Arcana Academy
the spellbinding #1 Sunday Times bestselling enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance
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4.5 • 6 Ratings
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Claim your destiny in the hottest new fantasy romance, in which a magical tarot card wielder lands herself in a fake engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy.
Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of magic. But when she is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for illegally inking tarot cards, it seems her luck has finally run out.
Until Prince Kaelis offers her an escape - for a price.
In exchange for her life, Clara must pose as Kaelis' bride-to-be and a student of the elite Arcana Academy. There, she and Kaelis will conspire to steal a powerful card from the king and use it to bring his tyrannical rule to an end.
Clara soon discovers that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world . . . and heart? Or will she steal the magic for herself?
TROPES
Fake engagement 💍
Slow burn ❤️🔥
Enemies to lovers ⚔️💖
Forced proximity 🔒🤏
Magical school 🎇🏫
Morally gray 🖤
Girlboss x cold royal 👑 x 💙
READERS ARE OBSESSED
'A stellar start to the series' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Absolutely wrecked me, in the best way' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Let me tell you, this romance does BURN' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This was so well crafted, and had me turning page after page' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'A fresh voice in an an oversaturated world of dark academia romantasy' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Elise Kova is no stranger to crafting lived-in fantasy romance sagas. Here, she kicks off a planned trilogy with an epic novel that combines both a fake engagement and enemies-to-lovers arc with a playful magic system centred on battle-ready tarot cards. And it should come as no surprise that Arcana Academy is a prime example of dark academia, with professional thief Clara Graysword abruptly thrown into the scholarly elite courtesy of the royal headmaster, Prince Kaelis. His elaborate pact with her involves bringing Clara to the academy under the guise of his fiancée, which means the two will spend a lot more time together. Kova nails all the reliable romantic beats while steadily building out an inviting fantasy world for future instalments.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Simmering romance, broody dark academia aesthetics, and an inventive magic system combine in YA author Kova's fascinating adult debut (after Dragon Cursed). Petty criminal Clara Graysword has been trapped in Halazar Prison for nearly a year, languishing in her cell unless she's inking illegal tarot cards for the warden, a magic that only the highly trained elite are meant to have access to. Then comes a visit from Prince Kaelis, who learns of her ability and offers her an opportunity to escape the prison—though it comes with strings attached. Kaelis enrolls her in Arcana Academy, where he is headmaster, to formally hone her talents, and introduces her to everyone as the noble Clara Redwin of Clan Hermit, his intended bride. It's all part of Kaelis's desperate hunt for the rarest tarot card, considered by most to be a myth, in order to remake the world. Unsure of who to trust—least of all her future husband—Clara attempts to navigate the perils of the court and academy. Kova's characters are well-shaded and her tarot-based magic system feels fresh and exciting. The worldbuilding here is largely limited to the confines of the academy, leaving much to explore in future installments. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas are sure to be pleased.
