This book put me through so many emotions. The magic system was so unique, I never read something with this kind of magic before. I absolutely loved it, it was such an amazing story.

Arcana Academy was founded to teach and control Arcanists, those who have the ability to ink, read and wield tarot cards and their magic. Power only reserved for those under the crown.
Clara was imprisoned for using it illegally. Until Prince Kaelis, dark and enigmatic headmaster of the academy, helps her escape, gives her a new name and a place in his academy as a first year student. She will be his bride-to-be and help him steal the tarot cards from his father, cards that are key in creating a powerful card, a card that can change worlds. He is her enemy, one she swore to hate, but there is more to him than it seems. Some choices will be hard to make.

I absolutely loved Kaelis, it's always the tortured souls that get me. He and Clara fought so hard against their feelings, it made me want more of them.
But this book was so much more than that, with the trials Clara had to go through at the academy, the heist, the secrets. Clara was strong and determined, but so stubborn. I loved her even when she drove me crazy.

I'm not gonna lie, the beginning was slow, it took me a while to get into the book, but once I did, it didn't let go. I was consumed by it.
I have so many questions still, I simply don't know how I'm going to survive until book two. That ending...
I promised myself I would stop starting series that aren't finished, but here I am, yet again, with questions I won't get answers to for quite some time. I can't make myself regret it tho, I loved this book far too much for that.

Arcana Academy instantly sucked me in with its interesting world and magic system. It feels like it's been set up so well for the magic and lore to develop even further in the sequels, and for so many twists and turns to come in the story! The world and the magic feels so well thought out and complete. Basing the magic system on tarot was ingenious and I love that the Academy focuses equally on reading, inking and wielding the cards. Our main character, Clara, is particularly skilled in inking and wielding cards but is self-processed mediocre at reading cards. She still values the ability in other people though, and doesn't just discount reading's importance just because it's not in her skillset. Each focus is equally interesting and everything just makes sense! I just really love the magic system lol, and wish I could live in that world. Maybe as a noble and without all that death though!

There's a definite cliffhanger in this one, leading into what is going to be an amazing book two.

If you loved the card-based magic in Rachel Gillig's The Shepherd King Duology, you definitely need to read the Arcana Academy series!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

thank you netgalley and hodderscape for a review copy!
I was hooked from the first page of this book and could not put it down!! i think the magic system in this book is definitely a reason to pick it up, it is based of tarot and i found it really well explained because it seems like so much to remember in the beginning but the fights are described really well. The tension and slow burn + forced proximity was immaculate and accompanied the plot so well! Speaking of the plot, there were so many twists and turns some I predicted but others (especially the ending) were so unexpected!! THE ENDING!!!! it was such a shock and now i am DESPERATE for sequel!! Also the setting of a the academy is perfect and i love books set in any sort of school and it adds to the amazing story. The writing was amazing and you know I love Elise Kova and this may be one of my favourite books by her! I could yap about this book for days but i 100% recommend EVERYONE to preorder it...

I've always loved Elise Kova's books. I was very intrigued to read her first published book.
This one like all of Kova's book I flew through. Such a page turner. I will continue to read anything she writes!

A book set in a magical school, a magic system based on tarot and enemies to lovers? Absolutely made for me.

I don’t even know where to start. I was absolutely transfixed by that ending.
I really, really wanted to hate Kaelis I kind of still do! It is the perfect Romantasy book, if you can call it romance!
I connected with the characters, the spells, the houses.
I thought the plot was so well thought out, and I couldn’t read it fast enough.

I feel like Del Rey are smashing it at the moment.
Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc, but please can I have the second book immediately?!

Arcana Academy completely pulled me in from the start. I love a dark academia setting, and the mix of magic, mystery, and hidden agendas made this such an addictive read. The whole concept of an elite magical school where only the most powerful mages are invited was intriguing, but it quickly became clear that there’s way more going on beneath the surface.

The story is full of twists, and just when I thought I had a grip on things, another revelation would completely throw me. The magic system felt unique and had real consequences, which I always appreciate in fantasy. The atmosphere of the academy was perfectly eerie—dark, secretive, and full of people you’re never quite sure you can trust.

I really liked the main character and how she navigated this new and dangerous world. The side characters were interesting, and some definitely kept me guessing. There’s a slow-burn romance element, which added to the tension without taking over the main plot.

Overall, this was a gripping read with plenty of mystery, strong world-building, and a great balance of magic and suspense. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book.

5 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.

Imagine taking the setting of Hogwarts, adding in the magic of One Dark Window and then giving it a pinch of the ruthlessness and romance from Fourth Wing - yeah, that's what this book feels like. And it was absolutely stunning.

I loved reading this book. The magic system was so interesting, different and beautifully made. It worked really well and I loved the fighting scenes where you got to see how the cards could be used in action. I also think the academy setting was done very well, giving us glimpses of her everyday life without dragging and becoming too repetitive. The sprinkle of desire, plotting, fights and revelations throughout was perfect.

The tension between our two main characters was delicious, and I think they were both really fun and great to read about. The build-up was really good, however I do think the execution of the actual spicy scenes could have been a little better. They were over so quickly and you couldn't FEEL it the same way you could everything leading up to it. I just wanted... more.
SPOILER INCOMING:
And when she finally spends the night with him afterwards, it was absolutely criminal that that scene wasn't shown. They had been dancing around their feelings for so long, denying anything more real than just the physical - and when they finally acknowledge it and decide to be vulnerable with each other, we don't get to be there and read about it? I was honestly a little mad and quite disappointed, because it was so monumental for both of them and their story, and it would have been so easy to include. But that was my only real complaint throughout the book.
END OF SPOILER.

I think Clara was such a great protagonist. She was determined, confident, talented and fiercely loyal, and I really enjoyed her POV. I would love to get some scenes from Kaelis's POV as well at some point, because that man is down bad! Hopefully we get to see that in the next one. And speaking of which: I am looking SO much forward to it! The ending in this one was so cool and I can't wait to continue the journey and find out what happens next. I will be thinking about this one for a long time!

With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Books for the ARC.

Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for using her rare power inking and wielding tarot cards. However, when the Prince and Headmaster of the prestigious Arcana Academy makes a deal with her— her freedom in exchange for her help— she is compelled to accept his bargain if she wants to survive and find her family. As Clara emerges from prison and enters the Academy’s gates, she finally has the chance to fulfil her destiny. However, beneath the surface of the Academy, hidden secrets emerge that will shape Clara’s fate and change her life forever…

I really enjoyed the premise of Arcana Academy. It’s a solid romantasy which perfectly blends mystic lit with some classic elements of dark academia.

I found the magic system challenging to grasp at the beginning. I do appreciate fast-paced storytelling; however, the rapid pace of events and shifts in tone at the start meant I couldn’t quite get my footing into the plot. As a result, the character development and the evolution of the FMC and MMC’s relationship didn’t quite hit the spot for me. I never really felt Clara’s personality coming through as much as I’d have liked.

But I can understand how the uniqueness of the tarot card-wielding system would easily captivate readers. It was overall entertaining, and I did enjoy the writing style and themes.

Thank you so much for sending me an earc of Arcana Academy I really enjoyed my time reading this book.

What a book this was. I absolutely loved everything about this one. The magic system, the characters, the plot. I just could not put it down. Coming in at 576 pages I read it in just over 24 hours. I will say the magic system is pretty complex and at times I found myself having to reread parts just to make sure I understood. However, once I got to grip with things I was flying through.

That ending. Arcana Academy hasn’t even been released and I need to sequel immediately. I don’t know how I’m going to be patient enough to wait.

A solid 4.5⭐️s! I can't wait to finish the trilogy and I'm firmly adding Elise Kova to my autobuy list!

This is a slow burn, true enemies to lovers fantasy. I loved the pacing, lots of mystery, secrecy, and unanswered questions- which I don't mind - it's a trilogy!

With little knowledge of tarot, the magic system was explained well and didn't leave me confused. With characters you were invested in, this book shoots straight up my favourites list!

AD/ gifted - thank you so much to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC of Arcana Academy by Elise Kova in exchange for an honest review.

Wow this was such an interesting read. We follow Clara who has been captured and put in the toughest prison in Oricalis Kingdom - a place reserved for the worst offenders. Clara has been placed there for being an underground magic wielder and illegally inking magical tarot cards without graduating Arcana Academy. Prince Kaellis visits the prison to offer Clara an ultimatum. The story takes off from here.

I have loved Elise Kova’s writing for a while now and I knew I would enjoy this one too. The words are interwoven beautifully- explanations of the tarot cards and how they are wielded are such an interesting concept. You really have to pay attention to the magic system and world building as it’s quite complex but so interesting and nothing quite like I have read before. I also loved that there were already twists in the book before we even hit the 5 % mark. I don’t know how I’ll possibly wait for book two after that ending!

Tropes include:

🃏 Dark academia
✨ Unique magic system - tarot card inspired
🃏 Engagement of convenience
✨ Enemies to lovers
🃏 Trials
✨ Forced proximity

Out: 22nd July 2025

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed Arcana Academy Chronicles by Elise Kova. The world-building is vivid, the magic system is fascinating, and the characters are both relatable and compelling. The story is packed with action, emotion, and twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. The dynamics between the students and the secrets of the Academy made it all the more engaging. If you love magical academy stories with great characters and a touch of mystery, this is a fantastic read!this was a first book for me by this author and definitely won't be my last!

“𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨. 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙢𝙚, 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙪𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙨. 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙤𝙣𝙚. 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙩. 𝙗𝙪𝙩, 𝙞𝙛 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙗𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡”

clara graysword has spent her life surviving the dangerous underworld of eclipse city, relying on her skills as a thief, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. when a job goes wrong, she’s caught and sentenced to life in prison for inking tarot cards - a rare magic only those at arcana academy are meant to wield

but just when all seems lost, prince kaelis, the academy’s headmaster, offers her a deal. he needs her help stealing a tarot card from the king to recreate a powerful lost card. in return, she gets her freedom. the catch? she must pose as his new student and his bride-to-be. thrown into a world of arcane magic, royal schemes, and dangerous secrets, clara has to decide - does she trust the prince or take the power for herself?

okay, first off, the magic system? so cool. tarot cards imbued with real power, only accessible to a select few? sign me up. i loved how well thought out it was, and the way it wove into the plot was chefs kiss 👌🏼

the world-building was also really solid - enough detail to make it immersive but never too much to feel overwhelming. the pacing kept me hooked, and the stakes felt high

and the tropes??? forced engagement, close proximity, the broody prince falling first?? yes, yes, and yes. clara and kaelis had such good tension, and their dynamic was one of my favorite parts

why not five stars? there were a few moments where the plot felt predictable, and i wished for a bit more depth in some of the side characters. but overall? a fantastic read, and i can’t wait for book two

“𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜”

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I found this book just okay. I had high expectations given its fantastic premise, but ultimately, it delivered only on the romance aspect—which, unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy. I think Arcana Academy will appeal to readers looking for something akin to One Dark Window but with a heavier focus on romance, those who want a less dark alternative to Zodiac Academy, or even those feeling nostalgic for Harry Potter. However, it simply wasn’t for me.

The book tries to juggle too many elements, yet all seem to serve only as a backdrop for the romance. As a result, the plot feels messy: Clara, the protagonist, seeks revenge and retribution for her imprisonment; she tries to unravel two mysteries—her mother’s death and her sister’s disappearance; she is thrown into a magical academy (which had incredible potential but was severely underdeveloped); she attempts to escape (and even succeeds once) from said academy; and she is tasked with uncovering the World, the 21st Major Arcana. Too much? I’d say yes. These plot points are all criminally underdeveloped, making the story feel chaotic and unfocused.

The magic system had great potential—I love Tarot-based magic—but I don’t think it was handled well here. The tarot cards and their mechanics are only explained at the end of the book in an appendix, which might make for a confusing reading experience, especially for those unfamiliar with tarot. Additionally, I would have loved to see the cards illustrated in the book.

Now, let’s talk about the romance… which I didn’t like. It follows a formulaic pattern, and the banter—clearly meant to be flirtatious—came across as extremely cringeworthy. I’ve seen reviews calling this a slow burn, but it really isn’t. There are sexual innuendos from the very first chapters, and it’s evident from the beginning that the prince is already lusting after Clara. What slow burn? Furthermore, there’s nothing that distinguishes this romance from the countless others I’ve read in the past year. The romantasy genre has become stagnant and repetitive, and this book only reinforced that frustration. We have an arranged marriage, an enemies-to-reluctant-allies dynamic, and little else.I couldn’t tell this romance apart from those in Quicksilver or When the Moon Hatched—both lacked personality and emotional depth.

I’m really disappointed, as this was my most anticipated novel of 2025. It had the potential to be something great if the plot and magic system had been more central, fully developed, and not just used as a backdrop for yet another formulaic romance. I'm only giving it three stars for the incredible magic system, but I really wish it were more fleshed-out. I might continue with the series, if the romantasy genre starts to switch it up a little bit...

The ending?!??

This is by far the best book I’ve read this year. FMC is broken out of prison by MMC and enrolled at his magic academy, whilst also becoming his ‘betrothed’. MMC needs her and her magic to help overthrow the king (essentially)

The magic system in this - love. I’ve never read a book with a magic system based on tarot cards, and it felt really unique and refreshing in a sea of other fantasy novels. I loved the fight scenes and how they used the cards during it - it really added to the visuals and made the fights seem really fast paced.

The world building was really well done. Like explaining the tarot system and the lore of the series was a lot, but it never felt heavy. The author really found an excellent balance of world building and forward moving plot.

The relationship was perfect. I love a slow burn, and the enemies to lovers (not quite there yet) was well done. It’s too often that a couple is ‘enemies’ for a chapter and then are immediately all over each other. It was really well paced here. I did however find myself thinking a few times ‘use your words!’ - like please just talk to each other!

I am somewhat devastated I need to wait over a year for the next book, because I need to know immediately what happens next.

Thanks for Netgalley for the ARC

⋆｡°✩ ᴀʀᴄ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ✩°｡⋆

ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ : Arcana Academy
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ : Elisa Kova

W.o.w. I really enjoyed this book! Admittedly i haven't read any of Elisa's books, which yes is a TRADGY but I'm so glad I got to read this ARC.

Arcana Academy has a very unique use of magic, Tarot Cards. I found this so fascinating and super unique, not something i had read before. (I love new stuff!) It did confuse me a little at the first, but eventually i finally started understanding all the cards and what they do. (Only to find out there is a Gloassry at the end. LOL)

Clara, a strong driven women. I really like her strength and the way she holds herself. Her family values and belief in herself is brill. Kaelis, now he was something! You could see his inner turmoil the whole way, to be the enemy he thinks he is born to be. These two … FIRE, the tension ripples off of them.

There is a lot of foreshadowing that you don't notice until the story unravels later on. So keep an eye out for stuff!

I really really enjoyed this book and wholly recommend it to everyone! 5/5.

I absolutely loved this book. Despite knowing nothing about tarot, it didn't take long for me to understand the magic system—it's complex enough to be interesting and unusual but simple enough to be quickly comprehensible. The development of Clara and Kaelis's relationship and motivations was really well done, and the conflict was well paced. I will certainly be continuing to read the series, and I highly recommend Arcana Academy to all fans of fantasy with mystery, unique magic systems, romance, and heists.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Arcana Academy is going to be THE romantasy of 2025, let me tell you. When I say my jaw is on the floor.

Dark academia
Intricate magic system
Fake engagement
Enemies to lovers
One Dark Window x Harry Potter but make it 🌶️

This was somehow both refreshing and familiar, and it made for an utterly enchanting read. I absolutely loved every aspect of this book. The world-building is rich, and the magic system is well fleshed out and intricate, with a unique premise of magic wielding.

Clara is an Arcanist, she’s fiery and independent and fiercely loyal, and after being imprisoned for illegally inking tarot cards, finds herself joining the Arcana Academy as a first-year student and “betrothed” to Prince Kaelis, the very man Clara suspects of being the man who killed her mother, in a bid to take down everyone has wronged her people and find her sister. And I am OBSESSED with this pairing — I can’t wait to see how their relationship develops in the next book.

The cliffhanger in this book is absolutely CRIMINAL. And I cannot express how excited I am for everyone else to experience the first instalment in what I’m certain is going to be an insanely popular series.

An endless thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this bloody masterpiece.

One Dark Window meets Harry Potter!

Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards - a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy. She is offered her freedom in exchange for helping the academy's cold headmaster, Prince Kaelis. Her identity is a secret and sheer presence is explained away by her engagement to the second born Prince.

Clara is brash and bold. Highly emotional, yet loyal to those she loves. She also has more power than others and is a great thief and very capable.

Kaelis is cold, calculating, controlling…. Or maybe he’s protective, ambitious, hurting and hiding. He also has a pet cat, Priss.

This was exceedingly sloooooow burn. You are on your hands and knees with a torch for mere crumbs. But these crumbs are akin to luxury chocolate or truffles or caviar.

<b>“If to bring about a new world—a better world—I must be the villain, if I must do evil things for the greater good, then so be it. I’ll play the part now and be reborn a hero in my next life.”
</b>
Saying that, I needed more romancing before the main event. It was all very slow and then BAM. And how they got together was not my favourite.

There is a lot of world building to get your head around - the tarot cards magic, the myths, Clara’s past, her family, her old friends and gang. Then you have a lot of names from students to nobility to past connections.

I did love the concept of the tarot card magic system but wish there was more explanation. Maybe diagrams - perhaps this will be added in for the final copy.

Clara didn’t stand out to me as a heroine. She is a very typical romantasy protagonist and Kaelis was the brooding yet misunderstood romance.

Physical arc gifted by Del Rey