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adancewithbooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
2.75
Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
An Education in Malice has a promising setting and plot but lacks in the actual execution.
The idea of a dark academia set in an all girls school in the 1960's was a really interesting idea. There were a lot of great ways that could have gone. Unfortunately the author didn't take it that way.
I think where this book lacked were the characters and the overal vibe. The writing itself was decent enough but it never carried over any atmosphere. It stopped be from being drawn in to the story. The addition of the vampires was very underwhelming. The threat of a vampire felt like absolutely nothing throughout.
It didn't help that I didn't care about our characters which is not helpful in a character driven story. There was a little bit of our characters here and there but I didn't feel like I was getting to know anything about them before they came to the school. I felt like I was missing a whole chunk of them. Their before lives didn't go away the moment they entered the school. The worst was that this was even thrown into one of the characters faces when barely any of that pre-history was shared with us.
Their whole rivalry and romance was an obsession, and the author seemed to forget that maybe there was more at the school than just a writing class. I get that the obsession was the whole point but it could have been a more well rounded story.
It was a decent read but not memorable in anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
inappropiate relatinship between student and teacherteacofe's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mariesacat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
lauel's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
clrouse's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, and Alcohol
Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
griffl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ARC Review
A really well written and provocative story.
Laura leaves her Southern home behind for college at Saint Perpetua’s in Massachusetts and is quickly thrust into a deep academic rivalry which changes her life.
The story mainly revolves around Laura’s poetry studies and because of this features lots of beautiful prose.
I really enjoyed the darker elements of the story and the strong character development. I would love to have attended the epic Halloween party described!
A faster pace would have seen it getting 5 stars.
Themes/tropes: Rivals to lovers, vampires, dark academia, sapphic romance, coming of age
2/5 🌶️ rating
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
A really well written and provocative story.
Laura leaves her Southern home behind for college at Saint Perpetua’s in Massachusetts and is quickly thrust into a deep academic rivalry which changes her life.
The story mainly revolves around Laura’s poetry studies and because of this features lots of beautiful prose.
I really enjoyed the darker elements of the story and the strong character development. I would love to have attended the epic Halloween party described!
A faster pace would have seen it getting 5 stars.
Themes/tropes: Rivals to lovers, vampires, dark academia, sapphic romance, coming of age
2/5 🌶️ rating
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
kl_books's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.75
staceyallen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kelseydaffodil's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
this book was so beautifully written and i thoroughly enjoyed it.
the vampire lore was different to other vampire books and shows i have consumed which i really enjoyed. i love when people extend the vampire universe and think of different ways vampires can exist in media. obviously, sapphic enemies and rivals to lovers was perfect. the way s.t gibson writes is always so beautiful.
i did, though, at times, feel like i was crawling through it. i'm still unsure about ms de lafontaine being the only vampire presence for half of the book. i also thought that the rivals to lovers dissolved far too quickly after carmilla was changed. there was a good amount of laura lusting after carmilla before their relationship, but i felt there was a lack of arguments or just anything else that would make their relationship more rivals/enemies to lovers. it just kinda went, they hate each other, mostly carmilla hating laura, carmilla drinks laura's blood, carmilla suddenly doesnt hate her at all.
i feel there was too much going on in the book at times. enemies to lovers, religious trauma/guilt, carmilla's obsession with ms de lafontaine, ms de lafontaine's ex lover, dark academia, murder. it felt like a lot got lost. especially things like how isis would paint the toenails of the girls she murdered, what was the significance ? it was never developed and i found it to be an interesting tell of isis being the murderer.
i rate this book 4/5 stars because though i have quite a lot of qualms with it, i still absolutely loved this book. s.t gibson is certainly up there with my favourite authors, but i did enjoy a dowry of blood more.
the vampire lore was different to other vampire books and shows i have consumed which i really enjoyed. i love when people extend the vampire universe and think of different ways vampires can exist in media. obviously, sapphic enemies and rivals to lovers was perfect. the way s.t gibson writes is always so beautiful.
i did, though, at times, feel like i was crawling through it. i'm still unsure about ms de lafontaine being the only vampire presence for half of the book. i also thought that the rivals to lovers dissolved far too quickly after carmilla was changed. there was a good amount of laura lusting after carmilla before their relationship, but i felt there was a lack of arguments or just anything else that would make their relationship more rivals/enemies to lovers. it just kinda went, they hate each other, mostly carmilla hating laura, carmilla drinks laura's blood, carmilla suddenly doesnt hate her at all.
i feel there was too much going on in the book at times. enemies to lovers, religious trauma/guilt, carmilla's obsession with ms de lafontaine, ms de lafontaine's ex lover, dark academia, murder. it felt like a lot got lost. especially things like how isis would paint the toenails of the girls she murdered, what was the significance ? it was never developed and i found it to be an interesting tell of isis being the murderer.
i rate this book 4/5 stars because though i have quite a lot of qualms with it, i still absolutely loved this book. s.t gibson is certainly up there with my favourite authors, but i did enjoy a dowry of blood more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Gore, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Alcohol
Minor: Adult/minor relationship