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 romantasy 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 gone 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?
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0What a ride! Arcana Academy solidifies Elise Kova as a master of her craft and an underrated author who deserves so much more recognition.
This first book in a new series introduces Clara, an Arcanist imprisoned for her illegal use of tarot magic. In this world, only those under the crown’s control are allowed to wield such power. But Clara and her sister, Arina, were secretly trained by their mother to hone their forbidden skills.
From the opening chapters, the stakes are high. Clara’s world is upended when Prince Kaelis, the kingdom’s second-born prince, visits her in prison and helps her escape. Soon, she finds herself at Arcana Academy, where she’s forced to serve the prince’s interests while pretending to be madly in love with him—as his fiancée.
The magic system in this book is truly one of the most unique and exciting I’ve encountered. Imagine the intrigue of One Dark Window and The Mask of Mirrors, but with even more layers! Even as someone who isn’t well-versed in tarot, I found the card readings and duels easy to follow and utterly fascinating.
And the romance? Perfection. Enemies to reluctant allies to “I hate you, but I want you anyway”?? Absolutely *chef’s kiss*. The tension between Clara and Kaelis is electric, and I ship them so hard.
As for the ending…wow. Some of the twists were on my radar, but the way Kova executed them left me reeling. With so many questions still unanswered, waiting for book two is going to be agonizing.
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