Great magic world with tarot cards used in battle - reminds me of One Dark Window. Loved the tough FMC and the broody MMC. Really great read that left on a cliffhanger that was excellent!

This was a really fun series starter. Great magic system, great romance and a banger of a cliffhanger ending.

Arcana Academy, Elise Kova 𐙚 ˚⋆

★★★★★/5

Firstly, I’d love to say a MASSIVE thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the arc of Arcana Academy!

I was debating the rating I’d give this book, purely because I feel like five stars is sometimes hard to earn — but oh my gosh, Arcana Academy deserves six. The intricate world-building and tarot-inspired magic system is a work of art, and the academy’s Houses are both familiar and intriguing for new-adult and adult readers alike. The relationship between our main character Clara, and the deceivingly dark headmaster of Arcana Academy Kaelis, is realistic and most certainly left me wanting to see more of their dynamic and banter.

As much as I adore our two main characters, I enjoyed the fact that that the main plot of the story wasn’t about Clara and Kaelis’s “will-they-won’t-they, enemies to lovers” relationship and instead placed a heavy emphasis on the friends that Clara made at the academy and also her found-family through the Star-Crossed Club (sXc for LIFE <3).

Although some of the cards’ properties were a bit confusing at times (for someone who has never read tarot!), they were easy to understand through the detailed descriptions of what each card did when used in a lesson or duel, further bringing the new magic system to life.

The cliffhanger for Book I literally left me speechless — as did a few one-liners in the story… here’s a spoiler-free look at my faves!


𐙚 ˚⋆ “You should try making love instead of war for once… goodness knows it might help you unwind a bit.” Chapter 19

𐙚 ˚⋆ “It’s exhausting being this good looking.” Chapter 25

𐙚 ˚⋆ “Love me, hate me, but only look at me like my existence sets you on fire.” Chapter 40


&&& all I’m going to say is Chapter 50 had me reeling ;)

Arcana Academy is publishing on July 22nd, 2025. If you haven’t already, place your pre-orders now… you won’t regret it ;)

#ArcanaAcademy #NetGalley

𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 5/5 ⭐️
𝓢𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓮 3/5🌶️

Arcana Academy by @ is book one in the Arcana Academy series and will be published on July 22, 2025! Clara Graysword is an illegal arcanist and after a job gone bad she is sentenced to prison for using the magic of tarot cards illegally. After being imprisoned for what feels like forever it seems her luck might just be changing when the Prince offers her a chance to escape.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

I do not want to give too much away about this book but you need to pick it up!!! This was so unique for a dark academia book. I loved the tarot cards magic and how they are used, inked, and read! What an interesting concept. The academy setting is high-stakes.

Clara is resourceful, powerful, and confident! She does not doubt herself even at her lowest point! Prince Kaelis is everything we love about a morally grey shadow daddy. I loved their dynamic. There was a lot of good banter and romantic tension.

The way the author blended slow burn romance, political intrigue, unique magic systems, and morally complex characters is ASTOUNDING. I enjoyed the writing so much in this book! I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this series!!

I would definitely recommend this to those who enjoy dark academy, complex magical systems, morally grey characters, and romantic tension!

The experience of reading this novel felt like reliving the frustration of “ one dark window all over again.” I found myself battling boredom, as each page turned into a slow torture, draining my excitement and enthusiasm. Despite my genuine efforts to embrace the narrative, I was met with a collection of bland characters who failed to evoke any emotional connection. The story itself plodded along at a monotonous pace, leaving me disengaged and yearning for depth. The dialogue was particularly disappointing; it came across as flat and awkward, frequently jolting me out of the narrative flow. I had anticipated a rich, engaging tale, yet it utterly underdelivered, shattering my expectations. My disappointment is palpable, as I wanted to immerse myself in a captivating world, but instead, I was left feeling unfulfilled and frustrated by the lack of creativity and flair in both character development and storytelling.

I. AM. OBSESSED. This book ignited my passion for reading all over again. It was unique, it was intriguing, and I could not put it down.

Deliciously dark academia at its finest. The tarot card magic system was SO unique and just amazing can’t wait to read more

I love the premise of this book. The magic system is unique to anything I’ve read before. It does give off Harry Potter meets One Dark Window vibes though. The beginning pulled me in, and I was really enjoying it. Then I started to get overwhelmed with the world building and magic, and it took me 2 weeks to get through. I wish this would have been in multiple POV’s to feel some emotion from any of the characters. I want to feel your hate, love and grief, not just skip time and move on to the next plot point. I feel like all of my romantasy reviews lately have been the same, so that may be on me not being able to connect with any characters.

Overall, this was ok, typical romantasy. Do I think it will be super popular? Yes! Will I read the next book? After that cliffhanger, also yes.

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for the eARC of this book.

This has a really interesting premise with the tarot card magic system. I did find it a bit hard to keep track of, especially when it introduced the Majors identities. There were a lot of characters to keep track of as well
This is definitely a slow burn enemies to lovers.
This is a book that I think will be a great one to sell!

I loved this book so much and am so happy as it was my first Elise Kova book and now I can't wait to go back and read more from this author.

The worldbuilding is done in such a good way and with amazing detail and vivid descriptions, I found the magic system so unique and while there were some moments that felt a little slower paced I really didn't mind as I was just so engaged and immersed in the story. I can't wait to see what comes next especially after that ending. Highly recommend!

This one took me a little bit to get into but once I started understanding things and the magic system I really enjoyed it. I’m curious to see where the series will go!! There was a lot of twists and turns! The magic system was really interesting. I like the main female character and I’m excited to learn more about her history and her family history.
I’m already eager for the second book and the first one hasn’t even been published yet!

A good addition to the romantasy genre! The magical system for this world was fascinating. Spells are cast by inking and using tarot cards. The main character, Clara, has previously survived in thievery and illegal magic. In order to escape prison time, she’s offered a deal. She has to help the prince and headmaster (of course, also handsome and mysterious) of the magical school steal a powerful tarot card. Adding in a fake engagement, all the tension, this is a riveting read!

This book might be my new obsession! The magic and the world Elise Kova created are so creative and unique. It's been awhile since I felt something was this unique. It still has all the things I love like enemies to lovers, a magical academy, a found family, and a great slow burn. But I also got so much more than I expected. Elise was just so creative with her writing!

Elisa also wrote amazing characters. Clara was strong and clever. Her magic was great but she was also just brilliant and cunning. Kaelis was complex and didn't mind being the villain when needed. But he was also soft for Clara.

Together Clara and Kaelis had such an amazing enemies to lovers storyline. I love when the characters are actual enemies at the beginning. I love wondering how there's any way they could get together and watching how it unfolds.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC! It's going to be so hard to wait for book 2!

Overall I enjoyed this.
The magic system using tarot is really interesting and whilst it was a little bit hard to keep up sometimes it definitely didn't make the scenes any less tense!
I really like the complexity of all the different characters and can't wait to see how they're explored further in book 2.
I don't think the book needed to be quite as long as it is, there are certainly a few moments that could have been excluded, especially moments of repetition as part of Clara's internal monologue.

At this point I should expect nothing less than a jaw-dropping, cliff-hanging type of ending from Elise Kova. Kova does a brilliant job at giving readers just enough information to propel them through the story, while keeping them on their toes the entire time. This book will be living rent-free in my head for quite sometime...likely until I get my hands on its sequel.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for approving me to read this early, 5 stars isn't enough truly.

This was utterly incredible, it had some One Dark Window vibes with the cards, but the use of the magic system and the depth of the magic is unique. I thoroughly love how we’re dropped into the heart of the story at Halazar with our FMC, we get to see how resourceful and fierce she is. The introduction to our MMC is wild, it was giving true enemies to lovers tension the whole book and the build up was great.

This story is complex with so many ever changing dynamics in this cut throat world. The academy has a very every man for themselves mantra and your life is very much on the line. You see alliances form and enemies made all while our FMC and MMC are scheming to survive and chasing myths to succeed.

I highly recommend this for fans of enemies to lovers fantasy with secrets, betrayal, an arranged marriage, insane magic and political intrigue based in an academic setting.

Clara Graysword received a life sentence for inking tarot cards. But when Prince Kaelis offers freedom in exchange for stealing The World tarot card from the king, she’s thrown into Arcana Academy with a new identity, engaged to the prince, and surrounded by danger.

Tarot magic. Fake fiancés. Enemies-to-lovers. Morally grey MMC. The plot twist ending leaving my jaw on the floor and needing book two immediately.

Dark academia meets twisty fantasy—slow burn never felt so good.

I cannot wait for everyone to read Arcana Academy when it is released on 07/22/2025! Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the ARC!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think fans of Zodiac Academy AND One dark window will find something about this book to enjoy. I say those two in particular because it has the vibes and style of ZA, and similar mythology/ magic system as ODW. I enjoyed the plot and found the characters, and story to be interesting. It’s easy to follow along and a good direction for the author to go into.

my first read of May 4.5 ⭐️

✿ If you want a book with:
Slow burn romance
Tarot card magic system
Found family
Fake engagement
Dark haired brooding prince with a mysterious past

✿ Then you need to read Arcana Academy! This is one of my favorite books of the year, I could not for the lift of me put it down. One of my favorite part of the book was the magic system and the way that the tarot cards were used. I was so scared when I was 100 pages to the end and nothing was addressed yet, however everything did speed up in the end and questions were answered.

The SLOW BURN romance was killer sometimes and there was a small plot hole I hope gets addressed. Clara receives something and it was never addressed again. I’m not sure if I missed it but I don’t think it was ever brought up again.

Overall, I loved this book, it made my heart race, it made ask questions. It made me stay up at night.

3.5 stars (rounded up)

In a world where tarot cards are power, Clara has the dangerous ability to control them. Hunted, she agrees to a false engagement with Kaelis, the headmaster of Arcana Academy—the only place in the world that allows tarot crafters to grow their skill. Fail the academy and your life is forfeit. But succeed? Endless power awaits.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is every dark academic’s dream. There’s a haunted castle, courses that can kill you, mysterious tunnels, and an intelligent, brooding love interest. I loved the strong relationships in this story, though the pacing could’ve been improved.

Read if you like…
🀧 A unique magic system
🀧 Slowburn with so much tension you can feel it
🀧 Found family and sisterly love
🀧 Dark academia
🀧 False engagement for survival
🀧 Forbidden and doomed love
🀧 A FMC who knows her own strength and still remembers to be kind
🀧 A broody MMC who really needs therapy
🀧 Secret passageways that lead to forgotten secrets
🀧 Enemies-to-lovers-to-I-don’t-know-what-this-is
🀧 “I hate that I care about you.”
🀧 So much hurt comfort. Even when they claim to hate each other.
🀧 “I don’t have to like you to sleep with you.”
🀧 Complicated politics that still make logical sense
🀧 His cat likes her better
🀧 Unlikely friendships that can withstand everything
🀧 Harry Potter houses but you have to compete to get again (and failing means dying)
🀧 He’ll burn down the world to make it better, no matter the cost
🀧 Books that feel like dancing in a forbidden library at midnight