This was a strong start to the series with a unique, tarot-based magic system and a dark academia vibe that really worked. The world-building was solid, and I loved how morally grey everything felt—you’re left unsure who to trust, which kept things interesting.

The pacing dipped a bit in the middle, but the last 10% was fantastic—exactly what you want from a series opener. My only real gripe was Clara’s red eyes. They’re described as crimson several times, but no one seems to find that odd, which felt like a missed opportunity (maybe it’ll matter later).

Overall, great atmosphere, intriguing magic, and a lot of potential for the rest of the series. I’m definitely curious to see where it goes next.

What happens when the man you've sworn to ruin becomes your co-conspirer? Clara finds herself escaping prison and enrolling in the Arcana Academy where she will learn how to "properly" wield her tarot magic. But in order to succeed, she must pretend to be engaged to the second prince--who is her sworn enemy. Good read.

This was a very cool start to this series.

I’ve read a lot of Elise Kova and always enjoy her works. This felt like a bit of a departure while still being all the usual good stuff she brings to fantasy.

The magic system was extremely unique. I especially like that I do not have a CLUUUUUE who to trust at the end of this book. Which side is right and which is wrong? I think the truth is that it’s not that simple. I find that to be really refreshing. I genuinely don’t even know if our FMC or her love interest are doing what is right or wrong. That made for a very fun read.

The pace was good though maybe not perfect: I got a bit bored in the middle. But man, the last 10% was excellent, which you want in a series opener. It’s an oddly small thing, but I had one hang-up that I can’t get past: Clara has red eyes. Literally. Her eyes are described multiple times as crimson. And NO ONE acts like that’s odd. But also, NO ONE else has weird colored eyes. It’s not like we’re living in some alternate universe where everyone has every color eye possible. She has red eyes, so that must be significant… but also it’s not significant enough for ANYONE to think twice about it. I mean, it wasn’t even enough to identify her as the missing prisoner, you know? The book read no differently than if her eyes were brown. But then why red?! I didn’t get it. I hope that is explained in the next one.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Arcana Academy was such a wonderous whirlwind of a story. I am so excited to see how this series goes. The mystery, the magic and the villain vibes kept me reading way into the night. As usual, it'll be another year until I'm transported back into Clara's world and I can't wait!

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the amazing incredible opportunity to read an advanced copy. The above opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed the tarot-based magic and the dark academia setting—the atmosphere was spot-on! I can see why this book is compared to One Dark Window and Harry Potter.

The slow burn didn’t bother me; I actually like that. But I struggled to connect with the characters. I just didn’t feel anything for them, which made it hard to fully immerse myself in the story.

Still, I see a lot of potential in the series. The magic system was unique and really well done, so I’m curious to see where it goes next!

Loved this!! Arcana Academy has a unique magic system and Kova builds an amazing world! The romance is slow burn and builds in this story where the FMC truly has the most legitimate reasons to hate her fiancé.

Let's start with the good. The magic in this book is interesting - it comes from tarot cards, which Arcanists can read, ink, and wield. The idea of an academy for those with powers is also intriguing.

The actual execution of these things, though? Less great. I had a lot of questions and confusion throughout. About the Academy, about the relationship between Clara and Kaelis, about the Star-crossed Club. It was likely intentional, to be mysterious and encouraging you to keep reading; I found it annoying. Some of my questions will probably be answered in the next book, but I'm not sure if I care to wait that long.

4 stars for the ideas, 2 stars for the execution.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

The dark academia x tarot card love child I didn’t know I needed! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this advanced copy. Not only is the cover gorgeous, but the magic was compelling and intriguing. This is one that will need to be added to my shelves.

This book consumed me from start to finish! I loved learning the magic of this world throughout the course of the story. Very unique and different from the magic in other fantasy series. Sprinkle in a misunderstood prince, dark academia, and a woman who just wants to protect her family - you’ve got an epic story you won’t want to put down!

I felt this book would be better if I knew about tarot cards. I know absolutely nothing about them and I feel I didn't get much of an explanation for almost a quarter of the book.

Elise Kova’s latest novel is like if your favorite dark academia had a love child with a deck of tarot cards, and that child was full of tension, secrets, and ✨vibes✨. I came for the magic, stayed for the banter, and now I need book two immediately. If you love fantasy, romance, and a little bit of academic chaos, you need Arcana Academy in your life.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Oh to fall for an unreleased series! The woe. This is a fun fantasy romance dark academia, with a tarot twist that was inventive and engaging. Tropes abound with enemies forced into a false engagement, and this plucky FMC falls into every trap the dark mysterious MMC (who has purple-black hair so you know he’s an edgelord)….but I liked reading it? Could I pick it out of any other academic romantsy lineup? Maybe not. But the tarot was memorable, it was easy and fun to read, and I’d go for the sequel when it comes out.

I found the magic system very interesting and enjoyed the uniqueness of it. However I’m not sure I actually liked any of the main characters? I enjoy that fantasy’s love to have a quest aspect, though this one seemed partially fleshed out? I know we aren’t suppose to get all the answers but I found myself mostly confused the entire time.

<spoiler>I found the sisters plot line to be kind of weird? When her “body” was found I didn’t believe it so knowing that she is in the prison is interesting. I feel like the king isn’t actually the one in power and is being controlled. I think the world was changed that moved the king into power and that Kaleis is from a previous world. I am interested to learn who Clara actually is as I don’t believe she truly knows. But with Bursiata dead I’m not sure if we are ever going to figure it out. I’m not sure how Clara and Ariana are going to get out of Harvana in the next book. I feel bad for Silas and wish he would have made it out. I did not really find Clara and Kaleis relationship as believable. Unless they had connections in a previous world? I feel like he knows her from some previous experience. I would like to learn who Clara’s father is since House Tower was responsible for her mother’s death. Which part of me believes her mother isn’t dead but that’s because in fantasy I never believe someone is dead because cards can always be used to fix this issue. But we shall see if that’s true or not. </spoiler>

I will probably read the next book just to get answers but this most likely won’t be one of my favorite fantasy books.

I absolutely loved and devoured this book.
It was superbly written and the world building was fantastic. I absolutely loved the magic system in this book and how beautifully intricate it was.
The characters were really well written and had a good depth to them. I loved the dynamic between our two main characters and how their relationship develops throughout the book. I loved the secret longing and how they genuinely started to care for one another by the end of the book.
The plot was fantastic and I loved all the twists and turns that the book threw at me. I liked how there was constantly something brewing or developing or happening.
This book had me going through a multitude of emotions through the whole book but that end scene had me shocked!!
I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in this new series, having read from this author before this one did not disappoint!!
This has been one of my favourite reads of the year so far!! It’ll be so hard to beat!!

Arcana Academy follows Clara who has been given a second chance out of prison to attend Arcana Academy in exchange for helping the headmaster Kaelis steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time. I loved the tarot card magic system and learning about what each cards power was. The romance did have to grow on me but I enjoyed the found family aspect in this novel. I liked the academy setting and felt like the author put a lot of thought into the worldbuilding.
Thank to you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m completely obsessed with this book! The only downside? Now I’m left eagerly awaiting the next installment—it’s that good. The story has the perfect blend of Hogwarts College meets Basgiath vibes, and I am 100% here for it. But instead of wands, they wield magical tarot cards, which is just chef’s kiss. Elise Kova does not disappoint.

The world-building is phenomenal—rich in magic, with complex characters and twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. The relationships are so well-developed, and they pull you in every time. The plot keeps you guessing, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, it throws in a curveball. If you're a fan of magical worlds laced with mystery, this one’s a must-read! I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us!

Elise Kova is PHENOMENAL.

This book is in my top ten favorite fantasy reads for 2025. The magic system is refreshing and very different from the usual. It’s hard to change from the usual magic system and still make it understandable.

The fight scenes? WOO. Intense and left you sitting on the edge of your seat. The romance? WOW. It was meshed into the book so well. There was always something in motion so having the ability to slip the romance in. SKILLS.

Elise Kova has a fan in me after finishing the first book in the Arcana Academy series! As an avid romantasy reader, this book had all the elements I sought. The female main character is a vigilante who begins in a prison known for dark, decrepit cells. The Halazar prison is known for not allowing one to leave with their life. Clara is met with a dark prince who runs the magical school/college that requires anyone with a proclivity for magic to enter at 20 years old. Prince Kaelis is a master manipulator who orchestrates Clara’s escape from Halazar in order to use her for his own ends. The prose in this book really brought to life the fantasy world and I could picture the vision board filled with dark academia, tarot, and mystic imagery. The magic system with the tarot cards was unfamiliar to me, and I found myself intrigued by the inking of cards to be wielded or read. There were some confusing elements in the history of this world, but many of my questions were cleared up by the end or revealed to be more complex than I originally thought. When I finished the book, I was absolutely hooked and already can’t wait to read book number two.

In the end, I enjoyed this whole book. However, the pacing of the plot did not make complete sense to me. Clara’s first day at the academy felt like an eternity. Followed by many jumps in the story where we missed weeks. I do feel like the necessary information for the world building and magic was appropriately revealed, but perhaps could be adjusted to different points in the plot to feel less bumpy.

I am very invested in the characters, I thought the magical school was so fun to be a part of, and the slow burn was perfect for the avid romantasy reader. I certainly will be recommending this book when it is released in July!

I have been such a huge fan of Elise Kova since the Air Awakens sage on KU! I am so happy she is getting her flowers with this big splashy book deal. ARCANA ACADEMY delivers on everything we love from Kova's writing: intrigue, killer magic system, and a swoony romance.

Thank you the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I I really wanted to fully enjoy this book as it has a very interesting premise and a strong start but in the end found it a bit dense without the room to fully connect and care for the characters. I've found the magic system and the world-building quite interesting but there were moments when the exposition felt a bit awkward.