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They promised her a home. Instead, they gave her war.
After an accident kills her parents, Malia’s life is turned upside down—taken to an academy she’s never heard of, surrounded by people with powers she didn’t know existed, preparing for a war that started centuries before she was born. She doesn’t want to fight. She doesn’t want destiny. But when the strange dreams haunting her begin to blur with reality, Malia realizes her fate may be more tangled with the coming war than she dares admit.
Keeping up with the other students is hard. Surviving the brutal training is harder still. But nothing challenges her more than Keahi—the boy who seems determined to break her spirit. Can she possibly be what people expect from her? And more importantly, how will she survive living under the same roof as a certain sharp-tongued boy?
Dive into a world of magic, rivalry, and a war that could end them all.
Arcane is book 1 of the Harmonia Chronicles and can't be read as a standalone. The series will be completed in December 2025!
After an accident kills her parents, Malia’s life is turned upside down—taken to an academy she’s never heard of, surrounded by people with powers she didn’t know existed, preparing for a war that started centuries before she was born. She doesn’t want to fight. She doesn’t want destiny. But when the strange dreams haunting her begin to blur with reality, Malia realizes her fate may be more tangled with the coming war than she dares admit.
Keeping up with the other students is hard. Surviving the brutal training is harder still. But nothing challenges her more than Keahi—the boy who seems determined to break her spirit. Can she possibly be what people expect from her? And more importantly, how will she survive living under the same roof as a certain sharp-tongued boy?
Dive into a world of magic, rivalry, and a war that could end them all.
Arcane is book 1 of the Harmonia Chronicles and can't be read as a standalone. The series will be completed in December 2025!
260 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2023
1233 people are currently reading
15462 people want to read
About the author
Jarah Aurel
8 books181 followersJarah Aurel is an indie author known for writing emotionally rich romance and romantasy that blend sharp storytelling with immersive worldbuilding. From heartfelt contemporary love stories to high-stakes magical academies, her novels explore themes of resilience, vulnerability, and connection with striking clarity.
Her work is available on platforms like Amazon, Kindle, ku. When she isn’t writing, she connects with readers through visual storytelling and behind-the-scenes insights on Instagram.
Her work is available on platforms like Amazon, Kindle, ku. When she isn’t writing, she connects with readers through visual storytelling and behind-the-scenes insights on Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
June 13, 2025
1.5, olala
first thing that threw me off was 11 years old mmc calling the fmc princess when she’s 10 (i didn’t even believe it).
then it’s the switch when they meet again and tension and attraction are everywhere but all of a sudden the only plot is them in the bedroom? not having sex immediately but it becomes so central at some point i was even wondering what the plot was about again😭
typos.. would’ve ignored them but when they come this many times it’s like it’s everywhere 😀
ends on a cliff hanger but i am officially dnfing this series
── .✦ pre-read
told myself id not do this anymore, but started a book out of boredom at work…
first thing that threw me off was 11 years old mmc calling the fmc princess when she’s 10 (i didn’t even believe it).
then it’s the switch when they meet again and tension and attraction are everywhere but all of a sudden the only plot is them in the bedroom? not having sex immediately but it becomes so central at some point i was even wondering what the plot was about again😭
typos.. would’ve ignored them but when they come this many times it’s like it’s everywhere 😀
ends on a cliff hanger but i am officially dnfing this series
── .✦ pre-read
told myself id not do this anymore, but started a book out of boredom at work…
August 14, 2023
Arcane book review
So first of it was an amazing book I loved all the characters and thought the writing was very good. I loved how she described all the emotions that the characters had and most of them was because their traumatic past and abuse or just hurtful words. And sometimes I thought “she is so overreacting” but then I remember what she went through, then you
Understand why, so I loved how she described the strong emotions (sometimes I also felt them bc of the good description)
It’s a very long book but soo worth it if you like slow burn enemies to lovers and of course spice 🌶️, and because it was slow burn some of you that want to read this book want to know if it’s boring or not and I think it wasn’t boring at all (otherwise I think I wouldn’t have finished it) and the book contain powers and a bit fantasy but it’s mostly like the “real” world but they have powers as; water, fire, earth,wind.
And there is some abuse and other things that could be triggering so think about that before reading.
Overal it was a long ride I would say and many emotions. I gave the book a 5⭐️
So first of it was an amazing book I loved all the characters and thought the writing was very good. I loved how she described all the emotions that the characters had and most of them was because their traumatic past and abuse or just hurtful words. And sometimes I thought “she is so overreacting” but then I remember what she went through, then you
Understand why, so I loved how she described the strong emotions (sometimes I also felt them bc of the good description)
It’s a very long book but soo worth it if you like slow burn enemies to lovers and of course spice 🌶️, and because it was slow burn some of you that want to read this book want to know if it’s boring or not and I think it wasn’t boring at all (otherwise I think I wouldn’t have finished it) and the book contain powers and a bit fantasy but it’s mostly like the “real” world but they have powers as; water, fire, earth,wind.
And there is some abuse and other things that could be triggering so think about that before reading.
Overal it was a long ride I would say and many emotions. I gave the book a 5⭐️
August 9, 2025
I wanted to give this book five stars, but I couldn’t. The first half was AMAZING and everything I look for in a book. The characters, the tension, mwah. BUT THEN it just became very meh. When they got together everything became so mild and I started hating on their relationship. Also the TYPOS AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS killed me. It felt like the characters were amazing and well written when they were young, but then it just went downhill as they got older. The cliffhanger was also disappointing. 3.75 ⭐️
July 1, 2025
Could easily be a 3 or 4 if there weren’t so many spelling and grammar errors- it kind of messes with the flow of the book
October 30, 2025
basically a harry potter fanfic if all the guys were hypocrites and creeps at 15 years old
August 15, 2023
Wowwww 5⭐️
Love and More Love the story is amazing Malia is a badass woman and I love her . She went through hell and she always gets back on her feet 🔥🫶🏼
And Keahi I love him with my heart. The way he treats her melts my heart 😍😮💨🔥🧎🏽♀️
Love and More Love the story is amazing Malia is a badass woman and I love her . She went through hell and she always gets back on her feet 🔥🫶🏼
And Keahi I love him with my heart. The way he treats her melts my heart 😍😮💨🔥🧎🏽♀️
February 19, 2025
Story had potential but the spelling errors drove me insane and the last like 15% of the book was rlly redundant
October 14, 2025
I actually give this a 4.5!
February 15, 2025
There was something off about the writing but also I couldn’t put it down.. the character growth/ change was my favorite part, and the main characters growing up together. But the ending absolutely destroyed me and I’m not well.
August 14, 2025
Why did I read this
December 25, 2025
The beginning of this book I enjoyed. I liked seeing them grow up and mentally develop. However, I don’t think a 10 year speaks or thinks the same way a 15 year old does, but I felt no change in the way they were written between each age, which threw me off. The scenes when Malia was older were hard to read and graphic and actually made me understand her thought process. The 2nd part of the book was quite bland. Nothing really really happened. The additional conflict was so rushed and boring I wasn’t even excited for it. The ending had me like 😐. And the whole books swears Keahi’s the best fighter but literally every fight it seems he gets his ass absolutely whooped and that fully leads to the next plot point which had me rolling my eyes. There are also a lot of spelling and grammar issues but that didn’t really bother me all that much.
July 1, 2025
For a new author this book is great. It’s quick paced, and has one of my favorite genres. Although there were some grammatical errors throughout the text, the book grabbed onto my attention so much that even I, as someone who prioritizes grammar, was able to read it. My favorite moments were actually in the beginning of the book when they were young. Their usual dynamic of fire and ice and playful teasing kind of wore off as the book progressed, and I kinda wish we got more of that. Although I usually hate books with sad endings, this was bearable. The last scene, although a little predictable, had me at the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to see HOW, spoiler, Keahi survives. There’s no way he doesn’t, and if he really doesn’t, then Jarah this rating will change very quickly. I’m so excited for the second book, which I will definitely be reading as soon as it releases. I hope this book gets some more attention so I can talk to more people about it. Great job author!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 17, 2025
This book really dragged on—and I mean dragged. I wanted to DNF it so many times.
The concept was interesting, but that’s about the only good thing I can say.
Malia in the first half? Absolutely bland. She gets upset because someone called her boring… and honestly? They were right. Then came her “villain arc,” which was just pure edge-lord energy—like something out of a teen’s Wattpad story. She wasn’t compelling, just moody in the most cliché way possible.
Keahi? What even was that character? In the first half, he’s the stereotypical “mean guy,” but for no real reason. He hates Malia because… she stole a pear? That’s the level we’re working with. His hate for everything felt completely unearned and empty. And then in the second half, he does a complete 180 and becomes spineless. No strength, no smarts, just… there. Honestly, I didn’t even like Malia, but she still deserved better than him. And don’t get me started on the miscommunication trope.
The side characters? If the main ones were hollow, these were black holes. Completely forgettable.
The dialogue was painful—there’s this gimmick where a character says something, and then 20 chapters later is the exact same line said by the other character . First time? Kinda clever. Second time? Cringe. Third? Please make it stop.
So yeah, this book was bad. It dragged, the characters were flat, and the storytelling was rough. I still finished it, so that’s something. And while the ending had a plot twist that could make you want to read the next book… I honestly don’t care enough to bother.
The concept was interesting, but that’s about the only good thing I can say.
Malia in the first half? Absolutely bland. She gets upset because someone called her boring… and honestly? They were right. Then came her “villain arc,” which was just pure edge-lord energy—like something out of a teen’s Wattpad story. She wasn’t compelling, just moody in the most cliché way possible.
Keahi? What even was that character? In the first half, he’s the stereotypical “mean guy,” but for no real reason. He hates Malia because… she stole a pear? That’s the level we’re working with. His hate for everything felt completely unearned and empty. And then in the second half, he does a complete 180 and becomes spineless. No strength, no smarts, just… there. Honestly, I didn’t even like Malia, but she still deserved better than him. And don’t get me started on the miscommunication trope.
The side characters? If the main ones were hollow, these were black holes. Completely forgettable.
The dialogue was painful—there’s this gimmick where a character says something, and then 20 chapters later is the exact same line said by the other character . First time? Kinda clever. Second time? Cringe. Third? Please make it stop.
So yeah, this book was bad. It dragged, the characters were flat, and the storytelling was rough. I still finished it, so that’s something. And while the ending had a plot twist that could make you want to read the next book… I honestly don’t care enough to bother.
September 14, 2025
So I read Arcane by Jarah recently and honestly… I need to lay down. I’m pretty sure I could write a better love story between two spoons in my kitchen drawer (and those spoons have more personality too).
First off — the grammar mistakes? Everywhere. It’s like the editor went out for milk and ghosted the whole book. My eyeballs physically hurt from seeing “your” instead of “you’re” every five seconds.
And the “romance” — if you can even call it that — has the chemistry of two damp socks stuck to the side of a washing machine. We don’t even get to see them fall in love. They just wake up one morning and suddenly they’re all “my princess” at 10 AM and longing stares at 5 PM. Be so for real — no actual teenager acts like that. If a boy ever called me princess unironically I’d block him on everything.
Then there’s the betrayal, which could have been messy in a good way, but instead they forgive each other faster than I forgive myself for demolishing an entire bag of Hot Cheetos alone at 2 AM. I swear I was rooting for the author to just kill them both off so I could go outside and touch grass.
The plot? If you find it, send me the link. There were a few good ideas buried in there, but they got lost under the typos and insta-love nonsense. Reading this felt like watching a soap opera on mute with captions written by a baby who just learned to type.
All that said, I know it’s crazy hard to write a whole book — so props to the author for finishing it. This just wasn’t my vibe at all. Good luck to anyone else who picks it up… you’re gonna need it.
First off — the grammar mistakes? Everywhere. It’s like the editor went out for milk and ghosted the whole book. My eyeballs physically hurt from seeing “your” instead of “you’re” every five seconds.
And the “romance” — if you can even call it that — has the chemistry of two damp socks stuck to the side of a washing machine. We don’t even get to see them fall in love. They just wake up one morning and suddenly they’re all “my princess” at 10 AM and longing stares at 5 PM. Be so for real — no actual teenager acts like that. If a boy ever called me princess unironically I’d block him on everything.
Then there’s the betrayal, which could have been messy in a good way, but instead they forgive each other faster than I forgive myself for demolishing an entire bag of Hot Cheetos alone at 2 AM. I swear I was rooting for the author to just kill them both off so I could go outside and touch grass.
The plot? If you find it, send me the link. There were a few good ideas buried in there, but they got lost under the typos and insta-love nonsense. Reading this felt like watching a soap opera on mute with captions written by a baby who just learned to type.
All that said, I know it’s crazy hard to write a whole book — so props to the author for finishing it. This just wasn’t my vibe at all. Good luck to anyone else who picks it up… you’re gonna need it.
May 25, 2025
I can’t quite tell if Chat GPT was used, or if this was translated from a different language, but there are too many issues with the overall vernacular, that it was distracting. So many typos too. The idea was fine but execution was lacking. Also, the character development seemed off.
June 5, 2024
I love a badass woman.
August 3, 2024
i need book 2 now
April 14, 2025
lots of grammatical errors but other than that this story is SO GOOD
(p.s. I need the next book like NOW)
(p.s. I need the next book like NOW)
July 30, 2025
Okay so I’m obsessed with Malia and Keahi. It’s amazing how many times these two break up and get back together, but of course they always find their way back to each other. I loved all the other friendships/bonds that the two MCs make with people who they once fought. It was really cool to see the change in dynamics. The plot was juicy and I was hooked from the beginning. I could not put this book don’t and ended up staying up all night.
Now that being said there are a few parts that I questioned/bothered me a bit.
One part being the spelling and grammar errors throughout the book. I know not everyone can get proofreaders or editors to help though so I wasn’t too bothered by it. The second part being that they were ten and eleven and years old at the start of the novel. Both of their thought processes and dialogues seemed like it would be for people that were at the very least thirteen years of age. Now as someone who has read on many different platforms and done ARC reviews before, none of these two stopped me from enjoying the book, however it was notable.
Overall I am giving this book a 4.5⭐️/5 stars, but for the actual apps sake I’m rounding up to 5⭐️. To the author if you see this, I really hope you do go through with making and publishing book two and continue the story on, because I NEED to know what happens next.
This novel was genuinely unlike anything I’ve read before, and I am genuinely in love with the characters and universe the author created.
4.5/5 stars!!
Now that being said there are a few parts that I questioned/bothered me a bit.
One part being the spelling and grammar errors throughout the book. I know not everyone can get proofreaders or editors to help though so I wasn’t too bothered by it. The second part being that they were ten and eleven and years old at the start of the novel. Both of their thought processes and dialogues seemed like it would be for people that were at the very least thirteen years of age. Now as someone who has read on many different platforms and done ARC reviews before, none of these two stopped me from enjoying the book, however it was notable.
Overall I am giving this book a 4.5⭐️/5 stars, but for the actual apps sake I’m rounding up to 5⭐️. To the author if you see this, I really hope you do go through with making and publishing book two and continue the story on, because I NEED to know what happens next.
This novel was genuinely unlike anything I’ve read before, and I am genuinely in love with the characters and universe the author created.
4.5/5 stars!!
July 13, 2025
3.5 stars. I’d say that I would have rated this book higher if not for a few reasons; one I was in a semi reading slump so it took me over a month to finish this book and so the momentum of reading kept getting lost. Two, I’m not sure if it was the version I was reading but there were a lot of typos and mixup of words. E.g. using ‘process’ instead of ‘progress’ they were easy enough to gather what the correct word was meant to be but it was jarring and distracted from the story (maybe due to copyright?)
Overall the story had good development from when they were children to when they became adults and the two sides of arcane and the shadow hunters. It did leave on a cliffhanger and I’m interested to know what happens next but not sure if I’ll choose to read the next book when it comes out
Overall the story had good development from when they were children to when they became adults and the two sides of arcane and the shadow hunters. It did leave on a cliffhanger and I’m interested to know what happens next but not sure if I’ll choose to read the next book when it comes out
Read
May 26, 2025DNFed at 75%.
Imagine a very watered-down, adult version of Harry Potter—except everyone is inexplicably dumb and wildly lusting after one another for no good reason. Yeah… exactly like that.
Oh, and fair warning: this book is bursting at the seams with massive miscommunication and outright cheating.
Absolutely not. Hard pass.
Shame, I was super excited to read this.
Imagine a very watered-down, adult version of Harry Potter—except everyone is inexplicably dumb and wildly lusting after one another for no good reason. Yeah… exactly like that.
Oh, and fair warning: this book is bursting at the seams with massive miscommunication and outright cheating.
Absolutely not. Hard pass.
Shame, I was super excited to read this.
September 16, 2025
WHAT IS THAT CLIFFHANGER😭😭
November 4, 2025
brutal and frustrating
November 7, 2025
4.5⭐
I'm sorry what was that ending??
I'm sorry what was that ending??
November 27, 2025
4.5 ⭐️’s
She better make them pay!! It is so good to be back in the fantasy genre and this is a good one 🙌🏼
She better make them pay!! It is so good to be back in the fantasy genre and this is a good one 🙌🏼
December 2, 2025
I feel like it could’ve been so much better than it was
January 11, 2026
Not worth 1 star. bad, predictable plot
January 19, 2026
Soooo good. There’s 3 books in the series and while this one was short, it was a world/relationship building 260 pages. Starting the second book immediately. Keahi has my heart
July 16, 2025
Surely that ending isn’t real 😭
June 17, 2025
DNF about 3/4 of the way through. The first half of the book is AMAZING, but it just kept dragging on. The book could have been way shorter, and there was a bit too much detail or events that were unnecessary. I really REALLY did like the first part of the book, I just got bored and couldn’t keep going.
The romance between 15year-old Keahi and Malia was SO SO SO cute. I loved it. Definitely my favorite part of the book (the part that I did read). I loved how they grew to like each other, and how Keahi changed for the better when he was around Malia. It was so sweet, and it definitely makes you believe in teenage love.
Overall, Arcane had GREAT potential to be really good, it just kept dragging on. The first 3/4 of the book was amazing, I just couldn’t keep going.
3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
0/5 spice (from what I read)
The romance between 15year-old Keahi and Malia was SO SO SO cute. I loved it. Definitely my favorite part of the book (the part that I did read). I loved how they grew to like each other, and how Keahi changed for the better when he was around Malia. It was so sweet, and it definitely makes you believe in teenage love.
Overall, Arcane had GREAT potential to be really good, it just kept dragging on. The first 3/4 of the book was amazing, I just couldn’t keep going.
3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️
0/5 spice (from what I read)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews