before i begin, i want to say a MASSIVE thank you to Netgalley and HachetteAus for giving me an arc of this book, i am eternally grateful.

OH MY GOODNESS, this book is a MASTERPIECE.. to say i loved this book is an understatement. spoiler free

i truly believe, Arcana Academy, will be the next fantasy of the year. This dystopian fantasy is so incredibly unique, i genuinely enjoyed every aspect of it. the magic system is unlike anything ive read before; using tarot cards as their source of magic, but with this also came confusion.. at many times i got lost and confused by each cards ability and power. i honestly was just blind in every fight scene because i was lost on the power of 'Ace of Swords' or '5 of cups' ect; it wasnt until i finished the book that i realised there was a glossary of the cards and it explains each of their power, i personally would have loved this at the start of the book to save me some confusion.

the romance is perfection- the yearning, brooding, stubborn, enemies to lovers AND ITS A SLOW BURN (im screaming inside) this is no insta love and im so excited to finally have a book that has a true slow burn. the stubbornness of our main characters as they try to deny their feelings while also yearning for each other, you can best believe i was kicking my feet and screaming into my pillow at 2 in the morning.

this story wasnt predicable at all, at least not for me. i cried, i cheered, i was angry. i felt all the emotions from this book. the slow reveal of information as we learn along side Clara, our FMC was so incredible well written, you feel as though you are with her every step of the journey! there is still so much to learn and character development to go and i cannot wait to see what the next book brings.

p.s Hachette Aus if youre reading this, i beg and pleed for you to send me a physical arc of this book i love it so much and will be so incredibly grateful

The tarot card magic system promised an intriguing premise however I found it very hard to get through the book in general. It was hard to connect with the characters and I felt the story dragged on for longer than needed. There was a lot crammed in and I felt myself checking the bottom of my kindle more times than necessary for how long I had left.

I really did have high hopes for this one as I have seen a lot of hype surrounding it. I don’t feel this is comparable to One Dark Window at all, which was the hook that had me to begin with. This is ultra slow burn which honestly felt over done, however when we got to the romance and the bit of spice it was done very well and I thoroughly enjoyed that!

The last chapter was fantastic, I feel it could definitely pull a lot of readers back in to want to continue the series!

This is the first book in a trilogy, and it really had everything a romance / fantasy book lover like myself LOVE. The slow-burn romance felt real—full of tension, mistrust, and hidden feelings. I could tell the characters cared for one another, even if their relationship started from hate and using each other.
The world and magic system was super unique, even though it did take me a while to fully understand. I thought Elise wrote it clearly enough to get a grasp on it. I am a sucker for Romance fantasy books and i do enjoy them when they include - enemies to lovers, strong friendships, an academy setting, a prince, secrets, and a strong female lead, which is what this book had. Clara is a great main character—smart, kind, knew when to speak up or stay quiet, doesn’t jump to conclusions.. and really cautious about the people around her. Her backstory (imprisoned then sent to the academy) i thought was interesting and really pulled me in to this books.

What really stood out to me in this book was how mystery is woven throughout the narrative, with enough twists and unanswered questions to keep that made me really enjoy it and hooked. Emotionally, the book is a rollercoaster—i felt everything from sadness and frustration to joy and hope. Overall, an amazing first book and im excited to see where this story goes after that shocking ending!

I literally just finished the book (or perhaps it finished me) a couple of minutes ago and I’m writing a this review just to get it off my chest.

I’m shaking. I could almost cry. That ending 🙊

First. What to expect.
🃏 Magic system is very Shepherd King (One Dark Window/ Two Twisted Crowns) coded. We have magic cards.
🪄 The setting is very Harry Potter coded. We have houses, professors, duels, interesting schoolmates, the whole shebang.

My thoughts:

I honestly enjoyed this. I think it took me 3 days to finish her and I know/feel that she will be thiccc af physically. Lol.

The pacing is good. There’re so many things to keep you excited and on your feet. The writing is also spectacular. It definitely keeps you engaged.

The romance… ughh.. enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and slow burn is all there for you to feast on. Also, KAELIS, KAELIS, KAELIS. My grumpy prince with a heart of gold (I feel that you are).

And of course, I love how Clara feels like she’s Aelin 2.0 (if you could be in Aelin’s head). This one is as arrogant, conniving, confident and equally has the same swagger our favourite fire breathing bitch queen.

My only snag in this one is that I feel that there are some plot holes I couldn’t let go off. I felt most of them were brushed off and it kind of confused me a little.

Overall, AMAZING. I am so glad I got to read and review this. Do give it a go!!! Highly entertaining and will keep you on the edge of your seat!

You will love this if you love:
🃏 unique magic system
🃏enemies to lovers
🃏 forced proximity
🃏SLOW effing BURN
🃏 dark academia
🃏 high stakes
🃏 fake engagement

AHHHHHHHH😍

Arcana Academy has hit every possible perfect moment for me 🖤 the pace, the dark academia mixed with fantasy, the magic system, the characters, everything was perfect!
The story follows Clara, a magical tarot wielding badass, as she is swept up in a breakout from prison just to become falsely engaged to Prince Kaelis (who I’m now obsessed with). He brings her to his domain, Arcana Academy, where she must learn more than her innate power to survive.
I ADORE Clara and Kaelis - their banter, their personalities, their growth. Everyone needs to read this book😍

Tropes/themes:
🖤 enemies to lovers
✨ slow burn
🖤 found family
✨ dark academia
🖤 deadly trials
✨ magical tarot cards

“This is Arcana Academy. Your future is your tuition.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Wow. Wow. Wow. WOWWWWWWWWW. Wow. Just when I thought I read the best romantasy of the year in The Knight & the Moth, THIS BLEW ME AWAY.

✨ Dark academia x romantasy
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ The fucking slowest burn
✨ Card based magic system 🃏
✨ Twists, turns, secrets, mysteries
✨ Found family
✨ A strong HEIST element

There is nothing, NOTHING I did not love about Arcana Academy but my top three highlights from this book were:

1️⃣ This was the most agonising, excruciating slow burn relationship and it has been SO LONG since a slow burn in romantasy drove me insane like this did. Elise wrote this relationship perfectly, it was the RIGHT enemies to lovers, the banter and bickering was immaculate, the tension, the build up and the desire, CHEFS KISS.

2️⃣ There is something about a card based magic system that absolutely does it for me. It was well developed, incredibly unique, and I loved how the different cards and magic were drip fed throughout the book - it always felt like I was learning something new, and a fun discovery.

3️⃣ I’ve seen a few people say that they felt there was too much going on, but I disagree. The magical academy, the trials within the academy, Clara’s missing sister, the political undertones and scheming, I thought all of this made sense, tied in well, and made the book so fucking action packed. I couldn’t put it down and I thought all these elements were necessary to the plot and pacing.

Pretty sure this book is going to be my new personality and I’m also GAGGED over that cliffhanger ending. ELISE I NEED YOU TO MOVE ON BOOK TWO PLEASE AND TYSM 🙏

[Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hachette Australia and New Zealand for the eARC]

✩ ✩ BOOK REVIEW ✩ ✩

𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓉𝑒 𝓃𝑜 𝓉𝒾𝓂𝑒. "𝒮𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇." 𝒦𝒶𝑒𝓁𝒾𝓈, 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝓎 𝓈𝓁𝑜𝓌𝓁𝓎, 𝓇𝑒𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃𝓈 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓅𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝑜 𝒾𝓉𝓈 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓈𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓈 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒻𝒾𝓃-𝑔𝑒𝓇𝓈, 𝒶𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝑜𝓊𝑔𝒽 𝐼 𝒽𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒽𝒾𝓂 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝒷𝓊𝓈𝒾𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈 𝓅𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑜𝓈𝒶𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝓃𝑒𝓌𝓈 𝑜𝒻 𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈𝒾𝓇𝑒'𝓈 𝒾𝓂𝓅𝑒𝓃𝒹𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒹𝑒𝓂𝒾𝓈𝑒. "𝒞𝓁𝒶𝓇𝒶," 𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓉𝓈 𝓈𝓁𝑜𝓌𝓁𝓎. "𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝒸𝒶𝓃𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒷𝒶𝓇𝑔𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓉𝒶𝓁𝓀 𝒹𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓂𝑒."

Arcana Acedemy by Elise Kova

I was so excited to receive an e-arc of this upcoming fantasy release! Thank you so much @hachetteaus for sending me my copy to review!

Arcana Academy follows Clara, a woman imprisoned for wielding forbidden magical tarot cards. She is freed and thrust into an alliance by Prince Kaelis, who takes her to Arcana Academy so she can use her rare skills for his own personal gain…oh and to become his wife.

This book was a ride from start to finish! It took me a beat to get my head around the magical tarot card system, as they all have unique abilities, but I very much enjoyed the pace and plot line of this book!

Clara as a lead character was great! Her motivations and choices in the book were realistic and I was super excited for her in her bad-ass moments!

Kaelis. GUYYYYS I love him so much. I really didn’t know how to view him at the start but I got to know him just as slowly as Clara did, which I liked! Their relationship is so interesting to me and the “will they, won’t they?” Had me HOOKED!

If you enjoy:
✨ unique magic system
✨fake relationship/dating trope
✨royal intrigue
✨ bad-ass fmc
✨ Not one, but TWO bridal carry scenes!?? Be still my beating heart 😍

You’ll love this book! It releases July 22 so not long to wait now!

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars

Clara is an arcanist—she is able to ink and wield tarot cards to harness their magical ability. I really enjoyed this academic setting and learning about the three-year structure of the schooling system. I especially liked the exploration of the corrupt rulers monopolising the arcane and using it to oppress the working class.
While I found that the actual tarot wielding system led to some lacklustre and monotonous fight scenes, the deeper Major Arcana was interesting, especially the secret World card that everyone is trying to harness to change humanity.
I especially like the insights we got into Clara’s past with the Starcrossed Club and their way of life, and am so curious to know more about her mother and her knowledge of The World.
I didn’t love the romance aspect of this book but I do think it has potential, it just moved a little too fast for my taste, as I would have preferred the tension to be more drawn out before it was overtly stated.
Overall I quite enjoyed this and am very curious as to how the sequel will unfold!

✨🖌️
⚜️ Book Title - Arcana Academy
⚜️ Author - Elise Kova
⚜️ Rating - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚜️ Some Genre/Themes/Tropes: Adult Fiction, Romance and Fantasy

I received an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This is my honest review.

I’ve always been completely obsessed with Elise Kova’s writing. She was the start of my book collecting downfall and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Her books consistently pull me in, and this is yet another exceptional series from her.

This book has everything I love; a beautifully layered and well-crafted magical system, gripping political intrigue, and a cast of complex characters you either fall head-over-heels for or passionately love to hate 🤣. Elise Kova has once again delivered a world that’s unique.

I thought I had a few ideas about where the plot might be heading, but I was wrong. All the signs were there, though. Elise handles reveals so incredibly well.

Kaelis and Clara, perfection. The other characters, so good.

Overall, I could easily read that again immediately. It was marvellous.

I would recommend this book to others. I will be waiting anxiously for the sequel and definitely will look for other books written by this author.

I want to say thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Note (How I rate): One is DNF. Two is got there but struggled. Three stars is a good, enjoyable read. Four is an excellent read and five is a comfort read that lingers with me for life (very difficult to get but not impossible).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was such a fun and addicting romantasy! The tarot-based magic system felt super fresh, and I loved the whole dark academia vibe. Clara starts off in prison for illegal magic use, then suddenly finds herself in a forced engagement with the headmaster of a magical academy—who’s also a prince. The tension between them was so good, with a great slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

The world-building was clear and immersive, with plenty of secrets, political drama, and found family moments. The school is divided into four houses (Wands, Coins, Cups, and Swords), and the classes/trials were such a fun part of the story. Definitely gave me that “curriculum trying to kill you” energy.

If you love morally grey characters, secret academies, slow burns, and magic with a twist, this is for you.

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

A Spellbinding Start to a Promising Trilogy

Elise Kova's Arcana Academy is an absolute standout and a phenomenal start to what promises to be an unforgettable trilogy. The world-building is rich, the plot is gripping and layered, and the magic system; Completely original and compelling.

Rooted in tarot, the magic system revolves around mastering specific skills—inking, reading, and wielding tarot. It introduces a strategic edge and real consequences that keep every magical fight gripping, with each tarot having a specific purpose. You don’t need to know anything about tarot to enjoy it either—Kova explains it all in a way that’s easy to follow and super immersive.

Most of the book takes place within the walls of Arcana Academy, where students train in these arcane arts. It’s the perfect setting for all the things I love in a fantasy—rivalries, dark academia vibes, high-stakes politics, secret pasts, and mysterious powers. Beneath the surface though, this is a romantasy, with a slowburn enemies to lovers dynamic that simmers the entire way through.

Character development is a standout. We follow Clara Graysword, a skilled but outlawed magical tarot card crafter who ends up making a deal with Kaelis the void born Prince and headmaster of Arcana Academy. As Clara adjusts to life at the academy, she’s pulled into its secrets and dangers while also trying to figure out where her loyalty lies. She’s not just fighting her feelings for Kaelis, but also navigating power plays, alliances, and friendships. Her dynamic with side characters adds depth, there’s genuine connection, tension, and growth that makes her journey all the more compelling.

Her relationship with Kaelis is filled with sharp banter, mutual mistrust, and the slowest of slow burns. The tension is Delicious! I'm talking jaw aching grins and laugh out loud moments. Despite his cold exterior, you just know there's more going on beneath the surface. Kaelis has officially joined the ranks of my fictional book boyfriends, and I’m rooting hard for that happily ever after.

As the final pages approach, Kova drops just enough twists and unanswered questions to keep your mind spinning. I found myself hunting for breadcrumbs, forming theories, and dying to read what others will be saying. The ending left me needy and desperate for more!

If there's one downside to getting an ARC, it's waiting for book two, when book one hasn’t even hit the shelves yet! Obsessed is an understatement, I’ve already preordered a physical copy just so I can experience it all over again. This is a must read that will live you obsessed too.

“𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓶𝓮, 𝓱𝓪𝓽𝓮 𝓶𝓮, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓸𝓷𝓵𝔂 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓴𝓮 𝓶𝔂 𝓮𝔁𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓬𝓮 𝓼𝓮𝓽𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓸𝓷 𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮.” (Swoon).

A huge thank you to Hachette Australia | Hodderscape for the digital ARC of Arcana Academy via NetGalley.

P:S - There is so much more to this novel than I have written but I don't want to give to much away, and any spoilers would ruin the experience for you. Let's just say, I don't give 5 stars easily and this book has well and truly earned them.

Thank you so much to Hachette Australia & New Zealand | Hodderscape and NetGalley for the digital ARC of Arcana Academy by Elise Kova. I was so excited when I saw that my request was accepted as this was one of my most anticipated releases for this year!

Arcana Academy drops you into a darkly enchanting world of tarot-based magic, political secrets, and slow-burn tension. We follow Clara Graysword, who escapes a brutal prison thanks to making a deal with Prince Kaelis—the brooding headmaster of a mysterious academy. Thrust into a fake engagement and a world of arcane power plays, Clara must survive the system that once tried to erase her.

The tarot-based magic system is highly original and complex, but I’ll be honest—coming in with little prior knowledge of tarot or its structure in fantasy, I found it a bit overwhelming. The logic behind the suits and the different powers (Swords, Cups, Coins, etc.) took me a while to wrap my head around, and I often felt a bit lost when the magic system was being explained. It wasn’t until I finished the book that I realized there was a glossary at the end—something that would’ve helped me a lot earlier on.

Pacing-wise, I struggled most from the 20–30% mark, where the plot started to drag. I had to set it aside for a while because I just wasn’t engaged. That said, once I picked up again when I reached the 60% mark—by then, I was fully back in it. The ending was strong and left me intrigued enough to want to continue with the series.

Clara is a compelling lead with a lot of emotional weight on her shoulders, and her resilience was admirable. Kaelis is your classic tall, dark, and brooding royal with a tragic backstory—tropey, yes, but satisfying. Their enemies-to-lovers romance was a slow burn with great tension.

Overall, Arcana Academy is packed with potential. If you enjoy complex magic systems, morally gray characters, and intriguing plots, this is worth picking up—especially if you're already familiar with tarot. And if you’re not, definitely flip to that glossary before diving in. It'll make the ride smoother.

Ahhhhhhhhh the ending!!!! Cliffhanger whyyy!!!

I loved every second of this book! A magic academy and a magic system based on tarot cards had me hooked right from the start. I loved Clara as a character and that ending!!!!!

I am a giant sucker for anything to do with magic schools, fake relationships/engagements and enemies-to-lovers and Elise Kova did not disappoint. The romance in this book is a slow-burn and burn did it do. Every interaction between Clara and Kaelis was so good.

The dialogue was a little bit cringey to me at times but that didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed this book.

I can’t wait for the next book to come out!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for the eARC of this book!

✨5 stars ✨
🌶️ 1.5 spice 🌶️

“To be honest, Kaelis, the only thing I ever thought I’d want from you is your heart, carved from your chest.”
“Say the word.”

The way this cliffhanger has me staring at a wall is insane. I NEED THE NEXT BOOK IMMEDIATELY.

First off, thank you to Hachette Australia for the e-arc through netgalley. As always here is my honest review.

What to expect in this
* Unique Magic system
* Fake engagement
* Prisoner to hidden nobility
* Academy for magic
* Enemies to lovers
* Secrets and mysteries
* Action packed
* Intense slow burn romance

This. Goddamn. Book.
This was truly incredible. Unputdownable.
The magic system was unique and so well thought out with its use of Arcana cards and magic. I also love it when a book has a glossary’s and this one having the wand magic glossary helped so much to keep on track.

The characters. Oh my word. I have fallen in love with yet another fictional man and his name is Kaelis. A second-born void prince as well as headmaster of Arcana Academy. Is he the villain? What secrets is he hiding? Why is it so adorable that he has a cat named Pris?
Our main character, Clara, was such a dynamic character. Though she was a powerful character she also showed her humility in her actions and her love for her family through her actions. I really loved her character.
Now put these two together…the slow burn…INTENSE. So worth it though.

Now, this book was so action-packed and filled with so many secrets and mysteries that you truly just wanted to read on and on to find out what was going to happen next. I had such a good time reading this and I always know that if Elise Kova writes it that I’m gonna devour it.
I HIGHLY recommend reading this one.

Check TWs and CWs
Happy reading 🩶

“There is no world in which you do not consume my very being.”

I devoured this book in a few hours. I am obsessed with this universe. I absolutely love how tarot cards play such a major role in the magic in this story. We get a true enemies to lovers storyline and a slow burn with the chemistry between the main characters. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book!!!

Extremely good, I feel like Elise knocked it out of the park creating an intricate and original magic system and a great story to go around it. Would have loved a guide of the base / special cards used in this book at the front to refer back to while reading.

Clara was a great character, realistic flaws and a good level of self serving and intuition for surviving today to fight tomorrow. Really enjoyed the early hints to who she was before the reveal. Loved her as a lead and can't wait to see where she goes.

Kaelis was my favourite, had depth to him and his wit and banter was actually funny. Technically moral in his vision for the future, you can't fault him for the greater good methodology he wants to proceed with and it creates a genuinely hard to resolve conflict for the main characters rather than lazy miscommunication errors.

Will be recommending to others and reading the next entry in this series.

Utterly OBSESSED from the first page to the last! Arcana Academy is right up there in my favourite reads for 2025.

Enemies to lovers Romantasy at its core, with a unique tarot-based magic system. Set in the Arcana Academy, Clara is working towards uncovering mysteries of her past, a dangerous heist, and maintaining the illusion of her fake engagement to the Headmaster.

Now the agonising wait for book 2!

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement to the headmaster of a mysterious academy. Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse. An enthralling plot that will keep you turning the pages long into the night, a decadent world that will leave you wanting more and a magical system that will intrigue anyone who cares to learn more about that magic found in tarot cards.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚 | 𝐇𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐚 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐲 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐨𝐯𝐚

Are you willing to pay the cost to enter Arcana academy ?

You will need to sacrifice an element of your future, it could be your future soul mate, good health or fortune.

3 reasons this dark academia book will be your new obsession:

1. Tarot card magic system, my pack of Uno cards are looking at me and I’m questioning could I secretly be magic? 🌟

2. A fake engagement to the headmaster of the academy, and wait for it , his also the reason you were in prison for a year. Hello enemies to lovers & slow burn 🔥
3. This quote: “Love me, hate me, but only look at me like my existence sets you on fire . . “

Thank you NetGalley & Hodder & Stoughton for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.


“We’ve all killed our futures with our own bare hands just to get this far. What makes you think anyone would have any qualms about ending you?”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 🌶️🌶️ 2.5/5

Tropes:
✨Enemies To Lovers
✨Dark Academia
✨Fake Engagement

In my opinion, this is Elise Kova’s best book to date and I cannot wait for book 2.

Arcana Academy is so well written and has the most detailed and immersive world building. I immediately loved the world and magic system. The magic system is intricate and so different from other fantasy and romantasy books I’ve read, the tarot aspect was so smart and explained so well without being too much of an info dump.

Clara is a strong and independent character ( and vulnerable) I really was able to connect with her story and while she does technically fall into the “chosen one” category, she is such a well written and thought out character that it didn’t affect my opinions of her. Kaelis? The man you are… obsessed with his not so secret yearning and how he’s objectively of very high intelligence and equally as conniving, but manages to challenge Clara in a way that made their character progression so enjoyable rather than too combative.

I am usually so hesitant to give a book a 5 star rating but Arcana Academy was just that good and I do see this being in my top 3 reads for 2025, if not my number 1.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand | Hodderscape for the ARC, this book consumed my life for two days and I cannot wait to buy all of the special editions I can get my hands on.