The Cloisters, part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a magical place and the perfect location for this story.
Ann Stilwell is desperate to leave her life in Washington state behind and move into the world of scholarship. So when her summer internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's main branch is cancelled she jumps at the chance to work at the Cloisters instead. The curator and his assistant are working on an exhibit about mystical elements of the medieval world. They become focused on tarot, particularly one mysterious deck. Ann starts out as an observer of the relationships between the curator, his assistant, Rachel and a young gardener. But she is drawn into the middle. Who is manipulating whom?
This is a review of an advanced reader's copy provided by NetGalley.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Cloisters by Katy Hays is a stunning dark academia novel about medieval art historians. The story revolves around Ann, who has just arrived in New York City for a summer internship at the Met. When she's suddenly fired, she's given the opportunity of a lifetime: work for the Cloisters instead. There, she works with other scholars in medieval art to research fortune telling and ancient tarot cards. It seems like a dream come true. But what will she do when someone dies, and the dream turns into a nightmare?

Here is an enchanting excerpt from the Prologue:

"Death always visited me in August. A slow and delicious month we turned into something swift and brutal. The change, quick as a card trick.
I should have seen it coming. The way the body would be laid out on the library floor, the way the gardens would be torn apart by the search. The way our jealousy, greed, and ambition were waiting to devour us all, like a snake eating its own tail. The ouroboros. And even though I know the dark truths we hid from one another that summer, some part of me still longs for The Cloisters, for the person I was before."

Overall, The Cloisters is a dark academia book that will appeal to fans of R. F. Huang's Babel or Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. One highlight of this book is the exciting premise. It got my attention from the start. Ann is about to get fired but ends up getting the opportunity of a lifetime. Another highlight of this book is how "academic" it is. It will definitely appeal to nerds like myself who enjoy beautiful and intelligent prose. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that the story is nice and pleasant, but ultimately forgettable. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of dark academia in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in November!

This story focuses on the story of Ann, a woman who has moved to NYC after graduation and finds herself working at the Met Cloisters working on a project uncovering a mysterious deck of tarot cards. She finds herself caught up in a web of mystery, secrets and ambition.

Throughout the entire novel I was hooked, the writing was great and the story line following an old deck of tarot cards was something unique and interesting. The book is definitely a slow build, however it felt like a big secret or twist was right around the corner - however that reveal never comes. I feel like this story could have been much bigger and incorporated supernatural elements, or even a creepy secret ritual that would have made this novel much more dark, with a meatier plot. Overall I found the ending to be quite disappointing and pretty obvious who had done it. Overall, the writing was great, the storyline interesting, but the follow through was not worth it in the end.

I love the Cloisters museum, so the setting was great, but I just didn't find much meat in this book. The characters were ones I really couldn't like and their motives always seemed a bit contrived. Everyone seemed to be very emotionless, so it was difficult to feel invested in them. I wanted either more supernatural elements or more straight mystery, but in the end there wasn't quite enough of either.

<i>The Cloisters</i> is one of those books that falls in the "cool idea, poor execution" category.

Ultimately, for me, the main plot points make no sense. Why is Rachel universally loved yet has many shady things/illegal activities associated with her that are openly known? Why are we supposed to be invested in tarot cards especially since it seems like the idea is that some of the characters believe they can tell the future while others see it as a research topic?

Ann also leans heavily into being a Mary Sue, which definitely distracts from the story. She's a down on her luck character, grew up with working-class parents who has never left her tiny hometown, yet fluently speaks 7 languages and is immediately recognized as something special by all of the main characters in the book.

There are some lovely descriptions in the book, and it is hitting on the dark academic trend that's so popular right now. If you want to read some nice descriptions and aren't too particular about plot points making sense, the book is fine for that.

Thanks, NetGalley for the ARC of the book.

Ann Stillwell is expecting to spend her summer working in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. When she arrives, she is told the person she was supposed to be working under is out of the country. Just when she thinks that she will have to return to Washington and the past, Patrick arrives demanding some help for his research at The Cloisters. It seems as if fate made this opportunity just for Ann. As Ann works, she realizes that she may have discovered a new passion, the tarot. When a previously unknown 15th-century deck is discovered, Ann finds herself with a frightening spread of the cards. Can she fight fate? Such an intriguing thriller.

The premise and setting are fascinating, but I didn't care for this book. Most of the prose is description and I found myself scanning through the pages for any sections with action. The characters are flat, the dialogue unnatural, and the plot predictable. Is there a reason the story doesn't really take off until the 50% mark? The tarot card readings are too simplistic and I didn't understand why Ann all of a sudden "knew" how to read the cards.

On a positive note, the descriptions are good. The author also seems to have some basic knowledge about living in NYC (although no subway line passes both Columbia and the Natural History Museum).

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria for the ARC.

Great read with lots of information. I am still unsure how to feel about the ending but that makes for a good book.

The Secret History meets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel following a circle of researchers as they uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.

Katy Hays' debut novel, The Cloisters, is an exciting dark academia tale that is filled with murder, mystery, and intrigue. Set at the Cloisters, a medieval museum in New York City, the story follows Ann Stillwell, a curatorial associate, who unexpectedly finds herself spending the summer with researchers studying the history of divination. When a 15th century deck of tarot cards is discovered, Ann finds herself wrestling with the notion of fate vs. free will and whether one can truly predict the future. The characters are all well defined and the relationship dynamics, particularly between Ann and Rachel, are complex and surprising. The depth of research the author put in was notable and made it easier to suspend disbelief during the more outlandish aspects. My only hiccup with the book was the pacing, which at times was slow and uneven. Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would recommend it to fans of dark academia or anyone looking for a spooky read.

Thank you Atria Books for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Smart, dark and twisty, this is the story of Ann, a damaged girl from Walla Walla, WA, who moves to New York. Due to a series of circumstances, she ends up in the wonderful part of the Met Museum known as The Cloisters. Ann’s specialty is obscure enough that opportunities are few so, if she wants to make it in the city, she’ll need to make this work. Ann is a complicated, unreliable character. She’s hard to get to know and relate to, but I was still rooting for her. The glamorous and mysterious characters that she encounters, from her new bestie Rachel to her mentor Patrick, are less defined, but I believe it is on purpose. The best part is the plot. It is put together as well as the miniatures that can be found in the titular museum. I also liked the descriptions of the places where the action takes place. I was lucky to visit The Cloisters many times when I lived in New York and reading this book was like being back there. The subplot about tarot cards was very intriguing. The ending was perfect. An enjoyable read.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, #NetGalley/#Atria Books!

Interesting and atmospheric. Very dark and the focus on tarot made the story edgy. The relationship between the two female characters written through the point of view of the main character felt like information was always missing. The ending was shocking and for me unexpected. I defiinitely enjoyed the locale and the characters and the references to the Renaissance time period.

Oh WOW...this book was everything and right up my alley! I was attracted to it when I read the description: scholars at a section of the Met researching the history of Tarot in the 15th century. The book cover was a bonus. Excellent debut novel by the author. Atmospheric, dark academia, Gothic. I really could not put this book down. It's well-written and I became invested in the characters right away.
The ongoing theme of this book struck me as "things are not what they seem" and how even the most reserved people or everyday items can have multiple layers.
Looking forward to the next book from the author!
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for supplying this book for review.

A compelling dark academia mystery about the dangers of fortune and friendship. For fans of Ninth House and The Secret History.

Loved it!
I remember visiting the Cloisters in college and I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere and medieval art collections. I could not wait to revisit via this dark academia thriller.

In The Cloisters, Ann arrives in NYC for a summer internship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Upon arrival, she finds that her internship has disappeared as the professor will be studying abroad. A recent graduate of a small school in Walla Walla, Washington, Ann does not have many opportunities or money and she jumps at the chance to assist at the Cloisters instead.

It's a beautiful and haunting place, with a much smaller staff. Ann is asked to take on a large scale project related to medieval tarot cards. Fortunately, Rachel, a wunderkind researcher befriends her and helps her become immersed in the history of the Tarot. Before long, Rachel is a close friend and assisting Ann is all aspects of life. The question is, what does Rachel want in return?

I just loved this novel. The ending, is fine, maybe not the twist I wanted, but the relationships and the slow burn thriller were absolutely perfect. I loved all the scenes and descriptions and felt like I was there. If you love dark academic, atmospheric thrillers, and friends who might have other motives, The Cloisters is for you!
#Atriabooks #atria #TheCloisters #KatyHays
#NetGalley

What would you do if you discovered a hidden tarot deck that might predict the future? Sounds like a dream! Our main character, Ann, is spending her summer in a Gothic garden and museum called the Cloisters. She needs a break from her past and she is more than enthusiastic to indulge in the researchers theories. Ann soon discovers the 15th century tarot deck. But she because obsessed with it. Will she be able to find the answers she needs?

What I enjoyed:
- This book was well paced. The first chapter opened up to an interesting plot, and I was sucked in immediately.
- The world building! I enjoyed the dark academia setting. The museum and garden actually sounded like a cool spot to visit.
- I enjoyed most of th characters. I found them interesting and I couldn't quite trust them all. Which kept me on my toes.
- I loved the mentions of divination, tarot, etc. I thought it created an interesting layer to the story.
- The suspense! I loved having the mystery elements wrapped through the plot line

This book is a great autumn read! I really enjoyed the world, and I look forward to reading more by this author. 4 stars out of 5! Thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book was so engaging and fascinating! Te setting, The Cloisters, part of the MET in NYC, was amazing. I loved the Medieval/Renaissance Art History subject matter that the main characters were dealing with. In places, I just wish there was a little...more in places.

Ann's introduction to working at the museum and meeting Rachael, Patrick, and Leo was all well done. As was the dark academia vibe in discovering the tarot deck. Towards the last 3/4 of the book, I just wanted a little more about why some of the things were happening/why characters were doing certain things.

That said, this novel is definitely one I'd recommend and even read again. The setting was magical and I really cared where Ann's journey went. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Love love loved this book!

The MC and the character of Rachel were such an unexpected and manipulative relationship, it took a completely different turn than what I expected and was pleasantly surprised at every turn.

I enjoyed this book immensely. I felt like it was made just for me -- an archivist with an affinity for tarot, illuminated manuscripts, poisonous herbs, and more. In many ways I could not believe this was a debut novel, though in others I could. Overall I enjoyed the ride, but the pacing felt off here and there. Mainly the tense choice felt clunky in the beginning, most of the way through you get used to it, and then at the end it kind of feels like its trying to do more than it accomplished. There were definitely parts that felt predictable while others I could not see coming, the hints to it were very subtle. As some other early reviewers have stated, there's something that didn't fully land with the characters, but again I still enjoyed it a lot and will keep my eyes peeled for anything else coming from this author. Also, amazing setting choice, I've already researched the The Cloisters museum and am planning a visit!

I will be posting reviews closer to the publication date as requested.

A sweaty, sinister romp that dives deep into the history of oracles and tarot, but was a little shallow in its story execution. I had a lot of fun with this, despite hoping for the literary fiction of The Talented Mr. Ripley or The Secret History and getting the YA execution of If We Were Villains instead. If you were a fan of M.L. Rio's BookTok sensation, then The Cloisters will probably be up your alley as well - swapping Shakespeare for Renaissance occultism but just as meticulously researched. Unfortunately, I was lukewarm on the actual characters/plot of Villains and again find myself with a similar wanting feeling. I didn't ultimately buy the alleged magnetism of Rachel, the central source of the novel's effortlessly successful mystique nor did I feel clear about the motivations of Ann the naive fish-out-of-water turned obsessive academic. The characters felt like comparatively thin sketches of Dickie Greenleaf and Tom Ripley - I knew Ann grew obsessive because we're told as much - I just wasn't totally convinced by it. Likewise I knew Rachel to be the captivating rich girl with a tragic backstory, but never read much to sell me on her alleged charisma. What I was ultimately sold on was the historical elements - sure to send me on a spiral into the depths of Google reading about the Medici family oracle etc.

All told, this is a fast-paced quick read, but not the moody and dark literary fiction I had hoped for. I know this WILL find its audience though - M.L. Rio fans believe me, you'll love this!

Many thanks to Atria Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.