Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole is a dark academia fantasy featuring dark secrets, occult elements and insidious magic. Ellory Morgan is accepted into Warren University, an Ivy League school, with the prestigious Godwin Scholarship. Her path crosses with legacy student Hudson Graves, an arrogant, wealthy, and clever classmate in her constitutional law course.
The two become academic rivals, bickering and annoying each other to the world’s end with each passing day, but that’s not Ellory’s biggest problem. Plagued by strange visions and unexplained incidents, Ellory begins experiencing something otherworldly, and Hudson is the only one who can help her uncover the rot of a dangerous secret society hidden within the university.
I’ve been dying to read a book that prioritizes an intricate plot and well thought-out worldbuilding with a side of romance, instead of losing the plot to the romance, and this dark academia novel hits all the right spots. The mix of an Ivy League institution full of old money students, a mystery you truly won’t be able to figure out until the twist is finally revealed, and characters grounded in the modern day with yearning so tense and delicious you won’t be able to stop reading, makes An Arcane Inheritance an incredibly compelling read.
Read our full ARC review of An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole below.
An Arcane Inheritance
Description
Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones―and forbidden magic―of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.
Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.
Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can’t convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic…this time, she may lose herself for good.
Tropes
- Dark Academia
- Rivals to Lovers
- Murder Mystery
- Secret Societies
Review
Overall Impressions 😊
I was absolutely consumed by this book. The story hooks you like any good mystery does, the world is eerie, the characters are well rounded, Ellory’s inner monologue is fascinating, and everyone feels grounded and believable.
I loved Ellory, Hudson, and everyone else around them, and for the three cold days I spent reading this book, the atmosphere and plot elements completely pulled me in. I could not put it down. The story is strong, and the romance is excellent.
The banter between the characters is amazing, and the romance is top notch. It enhances the plot instead of overtaking it, which is something so many fantasy romance books struggle with. The balance here felt intentional and satisfying.
The mystery itself works beautifully within the dark academia setting. It is a bit predictable, but the twist is still effective, and overall this was a great reading experience.
The pacing is immersive and bingeable in that irresistible way where you just have to know what happens next. I wasn’t expecting to be so charmed by a book this late in the year, but this is an absolute yes from me.
The third act reveal does feel slightly like it wants to be picked up for a movie, and it leans a bit cringe, but it’s brief and does not take away from the story, making it easy to overlook.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
This is a great representation of plot meets romance, especially in a dark academia setting. If you enjoy books like Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, but with slightly less occult focus, The Will of the Many with lower fantasy elements, or Girl Dinner with less sorority and cannibalism, this will be a great time.
It perfectly matches the spooky ambiance of cold weather and is the ideal escape into a mystery filled occult world full of magic and secrets.
I’m not an avid dark academia reader, I dabble here and there, and I found this very approachable and genuinely fun. That’s probably why I enjoyed it so much, because it felt original and fresh to me within the genre, though readers who consume a lot of dark academia may not have the same experience.
If you’re looking for a very romance heavy book similar to Dark Fae, with a lot of spice and a romance forward plot, this isn’t it. That being said, this was exactly what I was looking for, a romance genre blended with urban fantasy or thriller elements, with an excellent amount of yearning where the romance never overshadows the plot. If that’s something you’ve been searching for too, this will be a great pick.
Characters 👥
Ellory Morgan and Hudson Graves are everything. From the fact that they’re both cool nerds, to the way their academic rivalry banter is absolutely singed with chemistry, to the yearning buried in every conversation, they were fantastic.
I adored every interaction between them and fully rooted for them. I have a thing for clever characters, and both of them constantly challenging each other made this such a satisfying read.
Ellory is a genuinely refreshing protagonist. Every choice she makes feels reasonable, with no frustrating miscommunication or inexplicably bad decisions. She’s honest when she can be, and appropriately distrustful when she needs to be, which made her incredibly easy to root for and trust as a narrator.
It’s not just her either, these are just strong, well written characters across the board. Liam, for example, has interactions with Ellory that feel so natural and realistic, not overly polished or fictional. I couldn’t get over how grounded everything felt, which made the novel even more immersive.
The side characters were far from canon fodder. I would happily read full trilogies about Liam and Boone. I loved them both and enjoyed every second they were on the page. Very few times do side characters threaten to captivate me more than the main characters, and that’s a tall order here, but it came very close.
I wasn’t super invested in anyone outside of these four, including some of the larger side characters, but honestly, they were more than enough for me to completely devour this book.
Plot 🗺️
I love a great mystery, especially in a dark academia setting, and this one delivered. It’s well thought out, with breadcrumbs left along the way for readers to piece things together. Although I found the villain somewhat predictable, I genuinely did not see the full twist coming, which made the payoff feel earned.
I loved the juxtaposition of magic with the real world, and I thoroughly appreciated how this book handled it. There’s no big dramatic moment of “magic exists,” instead it feels grounded and gradual, the way discovering magic might actually feel if it existed in our world.
There were no filler moments, and the school setting paired with the occult history of academic institutions fits the story incredibly well, making the plot feel intentional and immersive throughout.
The climax of the story does feel a bit scripted, slightly over the top and somewhat out of place. It almost reads as designed for a movie screen, but the ending itself is so satisfying and brave that I didn’t mind it much in the end.
The romance fits phenomenally within the plot. I always say I want to read a strong story with a side of romance, and this book delivers on all fronts, never letting the romance overshadow the mystery.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
The setting is modern, so it shouldn’t surprise you that the language is too. It’s written from Ellory’s POV in third person, so we’re close to her thoughts without being fully inside her head, which worked really well here. The writing style is straightforward and nearly conversational, and it pairs perfectly with the urban fantasy elements of the story.
The dialogue is captivating and genuinely fun. Hudson and Ellory feed off each other in a way that’s incredibly enjoyable to read. Rivals to lovers is hard to pull off, and Kamilah Cole handles it beautifully, using dialogue and tension to express their feelings in a way that feels well paced and earned.
There’s no unnecessary spice or random intimate moments included just for the sake of it, which I’ve found harder and harder to avoid lately. Every scene has a purpose, and that restraint made the story stronger overall.
One small thing that did annoy me is that I’m a bit tired of repeated descriptions of what the men smell like. It’s fine to mention it once, but it doesn’t need to be revisited so frequently.
Spicy Chapters
How Spicy is An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole: 🌶️🌶️
Come for the secret societies, stay for the tension. Buy An Arcane Inheritance here 🕯️📖
Moody, spooky, and bingeable, An Arcane Inheritance was a phenomenal way to end the year. I enjoy dark academia settings very much, and this one was particularly well done. I would definitely recommend this if you like a strong plot with a well balanced romance B plot and dark academia vibes. It’s incredibly bingeable, and you’ll be hooked either by the whodunit mystery or the yearning that keeps you anchored to the story.
I would absolutely pick up another book from Kamilah Cole, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for my next dark academia read very soon.
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