2.5 rounded up.

Thank you Netgalley and Redhook for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Let me start by saying: Retellings are HARD, and while I loved A Dowry of Blood, this one just fell flat for me. Gibson's rich prose and haunting religious imagery were highlights, and the dark academia setting was wonderfully atmospheric.

I just couldn't connect to the characters and their relationships. Their developments felt rushed and I wish there was more depth and buildup to fully appreciate the obsessive desire the story aimed to portray.

Despite what I didn't love about this book, I still admire Gibson's writing and I know others will love this book!

This book has everything...dark academia, horror elements, romance, lgbtq+ storylines. It's dark, delicious, and romanticly eerie.

Thank you Redhook for for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Receiving an advanced gifted book copy does not impact or influence my review in any way.

2/2.5 rounded up to 3

There’s no denying that S.T. Gibson is an exceptional writer. After falling in love with their work in A Dowry of Blood, I was excited to dive into this dark academia book. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit the mark for me. I still have to praise Gibson’s incredible writing, which is why I can't rate this lower, but the story itself feels like a 1-2 star read for me.

I expected heavier themes of academia and a clear purpose behind the character's twists and turns. By the end, though, the plot and character choices felt flat and purposeless. I couldn’t grasp why the characters had such unhealthy obsessions and attachments, nor why all the predictable paths concluded the way they did. Our main characters had little to no development, and the obstacles placed in front of all characters felt pointless by the end.

I wondered if I was the only one, but a fellow Gibson lover and I chatted, and we both felt the lack within the story. As usual, I try to chat about the book out loud if I’m not enjoying it and get more opinions to see if I’m missing something. I also felt like many scenes were just added into the book, without a real need for them; and scenes I wish were included to continue the world building and plot the author created, were missing. Bummer.

I was excited to see that An Education in Malice takes place in the same world as *A Dowry of Blood*. If it weren’t for that connection, my rating might be even lower. I’m all for exploring obsession and unhealthy dynamics in books, and Gibson has portrayed these brilliantly in her other works. But this book lacked coherence and purpose, and I didn’t find any of the characters enjoyable (which is fine, but not when the storyline is also lacking).

I look forward to reading more by Gibson and seeing the world they’ve created unfold. I hope their next stories feature hard-hitting themes, purposeful plotlines, and well-developed characters.

I did not anticipate this book to take the supernatural twist it took by the description alone. I knew I was in for dark academia, and queer love. The vampiric layer was unexpected, but I ended up enjoy it.

I felt like the characters stayed a little too surface level for my taste, due to the level of obsession each displays to their sire and companions. They are blinded by love, and in a strange triangle-turned-square by the end. I never like love triangles, and jealousy gets tedious to read. I liked the rivalry, and was a bit sad to see that part fade as well as all the academic mentioning too. School just disappears in the second half, which I found so disappointing. Having to navigate normalcy would have made each girls narrative more interesting and realistic than just hiding out in a professors apartment.

The pace of the book unfolded slowly at the start, but shifts at the halfway point. It speeds up, and rushes through to the end, which was in my opinion anticlimactic. Isis is also not the best name due to political tarnishing and violence. It felt awkward for me to see it in a book. I know it's a Egyptian goddess name, but it just didn't work for me.

“I was desperate to know what she looked like on her knees."

Sapphic vampires, academic rivals, poetry, dark academia, jealousy, desire, and obsession. Genuinely what else could one ask for?

My only complaint is small and its that I have never been a huge fan of vague endings. Literally spell it out for me.

I will be honest, I hadn't read more than a short description of this novel when I requested it. Holy smokes am I glad I went in blind. Every turn of the page went in a completely different direction than I was expecting. I knew to expect Sapphic overtones in a dark academia setting, what I didn't expect was the depravity of academia and mentorship that runs rampant in this novel. I mean that in only the best way possible, think The Secret History by Donna Tartt (minus the incest...), anyways, Gibson surrounds us with poetic prose and a deep longing for everything to be OKAY. This is a truly amazing example of fantasy Dark Academia. I cannot wait to reread with a physical copy. I will also be convincing every single person I know to read this book

Thanks to Netgalley and Redhook Books for this copy in exchange for my review.

Retellings are always kind of hit or miss for me, but this was very much a hit. The story of Carmilla is one I've fallen in love with in recent years and Gibson does the original justice with their rendition. The emotion crackles off the page and Gibson's voice is extremely vivid. There are dark topics in here, so heed the tag warnings at the beginning of the book. But nothing is too lurid or over the top. Everything is handled well and weaves a story of love and how it can both set one free and trap you within its clutches.

Great job all around.

This book was securely good. It had good lesbian representation, intense spice, and vampirism. But it lacked that edge to make it great for me. In the end, the relationship between Carmilla and Ms. D isn’t at a resolution point and I feel like it would have played out different realistically. We are introduced to characters and elements from the academic sphere but they are never fully fleshed out, I feel like Eleanor would totally have had an intervention with Laura over her new nocturnal patterns. I just feel like there would have been a lot more external conflict in reality but it felt like our main three protagonists were living in an impenetrable bubble of delusion and vampirism with no real consequences. I wish this had leaned more into the thriller aspects which it could have really rocked but it felt like there were blinders on our narrators. It was a really good, focused study on a small southern girl moving up into academia, her identity, and her power but lacks a lot of amazing content that could exist beyond Laura. But, Gibson’s prose is stunning and I am excited to pick up another one of her books.

I am an huge fan of retellings, and overall i found this book to be decent. At some points I found. the pacing to be at the times slow. For me I found this book to be quite disappointing. There wasnt anything about the characters that stood out to me.

I was captivated by "A Dowry of Blood" with its captivating prose and hauntingly melancholic atmosphere. Coupled with its dark academia backdrop, the anticipation for a sequel in the series was palpable.

"An Education in Malice" delivers a gothic dark academia experience intertwined with elements of enemies-to-lovers dynamics and a reimagination of Carmilla. While the writing style may not exude the same poetic brilliance as its predecessor, S.T. Gibson maintains an evocative and lush narrative tone. The tension and obsession are palpable yet intricately layered.

The characters are distinct and compelling. Laura, portrayed as a timid and reserved young woman, finds herself at Saint Perpetua's College where she encounters her rival, the enchanting yet insecure prodigy, Carmilla. Their rivalry extends beyond academic pursuits, vying not only for the title of the best poet but also for the affection of their professor, Miss De Lafontaine. What begins as a simple competition evolves into something far more complex.

Narrated from two distinct perspectives, the story unfolds at an even pace, keeping the reader thoroughly engaged. The attention to detail regarding the fashion and makeup of the era adds depth to the setting.

The rivalry between the two young poets transcends mere academic competition, delving into themes of love and desire, rendering the narrative all the more compelling. S.T. Gibson adeptly intertwines the refined world of art and culture with primal emotions of longing and affection, all while exploring relevant thematic elements. It's a masterful blend.

The sensual prose and exploration of manipulation continue to be prominent themes throughout the series, which I found particularly appealing. While the ending may have been somewhat dramatic, it felt fitting within the context of the story. I eagerly anticipate the forthcoming installments in the series!

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley as well as S.T. Gibson for this ARC! This was a beautiful retelling of Carmilla, I loved dowry of blood and although I know from some reviews I’ve read that they were not enjoying the formatting however I feel the opposite. The writing although traditional formatting was still poetic and lovely. I was a bit confused on De Lafontaine and Carmilla’s relationship at first but then I saw it for what it was.

An Education in Malice was made for me. This book is full of angst, pinning, dark elements,and so much more that just consume you as the reader. This book is the perfect dark academia retelling of Carmilla and is perfect for those who are fans of the original text or even for people who haven’t read it before.

4.5

S.T. Gibson excels at drawing readers into an atmosphere of emotion. Almost immediately, we enter into a storm of anger, jealousy, competition, love, desire, and betrayal. Each character is intricately complex, with an added layer of depth as they are often vexed and conflicted over their own emotions and motivations.

The sapphic romance between Laura and Carmilla was saturated with delicious melodrama, pining, hurt, and reconciliation.

Ms. De Lefontaine appeared at first to me to be an outright villain, with her manipulations and possessiveness. But her character was artfully complicated throughout the book, such that my own ambivalence toward her by the end matched that of the two young women’s.

I felt there could have been more embellishment to the atmosphere of a dark academic setting, that would make me feel located in the world. As it was, the relationship dynamics were heavily prioritized (which I personally love), but some readers may want more out of the setting than what was described.

I do wish that we explored the contrast between De Lafontaine’s pedagogy of maintaining predator and prey roles, against the dominant human and submissive vampire sexual dynamics between Laura and Carmilla. The narrative was ripe for that exploration, but it ultimately wasn’t as fleshed out as I would have liked.

I was disappointed in the writing style and pacing of this book and unfortunately dnfed at 28 percent. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

An Education in Malice is S.T Gibson's companion novel to A Dowry in Blood. Here, we have a retelling of Carmilla, a sapphic vampire story that predates Dracula but is set in the backdrop of a dark academic novel. Immediately, we start off with Gibson's known prose, their luscious atmosphere writing. While every sentence is crafted to be poetry, it does start to get lost in the weeds. We're introduced to our trio of sapphic vampires, entwined with each other in messy, student-teacher relationships and rivals to lovers, however, each character seems to have the same perspective and POV. The book promises dark with some of its taboo content, but it never fully immerses itself into the messiness of it all. The stakes are never high and we never really seemed to have the necessary tension to propel the story and the character developments further.

An Education in Malice follows the lives of Carmilla and Laura at Saint Perpetua’s college. Laura arrives for her freshman years and meets the mysterious Carmilla, a fellow student in the poetry class led by the demanding Professor De Lafontaine. Tensions rise as they both are vying for the attention of the professor. Where will their rivalry led and what secrets could change their worlds completely upside down. I highly recommend this novel. I read A Dowry of Blood and feel in love with Gibson’s writing style. Every chapter dragged me further down into the mystery set forth in the fascinating read. If you are a fan of dark academia this the novel for you. I look forward to reading more by S.T. Gibson.

Carmilla is my favorite book of all time, so I went into this with high expectations. I'm not really sure how I feel about it right now as I need a re-read to really dissect it. I'll give it a 4 stars for now because I did enjoy it and feel like another reading will make me love it.

The atmosphere of this book was incredible but there was something that felt really lacking - like it was style over substance. There was a lot from the plot that I felt could have been more fleshed out, and so the target audience for this is probably more those looking for a "vibey" book than a big story.

3.5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC, my opinions are my own. Another great story by ST Gibson! I'm already a huge fan of Carmilla retellings and this was so good! The atmosphere of 1960's Massachusetts was so nice! It didn't seem disingenuous in any way! I would almost feel this was written during that time! This was such a fun read all the way around. I fully enjoyed the tension and the mystery of how things would play out. This has become a book I think about very often. I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves vampires, sapphic stories, and sapphic vampires to be specific. I can not wait for their next book now!

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!

Do you like: Dark academia? Lesbians? Vampiric debauchery?

An enticing mixture of the gothic and erotic, An Education in Malice breathes new life—a second life, if you will—into the subgenre of dark academia and the classic vampire tale. Heavily inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, the novel explores the carnal nature of vampirism as well as the blooming complexities of desire, devotion, and love.

Set against the backdrop of Saint Perpetua’s College in Massachusetts, the novel follows two protagonists—Laura and Carmilla—who find themselves thrown together under the wing of their elusive poetry professor, De Lafontaine. While they begin as rivals, they are quickly pulled inexorably into the orbit of De Lafontaine’s world of dark obsession and ancient, bloody secrets.

The writing style begins with a more pragmatic, diaristic tone and transforms into an obsessive interior focus as Laura and Camilla descend into the depths of their audacious desire and devotion to each other. Combined with lush prose, S.T. Gibson crafts a pulse-pounding, atmospheric novel in its setting and characters that pulls you in for it to sink its teeth into you. While it is more immersive vibes than cohesive plot, that doesn’t necessarily make it a bad piece of fiction and I still enjoyed the story.

Perfect for fans of Carmilla and The Secret History, An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is brimming with intrigue and insatiable hungers. This book is the incarnation of the vivid imagery of Florence and the Machine’s discography mixed with the unabashed raunchiness of Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.