Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is romance fantasy novel with Clara and Prince Kaelis as the main characters with rich world building and rich magic system.
But something is cooking..let’s find out.
“Clara Graysword has fought the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison but the academy’s headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price..”
Genre – Romantasy
Number of Pages – 576 pages
My Rating – ⭐⭐️⭐️⭐️ ( 4 Stars )
Publishing Date – July 22, 2025
Author – Elise Kova
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
If morally gray princes, magical tarot cards, fake engagements, and a school that will literally chew you up and spit you into a magic-powered work mill sounds like your kind of story—congratulations, you’ve found your next read.
Arcana Academy is classic Kova: rich worldbuilding, addictive pacing, and a romance that simmers like a potion left too long on the burner.
Clara Graysword is the kind of sharp-tongued heroine we root for, especially when she’s dragged from prison and dropped into a fake engagement with Prince Kaelis, the suspiciously hot and emotionally-over headmaster of the very school she was never allowed to attend.
The magic system? Brilliant. Tarot cards with actual cost, inking and wielding powers, and a price paid in literal pieces of your future? Sign me up. The trials which was in academy is truly set in a gothic fashion and are intense,.
Also Read: Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
“Swear to me you will do as I say and stay hidden. Keep your true name and your powers secret. Stay safe. Protect those like you.”
So why not 5 ⭐️? Well…
Let’s talk about age vs. responsibility. You’re telling me this 22-year-old prince has been running an elite magic school and toppling noble houses since his teen years? I can barely do my taxes without crying.
Also, the “bad communication” trope between Clara and Kaelis? Whew. They literally misunderstood each other number of times and it feels repetitive.
But overall? It’s a wildly entertaining ride with all the delicious drama and magical angst you could want. I’ll be looking for book two—and probably thinking a lil bout it too.
Similar Read: The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
Spoilers:
Clara Graysword has 3 problems: she’s imprisoned for using illegal tarot ink magic, her sister is missing, and now she’s fake-engaged to a brooding royal headmaster with too many secrets and not enough smiles. Standard Tuesday, right?
To avoid a life sentence, Clara says Yes to Prince Kaelis’s offer: get in Arcana Academy undercover as his fiancée and help him recover a rare Major Arcana card that could rebalance magic—or blow it all up. Easy peasy. Except the academy is one part Hogwarts, two parts Hunger Games, and three parts “everyone’s trying to stab you with magical cards.”
As Clara digs into the academy’s mysteries (and Kaelis’s suspiciously perfect cheekbones), she learns the king might be hiding more than rare cards—including truths about her sister.
The slow-burn chemistry between Clara and Kaelis grows through sarcastic banter, confusing teamwork, and tension (with magic obv.). But when alliances crack and secrets shatter, trust is the real magic trick.
The book ends on a cliffhanger—where Clara is sort of looking for Kaelis’s motives and thinking just how far she’s willing to go for the truth, for her sister, and maybe for the prince she never meant to care about.
About the Author:
Elise Kova is a bestselling author well known for her fantasy novels. Some of her famous books are A deal with the Elf King, Air Awakens etc.
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Review: Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova is romance fantasy novel with Clara and Prince Kaelis as the main characters with rich world building and rich magic system.
URL: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/219551319-arcana-academy
Author: Elise Kova
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