A historical setting, mysterious Tarot cards, characters with cult-y vibes. All of this seemed really up my alley! It was interesting enough but unfortunately it all felt a bit half-baked.
Ann seemed to have no personality or depth, despite being the main character. Rachel was more interesting. Ann does have some character development 75% of the way through the book, but it really comes out of left field and made for a weird ending.

Borrowed from my local library.

This was set in the modern day, but it felt as if it spanned the eras as we delved into the Cloisters, NY's Met museum filled with Gothic architecture and gardens and its medieval & renaissance artworks and exhibits.

There was a lot more to the story than I initially realised (from the blurb), encompassing art history, botany, the history of cartomancy/tarot and a mild exploration of language and translation.

The whole story felt tense and claustraphobic as we progressed through a stifling summer filled with gothic architecture, secrets, and an obsessive thirst for knowledge and prestige. The epitomy of dark academia and I loved it.

The beginning is really slow but it picks up toward the middle. Feel the ending was a let down, sort of blew past everything that happened, almost like a fade to black “and all was well” 

Not the best book I’ve read from the dark academia genre. Generally well written but the characters felt a bit flat and the dialogue lapses into cliche at times. That said, the plot had enough twists and turns to keep me compelled enough to finish it.