerful ability, Uriel has a chance to rise far above his peers, provided that he survives for long enough.