Scan barcode
blacksphinx's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Dark Academia started its life as collages of stolen photos posted on Pinterest and tumblr. Gothic churches, colleges in autumn, people in flowing blouses. When I started reading for pleasure again in 2022, I was shocked to discover this was now a literary genre. How do you take collections of pretty photos and turn them into themes and plots?
Well... this book includes an interview with the author. In it, she says her stories start as a music video in her mind with vibes-based images and that's exactly how this novel turned out. It's vibes. It is a collection of scenes that if it was a movie or a music video, would be turned into gifs and reblogged on tumblr until the end of days. There's a massive college party where all four floors of the dorms are transformed into a representation of The Divine Comedy. During the opening ceremony, senior girls in pure white dresses put laurel crowns on the incoming freshmen around a bonfire. Does this have anything to do with the themes of the story? Nope! But they are cool to think about!
Things only happen to push us from one pretty set piece to another. And there's very, very few things that happen in this novel. It honestly bothers me that both protagonists are poets and spend all of their time off-screen writing poetry, but we only get two poems from them in the entire book. The author is a poet... where are the poems? This novel also doesn't need two PoVs, and I sometimes got them confused because they were so similar. (I feel bad that the author admits she struggled to make their voices sound different; I don't think she succeeded.) I also think it's weird that the protagonist being plus size is a selling point but no one mentions this until like 45% through the book?
But the thing is like, I was one of those girls reblogging collections of stolen photos a decade ago. The vibes are immaculate! I would reblog the gifs of the movie of this novel! But it's like, eating a giant puff of black cotton candy from a cone with bookshelves printed on it. There is no substance here. The words are beautiful, but so little happens. I am completely torn on what number to give to this book. It was pretty. It bored me. I'd read her other novels. I'm glad I checked this out of the library instead of preordering it.
Well... this book includes an interview with the author. In it, she says her stories start as a music video in her mind with vibes-based images and that's exactly how this novel turned out. It's vibes. It is a collection of scenes that if it was a movie or a music video, would be turned into gifs and reblogged on tumblr until the end of days. There's a massive college party where all four floors of the dorms are transformed into a representation of The Divine Comedy. During the opening ceremony, senior girls in pure white dresses put laurel crowns on the incoming freshmen around a bonfire. Does this have anything to do with the themes of the story? Nope! But they are cool to think about!
Things only happen to push us from one pretty set piece to another. And there's very, very few things that happen in this novel. It honestly bothers me that both protagonists are poets and spend all of their time off-screen writing poetry, but we only get two poems from them in the entire book. The author is a poet... where are the poems? This novel also doesn't need two PoVs, and I sometimes got them confused because they were so similar. (I feel bad that the author admits she struggled to make their voices sound different; I don't think she succeeded.) I also think it's weird that the protagonist being plus size is a selling point but no one mentions this until like 45% through the book?
But the thing is like, I was one of those girls reblogging collections of stolen photos a decade ago. The vibes are immaculate! I would reblog the gifs of the movie of this novel! But it's like, eating a giant puff of black cotton candy from a cone with bookshelves printed on it. There is no substance here. The words are beautiful, but so little happens. I am completely torn on what number to give to this book. It was pretty. It bored me. I'd read her other novels. I'm glad I checked this out of the library instead of preordering it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia
courtyshorty's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Blood
caidyn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Another fantastic vampire book. Delightfully queer and just a fun read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Blood
the_lesbrarian's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This book was delicious. Vampires, all-girls boarding school, academic rivals to lovers, southern preacher’s daughter and european aristocrat— YUM.
For a Carmilla retelling, I wanted a little more bite. I wish Gibson gave it permission to be more vicious, especially at the ending, which felt shallow in comparison to the original work.
An Education in Malice crafted an alluring atmosphere, intricate relationships, and some truly sumptuous scenes. If you’re looking for a new adult vampire romance, this is the one to read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the opportunity to read and review An Education in Malice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Blood
Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Death of parent
errie's review against another edition
dark
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
guybrushtmp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have hummed and hawed over what to rate this book. ST Gibson writes beautiful prose. They have a wonderful way with words that feels rich and the embodiment of decadent. However, I think I will be leaving her to others in the future as her stories are not for me, though I would recommend her to anyone who likes dark academia vibes.
I found this book to be a rather slow start and while I enjoyed the hate fucking, I felt like the transition between rivals to lovers was underdeveloped and too sudden. I think more needed to be done to explore the emotions and complexity between the stages for Carmilla.
Speaking of Carmilla, I have realised I don’t really enjoy super entitled characters, which she is. While my ao3 history shows I enjoy a bratty character, Carmilla’s brattiness was more often whiny and childish to me, which to be fair makes sense for her age and character, just is not my preference and good for people to know it a thing.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Toxic relationship
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
katyakat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"An Education in Malice" by S.T. Gibson, ARC audiobook. Provided by @HachetteAudio through NetGalley
The immersive and atmospheric writing style effortlessly complements the intricate layers of the dark academia setting, drawing readers into a world of mystery and intrigue. As the story unfolds, the complex relationship between Carmilla and Laura is masterfully portrayed, showcasing a delicate balance of rivalry, affection, and conflicting emotions. Through their interactions with poetry professor, De Lafontaine, the narrative delves deeper into the dynamics of power and control within relationships, highlighting the profound impact of such imbalances on individuals.
Around a little over a third into the story, the plot started to slacken and felt somewhat forced. The main villain of the story was disappointing and felt like a background story without much at stake. However, despite these minor setbacks, the overall narrative remained engaging, and I was compelled to see how events would unfold.
Additionally, the narrator's skillful delivery enhances the overall listening experience, with her pleasant voice and subtle accents adding depth to the characters and their surroundings. While I found myself engrossed in the story, I opted to listen at a slightly increased speed to maintain momentum, as the pacing felt a tad slow at standard speed.
Without giving too much away, I found the ending poetic and intriguing, leaving me with much to ponder after the final chapter. Overall, "An Education in Malice" captivates with its richly woven narrative and compelling characters, making it a must-read for fans of dark academia and atmospheric storytelling.
The immersive and atmospheric writing style effortlessly complements the intricate layers of the dark academia setting, drawing readers into a world of mystery and intrigue. As the story unfolds, the complex relationship between Carmilla and Laura is masterfully portrayed, showcasing a delicate balance of rivalry, affection, and conflicting emotions. Through their interactions with poetry professor, De Lafontaine, the narrative delves deeper into the dynamics of power and control within relationships, highlighting the profound impact of such imbalances on individuals.
Around a little over a third into the story, the plot started to slacken and felt somewhat forced. The main villain of the story was disappointing and felt like a background story without much at stake. However, despite these minor setbacks, the overall narrative remained engaging, and I was compelled to see how events would unfold.
Additionally, the narrator's skillful delivery enhances the overall listening experience, with her pleasant voice and subtle accents adding depth to the characters and their surroundings. While I found myself engrossed in the story, I opted to listen at a slightly increased speed to maintain momentum, as the pacing felt a tad slow at standard speed.
Without giving too much away, I found the ending poetic and intriguing, leaving me with much to ponder after the final chapter. Overall, "An Education in Malice" captivates with its richly woven narrative and compelling characters, making it a must-read for fans of dark academia and atmospheric storytelling.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
bibliofrog's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Homophobia and Vomit
literatureish_liz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, and Gaslighting
woolerys's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Writing - 4/5
Plot - 3/5
Characters - 4/5
World-building - 3/5
Personal tastes - 2/5
TOTAL: 3.2
I feel very conflicted about this book. The writing was great and drew me in right away. Even when I thought, eh, I don’t know if I like where this story is going, I kept thinking about it and felt compelled to finish it!
My main issue was the two main characters’ relationships with the professor. It is included in the author’s content warnings (thank you) and—vague spoiler here—technically it resolves in what I would consider an appropriate manner, but it happens so late in the book, there’s no time for any reflection, character growth, or real moving past it. While I don’t read a lot of vampire fiction specifically, I gather that exploration of deviance is part of the shapeshifter/paranormal genre, and in some ways, this book does that quite beautifully—the enemies-to-lovers romance between the main characters is a treat. I am just a little extra squicky on teacher/student boundary-trespassing.
Points off the world-building for setting the story in 1968 in America and including racially diverse characters (yay!) but ignoring the reality of racism? That’s how it read to me, anyway, simply because there was zero mention of it, even when there were clear opportunities for it to have been part of the conversation. Otherwise the setting was enjoyable (see: compelling writing), and the characters were well-rendered, if not always likable!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Death and Alcohol