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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Dun dun dun, cliffhanger alert! Tense, mysterious, interesting magic system, enemies to lovers to.... Can't wait for the next book!
Super slow. I gave up about 2/3 into it hoping it would get better but I just didn’t care anymore. Such a disappointment for a very hyped book.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The nice things first: cool magical system. Cool society structure, in principle. Cool way of stacking the plot. But wow, it took waaaay to long for everything to happen, with how ridiculously overpowered the main character was. Overpowered in what she could do and how much stamina she had for everything, and how defiant she was, and overpowering snark and sarcasm. Brother what is wrong with romantasy writers, why does EVERY SENTENCE uttered by their main girl have to be stewed in snark and sneering and „you will never best me in anything, and if you do I‘ll still be sassy about it“. STOP IT ITS UNBEARABLE. Every time I thought, there was going to be a description of an actual human response to violence or cruelty, it almost came and then „I COULD ENDURE PAIN. THEY WOULD NEVER BREAK ME“ ok why am i then reading this book, ms. super sayan. what the hell man. Also what I didn’t quite enjoy is how much was basically just Harry Potter derivatives, the entire academy structure as well as the tasks and magical obstacles. Book four, basically, but more people die. Don’t get me started on the „void born prince“, because of course our love interest is the pathetic emo man, who yearns from the very start in a way that you would like to ask the heroine if she’s selectively blind and deaf. „He is staring at me with such longing but surely it is just hatred, right?“ STFU god i can’t do this anymore. The whole thing was overladen with tropes too.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dark academy setting, magical tarot, and a SLOW BURN romance with stubborn MCs who can't decide if they love or hate each other? Sign me up every time.
Luck has always been on Clara's side. After a year of being locked away in Halazar, Clara escapes with the help of the second-born prince, Kaelis. The man that Clara believes orchestrated every painful moment in her life. He brings her to Arcana Academy where anyone with a magical affinity can train to become an arcanist. Kaelis gives Clara an ultimatum: enroll in Arcana Academy as a long-lost noble and Kaelis's newly betrothed where together they can ink the world or go back to the dungeons of Halazar.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The stunning cover of Arcana Academy caught my attention, and the tarot card magic had me hitting the request button on NetGalley so fast! Let me tell you, the story is as stunning as the cover and the tarot card magic is so unique and detailed.
This has to be one of my favorite magic systems. In Oricalis, it's against the law for anybody who has not successfully studied at the academy to possess tarot cards. If you fail, you're as good as dead. This makes it easy for the crown to control arcanists. Clara is natural at inking and wielding tarot, but there is also my favorite, reading. Once a student has successfully become an arcanist, they will be able to use the full minor arcana. The major arcana is a legend that Clara will dive into once she gets settled at the academy.
I have an unhealthy obsession with Kaelis, and I guarantee you will find at least one character in this story that you love. If you love a found family trope, you will be so satisfied. It seems that Clara attracts loyal friendships wherever she goes. The star-crossed club is Clara's found family before the academy. They are a lovable group of people who illegally deal with tarot, run heists, and help marked arcanists escape the city. If you enjoyed the found family in Six of Crows, you will love the star-crossed club. The friends that Clara makes in the academy are unexpected but important for her success and although unwanted, she begins to truly care for these students. Prepare yourself because friends will be lost.
Kaelis and Clara are so perfect for each other. Each time they were alone together, I couldn't stop reading. The slow burn romance was SLOW but so worth it. The story was in Clara's POV and although Kaelis was never straightforward with Clara about his feelings, it became obvious. I just want to know what he was thinking and feeling!
This story ended on a major cliffhanger and left my mind spiralling with so many questions. I know there is so much more about Kaelis that we have yet to discover and I need to learn everything I can about this man.
academia • dark academia • dark fantasy • dark romance • enemies to lovers • fake dating • found family • high fantasy • magic • romantasy • slow burn • spicy
Luck has always been on Clara's side. After a year of being locked away in Halazar, Clara escapes with the help of the second-born prince, Kaelis. The man that Clara believes orchestrated every painful moment in her life. He brings her to Arcana Academy where anyone with a magical affinity can train to become an arcanist. Kaelis gives Clara an ultimatum: enroll in Arcana Academy as a long-lost noble and Kaelis's newly betrothed where together they can ink the world or go back to the dungeons of Halazar.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The stunning cover of Arcana Academy caught my attention, and the tarot card magic had me hitting the request button on NetGalley so fast! Let me tell you, the story is as stunning as the cover and the tarot card magic is so unique and detailed.
This has to be one of my favorite magic systems. In Oricalis, it's against the law for anybody who has not successfully studied at the academy to possess tarot cards. If you fail, you're as good as dead. This makes it easy for the crown to control arcanists. Clara is natural at inking and wielding tarot, but there is also my favorite, reading. Once a student has successfully become an arcanist, they will be able to use the full minor arcana. The major arcana is a legend that Clara will dive into once she gets settled at the academy.
I have an unhealthy obsession with Kaelis, and I guarantee you will find at least one character in this story that you love. If you love a found family trope, you will be so satisfied. It seems that Clara attracts loyal friendships wherever she goes. The star-crossed club is Clara's found family before the academy. They are a lovable group of people who illegally deal with tarot, run heists, and help marked arcanists escape the city. If you enjoyed the found family in Six of Crows, you will love the star-crossed club. The friends that Clara makes in the academy are unexpected but important for her success and although unwanted, she begins to truly care for these students. Prepare yourself because friends will be lost.
Kaelis and Clara are so perfect for each other. Each time they were alone together, I couldn't stop reading. The slow burn romance was SLOW but so worth it. The story was in Clara's POV and although Kaelis was never straightforward with Clara about his feelings, it became obvious. I just want to know what he was thinking and feeling!
This story ended on a major cliffhanger and left my mind spiralling with so many questions. I know there is so much more about Kaelis that we have yet to discover and I need to learn everything I can about this man.
academia • dark academia • dark fantasy • dark romance • enemies to lovers • fake dating • found family • high fantasy • magic • romantasy • slow burn • spicy
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Almost DNF but I got through it. I’m finally FREE!
I love most everything else Elise Kova has written, but this book completely fell flat for me. I I don’t understand how people are rating this book so high.
The pacing was awful. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. In fact, at any point, the author could’ve killed off anybody and I wouldn’t have cared. The romance, if you want to call it that, was nearly nonexistent and super surface level. I was almost rooting for the MMC to just dump the FMC.
I thought I was going to be reading a book that was dark romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn in a magical school setting. This did not deliver on anything other than a magical school setting… which honestly you don’t really get pulled into like you do with other Academy books.
The cliffhanger at the end didn’t even bother me. I was too relieved to be finished with the book. I am not tempted to read book 2.
I love most everything else Elise Kova has written, but this book completely fell flat for me. I I don’t understand how people are rating this book so high.
The pacing was awful. I didn’t connect with any of the characters. In fact, at any point, the author could’ve killed off anybody and I wouldn’t have cared. The romance, if you want to call it that, was nearly nonexistent and super surface level. I was almost rooting for the MMC to just dump the FMC.
I thought I was going to be reading a book that was dark romance, enemies to lovers, slow burn in a magical school setting. This did not deliver on anything other than a magical school setting… which honestly you don’t really get pulled into like you do with other Academy books.
The cliffhanger at the end didn’t even bother me. I was too relieved to be finished with the book. I am not tempted to read book 2.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes