The Arcane Arts: A Novel

Tori H.

Deeply seductive and steamy!

"The Arcane Arts captured my attention from the very first page! It combines everything I love about dark academia into a story about illicit magic, forbidden relationships, and the ethics of having power over another human being. I was hooked! This story was deeply seductive and steamy. Imagine some of your sexiest fantasies, and then imagine how they’d play out if your partner was not only willing, but also wanted to act on desires of their own. That’s what it felt like reading this novel. The dual POV and the interludes with the email correspondence worked exceedingly well, helping to flesh out and add insight into Ellsbeth’s and Rawlins’s dynamic. I loved everything about their relationship. I’m not sure if that’s some sort of red flag on my part, but the way it was portrayed made it feel like the exact opposite of illicit. They’re two people whose minds are so unique from everyone else’s, and yet so similar to each other’s, finding peace through being together. The exploration of consent, especially when talking about literal mind control, was extremely well done. I never once felt like Rawlins was abusing or taken advantage of Ellsbeth, especially when neither seemed to be completely aware of the full breadth of power they had over the other. If anything, I found their relationship to be sweet and wholesome and enjoyed watching it deepen as the novel progressed. Ellsbeth’s and Rawlins’s relationship is the focal point of this story, with the academic elements serving to elevate the stakes and tension of the plot. I loved the ways they bantered as they worked out a new arcane mechanics ritual and the ways in which the authors developed this novel field of study. For such a complex subject, I thought Coverly did a great job helping me to understand the main principles of the art and its inherent dangers. All the articles, books, and research made it so realistic — like something I could actually study at a college/university. This story is perfect for readers who love their romance with a side of taboo, a smidge of danger, and a dash of obsession. I won’t use the arcane arts to compel you to read this book, but instead highly recommend checking it out! Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-arc. ["

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May 19, 2026

Marissa

If intellectual foreplay is your thing, you will absolutely LOVE this book

""Rawlins had lines, very clear lines he had drawn early on in his career. Lines that he could never cross. It had been easy for him to bat away flirtations and confine fantasies [but].... Something about Ellsbeth was different. She was drawing him in, down toward an abyss, and he knew as soon as he stepped forward, gravity would take over." 5⭐ 2.5🌶️ There is so much magic woven into this story that it genuinely felt like being under a spell from beginning to end. I LOVED IT!!!!!!! And the magic starts with the writing itself. This story was cowritten by two authors! Dana wrote Ellsbeth’s POV while Dan wrote Rawlins which made the dynamic between them feel even more immersive and flirtatious. I thought that was such a unique and fascinating way to tell this story! Their banter is EXCEPTIONAL IMO! Here's the premise: Ellsbeth experiences a horrifying traumatic event that causes her to miss the most important exam of her life: the one that would grant her access to a prestigious college specializing in arcane magic. Desperate to still find a way in, she sets her sights on Professor Rawlins After ALOT of persuasion and begging on Ellsbeth’s part... he reluctantly agrees to help her… but what begins as mentorship slowly spirals into something far more dangerous and far more forbidden 👀 Rawlins starts to recognize just how brilliant Ellsbeth truly is, and despite all the rules and boundaries he’s built for himself he finds himself drawn to her in ways he absolutely should. not. be. If intellectual foreplay is your thing, you will absolutely LOVE this book The back and forth between these characters felt like watching a game of intellectual chess, constantly waiting for checkmate to happen in the most unexpected ways… and TRUST ME the checkmate absolutely comes Together they start exploring forbidden magic and begin questioning each others motives and intentions... their dynamic felt so layered and obsessive in this really fascinating way and the mind games??? both of them are constantly trying to outmaneuver the other while simultaneously being unable to stay away IT WAS JUST SO ADDICTING FOR ME! Their email exchanges were some of my favorite parts of the entire story. The testing of eachothers boundaries and the constant battle of who would outsmart who… it was all so addictive to read. I really really enjoyed the depth of their conversations together it felt like such a feast for me to be apart of! And what makes it even better is that in the end they both end up undoing each other in the exact ways they were trying so hard to avoid.... ahhhh it's just an exhilarating exchange between them both! 💕You will enjoy this if you are into: + dark academia + forbidden tension + obsession + secret society + arcane magic + BDSM + age gap + professor x student This will absolutely be one of my favorite reads of 2026!!! ["

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May 19, 2026

Cara N.

Forbidden Romance x Dark Academia

"This book is a hit for the dark academia fans out there! It has a complicated magic system, a compelling mystery, and forbidden romance all wrapped up in one book. Ellsbeth is attending Newlyn University to study Arcane mechanicals and to uncover what really happened to her sister, who tragically died the year before. She and her advisor, Rawlins, are both passionate about their studies and begin an illicit affair while working on forbidden magics. I really enjoyed the magic elements in this story! It was super interesting and not too complicated for readers to follow along with. I find a lot of times with academic settings that the plot gets overlooked, but this moved at a good pace and the academia contributed a lot to the plot. Ellsbeth’s motives were apparent in all of her actions as well, and I couldn’t put the book down once secrets began unraveling! The romance in this story was so good too! Their relationship is taboo in multiple levels and the steamy scenes were very well written. I loved how the writ magic and Ellsbeth’s research extended to their sexual encounters, and added a bit of BDSM components. They definitely have a bit of lust at first sight, but the romance expands throughout the story. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to those looking for a dark academia with higher steam levels. I highly enjoyed this read and hope to find more books like this! ["

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May 19, 2026

Abbie

For readers who love dark academia and edgy romance.

"3 stars The Arcane Arts is not exactly what I was expecting, but I think it has the potential to reach a wide range of readers who will really enjoy the story. A combination of dark academia, fantasy, murder mystery, and slightly taboo romance, this book is certainly unique. It is a very well-written book, but it didn’t 100% work for me just because I felt like the book was trying to be two genres at the same time (dark academia, and romance). I don’t usually mind genre combos, but I think this story just tried to hit both sides of the coin so hard I kept feeling slightly lost between the two and uncertain of the story structures. While I personally might have enjoyed the book more if it was primarily a dark academia with a romance subplot, or a romance in an academic setting, I do think the author’s ambition in this story is evident and impressive, and I also believe this book will 100% find its readers. I also think this story has great potential to push readers into new genres, which is always exciting. I would recommend The Arcane Arts to readers who enjoy slightly edgy romance, dark academia, murder mysteries, and books that bend genre norms. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the digital arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own. ["

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May 20, 2026

senneh

This Is How Dark Academia Should Be Written

"4.5⭐️ rounded up. This book was deliciously atmospheric with marvelous prose. I know it’s being touted as “dark academia” but this almost seems to fit and defy that label at the same time. The storyline explores a fascinating idea and with a completely unique magic system and morally gray characters. And, the mystery component threaded through was executed superbly. The dual POV style and email exchanges made the read extra interesting. Their correspondence was so witty and at times risqué that it really gave the story depth. Both Rawlins and Ellsbeth were exceptionally well written characters. They were fully realized and the relationship between them developed at a natural pace in gradual stages. They seemed evenly matched intellectually which meant there was no moony teenage angst on Ellsbeth’s end which would have turned me off of the story. It is a great illustration of how a successful professor/student trope is written. Sometimes in books the author goes on and on to fill pages with extraneous BS (you know the ones) that’s not at all pertinent to the story. While this was on the longer side it didn’t feel like it was in dire need of being cut whatsoever. Ultimately, I enjoyed nearly every aspect of the book and would read it all over again. ["

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May 19, 2026