Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 560 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: July 21st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Welcome back to Arcana Academy. Tarot magic, forbidden desire, battle, and betrayal collide for the power to change the world in the thrilling second book of this New York Times bestselling fantasy romance series.

I am terrified. Yet my heart skips a beat. This man might be a monster, but he is my monster.

Clara Graysword is Oricalis’s most wanted. Hunted and cornered, not even her mastery of tarot can save her this time . . . until the mysterious Worldkeepers appear. This secretive order may hold the key to changing Clara’s fate. If she dares to trust them.

But the most dangerous alliance of all is one she’s already deeply ensnared Prince Kaelis.

Kaelis, second-born prince of Oricalis and headmaster of Arcana Academy, is the one man she can’t escape—maybe she doesn’t want to escape. Ruthless, dangerous, and bound to Clara by destiny and desire, Kaelis tests her heart as much as her loyalty. Together, they grow closer to the most powerful secrets of the tarot . . . and to the truths they both hide that could destroy the passion that they no longer deny.

Hidden in plain sight within Arcana Academy, Clara walks the dagger’s edge. Revelations about Oricalis threaten everything she thought she knew, and every choice she makes is the difference between salvation and ruin.

To change the world, Clara must risk everything—her power, her beliefs, and her heart.

Thank you to Del Rey for the gifted eARC.

BRUTAL CLIFFHANGER.

And I love a brutal cliffhanger. Leave me grasping for more and begging for the next book because that is absolutely the case here. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO NOW.

This did start off a bit slow and I was worried for the progression of the story. But never fear, Elise Kova delivers again. There is something about morally gray characters that I just love. Clare and Kaelis flaunt this line beautifully. I loved the deceptions and twists. Spending my time trying to figure out what new secret was going to unveil and honestly WHO WAS GOING TO SURVIVE.

I became obsessed with Kaelis and his romantic notions. For all of his dark void-ness and deeds, he was SO DOWN BAD for Claire. I loved that EK gave us soft smiles and genuine laughter and the boyish looks. It added all sorts of layers to his character and I can’t wait to see how that works out in the conclusion.

There were a couple other things I loved that would be spoiler adjacent if you haven’t read the first book so I won’t say more on that other than the other relationships in Clare’s life were good to see too. How she slowly learned to let people in and find those she could be honest with.

Insane ending that I have all of the questions about and need answers desperately!!

Overall audience notes:

• Fantasy Romance
• Language: moderate
• Romance: 3-4 open door
• Violence: high
• Content warnings: recounted torture, loss of life, PTSD

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