Based on the other reviews I can tell that I am an outlier and I will chalk my lackluster feelings up to just not being in the mood for this one. Hopefully I will get to try again soon! I just struggled with connecting with the characters. I think I am the problem here.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

3.5 stars

I had been looking forward to reading this one for a while. It has a unique magic system based on tarot cards with different abilities attached to each card. I love a magical academy setting and the trials to become a full fledged student were exciting and cutthroat. Clara is a fierce and loyal FMC who has suffered a lot of trauma, and Kaelis is the intimidating prince/headmaster of the academy who she blames for all of it.

While I did enjoy the story, I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping to. I don’t mind a long book if it holds my interest, but I found this a struggle to pick up a times. As for the romance - I liked the enemies to lovers, slow burn & fake engagement aspects, but I didn’t quite feel the spark between them. There was a pretty good cliffhanger and questions I still want answers to so I may continue the series.

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love Elise Kova's books and was so happy to get my hands on book 1 of her new series. Honestly, I ate this book up! If I can't put the book down, the plot truly has captivated me which is unsurprising because Elise Kova excels amazingly at this time. The plot had me on the edge of my seat from midway to the end of this novel. The last 15% had me pulling my hair out, but wow what an ending. The world is a little overwhelming with its new magic system, but it’s explained thoroughly enough to grasp while following this story. The characters are great, and they set up an untrustworthy narrator because neither you nor the main character ever really knows who to trust.

Speaking of trust, Elise killed creating a morally grey main character. Clara definitely has her heart in the right place, but has shown she can absolutely be selfish, shortsighted, and reckless. Honestly to the point that i found myself screaming in frustration. but it never got to a point where it was annoying or came off as stupid. It felt real, she has a range of emotions just like me and a plus- she’s such a badass.

Kaelis is framing to be a morally grey zaddy. That much is clear. However, there is still so much to learn about him and yet he is clearly so down bad for Clara LOL. Once we get that full picture, to fully understand him will be so worth the wait. In typical Elise Kova fashion, we are left with lots of questions unanswered and your mind is trying to build conclusions on your own on what might happen next. I got this ARC back in January and I read it in March the first time. Reading it a second time at the beginning of June, has me wishing I waited until publication so I wouldn't feel so alone in waiting for book 2. Hands down so worth it, can't wait to get my hands on book 2!

✨Tropes✨
⭐️ Found Family
🌙 Fake Engagement
💫 Slowburn
⭐️ Dark Academia
🌙 Magic System based on Tarot
💫 Magical School

I enjoyed this book so incredibly much. Tarot Card magic system had me at the get go but it was better than I ever could have imagined. I truly believe this will be the next big book release. So many people are going to want to get their hands on this book.

Elise Kova is switching things up with this series but it still delivered everything I love about her other books. Arcana Academy features a tarot based magic system, a fake engagement to the headmaster, and just the right amount of enemies to lovers tension? Say less. The slow burn romance had me hooked, and the plot was totally unique but still had that classic Elise magic. I seriously couldn’t get enough.

Thank you for my e-arc and to Hachette for my physical arc!
I'll be honest, this book was lacking in a lot of ways for me. Arcana Academy felt like a culmination of every "romantasy" trope we see nowadays, and a repetitive one. This book was great for people who like to "turn off" their brains while reading — but I'm unable to do so. I like a book that makes me think about things; the world; etc, and this book to me felt a bit mindless. I did enjoy the magic system, and while the book was gripping from the beginning, it didn't feel like it was for the right reasons. I wouldn't read it again, but I would recommend it to anyone trying out this specific genre of books to get them started, if only as a gateway.

The lack of worldbuilding and character development made it pretty difficult to get into the story. I need more details and atmosphere to be drawn into a book, and it was lacking for me.

This book absolutely bewitched me! As my very first read from this author, it completely stole my heart. The author’s ability to pull me into the story was nothing short of incredible. Adventure and mystery unfold at a medium pace, with a cast of characters I genuinely cared about. What stood out most was how the characters’ flaws were centered, and seeing them grow felt deeply satisfying.

3.75✨. Arcana Academy was packed with intricate world-building, a truly unique and innovative magic system, and characters cloaked in mystery. Elise Kova is clearly laying the groundwork for something vast and layered — we were given so much rich foundation, and yet I’m still restless for more insight into the world she’s created.

The tarot-based magic system and the structure of the clans were fascinating and clearly well thought out. You can tell she spent significant time developing how this magic functions, and it adds a compelling layer to the story that feels both original and complex.

That said, while I enjoyed the characters, I was surprised by how little emotional connection I felt to most of them after 500+ pages. I have a grasp on a few, but the rest felt like shadows — maybe because there were so many, or maybe because the world and magic system demanded so much attention that it left less room for deeper emotional character development. Still, I did feel a spark of fondness for the developing relationship between our two main characters. 😉

I imagine this is a book that can really be brought to life via audiobook and I will definitely be checking that out, too!

Regardless, I’m definitely hooked. The hints dropped throughout the story — and that cliffhanger — have me reeling and eager to find out what’s next. Will he step in? Can he? 🫣💕

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, Del Rey, and NetGalley for the eARC.

I really enjoyed this book.

The first few chapters had me hooked immediately and I couldn't wait to fully dive in. It felt different to me than other books by Elise Kova, not in a bad way, just different. It has a darker more adult vibe to it, the magical world is pretty interesting and I was definitely giving all the characters the side-eye ... I was suspicious of everyone!

I did guess a few things along the way, but it didn't take away from enjoying the story. I was also slightly overwhelmed with the different cards and numbers and what they all did, I found myself wishing for a type of glossary but it wasn't until the end of it that I realized there was a glossary at the back. I should have paid closer attention when first beginning the story. It's still quite a bit of information to take it, so I think in future books, I'll be making sure I have the glossary handy so I can try and keep up with everything.

I thought the world itself was pretty interesting and I haven't read anything quite like it. I think a lot of people are going to absolutely LOVE this book and this world! I am definitely looking forward to book 2!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars!

This was my very first Elise Kova book can you believe?!

So to start with, the beginning had me hooked. I love our FMC Clara and the way she was introduced. I really enjoyed the way we followed her on the journey to not only discover her magic and inking but the mysteries surrounding her past and her decisions going into the future books.

Our MMC was quite mysterious and this is a slow burn for anyone wondering so go in with that in mind. I felt a little bit of a lull during the middle but honestly I think it was me rather than the book itself as I felt myself drifting into wanting a faster romance (hormones 😂)

The last 40% got me though and I read to the end from there in 2 days over the weekend. The vibes were immaculate, major hogwarts vibes and atmosphere but more adult with higher stakes (and better writing 👀😂)

The way the tarot cards were used too and the difficulty to create them I thought was unique and interesting and I'm excited to see where it goes from here.

This took me forever to read but ultimately I did enjoy it, especially the ending. My main gripe is there are too many characters and spells and clans and cards to keep track of, so I wasn’t super connected to anyone. I love the uniqueness of the magic system but wish it had been more manageable.

So i did not finish this book. It seemed like every trope we written in a bad way and I also did not understand the magic system.

This was such an enjoyable book. It was intricate, tense, and mysterious. The magic system was so different and refreshing, I really enjoyed discovering all the new cards and their powers. I loved the dynamic that Clara had with the other characters, notable mentions of course Kaelis. There was also variety in the friendships she had and I was always debating who she could really trust... There was politics and secrecy and I just ate it all up, I can't wait for book 2!

4 Stars

I enjoyed Arcana Academy despite the fact that it was a bit repetitive and could have been significantly shorter. Elise did an incredible job building a unique and intriguing world crafted from Tarot and the magic the cards hold. It had quite the cliff-hanger of an ending, and I am excited to read the next book, but I am worried I will forget some of the details thanks to the repetitious nature of the more insignificant parts of the world.

I don’t know what exactly I was expecting of this book but it wasn’t that.
I’ve read the married into magic series of the author and thought it a bit too soft, too slow and too predictable. But I really liked the idea behind Arcana Academy so I thought I try again a book of hers and oh my god this was everything I expect from a good Romantasy book.

Firstly the magic system is amazing. Using Tarot cards not only for reading but also as a way of fighting is really intriguing and I loved how everything is explained. The forging of the cards, Minor and Major Arcana- I absolutely loved the concept.
And while I thought the school to be very similar to something I’ve read as a child in the beginning it turned out to be much more unrelenting and brutal then I would have guessed.

Clara as the main protagonist is amazing. She has a sharp tongue, is clever and the right mix between morally grey and ambitious. The way she does everything to get what she wants and says what she thinks- I loved her from page one. Kaelis? What can I say except he’s amazing too 🤣 boring I know but how can we not love the classic morally grey love interest. But combined with Clara who is equally unrelenting- chefs kiss.

In the end the book was much more sad and kinda brutal then anticipated and the ending was not nice. I seem to constantly read books with brutal cliffhangers at the moment.

I’ll give the book 4 stars overall because I kinda felt it was a bit slow sometimes during the middle parts but I absolutely recommend it to everyone who loves Romantasy with a good magic system and turns of events you can’t predict.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

Featuring incredibly rich world-building, this is a DENSE read! Kova writes such delightfully twisty morally grey men, but it’s her equally complex female characters I live for. Clara isn’t kind, she isn’t a hero, she isn’t even particularly likable at times. What she is? Driven, loyal, powerful, and mad as all hell.

In a world where arcanists (magic users) are oppressed and commodified, Clara has had a hard go of it, and she’s had about enough. When the prince who authored all her woes whisks her off to his fortress academy and enlists her help in changing the world, she embarks on a path that will force her to question everything she knows.

The tarot card magic system is intricate and unique, and I immensely enjoyed every fight scene. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Clara and Prince Kaelis unfolds in a believably unconventional manner, but the plot is driven by the mystery of the world and the motives of the people therein.

The pace slows during the middle as we learn more of the workings of the Academy and the overarching society, but it all builds to a gripping final arc that has me anxiously awaiting the next book! Highly recommended for readers of fantasy and romantasy, especially fans of the author’s Air Awakens series.

*I received an advanced reader copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review*

Arcana Academy is an addictive read and the start to Elise Kova’s new series. The setting is dark academia with a unique, tarot-based magic system. From the first page, the story pulled me into this world of danger, secrets, and high stakes.

Clara Graysword, our main character, is forced into a fake engagement with Prince Kaelis, the most dangerous man at Arcana Academy. To find her sister, she goes along with this arrangement as her best chance to search for her. Navigating the halls of the academy, Clara must use her wits and magical skills to uncover the truth and to find her.

The magic system is centered on inking and wielding tarot cards. When I got to the end of my ARC I found a glossary which would have been helpful to skim through while I was reading the book. The magic system is well written and original. I absolutely loved it, along with the immersive world-building. Some of the chapters may seem dense, but this is a complex world, and this book is setting everything up for the second book in the series. Which I can’t wait to get my hands on!

Arcana Academy is a magical read that immediately pulls you in. I loved how fresh and imaginative the magic system is and how it adds a lot of depth to the plot. This book is perfect for fans of romantasy and dark academia. I can’t wait for the rest of the books in the series to come out!!!

I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to read this book and it’s entirety before it expired but what I did read was absolutely amazing and had me hooked. I can’t wait until this actually comes out.