This read was so cool and different! Fantasy plot lines can feel incredibly recycled, and this one did NOT follow that path. Similar to the tarot cards in One Dark Window, this series revolves around cards, their powers, and some special characters. Only down side was this took me weeks to finish, with it feeling incredibly long. I think the storyline was great, but definitely could’ve been shortened by 100+ pages.

This was a solid, interesting fantasy. I wanted to like it more than I did, but I think my lack of knowledge about tarot put me at a disadvantage. The world building was interesting but the book itself was a little dense, which dragged it down. Overall enjoyed it.

After consuming Elise Kova's Married to Magic series like my life depended on it, I was absolutely stoked to dive in to Arcana Academy. I love Elise's writing style, her approach to world building, and her ability to write characters whom I have always end up very invested in. Arcana Academy might be my new favorite Elisa Kova title, and that's saying something because I have her entire catalog on my shelves.

I love dark academia settings but sometimes feel like stories set in such spaces lean toward feeling a tad juvenile but that was not the case here. This story was gritty, and the world building was not easy breezy, this is definitely a story that requires you to sink your teeth into it a bit but the payoff is absolutely worth it.

Though I did in fact fall in love with Clara and Kaelis, the most notable feature of this story for me was definitely the tarot based magic system. It reminded me slightly of One Dark Window, but it was so much more intricate and the way the magic system tied into the world building and the plot never felt forced, and that is a testament to Elise Kova's writing ability and a feature of her particular style. She presents her worlds in a way that never feels like information is being dumped on you only when its convenient to the plot.

<b>Tropes to look out for: </b> If you love dark academia settings, an enemies to lovers marriage of convenience, trials, unique magic systems, political intrigue, and found family, then Arcana Academy might be your new favorite read.

Many thanks to Elise Kova, Del Rey, and Netgalley for sharing an eARC of this book with me.

4 stars ⭐️ i absolutely ate up the magic system in this book - it was so different and unique. The world building and lore is so well written and thought out and im always a sucker for a magical school. There are a lot of popular tropes in here, the enemies to lovers, hidden identities, trials, academy,etc. The romance in this book is a subplot. I will say though i do wish the side characters were a bit more distinct and we knew more about them. A couple times they really just blurred in together and i couldn’t really be bothered to differentiate them. Also the book is quite a hefty one so bear that in mind too.

Also i wish that Clara and Kaelis would just talk LOL especially towards the end like the tension is thick but we like if you guys actually communicated some of your thoughts - we wouldn’t be in a lot of these predicaments.

Arcana Academy was such a good blend of romance, mystery, and fantasy and so im absolutely sick to my stomach that book 2 is truly so far away because i need to know what happens next after the cliffhanger it left on.

Thank you to Elise and the Del Rey team for this ARC through NetGalley!

What a great introduction to what stands to be a fascinating world! Arcana Academy follows Clara on her journey to discover the fate of her family. Born with a natural gift for inking magical cards, Clara has found herself in prison. When a prince of the realm pays her a visit, her entire world shifts and things she thought were off-limits to her become possible. The world of Eclipse City is one of magic, enemies, betrayals, hope, and a dash of romance; am enjoyable read all around. If you appreciate slow burn romance and great character building, this may be one for you.

This was pretty decent. I loved that the magic system that felt innovative, even if I didn't always understand it or remember the powers of each card. The academy setting was interesting and I liked the intrigue of the building itself and how all of the Houses worked. I'm interested in learning more about Clara's family line and what the significance of her last name is.

I felt Clara was a bit immature considering what she has experienced in life and her perspective felted limited at times. Then again, that's probably right on target for a 19 year old. But I also didn't feel the chemistry between Clara and Kaelis. I didn't see the transition away from hate and it made their physical relationship feel sudden. And the middle of the book dragged a bit and then picked up at the end.

Overall, anyone who loves fantasy in academic settings will likely enjoy this book. If they are in it for the romance, I think readers may be a bit more divided.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the magical dark academia book of dreams! I loved it. The use of tarot cards as the magical element was really great and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how each card was wielded and what each of the majors signified. I also was fully invested in the romance part of this romantasy and really liked the enemies to lovers trope and I’m looking forward to seeing how it progresses in the second book. I like a morally grey character and there are several in this book and I can’t wait to read more of their character arcs. When is the sequel coming?!

A breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre, the magic system was so interesting and unique the world building intricate and immersive, I loved this so much can't wait for more!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced review copy!

I do love Elise Kova’s writing. Her world building is so fun and her magic systems meld familiar elements into something new and special. That is certainly the case with Arcana Academy, which feels like a mix between Air Awakens, the Scholomance, and One Dark Window. It was fun to see Kova try her hand at dark academia!

I will say the story in some ways felt a little underbaked. Clara is in a tough spot, where she doesn’t trust anyone—and that makes sense with the ways she has been hit and betrayed and kept ignorant throughout her life. But she demonstrates a significant absence of curiosity for someone who is supposed to be clever and self-sufficient. There were many times throughout the book where she didn’t seem to wonder about the the motives or plans of the crown, Kaelis, or some of her fellow students. It seems she would be wilier and more of a sponge for knowledge so she could actually discern the truth, since she has been lied to so often throughout her life. This seems like a quality that should have been there, but perhaps just hadn’t had time to come onto the page in edits.

Kaelis also felt incredibly familiar. He’s so very similar to Aldrick from Air Awakens, and that made his arc feel very predictable—the brooding, tortured prince with the frightening magic and apparent cruel intentions who ultimately is working to free the world from his tyrannical father. The main difference between the two characters is where Aldrick has a brother of whom he is deeply fond, Kaelis has a cat.

There were also a few elements of the world and the magic system that felt like missed opportunities—how are the Majors identified? If arcanists are so precious, why does the academy limit the numbers of students who can continue on based on house invitations? And the fire festival ritual still seems a bit confusing to me, though I hope that will get some more context in future books.

Overall, it was a fun and addictive read, as Kova’s books always are, but I do hope this series tightens up some of those wrinkles in subsequent books.

Arcana Academy felt like a breath of fresh air in a world filled with repetitive magic systems. The level of detail and consideration was amazing and overall the characters were likable and engaging. As the start to a new series and story Elise Kova guides readers with thoughtful descriptors and explanations when needed. Overall I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

The magic system was super unique! Clara was a great lead. The school setting was well done. Kova’s writing is always so well done. Plenty of twists and turns and surprises to keep readers engaged. Looking forward to book 2!

The Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is an addictive dark academia fantasy that delivers a fresh twist on tarot-based magic. Clara Graysword is a sharp, resourceful heroine whose survival instincts and forbidden magic make her an instantly compelling protagonist. Watching her navigate the cutthroat world of the Arcana Academy — all while hiding her true identity — keeps the tension high from start to finish.

The tarot-based magic system is richly developed, with the art of inking cards adding a fascinating layer to the world-building. Prince Kaelis is the perfect enigmatic foil to Clara, and their reluctant partnership simmers with slow-burn chemistry. The royal intrigue, dangerous power plays, and high-stakes heist plot make every chapter feel like a game where the deck is constantly shifting.

Fans of magical academies, morally gray characters, and slow-burn romance will find The Arcana Academy impossible to put down. I can’t wait to see what happens next!!

The magic system was interesting and well done. The setting details and imagery as well. However, this book was just not really for me. I found the dialogue, progression of the relationships, and imagery to often be disjointed. The dialogue would move back and forth between being very informal and super flowery formal in the same conversation. There were a fair few cliche turns of phrase in the writing.

The progression of the relationship between the MC and love interest didn’t flow well, in my opinion. I think just delaying the start a little more would’ve helped. He felt a bit like a cartoon villain at times, so I think his character could’ve been executed with more subtlety.

I think this story has lots of potential with some rewriting, editing on the dialogue, and reworking the characterization of the love interest.

I'm going to keep this short. ARCANA ACADEMY is a fantastic book held back by the fact its romantasy.
It feels like a story caged in by genre. Let these book breathe! Because that ending had been screaming and I cannot wait for Book 2.

I had so much fun with this book! The world-building, magic system, plot, and the characters were all incredibly well done. I was hooked from the very beginning. I do wish we got to see a little more from the romance side, but Elise definitely had me itching for the second book to see where the FMC and MMC’s journey takes them.

Clara was a great character and I loved to see more into her past as the story went on. There were moments where I wanted to shake her, but she really had me rooting for her the whole time. Kaelis also really surprised me. I was a little afraid in the beginning that I wouldn’t enjoy him as much as I did, but as the story went on, he quickly became a favorite.

I also really loved to see the relationships Clara already had going into the plot and the found family relationships she created as the story went on. There were a lot of really great characters that you can’t help but root for!

Ultimately, I think this is going to be a great series and I highly recommend picking it up once it publishes later this year!

This is torture pure torture. The boom was sooo good and now I have to wait extra long before book 2. That ending was insane. There are so many details and it was Incredibly well written. The romance in the book is a definite slow burn but the two main characters are perfect!! I need more of them, and then there's a magic system based off tarot!! Ok, what could be better? Literally, nothing. I know it's early in the year but this is my top read so far!!

This book was really good! The magic system is super unique and fascinating. There’s lots of action and the writing is fast paced and entertaining. The FMC was a bit annoying at times but the MMC is amazing and I adore him. The ending leaves you needing more and I am so bummed I don’t have the next book and have to wait who knows how long! This books is a slow burn with some spice and I really enjoyed the tension and ache of it! A great romantasy and I want more!

I absolutely loved Arcana Academy! It sucked me in from the beginning and I found myself wanting to read it even when other books I had pre-ordered arrived haha. The tarot magic system was really interesting to me and it really reminded me of One Dark Window mixed with Harry Potter. Clara's actions were admittedly kind of frustrating at times, but it's understandable when she's grown up not knowing who to trust. I will definitely be continuing this series to find out what happens next!!

Magic system : 10/10
I loved the use of tarot cards and the play on wielding them. I really enjoyed the way the FMC was written and her personality. It’s a lot of world building and can be slow to start but it was never “boring”, she always had someone coming after her or a new thread of information she was trying to uncover. It’s really hard to distinguish who the real antagonist is & I really enjoyed when new information would drop and it leaves you as conflicted as the FMC. Enemies to lovers romance but does not over shadow the plot *chefs kiss *

A really fun magical world that reminded me of Throne of Glass and Six of Crows with some new elements thrown in. The tarot world being the ruling magic system was so fun just a lot of cards and things to learn as I am not familiar with tarot. There are a lot of characters and felt like a lot of this book was world building so was hard to get into it/remember what’s important. The romance was a nice slow burn, and I love not feeling like no one was who they said they were. The ending of the book was crazy, and I’m excited for the next one. I recommend this book to a romantasy lover looking for found family and a magic school system.