A world where Arcanists are either controlled by the ruling hand or sent to work in the mills if they do not pass. Magic is a curse and a blessing and when you can wield the Minor Tarot Cards you will have the best live.

Clara is a hidden Arcanist, she never made the track to the Arcana Academy due to her surviving with her sister.after her mother died. She's been captured and sent to the prison to be left forgotten. Thing is that she's very good at inking the Tarot Cards and due to circumstances she gets a second chance. Where she'll enroll in the Arcana Academy, has to survive the curriculum and figure out who she really is. As her mom has died in a suspicious way and her sister is now missing she's trying to find the missing links to who her family really was. And to who she is.

I enjoyed the book, loved the aspect of the magic being a part of the Tarot cards and each card having an effect. The whole concept of the Major and Minor card identities was real fun! I enjoyed the setting of the academy but did felt like it was a scoop too much on the plate. It was the magic system, the school, the relationship with Kaelis, Clan Hermit and the Starcrossed club and and and! It didn't bother me too much but it was noticeable while reading.

Whilst reading I did had the feeling I was missing some clue's. Happy I kept reading on as that became clear in the last parts of the book. There was a reason I was feeling like I was missing big parts of the narrative. Clara was too so we only knew what she knew.
The relationship with Kaelis felt a bid odd, it wasn't really a romance to me. More a 'these are our circumstances, let's make the best of it' benefits thing. No bad at all, but not how it's being promoted and told by friends. Guess it's my personal expectations that are off in this regard.

All in all this book has set up some very fun active story telling and I am looking forward to book 2.
This is a perfect book for those who love a fun magic system with a cost, a very busy bee FMC and lore in lore build up with hidden nuggets along the way.

ABSOLUTELY. BRILLIANT!

So much I loved in this:
A fantastic magic system based on tarot cards.
Morally Grey MC
Fake marriage
Slow burn enemies to lovers
Dark Academia
Friendship Vibes

This book was brilliantly written to bring together an unlikely romantic match, dark academia vibes and a fantastic magical system with tarot cards and trials. I absolutely loved how the author entwined the death of Clara's mother, her missing sister and escape from prison.

So many twists and turns in this story. I spent the whole book totally invested in seeing how the relationship of Clara and Kaelis would end up. And OMG that ending!! Like why!!

I love a slow burn enemies to lovers relationship and goodness this book did it so well. And who doesn't love dark academia vibes with the added twist of dangerous trials and loyalties.

Absolutely captivating and enthralling. I have no idea how I'll wait for the next book now!

This epic fantasy novel by Elise Kova is the first in this new series full of arcane magic and tarot.

This follows Clara, a woman who can wield impressive arcane magic to control tarot cards, finds herself thrown in prison for illegally creating these cards. Luck is on her side and she finds herself engaged to the headmaster of the illustrious Arcana Academy.

Kova immerses you into this magical world from the start and I found myself engrossed whenever I opened the pages. The characters are well developed and I truly came to love and hate certain characters, which you know is a sign of a well written story. The sprinkling of romance throughout was a perfectly intertwined subplot which always left me wanting more, and I need the sequel immediately to know what happens to these characters.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, romance and magic as it is the perfect combination of all three.
Don’t miss out and preorder your copy today! Out 22nd July 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

5/5 stars – A brilliant, fresh fantasy romance full of magic, secrets, and slow-burn tension

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC! I absolutely loved this book.

From page one, Arcana Academy had me hooked. Elise Kova has created a completely original and fascinating magic system centered around magical tarot cards — with different powers “inked” into each card. The idea is fresh, smart, and gorgeously woven into the story’s world and politics.
Clara, the main character, is a sharp, street-smart magical forger about to be locked up for life... until she’s offered a deal by the mysterious Prince Kaelis, headmaster of the elite Arcana Academy. All she has to do is pretend to be his bride-to-be, infiltrate royal society, and help him steal a legendary card from the king.

What follows is:
A dangerously addicting fake engagement romance
A slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension that sizzles
Political schemes, school rivalries, and secret missions
One of the coolest magical academies I’ve read in ages

Kaelis and Clara have incredible chemistry. He’s brooding and strategic. She’s bold, clever, and chaotic. Watching them pretend not to fall for each other while literally playing royal house was chef’s kiss.
I also appreciated the morally gray vibes — this isn’t just a school romance. It’s about power, control, survival, and what happens when two brilliant people start to truly trust each other (or try not to).

I couldn't put it down. The magic system is top-tier, the characters are complicated and compelling, and the romance? Equal parts tension and tenderness. This is such a strong series opener — I already need book two like I need air. Highly recommended for fans of romantasy, magic academies, and clever heroines who are one step away from world domination.
🌟 Fake dating.
🌟 Dangerous tarot magic.
🌟 Magical school with secrets.
Count me in. 🔮

Everything you love about a magical academy setting with fake dating and dangerous tests. Arcana Academy reimagines the magic of the tarot cards in such a unique and fascinating way. A tarot-lovers DREAM!

I wasn’t too sure what to expect of this book before starting it but it really intrigued me right from the first page. The academia setting and the magic system were both really interesting and kept me entertained throughout the book.

While I enjoyed it and will definitely be continuing this series, it did that have a few things that made me not love it as much as I could have.
- The pacing felt a bit off. Especially the first 40% felt so slow as the magic was explained. You had some moments with a lot of action but a lot of the time, nothing actually happened.
- Every aspect was good, but also could’ve been better. The magic system is interesting but also includes so many aspects that I never actually felt like I understood it. Clara doesn’t have much of a personality and feels like your classic not like other girls with a tortured past. The romance had its moments but I needed more to actually believe it.
- It had so many twists and turns that it got hard to follow occasionally, especially since we don’t get many actual answers.
- The amount of side characters was way too much and beyond small introductions we don’t know that much about them so it was so hard to keep track of who’s who.

But besides all of that, I still had such a good time and it has left me desperate for book two!

Welcome to a magical fantasy world...Arcana Academy.
This is filled with mystery, revenge and tense sexual energy.
For romantasy fans this is a must, I can't wait for the sequel.

R E V I E W

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

☆☆☆.75

Advanced Reader Copy graciously provided by Hodder and Stoughton | Hodderscape via Netgalley

As someone who has read almost all of this author's backlist, I knew what I was likely to be in for with Kova's latest fantasy offering: a slow burn enemies to lovers romance and a competition or trial amidst a magical academic setting, all told through high quality prose. And as predicted, this is exactly what I got. I wouldn't necessarily call this a romantasy, since the romance is more of an underlying theme as opposed to the main focus, though the story did heat up towards the end in a way I hadn't anticipated from the first story in this series.

Arcana Academy begins with illicit arcane magic wielder Clara Graysword finally escaping the confines of Halazar, the prison where she's been rotting for a year, after a doomed meeting with the Prince she believes sentenced her there in the first place. But not all is as it seems, and Clara quickly discovers that her incarceration served multiple purposes; one of which was to unearth that she is a Major - one of twenty one superior arcane magic users, able to wield the higher tarot cards with ease but also able to ink and use a tarot card that no other has access to.

At the behest of the very same Prince that heralded her escape from Halazar, Clara finds herself enrolled in Arcana Academy, the only place to legally practise and learn arcane magic, under the alias of Clara Redwin, lost noble, and now the Prince's betrothed. Together, Clara and the Prince plan to gather the other major arcana and use The World - a card that offers the user one life-altering wish. But in order to do that, they must convince everyone of their romance, get Clara through her first year of trials, and steal the cards the King has already gathered.

I enjoyed the tarot card based magic system Kova has created, giving off One Dark Window vibes and making a nice change from her previous books which focused on elemental magic. There were a lot of cards, and their individual uses did confound me at times, but ultimately the premise was sound and there is a card guide at the end of the book which would have been useful at the start.

However, despite the writing, the romance and the magic, there were a few things that I didn't love about this book. It felt quite drawn out and, at times, perhaps a little overwritten. I read this on my Kindle, but it felt like a chunky book. I found Prince Kaelis to be a little too similar to Prince Aldrik from the Air Awakens series, and there just wasn't enough 'enemy' behaviour in these enemies to lovers. The way Kaelis and Clara finally came together seemed a little sudden, despite their back and forth, and whilst I do love on-page spice, something felt a little lacking from their interactions. Perhaps it was Clara's uncouth insistence that he fuck her or the fact that he revealed his feelings only for them to pretend that he hadn't immediately after. Instead of 'will they, won't they?', we had the more confusing 'are they, aren't they?' which left me feeling a little disheartened, especially after their parting towards the end. I mean, what was that? There were also a lot of characters mentioned, but only superficial connections drawn to most. Characters we were supposed to feel more for, like Silas and Arina, got a little lost in the complexity of the narrative, what with a prison break, a school infiltration, a trial, a heist, an enemies-to-lovers romance and a whole deck of cards linked to specific magical acts to contend with. I think maybe Arcana Academy potentially had a little too much going on to make it the seamless reading experience it could have been. I think I will continue on with the series but that isn't a forgone conclusion.

Hmmm. This was a big let down.

I've read a couple of books from this author's Married to Magic series and found them very mediocre, but the premise of this one sounded great, and I wanted to give her work another try. Sadly, it really didn't deliver.

I think my biggest issue was the writing. Everything was so simple and shallow, it was impossible to get lost in the story due to the lack of emotion.

There was no subtlety to anything, it was all so obvious, a very clear case of telling and not enough showing.

I just didn't get the magic system, at all, whatsoever. I have no idea if you need previous understanding of tarot here, but I would imagine so, because I was so lost. I kept reading, hoping it would all eventually start making sense, but it truly didn't. I don't know whose idea it was to include a glossary at the back of the book, and not at the start, but this really needs to be reconsidered.

The dynamic between the characters was a little strange, there was obvious attraction from very early on, but this seemed so incredibly shallow to me. Their conversations were immature, the romance just didn't wow me, at all. I knew the characters would get together eventually, and this is a slow burn, but I didn't experience those feelings of anticipation, I wasn't giddy over them finally getting together, the first kiss was so very mediocre too.

There was one scene that's supposed to be sexually charged, full of longing, desperately wanting to give in to attraction... And I just felt nothing. No strong emotions came through at all.

The spice made me blush, but not in a sexy way, rather in a second-hand embarrassment way.

The guy was sort of there, mostly to get some TikTok worthy quotes. There was absolutely no chemistry or any deeper connection between them. There was no substantial development in any of the other relationships either, the side characters were also just... There. Existing.

I also thought that the entire motivation here was a little weird. Clara was set on bringing back her dead mother - I'm sorry, are you 5 years old, with no concept of mortality?

Now I know that this author is just not for me, although I'd imagine this book could be a hit with those new to the romantasy genre. I just think that there are so many other amazing books out there, with fully & deeply developed characters and relationships, plots and magic systems, including actual world building, that this one just falls incredibly short.

It was not my favorite book by this author but it was not bad by any means. The magic system is intriguing and the atmosphere is rather dark. But the pace was a bit slow for me, and the book could have been shortened. The main female character was fine, but I did not like the male main character very much. I did not feel their chemistry, it was a very lust-forward kind of relationship.
If you’re looking for a new, fresh and unusual romantasy to read, I would still recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review.

When i read the synopsis i was so intrigued by the whole magical tarot cards system and even though it was confusing at times, i loved how it was used. It was really fun seeing how they wielded them. We were plunged into action from the beginning which was great as i never felt bored at any point in this book. Each chapter contributed something to the story.

As readers, we saw everything from Clara's pov so we only got to observe what she was thinking or seeing which made me question which characters to really trust. I was questioning Kaelis even towards the end. There's so much he's keeping a secret and i need to find out what. Hopefully, that all unravels in book two. Clara is a bit reckless at times and doesn't heed warnings from others but overtime she learns to start trusting and listening to what those closest to her say.

The ending was fast-paced and i need the second instalment now to see what will happen next as so much went wrong in the end. Overall, this book was an enjoyable read that left me wanting more. If you like fake-dating and a slow-burn then this one is for you.

Thank you so much Netgalley and hodder books for allowing me to read an e-arc for an honest review.

It took me a lot to read this book, not because I didn’t want to, but because I knew I’d finish it too soon, and then I’d want more. And I wouldn’t be able to continue until the next book is out. So I pushed starting this story as much as I could, and now I’ve finished, and I don’t know what to do with my life.

I really liked the world building. If Zodiac Academy had a tarot-based magic child, this would be it. The magic system reminded me of Gambit from X-Men, and I was obsessed.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, she’s sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards, a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run out, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her a deal: freedom in exchange for helping him steal a powerful tarot card and recreate a legendary one long lost to time.

To keep her identity hidden and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep could send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds the prince she swore to hate might not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world and her heart? Or will she take it all for herself?

The vibes? Think morally gray heroine with a past, a broody prince you don’t trust but want to sink your teeth into anyway, and an elite academy full of danger, trials, and hidden agendas.

The romance is slowburn with a capital S. I’m talking yearning, lingering looks, emotional confessions. Elise knows exactly how to make us suffer in the best way.

Thank you Hodder & Stoughton, Elise Kova, and NetGalley for sending this book my way in exchange for my honest opinion. I am so glad I ordered the special edition, because I knew I’d need it as a trophy on my shelf.

Now, please, could we have some more?

This is the first book I have read by Elise Kova and if you like to dive into a magical world, then this story is for you!

Clara lives in the harsh Eclipse city and survives day by day by inking tarot cards through illegal magic. When a job goes wrong, she is sentenced to a deadly prison.

Prince Kaelis is the headmaster of Arcana Academy where the most powerful practitioners yield magic through tarot cards. His only goal is to steal a card from the king and create a new world. He needs Clara’s help for that so he introduces her as the new student of the academy and his bride to be.

I have to say that I picked this book because of its cover and its theme with the tarot cards and I loved it! It was such a unique world of magic, intrigue and adventure. The battles between the students were amazing and the Academy was full of secrets.

Clara is street smart, bold and brave. Kaelis is a little closed off and cold but he hides a sensitive self.

The romance aspect of the story was the one thing that didn’t win me over. I could not feel the connection between the characters. It is slow burn and then suddenly bam! I need tension, banter, something that could make you feel the yearning but this book didn’t have it.

Also, in the beginning there are many side characters with personalities not so distinct so you might get confused by who is who.

Arcana Academy might not be my favorite romance story but it definitely won me over with the tarot cards and the magical setting! I will read the second book for sure hoping for a greater love story!

A great start to the series, I really enjoyed this one. I think the most standout part is the FMC, Clara, who is everything I want out of a FMC. Smart, witty, fierce and fearless, with an unwavering confidence and resilience/strength, she takes absolutely no s***t from anyone. I could read her inner monologue for days on end! Her dynamic and back and forth with Kaelis is brilliant, their exchanges are *chef's kiss*.
That's not to take away from the fantastic world that elise Kova has created and delivered. I loved everything about the magic system and how the tarot cards inking, wielding and reading works. I wasn't able to memorise which card did what, but I just went with it and it did not take me out of the story at all!
I wish there was a bit more on the found family but without giving too much away, this is a super enjoyable read, the pace is good, the plot is plotting well and the twists are definitely twisting. the cliffhanger is MEAN and there might have been an audible gasp, I will be coming back for more, too many unanswered questions!!!
For the fans of the genre, you will not be disappointed. It's a great book! a huge thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hodder & Stoughton for a free e-ARC of 'Arcana Academy' by Elise Kova.

'You are somehow better and worse than I could've ever imagined - everything I needed and the last fucking thing I wanted.'

Arcana Academy follows Clara, a gifted 'arcanist' - someone who can ink, read, and magically wield tarot cards in a kingdom where all arcanists must work under the royal family or else they are imprisoned. To be trained under the throne, they go through the magical Arcana Academy to learn how to hone their skills and be placed in service to a clan or the royals.

I really enjoyed Arcana Academy - it is a solid 4 star romantasy for me! It would have been 5 stars, however Kova leans a bit heavily into the tropes at times and in that way it became quite predictable. I struggled to get into the book at first as some of the dialogue and descriptions were giving me the ick (for lack of a better term!) I was having flashbacks to some of the cringey-ness from the Powerless series when I first started. Maybe this aspect improved as the story developed, or it may have just been me getting too invested in the plot and characters to care as much after a while. Who knows? Regardless, I am a bit of a hypocrite as I enjoyed many of the tropes utilised, especially the dynamic between Clara and Kaelis (dare I say hot?)

'Why does everything with you straddle the line of pleasure and pain? Why is it that it's never enough?'

Clara is a great main character - however I absolutely loved Kaelis and am so curious as to how his character grows and for us to get more insight into his backstory in the sequel! The found family aspect is also really lovely.

The magic system of Arcana Academy is so detailed and intriguing. I only know a little about tarot, and I imagine this would be even more effective if you have more knowledge - however Kova does a good job of explaining tarot generally and laying out how this applies to the magical system in this book.

My only other criticism is that some of the plot devices annoyed me slightly at times (although I appreciate they make sense in terms of the characters' intentions) - like why are we hiding vital information from Clara that would be useful for her to know?! (until it becomes a useful point in the plot). Similarly, Clara's reasonings for some of her actions irked me to no end, especially given her worldview about the unfair system of the kingdom. (On the other hand, I know what grief can do to someone's common sense!)

I am shooketh by the ending and very excited to read the next book! Overall, I highly recommend Arcana Academy - if you struggle with the start like me, try to stick it out as it is definitely worth it!

I absolutely loved this book, and this is probably my favourite magic system ever in a fantasy tale. I found the idea of using tarot cards to cast spells really interesting and appreciated the little glossary at the back explaining them.

I loved Clara and Kaelis' chemistry together, and the slow burn was horrible. 10/10 agony.

My only negative (and this is purely me!) is using cvnt in spicy scenes is an instant ick as I like my romance more swoony. Otherwise, I loved everything about it. Oh, except the ending reminded me of why ARCs are a double-edged sword because wtf was that cliffhanger, and now I have to wait even longer?!

This might be the best book I have read this year, and that’s saying something! It’s a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers set in a magic school where the magic system is based on the tarot.

The book follows Clara, who escapes a notorious prison at the start of the book, only to be captured by Kaelis, a prince and the headmaster of Acarna Academy. Kaelis has his own uses for Clara and her unique abilities, so the two form an uneasy alliance that results in Clara joining the academy and pretending to be Kaelis’ betrothed. But Clara thinks Kaelis is responsible for the death of her family, and as she tries to uncover his secrets, she realises there is a lot more going on than she imagined. There is so much going on between these two characters (and the plot in general) that it kept me on my toes, right till the explosive ending.

This might be the most unique magic system I have ever seen, but it’s one that worked flawlessly. Each card is able to perform a different kind of magic, and the magical duels throughout this book really showcased what was possible. It was a little confusing at first, but I started to understand it quickly enough that it didn’t distract from the story. The world building as well was simply sublime, again matching the tarot system. The academy itself is built on layers upon layers of history, and yet not everything is as it seems.

It you love multi-layered characters, world buildings and magic systems, if you live for the secrets, the yearn and the tension, this book is definitely for you.

In this romantasy debut, we follow Clara, a young woman serving a life sentence for using forbidden arcana magic. After a year behind bars, she receives a shocking proposition from Prince Kaelis—the very man she holds responsible for her family’s deaths and her own imprisonment. His offer? Freedom and a place at his prestigious Arcana Academy…if she agrees to pose as his betrothed and help him overthrow his tyrannical father. With the hope of reuniting with her sister and escaping prison, Clara strikes a tense alliance with the prince, plunging headfirst into a world of court politics, power struggles, and arcane secrets.

In theory, this novel had all the ingredients for a gripping, high-stakes fantasy: a morally gray prince, a resilient heroine with a haunted past, and an academy setting ripe for intrigue. The world-building showed promise, and Clara, as a protagonist, stood out from the typical romantasy crowd—emotional yet mature, with enough depth to avoid being grating. Her voice felt authentic, and her decisions mostly grounded.

That said, the execution didn’t quite land for me. Despite the high-stakes setup and some genuinely dramatic turns, I felt surprisingly disconnected from the characters. I kept waiting for a moment that would make me feel something—fear, heartbreak, excitement—but it never quite came. Even the central romance felt flat, lacking the tension or chemistry needed to make me root for it.

Still, credit where it’s due: the final chapters were the strongest of the book. The ending delivered just enough intrigue and momentum to pique my curiosity for the sequel, even if the journey there was uneven.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ if I’m being honest.

Whilst I did like the overall story, it honestly felt confusing at times and it definitely could have been shorter.

The world building and magic systems were brilliant, I definitely think Elise Kova tried to fit too much into one book and it took away from the overall plot. I wished the actual plot would come out more as I went along. I wanted to know about Clara’s backstory and the dynamic between her and Arina, but I guess that’s what we’ll get in the second book.

Now to bring in the Prince, Kealis. There was literally no depth to this character. It’s insta love and we literally barely seen them together until they decide it’s time to give in to the ‘desire’ that did not come across during the book at any point.

Literally could not have cared less about his relationship with Clara. And we will don’t know why he hates his dad. And there are obvs mummy issues there.

I will be reading book 2 definitely, but purely because I want the answers to the 1001 questions that were not answered.

…dare I say… this may be one of the best fantasies I’ve read in a very, VERY long time…

A unique magic system, a classic tortured MMC, an ENTIRELY gripping plot and you’ve got me begging for more to be honest. I cannot wait for book 2 already!