In this book we follow Clara, who is plucked from prison to be brought to a magic academy where she will need to use all her wits and talent to survive.

This is the first book to what I believe will be a fantastic series. It starts slow, really building the world and the relationships between the characters. The magic system reminded me slightly of the Shepherd King duology, but it has been expanded in a way that makes it really unique. There is romantic angst, friendship, betrayal, and secrets to be discovered. And the twist on the final page left me reeling! I can't wait to read book 2!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
Rating: 3.5 stars

Thanks as ever to NetGalley for giving me early access to this gem! Welcome to the world of Eclipse City and the Arcana Academy. Clara is our FMC, who has spent a year in Halazar prison for illegally inking tarot cards. Released from jail by the void-born Prince Kaelis and tasked with helping him find a mythical card known only as The World, Clara must survive the rigors of the academy while hiding her identity.

I really enjoyed the magic system in this book - the tarot cards are interesting and I loved the description of them - along with the elements of an uncertain past (the past is written by the victors after all).

The plot was interesting, and I liked Clara as a character. Kaelis was entertaining enough, although he felt a little copy and paste of other shadow-born supposedly antagonistic MMCs. The secondary characters felt more 1D to me, so I hope they are fleshed out further in the second book - as obviously this ends with me wanting more!

I enjoyed the twists in this, and I think this has the markings of a good story. I feel I want slightly less romantic angst, and more understanding of the world though (both the world and The World). Overall, this wasn't half bad - I can see why people are excited for it.

Arcana Academy is out 22nd July, so you don't have long to wait!

Basic Info:
- Fantasy with romance
- Single POV, 1st person, single timeline
- Part of a series

Tropes & hooks:
- Tarot based magic system
- Forbidden romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Slow-burn
- Fake dating/engagement
- Force proximity
- Set in an magical academy (trials included)

Some of my thoughts:
- Would I recommend? Yes, all in all it was a pleasant reading experience.
- Worldbuilding: This book has a pretty unique (al least to me) and interesting set up based on tarot cards. In this world you can ink and wiled tarot cards as well as read future. Not everyone is permitted to do it, you have to have a special education, which opens the themes of inequality and oppression.
- The pacing: It's a good introductory book, but I while reading sometimes I was getting a feeling that even thought things were happening, nothing really important was happening. This book does takes its sweet time to set up the world. I do believe this book could have been a bit shorter.
- Clara (FMC): An illegal arcanist who got the chance to escape person pretending to be engaged to the prince and headmaster of Arcana Academy. She is ready to do almost anything not to get into that prison again, besides she needs to uncover the mystery of her mother's death and her sister's disappearance. She is an interesting charter to follow. Her sister? All that mystery for what? Just for that? (Not gonna mention what exactly, since spoilers, but if you've read it, you understand me)
- Kaelis (MMC): Cocky, broody, morally gray - just as we like them. He has his own plans, he is not a fan of the current situation, he plans to fix it, and Clara is definitely a big part of that. But first he has to convince Clara to work with him.
- The romance: It is a little bit hard to judge since the romance is in kinda secondary to fantasy in this book. There is definitely some tension and banter between the character, buy mostly on a physical side. This is a slow burn, so we are definitely nowhere near finished with the romance and our protagonists aren't even really together yet. I'm hoping for more romance development in the future.

I received an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. Many thanks to everyone involved in the eARC distribution,

This is exactly what I want in a fantasy/romance book in a dark academic setting.

The magic system in the book is details and well developed and I did not feel overloaded when reading about it. The magic system is tarot cards based and this is would the world, school and every is developed around.

The romance in this book is slow burning with yearning as enemies to lovers and there are a couple of spicy chapters as well.

Tropes in the book:

- Morally grey characters
- Secret academy
- Slow burn
- Forced fake engagement
- Magic tarot world
- Secrets and hidden identity
- Dark Academia

Overall, really good book and I can't wait for book two.

Thank you NetGalley and Elise Kova for gifting me this book and being able to read this beauty of a book early.

THIS BOOK! THIS BOOK! The tension?! The Magic?! The ENDING?! Don't even get me started, there better be a book 2 because the ending?!
It is a slow burn so may not be to everyones taste, however it is sooo worth the wait and the plot thickens beautifully. It may be one of my favourite reads of the year and I cannot wait to see this one explode on Booktok, people will eat this up

Update to review

I actually cannot stop thinking about this book, it is one of them reads that just sticks with you after you've read it and just really appreciate how well written it was, the incredible plot and just honestly can't wait for book 2. I've recommend this to our book club when it is released as I genuinely think this is the perfect autumn read and would fit perfectly.

I can't lie and say I am not disappointed in this, I had such enthusiasm from the description but it ultimately fell so flat. The main characters had little chemistry and any interactions they had were all over the place.
The pace was absolutely wild, taking forever over a short period of time and then suddenly rushing forwards in fits and starts. Don't get me started on how many characters there were, almost all of whom were unmemorable and had 1 or 2 syllable names.
I really did hope that, at least if I finished this, I'd be at the true end of the story (especially when it dragged beyond 500 pages) but I was disappointed to learn this is another series.
The worldbuilding, which should have been the best part, struggled beyond the concept of the cards and their effects and quickly felt like being in a lecture for a subject I didn't choose.
This will certainly be advertised via the fanfiction style tropes that the romance is sullied with, and that will not be a good thing.
A pass, but not a total loss as there was clearly some potential here.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

OK so just finished this and I will edit this to write a detailed review but I just had to say wow that was so entertaining! I love an academy read anyway but this was brilliant! But that cliff hanger! Just.... 🤯 bad author! Bad, bad, author!

I absolutely devoured this book. Set in a rich, vibrant world with a unique and fascinating magic system, Arcana Academy is a revelation. I was gripped by every page. The twists, turns and reveals were impeccably timed, the trials were interesting and new. Clara is an engaging and likeable FMC and Kaelis is a dreamy, morally grey and wonderfully infuriating MMC. The ending had me fully sitting up in shock. I don’t know how I can wait for book two.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this eCopy to review

Arcana Academy is everything I want in romantasy lushly magical, emotionally charged, and absolutely spellbinding. From the shadowy alleys of Eclipse City to the gothic halls of a school where secrets whisper through the walls, this novel had me hooked from the first page. It’s a story about tarot, survival, and the fierce will of a girl who refuses to be anyone’s pawn.

🔮 Plot Summary
Clara Graysword has always lived on the edge, inking illegal tarot cards in the underworld to survive. But when a job goes wrong, she’s sentenced to life in Halazar prison. Her only way out? A deal with the devil or rather, Prince Kaelis, the enigmatic headmaster of Arcana Academy. He needs her help to steal a legendary card from the king, and to do that, she must pose as his bride and a first-year student at the academy.

But Arcana Academy is no sanctuary. It’s a place of deadly trials, secret societies, and arcane magic where one wrong move could mean death. As Clara searches for her missing sister and navigates a world of royal intrigue, she must decide whether to trust Kaelis or outplay him.

✨ What Worked

Clara’s Voice: Fierce, funny, and vulnerable. She’s a survivor with a sharp tongue and a soft heart, and I adored her.
The Magic System: Tarot-based magic? Yes, please. It’s intricate, original, and beautifully woven into the world.
The Romance: A deliciously slow-burn enemies-to-lovers arc with brooding prince energy and just the right amount of yearning.
Dark Academia Vibes: Secret passageways, magical trials, and a cat named Priss? I was so here for it.
Found Family: The friendships Clara forms—especially with her dagger-wielding roommate—were some of my favourite moments.
Worldbuilding: Rich, immersive, and full of mystery. I could see the academy, feel the tension, and smell the ink on the cards.

🧾 Final Thoughts
Arcana Academy is a triumph dark, dazzling, and deeply emotional. It’s about power, identity, and the courage it takes to rewrite your fate. Elise Kova has crafted a world I never wanted to leave, and I already can’t wait for book two.

If you love magical schools, morally grey characters, and stories that blend danger with heart, this one’s for you.

I was eagerly anticipating this but it didn't

To be honest, I found it hard to connect with any of the characters, which made it difficult for me to fully enjoy the story. When I can't care about the characters, it's challenging for me to rate the book higher than 3 or 3.5 stars. However, I do recognize that many people love this book, so it might just be a "me" thing!

On a positive note, the magic system in Arcana Academy was fantastic. I genuinely adored every aspect of it, from learning how it worked to discovering the different cards and their abilities. The fight scenes were incredibly vivid, giving off intense sorcerer-like vibes. The distinction between Major and Minor cards and the conditions associated with them were fascinating, and it was clear that a lot of thought went into creating this magical world.

As for the characters, I felt there were too many side characters, especially around the main character, Clara. There were moments when so many names were introduced within a short span that I struggled to remember who they were. Eventually, I got used to the more important side characters like Alor, Luren, Silas, and Eza, but the Starcrossed Club, who were significant to Clara, seemed to blend into the background.

Speaking of Clara, I found myself not enjoying her character as much as I hoped. Initially, I liked her perspective and her relationship with Kaelis, but somewhere along the way, she started to annoy me. Some of her decisions were puzzling, although she did have some great moments. Surprisingly, I found myself more interested in some of the side characters than in Clara herself.

Unfortunately, I didn't care much for Kaelis either. At first, I was intrigued by his potential, but as the story progressed, he became somewhat boring. He wasn't particularly evil, which might have contributed to my lack of interest in the enemies-to-lovers trope. The slow burn romance didn't quite work for me, as I didn't feel invested in either of the characters.

Around the halfway mark, I found the story to be unbearably slow and had to push myself to finish it. The last 10% was exciting, but I was tempted to DNF at times. Despite my mixed feelings, I can see the potential this series has, and I might continue with it depending on how I feel when the next book releases.

Arcana Academy completely swept me away and i’m obsessed!!

From page one, I was hooked by the unique tarot-based magic system. It felt fresh, creative, and deeply immersive. The world building with its Clans, Houses, and powerful inked tarot cards, was amazing and had me wanting to know every detail.

Clara is a fierce, determined heroine who’s clawed her way through Eclipse City, only to find herself thrown into deadly academy trials and a dangerous bargain with the broody, morally grey Prince Kaelis. Their slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance was deliciously tense and full of longing. By the time it ignites, it’s electric!

The plot is full of twists, betrayals, and high-stakes magic, I didn’t want to put the book down. While the beginning felt a bit slow, everything clicks once the romance and action pick up, and the ending is pure emotional whiplash (in the best way)

If you love enemies to lovers, magical schools, morally grey love interests, and high-stakes plots with heart and angst, Arcana Academy will absolutely consume you!

I’ve been trying to read this book for over a month. I’ve tried and tried and unfortunately it’s put me into a huge slump. Maybe I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for it but to me it seemed like an amalgamation of every best selling romantasy shoved into one book. As this review is less than 4 stars I will not be leaving a review on my social media as I’m sure this will be for someone. Unfortunately it just wasn’t for me!

Arcana Academy is my newest obsession! I was immediately hooked by the incredibly unique and brilliantly crafted magic system. The tarot-based magic felt fresh and so cleverly done. I loved how the characters had to draw their cards to activate their powers.

The stakes are high as students face deadly trials just for a CHANCE to earn a spot, and those scenes hit with intense emotion. The story is packed with twists, betrayals, and surprises that kept me turning the pages. It is fast-paced and full of heart-pounding moments from start to finish.

And the ROMANCE. Pure enemies to lovers perfection. The tension and longing between them while struggling to trust each other was chef’s kiss. And that ENDING? I am absolutely desperate for book two. I need answers now.

The author is stopping in my city for her book tour, and I am even getting my nails done to match House Swords. If that does not scream five stars, I do not know what does.

(Will add review links on publication day)

Elise Kova is one of my favorite authors. I find her writing style dyslexia accessible and her storytelling always keeps me engaged. Arcana Academy is no different, with a fantastic magic system, found family and morally grey characters.

Arcana Academy had me in an unapologetic chokehold from page one. This was a highly anticipated read for me because I love Kova’s previous work and she absolutely nailed this!

Elise Kova delivered a spellbinding romantasy filled with tarot-based magic, morally grey princes, deadly trials, and a fake engagement that spirals into something much messier (in the best way). The magic system was so original and immersive as someone who actually owns and reads tarot I loved how the tarot cards played such a crucial role in both the plot and the worldbuilding. If Elise doesn’t use tarot it is very clear she researched this topic extensively and it warms my heart.

Clara is such a determined fiery FMC, and Kaelis? A broody, sharp-eyed, burn-the-world-for-you kind of love MMC. Their tension was deliciously slow burn and absolutely electric once it kicked in. Honestly love the so much and happy she chose to burn that two of cups card in the chalice.

The ending felt like emotional whiplash, in the best way of course. I’m counting down the seconds until book two.

If you love enemies to lovers, elite magical schools, morally grey love interests, and high-stakes fantasy with a touch of angst and heartache, Arcana Academy will absolutely devour you. One of my top reads of the year.


🪄 Genre: Fantasy Romance | Romantasy | Dark Academia Vibes
🔥 Tropes:
• Enemies to Lovers
• Fake Engagement
• Morally Grey Love Interest
• Found Family
• Magical School / Trials
• Forbidden Magic

Some of my highlights:
“ Luck is on my side.”
“no matter how dark the night, I refuse to give up hope of the dawn.“
“ ‘A withered and cruel heart can’t be broken,…’”
“ Rage is worth little if it’s not channeled.”

DNF. This was a highly anticipated read of mine and I love the idea of a Tarot card magic system but some of the writing made zero sense. May try this again after this officially releases but for now it's a no.

4.5 ⭐️
This book!!! It was everything I want to be reading and more. If you love Zodiac Academy, Fourth Wing, the Atlas Six and Throne of glass then you will love this book. Academic vibes, mysterious girl with a mysterious name... in steps the Prince. The enemies to lovers was real enemies to lovers it was perfection. I havent read an Elise Kova book before but after this I will definitely be checking out her other books. Her writing is so descriptive and enticing and the world building was just great. The only reason it isnt 5⭐️ is because sometimes the tarot magic confused me slightly! Other than that I loved it.

I was so happy to be accepted for the e-arc of this book and it did not disappoint!

I've loved tarot for a long time so was really intrigued by the description of the book and the possibilities of the story.

I thought how tarot was explored and built as the magic system, an integral part of the world was genius and really well done! It fit so well with our previous tarot understanding and just elevated it.

I adored the two MCs, their chemistry was great and I loved how they developed. The side characters years were so thought out and intriguing!

The book ended on such a cliff hanger, I cannot wait to see what comes next!

My only gripe was that the first half of the book was definitely slower than the second, totally understandable as heavy fantasy takes time to build and lay out but worth noting to give the book time.

Clara Graysword has clawed her way through the shadows of Eclipse City, surviving on quick hands, illegal magic, and sheer luck. But when a high-stakes job ends in disaster, she's caught and sentenced to life in prison for illegally inking tarot cards, a rare magic reserved only for within the elite Arcana Academy.
Just when Clara’s fate seems sealed, she's offered an unexpected way out. Prince Kaelis, headmaster of the Academy, proposes a deal: help him steal a legendary tarot card from the king, and in return, earn her freedom.
His true goal? To reforge a long-lost, all-powerful card that could change the world.
To keep her close and her identity hidden, Kaelis enrolls Clara at Arcana Academy as a first-year student and publicly names her his future bride. Now entangled in a deadly game of secrets, magic, and royal deception, Clara must tread carefully. One wrong move could send her back to prison. Or worse.
But the deeper she goes, the more she questions the prince's true intentions… and her own. Can she trust Kaelis with the fate of the realm? Or will she claim the power for herself before anyone else can?

Arcana Academy is an enemies-to-lovers romantasy with dark academia vibes and a magic system to die for!

My favourite thing about this book was truly the magic system. Magical tarot cards that are inked by Arcanists and can be wielded to serve different purposes depending on each card. The entire world building was so fascinating to me, Clans, Houses, Major and Minor Arcana and how it all relates to the tarot, I’m obsessed!

It did take me a while to get into it, I would say about 40% which is around the time the romance starts to pick up. The beginning is quite slow and it took me a while to get used to the writing as I was struggling to connect with it. It did feel like a story being told to me rather than me witnessing as it unfolds but it did pick up in the second half of the book.
While this is a romantasy, the romance is very slowly building up. I wish that there was a bit more tension and banter between Clara and Kaelis right from the start. They are enemies and while that is important to the story, the attraction between them did kind of come out of nowhere for me. Once the romance started picking up, I did really enjoy it but it left me wanting more.
However, I think that the romance and overall plot of this book set up for an amazing sequel. The ending was absolutely insane and I can’t to see where this is going!

✨ Review: Arcana Academy by Elise Kova – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book had me in a chokehold from the very first page 😮‍💨🔥 The tension, the angst, the perfectly executed enemies-to-lovers dynamic, every single bit of it was utterly addictive. Elise Kova doesn’t just write stories, she builds entire worlds that wrap around you and won’t let go 🌍💫

The magic system? So rich and immersive 🪄✨ And the worldbuilding? Chef’s kiss 👨‍🍳💋 Everything came together beautifully, only to combust in the most glorious, heart-shattering explosion by the end 💥💔

I am in desperate need of the next book, like, yesterday 😩📚 Please. Thank you.

Now let’s talk about Kaelis 🖤 My new book boyfriend, no competition. He’s the ultimate grumpy-soft combo: broody on the outside, cinnamon roll on the inside 🐺➡️🥐 Especially for our fearless, no-nonsense heroine 💪✨ He had me swooning in every scene 😍 And when the spice hit? Oh, it delivered 🔥🌶️ Intense, electric, and absolutely perfect.

⚠️ Warning: This book ends on a massive cliffhanger. Like scream-into-your-pillow, stare-at-the-wall, emotional-damage-level cliffhanger 😱😭 The final chapters wrecked me… in the best way.

As my first Elise Kova read, this was top tier 💯 I’m officially obsessed and will now be bingeing every other book of hers sitting unread on my shelf. Why did I wait this long? No idea. But Arcana Academy has made me a forever fan 🖤📖