An Education in Malice is a fantasy horror told in dual-POV, following Laura and Carmilla, two students at an all-girls college. Although initially academic rivals, the relationship between the two quickly morphs into something else entirely, made all the more complicated by their demanding poetry professor who has her own sinister secrets.

The writing in this is sumptuous and it totally delivers as a sexy sapphic slow-burn with an autumnal, gothic setting. And yes - it’s got vampires!

Ultimately, though, this book is All Vibes for me and not much else. I didn’t feel particularly thrilled plot-wise and the characters, while initially interesting, weren’t developed enough for me to create a strong attachment to them.

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the eARC in exchange for my review!

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you NetGalley and Red Hook Boons for sending my an advanced copy of An Education in Malice. I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of the book, it was fun and exciting and had the air of dark academia. Unfortunately the second half just felt like bullet points just getting checked off a to do list. There wasn't really any mystery as to what was going to happen. I did enjoy the end, I felt that it wrapped the story up well and was a very satisfying ending. Maybe this book just wasn't for me. I like the idea of the story and where it went but it could have been a bid more fluid.

Dark academia, lesbians & vampires. What more could you want?

Intoxicating gothic horror retelling of Carmilla. A story about obsession, lust & mortality. From the very first page Gibson paints the story in such a vivid way. You won’t be able to put this novel down.

I mean wow. I am such a huge fan of S.T. Gibson and this book did not disappoint. Gibson's writing is beautiful and puts you in a sense of a trance. This book was fantastic and I can't wait to see what Gibson has in store for us next.

While I enjoyed parts of this book and the writing was great I was just left wanting more. The atmospheric writing was done super well and I really felt the dark academia vibes early on. I think my problems came in where I never really felt connected to either of the characters, and sometimes found myself confused as to which chapter I was reading as the two POV's were too similar at times. The main characters just felt too surface level and I never really felt a connection to them. The themes explored were well done but they also didn't feel very urgent and at their conclusions it just felt ok that happened but it never felt like the characters themselves were affected by the plot or cared really. I am sad about it because there were parts of this book that I really loved and again the writing was so good but when I finished it I just felt disappointed. I think this is a solid book, its not a bad read though it is a bit slow. I think I was just expecting more urgency and more character work than we got. I still recommend this one for the vibes, if you are wanting some fall feels and dark academia its a good fit for that.

Thanks to Negalley and Redhook Books for allowing me access to the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

After completely falling in love with S.T. Gibson's prose in The Dowery of Blood, I eagerly awaited the follow-up and was so lucky to receive access to an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review (thanks NetGalley and Orbit!)

Gibson's lyrical writing and complicated protagonists are absolutely at the front of this lovely Carmilla adaption. Gibson excels at writing complicated characters in complicated relationships and making you really feel what the characters are feeling. There is a sense of dread that mounts as you read but it only feels that way because you are so connected with the inner emotional lives of the characters. Laura and Carmilla were so real to me and I was completely invested in their rivals relationship that eventually turns into more.

Although taking place in the same universe as Dowry, the overlap is slight and you don't have to read Dowry previously (although you totally should). This book takes places years later and a country away, focusing more on academia and an all girls school on the cusp of the sexual revolution in the United States. Laura is a sheltered girl from Mississippi who begins a new school in New England where she eventually runs afoul of the queen bee, Carmilla.

It was an absolute pleasure watching Laura and Carmilla discover themselves under the tutelage of their professor who teeters the line between teacher, mentor and perhaps something more insidious.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this early copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is everything!

This is a dark academia retelling of Carmilla (A lesbian vampire novel that predates Dracula by 25 years). It is sapphic, it is gothic romance, it is academic rivals to lovers, it is paranormal, and it is amazing.

Laura starts at a new school and immediately catches the attention of her poetry professor Ms. De Lafontain. Carmilla starts to get upset about the attention De Lafontain is giving this new student because Carmilla is used to being the favorite and doesn't like sharing the spotlight and attention. De Lafontain thinks Laura will be good healthy competition for Carmilla and decides to bring in Laura to her and Carmilla's private sessions.

The tension in this book is perfect. It is a slow burn and I felt like I was being tortured in the best way possible. I loved the pacing, the story, and these characters. I couldn't put this book down because I just had to find out what happened next.

This book is a quick and easy read with beautiful prose and immaculate vibes. I want everyone to read this book because it is perfection.

The writing in this book is BEAUTIFUL. I haven’t enjoyed a book this much in a long time. Will be an auto buy author from me in the future!

This started out as good, but then by the last third of the book, the plot fizzled out. Everything was so atmospheric. I absolutely loved the back-and-forth between Carmilla and Laura; they were undoubtedly my favorite parts of the book. I even loved how possessive and toxic Professor De Lafontaine was. She was so delicious, even when pitting the girls against each other. I loved the competitions for poetry.

The only thing that was not so amazing was the whole thing with De Lafontaine ex-lover/turner, who was awakened and was killing students. This is where the tension kind of dropped off because we had all this build-up on how cruel and merciless she was, she we barely saw her and she was killed a little too easily for me. This plot line could have used more mystery too.

As a fan of vampires and gothic fantasies who recently read Carmilla, I really enjoyed this book! I'm also a huge fan of ST Gibson now and I just love the way she writes, I find her writing to be so beautiful. I'm unfortunately also one of those people who can get caught up with pretty words and not care if the plot is good or not, though I thought the story was fun and engaging. I know how the original Carmilla ends so I'm kind of glad there is a different ending here because I started to really care about their relationship. I thought the enemies to lovers was done quite well, with the jealousy and competitiveness. Often times I find that enemies to lovers in books really just don't work out because there is no true feeling of enemies... Also a lot of times I don't enjoy first person narrations but with the switching between Laura and Carmilla, I didn't seem to mind!

Laura Sheridan, freshman at St. Perpetua's College, was invited to the exclusive poetry class taught by Professor De LaFontaine for her exemplary work. There, she rivals with Carmilla, a senior who wants nothing more than to be the star of De LaFontaine's classroom. Soon, Laura catches on that there is something more between Carmilla and De LaFontaine when she is invited to their exclusive after-hours poetry session in De LaFontaine's home. What are they hiding? And why does Carmilla hate Laura so much?

Carmilla is one of my all-time favorite books, I read it at least once a year. Seeing that S.T. Gibson wrote a book based on the characters of Carmilla??? I HAD TO READ IT!!

Honestly, it's taken me a while to write this review because I have so many opinions. I am obsessed with the way the atmosphere was written and the dark ambiance combined with the it being the 1960's at an all girl's school. Like I can't get over the 60's retro combined with dark academia poetry school UGHHH. Also, the way Carmilla and Laura are written in this is just so good. Their characters really shine and the way it goes back and forth between their perspectives is such a fun way to read.

The main issue I had with this book was that the big bad that they uncovered just seems to not be as big of an issue as it should be? (Trying to keep this spoiler-free). Like I get that the issue is fully De LaFontaine’s, but if it’s going to be brought up, I feel like Laura and Carmilla should have had a bigger part of it. And the way the big bad vampire issue is resolved just felt so rushed and randomly placed in the book.

But, since this is my only gripe, I’m still giving the book 5 stars. I had such a great time reading it and I can’t wait to get a copy for my shelf so I can reread it in the future! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC. 5/5 stars!!

I absolutely am in love with S. T. Gibson's prose! This is a deliciously slow read that had me rereading several lines like I would with a poem. The characters were rich and interesting, even when I disliked them. And this title. I love it.

I was excited to read this book based on cover, description, and author. I have had "Dowry of Blood" on my shelf and have yet to read it but have not a heard a single bad thing. Also, I am in my vampire era in 2024 and I thought how fitting to dive in to a book that essentially has everything I love in a book plus vampires!

2.5 stars- Not going to lie, I was disappointed. The concept was amazing but the delivery fell short. I was confused with the intentions and reactions of the characters and maybe even the point of the book in general due to the lack of development. I felt that S.T. Gibson told me what the characters were feeling and doing throughout the book but didn't show me... didnt paint the picture. It was missing any sort of context of "why" things were happening. Overall, the best way I can describe this is that the author wrote a very detailed outline for a book that was put in to full sentences but then didnt add any context, emotion, prose, or explanations between everything to make it make sense. There was no plot or character development.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for this ARC in exhange for my honest opinion.

This is my first S.T. Gibson book and I was not disappointed. The writing is absolutley beautiful and it transported me to that time. Or maybe I'm an old soul, but I loved it. We have vampires, we have love, blood and character development. Nothing is forced, everything is consensual. I was annoyed at first with the Professor but Gibson wrote her so well, I think that was the point lol.

From the author:
This work of fiction explores dark themes. If you choose to proceed, please read with self-compassion.
- Uneven power dynamics
- Inappropriate relationships between a professor and students
- Toxic academic environments
- Blood, gore, and murder
- Consensual sexual content, including public sex
- Kink, negotiated and spontaneous
- Alcohol and drug use
- Smoking

It also contains brief references to :
- Racist political policies
- Homophobia
- Religious discrimination against women


overall, 4 stars!

Deliciously dark and atmospheric this sapphic retelling of Carmilla hit a lot of high points. The dark academia and poetic aspects pulled me in right away and I had a hard time putting it down. Overall though I wish that there had been a bit more plot, maybe more time spent with the murder victims so I cared more they were gone or about that plot line in general. I could have done without it and just had the story of Laura and Carmilla. I also felt like the ending was rushed and didn’t fit. I would recommend this to people that love dark academia and want a darker romance novel, with some aspects of a thriller.

Many thanks to NetGalley & Redhook books for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

I was hooked at first bite, *winkwink*. This is a dark academia sapphic retelling of Carmilla which admittedly I’ve never read nor did I know beforehand, but I don’t think that knowledge matters much. I throughly enjoyed being immersed in Saint Perpetua’s campus and watching Carmilla and Laura’s dual POV unfold. The pacing was like a slow fuse then a wind took hold of it and BAM it’s sped up so fast it was breathtaking. The world building and character development is just beautiful.

Be sure to take note of the trigger warnings. I really appreciated having those in the book instead of having to hunt the internet for them.


My only qualm is that I wanted more, a smidge more, the ending felt a bit rushed. Other than that, beautiful, beautiful book.

I was so honored to receive an advance review copy from NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. My review is my honest opinion.

S.T. Gibson's writing is beautiful, and I found myself easily swept up into and lost within the world that she created. I truly enjoyed the gothic dark atmosphere and the characters but found myself wanting more when it came to the plot itself. The story fell a little flat for me, and had it been written by a different author, I probably wouldn't have enjoyed it as much, but S.T. Gibson's writing pulled me into the story in a way that I still thoroughly enjoyed.
Plus sapphic vampires - count me in always.

*Thanks to netgalley for an arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I absolutely loved this and didn’t want to put it down! The gothic tone, gorgeous prose, and dark supernatural world are all gloriously written. I related to Laura’s naivety and ambition (definitely reminded me of myself in college) and thought Carmilla was a lovable brat. The competitive energy between those two crackled with chemistry. Professor De Lafontaine was a fascinating combination of alluring and predatory, and the book kept me guessing about her loyalties right up until the very end. This was less of a strict Carmilla adaptation and more of an Undead Poets Society with a sapphic sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance loosely inspired by the classic. While you don’t need to read A Dowry of Blood to follow it, they’re definitely interconnected since Magdalena makes a very welcome cameo.

Keeping my fingers crossed for another book set in this world.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

Atmospheric, dark academia, and sapphic.. Need I say more? Throw in writing that is beautiful and lyrical and I was SOLD. The tension between our main characters throughout the first half of the book was glorious. I do wish we could have explored the world and lore of the vampires a bit more- the true longing of the immortals. The first half of the book was definitely the stronger portion. Overall a fantastic and enthralling read and I look forward to what is to come from this author!