This took me 3 months to read and I am not that person. Lots of potential but ultimately needs a good edit.

I really enjoyed the magic system with the Tarot cards—it was so unique and thoughtfully developed. I loved how creative and well-structured it felt, and it definitely stood out as one of the strongest parts of the book. That said, the story as a whole felt a bit familiar at times, like I had come across similar plots or tropes before.

One thing I found a little disappointing was the chemistry between Clara and the MMC. I was hoping for a deeper connection or more nuanced interactions, the kind that could make their relationship feel as rich and engaging as the magic system itself. Despite that, I still appreciated the world-building and the clever way the Tarot magic was woven into the story—it added a lot of charm and originality.

Overall, it’s a fun read, especially if you enjoy creative magic systems, though I do wish some parts of the romance had been developed a bit more.

This was an amazing world and story. I really enjoyed this book. I can’t wait to delv back into book 2!

DNF at about 70%!

I just couldn’t drag myself through this book anymore!! I had a eARC and started right away, I was so excited! Once I started the book I was like ouuuu yes!! I loved the magic system, the school and just overall how the book opened up! But about 40-50% of the way through it really started to lose me so I decided to put it down until the audiobook released, I really didn’t want to fully give up on it! I started the audiobook and gave it another full try picking up right where I left off and I still just couldn’t do it. *Spoiler* … The whole point of this story was the MC was searching for her sister (I mean it was at least one of the major plot points), about right where I gave up.. she finds her only it felt like no big deal?! It felt very surface level, like the MC almost didn’t care?? That’s when I finally gave up. It makes me sad because I love the publisher and have loved this authors books before but this one just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

instant five stars!! full of phenomenal world building and an interesting magic system that i see some fantasy authors attempt to tackle — elise kova simply perfects tarot/arcana magic!!

i loved elise kova’s air awakens series when i read it back in high school, and was blown away by the world building and character development in that series.

while i enjoyed her romantasy married to magic series, it didn’t hit the same way.

arcana academy took the world building/magic systems in air awakens, and the romance from married to magic, and entwines them seamlessly. i’m on the edge of my seat for the next book!!

not to mention, my fairyloot edition is absolutely gorgeous!!

3.75 stars. This is my first time reading a book by this author and I enjoyed it, but I had a hard time getting into the story at the beginning. The story started to pick up for me towards the middle and I became invested in what would happen next. I would have liked more clarity on the magic system since it seemed confusing to me at first. I'm glad I decided to stick with the story since the, especially since I started to become more invested in the main characters and their romance as well as some of the other side characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

I enjoyed the storyline and the characters but the magic system was so confusing for me. I was trying to understand the magic for majority of the book I couldn't focus as much on anything else. The characters were relatable and fun to learn about though!!

I didn't love this one as much as I expected to. I found the world really intriguing and the magic system was definitely unique. I liked her connections with some of the surrounding characters. I loved learning about the tarot cards and what their powers were. That being said, somehow I wanted more about all the magic and this world.

I liked the tension between our main characters, but I never really felt that connected to them at any point. I didn't feel the romance that strongly, but that may just be personal taste. I also couldn't really get past the fact that he was the headmaster of this prestigious magical school at such a young age. Maybe it's because I'm in my thirties, but it seemed kind of absurd to me even though I knew the reason behind it.

Overall, this is a refreshing story in the sea of romantasy right now, I just wished that I enjoyed it more.

I need the next one! What a unique magic system. Perfect for fans of romantasy & enemies to (maybe) lovers…

The plot: Clara Graysword has been sentenced to life in prison after being caught inking tarot cards, a special power only permitted for members of the famed Arcana Academy. Many months into her sentence, deliverance arrives in a suspicious form: Prince Kaelis, headmaster of the Academy, offers Clara escape if she agrees to aid in his treachery: Clara must steal a tarot card from the king and use it to create an ancient, ultra-powerful card lost to the centuries. To provide cover for Clara’s heist, Kaelis brings her to Arcana Academy as not only an initiated student but also as his betrothed. Can Clara survive not only her dangerous mission but the close quarters with the prince?

My review: This was really, really good! In a market saturated with enemies to lovers, this book stood out. The card system is imaginative, particular in its relationship to powers. The mystery surrounding “The World” kept me in suspense. I also enjoyed Clara’s character - her suspicion and guardedness persisted throughout the entire novel which seemed very realistic after her traumatic imprisonment. Kaelis is another deep, flawed character - I hope to understand his backstory more in the next book and to see his relationship with Clara progress! One aspect that could be improved is the pacing - it felt as though there were some big, unneeded jumps in time but also some sections that took a bit too long. The plot of the book was propulsive enough that this is only a minor concern, though.

I expect this series will be big and exciting the hype will only increase with future installments! Anxiously awaiting the sequel :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Del Rey for this ARC!

Although this is my first time reading an Elise Kova Novel I really liked her writeing, world building and charaters for the Arcana Acadamy and i feel like all the charaters where fleshed out in a belivible way. I cant wait to see what happens next in book two! 5/5 stars! Thanks netgalley, Elise Lova and del Ray publishing for an earc for an honest reveiw !

I wasn't certain what to expect when I first picked up ARCANA ACADEMY by Elise Kova. I knew it was generating some positive attention in all the right places, but I wasn't certain if I needed another romantasy in my life. Thankfully, my concerns proved to be baseless because ARCANA ACADEMY is one of the few novels I've read in the past month that still has me thinking about it.

For one thing, I do not consider ARCANA ACADEMY to be a true romantasy. There is obvious chemistry between Clara and Kaelis, with a few explicit sex scenes to go with that chemistry. However, as the story closes, they are not a fated pair. Their relationship remains nebulous, if nonexistent, and a secondary issue to the main drama. The number of questions Clara holds regarding Kaelis' intentions regarding the fate of the world indicates a serious lack of trust, a serious indicator of the health of their relationship, and another reason why I do not consider ARCANA ACADEMY among the many other romantasy novels published this summer.

Not only does Ms. Kova buck the romantasy trend by leaving the fate of her couple's relationship open-ended and quite possibly dead before it started, but she also does not hold back on showing the results of Clara's harsh upbringing and prison time. Clara does not simply walk out of her jail cell and act like she did before her incarceration. She shows signs of the trauma she endured there, both physical and mental. She also exhibits other mental health concerns connected to the loss of her mother and her father's abandonment. To put it simply, Clara has issues, and it shows. I always appreciate when an author does not pretend that a traumatic event does not leave a scar, physical, emotional, or mental, on a character. Ms. Kova takes pains to ensure that we understand that Clara's mind isn't as clear as it could be throughout the story, and it is a huge plus in my book.

The world-building in ARCANA ACADEMY is decent. We learn about the academy and the rest of Clara's world through her eyes, either via direct experiences or her mind working through plans. As a result, it is unavoidable that our knowledge of this world is limited to Clara's. It quickly becomes obvious that Clara does not know as much as she thinks she does. We have many unanswered questions remaining by the end of the story. While you might view this fact with disappointment, I believe the ending is satisfying. Ms. Kova stops the story at the perfect moment to launch the next book with plenty of secrets left to discover and answers to reveal.

There is no doubt that Clara's story is far from over as ARCANA ACADEMY draws to a close, and I am excited about it. Clara is one of the more compelling heroines from the myriad of other fantasy novels released during the summer. Troubled but determined, with a flawed understanding of the world and its magic, and an obvious attraction to her enemy's son, following her journey was memorable and entertaining. I am eager to see what Ms. Kova has in store next for her damaged heroine. I'm sure it's not going to be good!

This book had a really interesting premise, and I haven't read an academy focused book before, so I was really excited! This book definitely delivered! I had a great time reading this though it did fall flat halfway through before it picked up again (though that's probably just my attention span). Overall, I really enjoyed this I thought the characters were great and the storyline equally so. I'm excited to see what comes next!

Absolutely loved the book. Elise Kova is a wondful author, brillant at creating an emersive world with unique systems of magic. The characters feel very relatable The ending leaves the reader begging for more.

I really hoped to love this one but unfortunately I didn't. I tried multiple times to get through it, especially after seeing so many great reviews from people whose opinions I trust, but I just couldn't connect. Unfortunately I've felt this way about everything from this author, so it may just be me!

I absolutely LOVED this book!! It was so good and had my gripped from the first page! Can we also give a shout out to the beautiful cover?

This unfortunately left a lot to be desired. The concept was very intriguing. Th execution fell flat. The characters are only described as being certain things but never shown. A lack of development in the MMC and FMC’s relationship. The pacing was so wonky. Some parts dragged on. There was repetition. Some chapters felt like I was reading the same ones over and over again. The story took too long to progress. I did really like the world and wish there had been more of a focus on that and proper building of it. I also really enjoyed the magic system, though it was confusing at times because of the lack of world building. The cliff hanger at the end will make me read the next book.

This book took me on a wild ride! I loved the fmc and how badass she was! She knew how to fight for herself and I loved that! The mmc was very swoonworthy and he made me laugh out loud at times. The plot kept me very intrigued, and I loved the magic system, it was so unique!

Arcana Academy's premise sounded so intriguing. Clara - a thief who is in prison for inking tarot cards is at the mercy of Prince Kaelis - master of Arcana Academy. He agrees to free her on the condition that she agrees to pretend to be engaged to him and help him steal a deck of cards that are valuable to him. In return he will grant her her freedom. Clara sees a way out and takes it. Not only will she be free, but she needs to find her missing sister. Will Clara and Prince Kaelis keep their arrangement merely for looks or will feelings get in the way?

Overall, I enjoyed the world building in Aracana Academy. It was easy enough to follow along. I enjoyed Clara's relationship with her friends and the various characters in the Academy itself. I do feel like I wanted more chemistry between Kaelis and Clara. The story felt a bit disjointed with parts of it moving really fast and others of it really slow.

Overall a solid 3 stars. Not sure if I will continue with the series.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is a dark-academia romantasy about Clara Graysword, an illicit tarot-card practitioner imprisoned for her forbidden magic, who escapes via a fake engagement to the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis. The novel thrills with its richly textured tarot-based magic, layered world-building, and atmospheric setting, delivering a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance brimming with tension, found-family bonds, and high-stakes mystery. The immersive storytelling, dynamic characters, and gothic intrigue make it a compelling start to the series, especially for fans of elaborate magical systems and simmering romantic tension.

Always enjoy her books. I haven’t read a magic system with tarot cards and being able to use them for different reasons.
Clara was such a strong character for what she had been through and very gifted with the cards. She was in a fake engagement with Prince Kaelis who was also the headmaster of the school she was using as a cover. She was pretty complex with a lot of missions to accomplish.
Prince Kaelis was the second born and seemed more the black sheep of the royal family.
These two had great chemistry and banter. At first it was forced proximity then it was needed proximity.
Can’t wait for the next book!