The Arcane Arts is a slow-building dark academia with a dual POV that I enjoyed. It has a really interesting premise, which is what drew me in, and I love the dark academia vibes. Newlyn Academy is a college with secrets, hidden agendas, forbidden magic, and deadly societies, and that dark undertone is woven throughout the story.
The story starts with a gruesome and horrifying murder that sets an ominous tone within a secret society, but then the story jumps several months forward and changes perspectives. The rest of the story switches between Ellsbeth, a grad student, and Rawlins, Ellsbeth’s professor and love interest. I feel like more than half of the story focused on this relationship more than the murder investigation and the secret society elements that it began with.
The age-gap, student-teacher romance between Ellsbeth and Rawlins was messy and complicated and spicy with a blend of raw attraction and forbidden magic. Both were layered and had interesting backstories, and I like that the story switched between their perspectives. I also really liked the use of emails and texts. It was a brilliant way to show the growing connection between Ellsbeth and Rawlins, and it added layers to both of their personalities and stories while providing needed context and forwarding the plot. They had a ton of chemistry, and their banter in these exchanges was fantastic. There was a bit of insta-attraction, but the yearning and angst were great, especially with Rawlins, and their relationship is a sensual, intellectual, and passionate affair. I also thought their use of forbidden magic in intimate moments explored some interesting themes of power, consent, and trust.
The academic discourse was initially interesting, and I like that the characters have many sophisticated and intellectual discussions about alchemy, but sometimes they got to be too much. They went in-depth, and it sometimes took away from the rest of the story and made it flow at a slower pace than I would have liked. That being said, it totally fit with the Gothic vibes. The magic is pretty interesting and fits the dark academia setting well, it just was a lot.
I also felt like a lot of the story focused more on the relationship between Rawlins and Ellsbeth and less on the murder mystery, which surprised me. I’m not complaining because I love a good romance, but it really didn’t get into the meat of the murder plot until about 60% through the book.
Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was a unique read with a spicy romance and an intriguing mystery. Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
- dark academia
- dual pov
- age gap romance
- student-professor
There was nothing more dangerous than a young mind that felt it was owed knowledge and power.
The downside of age is that memories-particularly the painful ones we keep at bay-accumulate like water behind a dam. It can be dangerous to open the floodgates even a little, for the deluge may prove unstoppable.
