Arcana Academy is the first book in this new series. Written by new to me author Elise Kova, published by Randomhouse Publishing Group, this is a full length, literally unputdownable read.
I just wanted to take a peek, but now 2 days later after binge reading this gem of a story I'm spent. I'm all read out and I loved every single minute.
Clara is dealt a rough hand, when it seems Karma's smiling at her, offering a place at an academy for magicians. In a world where Tarot rules everything, magic is common and commoners have to work hard to make ends meet - reading this book was like being invited into another world, a fantasic story, 5 stars.

WOW OK immediately yes 5 ⭐️’s!!

I absolutely loved and devoured this, I was so sad to finish because I don’t know how I’m expected to wait for the next book 😭

The world building in this was flawless imo. It didn’t feel like an info dump, it was just seamlessly blended into the story. The magic system? Amazing and so unique! I looove the fact that each tarot card has its own ability.

Now our fmc Clara - love her. She’s really tough (all of the emotional losses she’s experienced 😭) and she’s so talented with tarot cards and I love that she knows that. Love an fmc that is confident in their abilities and doesn’t apologize for it 💘
And our mmc Kaelis.. is this love? He’s got these shadow daddy vibes without quite being a shadow daddy. I love his aloof, cocky attitude because you just know deep down he’s got a little softie heart (as evidenced by all the things he does for Clara 🥲) The surprisingly sweet things that came outta this man’s mouth.. I was kicking my feet and giggling!!

The romance does take a backseat to the overall plot, but I didn’t even mind because I am so intrigued about this whole storyline.
In this you’re gonna get: enemies to lovers, tension, slow burn, academy setting, unique magic system and forced fake engagement.
I’m so excited for more of this world and for more Clara and Kaelis 🥹💘

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for the chance to read this arc!

A book with a unique magic system involving fantasy card! Unlike something I’ve read before, but I just wished the character development was a bit stronger. I had a hard time getting invested in any of the characters. Storyline made up for that though!

Okay, Arcana Academy by Elise Kova? ABSOLUTE BANGER. I’m seriously obsessed, and it took me a while to finish (it’s a bit long, but hey, fantasy novels, am I right?). But let me tell you, every page was worth it.

First of all, the magic system? Tarot-based magic. I haven’t seen anything like that before, and it was SO cool. It’s rare that a magic system actually feels fresh and unique, but this one hit the mark. I loved how each card brought its own power and mystery—it made the whole world-building even more exciting.

Now, the real star of the show? The tension between the FMC and MMC. Whew. I’m a sucker for romance in fantasy, but I often can guess where the plot’s headed. NOT here. Kova kept me guessing every step of the way—just when I thought I had things figured out, I was pulled in a totally new direction. Seriously, I still don’t know who to trust. There were SO many bombshells dropped at the end, and that cliffhanger? Please tell me book two is already finished and I can start reading it tomorrow.

Huge thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing - Del Rey, and Inklore for the advanced copy. If book two is already written, can you please, PLEASE send it my way? I need it. Now.

I was going to wait until 2025 to start reading this one, but I'm so glad I picked it up yesterday (Dec.26/24) and began to read it. Once I started, I almost couldn't put it down--this is a captivating read!

When it’s finally released in July 2025, I can pretty much predict that it’s gonna be a best-selling series—and I don’t need the tarot to predict that.

This is a dark academia fantasy and the narrative is tightly woven and compellingly written. The characters are flawed and have complex motivations. You don't need to know anything about the tarot in order to read and enjoy this book, but I will say that it has inspired me to pick up some books about the tarot to deepen the knowledge I already have about it.

I've just finished it today and I already can’t wait for book 2!

Intrigue, power struggles, corrupt monarchy and magic - I will never look at tarot cards the same after this read!

This was a terrific fantasy read and the introduction to this world was incredible. I devoured the first third of the book. I found the glossary for the tarot cards at the end, which may have helped me understand some fights a bit better if I had discovered this earlier, but I was still able to follow the premise of what was happening.

Lot's of twists and turns, and I was on edge trying to work out who to trust right up until the end. The ending had a real cliffhanger too...

I'm still on the fence about the relationship our main character finds herself in. The sex scene made it 'adult' for me. Not because there was sex, as teenagers should be reading about all sorts of relationships. As soon as there is fisting of hair and "Fuck me!" in the dialogue, as a school librarian my preference is to pop a 'Senior Fiction' sticker on the spine of this novel. Will definitely recommend to Senior students and staff.

What a great first book for a fantasy series!

This was so captivating!
In Arcana Academy we get a very interesting magical world setting with intriging characters and a action-packed story.

We follow Clara on her mission while she's getting in to the heart of Arcana Academy and maybe anothers heart too..

All in all a romantasy with enemies to lovers-ish and lot's of morray grey maincharcters.

Post on IG (one_fairy_tale_at_the_time) the 14.jan 2025

I love Elise’s books and was stoked to get this. It was better than I expected and can’t wait for the rest

This book had me at tarot cards! The FMC, Clara Graysword, is facing life in prison. However, the headmaster of the Arcana Academy, Prince Kaelis, strikes a deal with Clara for her freedom. I loved the romantasy of this book, which I don't always becuase sometimes romantasy falls short in feeling the characters have any "magic" together. This book is different. I also was intrigued, as previously stated, but the tarot cards and their magic in this world. Romantasy lovers NEED to get this book!

This book was an absolute page-turner! From the very first page, I was hooked. The story had this amazing plot that slowly built up this romantic tension and this super cool magic system. The action scenes were intense, and the romance was swoon-worthy, but the magic system was just mind-blowing. Elise really nailed the blend of fantasy and magic, and it made me feel like I was transported to a whole new world.

Netgalley ARC.

First of all, what a fantastic hook and magic premise. I felt drawn in by the first few chapters and really liked the protagonist, Clara. She started off having a strong personality and wasn't afraid to take action.

A tarot card magic system is extremely cool!

However, for me, the book suffers from having a large number of characters that fail to have distinctive personalities. They all blurred together at one point, and I was confused by who was who.

The descriptions and overall writing style didn't offer anything fresh or exciting, sadly.

I also didn't care for the love interest. I'm growing tired of the dark-haired shadow boys with their bland dialogue and terrible foreplay, tbh. I want something with more depth and variety, I think.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova presents a captivating blend of magical academia and a thrilling escape plot. The concept of a young woman trapped in a dangerous prison , Fighting to escape and break free from her past, is incredibly engaging. I loved the setting of the academy itself its mysterious atmosphere, complex characters, and the constant tension of trying to outsmart the system.
The relationship between the protagonist and the prince was another highlight. Their dynamic had a lot of potential, and I enjoyed the chemistry between them. The trials, the dangers, and the slow-building romance kept me hooked, making the stakes feel high and adding depth to the story.

However, while I was initially invested in the plot, the ending left me feeling disappointed. After all the trials and the intense struggle for freedom, the protagonist gets captured again in a way that feels like a letdown. It undermined the sense of progress and growth she seemed to experience throughout the story. Additionally, the revelation that her sister is alive wasn't as surprising or impactful as I had hoped, feeling somewhat unnecessary to the overall narrative.

From the first few pages, this book had me hooked. The magic system and world building are 5 stars alone. The plot is spectacular and full of descriptive details without being too wordy. I fell in love with the FMC, Clara, from the moment I cracked the book open. She is the epitome of strength, resilience, intelligence, creativity and honesty. Her little smart-alec quips had me giggling! I love the fact that the author gave tarot cards such power in this series. As a tarot lover, it just feels so magical! I'm a sucker for the bad boy so Prince Kaelis is villian perfection! The cliffhanger was perfectly annoying in all the right ways! Amazing book!!!

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I absolutely would! It’s an incredible read and a phenomenal start to the series. This story breaks away from the typical romantasy formula in the best way, offering a fresh and unique perspective with its use of tarot cards—how they are created and wielded is nothing short of fascinating. The world-building is richly detailed but never overwhelming; the concepts are presented so skilfully that they’re easy to grasp and utterly captivating.

The academy setting adds depth without overshadowing the plot, as plenty of action unfolds beyond its walls. The pacing is exceptional, especially for a book of this length. I was so immersed in this world that I never wanted to leave. The tension, the longing, and the slow, slow burn romance are masterfully done—absolute perfection!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, romance, or romantasy. Do yourself a favour and preorder it—you won’t regret it! I know I’ll be eagerly awaiting my own copy.

A huge thank you to Del Rey for the ARC via NetGalley and the opportunity to share my honest thoughts about this fantastic book.

I love me some Elise Kova so I was excited to see an arc of her forthcoming novel here. Oh man. It is a good one. On the spice level, I enjoyed it quite a bit.

It helps that the story was also interesting.

Can’t wait to see more Kaelis.

This book was by far one of the best books I've ever read, like wow. It blew me away and I can only imagine how many others are going to love this book, because it had EVERYTHING I could have ever wanted in a romantasy book.

The magic system in this book is by far one of the most interesting and intricate systems I've ever read in my life. Elise does an incredible job at building this world and its magic system that it felt absolutely seamless as I read it. The romance in this book gave us just enough to keep us wanting for more and I don't know what I'm going to do having to wait for the next book to come out because OMG?? I can't wait for book two, I desperately need more of these characters and this world ASAP!

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC!

This is an easy 6-stars!!! Everything about this book was perfection - I'm predicting this to be one of THE Romantasy's of 2025. The only thing I'm gutted about is the fact I have to wait so long for book 2...

holy fuck? im for the most part at a loss for words at how much i loved this book and how i feel currently so this will most likely be very brief…

dare i say this very well may be one of if not THE fantasy book of 2025? never in my life have i read something so unique and enthralling. ill be quite honest this was a very hard read for me as the magic system and world building was pretty intense but it was SO insanely rewarding and kept me engaged the entire time.

one of my favorite things about this book was the magic, it felt insanely refreshing and in a world where we have so many different fantasies and magic systems i feel like that a very rare thing to accomplish. i loved loved loved every fight scene, i think the use of the cards made everything feel 10x more intense and high stake.

one thing i would have loved to be different about it was the romance, it felt very after thought to me for the most part which was a huge bummer as i am obsessed with kaelis and more importantly clara and kaelis together. however at the same i loved every single second we got with them 🤭 obviously there was a lot going on in this book at all times which could have made it harder to get more moments with them or maybe it was just intentional and this will be more romantasy in the next however many books but i just wanted more more more 😩

i am already at a loss of what on earth i will do with myself until book 2, especially seeing as this doesnt come out officially until july meaning it will most likely be 2026 before the follow up. after the cliff hanger and how much chaos ensued at the end, i fear i will drown in my questions until then? i dont think this book or these characters will ever leave my brain. i do believe this will be my newest roman empire

I absolutely loved this book and hate that it will take so long for me to know what happens next! The tarot based magic system is unique and it took me a little while to recall what did what, but the author explains it well, there is history and origins of the magic throughout the book which assists and supports great world building. There's trials, enemies to lovers, found families and mystery. There's things I think I know when reading and then I change my mind and the plot is so full of mystery you can't help but read on. The cliffhanger at the end makes me heart hurt and I need the second book!

Totally DEVOURED this book! I've read a couple of Kova's series in the past and enjoyed them which is why I wanted to read this one! This one is my new favorite! I absolutely LOVED the world she created with the tarot. Tarot has always been interesting to me but now I may be a bit obsessed, I adored Clara! She was smart and incredibly resourceful! I can't wait for the next installment!!!!