Introduction
Published in July 2025 by Elise Kova, Arcana Academy is the first novel in the series. Appealing to the witches of the world with it’s focus on tarot cards as the form of magic, it tells the tale of a world in need of reform — and a girl that is willing to risk it all to save those she loves.
A Summary
Clara has always been gifted with the creation of tarot cards, even though it’s illegal, it was her means of survival in a cruel world. Her mother’s words run through her head, even when she is trying to survive in prison for doing so. Never tell anyone your real name. Never show them what you can do and never make a Major. She’s prepared to spend her life there when she is offered an escape by her biggest enemy.
She is thrown into a foreign world, with little to no options, but she must survive. For her sister. For her late mother. For her family. She must get through this.
Writing Style
This novel has a singular POV centered on Clara, and has a YA feel to the prose. It isn’t YA, due to the violence and explicit scenes sprayed throughout, but it feels reminiscent of Holly Black’s style at times.
My Thoughts
Arcana Academy is a world based off of tarot cards, which is a subject that I know extremely well so I was excited to dive in. I expected this to be a 5 star read but there were a few things that lowered the score for me.
Firstly, I want to discuss the characters. I loved our main character and I think she was the perfect way to throw us into this world. It’s an interesting approach for the readers to be introduced to the danger before the lore itself, but I enjoyed it and it kept the stakes lingering in our heads the whole time. I would have liked it to be a little more descriptive with the damage that those experiences had on her, but it was still good as it was. However, almost every other character fell flat. Prince Kaelis definitely has layers to him, but some of the side characters feel one dimensional at best. I found that the intensity of their flatness took me out of the story and made the friendship aspect of the book feel boring at times. I truly wish more time had been spent on this.
The lore itself isn’t as fleshed out as I would have wanted either, with a lot of questions being left unanswered surrounding how Eclipse City differs from the places around it, how magic came to be and how the Major Arcana’s work. We get told enough that it works to comprehend the storyline, but it feels concerning that some key elements were left out, or not thought about when creating this world.
And last but not least, I wanted to mention the romance in this book. Ultimately, it is an enemies-to-lovers, but there’s something to be said regarding the power dynamic between Clara and Kaelis. I know Kaelis will be redeemed because that is just how these books are written, but I dislike the use of physical violence - like when he grabbed her neck - to show that they hate each other. It feels like a cop-out when you just show assault in order to prove he is evil without being able to portray that with the description itself. I also do not like the fact it will just be swept under the rug and never spoken about again. Kaelis has all the control and he did do horrible things, so I struggle trying to see him in a light that reflects a better nature from him.
Is Arcana Academy Spicy?
Yes, in the latter half of the book there are multiple vivid sex scenes.
Spice Level - 2.5/5
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Violence
- Torture
- Death
- Sex
Recommendation
I’d definitely recommend this if you are in the mood for fantasy but do not want tons of lore to memorise, or difficult subjects to delve into. Especially if you know tarot, you’ll know what is going on in the book from the start.
