The Arcane Arts
A Thrilling Dark Academia Romance of Magic and Forbidden Love
-
- £0.99
Publisher Description
In this thrilling and sensuous dark academia fantasy, an ambitious graduate student and her advisor dive into studying a taboo branch of magic, igniting a dangerous passion between them.
'Addictive, thought-provoking, and extremely hot' L. K. Steven, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Silvercloak
'Saltburn meets Babel . . . Dark academia, romance, and fantasy join forces in a gripping new book' People
***
Tucked within an idyllic corner of New England, Newlyn University stands as a bastion for the academic elites. Inside its hallowed halls, students can pursue degrees in medicine, history, technology . . . or the Arcane Arts - the esoteric study of powerful magical forces. Enter Ellsbeth Storer: long determined to pursue a graduate degree in arcane mechanicals at Newlyn. Headstrong and driven, she convinces Thaddeus Rawlins, one of the field's most celebrated professors, to take her on as a student. Against his better judgment, but invigorated by Ellsbeth's ambition, Rawlins allows her to pursue a thesis on writ magic, the long-forbidden power to control and compel others.
While student and teacher both profess academic interest in the topic, each wants it for their own secret purpose. And they soon discover that Newlyn itself may be hiding the darkest secret of all . . .
As Rawlins and Ellsbeth undertake their clandestine research, their flirtation crosses into uncontrollable desire, which threatens to bloom into something even more troubling: love. But when their project begins to spin out of control, entangling them in a destructive web of lust and power, the question remains: can two people who are masters of manipulation ever trust each other?
Tropes:
🏛 Dark academia romance
🔎 Steamy suspense
❤️🔥 Professor x Student romance
🕯Secret societies
🥀 Forbidden love
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Half dark academia and half erotica, Coverly's debut offers a hedonistic account of a graduate student's dalliance with forbidden magic and romance. Ellsbeth Storer entered Newlyn College of the Arcane Arts' graduate program for one purpose: to discover the truth behind her sister's death. To do that, she needs to study writ magic, the forbidden ability to influence minds, with an adviser who will support a thesis on an illegal topic. Professor Thaddeus Rawlins has been burned by an overly ambitious student before, but Ellsbeth's research intrigues him—as does Ellsbeth herself. Pursuing rituals that could get them imprisoned and a relationship that could ruin their academic careers, the two struggle to control both their desire and the powerful promise of writ magic. Their steamy, BDSM-inflected romance is well balanced, and Coverly does not shy away from the moral quandaries of their relationship. Ellsbeth often favors her illicit affair over her quest for justice, to the extent that her studies become more of a footnote, which might frustrate readers in it for the magic. Still, the predictable plot is strengthened by complex characters with undeniable chemistry. Coverly should win plenty of fans.
