4.5 stars
WOW. what an honor to be able to read this before it was published. The magic system was SO COOL with the tarot cards and majors. Reminded me a bit of One Dark Window. The slow burn was so good and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. The dark academia setting, various tests, and fake engagement were amazing. Also the ending?? omg. Overall loved it and will be reading the next book!

This was my first Kova book, and I am obsessed! From page one, I was completely immersed in a world where magic and tarot intertwine, and Kova’s masterful world-building made it feel so real. The concept of magicians wielding tarot cards was both fresh and fascinating, setting the stage for a story full of intrigue, tension, and unexpected twists.

While this isn’t the spiciest read, the slow-burn romance and electric tension are absolutely chef’s kiss—you’ll be holding your breath with every interaction. And just when you think you know where the story is going? BAM! Another twist. It’s unpredictable in the best way, keeping you hooked chapter after chapter.

I’ll be screaming about this book to anyone who will listen. Highly recommend!

🔥 Tropes you'll love:
✔️ Dark academia
✔️ Enemies to lovers
✔️ Political intrigue
✔️ Slow-burn romance
✔️ Secret societies

Run, don’t walk, to get this one!

I’ve never been disappointed by Elisa Kona’s writing. Arcana Academy starts off with a bang, drawing you in before you realize what’s happening. Once I started I had to keep going to find out what was going on.

We have Clara, who is currently a prisoner at the Halazar prison, place there after being caught illegally inking tarot cards. With this kind of skill, you typically fall into one of two categories: attend the academy and work for the kingdom and royal family (Oricalis), or you’re sent to the mills and can plan on an early death sentence.

What ensues is quite the twist for Clara’s character, and I needed to know how it was all going to end. I enjoyed the world building and the magic system! It was pretty unique. I also really liked the set of characters, but at times it did feel like there were too many people all at once being introduced at times.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and can’t wait for book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy. All thoughts are my own.

A big thank you to Random House, Netgalley, and Elise Kova for giving me this ARC in return for my honest review!

I enjoyed reading this book quite a bit. Essentially, in this universe, people with magic (arcanists) channel that magic into tarot cards. However, arcanists are not allowed to ink these cards unless they are used in service to the crown. The book starts out with a young woman named Clara who was imprisoned for illegally inking tarot cards and using her abilities to help people escape the kingdom and find better lives. Handsome, shadowy Prince Kaelis shows up at the prison and tricks her into escaping because he needs her to enroll in his arcana academy. Despite thinking he is the reason she was in prison, behind the mysterious disappearance of her sister, and potentially ordered the death of her mother; they end up reluctant allies. They work together, pretend to be engaged, deal with his messed up royal family, and train her tarot abilities with the intent to recreate an ancient card that will change everything for the better.

Pros:
- The magic system is very unique, almost everyone with magic has the same essential ability which is inking tarot cards. Their magical prowess really comes down to how well they can ink cards, how well they use each card and the quick thinking it takes to react in whatever situation they face.
- The author really illustrates the world through Clara’s eyes. We see her living a high class life as the prince’s fiancée, but through her thoughts and memories you really see the disparity between this life and the one most people in the kingdom live.
- If you like shadowy, broody, misunderstood MMCs, you’ll like Kaelis. He starts out appearing morally grey, ruthless, and cold but has a lot of great development to his character. I can’t wait to see how he continues changing throughout the series. Also, he is one of the only MMCs I’ve ever read who has a pet cat, which is a bonus for me.
-The story has a ton of twists and turns I did not expect and in true Romantasy fashion, the author (metaphorically) blows everything up at the end. There are dozens of plot points that are unresolved, there are characters MIA, there are events in motion that we never see the conclusion to, and it ends on a crazy cliffhanger. This makes me excited for book 2, but if you’re looking for a complete story you might be disappointed.

Cons:
- I went into this book with no understanding of what is included in a tarot card deck. While the author does a good job of explaining what each card does as they come up in the story, if you’re like me and you like to predict what’s coming next; I would recommend doing a brief search so you at least know the names of the cards in each deck.

- The FMC has really led a hard life, which makes her personality and decision making quite abrasive. I essentially understand why she makes rash decisions and lashes out at people but I still cringed a few times when she would say something stupid or make a decision that might come back to haunt her later.

- Clara has a group of found friends she considers her family, however, they are hardly in the book. Most of their character development is through Clara’s memories or speaking to others about them. I think we were supposed to grow attached to them, but it was kind of difficult to do so without them present in the book.

I really liked this book! I would probably rate it 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4). There are two explicit spicy scenes, so I would rate this book a 2.5 out of 5 for spice.

This is a *soft* DNF for me right now. I enjoyed the magic system, but it is taking SO LONG for the story to develop. I am around 30% of the way in and she just makes it to the academy, where she discovers new secrets. I got bored, which is surprising considering Elise Kova is one of my all-time favorite authors. My favorite series by her is actually Air Awakens. I am thinking this book just isn't for me, but I will circle back around to it.

I really enjoyed this book. It has been a while since I have read a book with a protagonist that was so relatable. Even though she is special and excels at things the way so many other protagonists in the genre do, her flaws are not just superficial, they actually affect her actions and as such the plot. At times I found myself getting a little frustrated by her impulsiveness but her thoughts and actions always felt true to what a character with her experiences would actually think and feel.
The world building is excellent throughout the novel and I wanted to keep reading to discover more about this world that Elise Kova has created.
Characters are fleshed out and aren't one dimensional. Even the supporting cast have clearly defined identities and character traits.
The plot keeps moving and kept me in suspense the whole time. I can't wait to read the next book in the series when it is released! I look forward to learning more about the Majors of the Arcana.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy novels and an interesting magic system.
Thanks to Del Rey - Random House for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book! Initially, I couldn't stand Clara and found her very annoying, but as the story progressed, she grew, and I came to like her. I have so many questions and can't wait for the next book. I appreciated the plot, fantasy elements, and strategy throughout the story. There was romance and some spice, but it was really well-balanced with other themes, which I loved. The story was also quite unique, especially with so many books following similar patterns; The ending shocked me!

Arcana Academy is the first book in a new fantasy series by Elise Kova.

The book is set in world where magic is wielded through tarot cards and where only the royal family and the nobles of the land have the right to use this magic. We follow Clara, a young woman who has been imprisoned for a year for illegally using tarot magic but who is freed by the second prince and headmaster of the magic school, Arcana Academy. Clara becomes a student there and tries to find answers about her past, her family, her abilities and why prince Kaelis who imprisoned her, freed her and what he wants with her.

I love a book set at a magic school and Arcana Academy doesn't disappoint. The magic is fascinating and the way it is used made for exciting action. Clara already knows how to use her magic so the story doesn't need to info dump everything at the beginning but gradually makes the reader more familiar with the world and its rules. The world-building itself was concentrated on the school and the city it's in with a few mentions of the world outside. I feel that there is much more to explore here and I hope that we will see more of it in the future.

Since this is categorised as a romantasy, there is romance in this book. The balance between plot and romance was very evenly distributed, which I appreciated. And the romance plot itself is also very intriguing. It's more of a slow burn with great chemistry between the leads.

My only point of contention would be the side characters. There were quite a few and all of them were quite intriguing but I felt that I didn't really get to know any of them in a satisfying way and there is a lot of potential to expand on their respective stories.

Nevertheless, the ending was quite explosive and left at a very interesting point that I can't wait for the next book in the series.

Il libro offre un innovativo sistema magico che finalmente porta una ventata di originalità ai romantasy in commercio ora (almeno per quello che riguarda l'editoria italiana).
la trama è interessante e si va ad aggiungere al mio pensiero positivo del testo. Ciò che ha reso la mia lettura un po' ostica è stato lo stile, ma non perché avesse dei problemi in se, è stata solo un'impressione totalmente soggettiva che mi ha impedito di godermi il libro fino in fondo. Era il primo libro che leggevo dell'autrice, ne leggerò altri? Forse. Lo consiglierò alle mie clienti? Decisamente.

Scusate la recensione in italiano, ma mi ha permesso di esprimermi al meglio.

"Don't weep for an empty coffin."

Wow! What a fantastic first book in a new series. The magic system, tarot cards, was entirely new to me and I thought Kova did a great job sprinkling in the meaning of cards throughout the book so that someone like myself could easily follow along.

Our enemy to lovers, dark academia adventure is one filled with "watch your back" moments as our main character, Clara agrees to what is essentially a marriage of convenience to the mysterious, brooding Prince Head Master of Arcana Academy. And she only does so in order to get to the bottom of some mysterious circumstances regarding her sister's disappearance and her mother's death.

This will be a great read for anyone who loves a unique magic system, a sprinkle of romance, and a good mystery plot that leaves you wanting for book 2 so bad.

I love this new fantasy world Elise has created. Her books are always wonderful and this one didn't disappoint.
The characters and magic are really well written. I loved the tarot theme to the magic as it's unlike anything I have read before. I just love her series! I already need the second book so I can find out what happens next!
There is some smut in this book for smutty readers. We have a new dark prince to fall in love with!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the arc!

I didn’t know I needed a tarot power system romantasy until now. Building an entire world on the principles of tarot was impressive which made the magic system so creative and refreshing! Having prior knowledge of tarot reading made for understanding the world much easier, but I don’t think it’s required. The author does a great job of explaining the cards and their spells and provides a thorough glossary in any case.

I enjoyed that the world building was grand and complex and layered, but my issue is that the world never stopped building. Scenes constantly changed, with new descriptions accompanying each move. Aside from Kaelis’ apartment, I never got to just get to know a place, rework my memory of a certain room, solidify all the pieces in my mind into a clear picture. As such, the pacing remained the same the entirety of the book, save for the last chapter. At times, I found myself asking when the story would pick up, and while there were some tiny crests here and there, the pace felt like a straight line.

The characters themselves weren’t exactly memorable, aside from the main characters, Silas, and Alor. Hopefully the relationships and the romance are better developed in the coming story. Nonetheless, the magic system alone has hooked me enough that I will likely read the following books in this series :)

Elisa Kova takes us down a new path of romantsy novels with her debut of Arcana Academy, where tarot cards hold the source of all magic and arcanists ink and wield them.
If you loved Harry Potter, Bloodwing Academy, and The Fourth Wing Series this book is for you!

I do love an Elise Kova book and this one did not disappoint!
I really enjoyed the world building, the magical elements, I feel like the tarot cards are quite a unique thing (it really reminded me of yu-gi-oh!) and it’s not something you would normally come across in a book. It took its time to get where I wanted it to be, but by then I was hooked!
I really liked Clara, and I can’t wait to read the second book! That cliffhanger was just* *Chef’s kiss*
I hope Elise is already working on the second one!

Arcana academy
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

A bit messy, but very enjoyable. A slow burn often confusing relationship, with some action packed last few chapters!

Things I loved:

✨️ Magic Tarot System
✨️ Dark Academia
✨️ Secret Identity
✨️ Fake Engagement
✨️ Yu-Gi-Oh battles 😂 the fighting system is cool

Things I did not like:

✨️ First person POV in fantasy (personal preference) makes it harder to build/layer the world cohesively. Also made it a little harder for me to like the writing style. Once again, personal preference.

✨️ Lack of character development/attachment

✨️ Lack of communication

✨️ I wanted to know more about Kaelis, i have a theory about one of the things he had to give up 🥹

A little slow to get through and I did consider stopping before 50% but I enjoyed the idea of the magic system and the Tarot cards so I kept going. Once I hit 80% I blitzed right through to the end and I knew. I just knew it was going to be a cliffhanger and a sequel 🫠🫠🫠

Yes I will buy a physical copy and yes I want to read the next book already. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

5 stars.

Wow. This book is easily a 5 star rating for me. Epic world building, different sort of magic, intrigue, and complex characters. Absolutely loved it and devoured it.

Clara is imprisoned for creating illegal tarot cards, something she grew up learning how to do. She is brought to the Arcana Academy to test her skills and help the headmaster acquire a secret card, all while protecting her true identity and trying to find her missing sister.

Such a ride from start to finish with different twists and turns. Cannot wait for the second book!

Thank you so much to DelRey books for my digital ARC!

"There is no world in which you do not consume my very being"

This was just a fabulous book to get lost in, the story hooked me from the get go and it was so hard to put it down. Let me just say that Elise Kova's Tarot card magic system is not only magnificent to read but also a sheer brilliance to see how the story was woven into it, it is refreshing albeit took me a hot minute to understand how they work but once I had that sorted out it was just so fun to read the story. There is a detailed explanation of how the card magic works towards the end of the book in the glossary, it came in quite handy as I tried to navigate the world.

Speaking of the world, the delicious dark academia set in a wold ruled by powerful monarchs and the Arcanist's magic is strictly controlled by the Arcana academy and its enigmatic head master Kaelis. When Clara, an illegal Arcanist and a thief is imprisoned after a job goes horribly wrong, fate presents her with a rare second chance of getting out but only if she is willing to form an alliance with the void born second prince Kaelis.Their push and pull chemistry combined with fabulous magic system and world building made this book an easy 5 star for me, there are a lot of twists and many moments that gives you trust issues through out the book. It is a chunky one but I ended up enjoying every single chapter!

The battle scenes were one of my favorite's, they were unique in every way.The little found family was endearing and I can't wait to see more about them in the next installment and of course with a great story comes a great excruciating pain of waiting for the sequel especially when you are read the book quite early and with an ending like that that only makes the wait time even harder..DelRey if you read this just put me down on the ARC list already for book 2 pretty please ;)

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is a fast-paced and thrilling fantasy that combines magic, mystery, and romance in a world full of intrigue. Clara Graysword, a skilled thief with the rare power to ink tarot cards, finds herself sentenced to a lifetime in prison after a job goes wrong. But when Prince Kaelis, the mysterious headmaster of Arcana Academy, offers her an unexpected escape, it comes with a catch—she must help him steal a tarot card from the king to recreate a long-lost card of unimaginable power. To keep her close, Kaelis introduces Clara as his bride-to-be and the newest first-year student at the prestigious academy. As Clara navigates a world filled with magical challenges and royal scheming, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about the prince and her own future. The book delivers a perfect mix of tension, unexpected twists, and budding romance, while exploring the cost of power and trust. Arcana Academy is an addictive start to a new series that will leave readers eagerly anticipating what comes next.

I got this as an arc on Netgalley and it will come out in July. Holy shit that was so good! And that ending. Please I need more, I need pt 2 now. Fans of good bit dark YA would love this.

holy shit??

Thank you so much to Del Rey and Netgalley for the ARC! This was my first Elise Kova book, and a highly anticipated read for me because of all the hype I heard from other ARC readers. Needless to say I'm obsessed, I devoured this book, and the ending had me GAGGED

One thing I'd love to point out is the intricate world-building surrounding tarot cards and their magic. It felt fresh and unique. It made me, as a reader, want to continuously explore more about them and their system.

I loved the main characters, Clara and Kaelis. It was so nice to read an FMC that had strong confidence in herself and didn't take any bs from anyone. Kaelis started off broody and the bad boy type of character, but quickly opened up his layers as someone who was also suffering from the king (his father). I do wish there was a bit more build up between the romance, or the "enemies" portion of them lasted a little longer, but nevertheless it was entertaining to read!

There was so much chaos in the ending that it's leaving me impatiently waiting for book 2 because I just NEED to know what happens next. This definitely seems like a promising start to the series <3