This book started out very slow. The characters felt like flat caricatures of themselves, the setting felt unoriginal, and the atmosphere did not life up to the source material. It definitely picked up around the middle, but I was still expecting more. I enjoyed reading this book but wouldn’t read it again.

Macabre, sensual and bloody; those are the three words I would use to describe An Education in Malice. It’s a retelling of the OG lesbian vampire novel, Carmilla by J Sheridan Le Fanu, a cult classic that spawned the vampire genre and lesbian/vampire associations.
The book takes place in the late 60s, at an all girls boarding school. Laura is determined to impress her poetry professor, and by doing so makes enemies of a girl named Carmilla. Only it’s not exactly hatred she has for Carmilla if you get my meaning.
I absolutely adored the way S.T Gibson wrote Laura and Carmella’s relationship. She got the obsession, the repulsion, the back and forth of the original Carmilla and Laura to a tee. The added component of the professor De Lafontaine only increased the levels of crazed obsession in both of them. What I found interesting about this book and it’s plot is that it managed to be a retelling in a fresh and new way that had me unsure of how it would end! There’s nothing worse than a retelling that basically copies and pastes the original story just with slightly differences. This book was near perfect except for one major flaw. I was disappointed in the spice. There’s only two spicy sapphic scenes and the first one is preluded by a straight scene, where Carmilla gets with a guy and a girl in front of Laura, and Laura isn’t bothered by her being with the guy but with the girl. IMO this did not need to be there and bothered me. There’s also a scene where they’re at a party and Carmilla is all about Laura until she sees a guy she thinks is cute and forgets all about Laura to go make out with him and then is surprised that Laura is mad about it. And maybe this was just me, but it was strange to me that Carmilla wasn’t a lesbian. She reads as a lesbian in the original book, and in other adaptations she is also a lesbian. I would argue that her being a lesbian is very important to her character. It’s frustrating to me when people change a lesbian character's sexuality to suit them. This happens a lot in fandom spaces and I’ve just had about enough of it. My only other gripe is that I wish that the ending had been a little more drawn out. An epilogue set 50 years down the road or something would’ve been good! Despite those things, I did love this book! It was beautifully written and the dark academia vibes were just right. Definitely recommend it if you love Carmilla, lesbians, vampires, dark academia and the macabre! 5/5 stars.

Thank you to @netgalley and @orbitbooks_us for the opportunity to read this arc for my honest review.

An Education in Malice is a retelling of the novella Carmilla, written in the late 1800s. It follows Laura and Carmilla, two rival students at a New England all girls college studying poetry. Both vy for the attention of their college poetry professor, Evelyn de La Fontaine. They soon realize their professor has a dark secret and their curiosity and adoration for her lead them down an unexpected path.

A sapphic love story embedded in dark academia with gothic undertones pervade the entirety of this story. S.T. Gibson is a new author to me and I will be coming back again and again to anything she writes. Her beautifully atmospheric prose adorned every page. Every turn of phrase felt decadent in this like sultry yet understated way. I was taken with each word that somehow evoked the darkness of this world while also showcasing the newness in self discovery. It was sexy, eerie and gothic...such a mood.

When I first heard of this I thought, a dark academia retelling of Carmilla!? Sign me up! This book was way different than I was anticipating though, and perhaps that's my own fault. It was a little racy for my taste but the gothic themes and atmosphere were amazing

The idea for the story is good but I really didn't like the execution. I had two main problems: the insta-love between Carmilla and Laura and the lackluster characters.

I got to know the character of Carmilla through the Youtube series Carmilla and I really liked her; I liked her even more when I watched Castlevania. So I was excited to see a version of her before her transformation. But she was so one dimensional and just a boring chraracter. In Laura's PoV she was just this prize, this perfect object to be lusted after. In her own PoV she was just so uninteresting even after a big event that happens to her. That was the other thing. This version of her has no agency; everything happens to her because people get obsessed with her. The only time that she acts for herself is before the beginning of the book so we don't even see it. Laura is defined by her obsession with Carmilla from the beginning (literally, when she first sees Carmilla) and we get told several times that she is a "good girl" (in the book's own words). But we never see her in this role. So we are supposed to follow her going in to a more gray world. But we never saw the difference, the transition.

The plot is pretty much non-existent. Every big event, every revelation is met with a shrug. So, whhy sould I care?! And, boy, do I hate these pseudo philosophical conversations about love and life. It sounds so contrite to me.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 45%.
The writing style is very basic especially for a book that’s marketed as dark academia about poets at a university. I found the chemistry between the characters to be lacking which made the development of their relationship boring. The vampire aspects are weirdly casual and it just makes no sense in context when laura finds out about it overall did not enjoy and decided to dnf.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is a dark academia fantasy adult novel loosely based on Camilla.

Camilla and Laura's relationship was really intriguing, and I was really invested in them from the start. Gibson is such an atmospheric writer, and I really enjoyed the moody vibes of this book. However, I didn't really get why Laura was so interested in the professor.

Overall this was an engaging adult romance.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Orbit Publishers for the Kindle ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hidden in the hills of Massachusetts is Saint Perpetua's College, an all girls school that is secluded and has been around for many, many years. Freshman, Laura, catches the eye of her poetry professor and the professors number one student, Carmilla, who is a senior. Ms. De LaFontaine is a strange character also. Laura and Carmilla are rivals for the attention of their poetry professor, but they also have an underlying attraction to each other.

I would call this a dark academia story. We have multiple points of view and a rivals to lovers trope. The author does a phenomenal job with the setting and the characters in my opinion. There is obsession between the professor and the two young ladies (Carmilla & Laura) that are her prize students.

This is a book that is hard to put down as it will keep you on the edge of your seat. I left out some spooky surprises because I don't want to spoil the book for anyone!

The book takes place in the late 60's and the only thing that felt wrong in the book is when the author refers to a house phone as the "landline", a term I don't recall being used until after we had cell phones.

3.5 stars!

No one is more sad than me that this was not a 5 star. A Dowry of Blood is one of my favorite books of all time, and so when I heard S.T. Gibson was writing a sapphic Carmilla retelling I was instantly excited. Then add on the fact that this was published by Orbit, one of my favorite publishers, instant add to cart. In fact when I got the email that I had been approved for the ARC I almost fell over because of how excited I was. Starting with what went right, I think An Education in Malice continues to have S.T. Gibson's signature poetic writing. There were multiple quotes in this book that I highlighted because they simply were so beautiful. Additionally, this book was definitely readable and had a fast pace. I read this entire book in practically one sitting because of how invested I was in what was happening.

I think where it failed me is that it was definitely mostly vibes and not much plot. I felt like the main character Laura was fully just an archetype and not actually a character. We were told she cared a lot about religion and her faith, but never really got to see it. She said she was bossy, a little abrasive, and didn't have many friends but there was not much of a foundation for that. Carmilla, similarly, is also an archetype. Even tho in the original classic Carmilla, she is also not super fleshed out as the whole book is under 200 pages, I felt like I had a better idea of who that Carmilla was than the Carmilla in an Education in Malice. This book was also pitched as a academic rivals to lovers story and though I appreciated the sapphic representation, I didn't really feel the academic rival tension I wanted nor did I understand why they actually came to love each other besides proximity. Finally, the main conflicts that the characters experienced felt resolved extremely quickly and although everything was supposedly high stakes it certainly didn't feel that way.

Even though I was a little disappointed, I know that S.T. Gibson has another 5 star out there for me, and I'm still very much anticipating Evocation later on this month!

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.]

Dark academia and vampirism -- in this case, an updated riff on Carmilla -- combine in this lush exploration of love and blood at a New England women's college circa 1968. Compressed into one fall semester, the plot manages to blend artistic ambition, obsessive romance, serial murder, and a spectacularly inappropriate professor/student relationship (hint: fangs are involved) into an entertainment that keeps pages turning or clicking.

How well this approach works otherwise depends on the reader's taste for erotic description, or possibly said reader's preference for romance vs. vampiric worldbuilding. I'm a fan of both well-written vampire fiction and dark academia, but not so much explicit material. S.T. Gibson's prose is elegant, if slightly florid in an traditionally Gothic way. Her approach to dark academia, however, left me wondering if anyone was making it to class after the first half of the novel. Though there was that drained body found in the quad . . .

I suspect that I'm simply not the right reader for a novel like this, which would probably rate at least four stars from its intended audience. Gibson has created a perfectly stylish box of blood-dark chocolates for long winter evenings. I'd just prefer to curl up with something a bit more varied, or perhaps harder-edged.

As always, Gibson's pose is stunning. 20-45% was a bit slow, but I didn't even mind as the writing was so lush I enjoyed every moment.

This was like a slow burn chill sapphic vampire retelling. I enjoyed the plot, it didn’t feel super high stakes or tension filled. It was really enjoyable to read. I enjoyed both main characters although the rivals to lovers was a little instantaneous. Writing was beautiful.

Thank you to Redhook Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. If you see the name Carmilla, you know you are in for a vampire novel. In line with her previous work, A Dowry of Blood, we have a retelling of a vampire classic but with well executed changes. Content warnings for this were appreciated and should be checked before diving deep. I am not a fan of horror at all but this I can do and enjoy. The relationship between Laura. Carmilla and De Lafontaine felt real and extremely problematic for the teacher/student relationship which played well with the theme of the novel. This may be more of a niche read but a rewarding one. 3.75 stars.

Wow. This is a deliciously, dark and addictive read. I devoured it in 4 sittings. Dark academia, poetry, rivals to lovers, sapphic romance, vampires, murder/mystery, obsessive love interest between professor and student. Literally SO much packed into this book and I honestly wish it was longer! We have two students, Laura and Carmilla. Laura aims to prove her writing and poetry is perfect and when she impresses Professor De Lafontaine, jealousy erupts from Carmilla. Tension grows very quickly. There is so much depth and character development from each of them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading from both Laura and Carmilla’s POV and their thoughts throughout with everything that happens, the secrets that unfold. The obsessions and the jealousy. The academic rivalry blossoms into something incredible. The writing is incredibly addictive and I really couldn’t stop turning the pages. It really has a dark, gothic and eerie setting and I just absolutely loved it! Very much a satisfying read that I was so invested in

I received a review copy from RedHook Books, I am leaving this review voluntarily. My physical copy has arrived and looks perfect on my shelf.

Slow paced, academic rivals to lovers, with vampires, what more could I ask for? Poetry? Got it. Sapphic? Got it. Gorgeous descriptions of gothic revival architecture? Got it. A story featuring descriptions of obsession, love, and the lengths one might go? Check, check, and check.

This is a Carmilla retelling featuring an appearance from a character from A Dowry of Blood (S.T. Gibson's debut book), that features Laura - a good southern girl who wants to be a pastor that has enrolled at Saint Perpetua's Women's College for the fall semester of 1968 and immediately falls into an obsession with fellow classmate, Carmilla Karnstein, the darling of Ms. De Lafontaine's advanced poetry seminar. The relationship of Carmilla and De Lafontaine has it's own obsessive issues and when Carmilla becomes equally obsessed with Laura, the little triangle becomes a much bigger problem.

This book is poetic in its prose, filled with beautiful language and descriptive emotions.

This is a story about obsessions, sin, love (both toxic and healthy), vampires, belief, and choices.

If Drusilla was your favorite vampire in Buffy, and if you loved the atmosphere of Ninth House and Hell Bent, and want sapphic academic rivals to lovers, then this book is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and Redhook books for this ARC!

This was my most anticipated book of this year and I was not disappointed. The prose and tone of this book is just exquisite. The atmosphere S.T. Gibson creates in their books is unparalleled. I absolutely loved the main characters Laura and Carmilla. They are the true rivals to lovers relationship I adore them. This book is going to be a top contender for my favorite books of this year.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson published by Redhook books. I read A Dowry of Blood by this author last year and fell in love with her writing. I loved that book and the characters. I adored the writing and the characters in this book even more. The characters are so fleshed out they feel like real people and I felt like I lost my friends when I finished the book. The plot was good and I was never bored. The descriptions in the book were spot on because I could picture everything vividly. I work at an apartment building as a cleaner and I kept sneaking to read this book because I couldn’t stop reading. I will read everything this author publishes. This book is 5 stars! (Same as A Dowry of Blood)

Hello!
This book is fantastic. I went in knowing very little of what the book was about; I was shocked, enthralled, engaged, expectant, and eager to find out what was next. This is a beautifully written sapphic historical fiction with a twist!

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Gibson for giving me the chance to give and honest opinion about "An Education in Malice." Having read Ms Gibson's book "Dowry of Blood," I was familiar with her style of writing. Ms.Gibson pours a lot of her writing into character development. The reader truly understands the personality of the character and their relationship with other characters. It reminds me of classical literature and many readers will appreciate being drawn into the character's mindset. Ms.Gibson also gives very descriptive intimate scenes, which some will love and some might be put off, hence the warnings she provides in the beginnings of all her books. I felt that this book was a slow burn and the excitement really doesn't start till you are eighty-percent through with the novel. It is not fast paced. How much the reader will enjoy this book really depends upon the their preference in writing style, rather than the quality of the writing.

When I first started reading this book I felt like I was transported back in time to a pretentious Ivy League school. I could smell the crisp New England autumn air, I could see the snobby college girls with their noses turned up at me for being beneath them.

An Education in Malice was written so beautifully, each chapter dripping with gothic-esque melancholy. I devoured the ending of this, I was so enraptured by these characters and this atmosphere. A Carmilla retelling that brought such a vibrant life and death to a famous character.

This book is for people who love books with:
•Sapphic rep •Dark Academia •Lyrical Prose •Themes of life and death•

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an early review copy!*