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An Arcane Study
of Stars
From breakout star Sydney Shields comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and The Atlas Six.
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When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares offering a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars.
With a bite of her soul to seal the deal, Claudia is enrolled, taking the place of Odette, a student who mysteriously passed away.
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Her arrival sparks suspicion and Cassius MacLeod - her infuriating academic rival - spreads the rumour that Claudia had a hand in Odette's death.
Hell bent on clearing her name, Claudia makes a discovery that puts her in direct danger. The only way to protect herself: free Dorian.
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By night, she studies the stars, slowly unravelling the mystery of Dorian's prison. By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. But Cassius may not be who he says he is, and soon Claudia must decide: will trusting him be the last mistake she ever makes?
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Content Warnings
This book is a dark academia romantasy with gothic themes and explicit sexual content. Content warnings include:
- On-page murder
- Parental death (most off page, but one on-page)
- One brief reference to a parent who died by suicide
- Suicidal ideation
- Blood/gore
- Snakes (a cute pet snake, but also a big spooky snake)
- Discussions of madness, visions, and hallucinations
- Use of blood in magic
- Spells carved into skin
- Sleep deprivation
- Alcoholism
- Smoking cannabis
- Taking magic mushrooms
- BDSM (bondage, dom/sub, sadism, masochism)
- Impact play
- Explicit sexual encounters
- GAY!!!!!! DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE HOMOPHOBIC!!!!! I DON’T WANT TO HEAR IT!!!!!!! IT’S BISEXUAL, WLW, AND MLM!!!!! IF YOU DON’T LIKE GAY STUFF THEN PUT THIS BOOK DOWN NOW AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3
AO3 tags:
Alternate Universe - Fantastical setting, Angst, Education, Hurt/Comfort, Rivals-to-Lovers, Lovers-to-Enemies, Sweet Treats, Found Family, Queer, Kinks, Protectiveness, Sexual Content, Nightmare Sex, Romance, Smut, Violence, I wrote this instead of sleeping
Author’s note:
This setting is loosely inspired by our world in the early 18th century, but it is greatly advanced by access to magic. It’s also intentionally queer-normative. Basically, I wanted castles and cool historic outfits, but also running water and bisexuals. Please enjoy these messy, lovable, occasionally toxic and always horny characters.