Magic is in the air and Arcana does not disappoint. The storyline is intruding and the characters are well-crafted and engaging. Overall, Paul Kane has done it again. HIghly recommend.

Interesting characters. Intriguing plot. Dynamic prose. My attention was held the entire time. I enjoyed my time reading this one. I’d suggest this story to everyone who likes a more contemporary stuff.

The synopsis of Arcana instantly drew my attention: a reality where magic exists, a battle between good and evil where nothing is black and white and a protagonist with a haunted past trying to do what is right, even when he’s no longer sure which side of the line he is on.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s not one that blows you away, but it’s a solid read with engaging characters, a plot full of tension and romance and a strong battle between the good guys and the bad. You know who you are rooting for the whole way through and want them to overcome their limitations and save the day.

Callum is a strong protagonist. Being brought up in the orphanage has left him with scars: his claustrophobia, for one; his determination that magic must be evil and therefore those who practice it also bad people, for another. He has a heart of gold – his determination to save people and do good is what draws him into the world of M-forcers.

Callum’s conscience is a key player – he realises quickly that things might not be as clear as he thinks. When his heart ends up on the line as well, Callum must decide once and for all whose side he wants to be on. There’s some suspense, some uncertainty about what he will chose and it draws the reader in, creating an atmosphere of tension that keeps you turning the page.

Ferne – a nurse and magic user – provides both the love interest for Callum, and his pathway into a world he had no idea existed. She was a strong character on her own: she’s been living this life all her life and has far more of an idea than Callum what is going on. She’s both his and the reader’s introduction to the Arcana (the group of magic users the police are determined to destroy) and Callum’s naivety acts as a channel for the reader to find out what is going on.

Nero – the ultimate bad guy – doesn’t seem that threatening for the majority of the book, until the final showdown at least. His second-in-command, Sherman, is far more chilling as he personally tortures – and enjoys doing so – and executes those accused of magic.

There is a great mix of characters. The good guys, the bad guys, the-good-but-really-bad, the bad-but-really-good and a few that seem to fall into neither category.

The plot progresses at a steady rate. There are a few chapters that take a detour into the past to provide some back story and a couple that follow a couple of minor characters to set the scene for later events that slow things down. But they also help flesh out the world and help the reader understand what the stakes are.

Arcana was, for me, a solid read that kept me engaged throughout. I enjoyed the character development – both personally and the evolving relationships – and the magic added an unpredictable element that made it a fun read!

“Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” – Exodus 22:18

This was honestly one of the best books I have read all year. The premise takes place in a version of the United States where the Salem Witch Trials never ended. Magic is considered heretical and a group of specialized enforcers trained against magic, M-forcers for short, are responsible for finding and neutralizing any and all magic-users. Arcana, a group of magic-users who are primarily trying to live peacefully under the radar, are the primary target of the M-forcers and their shadowy leader, Nero.

It took a few chapters, but this story hooked me around the time of Callum and Ferne’s initial meeting. Despite the whole “chosen one” cliché, Callum’s development remained consistent and comprehensive throughout the story. His interactions and relationships with other characters never shifted unexpectedly nor were they ever out-of-character. I liked the shift to other POVs as well, especially with Ferne and her fight to survive.

Overall, the premise gave me hope and Mr. Kane delivered with a well-written story.

When I read the description of this book, I thought it would be incredible, and it will be magic escapism. My mind will be blown. Cue prologue: the magical bombing of a shopping mall in the strangest way of describing it possible to a blind man reading tarot cards and telling a little boy that it is time. I feel like the prologue ruined the whole story for me because I found it hard to get into it when I always have to decipher what the author is trying to say about the world.
1.5 out of 5 stars.

For my full review check out my blog at https://bookgirlreviewsbooks.blogspot.com

---ARC provided by the publishers WordFire Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion---

4*

This is my first Paul Kane book and I am very happy to say that it didn't disappoint at all. I was mainly interested because of the cover with its tarot cards and and the pretty blue light between the hands so I knew this story would contain magic. I love me a good fantasy book. Then I read the summary of it and I liked what I read and the idea of mixed a cop mystery thriller with fantasy as I don't think this happens often. Mr. Kane does a fine job at mixing both.

The world building in this book has enough details to ease you into this universe and understand how the system works but it took me a few chapters before I started getting comfortable in it as there were a few jumps back and forth from the present to the past but once i really understood what happened, I was good. The more I read, the more I wanted to keep going, to know what was gonna happen next. So much so that I left all my other reads aside to continue on this story instead.

There were a lot of characters in this story, some really good, some not so good and some very questionable ones. Callum is a character that is confusing and infuriating at times but you end up on his side by the end of the book as he gets more comfortable in himself and who is is.

I definitely wasn't expecting how far the system of the law was working in this world. It's as if we're still back in the times of the Salem witch trials (to name only that) and we never changed or way to this day and we still deal with everything different in a radical matter. No matter if you're right or wrong, as soon as you suspect something, you deal with it right away. Don't ask questions as questions lead to doubts and doubts are never a good thing in this world. You're "tainted", if you do and have to be taken care of as well.

There were a few things happening in this book that were supposed to be a surprise but at least one of them I figured out really early on and another I could figure certain hints put here and there but I was still surprised at how deep it was, which was pretty cool anyway. I'm not sure this book requires as many chapters as this copy has considering many chapters are really short and others pretty long. There were a few chapters that maybe could have been left out as I felt they were not that needed as there was nothing in them to help advance the plot at all. Sometimes, too many characters and too much details is not useful and a waste of time and I feel like I could have just skipped those parts and removed the mentions of those later on and the plot would have advanced better and faster.

This story starts as a thriller/mystery cop story which mixes into fantasy with magic people and tarot reading. It is filled with dark events that are extreme but really good as you get an real idea as to how the system works in this universe. Questionable events and characters. and also very lovable ones. This book is filled with action almost starting from the beginning until the climax at the end and there's a little romance in there as well. I believe this would reach a lot of people that love every one of these types of stories.

I’ve never read this author before, but this summary of the book seemed very interesting and I dived right in. At first, I have to admit I wasn’t sure I was going to like it. The plot was engaging, but there was lots of detail, a little too much detail for me. However, once I got past the set-up and got the meat of the plot, the book became enthralling. I kept turning the pages to see what was going to happen as I really, really wanted to bad guys to lose. At first, I also found Callum to be a little infuriating. Why couldn’t he see what was going on right in front of his face? At the end of the book, he was my favorite character. Stick with this one; it is well worth a read. I do recommend this book and was provided a copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Arcana by Paul Kane, a dark read. In a world where magic users are hunted and executed on the spot simply for being what they are, a young officer tasked with the hunt finds himself in deeper than he ever imagined...