Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

“Talent is having your starting line placed closer to the finish. Sure, those with it get to the goal faster. But with hard work and diligence, you can cover the same distance.”

Arcana Academy

I am not sure why I have waited so long to try more by Elise Kova. I read Air Awakens years ago, around when it first came out and absolutely fell in love with it. Over the years, I have avidly followed her on social media and read her newsletter (which offers such amazing tips for writers about writing and publishing). I have slowly collected some of her books and just haven’t read them yet, but now I am going to make a point to read them because I adore her writing style, and I want to spend more time in her worlds.

Arcana Academy is the first novel in a new series that combines both dark academia and romantasy. I love dark academia series, and this book was incredible. I am definitely excited for book two.

Clara Graysword has been using illegal magic her entire life. Taught to her by her mother before she died, Clara has been inking tarot cards in secret, selling them or using them for heists with a crew that has become a second family to her. But inking tarot is only allowed by those who have survived and graduated the elite Arcana Academy. 

When one of her jobs goes bad and she is arrested, Clara is thrown in prison. The time within those walls is torture to her, and now she is still being forced to ink cards for the warden, in exchange for barely any additional comforts. But one day, Prince Kaelis, the headmaster of Arcana Academy, stages an escape for her that allows her to trade one prison for another. For him to keep her identity safe, she must attend Arcana Academy and pretend to be his betrothed. While there, he wants her to learn everything she can about their magic so she can help him summon a card that could change the very world. 

While I have seen tarot pop up in fantasy novels before, this is the first novel I have seen that uses it as a magic system. It is a really awesome and fun system. The Arcana Academy sounds like such a stressful and unique magical school. Here the reader gets to see Clara make more friends and enemies and also try and unravel whatever she is feeling for Prince Kaelis, who she definitely, absolutely hates.

This book ended on the absolute worst cliffhanger though so while I am dying for book two, at least I can dive back into some other worlds Elise Kova had created in the meantime.