The Arcane Arts

by S.D. Coverly

In this thrilling and sensuous dark academia fantasy, an ambitious graduate student and her advisor dive into studying a taboo branch of magic, igniting a dangerous passion between them.

Tucked within an idyllic corner of New England, Newlyn University stands as a bastion for the academic elites. Inside its hallowed halls, students can pursue degrees in medicine, history, technology . . . or the Arcane Arts—the esoteric study of powerful magical forces. Enter Ellsbeth long determined to pursue a graduate degree in arcane mechanicals at Newlyn. Headstrong and driven, she convinces Thaddeus Rawlins, one of the field’s most celebrated professors, to take her on as a student. Against his better judgment, but invigorated by Ellsbeth’s ambition, Rawlins allows her to pursue a thesis on writ magic, the long-forbidden power to control and compel others.

While student and teacher both profess academic interest in the topic, each wants it for their own secret purpose. And they soon discover that Newlyn itself may be hiding the darkest secret of all . . .

As Rawlins and Ellsbeth undertake their clandestine research, their flirtation crosses into uncontrollable desire, which threatens to bloom into something even more love. But when their project begins to spin out of control, entangling them in a destructive web of lust and power, the question can two people who are masters of manipulation ever trust each other?

Genres: Dark Academia, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Adult, Romantasy, Academia

382 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 19, 2026

About the author

Pseudonym for the writing team of Dan Frey and Dana Schwartz.

Reviews

[Jaime Fok · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who generally steers clear of any sign of dark/taboo romance... I actually surprisingly enjoyed this one!

First of all, the writing was wonderful. Reminded me of a mix between Olivie Blake & Leigh Bardugo (Ninth House version). Dark and delicious, but still literary feeling as we ventured into this story of dark academia, magic rituals & secret societies.

While we were diving into this taboo student/professor romance, I found that everything was done very respectfully in this case. Fully consensual. And felt realistic vs a glamorized or romanticized version of it. We did explore the ethics of it and the relationship was directly happening in tandem with our characters studying about magic where you could control the mind & body of others. So in that way, the parallel themes of surrendering control and the implications of that were quite well done for me.

The spice did take up a few too many pages for me personally, but also didn't feel like it completely took over the story. And I'll have to admit - I am impressed at how the spice was written. No "velvet steel lengths" here 😂 We didn't use any of the trendy romantasy smut lingo, and I kind of loved that.

The mystery was a bit predictable for me, but did keep me engaged throughout - and I overall did like the overall direction of the story.

In some ways, I feel like this is almost a dark romantasy for non-dark-romantasy readers if that makes any sense. But it worked for me!

[hannah⁷ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with this eARC!

Unfortunately, this one didn't work for me. I think it would definitely appeal to a different audience...and I was not it. I was fooled by the NetGalley description, which mentioned Babel by RF Kuang. Babel is one of my favorite books, and this was soooooo different. I understood the similarities to Saltburn (which was also mentioned), and yes, this could also be considered as dark academia. But including Babel in the description is 100% going to attract the wrong audience. Also, just because something is "dark academia" does NOT mean it's similar to Babel.

I actually really enjoyed the writing—it was great and flowed very well, but the story itself was a bit strange. First of all, there wasn't really a coherent plot. Most of the book was just the two main characters lusting after each other, which made their relationship seem forced. The romance moved too quickly, so I had a hard time believing the chemistry between them. There were also no stakes, and the characters were bland. I also wasn't a huge fan of the dual POV. Rawlins had a pretty linear character arc, which was boring. I felt like his POV was only there to convince the reader that the romance was working.

I enjoyed the overall feel of the novel, but the romance really ruined it for me. I just didn't enjoy the romantic dynamic between the two MCs, and this resulted in me having to almost skip past some scenes because they made me very uncomfortable. BUT this all depends on personal preference, so some people may really enjoy it. I will say that I don't really think the description did enough to help me understand what this novel was really about. Maybe I didn't interpret it correctly, but I wasn't expecting it to be so focused on the lust and tension between the MCs. It got to the point where the romance took over the novel completely, and it left me constantly wondering whether or not there was actually an end goal.

[megan ◡̈ · Rating 4 out of 5]

the “babel meets saltburn” is what initially drew me to this book (and this stunning cover lbr) and while i personally did not see a correlation to either i very much enjoyed this read!! i will say i think that the audiobook had a lot to do with just how much i enjoyed it but it was a really entertaining and bingeable listen nonetheless!

professor rawlins made me stop and think “wow its a good thing i did not ever attend university in person” because i am in fact NOT gods strongest soldier and i would have folded just as fast if not faster than ellsbeth 🙂‍↕️

the only reason this is a 4 star is because i wish that the underlying plot of the secret society and murders wasnt so rushed feeling when it came to the climax of it all. given that this book was already 400 pages i feel like that plot point would have been much better if it was expanded upon toward the end.

other than that i truly really enjoyed my time with this book and im really looking forward to what this duo does next!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Arcane Arts by S.D. Coverly
Book Blurb: Ambitious and driven, Ellsbeth Storer has long been determined to study the arcane arts, even before the mysterious death of a loved one draws her to prestigious Newlyn University.
Professor Thaddeus Rawlins was once the wunderkind of the field, but in the wake of a horrific tragedy that nearly ended his career, he has resigned himself to the boredom of tenure.

Rating: ****
Feels: Intrigue, Curiosity, Heat, Satisfaction
Style: Dark Academia, Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Romantasy, Academia
First published May 19, 2026 : 400 pages

This story had was a great combination of dark academia, mystery and fantasy. Adding in a forbidden romance between a professor (40s) and a student (24) gave the story some definite spice. Ellsbeth is brilliant , motivated and determined to solve the murder of her sister. Its fascinating how they build up the world with this magic system which is basically just another form of math to study. I loved how throughout the book they explored the magic system with the academic passion you would have for any course of study and everything was so very academic based with that touch of magic that gave it the right amount of sparkle. Ellsbeth was honestly my favorite of the entire book and I was totally rooting for her to get everything she wanted and deserved through the whole book. This was a book that easily kept me entertained and engaged.

This book has:
Dark Academia
Murder Mystery
Forbidden Romances
Magic System
Age Gap
Secret Societies

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆.˚✮ 4 stars ✮˚.⋆

⤿ Thank you to Del Rey for the physical arc in exchange for an honest review!

listen...this book won't be for everyone, but it honestly worked really well for me. even if i was graciously sent this by the publisher, this would have been on my radar of releases for 2026 as i can never have enough of dark academia, magical schools, and secret societies.

this is a deliciously slow book, the search for answers about Elisabeth's sister is slow and sometimes appears to take a back seat in the story. but i picked up on so many little moments where, while it may have seemed she had forgotten about her sister, it was obvious (to me) that Elisabeth was making small moves to eventually get the answers she needed. as someone who is in graduate school too, and appreciates when magical schools actually seem to make sense- i adored how much time and attention went into exploring what Elisabeth was doing for graduate school. that's really not going to be everyone's cup of tea but for me it worked wonderfully.

both characters Elisabeth and Thaddeus make plenty of questionable decisions, but it was so interesting to see inside their heads (i loved getting both of their perspectives). both of them are very desperate to work on the forbidden magic that has eluded both of them, and it was really interesting to see how they went about getting access to it. i think i hoped for just a little more characterization from both of them, especially near the end, but i just couldn't help but be so invested in their stories.

i think the biggest gripe people will have about this story is the relationship between a graduate student Elisabeth and her professor/advisor Thaddeus. i'm not always the biggest fan of age gap romances just personally, but i think in this context it didn't bother me as much as they were both well into their adulthood (and to me at that point they could definitely both make their own decisions). with that, their relationship is not sunshine and rainbows, its manipulative, illicit and also incredibly interesting. i wouldn't say their relationship is inherently romantic, and that's one of the things that worked really well for me. it's incredibly obvious the author wasn't writing this to be the pinnacle of romance, but show how two people so desperate for power and control can manipulate one another while also, maybe slowly having feelings for one another. neither of these characters are excellent people, and that's why this relationship works so well in this book. even if in real life, i would be concerned about both of them lol.

surprisingly, there was less spice than i was anticipating in this book, or at least it was less descriptive. that was fine though, as i could definitely feel the manipulative tension simmering between Elisabeth and Thaddeus when they weren't tangled together. i think something that threw me off the tiniest bit, was in the middle of the book the plot slowed down and there was a LOT of attention on just them. it ended up being fine as the last 25% of the book picked back up, but i wish that had been cut down ever so slightly to allow the book to keep moving.

once again this book isn't for everyone, but if you don't mind reading about characters who are complicated and maybe not the best of people alongside dark academia, magical schools and secret societies i think this could be the perfect read for you! especially in fall!!

↬ trigger warnings: death and murder, violence and gore, blood, suicide mentioned, torture, kidnapping, depictions of grief

[monica ✨ romantasyreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

the writing, atmosphere, premise, and vibes were all there for me. went into this having pretty high expectations because I love dark academia especially set in a graduate program.

I was giving it some grace in the first 30%. but after 50% and there wasn’t a plot to be seen I was getting so annoyed. all ellsbeth cared about was getting into rawlins’ pants instead of idk FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO HER DEAD SISTER?????

when the plot finally starts (I would say maybe 80%???) it felt over in a flash and the romance completely dissolved. not only that, as this is marked as a romance, where was the actual hea?? the epilogue isn’t from either mcs and we don’t even see them interact meaningfully.

vibes were there. but this was basically erotica with an unsatisfying ending.

[Sarah Pirtle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 6 star read. My #1 book of 2025 and I hope it will be yours when it comes out in 2026.

Oh my God, I never wanted it to end. I was immediately drawn to this book. It was passion, lust, yearning, ambition, destruction, grief… all wrapped up in a perfectly paced story. I hung on every word of it and couldn’t put it down. Ellsbeth was intensely likable to me. Rawlins was a stand out, deep MMC. I have never enjoyed an age gap until this book. They are truly perfect for one another. The magic system was interesting. The deep wanting they had for one another, but also for power. It was morally grey in all the best ways. You find yourself wanting more power as much as they do. I felt I was in the story. I wanted the passion, power, and resolution as much as the main characters did.
It has been a long time since a book made me feel this way. I want more! Do yourself a favor and pick this book up, you will not regret it.

P.S. the emails are the very best part. Every email exhilarated me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

[Heathers_readss · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a dark academia read with a taboo student x professor relationship that is unique then i definitely recommend giving this a try.

I liked the FMC despite her tendencies to be overly stubborn, ambitious, a little bit of a know it all but her passion and determination was definitely fun to watch.

I liked the magic system and the unethical subject / forbidden magic use the FMC chose for her studies. I also liked the email format between the student and the professor there were parts that definitely made me chuckle.

This book had great pacing and I didnt find any parts boring (which sometimes I find is the case with dark academia books).

Fully recommend, thank you for the gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

[Mogsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2026/06/10/...

The Arcane Arts was a rather atypical read for me. On paper, a dark academia romantasy with strong thriller elements and shades of erotica is very much outside my usual comfort zone. However, S.D. Coverly is actually the shared pen name of two authors: Dan Frey and Dana Schwartz. While I’m not familiar with Dana Schwartz, Dan Frey is someone whose work I’ve absolutely loved, including The Future Is Yours and Dreambound. In fact, I’d spent the last couple years wondering what he’s been working on and when I can read more from him, and as it turns out, this was the answer. So, my curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to take the plunge. And the results were…mixed.

The story follows Ellsbeth, who has spent her entire life preparing for a future in the arcane arts. Gifted and academically driven, she has every reason to believe she’ll earn a place among the most prestigious magical institutions and researchers in the field. But then, during the most important test of her life, everything falls apart. While on the scrying portion of the exam that would determine her future prospects, she experiences a horrifying vision of her younger sister Birdie dying. Panicked and desperate, Ellsbeth abandons the examinations and rushes to help, only to discover she is too late.

The tragedy cost her more than her sister. Because the exam can only be taken once, her decision meant the collapse of everything she has worked for. Worse, according to the authorities, Birdie died by suicide in bed, which wasn’t what Ellsbeth saw. Convinced the police are hiding the truth, she becomes determined to use magic to investigate for herself. To that end, she travels to Newlyn University and sets her sights on Professor Thaddeus Rawlins, one of the field’s most respected scholars, hoping to convince him to take her on as a student. However, because her interest is in writ magic, a forbidden discipline capable of compelling and controlling others, Rawlins is hesitant, especially since he is already haunted by the consequences of a former student’s involvement with it. Yet Ellsbeth’s intelligence and ambitions intrigue him, so he agrees, believing he can help keep her research within acceptable and legal boundaries. Of course, with both of them harboring dark secrets, as their professional relationship deepens, so too does a mutual attraction that quickly evolves into something far more dangerous.

As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t normally my genre. And I have to say, after a while with this book, it reminded me exactly why. If you’re a reader who loves forbidden romance, dark academia, morally questionable attraction, and all the tensions that come with a student-professor relationship complete with a bit of kink, then I think you’ll have a much better time than I did. The novel commits fully to that dynamic and delivers exactly the sort of sexy romantasy many readers are looking for. Nevertheless, my issue was that it often felt as though every aspect of the story existed solely to facilitate that relationship, even when doing do required the plot and the characters’ decision-making to bend in ways I found extremely unbelievable.

For example, Rawlins initially raises all the objections you’d expect in his refusal to take Ellsbeth on as a student. Making an exception for her would be unfair to others and a professionally risky move that would be academically improper, creating all sorts of complications for himself and the college. But one slight push from Ellsbeth later, he caves almost immediately in a 180 that practically gave me whiplash. More importantly, he’s a professor and should understand the ethical problems involved. Rawlins has direct supervisory authority over Ellsbeth, and even if Newlyn itself doesn’t explicitly prohibit those kinds of student-professor relationships (which might be the least believable part of this whole thing), the obvious conflict of interest should have made him transfer her to another advisor if he possessed even a sliver of morals. Instead, this so-called brilliant genius just barrels ahead. Which is fine, if the taboo is the point, but it makes it hard to take the story seriously.

A similar issue extends to the writ magic storyline. Both Ellsbeth and Rawlin understand it’s highly illegal and dangerous. They repeatedly acknowledge the risks and how a former student is in prison and his life is ruined because of it. Yet they both continue pursuing it without any practical explanation for how they expect this arrangement to work long term. What are they going to do when it comes time for Ellsbeth to present her thesis? Are they simply going to ignore the inconvenient questions the university will ask? The whole thing feels less like a plan and more like two delusional people hoping future consequences somehow won’t materialize.

But in the end, what frustrated me the most was how the central mystery got pushed aside. Birdie’s death is the reason Ellsbeth embarks on this journey in the first place, the emotional and narrative foundation of the whole story. Yet there were long stretches where I genuinely forgot that was supposed to be the main driving force because the plot kept shifting its focus so heavily toward the romance, the flirting, and the relationship drama. I was honestly close to bailing around the halfway point, but thankfully the story eventually remembers its original premise and begins steering back to the mystery. Once that happened, things improved drastically.

On another positive note, the writing itself is quite strong. I could definitely see traces of Dan Frey’s influence, particularly in the way the story incorporates emails and written correspondence into the narrative, which is reminiscent of his experience with epistolary storytelling. It’s just unfortunate that even those felt a little awkward at times because the emails rarely sounded like messages actual people would send. While the prose was fantastically polished, the voices often felt overly literary and self-conscious, especially compared to how the characters would speak during face-to-face conversations.

And yet, despite all these complaints, I kept reading. That’s probably worth acknowledging, I suppose. Yes, the book frustrated me often, but it also managed to maintain just enough intrigue to keep me from putting the book aside. Whether that’s because there was actually something compelling beneath all the issues I had or because I had reached a point where I was too invested to quit, I’m honestly not sure. Probably a bit of both.

Ultimately, The Arcane Arts wasn’t a complete disaster by any means, but it also wasn’t a book that worked particularly well for me. Like I said though, I’m probably not the right audience. While there were elements I enjoyed, they were frequently overshadowed by a romantic plotline that frequently strained credibility. Even so, I’m glad I gave it a chance. Dan Frey remains an author whose books I will still want to pick up, and even though this collaboration turned out to be very different, I always appreciate the opportunity to try something new.

[Faiza · Rating 4 out of 5]

i overall really enjoyed this!! i read dana schwartz anatomy duology a few years ago and was diligently waiting for this new co-written book by her and it didn’t disappoint.

i liked the dark academia elements, the arcane magic definitely made it actually dark and not just an aesthetic sprinkled into the backdrop of the story. i normally find age gap romances a bit creepy (sorry!) but this one worked given the psyche of the characters and their ambitions and reservations.

the mystery of the plot was creepy and cool - although i wish more of it was the focus! the romance and physical relationship took up a looot of the book so i wish the actual plot and mystery had more time to shine. given the focus on the romance, i found the ending to be a bit bittersweet. had the story focused more on the plot and protagonist, it would have felt more fitting. but given that the romance seemed soo central, the “realistic” nature of the ending felt kinda depressing lol.

all in all a really entertaining read i found hard to put down!!

[Jennika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: The Arcane Arts: A Novel | Author: S. D. Coverly | Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Why I picked this book:
I received an ARC copy of The Arcane Arts at the Del Rey booth during New York Comic Con. After taking a short quiz, it matched me with The Arcane Arts: A Novel by S. D. Coverly and I’m SO happy it did!

Quick Summary:
Ellsbeth is a prospective graduate student vying for a place at the College of the Arcane Arts at Newlyn University, specifically in the Arcane Mechanicals graduate program. The problem? An unexpected tragedy causes her to fail her Arcanus test, which is only offered once. Desperate, she pleads with the prestigious Professor Thaddeus M. Rawlins to allow her entry—and not only that, but also to let her study forbidden and illegal magic for her thesis.

Professor Rawlins is no stranger to ambitious students, but lately, things have felt rather uninspired. Soon, the two become entangled in more ways than one. They’re both chasing their own ambitions, but can they trust each other, or themselves, with what’s to come? The lines are blurring and danger is lurking at every turn!

What I Liked
1. This story is a sapiosexual’s dream! The dark academia setting is deliciously atmospheric, and the use of magic in such a daring, cerebral way is outstanding.

2. The email exchanges throughout the book add a much needed dose of playful, witty banter.

3. The mystery and intrigue are top-notch! Each character is solving their own puzzle while keeping secrets from the other, creating a tangled web that’s impossible to look away from.

Favorite Quote / Moment:
I’m so tempted to gush about my favorite quotes, but since the publication date is still a ways off, I’ll just broadly mention my favorite scene:
It’s the moment Ellsbeth realizes how much she not only desires but truly needs someone brilliant, and someone she can be utterly and unapologetically depraved with.

Who I’d Recommend It To & Final Thoughts:
I’d recommend The Arcane Arts: A Novel to readers who love dark academia with a healthy dose of spice, wit, and danger. It’s seductive, intelligent, and impossible to put down. I cannot wait for the official release!

[Esther · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Absolutely devoured this one. A dark academia romantic fantasy so sultry and lush, filled with secrets, lies, deception, illicit encounters, the study (& sexy applications) of forbidden magic, ambition, grief & determination while solving a murder mystery entangled in a secret society. And it’s a standalone?! Say less.

This was enthralling and addictive. If you loved Nocticadia but set in a less creepy and more old school college setting with power play explorations, you will love this.

The writing was so cinematic, and the audiobook made this even more unputdownable.

[Nelly]

woah this for my shelf <3

[lana]

she was fearless
and crazier than him
she was his queen
and god help anyone who dared to disrespect his queen
#iykyk

[Skyler Pearse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I noticed a lot of the reviews say they were shocked and disappointed in how much lust is in the book and how that got in the way of the magic and the plot. I thought that was fully the point. The characters literally said they were enthralled with each other and their entanglement was almost their downfall. This book was some good ole beautifully written smut but with a twist. They managed to seamlessly incorporate magic and academia in with the heated stuff and also create characters with depth.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0/5
Such a stunning book cover! Unfortunately the cover design’s the best thing The Arcane Arts has going for it. I love dark academia and the novels concept of illegal “writ” magic that enables mind-control, combined with a murder mystery was compelling but the execution’s just bad. To begin with, the epistolary-style emails between Ellsbeth and Professor Rawlins were absurd and distastefully cringe. Anyone who knows how much work it takes for professors at esteemed universities to obtain both full status AND tenure will side-eye how quickly Rawlins acquieses to the pushy, entitled emails Ellsbeth bombards him with. Ellsbeth, a “student” who’s not even enrolled in the program! He would never. Topping this off, the overall writing tone of the novel comes across as young adult. It gives the impression of a mediocre debut novel. Surprisingly, it’s not. The pseudonym S.D. Coverly is actually writing duo, Dan Frey and Dana Schwartz, both have published multiple novels separately. Schwartz is well-known for her bestselling Anatomy duology, a young adult, historical romantasy. The Arcane Arts reads like mid-quality YA writing and features a teacher/student, sub/dom romance. It’s marketed as adult fiction but I suspect most adults will feel similarly underwhelmed. The whole storyline and murder mystery is quite predictable and not at all surprising when the perpetrator(s) are finally revealed.

[herdarklibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you read a book that just delivers absolutely everything you could want and The Arcane Arts felt like the perfect book for me, it was like the authors reached into my brain and pulled at all my thoughts to convert them into this.

Layered with grit and tension, full of magical academics and most importantly complex characters, this book allowed for so many different levels to be explored. I really can’t quite describe how well the magical academic writing is done, I think if you liked Katabasis or The Atlas Six then you’ll love this element of The Arcane Arts too.

However, through all complexity of plot the focus really is on the main two characters; Ellsbeth and Rawlins. If you’re on the hunt for a professor/student, age gap read then may I suggest you throw yourself at the nearest bookstore and purchase this book immediately. The absolute teasing and taunting from start to finish is exquisite. I’m not usually one for mixed formats in novels but the emails between our two main characters was such a brilliant addition that helped build their relationship. The smut is excellent and the way magic is combined in the bedroom had me blushing. It’s sexy, tantalising and full of confidence

The Arcane Arts delivered a beautiful balance of sensual romance with dark academia elements; an instant favourite and definitely my latest obsession.

5/5 ⭐️

Release day: TODAY! Happy Publication day @danaschwartzzz & Dan Frey

*Ad/Gifted huge thanks @yourswithlovex

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Del Rey for the ARC!

If Katabasis and Half His Age had a baby, it would be this book! The way the story is woven is absolutely *chef's kiss*. It starts out innocently enough--a young woman wanting nothing more than to study the arcane arts under the best professor she can get access to, all with the intent to learn the taboo--how to compel and control people via magic. But as time progresses, they get swept up in a relationship. But both parties are master manipulators (in fact, literally studying it!), so how much of it is real? How much of ANY of it is real?

This was a RIDE. It nails the concepts of obsession, of the seemingly unevenness in which time flows, and the darker side of academia. I had SUCH a great time reading this! It didn't QUITE make me feel the way Katabasis did, but the energy is there--both in the arcane magic and the relationship between Ellsbeth and Rawlins.

My main complaint is the way the narrative was started--it definitely sets up expectations for a very different story. The prologue was aggressively dark and it feels like the book is setting up for a sort of secret society/serial killer sort of energy. Instead, it's far more focused on the relationships between Ellsbeth and Rawlins with some arcane magic as a vehicle for that exploration. Was it still great? Yes. Was it was I was expecting? No.

[Cyd’s Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.0.

Thank you to this book for reminding me just how good dark academia is, I haven’t tapped into this genre in a while and I’ve been missing out.

This book has a seductive quality, it indulges your intellect with its slightly prentious language and outlandish exploration of magic and control, but also with our main characters who verbally tango their way into a dangerous dynamic that has a lure of forbidden to it.

At the core of the plot though is a clever and ferocious FMC who has so much drive and it’s directed at finding out what happened to her sister. This dark academic mystery that blends a little romance and fantasy into the plot had me from literally page 5 I think. I couldn’t recommend it more.

[Leslie McMann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow this was the best standalone I've read in 2026 so far! I finished reading the ARC (thank you NetGalley and Del Rey!) in 2.5 days because I just couldn't put it down, and now I'm genuinely mad I cannot get all my friends to read this until May.

This book is truly elevating dark academia and romantic fantasy, both genres that are in desperate need of it, IMO. 5 stars and I am going to pray every day this book's film option actually makes it through development.

As someone who grew up in academic circles where toxic relationships and affairs often occurred, I am pretty critical of most dark academia fic that involves teacher/student sexual relationships, even when all involved are adults. It's just rarely sexy to me, and frequently gross or tragic. This book pleasantly surprised me in this regard!

The Arcane Arts expertly dissects the culture that allows abuse to fester in these settings while exploring whether true consent is possible within that dynamic. It doesn't try to whitewash the moral complexities or greater impact of these relationships with a hand-wavey "but true love will prevail" logic, while still being romantic. No character in this book is perfect or guiltless, and you see them grapple with that.

This will be a great book club book, because there is so much to pick apart regarding sex, gender, desire, and, of course, power-- AND, some kicking-my-feet romantic and sexy banter between the two main characters. I've never written a sexy email, but now I want to try. Why were all my emails from college professors just "put your term paper in the box outside my office," huh?

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book freaking rips. I am so serious right now, stop whatever you're doing and immediately go pre-order this book (or if you're reading this in May 2026, go get it immediately!). The Arcane Arts is the dark academia of my dreams. It's romantic, intelligent, suspenseful, twisty, dark and spicy. I think it's my favorite book of 2025.

I loved:
-Rawlins and Ellsbeth were both such believable characters and relatable in different ways. Their relationship development was completely organic, felt very natural, was extremely romantic, and hot. Their relationship was perfect, I would change nothing about it. Also is it just my history nerd crush or was Rawlins giving Dan Jones vibes? Just me? Maybe I listen to a few too many history podcasts...
-The magic system. It reminded me of Babel, but a little less pretentious, with a little bit of Blood Over Bright Haven mixed in. I thought it was the perfect mix of analytical rigor and flights of fantasy. Perfection.
-The dark and foreboding atmosphere on the campus. At its best, dark academia illuminates the rot behind the ivy-covered buildings, and this one does that successfully.
-The balance between romance, mystery, and fantasy. I didn't feel that one aspect overshadowed the rest. I was swept up in the fantasy, the romance, and the mystery in equal measure.

I didn't like:
That it ended. More! now! please!

This book is billed as Saltburn meets Babel, and while those are appropriate, I think Ninth House is probably a better comparison.

[Cindieslibrary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am very sorry to say that I DNFed this book. It was recommended by the publisher because I liked Arcana Academy by Elise Kova, but this doesn't even come close to that book.

Ellsbeth botched her Arcanus test which is of the utmost importance if you want to study more about Arcane arts. Within the first few chapters it becomes clear that she wants the professor of Newlyn to accept her anyway, without the proper test scores but for her brilliance on this subject alone. She emails the professor directly and pleads her case, which should be fine if not for the flirtatious nature of the emails.

Professor Rawlings is getting bored and rusted in place with what he's teaching and what he's willing to share. He doesn't want to accept Ellsbeth in his program but she is compelling and seems to be very smart indeed. She's even pretty, but that would be a road he doesn't want to go down to.

When Ellsbeth is accepted after numerous emails and an in person meet, she tells the professor what she wants to study.. Writ magic which is forbidden. But with a few kinks in the law you can actually still study and finetune it, if a person where to try it on a willing participant.

The banter between professor and Ellsbeth keeps growing, so he'll be going down that road soon enough..

Not much happening within the first 40% aside from the flirtation and eventually romance.. The course for a forbidden magic was the only thrilling thing. It just wasn't for me.

[Erica (BooksAndNebulas) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, S.D. Coverly, Del Rey Random House, and NetGalley for the early preview of this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Title: The Arcane Arts
Author: S.D. Coverly
Format: e-book

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️


Review:

Ellsbeth has always had a passion for arcane, but the tragic loss of her younger sister has led her to a change of plans in her academic career. Now that she’s a student at Newlyn University, she is determined to convince Thaddeus Rawlins, a celebrated professor in the field, to take her on as a student. She then seeks to write her thesis on writ magic, the long-forbidden power to control and compel others. Should Professor Rawlins allow one of his students to write a thesis on such a controversial subject, even academically? And why is Ellsbeth determined to write on such a taboo subject when she had such a troubling acceptance into the arcane mechanics program? The plot thickens with romantic entanglement between student and professor.

*//What to expect:
* Dual POV
* Dark academia
* Arcane Magic
* Age gap romance
* Student-Professor romance
* Secret society

*//Trigger Warnings:
* Abuse/torture
* Intentional drugging
* Murder
* Death/grief


*//Some things I didn’t know I needed that were present in this story:
✔️ he cooks for her
✔️ intellectual conversations about magic (actually really LOVED this)
✔️ mild dom

*//Review(with spoilers):

I went into this book not knowing anything more than it was labeled “dark academia”. Honestly this has proven to be successful for me in terms of being surprised and catching my attention for what I am reading. I do love the academic setting and I really loved how in depth the knowledge went to build this magic. (This is also me not knowing anything about arcane magic).

I was very curious why Ellsbeth was attending this University. Because I didn’t read any intro, was it Ellsbeth’s sister who died?! Yes it was. So then… what is this magic and learning it from this (hot) professor going to do? Ahhhh.. then we find out. Yes she is going to do illegal magic. I am here for it.

The introverted type behavior really resonated. I could understand Ellsbeth and her desire to not need anyone and do everything on her own. I love the background explanation of Ellsbeth with prior relationships and it felt natural for her to think about this when kind of exploring the attraction with Professor Rawlins.

And boy oh boy did that attraction deliver. Hot hot hot. I was not expecting romance, but we got it. I really loved how this relationship played out. It was so satisfying for it to get to the point it did with both parties hiding details from each other in regards to the magic.

I really loved this whole story. The writing style was *chefs kiss*. I read this book in 2 days because I could not put it down.

I am only upset that there isn’t more to devour.

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book surprised me more and more as it went on. This is the type of dark academia filled with mathematics and chemistry. The subject of study is The Arcane Arts/Arcane mechanicals. Story is full of twists and turns. Secrets revealed. The two MCs are full of passion for the academics and each other. Loved how they were turned on by each other’s brains which resulted into some spicy scenes. The magic in this book is extremely interesting and will keep you intrigued. Dual POV and HEA…sort of. You will find that they communicate a lot through emails which are highly entertaining. You will see what I mean when you read this thrilling dark academia book.

We have Ellsbeth who is a genius when it comes to the subject matter and has strong academic goals. However, everything goes wrong when during the scrying portion of the Arcanus (a test can only be taken once), she sees her sister dead. Determined to find out what happened, she seeks out Professor Rawlins at Newlyn University to convince him to allow her into is program.

Professor Rawlins is so very bored. He misses the days where his field of study was invigorating and exciting. Be careful what you wish for because he meets the gifted Ellsbeth who ignites that long dormant passion within him. He tries to refuse but gives in and allows her into his program. Rawlins is repeatedly impressed by her brain and courage to study taboo topics within the Arcane magic world. But he doesn’t want to make the same mistake with her like he did with a student years prior that ended up with dead students and one in jail.

Together they dive into clandestine meetings with untested rituals. Paranoia sets in and they start questioning if the other one is up to something. Did I mention that there is a sinister secret society?

Thank you to the author, @delreybooks @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for this gifted eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[sydspages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ellsbeth is a smart & driven academic for the magics. Due to a tragedy the day of her arcanus exam, she wasn’t able to complete her test to help her get into magic school. That doesn’t stop her from contacting Professor Rawlings’s to make an exception for her. Ellsbeth wants to learn techniques to help her uncover the truth about the tragedy that occurred, while Rawlins has secrets of his own that he’s keeping. All the while, they grow closer in their relationship as they work together on illegal magic practices.

I have never really been a fan of age gap romances so I personally have steered clear of them, but admittedly haven’t actually read any so when I was offered the opportunity to read this I figured I’d at least give it a try. Especially with a professor x student romance I went in with an open mind & honestly I thought it was done well. It is very instalove, but once their relationship gets going I wasn’t put off by their dynamic.

One way the author develops their relationship is by showing email exchanges between our main characters. Based on other reviews this seems to be a hit or miss, but for me I personally liked the relationship developing in this way. It felt unique & a fresh way to show the characters personalities.

The prologue sets this book up to be a murder mystery & hooked me in right away. However, after that the book seemed to just dive into the romance & magic until the last third of the book where it picks back up again. I wish that the murder mystery & the tension stayed throughout the book, making the read a bit uneven.

Overall, I still found this read enjoyable & thought the story itself was a wild ride even if the middle seemed to drag in places.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the arc!!

[ivey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & Publisher for the ARC.

I walked into this book expecting something like Blood Over Bright Haven or Babel, both books that I loved. While this book is fantastically written, the story, unfortunately, falls short. This is heavier on the romance element instead of the fantasy element; the magic system, while intriguing at first, is half-baked. There seems to be more emphasis on the relationship rather than the events of the story, which results in disjointed pacing. The ending is very abrupt.

I did enjoy Ellsbeth as a character; I found Rawlins to be pretty boring. However, the set up and backstory was great. The development of their relationship is a bit too insta-attraction to me, which I usually don’t have a problem with, but it makes their intense attraction drawn from each other’s intelligence seem less compelling. I wanted to see a bit more exploration of darkness that surfaces when dealing with forbidden magic. That didn’t really come through for me. The story was simple and the foreshadowing unsubtle; none of the twists took me by surprise.


Like I said, though, this is very well written—lovely prose and some cool character introspection stuff—so it was a breeze to read through. This would probably do well with huge romantasy readers, not huge fantasy readers.

[Blair Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

S.D. Covertly is a writing duo, Dan Frey and Dana Schwartz. Now I haven’t previously heard of Dan Frey but I have heard of Dana Schwartz. This is my first time reading anything by either of these authors especially writing together.
I really enjoyed the writing. I love books that have more of the epistolary variety and you have that with the emails in this book. This does have the professor/student dynamic and an age gap. If that isn’t for you then you might not like this. Ellsbeth is writing a these on writ magic, which is illegal. She is also looking into her sister death, who died at the same college. We have Rawlins. Who is a professor at the college. He ends up helping her and of course is her love interest. I am not one to really want to read romance that is written by a man and while this does have a man and a woman co author… I though it was ok. I really did enjoy the banter and I thought it was a solid read over all. . I give it a 3.75.

Thank you to Del Rey fo the complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Corinne’s Chapter Chatter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was sent a complimentary widget for this book based on my past reading history with the publisher Dey Ray and, from the description alone, I jumped on it immediately. Then I saw the cover…

Ironically, this is one of those rare cases where the cover actually does perfectly capture the tone of the book. Had I seen it first, I probably wouldn’t have looked into the book any further and, honestly, that would have been an accurate warning for me. While I love the dark academia trope, I still want the story to feel immersive and engaging, not like I’m reading a textbook. Unfortunately, that’s exactly how this felt.

Because I struggled to stay engaged with the eARC, I set it aside for a bit until I was able to grab the ALC from PRH Audio via their influencer program, hoping the audio format would help pull me in. Sadly, that ended up being a bust as well. The casting choices just didn’t work for me and somehow made the experience feel even more like sitting through a lecture.

In the end, I speed read the second half with just my eyeballs. To be fair, there were a few moments where I thought the story might finally turn things around for me, but unfortunately those moments never lasted long enough to change my overall feelings.

While this book definitely wasn’t for me, I can absolutely see it working for readers who enjoy this style a bit more.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
2 for spice


The Arcane Arts was a pretty fascinating read. I loved the dark academic setting, the taboo professor/student romance and what really pulled me in was the magic system and how it is created and and applied. The magic was much more complicated then others I have read , not just merely a couple ingredients on the full moon or born with it, These characters were completely obsessed not only with it and creating it but applying it and it added another taboo element to complicated relationships. It was a bit slow at times, I was ready for them to speed it up a little. The underlying mystery really added to the store with suspense, emotional turmoil and I was here for it. The relationship development was pretty good with some aspects really happening fast, others slower but because some development happened so early on some events became a bit redundant. Overall, very dark and entertaining, worth picking up.
I received an advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.

[Ashley (andtheniwasbookish) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I loved this. It was so unique while simultaneously being so frustrating, I absolutely ate it up.

This story is about two brilliant, hot people who are bending the rules of magic (and the law) while hiding so many secrets from each other and falling in love anyways.

The writing style absolutely drew me in and kept me in the story. The creative choice to have email correspondences as chapters, some covering certain gaps of time??? I loved that choice so much, it not only highlighted yearning with the characters, but also created yearning with the reader.

This story was such a great, entertaining read with a satisfying ending.

overall: highly recommend
spice: open door