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A review by mikasana
Arcana Academy, Volume 1 by Elise Kova
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Miss Elise, excuse me, what have you done to me? I underestimated this book. And I mean, unfathomably and unequivocally underestimated this book.
If you want a true fantasy romance, this is it. If you're looking for mostly a romance with sprinkles of magic, look the other way. This has a good balance of both with quite a bit of action, adventure and mystery thrown in the mix. Shocking twists, high stakes that will keep you on edge and tension that could cut you just as easily as a chef's knife.
Clara is a complex character whom is no stranger to tragedy nor betrayal, tossed into a dystopian world where a tarot magic system is used by the nobility and the gifted. Her history defines her future in her quest for both survival and triumph and her drive for justice pushes her through, riding the coattails of her own luck.
And as for the love interest? Ohhhh he had me from his introduction. Take a drink mixer and toss in a bit of the Darkling in there, maybe a bit of Rhysand and pepper it up with Ravyn Yew from One Dark Window. And some of his lines had me swooning when I least expected it.
It's not instalove between them, there is a bit of a slow burning romance kindling throughout the story but don't expect a typical love story with these two.
Other than Clara and her love interest, I do think I would have enjoyed just a bit more from all of them just to share a deeper connection. I felt like there were times when I felt like I was on the cusp with empathizing with some of them but I would have liked the full spectrum of emotion when experiencing their specific plights or happiness.
The magic system here is completely different from anything else I have read so far as well as incredibly intricate and thorough. The detail put into how magic works, how various cards are created and used, etc. could very well be their own separate book. If you're familiar with the various major and minor arcana from tarot and divination, this may make the story an even more enjoyable experience. There are a LOT of references used for it.
As for the plot itself, I really had no idea what was going to come. I had my suspicions for certain turns of events but I would always end up bamboozled by the end of it. Incredible. This was set up very well and I feel like the pacing benefited from it as well.
As a whole, wow. When I finished this I had to spend about 15 minutes staring at my ceiling, just absorbing everything while, trying to remember the Earth still tilts on the same axis. This is by no means a perfect story but it's perfect for me and readers like me.
Miss Elise, excuse me, what have you done to me? I underestimated this book. And I mean, unfathomably and unequivocally underestimated this book.
If you want a true fantasy romance, this is it. If you're looking for mostly a romance with sprinkles of magic, look the other way. This has a good balance of both with quite a bit of action, adventure and mystery thrown in the mix. Shocking twists, high stakes that will keep you on edge and tension that could cut you just as easily as a chef's knife.
Clara is a complex character whom is no stranger to tragedy nor betrayal, tossed into a dystopian world where a tarot magic system is used by the nobility and the gifted. Her history defines her future in her quest for both survival and triumph and her drive for justice pushes her through, riding the coattails of her own luck.
And as for the love interest? Ohhhh he had me from his introduction. Take a drink mixer and toss in a bit of the Darkling in there, maybe a bit of Rhysand and pepper it up with Ravyn Yew from One Dark Window. And some of his lines had me swooning when I least expected it.
It's not instalove between them, there is a bit of a slow burning romance kindling throughout the story but don't expect a typical love story with these two.
Other than Clara and her love interest, I do think I would have enjoyed just a bit more from all of them just to share a deeper connection. I felt like there were times when I felt like I was on the cusp with empathizing with some of them but I would have liked the full spectrum of emotion when experiencing their specific plights or happiness.
The magic system here is completely different from anything else I have read so far as well as incredibly intricate and thorough. The detail put into how magic works, how various cards are created and used, etc. could very well be their own separate book. If you're familiar with the various major and minor arcana from tarot and divination, this may make the story an even more enjoyable experience. There are a LOT of references used for it.
As for the plot itself, I really had no idea what was going to come. I had my suspicions for certain turns of events but I would always end up bamboozled by the end of it. Incredible. This was set up very well and I feel like the pacing benefited from it as well.
As a whole, wow. When I finished this I had to spend about 15 minutes staring at my ceiling, just absorbing everything while, trying to remember the Earth still tilts on the same axis. This is by no means a perfect story but it's perfect for me and readers like me.