Review by Kayleigh
Series Name: Arcana Academy, #1
If you are craving an addictive book to scratch your fantasy and romance itch, let me tell you, this is the book for you.
Favourite Quote:
”Fine.” I drop the poker with a clatter and hold out my empty palms in a gesture of surrender. “Why am I still alive?”
”Now you’re asking the right questions.” He pushes away from the poster, pockets his deck and approaches me. As Prince Kaelis grows near, I briefly think of hooking the poker with my toes and seeing if I have enough strength to shove it right through his breastbone. I suspect I do not. And I know that with a thought he could magically summon a card from his pocket; my safety is an illusion. But it’d be a satisfying experiment. “I need you.”
Book Synopsis:
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?
Review:
I need everyone to immediately read this book. I’m obsessed. This is up there with my instalove with ACOTAR and Fourth Wing. It’s got murder, deception, magic and high stakes. Clara and Kaelis is my new OTP, and I can’t wait to get my greedy hands on more of their story.
This is a big book. It’s over 500 pages and filled with a lot of plot, action and characters. I’m warning you, I think you will either love it or hate it because of how dense it is. There’s a lot of world building: the magic system is expansive and detailed. It’s the first in the series though, so I’m happy I got a good lay of the land. Now onto the book and my favourite couple.
I was afraid I’d be sick of a morally gray young adult who needs to save the world. Turns out, I’m not. Clara is a strong, kick ass character who can take care of herself. She’s got a lot of trauma from a pretty rough childhood, and is super talented but must hide her talents because people like her aren’t supposed to be so magical. She is pretty sure that Prince Kaelis, the youngest son of the king, is the one who caught her and put her in prison. It’s no wonder she hates the privileged pretty boy.
He’s also the headmaster of the exclusive and mysterious Arcana Academy, where the best of the best learn to handle tarot card magic. To her surprise, Prince Kaelis rescues her, and springs a fake engagement on her. He, it turns out, has his reasons for keeping her close. Clara finds herself in a whole new world of magic, but as the lies pile up, she learns that her history has a lot more to play than she can imagine. Clara has to learn who she is to understand who she can trust.
Oh yes, and her sister is missing, and no one can explain why she vanished from the Academy.
There is a lot that goes on in this book, and I enjoyed every page. It’s a wild ride and it’s ambitious in what it does. It ends on a hell of a cliffhanger that had me throwing my e-reader across the couch. I’m so excited to see where this story goes: in book one we get star crossed lovers, heists, escape rooms and puzzles, a complex magic system and family secrets that are going to change the world if uncovered.
I don’t know if I’d call Clara and Kaelis a slow burn, more so it’s a, they know they shouldn’t give into their attraction, but they also have to look like they are in love, what do they do? Clara, while a thief, has a responsible and moral streak and wants to do the right thing for her people: the band of wayward people she grew up with after mother mysteriously died. Kaelis acts like a tough headmaster but is a softy underneath, who gets irritated when his beloved cat loves Clara more than him.
This is an audacious romp in the best way possible. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. And then tell me all about it – I need people to swoon over this book with me!
Thank you to Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
