Arcana Academy by Elise Kova Book Review

TROPE GUIDE: Enemies to Lovers | Magic | Dark Academia | Slow Burn

My Review

This review of Arcana Academy by Elise Kova may contain spoilers.

I’ve read Elise Kova’s other series and liked them (Air Awakens might even be due for a reread soon), so I went into this one pretty excited. 

The premise sounded intriguing, but somewhere along the way, the story just lost me. The pacing dragged, and I had to keep psyching myself up to finish it. It took me over two weeks, which is crazy because when I’m into a book, I’ll sneak in reading time no matter how busy I am.

With this one? I kept finding other things to do.

Is Clara Graysword a Badass Heroine?

Clara Graysword’s character starts strong. The opening scene instantly reminds me of Throne of Glass, and since Celaena is one of my all-time favorite badasses, I was hopeful and excited for this.

Unfortunately, Clara doesn’t live up to that promise. There are glimpses of potential, and her mysterious power hints at an intriguing arc, but I simply couldn’t connect with her. It’s not that Clara is unbearable, though her repetitive inner monologue doesn’t help. Maybe the real issue is that the story feels all over the place. The pacing never quite settles, and that made it hard for me to stay invested in her journey.

Is Prince Kaelis Book Boyfriend Material?

Like Clara, Prince Kaelis starts strong. I thought he was going to be the good sort of asshole, which, for the record, I only enjoy in fiction, not real life. He has all the makings of that classic “asshole book boyfriend” archetype: brooding, sharp-tongued, and the kind you just know would be an incredible lover once the walls come down.

But Kaelis doesn’t really do anything to prove he’s dark and dangerous. His aura fizzles out fast, and honestly? He ends up feeling so bland that, by the time I finished the book, I didn’t care about him at all.

How Is the Romance in This Book?

What romance? There’s technically something resembling it, but for most of the book, it’s practically nonexistent. There’s a hint of broody tension and a bit of push and pull, but it barely registers. Then suddenly, it escalates so fast it feels completely unbelievable. By the time anything actually happened between Clara and Kaelis, I was already too disengaged to care.

Overall Enjoyment of Arcana Academy

I feel kind of bad that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. The magic system is super interesting and creative. And the beginning had me hooked. I really thought this was going to be something special.

The moment that stands out the most is when Clara gives up the card she chose to the Chalice. That scene had me feeling so excited, and I started imagining all the ways that choice might affect her relationship with Kaelis. I was totally ready for a “beat the odds” kind of arc. But, well, that’s not what happens. And hey, that’s on me for getting ahead of myself.

Honestly, I felt like the book peaked right there. After that, the story just kind of stalled. The momentum tapered off, and I found myself less and less invested.

So I’m giving this one 2.5 stars—one for Clara’s potential, one for Kaelis’, and half a star for the story’s promise. I’m still debating whether that bit of potential is enough for me to continue with the series.

Have you read Arcana Academy? Let’s compare notes—I’m curious what you thought.

Let me know in the comments or on Goodreads.

Thinking of reading Arcana Academy? Add it to your TBR!