Publication: 22nd July 2025 – Hodderscape
✨ Are you ready to claim your destiny? ✨
A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling romantic fantasy series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.
Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job goes awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.
Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy’s enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.
In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.
Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?
This book was fantastic! I didn’t know what to expect because I’ve never read anything by this author, but I found the synopsis intriguing so I decided to try it and I wasn’t disappointed. I will definitely keep reading Elise Kova’s books. I loved the world-building, the characters, the story, the pace, and the writing, and that ending left me excited for its sequel.
The story is set in a school of magic, the Arcana Academy of the title, where the students are taught to ink and read tarot cards and wield their magic. The protagonist, Clara, is strong, fearless, and determined, but also quite stubborn, and she enters the school not only as a student, but also as the fake future wife of Kaelis, the dark and enigmatic prince and headmaster of the academy. In reality, Clara has just escaped prison, helped by the prince himself, in exchange for her help in stealing his father’s cards and creating a new world. However, Clara has her own agenda for helping Kaelis…
I really enjoyed this novel and, even though I often got lost in the intricate tarot-based magic system, I found it fascinating and original. I also liked the characters. Clara is a heroine with a tragic past and lots of secrets (both to keep and to uncover), she is reckless, but also caring and loyal. Kaelis is brooding and cunning, but also adorable. I loved their chemistry, their interactions, and the slow-burn romance. Fake engagements, forbidden magic, secrets, betrayals, alliances, romance, found family, royal intrigue, secretive institutions… there is a lot to keep you immersed in Arcana Academy!
A huge thank you to Hodderscape and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of this fantastic novel.
Elise Kova is a USA Today and internationally bestselling author. She enjoys telling stories of fantasy worlds filled with magic and deep emotions. She lives in Florida and, when not writing, can be found playing video games, drawing, chatting with readers on social media, or daydreaming about her next story.
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Love that cover!
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