The Arcane Arts

A Novel

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.

“Dark academia, romance, and fantasy join forces in a gripping new book.”—People

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 Storer: 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, 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. But 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 troubling: love. But when their project begins to spin out of control, entangling them in a destructive web of lust and power, the question remains: can two people who are masters of manipulation ever trust each other?

Critic reviews

“Everything I love in dark academia—a convincing postgraduate magic system, a historic mystery that haunts the present narrative, incisive explorations of power, and an intense taboo romance . . . addictive, thought-provoking, and extremely hot.”—L. K. Steven, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Silvercloak

“Dark academia, romance, and fantasy join forces in a gripping new book.”—People

“Half dark academia and half erotica, [S. D.] Coverly’s debut offers a hedonistic account of a graduate student’s dalliance with forbidden magic and romance . . . strengthened by complex characters with undeniable chemistry.”—Publishers Weekly