An Arcane Study of Stars
Published on 28. April 2026
Book
Hardback
512 pages
978-0-356-52256-2 (ISBN)
Description
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 Heavenly Bodies and The Atlas Six.
Claudia Jolicoeur shouldn't be here.
When she was rejected from Cygnus, her dream occult university, she was supposed to live out her life as the wife of an old man, a pawn sacrificed for her father's debts. But her celestial magic is rare enough to attract a desperate demon named Dorian, and when he offers her a bargain -- acceptance to Cygnus in exchange for his freedom -- she accepts.
As Claudia unravels the mystery of Dorian's prison of stars, the only thing standing in her way is the handsome, cruel academic star of Cygnus: Cassius MacLeod. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker and dangerously sensual.
Now caught in the centre of an ancient curse, Claudia must decide who she can trust -- and who she must kill.
'Utterly transportive and thrilling. Shields is clever as they come, and this the author at her most ambitious and triumphant' S. T. Gibson bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood
'An Arcane Study of Stars is a deal with the devil like you've never read before. Sharp, clever, spicy; this is the blueprint for dark academia romantasy' Breanne Randall, author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
'An atmospheric and devastating tale. . . This magical, phenomenal novel will keep you guessing until your last second at Cygnus' Kamilah Cole, USA Today bestselling author of An Arcane Inheritance
'Gothic, gripping and utterly spellbinding' Hazel McBride, author of A Fate Forged in Fire
'Glitters with the lush atmosphere and heart. . . written in prose so sharp it sinks its teeth into you and takes a bite out of your soul' Callie Rowland, author of Fields of Asphodel
Claudia Jolicoeur shouldn't be here.
When she was rejected from Cygnus, her dream occult university, she was supposed to live out her life as the wife of an old man, a pawn sacrificed for her father's debts. But her celestial magic is rare enough to attract a desperate demon named Dorian, and when he offers her a bargain -- acceptance to Cygnus in exchange for his freedom -- she accepts.
As Claudia unravels the mystery of Dorian's prison of stars, the only thing standing in her way is the handsome, cruel academic star of Cygnus: Cassius MacLeod. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker and dangerously sensual.
Now caught in the centre of an ancient curse, Claudia must decide who she can trust -- and who she must kill.
'Utterly transportive and thrilling. Shields is clever as they come, and this the author at her most ambitious and triumphant' S. T. Gibson bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood
'An Arcane Study of Stars is a deal with the devil like you've never read before. Sharp, clever, spicy; this is the blueprint for dark academia romantasy' Breanne Randall, author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic
'An atmospheric and devastating tale. . . This magical, phenomenal novel will keep you guessing until your last second at Cygnus' Kamilah Cole, USA Today bestselling author of An Arcane Inheritance
'Gothic, gripping and utterly spellbinding' Hazel McBride, author of A Fate Forged in Fire
'Glitters with the lush atmosphere and heart. . . written in prose so sharp it sinks its teeth into you and takes a bite out of your soul' Callie Rowland, author of Fields of Asphodel
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Little, Brown Book Group
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 165 mm
Thickness: 44 mm
Weight
748 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-356-52256-2 (9780356522562)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Sydney J. Shields (she/they) is a YA and Adult SFF Author represented by Mollie Glick at CAA, and she is a Bookish Content Creator with over 30,000 followers. Her debut novel, THE HONEY WITCH, will be published by Orbit Books (Hachette) in 2024. She is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Columbus State University, where she majored in Communication. Sydney lives in Georgia with her British partner and her dog, Olive (also known as Ponchdog).