Reviews with content warning for Murder - An Education in Malice

I really wanted to love this story so much more. Gibson’s prose and atmospheric descriptions are wonderful and lush, but the story felt so lacking. I lost steam around the midway point, realizing that I wasn’t truly sure what either of our MC’s wanted and what was stopping them from getting it. The climax was deflated and lacking in tension. I didn’t care for the characters as they fell flat for me.

Content Warnings

_p0ssum_'s review against another edition

Go to review page

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

I can't put my finger on why I love this book but it just works. It's a sapphic vampire carmilla retelling why wouldn't I love it ? It's also written by the same women who created "a dowry of blood" so I already knew it would shoot my expectations out of the park

Content Warnings

boomwormbrittany's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

An Education in Malice follows Laura who, on her first day of class, is thrown into a competition with another classmate. But as their rivalry heats up, there may be more than meets the eye to her new classmate.
This book was not it for me.
First off, the characters in this lacked so much depth that they should have been cardboard cut outs of characters rather than the main characters in this book. The only thing that really defined them was their attraction to each other and that was tentative even at best. I didn't believe their relationship or the fact that they were attracted to each other outside of their looks. We never really see them grow together or anything of the sort.
The storyline that was introduced in this book was weak at best. It made no sense what so ever and didn't give the dark academia vibe that this book was pushing. I know that this book is based off the first vampire story and it was a lesbian one at that. Honestly, you'd be better off reading that then this. I feel like this leaned too heavily on the source material that it couldn't really stand on its own.
Overall, just not the best book to me. I'm glad I got it from the library. If this does interest you, I would say pick it up and give it a try.

Content Warnings

sageofthearts's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

Content Warnings

ceredonia's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Content Warnings

okgm's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I purchased this book at a pride book fair event because I recognized the cover from my storygraph recommendations—God, I chewed this book up & GULPED. I read a few pages at the laundromat & decided that my next day off would be spent entirely by reading in my window. Finished in a single (despite have to get up and walk about to cool down from the especially spicy scenes) sitting and it was well worth it. I think if I had read this author’s first project, I would have expected the plot better (given I read the excerpt at the end of the book) however, it was an exciting read both in storyline and smut! I was worried in the beginning that I might find it hard to engage (the language started off a bit bold in my opinion) but today I was SAT. This met so many of my interests: obsession over poetry, rivalry/enemies to friends to lovers (god i have loved every girl who bullied me in childhood—I’ll write that down for my therapist), religious imagery, creatures of the night, the romanticization of academia, my WORD. Walking cliché much? I shut this book loudly & proudly at 1 in the morning and now I will be retiring for the evening. God bless lesbianism, amen <3

Content Warnings

exhumedprince's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sapphic poetry? Kinky vampire parties?? Excellent, stellar, perfect. I love Carmilla, and this is a very interesting and creative retelling. Some parts of the climax and resolution, I didn't like. Also, I know she's not a main character in the story, but I loved Elenore and wished there was more of her.

Content Warnings

torismazarine's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

More...