I love ST Gibson's writing style. It is so atmospheric and moody. I didnt realize this was Carmilla retelling. I love vampires. I love when ST Gibson writes about vampires.

I absolutely loved this book; the main characters are extremely well-fleshed out, and the entire school setting and the atmosphere of their writing class felt very realistic and immersive. There was a main focus on romance of course, and the main romantic relationship was developed really well: I love how the two girls started off as rivals trying to fight each other for their professor's attention, and then eased into friendship and eventually romantic feelings and attraction. The supernatural elements of the texts and the vampire world illustrated was really thought-out, and their professor was a really intriguing character I'd love to see more content for. I first thought the ending was almost lacking, but I feel like I've grown to love it the longer I've thought about the book, and I absolutely love the dreamy elements of the ending. Overall, the writing and the characters was phenomenal, and I'm excited to read more of the author's works!

Not for me, but a good read. It came off a bit more telling than showing, but if you can get passed that it wasn't bad.

3.25/5 stars! The cover of this book is stunning and a well-done gothic horror can be great, so I picked up An Education of Malice to read. There was nothing implicitly wrong with the story. It just felt like not enough. The book has dark academia vibes but didn't commit to this fully. It didn't lean into the horror elements either. It left the book feeling quite bland.

I picked this up because I loved A Dowry of Blood and I really wasn't disappointed. I mean honestly what can top sapphic vampire smut? Nothing that's what.

I loved the fact that this was character driven. It just makes me feel more connected to the characters and more involved in the story. I always say I'm nosey because I like to know what everyone is doing, thinking, saying, etc.

Honestly I would read S, T. Gibson's grocery lists at this point.

I hate that it took me so long to read An Education in Malice, given how quickly I flew through A Dowry of Blood, but ultimately I’m glad that I waited until I was in the right headspace to appreciate S.T. Gibsons signature gothic style.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that the flow of the plot and the imagery throughout were exceptionally well done. I could easily envision myself socializing amongst the girls on the quad, hustling to class, or frantically studying for finals in the depths of the library. Setting the scene is definitely where Gibson excels. The undercurrent of anticipation as the true nature of De Lafontaines world was revealed made in increasing difficult to stop reading. I think this would have easily been a 5⭐️ read if I had managed to develop a deeper connection to the characters. There were pivotal scenes where Laura and Carmella’s actions set in motion the events and emotions for the rest of the book, but I felt like their inner thoughts were glossed over rather than examined, nudging my experience of those scenes to a bystander, rather than drawing me into their fold and creating a true connection.
I thought the last line of the book was a very nice touch. I appreciated the symbolism of the Sun given that the characters were initially drawn together by their love and appreciation of poetry. I felt that it perfectly summed up the overall theme of the story and was such a satisfying way to leave Laura’s character.

I struggled with this one quite a bit. It’s not because it wasn’t a good book, I think St. Gibsons writing is very beautiful and she makes the themes of her books very clear without it being too obvious. That being said I found this book very slow and I wasn’t invested enough in the story to want to keep picking the book up.

I think that if I was more knowledgeable about the story of Carmilla I would have enjoyed this more, but since I know very little I didn’t really care about the characters. I found the characters unlikeable which is clearly purposeful and well done but it bothered me!

I think this book is well written, it's atmospheric and does a good job portraying relationships particularly love in a very complex way. You are able to realize the manipulation that is occurring between De Lafontaine and her prodigies, Laura and Carmilla while also understanding why also being able to tell De Lafontaine does actually care for them in her own way. St. Gibson does a great job at writing stories about complex and problematic relationships.

I think that many people, especially fans of Carmilla, will love this book but unfortunately, It was not for me.

I wanted to like this a lot more than I ultimately did; the dynamic between Carmilla and Laura was so much more satisfying when they were combative rivals, and sort of flagged once they weren't anymore. Not to mention, their respective connections to De Lafontaine were also more interesting at the beginning...and then they started just to feel trite. I don't know, there was just something missing here for me, and the conflict certainly reached too tidy a conclusion after so much dragging in the first two hundred pages. It wasn't the worst thing I've ever read, but ultimately, was just a mediocre vampire story, not the dark academia piece I thought I was going to get. (For dark academia, I'm going to go with Leigh Bardugo's "Ninth House" series instead.)

Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. Not sure if it was the genre as it isn't my typical read or the plot but I was disappointed.

This is the much anticipated follow up to Gibson's A Dowry of Blood. I was a huge fan of that book, so I was really looking forward to this one, and for the most part I had a very good time. I think to directly compare it to Dowry is to do it a disservice. It is much more forward with the sapphic elements than the previous book and she "goes there" but it is not over the top. There were times where it felt like it started to drag a bit from a pacing perspective but it evened out as the story progressed. Its a story about power dynamics as well as love and I would absolutely recommend it.

There wasn't quite enough for me to love this, and the relationship between the teacher and students gave me the ick. That's really just a me thing, but I won't recommend it for that reason unless someone is looking for an age gap or dark vampires.

This book was dark and oh so delicious. I love a good retelling and was very excited to read a Carmilla retelling. I loved the plot as well as the characters and can’t wait to see what the author does next.

An Education in Malice is a true Dark Academia book of desires and wants, and the deep dark (in this case bloody) depths we'll go to for the sake of furthering our knowledge.

Laura and Carmilla are academic rivals, forced into competition by the elusive and mysterious professor De Lefontaine, but what Laura doesn't realize is that she will be competing for more than top poem when it comes to the professor.

Chasing the dark clues Carmilla leaves sprinkled behind, Laura learns she has an insatiable appetite, and that there is a lot she will overlook when it comes to feeding it.

Bloody, mysterious, seductive, An Education in Malice was a poetic Dark Academica book that I fully enjoyed for both story and character but-- I did not ready the raved about A Dowry of Blood and so I had no standards to be let down from. Judging this book solely for the writing and experience of this book alone, it was wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an advanced e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 22%. I just couldn't get into this book. Laura & Carmilla just came off as whinny to me & a bit psychotic. I'm not sure why authors always portray quiet inexperienced girls in their writings as constantly thinking about sex & how attractive they find someone & being obsessed over the object of their desires. I'm honestly tired of reading that. Not all quiet, inexperienced people constantly think about that.

I wanted to love this book so much and I did like some of it, but it was overall a miss for me. I was sooo ready for a sapphic, dark academia vampire story. While it delivered on that, the pacing was so incredibly slow. It made it hard to want to pick up the book. I thought the main characters were a bit insufferable but honestly since I didn't like any of them it made for a different reading experience. I also didn't like the two different POVs - it's usually something I love but it didn't quite work here. I still plan to read A dowry of blood by the same author and I definitely think this book has its audience!

I was so excited for this book as A Dowry of Blood is probably my favorite book of all time. And a sapphic dark academia fantasy book sounds right up my alley. I overall enjoyed it but I felt that the characters were not as engaging as I was hoping. I cared more about the plot than I did them and that's usually the opposite of how I engage. IT was still very good but I think my expectations were just a bit too high.

Note: I'm realizing I accidentally forgot to submit feedback on this title so I'm doing this quite late in the game!

Long story short, I have yet to read a book I didn't love from S.T. Gibson. She's such a powerhouse writer and has a real knack for letting readers learn about her characters in intriguing bits and pieces throughout the plot of a novel that I simply can't get enough of. I also featured An Education in Malice in my LGBT+ Book Club last spring and the club had such a lively discussion; a fun time all around!

CAMILLAAAAAA MY BELOVED. Was automatically in when I saw that this was a Camilla retelling - and then to see that it is also dark academia?! count me in.

I will never get over ST Gibson’s prose. Her characters and the immersive world of dark academia was *chef’s kiss* spectacular. While it was a liiiiitle more gory than I would have liked, I still would 100% recommend this book. Lovers of dark academia, strong character development with motivations you believe in, and lush prose will love this book.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is a hauntingly atmospheric novel that masterfully combines elements of dark academia, gothic romance, and psychological thriller. Set in the prestigious Saint Perpetua's College, the novel follows Laura, a brilliant but isolated student, and Carmilla, a mysterious and fiercely ambitious peer. The story weaves their intense, obsessive relationship with the enigmatic Professor West, whose unspoken power over the students lies at the heart of the tension.

The prose in An Education in Malice is rich and immersive, capturing the gothic ambiance of the academic world. Gibson does an excellent job of drawing readers into a claustrophobic environment where every whispered conversation and glance between the characters feels loaded with unspoken meanings. The campus itself feels like a character, steeped in history and secrets that unravel gradually throughout the story. There’s a certain beauty in the writing, even when the themes are dark, and that is one of the novel’s strongest elements. The lush, atmospheric setting creates a perfect backdrop for the twisted relationships that evolve.

The character dynamics are where the book truly excels. Laura and Carmilla’s relationship is intense, fraught with tension, obsession, and a dangerous game of power. Both women are complex and multifaceted, driven by their ambitions, desires, and a deep need for validation. The way Gibson explores their psychological unraveling is gripping and unsettling, particularly as they navigate their desires for each other and the professor. While their motivations may be understandable on some level, it’s clear that they are each trapped in their own personal webs, and that creates a fascinating, though sometimes maddening, dynamic.

Professor West, though somewhat of an elusive figure, is a key player in the drama. His presence looms over the story, and his ability to manipulate the students and fuel their ambitions without ever fully revealing himself is an intriguing aspect of the novel. His relationship with both Laura and Carmilla is one of intellectual seduction, where the stakes are not just academic but also personal and emotional. His ambiguous role adds a layer of suspense, as you never quite know whether he’s simply a product of the characters’ projections or if he’s genuinely pulling the strings.

The pacing of the novel is a bit slow at times, especially in the middle. The tension builds gradually, which some readers may find drawn-out, while others will appreciate the slow burn. It’s not an action-packed story but rather one that thrives on psychological depth and the intricacies of character interaction. There are moments when the plot feels repetitive, and it could have benefitted from a bit more forward momentum in terms of action.

However, the themes of obsession, power, and the dark side of academic life are explored in a way that is both captivating and uncomfortable. There’s an eerie sense of inevitability as the characters spiral deeper into their respective fates, driven by both their desires and their fears.

What I appreciated most about An Education in Malice was how it doesn’t just focus on romantic relationships but also examines the toxic nature of academic competition, the dangers of unchecked ambition, and how easily those in positions of power can manipulate those around them. The novel doesn’t offer simple resolutions or happy endings but rather forces readers to confront the complexities of desire, loyalty, and self-destruction.

In conclusion, An Education in Malice is a chilling, atmospheric novel that excels in its character-driven storytelling and dark, seductive atmosphere. It’s not a light read, and it may not appeal to everyone due to its slow pacing and psychological intensity, but for fans of dark academia and gothic fiction, it’s an engrossing, thought-provoking experience. I would rate it 4 stars—while it’s not perfect and at times felt a bit too drawn-out, it’s a powerful, disturbing exploration of obsession and the boundaries of power, love, and ambition.