Elsie Kova delivered a sequel that is darker, bigger, and even more addictive than the first. If you loved book one, prepare for shocking revelations, epic battles, heartbreaking moments, and a romance worth rooting for.

We pick up exactly where book one left off and are transported back to Oricalis. The stakes are much higher, Clara is letting loose, the action is nonstop, and the magic and cards are more powerful than ever. Clara truly comes into her own and doesn’t hold back. She’s a total badass.

The story takes a route I wasn’t expecting, but it was completely necessary. It helps Clara navigate Oricalis, the academy, and her plan to change the world while avenging her family. We learn more about the World Keepers, the cards, and the vessels needed to create a new world. However, the World Keepers want that new world for themselves. Not all of them are kind, and some are determined to bring an end to the Oricalis royals. The Oricalis family’s secrets will blow your mind, and Ravin continues to play the role of the scheming, cruel prince. You can never tell how the story will end. Don’t even get me started on Clara’s parentage, it will have you picking your jaw up off the floor.

Enemies become allies, old allies become enemies, and Clara doesn’t know who she can trust. However, she learns to let others in. They need her knowledge and power, and she needs allies.

It’s so hard not to give anything away, but we do lose some incredible characters, so be prepared for some heartache. I was on a packed Tube in London shouting, “Nooooooo!” There are battles, devastating losses, and moments of pure sacrifice that left me speechless. Those who are loyal to Clara are loyal until the very end.

I adore Kaelis. He’s strong and always anchors Clara, remaining composed and elegant throughout. He’s patient and completely devoted to helping her. He gives Clara exactly what she needs, often before she even realises it herself. We also learn much more about Kaelis in this book, and his backstory is heartbreaking filled with abuse, fear, confusion, and a tragic childhood. Their love story is beautiful despite all the odds. They fight for their future together, finally giving in to what they’ve known all along. It’s incredibly sweet and wonderfully raw, and the swoon-worthy moments are everything.

My only small complaint is that I occasionally struggled to remember what some of the cards could do, but honestly, that barely affected my enjoyment.

AND that ending….. WTAF… I need book 3 like yesterday.

This is narrated by Anna Burnet who is incredible. She has a beautiful strong voice and commands your attention.

That ending, I'm so discombobulated, what the hell happened, I can't do this.. I fear I stared at the wall for like half an hour..

I actually read the ebook and listened to the audiobook at the same time and that was honestly such a good experience. I was completely immersed in the world and it made the story much more emotional. The audiobook was wonderfully produced and I absolutely loved the narrator.

After how book one ended, everything got resolved better than I ever dared to hope, but it was still such a dark place to be in.. We got destruction, pain, secret societies, mistrust, allies, some much needed answers, family, more card magic, some heat, death and even more questions..

Kaelis, that man went to the top of my book boyfriends, his devotion was simply unmatched. There's nothing better than a morally grey man completely obsessed with her. He protected Clara, understood her, waited for her to come to him and the way he treasured her, absolutely no notes!! We finally found out some things about him and I understand him so much more now.
Clara finally learned how to trust more and I loved seeing it. She trusted herself, found her home and had to make some pretty tough decisions..

I love them both so much, we really got some beautiful moments here. We saw them struggling to trust completely to finally letting go. They became each other's safe place. That scene at the crater might me one of my favourite scenes ever!!
The protection, the jealousy, the yearning, the trust, the understanding, the conviction, the bond, the desire and the destiny. She saw the darkness in him and loved him even more!!

"𝓣𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓶𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓫𝓮 𝓪 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓶𝔂 𝓶𝓸𝓷𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻."

This world is simply amazing, the tarot cards, the academy setting, the vibes, the secondary characters, the Worldkeepers, the familiar bonds, the love and the loss..
The race to get everything they needed to change the world and what they had to sacrifice to do it was quite eventful.. I have gone through so many emotions reading it. I had to stop and collect my thoughts quite a few times..
The pacing did feel off at times, but I love this world and these characters far too much to be bothered by it. I would easily read a thousand more pages of them just existing.

Again, that last chapter was so unexpected, how did we even get there, I need book three!! I would give anything to be able to read it now, I can't stand the fact it ended like that.. How can I wait a year??

So, full disclosure - I’d forgotten most of what happened in book one, but remembered really loving it! So it took me a little while to get caught up, but I’m so glad I did as this was another wild ride! I love the concept of these books, with the card magic, but especially love the characters and how fast paced it feels - the adventure and passion (yes it’s a bit spicy) never let up!

Great audio narration and now I can’t wait for book 3, because OMG THAT ENDING.

Actual rating 4.5.

If you loved Arcana Academy, don’t stress because she only gone and done it again 😭

This has everything the first book had in it and more and I was freaking out the entire time. While I was listening to the audiobook and just cleaning the house I would stop was I was doing, sit down and just stair at the wall while I processed what I was hearing 😅

As always, Elise writes about magical use in such a beautiful and informative way and the relationships throughout this one are going to make you ugly cry.

I’m actually not ready for book 3 and neither should you 🫵

Thankyou to Elise Kova, Hodder & Stoughton Audio and NetGally for an ALC pf Prince of Swords (Expected release July 21st 2026)

I was lucky enough to receive the written and audio arc for this and was able to read immersively. The narrators are absolutely exceptional, they express the dialogue exactly as I imagine it while reading and add another dimension to the story being able to put a voice to the characters. I would definitely recommend listening to the audiobook!! Below is my review for the actual content:
Umm I am not ok?????? I absolutely loved Arcana Academy but I did not expect Prince of Swords to hook me so much. I read this in 2 days, at around 25% I realised this was going to be 5 star.
Kova's writing is so good! The way she describes emotional depth, trauma and the world she's created is such a joy to read .
Then there's the plot- I never once felt it dragged or had filler content. I was hooked chapter to chapter, with more twists I didn't guess and a few I did (but still didn't get it quite right!!) it must be so daunting writing a sequel but it's clear Kova has meticulously planned out each book in the series. The end of this book left me gasping, devastated, excited and terrified for the final book.
Finally there's Clara and Kaelis. In book one, I really loved their dynamic- dry humour, manipulative push and pull, out-scheming each other with begrudging respect. In this book, their relationship builds on that in a way that I didn't expect - I didn't expect some of the scenes to completely destroy me (in a good way) the way they did. How you read them growing into each other, taking leaps of faith step by step while maintaining their spiky characters gives you kicking your feet dizziness but with emotional depth that took me by surprise. Their romance is really earned in this book and the yearning is out of this world - there's still so much at stake and so much they have to figure out between them with some absolutely huge obstacles thrown in their way it's a journey that delivers character development as well as heart-wrenching tenderness. The way Kova has written Kaelis in this book took me by complete surprise in a positive way, he is tortured, devastatingly tender, fierce and violent in his defense and we get to see him start to become vulnerable. I am obsessed with him, and I am obsessed with the way Clara experiences and figures out her feelings for him as the book develops - how we see him through her as she fights two sides of herself wrestling her emotions- but Kaelis just keeps proving himself and good god I want to write more but I can't spoil anything!!!!
Romance aside, the plot deepens here without introducing left-field brand new elements that make no sense - everything that unravels (and there's a lot) feels like a mastermind has put it all together. The themes of control over our own choices, the corruption of power and the cycle of revenge are explored with nuance and compassion.
I will now go and read everything else Kova has ever written.

How am I supposed to wait another year for the next installment in this series with that ending?!

It had been a year or so since initially delving into Arcana Academy and I was slightly worried that due to heavy world building and such a strong magic system that I would struggle to get into the second book. But I needn't have been! The cards were once again explained at the beginning and as the world was so unique I had absolutely zero trouble jumping straight back in with Clara, The star-crossed club and Kaelis as their story continued.

This time the action is full on right from the start as the story continues from where we left off in the first book and the pacing is absolutely spot on with very little filler and everything having a reason and a place.

There were plenty of shocking revelations and jaw-dropping moments that kept me absolutely hooked on this 20 hour audio-book which though I felt I wasn't too sure on the narration with book one, this time the narrator nailed it and I felt she encapsulated the characters completely. I do wish there could be a duet as I just think Kaelis would be even better with male narration.

I really enjoyed the storyline overall with the world-keepers, the high stakes and vulnerable Kaelis absolutely melted me. He is definitely climbing his way up there in terms of my favourite fictional men!

The spice is heavier in this installment, and more frequent than in book one so if you like a spicy romantasy with an epic storyline to go alongside it, then I highly recommend this series!

This book was great, much better than the first one. However, I must admit it took me a little to get back into this world.

The novel, starts just where the previous one ended and it goes from there first slowing setting the mystery, plot and romance and then all action packed and high stakes.

What I liked most about this one as well as the previous book is the tarot magic and dark academia vibes. Both things feel very cool and unique, specially the tarot magic. I really liked the characters specially Clara, and how they were more developed in this sequel.

The novel, moves fast and many of the questions left in book 1 are resolved in this one. However, the sibling story line dragged a lot and it was for me the less interesting part of the novel.

The ending though, what a huge cliffhanger, I knew something like that could happen but wow, now the waiting it's gonna be horrible. The ending was so great, I wish we had the next book published this year.

The audiobook was great, I absolutely loved to listen to it and it helped me feel even more for the characters.

The novel reminds me of other favorites like Onyx Storm and Only a Monster in a good way so if those books speak to you give this one a chance.

Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton Audio for an ALC of this novel, all opinions are my own.

⭐️4.5 stars rounded up⭐️
After I read and loved "Arcana Academy" last year, I delved into Elisa Kova's back catalogue within her "Air Awakens" series. I was genuinely glad throughout that it was completed and that I didn't have to wait to find out the outcomes of the cliffhangers. About midway through "Prince of Swords", I remembered this and had to accept that the way forward only contained utter devastation. I'm bereft I have to wait for the 3rd installment. Bereft.

Prince of Swords takes everything I loved about Arcana Academy and heightens it into something even more gripping. The card based magic system becomes richer, more intricate, and more symbolic. It is rare for a sequel to deepen a magic system without overcomplicating it, but this one manages it with absolute finesse.

The character work is exceptional. The trust dynamics here are fragile, deliberate, and constantly evolving. Every moment of vulnerability feels earned, every hesitation meaningful. Watching these characters navigate loyalty, fear, and the slow unfurling of genuine trust is one of the most compelling parts of the book. And yes, one of my favourite microtropes appears, executed so perfectly I genuinely squealed, but I cannot say which because spoilers.

The plot is layered with strategy, secrets, and emotional tension. It expands the world without losing the atmospheric charm. The supporting cast continues to shine, each one adding depth, conflict, or clarity at exactly the right moment.

Prince of Swords is a masterful sequel. It is imaginative, addictive, and emotionally resonant. If you love romantasy with clever magic, complex relationships, and a slow burn that feels genuinely earned, this installment is unmissable.

"𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓."

Class is finally back in session!!
Arcana Academy was up there as one of my favourite reads last year so I have been (impatiently) waiting for this book to drop and I was lucky enough to get an ALC and dove straight in!

I still love the unique magic system in this series with the use of tarot cards! We even get a break down of all the cards and their abilities at the start which was really helpful. They're used for so many things throughout this book, healing, fighting, agility and even maybe for a little spicy time 😉

We're thrown straight back into the story where we left off after THAT ending in book one! Book two takes us on a wild ride with more action, more twists, more secrets revealed and most importantly more Kaelis "I would defy destiny for you" Oricalis 🥵

Clara is such a strong FMC, I loved her in book one but she's even better in book two! She takes no prisoners and will fight for those she loves, and boy does she have to fight! She's so strategic and as public enemy number one, she will try anything to complete her objectives whilst remaining undetected!

We also get to see a more vulnerable side of Kaelis in this one, we learn more about his past but also finally get to see just how powerful he really is!! The romance between him and Clara definitely goes up a notch in this book and I am here for it 🙌🏻 It feels like they're sending off enemies from all angles but they work so well together and I love their relationship!

"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒆𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒖𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏"

I was gripped throughout this story as Elise throws twist after twist at us but that ending?? What does this mean for book three? How am I supposed to just wait?

Honestly if you haven't already, read these books! Thank you so much to Hodderscape for the ALC for my honest review 🫶🏻