The Arcane Arts

Half dark academia and half erotica, Coverly’s debut offers a hedonistic account of a graduate student’s dalliance with forbidden magic and romance. Ellsbeth Storer entered Newlyn College of the Arcane Arts’ graduate program for one purpose: to discover the truth behind her sister’s death. To do that, she needs to study writ magic, the forbidden ability to influence minds, with an adviser who will support a thesis on an illegal topic. Professor Thaddeus Rawlins has been burned by an overly ambitious student before, but Ellsbeth’s research intrigues him—as does Ellsbeth herself. Pursuing rituals that could get them imprisoned and a relationship that could ruin their academic careers, the two struggle to control both their desire and the powerful promise of writ magic. Their steamy, BDSM-inflected romance is well balanced, and Coverly does not shy away from the moral quandaries of their relationship. Ellsbeth often favors her illicit affair over her quest for justice, to the extent that her studies become more of a footnote, which might frustrate readers in it for the magic. Still, the predictable plot is strengthened by complex characters with undeniable chemistry. Coverly should win plenty of fans. Agent: Dan Mandel, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (May)