Thank you so much to NetGalley for an e-ARC!!
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✦ ˚₊‧₊˚✧ ARC REVIEW ✧˚₊‧₊˚ ✦
*An Arcane Study of Stars* — Sydney J. Shields
rating: ★★★★★
dark academia + celestial magic + rivals to lovers
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୨୧ 一 overall
This book completely pulled me in.
From the first chapters at Cygnus University, the atmosphere is full of secrets, ambition, and quiet danger. The story blends magical academia, mystery, and romance in a way that kept me constantly curious about what would happen next.
I especially loved how the book balances plot and character development. There’s a central mystery slowly unfolding, but at the same time we’re watching Claudia grow into someone stronger, more determined, and more willing to fight for the truth.
By the end, I was fully invested in both the mystery and the characters.
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୨୧ 一 plot
The premise alone immediately hooked me.
After being rejected from Cygnus University, Claudia Jolicoeur is visited in her dreams by a mysterious stranger named Dorian, who offers her a dangerous bargain: he will help her enter the university if she helps free him from a prison made of stars.
The deal costs her a piece of her soul.
When she arrives at Cygnus, she discovers she has taken the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who recently died. Rumors begin spreading that Claudia may have had something to do with Odette’s death, and suspicion follows her everywhere.
Then strange things begin happening.
Someone starts leaving Claudia pieces of Odette’s diary, slowly revealing that celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered for over a century, and Odette was one of them.
As Claudia searches for answers, she spends her nights studying the stars to free Dorian, while her days are filled with tense rhetorical debates with Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage’s apprentice.
The deeper Claudia digs, the more dangerous the truth becomes.
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୨୧ 一 characters
˚˖𓍢ִ໋. “ claudia jolicoeu ” ・
Claudia is such an interesting main character.
She enters Cygnus under suspicion, carrying the weight of a bargain she can’t reveal and trying to prove she didn’t cause Odette’s death. Watching her navigate the academic pressure, rumors, and the growing mystery was incredibly compelling.
Her determination to uncover the truth, even when it puts her in danger, made her really easy to root for.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋. “ cassius macleod ” ・
Cassius starts out as Claudia’s rival in rhetoric class and the High Sage’s apprentice.
Their interactions are full of sharp dialogue and tension as they challenge each other constantly in debates. That rivalry becomes one of the most entertaining parts of the story.
˚˖𓍢ִ໋. “ dorian ” ・
The mysterious stranger from Claudia’s dreams who offers her the bargain that sets the entire story in motion.
His presence adds another layer of intrigue to the plot as Claudia works to understand his prison and what freeing him might truly mean.
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୨୧ 一 relationships
✧ Claudia & Cassius
Their relationship begins as a rivalry in rhetoric class, where they constantly challenge each other in debates.
That tension slowly shifts as the story progresses, creating a dynamic that adds both emotional and romantic stakes to the plot.
Also the spice is really spicing with them 🤭
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✦ what I loved
🌙 the dark academia setting
Cygnus University feels mysterious and immersive, with star-based magic and an academic environment that constantly raises questions about knowledge, power, and truth.
🔎 the central mystery
The diary fragments, the history of murdered celestial witches, and the secrets surrounding Odette kept the plot intriguing the entire time.
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✦ what didn’t work as well
⚖️ a slightly slower start
The story takes some time to establish the setting and the mystery at Cygnus. However, once the main threads begin connecting, the plot becomes much more difficult to put down.
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final rating: ★★★★★
a mysterious, atmospheric dark academia fantasy with a compelling plot, strong characters, and a rivalry that adds the perfect amount of tension.
(ps: this review might be dry af, bcs like im so tired but i just wanted to write this review while i still remembered what happened bcs i lwk have short term memory loss so here we are 😭
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