Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC copy of Arcana Academy

I was so very intrigued by the concept of this book. The magic system was unique and so interesting, the storyline kept me wanting more. I gave this book 3 stars because I found myself kind of bored? I kept reading not because I was having a good time but because I just had to know what happened. The writing was at times dense and repetitive, I was mostly skimming for the last probably 30% of the book.

Clara was kind of meh for me. She repeats herself constantly in regards to Kaelis. By the time their “relationship” reached any kind of climax I was no longer interested.

Kaelis’ character was kind of a saving grace for this book for me. He was interesting and dark and conflicting and I enjoyed him even though his character was left in mystery.

Will I be reading book 2? Honestly it’s still up in the air because I really really want to know how the story progresses.

I have really enjoyed some of Elise Kova books in the past and I love magic and dark academia books, so when I saw this one, it felt like a no brainer to read it!

Positives: It has an interesting magic system. A quick, action-filled beginning that grabs your attention. A dark-brooding male lead.

Negatives: The lack of connection that I felt with the characters.

The whole premise was set up in a cool way, but somehow I failed to connect with almost any of the characters. We have so many side characters that could have really propelled this story forward, but we barely go to know them or much about their relationship with the main character (besides the barest of bones) for us to care about what happened to them. Even the two main characters felt a bit lacking to me.

Maybe it was my mood at the time, but unfortunately this one fell short for me. I am giving it 3 stars for the cool magic system and I *might* pick up the next book when it comes out to see where the story goes.

Thank you #NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I grabbed this book from the beautiful cover and was so excited to read it and it didn't disappoint! What a unique premise and world building. Enemies to lovers with a tarot card spin!

The book had a lot of good elements, but was also hard to get into at times and took me a long time to finish, despite being a fast reader and having many elements I typically enjoy. Despite this, I still liked the book overall. I'd recommend it for people who like unique magic systems, dark academia, and found family.

I loved this book. A fun use of Tarot cards and magic with 2 characters in a reluctant alliance.

Clara is an orphan whose illegal use of Tarot magic caused her to end up in prison. Kaelis is the prince who tricks her into escaping so he can use her to retrieve a missing Tarot card that allows the user one ultimate wish.

When the 2 end up in a fake engagement they have to decide if the fate of the world is more important than their feelings for each other.

Recommended for anyone who enjoys:
Dark Academia
Tarot
Found Family
Hidden Identity
Sisters

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It took me a looooong time to get into this book. Which for me is pretty normal for fantasy books but this one was a struggle. The middle of this book was entertaining with all of the festivals or the tests that the students have to face but then the ending just dragged again for me.

There is little to no romance in this book. There is basically some sex towards the end and maybe they have some feelings for each other which could be love or hate. Either option is possible. It could also just be apathy.

I have zero idea if I would read the next book or not.

To start this off, I picked this ARC because the world-building sounded incredible. I love the idea of a tarot based magic system and the way the author explains it and how it works really appealed to me. I can easily see this magic system being my favorite things about this book. That being said...

The style of writing is a bit rough for me personally. There's just something about the tone and voice that makes me...bored? Uninterested? Which is a shame because the story matter and world-building should be right up my alley, and it is.Perhaps it's the first person perspective dragging it down for me, or I should say the way this first person is written, as I have read some I liked before. Though I will say that would be a subjective opinion on my part. In any case, I had a hard time getting through the first few chapters, though I wanted to keep going to give it a fair shot. The main character just seems very matter of fact, hard, maybe lacking in personality, or at least a personality or perspective I enjoy. She's just a little flat, which may not bother other people but it does nothing for me.

Speaking of doing nothing for me, this prince is also giving me nothing. Again, pretty subjective opinion but in the beginning I'm kind of like. Eh, whatever. Very standard evil scheming royal. That in itself works for some people but I suppose it's just not my type. Maybe he gets more interesting later but I don't feel like sticking around classes and trials to find out, unfortunately. The first trial they go through is interesting as a concept but the style of writing felt so....hmm maybe detached is a way I would describe it. Works for some people but I like a little more flavor or voice in my stories.

I believe there are good bones here and this will really speak to a lot of people, probably ones more so into romantasy as a whole. I think it has much more going on than some books which are romance first, fantasy second, especially with the tarot magic. I enjoy a good romantasy once in a while but it's not my main genre. I got 10 chapters in before I decided I didn't care enough to continue. Not bad but nothing outstanding and ultimately just not for me (especially with the wealth of my TBR these days T-T).

I would still recommend this book to people who want a good old fashioned enemies to lovers with a fake marriage scheme. If the magic system sounds like it'll appeal to you, I will not hesitate to say that is the one thing begging me to continue reading. The pieces we got of it sound so cool. Maybe one day I'll return to finish it but the TBR....she's a hydra you know what I mean.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the E-ARC.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova was all consuming, gut-wrenching and easily one of the most unforgettable starts to a fantasy series I've read in a while. A tarot-reading magic system, an elite academy cloaked in secrets and the FMC is clever but impulsive! Our MMC is complicated and arrogant but as the story progresses you start to see there is more under the surface and you start to fall for him. "There is no world in which you do not consume my very being." If you love dark romance, found family, forbidden power, a slooowwww burn and dangerous games that pull you in deeper with every page.... you HAVE to read Arcana Academy.

The magic system is so unique and incredibly layered. Tarot cards with power, inked trials, secret corridors, betrayal, and enemies at every turn and then BOOM a cliffhanger -that is well deserved but it still hurts.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGallery for this Arc in exchange for my honest review.

For the most part, I found this story enjoyable with an interesting premise, but I also felt like it was similar to stories I’ve read before. The magic system was unique and the story kept me so intrigued. While I enjoyed the romance, the spice felt slightly out of place with the tone of the rest of the book. I have thought about it several times since finishing last month (which is always a good sign) and I’m curious where the entire story goes though so look forward to reading book 2. Thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the arc!

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
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Clara is in prison when Prince Kaelis makes her an offer. He will get her out of prison if she will help him steal a magic card from his father the King. Clara hates the Prince because he is the reason she is in prison in the first place, can she trust him?
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What I liked:
-The first few chapters really drew me in.
-I really liked Clara’s character!
-The magic system was fun to learn about.
-The suspense was intense, especially the last ten percent of the story.
-The twist at the end was great and has me wanting to read book two just for that alone.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a fun start to a new series.

I really enjoyed this story. The concept was unique and a nice spin on fantasy magic. I like the idea of magic being through tarot cards. I felt it had strong world building, I loved the academia setting, and I felt the characters were well written. There was plenty of action, mystery, and romance. I will definitely read more from this series and author.

Dnf 60%

Thank you netgalley for my earc

Unfortunately, this book is not for me. It was very good in the beginning. It captured my entire attention with the main character and how she had to escape the prison while also marrying the prince who put her in there. The magic system was great for the first 30% Then it became extremely slow once you get past the 45% mark they are stuck in the school the entire time it just honestly is just conversation after conversation it started to not make sense and feel very fillery

This was not for me, but it could be for you if you enjoy a slower pace book!

Arcana Academy is perfect for fans of tarot and magic schools! The magic system in this book is super unique and cool! It drew me in from the start. Who doesn't love tarot cards? Throw in a magic system based around tarot cards and you have me hooked! What also drew me in was Elise Kova. I’m a fan of her writing. She’s great at creating unputdownable books full of action, romance, and lovable characters! That being said, I did have issues with the pacing in this book. It took awhile for me to feel invested in the story. That being said, I did enjoy the book and I believe the series has potential! I’ll definitely be checking out the next book.

Really enjoyed this one! Refreshing to read a romance with tarot in it! Characters were captivating and the plot had me hooked from start to finish.

I had high hopes for this title as a long-time Elise Kova fan. Unfortunately, I may have set myself up for disappointment, as I wasn't as enamored with the characters as I expected to be.

However Kova's expert world building, and carefully crafted (or should I say Inked?) magic system truly carries the title, and swoon-worthy passages featuring the novel's hero help seal the deal. While I didn't love it the way I wanted, I think many readers will greatly enjoy it.

I really enjoyed the Married to Magic series by this author and was excited for this new series. I enjoyed how quickly the Married to Magic books draw me in and how fun they are to read. I unfortunately did not have the same experience with this book. I don't know if it was the book or if I was in a bit of a reading slump but I found myself having difficulty picking the book back up and getting immersed in the story.

I really liked the magic system - the idea of tarot has always intrigued me and I loved how the cards were used to channel magic. I also enjoyed the found family aspect of the book, with the main character having a group of unlikely people that support and trust her with everything. The pacing felt a little off for me, with some parts seeming really fast paced whereas other parts were slower and more repetitive. The romance was something that felt really slow (like mega slow burn) and then really fast paced all of a sudden. I wish there were more scenes with the two characters because I left the book feeling like a lot was happening off page.

Ultimately, a solid 3 star read. I will likely read the sequel to see if my questions get answered or if some of my theories prove correct. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I like the premise of this one. Any book with a college/academy setting I will devour!
This was no exception. Gripping from start to finish!!

The beginning of this book was a bit of a mess for me. I was confused by the very odd worldbuilding (superpowers provided by Tarot cards, really?), and I couldn't keep track of the characters. As I progressed, the story picked up for me and I found myself enjoying it. I did still struggle with fight scenes involving Tarot cards, but I love a magical academy. This is only book 1 in a series, and I'm curious where it is heading because I couldn't figure out who I was rooting for. Clara, the orphan criminal with a lot of luck did not seem to be heading in a morally appropriate direction throughout the story, and her found family didn't seem much better. Prince Kaelis, meanwhile, with the infamous past, seemed to be the only character I wanted to succeed. However, did he really think this fake engagement was going to work and the truth wouldn't be uncovered by his family? The book ended with everyone in a precarious situation with an uncertain future, so yes, I will happily keep reading.

My thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for an ecopy. my opinion is my own.

“Lie. Survive. Resist.”

WHAT A BOOK.

I had the immense pleasure of meeting the author at Apollycon in April and told her I was ecstatic to read this book even though I know next to nothing about Tarot! She told me she has been a practitioner since she was a kid, so to me that means she is expert level. But she managed to make this world and system of tarot card-based magic so accessible! A huge feat done SO WELL.

I’ve seen folks asking for the yearning to return to romantasy. BUCKLE UP FOR THE YEARN OF THE CENTURY. I have not recovered. The push and pull and tug of the romance is staggering. SO well done.

And for the folks looking for a morally gray MMC? Hooooooo this is where it’s at. I usually don’t go for morally gray, but if it’s written this well? I’m all in.

Dark academia. Morally gray MMC. Secrets and reveals and plots and alliances and found family. And the burniest-yearniest of romances 😮‍💨🥵🫠🙌

I’ll tell anyone to read this book! 😂💫🃏

There was a lot to like with this book! To start with, the magic system was something I found very interesting and unique. I loved the FMC however sometimes she made some very questionable decisions 😂 The side Characters and all of the world building were fantastic!!! I just feel so invested in everyone and everything. My only critique is that I wish the book just gave us a littleeee bit more. Its always fun to theorize about things as you wait for the next book, but I just feel like this book left TOO MUCH unanswered. If the book just answered a few questions or made some things just a bit more obvious then this would easily jump up to 4.5 for me! Overall it was a great fun read that has lotsss of world building and plot twists, so make sure you pay attention to every detail!