A def rec for anyone looking for new fantasy/romantasy. I would say less so for anyone into serious Dark Academia. Also, the use of tarot in the book might annoy actual practitioners. It would have helped to say the powers are embodiments of the symbolism or maybe of the tools represented in the cards.

Oh my word! I actually think this is my new favourite book. I absolutely devoured it and cannot wait for the next one.
The magic system was intriguing. The plot was fab. The world building was just fantastic.

Thank you!!!

Where do I begin…I’m a big fan of Dark Academia, magic realism, urban fantasies, enemies to lovers and in dept magic systems with fantasy politics. I have a mild interest in tarot and readings also. I know nothing about Elsie Kova. Didnt know she’s an established author, didnt know this isn’t her first book, I simply thought the cover and the blurb sounded great and the book will be a dazzling dark academic mystery- this book should be perfect for me. It’s not. There’s a lot of things this book isn’t.

What did I like? Kaelis (mostly), the idea of the tarot and complicated family relations. However Kova’s ways of writing truly are not for me I think. It was always back and forth with Clara, noticing all the details that didnt need to be said and glossing over all the important stuff. Everything is handed to me on a silver plate. Anytime there was any hint of a mystery for me to ponder on or figure out, Clara solved it within a few pages or in the same sentence making it super easy to follow one, but also not investing me too much. Clara repeats a lot of things over and over, chapter to chapter. Her feelings, her mission, what her room looks like, how she needs to escape and so on so forth. At times it was extremely repetitive, and also far too fast moving of me to really get into the plot. The plot then felt like a bunch of modern tropes sprinkled between a pretty setting; The romance in this was described as ‘enemies to lovers’ but there is barely any romantic interaction of the two before it goes 0-100, so really was I meant to notice that they’re in love with each other? Kaelis says he was in love with Clara at first sight, Clara isn’t in love with him and appears to only be sexually attracted which is an interesting dynamic, but very…odd? The school seems instantly forgotten at times, serving as a place for Clara to hide an identity and nothing else. Kaelis’ only interest is finding the cards and being in love with Clara. The King is at no point threatening (with their entire plan being based on him having a migraine). And Kaelis’ brother…he just drops in an out when required to remind Clara that she’s fake. Most of the characters in this are names and nothing else- Clara spends so little time with any of them yet we just have to believe their friendships and who they are but Kova has given us no real reason to care about any of them because we don’t know them. Including the Major club- a list of tames and tarot powers were given only for those characters to never appear again. Much of this book is content in a pretty setting.

My biggest issue with Arcana Academy is indeed, the Major/Minor Arcana and the powers of the Tarot. The cards in this felt like Kova wanted to use them for the sake of it not being used in mainstream fiction. Generally, the magic system was over and under explained, with everything being dumped at you in one go and then dripped out later in action scenes. The major and minor arcana all have deep meanings to them, but the correlating powers for the hidden ‘Major Users’ didnt make any sense. For example the power of ‘Death’ is able to kill anyone immediately as long as the caster knows their full name. In tarot, it the extreme basic of all things that ‘Death’ does not literally mean death. It symbolises a new beginning, a moment of transformation or realisation. Another example is ‘Lovers’ being able to make two people fall in love. Well, that would be cupids arrow. ‘Lovers’ merely shows the relationship between two people, positive or negative. Between friends, family and ultimately choice between people. As soon as the Majors’ were introduced and their skills I could feel myself losing the immersion because if you’re going to write about tarot in its purest sense and make it integral to your book, then why make up powers for the cards when they already have meaning!!! It was so frustrating to read and truly made no sense at all. Same issue with all the minor tarot as well.

At face value this book reminds me of authors when they say ‘I wrote a YA book but my publishers made me rewrite it to be NA/Adult’ because there is absolutely zero reason for Clara and Jadon to be 21/23 year old, and in fact makes the whole book seem even more unbelievable and ridiculous because nothing else makes sense. Why is Jadon a headteacher and his faculty are of those double his age? He claims to have learnt it and built the school yet how has he done that in two years? Why is Clara acting as if she’s not capable of her own skills after being stuck in prison for two years? We don’t really know how old people are in this book aside from the two leads. Her sister being alive cannot make sense after the date changes and ‘real story’ that went out of an escaped student (even her being alive and Clara’s reaction to ‘finding her dead’ came across as super trope-y with no build up to it). No other part of the story has been ‘aged up’ and all of the plot devices and dialogue and characters read young, apart from (drum roll)…the two spice scenes. One of which I wouldn’t classify as adult and is almost closed door (maybe a crack) and the other that felt so unbelievably unnecessary and written in for the sake of sexual tension. The romance is very Kaelis-heavy, in that he is in love with her from the start, and she either doesn’t notice or never comments.

Side note: every character ive ever met called Silas never gets a happy ending. Why is that?!

Ultimately, I am frustrated and let down after this being one of my anticipated reads for the year. The only thing keeping me in is Kaelis, and if he continues to be a convenient plot device and piece of castle decor, then I shall stop reading. I’d recommend this to those that want a fun to follow romantasy series with a hint of enemies to lovers/forced proximity. Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC.

REALLY enjoyed this book! Fantastic story with a great magic system! Loved the tattoo card aspect to it! Made it stand out to the usual fantasy books
This is my first book from
The author but I will definitely be reading more

“ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ꜱᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴇ, ꜱᴀʏ ꜱᴏ ɴᴏᴡ, ᴄʟᴀʀᴀ. ᴏʀ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɴᴇ.”

Clara Graysword has been rotting in prison for using outlawed magic✨ tarot based, powerful, and very much illegal. The man who helped put her there? None other than Prince Kaelis, brooding heir to the throne and now the headmaster of Arcana Academy. So imagine her surprise when he offers her a deal freedom in exchange for pretending to be his fiancée and helping him navigate a deadly magical rebellion from within the school walls. She should hate him. And she does. But oh, the tension.

This book thrives on that perfect storm: forced proximity, betrayal, power imbalance, and a fake engagement that’s so charged you can practically feel it in the air. Kaelis was giving me Cardan Greenbriar vibes🤤
You will be feral by the end.

And let’s talk about the tarot based magic system and Arcana Academy giving all the Hogwarts feels. Magic here is pulled from tarot cards, with readers channeling power through suits like Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The way Elise Kova wove this into the plot feels intricate without ever being overwhelming. Whether you’re fluent in tarot or completely new to it, it’s accessible but layered enough to feel fresh and exciting. The characters are flawed, and it made the found family even more beautiful.

✨Tropes I adored:✨
🔥Enemies to lovers (true enemies)
🔥Fake engagement
🔥SLOOOOOW burn
🔥Forbidden magic
🔥Found family
🔥Dark academia vibes
🔥Trials + rebellion

The worldbuilding is lush, the tension is exquisite, and the writing? Totally addictive. Some scenes leaned a little heavy on monologue, but honestly, I didn’t care. The rest had me flipping pages like my life depended on it.

This book was a masterclass in tension and world building, it had me spellbound from page one.

“ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ꜱᴘᴀʀᴇᴅ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴇ, ꜱᴀʏ ꜱᴏ ɴᴏᴡ, ᴄʟᴀʀᴀ. ᴏʀ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍɪɴᴇ.”

Clara Graysword has been rotting in prison for using outlawed magic✨ tarot based, powerful, and very much illegal. The man who helped put her there? None other than Prince Kaelis, brooding heir to the throne and now the headmaster of Arcana Academy. So imagine her surprise when he offers her a deal freedom in exchange for pretending to be his fiancée and helping him navigate a deadly magical rebellion from within the school walls. She should hate him. And she does. But oh, the tension.

This book thrives on that perfect storm: forced proximity, betrayal, power imbalance, and a fake engagement that’s so charged you can practically feel it in the air. Kaelis was giving me Cardan Greenbriar vibes🤤
You will be feral by the end.

And let’s talk about the tarot based magic system and Arcana Academy giving all the Hogwarts feels. Magic here is pulled from tarot cards, with readers channeling power through suits like Cups, Wands, Swords, and Pentacles. The way Elise Kova wove this into the plot feels intricate without ever being overwhelming. Whether you’re fluent in tarot or completely new to it, it’s accessible but layered enough to feel fresh and exciting. The characters are flawed, and it made the found family even more beautiful.

✨Tropes I adored:✨
🔥Enemies to lovers (true enemies)
🔥Fake engagement
🔥SLOOOOOW burn
🔥Forbidden magic
🔥Found family
🔥Dark academia vibes
🔥Trials + rebellion

The worldbuilding is lush, the tension is exquisite, and the writing? Totally addictive. Some scenes leaned a little heavy on monologue, but honestly, I didn’t care. The rest had me flipping pages like my life depended on it.

This book was a masterclass in tension and world building, it had me spellbound from page one.

This one’s going straight to one of my 2025 favourites shelf.

Thank you so much @hachetteaus and @netgalley for the eARC

WOW

Llevaba mucho tiempo sin leer a la altura y volver con este libro ha sido todo un acierto.

Deseando saber cómo continúa esto

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5

“If you want to be spared from me, say so now Clara. Or I will make you mine.”

I devoured this in 24 hours (shoutout to annual leave for making that possible).

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it absolutely delivered. I adored our FMC Clara—she’s fierce, sarcastic, and a total force with her tarot-based magic. The magic system is genuinely one of the most original I’ve read in a while—rooted in tarot but still super accessible, even if you’ve never touched a deck before.

Kaelis, our MMC, is to die for. He gave me serious Cardan Greenbriar energy (what more could I want?) - arrogant, dark, and dangerously charming.

The plot is rich and layered, full of tension and dark academia vibes. We get some of the tropes we know and love—enemies to lovers, forced proximity, arranged marriage—but Elise Kova weaves them in so well it never feels tired. Her writing is just so addictive.

And let’s talk about the slow burn… this is a true slow burn, the kind that has you clawing at the pages—and when the spice finally hits? It gave me everything.

The only reason this wasn’t a full five stars is that a few scenes—mainly some dialogue and internal monologue—felt a bit overly drawn out. I love detail, but there were moments that could’ve been trimmed without losing anything. Still, I’ll always take too much over too little.

And that ending?! My jaw actually dropped. I had suspicions early on, but they were cleverly buried—and the way it all came crashing down in the final chapters? Wild.

I need book two immediately. Huge thanks to @netgalley NetGalley for the ARC—I was genuinely thrilled to be approved, especially since I already had my Waterstones copy pre-ordered.

🪬Tropes🪬

• Enemies to lovers
• TRUE slow-burn
• Forced proximity
• Arranged marriage/fake engagement
• Magic academy
• Power play
• Outlawed magic use
• Rebellion

From the start, the unique tarot-based magic system grabbed my attention. It’s not something you see often, and the way the author wove it into the story made the world feel fresh and exciting.

The pacing of the story really kept me on my toes—a thrilling prison breakout combined with a fake engagement and hidden identities? Yes, please! The slow burn romance added just the right amount of tension, making me root for the characters while they navigated through the trials of the magic academy.

Navigating this world where trust is scarce was compelling, yet the idea of finding allies in unexpected places made it all the more satisfying. The political intrigue added a layer of complexity that kept me guessing about who to believe. Each character felt distinct, flawed, and relatable, making the theme of found family resonate deeply.

What I loved most was the high stakes woven throughout. The idea that her failure could literally mean death added an urgency that had me flipping pages faster than I could keep track of. And let me tell you, the cliffhanger ending was cruel, I need to know what comes next! I gasped out loud, which says a lot about how invested I became in the intricate plot and these morally grey characters.

It's a captivating blend of magic, romance, and suspense that left me eager for the next book.

What to expect
🖋️Academic Setting
Tarot Based World & Magic🔮
Fake Engagement 💍
🔥Slow Burn Romance
Forced Partnership
Plotting & Scheming
Missing Sister
♥️He Falls First

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“Hate you. Love you. But I can’t be nothing to you.”

What I liked:
Elise Kova has woven an immersive and highly addictive world in Arcana Academy. The tarot-based magic system was excellent, and I loved how the cards are used as magic and how certain people can wield more than others (IYKYK).

I am obsessed with our very own void-born Prince Kaelis. The man is just swoon-worthy, and I wish there had been some chapters in his point of view, though his feelings are written all over him nonetheless. I want to dig into this man’s brain and find all his secrets!

What I really enjoyed about this book was the bad guys, not in a they’re the main characters let’s root for them but in that they are evil. They’re good at being evil as well and always seem one step ahead. It’s delightful!

What I didn’t:
The academy itself had some form of ever-changing magic and could move its rooms around (I believe - that’s what I understood anyway) which led to some really confusing paragraphs for me where I didn’t know what was going on.

And speaking of not knowing what’s going on, there are so many secrets woven into these pages that I was getting annoyed while reading. Hardly any have been resolved in this book though it is only the first instalment, but throw me a bone, please! I'm losing track of what Clara is supposed to be finding out.

And lastly, Clara. The main character. I didn’t love her. She’s fiery and stubborn and determined, all great qualities, but they didn’t work for me here. I also didn’t like how closed off she was with Kaelis. Their romance felt one-sided (he is clearly head over heels) and I just wanted to experience her feelings for him but they fell flat.

Final thoughts:
I enjoyed Arcana Academy. There are some wonderful parts that I would love to delve into again, and there is a lot I want to see resolved so will be picking up the sequel when it’s available.
I just wished I loved this book more.

I couldn't put this book down. I'm a tarot fan anyway so it was an easy sell for me, but it exceeded my expectations.
Sinister elites, rebellious artists, intrigue, a missing sister. It has a lot going on but the pacing is good so you don't find yourself confused.

This was my very first book by Elise Kova… and I’m hooked.

eARC via #NetGalley ☺️

Arcana Academy checks all the boxes of the kind of romantasy I adore: a badass heroine, a rich magical world, a romance full of tension, and high stakes.

Clara Graysword is the kind of heroine we love: strong, smart, independent, and not waiting around for anyone to save her. Following her through this world of forbidden magic based on tarot cards, at the heart of a mysterious academy, was an absolute pleasure. The magic system is incredibly well-built, original, and deeply developed. As a tarot novice, I admit I was a bit lost at first with all the explanations and the number of cards… but once I got into the story, everything clicked into place.

Speaking of the plot, it’s complex and full of interwoven threads — honestly, it’s almost impossible to predict what’s coming. Every time I thought I had things figured out, a new twist would come along and blow all my theories apart. And I loved that.

And the dynamic between Clara and Kaelis? Electric tension, a prince as enigmatic as he is dangerous, and a delightfully frustrating slow-burn romance. Even at the end of the book, you’re still not 100% sure what he’s hiding...

My only tiny downside is that I felt there were a few slow moments here and there, but nothing that truly impacted my enjoyment.

I can’t wait to read the sequel because the ending of this first book leaves us with so many questions. In the meantime, I’m diving into Elise Kova’s other books, starting with Air Awakens!

I enjoyed reading this book, again not my favourite series from this author but I will definitely be continuing reading! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this, it’s a great enemies to lovers read. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC.

4⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I ate this book up!! Great start to the series. I’m a sucker for fantasy set in an academy style setting so I really enjoyed this one. The characters were fun to read about and the plot was great, lots of plot twists I didn’t expect. The magic system was unique and I’m excited to see where this series goes!

An action-packed thrilling ending, preceded by a very long set-up.

Initially drawn in by the start of the book, I struggled to remain interested as I kept waiting for the action to happen. I was always hoping it was just around the corner. Instead of DNFing I persevered as I could see the potential. The world building was interesting, and interwoven throughout the book, so you kept learning new elements, and the magic system based on tarot cards was fantastic and unique.

I could see all these interesting and exciting elements, so it made me want to continue reading, even if I was finding it a bit of a slog. When it all finally came together at the end, I was drawn back into the story and am looking forward to continuing the series!

The world Elise Kova has created is intriguing and we’ve only scratched the surface – it’s very clear there’s more for us to learn about the world as the series continues.

Plot threads are left to explore; we’re left with multiple story tangents at the end that could go anyway. There’s also one thing a certain character says (no spoilers) that makes me wonder if we will get a very specific reveal in a following book.

Personally, I liked Clara as our main character. You clearly understand her motivations for what she’s doing, whether you agree with them or not. I also appreciated that she recognised her weaknesses and worked to improve, it wasn’t another book where the MC was super all powerful and super skilled from the start - she actually has things to learn.

The romance, however, I was not completely sold on. It’s very clear from the start Kaelis is the intended love interest – whether that continues only the author knows – but for most of the book I wasn’t sold on much tension or chemistry, they felt more like sort of friends. Arcana Academy does take place over almost a year so the progression of their relationship does make sense in that sense, but I feel like I’m missing something, a piece of information perhaps, from Kaelis’ side (it’s single-POV), that explains why he seems to have feelings for Clara before she has them for him. I don’t feel like I have the complete picture making it a struggle to root for it.

All-in-all it felt like a set-up for the rest of the series. It didn’t blow my mind, I wasn’t rushing to read it as I had to know what happened on the next page, but I did have a nice time and will continue the series.

Easiest 5 🌟 i’ve given.

Not even kidding. Give me a true ENEMIES ENEMIES to lovers any day. I’m talking about not liking eachother for 50-70% of the book and even when it’s starting to get warm in here and I start really kicking my feet, the burn is so slow, the metaphorical candle is lasting to new year. And it was DELECTABLE. Did I mention i’m an absolute sucker for a ‘F*** it’ moment?

I will say it helped having a prior knowledge of a tarot deck, otherwise maybe have a google about tarot cards? Or you may struggle through understanding the magic system. And what a magic system it is. Maybe i’m just hyped because it was complex but I understood it and combined with Elise’s phenomenal writing, it made this book an instant top read of 2025.

Tropes:
✨Enemies to Lovers✨
✨Forced Proximity✨
✨Fake engagement✨
✨Found Family✨
✨Dark Academia (Snape voice ‘obbbviously’)✨
✨Trials✨

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an arc of this.

First of all, the ending??! Criminal! I need to know what happens next! I fear this trilogy could become a new obsession of mine!
It had all the micro tropes I love in this book: the MMC taking care of the FMC when she is hurt, him washing her hair (I will instantly fall in love with a book when this happens), touch her and die.

The tension between the FMC and the MMC 🥵🥵 I would love a POV from Kaelis in the next book.

I loved the magical system of the tarot cards. Im dying to see what happens in the rest of the series

4.5⭐️

Clara has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck and a lot of illegal magic. But then she's caught and sentenced to a life in prison for inking tarot cards, a rare power reserved only for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy. Just when it seems like her luck has run out, the Academy's headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her escape...for a price.

This is book one in a new fantasy romance series, and what a way to kick it all off! I LOVED this book. The dark academia and found family vibes were strong and Clara and Kaelis' characters were wonderfully fleshed out, their flaws and their strengths both being given time to take centre stage. The slow-burn romance was beautiful and complex and kept me totally hooked.

But let's talk about the magic system, because it was super fascinating!! I haven't read a fantasy book with magic quite like this; it's derived from tarot cards. The cards are inked and read, but they can also be wielded for power, for the characters to use in defence or attack and it was so complex and well done that I was utterly in awe of it. I love tarot, and I read tarot for myself, and that general understanding was great, but I don't think you need to know much, or anything, about tarot going into this to fully enjoy and immerse yourself in the Academy. The world-building was fantastic, and layered and, although it perhaps slowed the story down a little at times, it really pulled me into the world and the characters. An incredible start to the series, and I'm already craving the next book!

If you’re into magical schools, tarot cards, slow-burn romance, you’ll love Arcana Academy.

The story kicks off with Clara Graysword, an “Arcanist” (magic card user?) who’s been locked up for using illegal magic. She gets pulled out of prison by the mysterious evil Prince Kaelis. His plan? Bring Clara to his secretive magical academy, pretend she’s his fiancée (yes, really), and get her to help him with some very shady stuff.

This book has dark academia
/Harry Potter vibes—candlelit libraries, magical duels, and houses named after the tarot suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles). The magic system is one of the coolest parts: it’s all based on tarot, and anyone who understands tarot will love the readings. It’s giving a bit of Rachel Gillig and even Cardcaptors, but is pretty unique.

As for the romance… it’s very much enemies-to-something-more, with “I hate that I want to kiss you” energy. Personally I liked the tension. It did feel like Kaelis is a character we’ve met before (a bit Rhys? A bit Xaden? A powerful brooding noble struggling under the weight of trying to make the world a better place?)

I’m not personally a glossary reader but anyone who is might benefit from skipping to the back of the book to read the glossary - I had no idea it was there.

I did struggle sometimes to follow the dialogue - I wasn’t always sure who was speaking. And I’m pretty comfortable skipping over world-building detail but sometimes it was a bit heavy - but anyone who loves world-building will really enjoy that density.

Still, I did love this book. A fun and twisty ride through a magical world that combines familiar tropes with fresh elements. I really really want book two right now (argh!)

Thanks NetGalley, Hodderscape and Elise Kova for the ARC.