✨ 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 🖤📖

Thank you Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for this ARC.

We meet Clara, our FMC as she is in prison for inking and using Tarot cards illegally, the magic system of this world. She is the visited by the Headmaster of Arcana Academy, Kaelis, the second born prince of the kingdom and they make a bargain for her release.

I really enjoyed this book, the academy setting with the deadly trials and high stakes, the suits of the tarot being used to divide people into houses and the means of inking, wielding and reading them being taught.

The tension between Clara and Kaelis is intense, but sometimes it felt a bit forced and dragged a bit, but the found family elements in the book made up for it.

There are a lot of twists and turns that will keep your interest peaked throughout, and that ending is absolutely criminal with that massive cliffhanger! I cannot wait to see where this series is going to next!

Original magic system, ruthless competition, grumpy and stubborn characters we all like, a cat who steals the show, and an ending that makes you wish book 2 was already published because I need it now!

4.25/5 stars for both the book and the audiobook. The narrator really makes the characters come to life and does the narrative justice.

I’m going to start with what I disliked the most, because all other things I have to say about this book are praise. So, the pacing… For about the first 60% of the book, I had to force myself to keep on reading. I liked what I read, but I just wasn’t that invested, yet. Some things were rather repetitive also. Even though I wanted to know what was coming next, I could easily put the book aside for a few hours. It starts really slow, sometimes confusing even, and it takes a while before the pieces start coming together and you get attached to the characters. Once you begin to discover where everything is going, what’s at stake, and who you can or cannot trust (or so you think), you are in for a ride…

Now for the positive things and the praise: I read the last 40% in one sitting (40% out of almost 600 pages is a lot, I know, don’t out me like that…). The enemies to lovers (it takes some time for the chemistry to make an appearance, but once it does, I was rooting for them so hard!), the tarot magic, the intrigues and betrayal, the past that resurfaces, the possibilities, the discoveries, the houses and alliances, the found family, hate-worthy enemies, … the pace suddenly picks up, the stakes rise, maybe some people are unalived (expect both cries of happiness and tears of sadness), there is one plot twist after the other and you just have to know what will happen next. I can’t say anything about the ending, because that would be a major spoiler, but believe me when I say you’ll want to get your hands on a copy of book two ASAP. We’ll have to be patient though, because book 1 even still has to hit the shelves (one more week, believe me it’s worth it)… Did I mention it has a very original and interesting magic system? I want to be able to ink cards and wield them as well…

The story has a lot of potential and in the end it does deliver. It’s the first book by Elise Kova that I have read, but it will definitely not be the last. She knows how to tell a compelling story with lots of amazing and intriguing elements.

Thank you Hodderscape for the eARC and ALC, I really enjoyed both.

First impressions 💭
Only a few chapters in and I was excited for everything that Arcana Academy promised to be! The magic system was exciting, unique and well thought out.
And I was looking forward to secrets unraveling and the mystery unfolding throughout the story!

What I Loved ❤️
- the Elite academy setting with a focus on the magic system - the academics of learning said magic and the steps the students had to go through in order to make it through the academy. The friendships and the rivals and the secret society made for a thrilling journey worth turning pages for!
- The Romance - Swoon.
It’s nothing I haven’t seen before - morally grey prince and headmaster of the academy, thought to be the villain of this story (but is he?) meets badass magically gifted female who pushes every boundary and breaks every rule (for the greater good) and of course they hate eachother (but do they?)
I eat it up EVERY SINGLE TIME.

What wasnt for me 👎🏻
- that cliffhanger 🤯, this one flipped my suspicions on their head and left me open mouthed and in disbelief that I have to wait for an announcement of book 2. THE AUDACITY!! 😂
(This is a joke - I loved it all)

Favourite Quote 📝
Don’t give in to despair until you know the coffin is full. Yes, it applies to literal life-and-death situations. But it is more than that. Don’t exhaust yourself over something that might not come to pass.

Final verdict ⭐️
It’s an exciting blend of academics, Main characters each with their own agendas, secrets and lies and an unraveling mystery, action and fight scenes, an epic heist and of course… romance, that is perfectly paced and kept me flipping pages until the early morning hours! 🙌🏻
If this book doesn’t blow up and become the next big Romantasy series of 2025 then I’ll eat my hat.

The way a full blown pterodactyl screeched out of me at that ending - I am not okay… still! Arcana Academy has me in an unapologetic chokehold

This is peak fantasy romance.
Secret tarot magic? Yep.
A broody, morally grey prince with a fake engagement that spirals into something way messier? Say no more.

Clara - Scrappy, sharp, and just trying to survive a world that keeps trying to knock her down - Complete underdog.
Kaelis - He’s all sharp stares, veiled motives, and “I’ll burn the world for you” energy.

The tension between them is unreal.
“He didn’t touch me, not really - but gods, I felt it everywhere.”

It’s that kind of slow burn that coils around your ribs and refuses to let go.
“Power like his wasn’t meant to be gentle. And yet, in that moment, it was.”

There’s so much in here that ticked every box for me—if you love One Dark Window, Crimson Moth, or The Hurricane Wars, I’m confident this one’s going to land for you too.

The world is rich, the stakes are high, and that ending? Unhinged (in the best possible way).

Big thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review. I’m already counting down to book two.

Ok ok where to begin because that was a tornado. This was my first Elise Kova book and boy did we start on a high.

Firstly, I adored the magic system - using the arcane, tarot cards was super intriguing and unique. It made me want to look up different decks and deep dive into their meanings. I thought it was explained quite well throughout especially as it’s quite action packed it’s easy to forget but I didn’t get lost.

The world building was rich and made me want to run amuck, traipsing around all the hidden passages. I don’t think I’ve ever highlighted so many quotes and words in my life until now! I can’t wait to go back over them.

Our brooding MMC, Kaelis had me blushing that’s for sure - a tortured soul, who’s got wit, is painfully handsome, shrouded in mystery, dresses well and has a cat. Say no more. I’m sat.

Our FMC Clara, fiercely protective and loyal to her family yet manages to get herself in some seriously sticky situations, who should she trust especially when new pieces of the puzzle start being added. I did question some of her decisions but also kept rooting for her.

I was hooked from the very first page however, I did feel it started slowing up a bit from 50-85% but then picked up the pace again. Some of the spicy scenes did cringe me out a little but I’m more of a tension than action reader.

The cliffhanger was criminal, I have so many more questions and I wanna dive into book two now. Overall I really enjoyed this book and would recommend to everyone!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to arc read this book.

tarot, enemies to lovers, magic school/hogwarts vibes, bad ass FMC ⚔️ ✨🃏 a definite 3.5 for me but rounded up on GRs because I had so much fun in the last 30% ish. looooooved the dark academia vibes, really liked the tarot magic system, but just didn’t connect fully with the characters. I got more invested as I went along. the first half felt loooong… but I flew through it after that, and the ending was SO good and left me reaching for a second book. I’ll definitely look forward to the next instalment!! thanks to Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape for the ARC of this book! 📖

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me at 60%.

The main issue I had with this one is that I just couldn’t seem to get connected to the characters or find myself caring about the narrative. There were quite a few side characters introduced but none of them really had the depth we would need to be invested in them (or at times remember who they were).

I did however really enjoy the writing style, and the world building and magic system were really intriguing, but unfortunately they weren’t enough to keep me invested in this one.

This book is the grown-up, dark version of Hogwarts that I reckon a lot of romantasy book girlies are going to be gagged over this year. And I absolutely understand why. I really enjoyed how Kova was able to somehow send me back to the location I spent so much time in as a teen while still writing a completely original story.

There is something to be said about Kova's incredible talent for writing misunderstood second born princes who are looking to overthrow their fathers' reign. Kaelis reminded me so much of Aldrick from Air Awakens which I absolutely loved. However, I think perhaps this familiarity was almost a bad thing for me as I thought the mood of Arcana Academy would therefore be similar to Air Awakens. If that is what you're hoping for from this read, then heed my warning: this book is darker, more grown up, and literally every single character you encounter is morally grey. For me, I prefer a little bit of a brighter outlook as the book reaches its conclusion. Perhaps that is to come in the forthcoming books, but as it stands, this story is a dark one.

Thank you to Elise Kova, Hodder & Stoughton | Hodderscape and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review Arcana Academy prior to its release.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publishers for access to this ARC 📚.

🔥Quick Fire Review🔥

Genre/Themes: ⚔️ 🏆🪄🪙🃏👑🔮👰🏻‍♀️🖋️🎓🏫🪶🐈‍⬛👗
Tropes: Set in a Magical Realm, Escape, Magical Academy, Enchanted Objects, Forbidden Magic, Elemental Powers, Romantic Rivalries with High Stakes, Fake Relationship, Enemies to Lovers, He Hates Everyone Except for Her, Slow Burn, Innocent Cohabitation, Missing Family Member, Murder, Hidden Identity, Long-Lost Royalty, Morally Grey Characters, Orphan Hero, Ragtag Team of Heroes, Paying the Price, Royal Intrigue, Complex Political Systems, Dark Family Histories, Heist
Positives: great magical system, engaging plot
Room for Improvement 🔎 : unlikeable main characters, undeveloped supporting characters, clunky writing style at times which led to unclear world-building, lacklustre romance, some predictable plot choices
Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌘

✍🏻 Full Review - RISK OF SPOILERS 🛑

I so wanted to love this wholly and entirely, but struggled to. A tarot magic system is everything I’ve ever wanted and it could have been genuinely awesome, but the writing made it sound so much more convoluted than it needed to. The romance was a bit of a let-down and I could have taken or left the main characters. The only thing keeping me going was the engaging plot, enough so that I’ll more than likely continue the series.

Characterisation:
I couldn’t warm to Clara at all. She was impulsive, abrasive and arrogant. I hated how the calm, collected and intelligent character we were introduced to in Halazar who could analyse predicted outcomes and act accordingly, slowly became a total idiot. Outright ignoring risks, actually creating risks when she didn’t need to, jumping to conclusions and then every time without fail waiting for Kaelis to save her. Her ‘loyalty’ only ever seemed to be self-serving. Her sister and the mystery of her mother’s death were realistically the only things she truly cared about. Did she actually love the Star-Crossed Club? Or did she so highly rely on them for her illegal wrongdoings that benefitted her and her sister that she didn’t want them dead because of their value? She might have liked them, and was grateful for them, but if it had been between them and reaching her goals I think they’d be gone. Same for Silas. She saved him out of guilt, guilt that yet again her impulsivity and habit of running away from accountability rather than facing it head on had gotten him in trouble. She was such an immature child when it came to Kaelis. I didn’t find her ‘hatred’ of him to develop chemistry, I just found it annoying and false.
Kaelis was much of the same. He too was arrogant, calculated and tortured. He dragged the truth out unnecessarily, leaving Clara to believe he’d done all of these horrible things that made her hate him, for what reason? It could have all been cleared up much earlier. He at least appeared to want the World card for the greater good, even calling Clara out for having selfish intentions with it. But is any of that true? We’ll have to find out. His dialogue when scheming, mocking and manipulating was perfectly fine. His dialogue when it came to romance and smut scenes? I hate to say it - God awful. It was just paragraphs of BookTok energy quotes, corny and unnatural and completely out of character. NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, would say ‘look at me deep with those crimson eyes’, especially not while fucking. ‘Devoured my thoughts. Flooded my dreams’. When did the dude become a poet? All that weird stuff was dispersed amongst some genuinely great writing, like the angsty ‘what do you want from me?’ and ‘if you hate me, then hate me, let us be eternal rivals… if you want something else from me, then take it. But if it is neither, then set me free and let me be done with you once and for all.’ I think he was also written to be way too young, 22? He would talk like that at 22? Doubtful.
Clara’s friends were hit-and-miss. Her friendship with Luren was very wholesome, even if I suspect that Clara wanted to keep her around to use her Reading skills when needed. But regardless Luren was written to be kind, supportive, hopeful. Her friend Kel, who had been the cynical grumpy to her sunshine, dying because of her would have been really sad had Kel been developed in the same way. As it stood, I liked Luren even more for keeping her chin up and carrying on despite the guilt and remorse. Dristin may as well have not existed. He made a couple of emotionally unintelligent know-it-all comments, a couple of supportive ones, and that was it. What were his skills and strengths? No idea. Alor was an unanticipated friendship and I did enjoy it. Alor had major abandonment issues from her father and trying to live up to his expectations, but she was just as calculating and resourceful as Clara was which seemed to generate a mutual understanding and respect. Especially when it came to the love for their sisters. Then came her Star-Crossed Club ‘family’. I didn’t like Bristara at all. I didn’t get ‘maternal’ vibes, I got judgmental, emotionally unavailable and quietly manipulative energy. She selectively revealed information, basically lying by omission, to the people she supposedly cared for. She didn’t treat them like adults with their own autonomy, instead she dictated what knowledge people had to control them as a result. Jura was Luren 2.0. Wholesome, compassionate and loving. Gregor could have been a great character had he been about written more. I got the impression of a big gentle giant. Loyal and sensitive. I got an implication he was in love with Arina but it wasn’t really explored. Twino was very clever and the nerd of the group, and Ren was… good at botany? Honestly I just don’t think her relationship with any of the club was developed enough for me to feel anything about them.
The other Major Arcanists were Eza, Cael, Nidus, Thal, Elorin, Sorza, Myrion and Silas. Eza, Cael and Nidus were literally just Draco Malfoy with Crabbe and Goyle. Down to the white hair and the latter two being his lackies. What annoyed me was that we never really got any proper context as to why Eza was such a prick. Why was he helping Kaelis at all? His father was loyal to the King and Ravin, why would Eza even give Kaelis his card? It didn’t really make any sense and he just seemed to exist as a plot device to get Clara caught. Thal and Elorin appeared midway through the book and were never really mentioned again. Elorin having to ‘give up a memory’ to access her passive Major power was interesting, but it was very suspicious that she wouldn’t use her power to find out Clara’s truth. Myrion and Sorza were likeable allies, but again no real development there and no context as to why they were so willing to give their cards to Kaelis. Silas was another big gentle giant, and I felt sorry for him that he was having to play both sides. I got another hint that he was into Arina. But ‘all the time Clara spent in his room’ was glossed over so we got no conversations or interactions to solidify their friendship.
The villains of the book, Kaelis’ brother Ravin and his father King Naethor were genuinely very scary. Both excellent at playing Kaelis and Clara’s games, without them realising it. Their stoic natures, their calm and collected interactions were what I thought Clara was going to be like at the very beginning. Silent but deadly weapons. Ravin’s truly evil nature was revealed at the end, his bloodlust and smug glee at getting what he wanted.
Overall, I felt there were too many characters introduced with too little time to flesh them out properly.

World-Building:
I loved the Arcanists and the Academy, even if we acknowledge the similarities to other fictional magic schools, I thought it was great. The dystopian aspect of it, too - use their powers to serve the government, live a life of servitude in the mills, or die. Ink without permission, and risk Halazar, the equivalent of Alcatraz. Being born gifted being more of a curse. The secrecy of the Major Arcana, with the Oricalis family convincing everybody that they essentially do not exist. Being able to hide it by the fact that powers in the Major Arcana are only ever held by one individual, with the powers passed to a new person through death only. The person wielding the Major Arcana’s power essentially being an extension of it, an embodiment of it. The Majors having the power to wield both minor and major cards, while also having a unique passive power alongside it. But to use it, a cost must be made. Just as those wielding the minor arcana must sacrifice a future to the Chalice to access further powers. The Chalice itself posed some questions, such as what does it do with all of those sacrifices? Are they being collected by the Oricalis family? Used somehow? Because we learn it’s not essential to sacrifice to the chalice to gain more power, it’s just much faster. Regardless, I found all of this so engaging, but my problem with it came with the confusing writing of it. The glossary of the cards desperately needed to be put at the front of the book and not at the back, and small epigraphs throughout the chapters would have been really useful as well. Because only one or two cards got a proper description in the story, or a description of what was depicted on it. This was silly, as plenty of time in the book is spent inking them. Could it not have been described what exactly they were drawing? What small details were important? What the symbols represented? Too much presumption of the reader’s knowledge of tarot was leant on. When it started to involve elements too it became even more convoluted because of the poor explanation of it. I do also wish we’d seen a bit more of the learning side of things in the Academy, especially the Reading. This would have been a good opportunity to explain some of the cards meanings and interpretations as well, or the method of tarot spreads.
The world outside of Arcana Academy desperately needed more development. We heard next to nothing about normal humans who weren’t Arcanists. What did they do? How did they make a living? How did they survive without the help of the minor arcana? We got an idea of classism, with the noble houses versus the lower classes such as Clara’s upbringing, where resorting to crime or being exploited in dangerous jobs like her mother, down the Descent, were the only options. I don’t remember exactly but there also seemed to be a mandatory assignment to the Descent for the lower classes, implying even non-Arcanists were exploited by the government to collect the ingredients for tarot ink. The Star-Crossed Club and Fatefinders were mentioned as the most popular social clubs in the town, with Fatefinders even hosting feasts for the Academy. But what type of people were in these clubs? What was the culture? We know sXc was a disguise for Clara and Arina’s illegal inking, to help the poor, but what else? What was life like for the nobility? We hear of Clan Moon, Clan Tower and hear of their influence and the bias towards them. But what was their life before the academy like? We learn Clan Hermit was destroyed by Kaelis, but why? Was it another situation where it wasn’t him being evil or anything, but was actually a mistake, that he could easily clear up by being honest with Clara? Probably. We learn Clara actually is of noble blood. Why did her dad leave? Who was he in his clan? So much to discover that I imagine is in book two.
There are discussions about the ‘old World’, known as the Revison Kingdom. It is discovered to not be ‘ancient’ at all, and that it was destroyed by the World card. The Worldkeepers are another unique wielder, the only people who can create the Vessel card to activate it. It is revealed that Clara is one of them, previously it was her mother who had hidden her from the Oricalis’ and told her to ditch her noble surname. Why was her mother killed, but she and her sister were kept in Halazar? I got a bit confused by the King’s intentions because it wasn’t clear if he had used the World card to get rid of the Revison Kingdom, and was now preventing it being activated again, or if he wanted to activate it again himself. Why would he do that if the current world benefitted him? Why did he keep Kaelis alive but murder his mother, if he wanted rid of the Revisons? What does ‘void-born’ mean? I don’t know if that was even explained. If it was, it wasn’t explained well.
Overall a potentially awesome world but it definitely needs expansion in the other books. Perhaps too much was crammed into this one for the lore to feel solid.

Prose\Plot:
As mentioned with the world-building, the descriptive writing was similarly overly-convoluted and had a bloated feeling. Every room that was entered got a long paragraph of its appearance, but the descriptions were either so flowery or the sentences so choppy that I couldn’t even fathom what I was meant to be picturing in my head. The descriptions of the magic wielding, though, were much better.
Plot wise, I was hooked. The only gripe was that the twists with Silas and Arina were totally obvious. Arina felt like a cop-out if I’m being honest. Had it been their mother still alive I would have been more shocked. Ravin’s twist though? I didn’t see that coming at all.
Clara’s plot armour was boring at times. It lowered any sense of peril, because for whatever reason she was immune or resistant to even the major cards that Eza and Ravin used. It was also dumb that it was stressed that the healing card could not heal fatal wounds, but apparently having your ribs kicked in until they pierce your inner organs isn’t a fatal injury. Yawn. She passed all three tests in the academy, beat out Eza into House Swords, perfectly forged the Major cards and stole the real ones from the King. Basically seemed to be able to get away with anything which just exacerbated her arrogance. It didn’t leave any room for personal growth.
Also, it was just blatantly ignored that, while they were having sex, Kaelis tried to get Clara to admit she was in love with him? After the entire book was spent trying not to admit any feelings for each other I thought this would have been a bigger deal, no?
A lore issue I found was the whole ‘destroyed future with Liam’ thing. What confused me was that it was supposed to be impossible to ever happen, but they still end up in the exact scenario. Same room, same event, same initial words said. And yet the only reason it didn’t happen as it did in the prophecy was that… they’d seen her destroy it. What was stopping them from, just… playing it out exactly as it was? Would it kill them or something? Were they physically incapable of saying or doing the things in the original future? It just seemed dumb to destroy an occurrence only for everything else about it to still happen.
Overall though, I was able to totally binge read this book even staying up until 6am to read a solid 75% of it when I had some insomnia. With some polishing this world could be magnificent, and there is plenty going on in the plot with its sense of magical and political mystery.

the magic system was so beautifully unique, such an intriguing set up with the tarot cards! the dark academia setting was really the cherry on top. I had a great time immersing myself in this world, but you definitely have to pay attention to keep up with the information and all the different side characters — there’s a lot of both.

I wouldn’t necessarily say this first book was a romantasy. it was more fantasy-focused, with the romance as a subplot, and while I’m not mad about it, I found myself wishing for a bit more growth between Clara and Kaelis. they haven't fully won me over yet, though I did appreciate the slow burn nature of their relationship. maybe this also correlates to the fact that I was frustrated with Clara at times.

the last 10%, especially the cliffhanger, made me gasp and I must know what happens right now.
I was left with a lot of unanswered questions, so I'm no doubt going to pick up book two whenever it's out.

thank you to Elise Kova, Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️

this book turned into a anticipated read for me so when i got a arc for it i was just so excited to jump straight into this and i absolutely devoured it !

straight from the beginning you just get pulled into it and i was instantly intrigued with this world , i feel like the world building and the magic system was explained in such a lovely smooth way like you didn’t have to feel confused like some fantasy make you feel because you was just learning as you go and it was really easy to follow. the magic system is so unique i don’t think i ever read a book with tarot cards as a magic system and i really enjoyed that alot it felt like a breath of fresh air to have something feel so new for me personally. it has those familiar fantasy feels but with something new in the mix. the plot also had so many twists that i didn’t see coming and i loved that it just kept you on your toes and just turning in so many directions it kept it exciting, i truly didn’t feel bored once. i wanted to devour it and savour it at the same time.

the characters were flashed out so well i absolutely love clara and kaelis and just root for them both. the slowburn was also actually a slowburn and i just ate it up !! i also absolutely adore silas. you ofcourse have your characters that you absolutely dislike but i just love that. i feel like the characters are complex and not straight forward they have so much darkness and history to them that it just keeps you intrigued and interested in them.

also that ending with everyone .. wow !?!?! i just need to know what happened and how and what’s going to happen next. it’s fair to say i absolutely loved this book and can’t wait for everyone to read this !


thank you so much to Elise Kova and Hodder & Stoughton for this arc :)

Dark Academia, Fantasy, Unique Magic System, Original Storyline, Romance.
This book literally has EVERYTHING.

I was in a literal frenzy as I ate up every single word in this book.

Clara was a force to be reckoned with and I admired her so much, Clara and her found family have my whole heart 💔🥹

The enemies to lovers and the achingly slow burn was chefs kiss.

The last two chapters had me screaming in frustration and horror but that cliffhanger was something else!.

Fellow bookworms please read this to find your new Fantasy obsession.

One of the best romantasy books I’ve read this year. The magic system is so unique! I loved how it works and the three aspects that the students have to learn!
The academy setting was done so well, I like how it had different house but they have to prove that they were good enough to join it.
The plot twist have the end had me so shocked! Really looking forward to the next book.

Thank you SO much to Hodderscape and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of Arcana Academy to review!

Arcana Academy follows Clara, who was imprisoned for illegally inking and using tarot cards, the main magic system in this world. A year into her imprisonment she makes a bargain with Prince Kaelis, the enigmatic headmaster of Arcana Academy, to enroll at the school and develop her abilities so that they might steal his father's deck of cards in order to create a world-changing card that has been thought to be myth. Clara accepts and is swept into Arcana Academy under a ruse of being Kaelis' bride-to-be.

This book was so good!! I devoured the last 350 pages in one day and absolutely loved it. That ending though? I'm yearning for the next book harder than the main characters yearned for each other, my gosh.

Something that is really special about this book is the magic system; we've seen tarot cards done before but the way this system was laid out to be threefold (inking, wielding and reading) was so interesting to read, and the lessons we get with Clara around the different disciplines was so fun. Reading about tarot card battles was so cool and immersive, it felt like I was watching a film in my head with all the detailed descriptions.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this as well; Clara was so engaging and relatable to read about, Kaelis had me kicking my feet at many turns, and the found family of the Starcrossed Club were so wonderful to read about. I also enjoyed Clara's classmates, with a few notable exceptions, and was really rooting for them in some of the trials that initiates had to go through. And can we talk about Priss the cat? Loved her so much.

The romance is exactly what I've been looking for; enemies at first but slowly getting closer and closer, yearning more and more, despite their conflicting thoughts and beliefs, until it finally just clicks. The tension was off the charts and I loved it. This is what I want in a romantasy, not constant bickering and insta-lust. More of this please!

I think some people may struggle with the pacing of this one; it is a little slow in the beginning as you're learning the magic system and being inducted into the academy along with Clara. However the more you get into this one, the more you're immersed and swept along for the ride, and the ending makes you want to sprint-read!

Overall I loved this one; I had a feeling from the first few chapters that it'd be a 5 star read and it didn't disappoint me! If you love magical schools, unique magic systems, trial-based books, and a slowburn romance that'll have you kicking your feet, definitely add this to your TBR! I so recommend it!

What a unique and captivating premise. I loved the magic system - the way it revolved around tarot cards. There was so much depth to the plot, from the cards to the different clans and how the magical system differed depending on each card. The romance was another favourite - I loved the enemies to lovers aspect of it. I really hope we get to see more of it in the next book - especially after that ending! 5/5 stars

This was a painful read - and a bloody difficult one.
I had such high expectations, too.

I think if you are new to this genre, you may enjoy it - but if you have read Harry Potter or Fourth Wing, you will be very disappointed.

Academic setting? ✔️ Deadly trials?✔️ Tarot magic? ✔️ Enemies to lovers? ✔️ Found family?✔️Fake engagement?✔️ What DOESN'T this book have? I loved this dark academic fantasy romance from the first sentence and I am DYING for the sequel already! The ending was a delicious cliffhanger.

The magic system? I adore it! I have always loved tarot since I was little, and still own some decks. Having individual cards have specific powers, and all the other interesting rules about how various cards can be used by various people is such an interesting system and I can't wait to learn even more in the next book. The school was a classic mix of the house system with tarot suits, which of course I love. I feel like cups and swords got a lot of time, I am really hoping to see more of the other suits as well.

The romance? The burn was deliciously slow and perfectly paced for the plot. This is a real enemies to lovers, not just a bunch of insta-lust and bickering. Of course there is the usual back and forth but it isn't childish or based on misunderstanding. The different stakes for both characters are high and clear and I can't wait to see how everything is resolved. There isn't a lot of spice, just a couple of scenes and it is open door.

I don't know how long I can wait for the sequel, it will be going on my TBR as soon as it is announced.

Arcana Academy has one of the most interesting magic systems I've encountered in a while, with the use of tarot cards rather than spells. I also loved the setup for the main romance. It was a great combination of fake dating and enemies-to-lovers that will appeal to a lot of readers! Mysteries were unfolding slowly throughout, keeping the sense of intrigue high.

Despite all of this, I wasn't as gripped by the story as I'd thought I would be. I seem to be in the minority, but I felt that the romance was a bit underdeveloped. Even though it was technically a slow-burn, it didn't feel as satisfying as it should have. I also found the FMC to be quite childish at some points even though she was supposed to be in her 20s.

Nevertheless, this was an inventive new fantasy world and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses in further books.

I cannot say enough good things about this book ✨ from the moment I finished the first chapter I had a very special feeling!

I was truly captivated by the world building and intricate magic system - this was unlike anything I have read before and kept me flipping pages until the very last moment 📖

Both of our main characters had morally grey elements to them and that just made them even more likeable and interesting to follow.

Clara is a head-strong, stubborn woman who we quickly learn will do whatever she can for those she loved and I was honestly guessing until the very last moment what actions she would take.

Kaelis was cunning and dark but with an air of beauty about him from the very beginning - I was kept guessing who he would become (and probably still will as this series is only just beginning).

Overall, this book was phenomenal and I highly recommend you go and click pre-order ❤️‍🔥