definitely good! I'll keep reading the series. the pacing was off for me for both the romance and the plot but the cliffhanger really got me! I do like the take the magic system has on tarot although explaining things got too dense at times.

I really really loved the magic system and how fleshed out it was! I know nothing of tarot cards but never felt like I was lost or didn’t understand something. I will say at times I did get confused just on the sheer number of side characters we get introduced to, and trying to remember who is who and what affiliation do they have to whichever clan, or if they aren’t noble born.

I

This book was shockingly so good. I thought that a book about tarot would be more boring but this one actually used tarot in an intriguing way with action scenes mixed in.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I knew as soon as I saw its beautiful black and gold cover I wanted to know more about what lay hidden inside Arcana Academy, a romantasy, by Elise Kova.

Clara Graysword, imprisoned for life after being caught illegally inking tarot cards, is given a second chance and enters a new world as a student of Arcana Academy and as the false fiancé of its headmaster, Prince Kaelis. Here she will learn to read, ink, and wield tarot cards, the center of this world's unique magical system.

Clara, used to living in the underworld of Eclipse City, will now have to navigate through royal intrigue, hidden identities, and her fake engagement all while facing the trials of her magic school and looking for her missing sister. Will luck be on her side?

I really enjoyed Book 1 of the Arcana Academy series and can't wait to read more!

Publication Date July 22, 2025

Thank you Random House Publishing Group-Del Rey, Random House Worlds for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Unique magic system.
Dark Academia.

The Magic system is so sick. Cara is a confident badass. And honestly anything with magic and an academy is going to hook me, and there’s a prison in the story too, I mean come on. Recipe for success. Looking forward to the next book.

Arcana Academy is the first book I’ve read by Elise Kova. The storyline is intriguing, but I struggled with the writing style. The pacing dragged in several scenes and the transitions often felt abrupt or underdeveloped. The beginning is especially slow which made it hard to stay engaged despite the promising premise. The writing was dense and repetitive at times. While the tarot-based magic system is fascinating, it was overexplained to the point of being tedious, as if the author didn’t trust the reader to understand on their own. Visual aids or diagrams might have helped convey the system more effectively. It was interesting to see glimpses into Clara’s past and the second half of the book definitely picked up. Some plot twists were predictable while others caught me by surprise. Clara and Kaelis’s relationship was a mixed bag where it wasn’t quite compelling. In the end, I liked the core story, but I’m unsure if I’ll continue the series due to the writing style.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are compelling, morally gray is a pretty consistent personality trait throughout, and the push and pull of the romance is on point! I wouldn't quite consider this full dark academia, but if you haven't yet experienced dark academia this might be a good bridging book (and hopefully series) into that genre. It is mysterious, has at least two secret societies (more depending on how you count them) and does take place in a school. The only thing that makes it less dark academia is that there is surprisingly little academia in this first book compared to much of the genre. Overall, this was a lovely book, and perhaps the gateway to dark academia for many people. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and seeing where it all goes.

I KNEW THIS BOOK WOULD HURT ME.

I expected a solid read from Elise but this is my favorite yet. I was so intrigued by this premise and story. The way she kept the plot and mysteries moving without feeling convoluted. There is a huge potential for development in the next book. I say this because the main characters don't interact a TON comparative to other romantasy-like books. I was only a teeny bit annoyed at that and only because when they do get together it's not with a whisper ...but with a bang 😏

Honestly, I just couldn't put it down. I have so many unanswered questions and I really need to see the next book ASAP.

Thank you so much to Del Rey, Elise and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this title. I attest that I am leaving my review voluntarily and honestly

I loved this romantasy! I loved the tarot magic system and the romance. And I need the need the next book now omg

The fmc Clara is caught illegally inking tarot card and is sentenced to prison. The headmaster of Arcana Academy offers her a way out of prison for a price.

The writing, pacing, and character development were all well done. And this was such a breath of fresh air in the romantasy space. Honestly so SO good.

A fantasy unlike one I’ve read before. I found the world to be so interesting, and the magic was so unique. It had me on the edge of my seat, constantly wondering where the story was going to go next!

Holy magic mother of all things fantasy, what a wild ride indeed!

This book was something else. From the forced proximity, will they/won't they, fake engagement, and enemies to lovers, it's safe to say I was enamored with this read. Not only were the tropes well-written and utilized very effectively, the characters were also to die for. This book kept me at the edge of my seat, and it had me guessing all the way until the end. And that ENDING! I need book two like yesterday!

So many fun and unique characters to follow in this story. Clara, the FMC, was the type of main character I love/hate at the same time. But I mean that in the best way. She was fierce, loyal, and dynamic, but at the same time she was chaotic, impulsive (not all the time), and contradicting. Watching Clara grow and change from the beginning all the way to the very last page was incredible. There is so much mystery in her character though, and I still have so many questions about her past and her lineage. I hope we will get to finally explore more of that in book two. But MVP once again has to go Kaelis. Now talk about a mysterious man with secrets and an aura that screams danger! His character was equally frustrating and fascinating. I want to know more of his motivations and intentions. Like I was dying to see inside his head, and I wish we could've seen it. Even just a single chapter would've made me happy. I also enjoyed the side characters, but the one that surprised me the most was Alor. I came to really like her character in the end.

This book was plum full of the typical romantasy tropes, and I was living for it. I was completely hooked. The romance was this aching slow burn that had me equal parts frazzled and enraptured. The romance itself kept me on my toes all the way to the end, and I need more of them. There was so much unspoken between them which will drive me crazy until book two can give me some peace. And on that note, can we talk about the ending? Like I had my own theories, but I would've never had guessed THAT! Seriously though, when is book two coming out?

Overall, I really did enjoy this book! The magic system was unique and held my interest from start to finish. The romance was intense and burning, and I was here for it. The plot was fresh and held me from beginning to end. Can't wait to get my hands on book two! It can't come soon enough.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rating: 4.7/5

The magic system - Amazing!
Dark academia - Amazing!
Character chemistry - Amazing!

I will admit there were some points where the book felt like it slowed down and wasn't grabbing my attention as much as I would have liked but for book 1 of a romantasy series it was still good!

WOW!
I'm so incredibly glad and honored that I was able to read that.
This is one of the best magic systems I have read in a while. The cards and the fighting! A great combo.
And the BANTER!! Clara and Kaelis 🫠🫠🫠. I need more, but it was also just right. When he falls first, and he falls that hard! Obsessed.
A little dark academia, a good group of friends, enemies to lovers, a little con family and a heist, and a cliffhanger ending! So so happy

I really wished I had liked this more. The initial idea and storyline was intriguing and creative. I liked the idea of a magic system based on tarot, it was a fantasy idea I haven’t really read a lot of before. But from the beginning, I just didn’t love it. It started with basically the same story as Throne of Glass, the girl in prison after walking into what she knew was a trap, meeting the prince who needs something from her… it just felt too similar.

Then the story just seemed to drone on and on. Everything was very spelled out, which could have been beneficial, but ultimately just ended up adding too much detail. The romance was ok, I guess. It all just felt a little anticlimactic.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is the dark academia romantasy I didn’t know I needed. I loved the unique magic system being tied to cards and all that entailed.

Arcanists have the ability to ink, read, and use target cards that is tied to their magic. However, this power is only decided by the rulers and the Academy.

Clara was imprisoned for illegally inking, using, and selling cards. Prince Kaelis, the headmaster of the academy, shows up at the prison one day and ends up helping her escape. She can keep her freedom if she attends the Academy. She finds out he plans for her to be a part of his schemes to create a powerful card.

I enjoyed the dynamic between Kaelis and Clara. This book is full of secrets, heists, and unsuspecting characters. The beginning of the book sucked me in and maintained a great pace, with the world expanding.

If you are in the mood for a new fantasy series with a unique magic system, secrets, and an academy setting, this is the book for you!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with an ARC

I need book 2 immediately! This book is absolutely amazing!

The idea of a magic system determined by tarot was super intriguing to me. Add in a magical academy, a fake engagement, and a delicious slow burn enemies to lovers romance and I was all in! Poor Clara, our escapee from Halazar Prison, falls into the hands of the second-born Prince Kaelis, who essentially blackmails her into a fake engagement or else he can send her back to prison at any time. She has a unique ability to be able to ink tarot cards to be used for magic by the Arcanists, using any materials. This is not supposed to be possible. Part of his plan to be able to gather all the Major Arcana cards to be able to make an all-powerful wish, we learn that Clara is one of these special Major Arcana. Under this main plot, Clara is trying to find out what happened to her mother and sister, what truly happened. It seems that the king is hiding quite a lot of information when it comes to powerful people "disappearing."

The slow burn between these two is sooo good! Clara is unwilling to admit to herself for a while that Kaelis is attractive, even though they need to convince everyone that they are so in love that Kaelis would choose a common-born woman, supposedly unaware of her noble heritage. We see hints of Kaelis's underlying feelings towards Clara every time that he defends her against the naysayers, or protects her, or takes care of her after getting hurt. They share a steamy kiss when trying to hide, and I loved it when their slow burn FINALLY ignited! Despite this, they both have too many secrets to be able to fully give in to each other and continue any kind of romantic relationship.

Lastly, the end of this story just books it to the finish line! And then EVERYTHING got turned on its head with the final line of this story! My jaw dropped, I was shocked, and I need to know what happens next!!

Some favorite quotes:
'I'd rather be queen of the rats than king of the snakes."
Rage is worth little if it's not channeled.
You think you appreciate what you have and then it's taken from you ... and you wonder if you ever treasured it enough.
Hope is a potent draught.
"To ink cards is to channel the primal forces of nature on ink and paper. To read cards is to surrender to the fates that guide your hand. To wield cards is to make the true power of the undercurrents of this world unquestioningly your own."
"A prince is never late. Everyone else is early." "Is that another thing you tell your partners? That you're the last to come?" "Don't you hope it is?" (the banter between these two!)
"Well this is cookie news if I ever heard it."
"If to bring about a new world -- a better world -- I must be the villain, if I must do evil things for the greater good, then so be it. I'll play the part now and be reborn a hero in my next life."
Nothing is going to help me sleep better my first night here than the overwhelming, smug satisfaction of being chosen by his cat.
Love me, hate me, but only look at me like my existence sets you on fire...
How do I keep living when my guiding star has fallen?
"How dare you, I liked this shirt." "I like it better ripped on the floor."
Why does everything with you straddle the line of pleasure and pain?

If you love a dark academia romantasy with morally grey characters, a secret academy, slow burn romance, secret forced engagement, magic tarot world, secrets and hidden identity, check out Arcana Academy. You won't regret it!

This was like a solid 3.5 stars for me. The premise of the story was incredibly interesting and the magic system appealed to me. The characters though fell pretty flat for me and the dialogue was not my favorite. Dialogue is everything to me and when it falls short I really struggle to get into stories. I love a good slow burn but this just wasn't one that had good build up in my opinion. It has a decent cliffhanger so just be aware. Overall, interested to see where the series goes.

I loved this story! A fascinating magical world with tarot magic, hidden identities, dark academia vibes, and lots of twists and turns. The pacing was great and I was fully invested in the characters & found family. That’s not even touching the wonderful enemies-to-lovers romance with forced proximity and a fake engagement. The romance between Clara and Kaelis was chefs kiss and I’m obsessed. I need the next book and I’ll be patiently waiting for more.

I really enjoyed this book. And I loved Clara! She breaks the law, gets thrown into prison, escapes from prison, threatens a prince, is forced to attend Arcana Academy, gets into a fake engagement with the headmaster, kills her ex in front of the whole school, lies about her identity, and plots to commit treason. You know, just girl things.

I love that we got to see a lot of Clara living her life at the academy. She attends classes, practices magic, makes friends, and so on. The academy teaches inking, wielding, and reading of tarot cards, and it was neat to see Clara experience all three aspects of tarot magic throughout the story.

The tarot magic is really neat and unique. Each of the four suits represents a basic element, and each requires a specific material’s powder to ink. I love the depth that Kova gave to creating this magic system. A lot of real tarot history was incorporated into the narrative. I actually learned a lot because I didn’t know much about tarot before starting this book, but the story had me getting out my tarot deck that I’ve never used and looking at the cards and reading about each of their meanings. There’s also a helpful glossary at the back of the book that explains what each card’s magical ability is when wielded.

The spice in this, while only in the last 15% of the book, was the most explicit spice I’ve read from Elise Kova. I didn’t love that—I appreciate most of her books not being over the top with detailed spicy scenes. This honestly felt like she was writing for the current market. I know she has said that the publishers are making her add more spice into the new versions of the Married to Magic series that was originally self-published but is now getting republished through Del Rey, so I bet that’s also what happened here. It’s frustrating that the publishers dictate what an author can do in their own books; <i>Arcana Academy</i> would have been just as good with less spice, or with closed-door spice. It just felt like unnecessary fan service here. I’m not faulting Elise for making the scenes so gratuitously explicit but I am blaming the publishers.

I have read over ten books by Elise Kova, and I can tell that her writing has improved significantly since she wrote her first series. <i>Arcana Academy</i> felt so much more developed and well written than [book:Air Awakens|23127048], which I also enjoyed so that’s not a diss; it’s just that this book is a huge improvement compared to that one, and that’s a good thing.

I don’t know how many books are going to be in this series, but I’m excited to go on the journey of reading them all. <i>Arcana Academy</i> left off on a HUGE cliffhanger that actually made me angry because the next book isn’t out yet and I desperately want to know what happens next.

If you like academic settings, unique magic systems, tarot, strong sibling relationships, fake engagements, an untrustworthy love interest, and a fierce female lead, definitely check out <i>Arcana Academy.</i> It was a lot of fun.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.