An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole Review

A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.
 

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.

A modern dark academia urban fantasy story with mysterious hauntings evoked by unsettling moments of déjà vu, Kamilah Cole’s An Arcane Inheritance is a high-concept book that pulls an impressive sleight of hand with its ambitious ideas. A perfect example of a slow burn mystery that is as twisty as it is intelligent, this is a fascinating fantasy book that reads and feels quite different from what its listed genres would suggest. Creative, immersive, and beautifully written, the purposely slow pacing isn’t for everyone nor is its sometimes directionless narrative, but the payoff for those that stick with Cole’s strong storytelling are in for a unique experience and one whose ending suggests a quick re-read on details and clues easily missed.

An Arcane Inheritance is a tricky book to talk about and review due to how crucial its major plot twist developments near the end of the story are, requiring the reader to almost fall into its intended sense of familiarity. In a sense, about three quarters of the book is that of its main character Ellory Morgan’s on-campus collegiate school life mixed with mysterious and foreboding paranormal-like occurrences involving familiarity, unknown visions, or conversations that may or may not have happened. Marketed as a dark academia fantasy story, I understand why the book is described in this manner as I’m not sure how else to describe it, but it feels like it misrepresents what the reading experience is like. Following Ellory’s freshman year as a scholarship awardee, starting her collegiate study a bit later than her more privileged classmates, this book’s “academia” is that of academic college classwork, personal relationships, and research into the history of Warren University, the fictional 9th Ivy League institution. While it’s not necessarily a drawback to the book’s enjoyment, I mention the prominent college life angle as quite a few reviews I’ve read for this book mention being disappointed by the romance elements being distracting, the story seeming off-topic, or the collegiate content being YA or New Adult material. These elements are ironically very much placed there by design and once the reader reaches the third of three parts of the book, there’s a dramatic “ah-hah” moment on why they’re there. That said, it can be trying for some just to get there.

Although An Arcane Inheritance is classified first and foremost as a fantasy story, interestingly I found it read more like a speculative fiction story with a quiet and foreboding paranormal mystery kind of plot. The story opens with a few popular fantasy/romantasy elements such as the rivals-to-lovers arc (note, this is not enemies-to-lovers, people need to stop considering them to be the same thing), a slow-burn romance, a mysterious secret society, and unusual disappearances covered up throughout Warren University’s history. Early chapters really push Ellory and Hudson’s academic rivalry that includes very witty verbal sparring and opposites attract tension that feel intentionally placed to hook casual booktok readers into a story that has a much bigger and grander vision in store. To be sure Ellory and Hudson do have great initial chemistry and a good competitive drive, but what seems like standard dark academia love interest is later revealed to be more complex than simple competitive interest. The fantasy elements in the story are initially barely noticeable and have very limited appearances breaking up Ellory’s (or lack of) social life and sparring with Hudson. The pacing throughout the first half of the book can feel quite slow, meandering, or often off topic, the book having a quick flash of unusual deja vu fantasy before returning to what seems like a new adult fiction story. Cole’s storytelling is very good and the book is full of thoughtful and immersive detail that make Ellory’s life feel fully realized, despite the presented content sometimes dragging.

“Magic? That hardly seems compatible with a degree in political science.

Divine right of kings. Occult sciences. Western Esotericism. The bloody history of belief in preternatural forces that shape political systems and justify who gets to wield power within them is more novel than my original pitch.

Are you single-handedly trying to prove the myth that human beings use only ten percent of their brain by making sure ninety percent of yours is made up of pure bullshit?”

While I consider myself a variety reader, SFF is my bread and butter, specifically speculative fiction. An Arcane Inheritance is an interesting reading experience where Ellory’s unusual experiences feel less fantasy-like and more in the realms of speculative fiction. Despite the secrets of Warren University, a mysterious arcane society, and elements that are on-paper fantasy, Ellory’s frequent feelings of déjà vu, lost memories, discovering details she shouldn’t know, or stumbling into new developments, the mysteries have very strong speculative fiction vibes. While slow despite being very well-written, I had a sneaking suspicion that this is the type of story where nothing is quite what it seems and close attention to detail (or should I say, the physical pages of the book) adds a new layer of thrill to the read. Those that are patient and give the story time to cook are rewarded with an intense conclusion that is both ambitious and creative. The false sense of slow collegiate droll is a purposeful coverup and misdirection to the true reality of what’s going on at the University, the last quarter of the book more than justifying its fantasy classification. I’m purposely trying to be vague to avoid unintentional spoilers, and some other reviews that draw comparisons to other stories or movies in my opinion reveal the book’s hand. What I can say is the book’s overarching story and ending is one that I’ve seen and would have expected in the science fiction and speculative fiction circles, but is entirely refreshingly and different for the fantasy genre, especially within the dark academia sphere.

Besides its ambitious premise, An Arcane Inheritance is also an intellectual novel that has great commentary and themes tied back to its plot. The story is based on topics of systemic racism and classism in the collegiate and academic environment, with Ellory being a woman of color, one of limited resources, and a Jamaican American. Surrounding her are the wealthy and privileged white classmates who take everything for granted, or fellow BIPOC students deemed to have less potential or opportunities. Political science major rival Hudson Graves even represents this topic on a spectrum, being the biracial with appealing light-toned skin whose paternal white family is powerful and wealthy, the Warren University library named the Graves Library. The systematic and widespread opposition that Ellory overcomes is shown via an extended metaphor of her being stuck in a life of restricted potential and limitations, much like the magical fantasy element that she investigates and hopes to understand. Though the book features great commentary and themes, they’re smoothly integrated and part of the story which never comes off as angry or preachy; Cole balances the story, themes, and reading experience very well in a way that’s accessible to all readers. In addition to having good cultural and ethnic representation (there’s a wide variety of characters outside of the oppressive white ones), this book also has excellent LGBTQIA+ representation. Although it has a heterosexual main couple, both characters and another romantic interest are bi/pan, Ellory’s best friend’s partner is non-binary, and just everywhere you look everyone is a little bit queer or diverse. While one would certainly not want to attend Warren University given how threatening it can be, it nonetheless has a wonderful rainbow welcoming party ready for you before you’re metaphorically spirited away-

While the book’s pacing and narrative development is purposely measured and slow by design, I would be lying if I said it doesn’t drag in places. The slow, building tension with unusual events and atmospheric sense of mystery are necessary for the book’s ending to land as hard as it does, but I personally felt the book’s overall outline felt a bit off-balanced. The last quarter of the book contains huge reveals about Warren University’s secrets, resolution to Ellory and Hudson’s relationship, background details on the magic, there’s a lot going on in a limited number of pages. While the ending largely works, successfully evoking a pseudo psychedelic thriller sequence, I would’ve liked if the book shifted the huge plot twists earlier around the mid-way or two thirds point of the book in order to expand and better pace the intense ending. The build-up feels a bit tedious and once the story transitions out of its early academic rivals opener, I felt like the false front could’ve really benefited from more pops of fantasy earlier. Cole’s prose is solid, a wonderful mix of literary lyricism with a sharp wit and academic edge, and her detailed and visual descriptions make for a very immersive read that can carry the book, but I wish it didn’t have to rely on that in multiple places. The mysterious intrigue is good, but the story has a meandering, freeform feel that lacks a clear direction which I can see many readers finding frustrating or off-putting. This is a book that I found myself very invested in from an analytical, critical reading standpoint but perhaps less as a casual reader for enjoyability.

Featuring a great mix of conceptual ideas and thematic undercurrents connected to its unorthodox plot, An Arcane Inheritance is an interesting fantasy mystery novel that really sets itself apart from other dark academia labeled tales thanks to its strong ending and its present-day collegiate focus. A slow burn investigation crossed with school life, Cole has crafted a unique book that lures the reader in with expected fantasy tropes and then shifts it, making you question what is real and what is paranormal fantasy. The slow pacing on top of having an overall hazy plot won’t be for everyone and those that are expecting a strong rivals-to-lovers romance or a fantasy story with overt and flashy magical elements will most certainly be left disappointed; I acknowledge that this book perfectly fit and suited my taste which favors more quirky and less mainstream literary approaches (I received this book via Aardvark Book Club, it’s a very Aardvark coded book pick which I quite enjoy). But for readers that appreciate lengthy and detailed narrations, foreboding atmosphere, or a fantasy book that channels different narrative elements, An Arcane Inheritance is worth a shot!