I could not put this down at all! I was completely engaged the entire time and stopped everything just to read this. I cannot wait for book 2!

This may be a case of "not for now" but I wasn't as enthralled with this story as I was expecting. The concept is super fun - I love tarot cards that actually create action. It reminded me a little of a Brandon Sanderson concept. The academic setting was also great. I do think it was very long though for what it was. Perhaps chopping 100-150 pages would have eliminated the slowness in the middle.

It's definitely a slow burn on the romance side with much more focus on the "magic" and characters themselves.

I’ve really enjoyed dark academia novels lately, and as such, really enjoyed this setting.

Clara escaped from her lifetime sentence for illegally inking Tarot cards (upon which their magic system is based) only to find herself at Arcana Academy, where inking is taught, thanks to Prince Kaelis, who has a proposition for her - to pretend to be his betrothed and a first year student. While there, she hunts for her sister, who was supposed to be at the academy, and also continues to investigate her mother’s death, which she believes was murder and not an accident, as claimed.

I will admit, the magic system confused me a lot, and I can’t say I completely followed all of it, but it kept me intrigued enough to keep going. The plot twist/cliffhanger at the end didn’t shock me at all, but I’ll probably read book two anyway to see what happens.

The first book in a new series that introduces you to a world of magic and control, but nothing is quite what it seems.

Clara wants nothing more than to protect her sister, find out who is responsible for her mother's death, and stay out of the way of the controlling royal family and the nobles who answer to them. But in order to get answers she's going to have to not only play nice with the nobles, but also work with the middle prince, the one whom rumors swirl about. Can she trust this dark prince?

Perfect for fans of Deadly Education.

Thank you to Netfalley and Random House Publishing for the e-arc
I really like the magic system in this book. I love tarot and I thought that giving every card a power was brilliant. I wasn't fully in love with this book. But I think that's because I just finished a series about a girl who is more important and has more powers than she lets people know and there's a prison that people do not want to go to. I think if I re-read this book later I would be absolutely in love with it. I'm still excited for the second book to see where the story goes next!

I read about 15% and just couldn't really get into it... it felt a bit slow, and I just wasn't connecting with the characters or the storyline. This one has great reviews though so maybe I'm an outlier.

I LOVE a magic school setting in my books! This book had me hooked almost immediately, the first little bit was a little slow but it picked up quickly. The magic system dealing with Tarot cards was very interesting and the politics of the school and the kingdom in general were intriguing. The romance was perfectly paced and I loved the character developments throughout as well. I was devastated when the book ended and I need the next one now!

Thank you NEtGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an E-ARC to read and review.

As a longtime reader of Elise Kova's books, this is now up there with my favorites. As someone who knew only a little about tarot going into it, this was such a unique magic system that made me want to get into it more and learn more about it outside of the book. I can see this book becoming a staple in the fantasy genre and its so well deserved!

What started as a two star read. Ended in a blazing five star cliff hanger. I am absolutely speechless. This book wasn’t gripping me at first. I kept picking it up and putting it back down. I finally forced myself to finish it at 65% days later. Not realizing this book would quickly explode like it did. The tension between the two main characters is chefs kiss. This book gives me One Dark Window vibes mixed with Hunger Games/Divergent vibes. Odd combo but it focuses on tarot cards hence One Dark Window. She’s going against other classmates hence Hunger Games/Divergent.

There’s a lot happening in this book. It can be hard to understand at times. I’m looking forward to getting answers in the second. I really hope this is a duology and doesn’t drag out. I can see this coming together in one more book.


If you are searching for
-a fascinating magic system
-a dark academy setting
-slow burn that makes you scream (leading to amazing spice)
-badass FMC who doesn’t let anyone walk on her
-MMC who’s a broody simp
-twisted family ties

This book is perfect for you,

Really great read I really enjoyed Arcana Academy. I had heard this talked about a lot on Booktok and glad it lived up to the hype.

Arcana Academy is for those with a love of magical academies, slow burn enemies to lovers, masking your true identity to burn down the corruption from within, and really good found family.

While I LOVED parts of this book, I ended up having quite a lot of issues with it too! I struggled at times getting into the writing. There felt a disconnect between the MFC and all the surrounding characters. While the plot and setting was perfection, it also felt surface level. The love sub-plot felt a little too predictable and not at all believable when it came to them hating each other? Also the side characters only popped in when they were needed and I didn’t feel a lot of connection to them either?

The magic through the cards was brilliant though. That felt very fun and kept me engaged! I liked, didn’t love. I felt like I had to force myself to read half the time, even though I enjoyed it. But the cliff hanger ending was great and I’ll probably continue on the series!

This was a fantastic read, I really liked the spin on magic by using tarot cards. The author did a great job on creating a language around tarot cards as a world build. This book will be easy to share with readers.

I loved the unique magic system in this story! I've read another series that is based on Tarot, but this was nothing like it. Elise has an amazing way of bringing the characters to life, and developing the world that leaves you wanting to know what will happen next. This was an excellent read ❤️

“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 undercurrent of this world unquestioningly your own.”

Elise Kova kicks off her new series, Arcana Academy, with an opening book that lays the perfect foundation for what could be the next hot craze. A tarot card twist on the story about a magical academy in a medievalesque society governed by a corrupt and evil monarchy and a heroine who’s special abilities and determination are the key to change is actually really unique and intriguing. From its opening pages Cara’s story and struggles take a life of their own as she must navigate the treacherous and political life at Arcana Academy as well as an unexpected attraction to the “void-born” prince, Kaelis, she is forced to help in overthrowing his family. It’s everything you want in Romantasy, and then some.

“The Starcrossed Club. Each of us like little points in the sky, once so far apart, yet were drawn together like constellations. And when one of us leaves for good, we fall from that sky. A life cut too short, as sparkling map that will never be the same. The desing forever changed.”

Arcana Academy is a fast-paced, high-stakes story that revolves around magical tarot cards that are created and wielded by Arcana, either those who chosen by the Chalice or those who are born with this inate gift. In the eyes of the crown, control of this power is essential and the reason the Academy was created. Only those who are officially sanctioned can use cards, to do otherwise can result in banishment to the mines or worse, time in Halazar prison, a fate worse than death. A fate that Cara was serving until Kaelis, helped her escape and created for her a new personna as his fiance and a long lost heir to a destroyed clan as well as student in the Arcana Academy, of which he is head-master. Cara quickly realizes that her life, as well as the lives of many others, depends on how well she can play these parts. But, what she doesn’t expect is that her time as a student and her growing attraction to Kaelis, are becoming much more than act to her.

Elise has done a fantastic job in Aracana Academy of introducing us to the lead characters, Cara and Kealis, and laying the groundwork for their enemies to lovers, forced proximity romance. Their story plays out on a backdrop of Cara’s life as a student at a cut-throat school and as a part of a secret society whose goal is to destroy the ruling family and their control of the Arcanas. As with any new series, the world building and character introductions are extensive, but Elise seamlessly weaves them into a captivating plot the flows effortlessly from page to page. Arcana Academy has all the bones for what looks to be a fabulous series: fascinating premise, authentic characters, lots of magic and action, as well as a great slow-burn romance between the leads. My only negative comment is that the series isn’t complete and I have to wait for the next book!

I don’t even know where to start—Arcana Academy completely consumed me. From page one, I was hooked and honestly, I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. The world Elise Kova built is dark, intense, and so original it almost broke my brain (in the best way). The tarot-inspired magic system is complicated, yes, but also insanely cool. The way magic works through inked cards added such high stakes to every fight scene—each one felt like life or death, and I was living for it.

Clara Graysword is everything I want in a fantasy heroine—clever, stubborn, a little reckless—and watching her navigate Eclipse City and the academy was addictive. Prince Kaelis, the broody headmaster with a million secrets, was equally magnetic. Their tension-filled dynamic had me screaming for more, even if the romance did feel a little like a side plot at times. I just wanted more Kaelis + Clara moments!

Sure, the pacing was a bit uneven, and the world-building takes some effort to keep up with, but the payoff? Unreal. That ending nearly destroyed me. I genuinely believe this could be the fantasy book of 2025. If you love dark academia, fierce heroines, and original magic, do not skip this one.

So...I have to preface this by saying I really love Elise Kova. I have enjoyed her Married to Magic series and am making my way through the Air Awakens series as well. Arcana Academy continues to build on her reputation and confirms her on my list of automatic buys. I have wanted to read a book with a tarot based magic system for awhile and was excited by a similar book that came out this year as well. The difference is this book is done well. (Ouch! Sorry!) The magic system is interesting and well established. Clara, our FMC, has a tendency to be a bit annoying and full of herself. Giving a lot of clearance to the fact that this is the first book in a series. While the beginning moves quickly as the book progresses it has a tendency to be a bit drawn out. I feel this book would be a great reread or maybe listen to the audio before book two's release. With such world building and developing of magic system I feel some plot points might have been missed.

Excited to see where this series goes! Still not quite over that ending though.

Thank you to Elise and Del Rey for the opportunity to read the e-ARC!

I really wanted to like this book, but I had some difficulties with the writing. I think with a few tweaks and adjustments the book could’ve been phenomenal but as is, it is a decent read.

I didn’t love or hate this book, I kinda just felt neutral about it. I liked the magic system of the tarot cards and though that was well developed. There were parts of the story that I liked and was interested in reading (although I was expecting it to be more of an academia setting than it was). While it did take place in a school most of the story was about political sabotage. And most of the story was told through monologue and was more tell not show. I wasn’t a fan of the enemies to lovers romance between Clara and Kaelis. They just didn’t have the tension, chemistry, or banter for it to work for me. While there were parts of the book I liked, I just didn’t vibe with it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, and Inklore for an eARC in exchange for a review!

Elise Kova is a new-to-me author. She came to my attention because she's going to be published by one of my favorite publishers. Finding Arcana Academy before the release of that book felt like pure luck on my part. I loved her storytelling, and Arcana Academy was more than I was expecting, which means Elise has a new fan.

What drew me to Arcana Academy was the fantasy aspect. I was intrigued by the idea of someone wielding magic tarot cards illegally and ending up in prison for it. The possibilities for how this story could transpire seemed endless. While I was pulled into the story, I quickly realized an issue on my part. I don't understand tarot cards. My knowledge of them is zilch. It's possible that if I had known there was a glossary at the end of the book, I might have utilized it quite often. However, my lack of tarot knowledge didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story at all.

In her short twenty-one years of life, Clara Graysword has lost a lot, more like everything. Five years ago, her mother died—though Clara and her younger sister Ariana suspect she was murdered. Ariana should be starting her second year at Arcana Academy, but she’s rumored to have left, escaped, or simply disappeared. No one knows for sure, or they’re just not saying. After a job gone bad, Clara has been sentenced to life in prison for illegally inking tarot cards. In the year since, she’s been trapped in the nightmarish prison of Halazar. Clara has become a shell of who she once was; however, she still maintains her courage and survival instinct.

Unfortunately, Clara has become a favorite of the warden, who abuses her and forces her to make tarot cards, which is the exact reason she is in prison. When Clara is summoned to the warden’s office, she thinks it’s for another round of spending hours locked in his secret room, inking cards. Instead, she finds Prince Kaelis—the very man she knows sent her to prison, and whom she believes is responsible for her mother's death—requesting an audience with her. Kaelis tells Clara she has an hour to live, then leaves her to her thoughts. What results is Clara becoming the only person to actually escape Halazar and survive.

After rescuing Clara from her escape, Kaelis gives her two choices: either be sent back to Halazar (straight to the dungeons, or worse), or help him steal some major tarot cards from his father, the king. In order to accomplish this, Clara will pretend to be his fiancée and attend Arcana Academy—where he is he headmaster—allowing her to be legally trained in tarot cards.

Arcana Academy brings together dark academia, with found family, a fake engagement between enemies who become lovers, witty banter, and a slow-burning romance, with sizzling moments—all wrapped up in betrayal and mystery.

I loved Clara and Kaelis. Clara has a strong desire to do what she believes is right. She isn't afraid to help someone or go against authority or the status quo. She's a fighter and a survivor. I know there's so much more to her than has yet to be revealed. Kaelis is truly a mystery. He seems to be a loner and is called a cursed prince. While he likes to elicit fear in people, I'm not truly sure if he's really as feared as he should be. He plays his cards close to his vest, pun intended. You never know if he's someone trustworthy or merely playing a game.

Arcana Academy relies heavily on plot; the romance is hot, but it’s not the true focus of the story. It really puts the slow in slow burn.

I loved the unexpected mystery of the story. Clara’s life isn't quite what it seems. While she questions what happened to her mother, more questions arise. She finds herself in a race against time. It seems there's someone who doesn't want her, her family, or others around. But why? And just who is she, really?

The ending was beyond shocking. I'm talking, “What did I just read?!!” shocking. Can I have the next book now?

~ Favorite Quotes ~

“Sometimes, it’s the things we can’t see in ourselves that have the most power.”

“Sometimes the living must breathe because the dead cannot.”

“All the power you need is within you.”

“Don’t exhaust yourself over something that might not come to pass.”

Arcana Academy is an immersive dark academia fantasy. It has a unique magic system, a full cast of characters, and an intriguing plot. However, I really struggled with the length and the pacing. I am currently in an insanely busy stage of life between work and studying for a professional exam, so I think this book required more brain power than I am capable of giving at this moment. Arcana Academy is a book that I can see myself curling up next to a fire and rereading, and I plan to give it another chance when Book 2 comes out to see if my enjoyment increases when my brain isn't so tired.

I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.