(Rating rounded up from 3.5*)

This is a captivating read that excels in setting up a moody dark academia atmosphere. It is vivid and beautifully written.

I was entirely captured by the setting, characters, and energy up until about the 70% mark - then something shifted and it felt like the tension and intrigue disappeared. After that point, it no longer felt like dark academia, or even rivals to lovers. The drama/conflict (namely the subplot with Isis hunting/killing students) felt sort of inconsequential and bland. There didn't feel like there was any real threat or danger or mystery or intrigue anymore. This dullness carried on for me until the end, and I finished the book feeling...blah.

Pros:
× impeccable Vibes™ and aesthetic
× interesting main characters and fascinating tension between them (at least in the first 75%)
× author obviously drew from a lot of classic literature/poetry and well researched both that & the time period (1960s)
× beautiful, immersive prose/storytelling
× sapphic romance/rep

Cons:
× somehow not enough poetry (the dark academia vibes drop off significantly in the second half)
× Laura's character (and other MCs too) had so many interesting things introduced that I wish the author would have leaned into more (for example: Laura wants to become a priest and has spent a lot of time studying the bible, but she doesn't really mention this or put any of that knowledge to use, which seems like a big missed opportunity IMO)
× the last 30% of the book felt like an afterthought
× the ending being so tidy and happy felt out of place with the theme of the book (dark obsessions, toxic love, possession, self destruction)

Overall I think this is definitely worth a read if you're into dark academia and sapphic romance. I really do like the author's writing and can see improvement since A Dowry of Blood. I'll continue reading their work and am looking forward to Evocation later this year!

A Carmilla retelling against a dark academia backdrop, An Education in Malice follows two college girls vying for the attention of their enigmatic poetry professor. In 1968, Laura is a pious school girl from Mississippi who finds herself at an all girls’ college in Massachusetts where she meets the dark, vicious Carmilla. Carmilla, a trust fund girl from Austria, worships at the feet of her poetry professor, a hawkish and elegant middle aged woman called Ms. De Lafontaine. As the two girls compete for their professor’s adoration, they find themselves thrust into a dark world of obsession, blood, and secrets.

If you know anything about the original Carmilla, you’ll know that An Education in Malice deals with vampires. While the story Carmilla follows a teen girl being preyed upon by an ancient vampire woman, An Education in Malice makes Carmilla and Laura young academic rivals. This novel takes inspiration from Le Fanu’s work, but it’s a completely different story. That being said, I definitely enjoyed An Education. It felt very reminiscent of another book I read last year called House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson. A sapphic gothic with a cast of young women, an enthralling older woman spearheading the plot, horror tropes with a focus on romance and obsession, and a glittering underworld of vampiric debauchery. I think readers who liked one of these books will also enjoy the other.

I haven’t read A Dowry of Blood yet, but I understand that a main character in that novel appears in An Education in Malice. But both books are definitely stand-alones in their own rights. I will say that An Education sets up for a sequel, and I’d be delighted to see Laura and Carmilla’s story continue, especially as the vampires venture forth from the ending.

The writing is richly poetic, drawing you in from the first word and the dark academia aesthetic meshes well with the sensual world and history of the 1960s. Modern vampire stories tend to favor Anne Rice, and I see a lot of inspiration from her here. I’m not sure how the vampires are in Dowry, (so I don’t know if they have more powers than I saw in An Education) but the vampires in this novel feel stunted? Gibson focuses heavily on the interpersonal conflicts and dynamics of the women, using the “vampire” as more of an accessory. So we don’t really get to see the full scale power of what her vampires can do. They feel like regular people who sometimes drink blood and don’t go out during the day. I wish we could’ve seen more elaboration on what makes these vampires so deadly.

The novel is very easy to read, but it also feels like a screenplay. I could easily see it adapted for film, and while that isn’t necessarily off putting, I feel like the author rushed the ending. The lead up to the finale is about 85% of the novel, and the resolution hits just a few pages toward the end. It stops quickly with too many questions lingering, and that’s why I almost wish it ends up with a sequel.

If you like blood-soaked dark academia, Sapphic rivals to lovers, and vampires, you’ll like An Education in Malice.

4 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson was a lush, beautiful read. I remember when I first read A Dowry of Blood and being fascinated by the way it was written and An Education in Malice also has that exact same beautiful writing. I loved the Sapphic romance, the dark academia vibes...basically, I love everything about this book. It did feel very gothic and slow (in a good way) and it lulled me right into the story.

Ahhh I am screaming and need more now!!! The ending!!!!
But before we get ahead of ourselves this book was everything I wanted and more! When I heard S.T. Gibson was writing a sapphic vampire book I was already sold. A Dowry of Blood is one of my favorite books and knew she would do it justice and that she did!!

Laura is a quiet shy girl from Mississippi. She loves poetry and is at St. Perpestua’s college to study to be a parish priest but writing is her true love.
Carmilla is a posh senior from Austria and came to this school specifically to study under Ms. De Lafontaine. She and Ms.D have a very unorthodox relationship and some might even call taboo.

Laura and Carmilla both are extremely talented in the works of poetry. Carmilla is now feeling threatened that another student is getting attention from Ms D.

Ms. D has a secret that only Carmilla is privy to. But that soon changes when Laura comes along and sees something she shouldn’t. Now she is wrapped into the life of the night and shown a whole new side of life. Things are not always easy in the dark.

Things do get a little spicy! 🌶️🌶️

This beautiful gothic dark academia book was so beautiful written. Gibson is a master at her craft. I cannot wait for more to come!!


It would have been a 5 star (I gave it 4.75) read with a little more detail for me. The end seemed kinda rushed and I wish it went in a little longer. Over all it was amazing though. It made me laugh, cry, and 🫣 🥵 (exhibitionist )

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: February 13, 2024

3.25 stars. I really enjoyed 'A Dowry of Blood' by S.T. Gibson so I was excited for this book but overall, I was let down. I just wasn't drawn into the story and I found I didn't really care about the characters. I also tend to need a goal/something the story is working towards and I feel this didn't really have that or that the goals kept shifting throughout the book so there wasn't anything consistent throughout. It wasn't terrible but I wasn't excited about picking it up at the end of the day.

5.0

Setting: Massachusetts
Rep: lesbian protagonist; bisexual protagonist

I didn't know what to expect going into this - some friends rated it low and I've never heard of Carmilla and I've read only 2 or 3 vampire books before, but this had me in a headlock. I was totally.obsessed with De Lafontaine - is she a good person? No. But I have a thing for books with middle-aged haughty sapphic professors. The scene at The Society was delectable and I ate this up.

I went into this book blind, only knowing that I had loved dowry of blood and having endless hope for S. T. Fibson's next work.

I was not disappointed in this book and felt like it was a great addition to the world that dowry set up. It continued to explore complicated relationships as well as abusive relationships and just how insidious they can be.

While I enjoyed Dowry more this book was still incredible and thought provoking on how we as individuals handle traumas we experience throughout our lives.

I'm exceedingly grateful to Redhook books for giving me an ARC of this book.

beautifully written, had me captivated every time i picked it up to read. definitely leaned more on aesthetics and flourishes rather than plot but who can be mad at that?
if you enjoy dark academia, academic rivals to lovers, and vampires then this is for you. super quick but lucious read, anxiously waiting for a hard copy to arrive in my hands.
thank you netgalley & redhook books for the arc :)

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was beautiful. I think this is the most beautiful romance that I have read. I loved the desire and obsession and academic rivalry between Laura and Carmilla. I loved the atmosphere of the novel, dark academia, poetry, wine and cigarettes, a tantalizing and dangerous love, and of course, vampires. The sharp teeth, the temptation of walking straight into danger. The tenderness but also the passion. This is what I like in sapphic romance. And S T Gibson has delivered a remarkably beautiful story, told through the perspective of Laura and Carmilla, both of which I enjoyed. The secret mysterious nature of professor De Lafontaine and the culty obsessive nature of her poetry seminar was also beautiful. NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR ALERT because I need more dark sapphic romance in my life. If you like reading Gothic Romance and Dark Academia, you'll definitely love this!

As soon as I read about this upcoming book, I knew if I was going to break out of my thriller vibes and into more fantasy, I would needed it to be darker like my beloved Nordic Noir. I would need dark academia. And, vampires.

An Education in Malice definitely hits the target!

Think sci-fi & fantasy but make it Dark Academia Fantasy with sapphic vampiric vibes.

This is a “ sumptuous and addictive tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers.” And was an absolute delight.

I am already looking forward to the next novel in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley, Hachette and HBG Canada for my gifted ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook/Orbit for providing me with an advanced copy for an honest review!

Something about this book just gripped me and did not let go. Sapphic vampires, cycles of abuse, and obsession are at the forefront of this novel; it is gothic and full of brooding and yearning.

Laura and Carmilla are academic rivals looking to gain the approval of their dark and demanding poetry professor De Lafontaine. After getting invited to an exclusive after-class poetry group where Laura witnesses Carmilla and Lafontaine's fixation with each other, the three women become entangled into story of obsession, jealousy, and desire.

The writing was sensual and poetic, yet very readable. Carmilla and Laura had their own POV chapters and they felt distinct from each other. Despite the dark tone of the narrative, I found the ending to be surprisingly hopeful.

I would have liked the final confrontation to be a little darker, maybe a little more tragic, but otherwise I loved, loved this book.

“I had the awful, yawning feeling inside myself that for her, I would always stay.”

A dark academic setting with a poetry professor full of secrets. Full of obsession, jealousy and romance.

Wish Laura and Carmilla had more of a drawn out relationship(magdalena’s party) but it was clear they were both fixated on each other from the start.

The dynamic they had with De Lafontaine was at times so scary and I wanted them both out especially Carmilla.

The ending was a little lackluster and predictable but i’m still okay with it.

Thank you netgalley and redhook books for sending me an e-arc.

❝all that rage and beauty…it’s the stuff they write poems about. ❞

⁎⭑꙳⭒☪︎⭒꙳⁎⭑

𝓼𝓹𝓸𝓲𝓵𝓮𝓻-𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓮 𝓫𝓸𝓸𝓴 𝓻𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀 𝓯𝓸𝓻: ‘an education in malice’ by s.t. gibson

this book has been one of my most anticipated releases since it was announced. i first became a fan of s.t. gibson when i first read ‘a dowry of blood,’ a constanta reimagining.

‘an education in malice’ is the perfect book for fans of dark academia. with its haunting prose and gothic narrative, gibson’s story is eerily beautiful, much like ‘a dowry of blood.’ the main characters, laura and carmilla, are unique in their own ways, adding to the overall experience. laura, the shy, religious girl is thrust into an dark new world of rivalry and obsession. carmilla, her counterpart, is quite the opposite of laura. carmilla knows what she wants from life, or so she thinks.

gibson does a fantastic job showcasing the differing power dynamics and female obsession depicted in the novel which makes it a worthy reimagining of le fanu’s ‘carmilla.’

while i enjoyed this book, i did have an issue with this book which is the pacing. i felt like some events in the book went by too fast, while others were simply glossed over. in addition, i felt the ending was rushed and overall lacking.

but besides that, i really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for fans of ‘a lesson in vengeance’ and ‘the secret history!’

thank you to netgalley and redhook books for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑
𝓇𝑒𝓁𝑒𝒶𝓈𝑒 𝒹𝒶𝓉𝑒: february 13, 2024

A Dowry of Blood is one of my favorite books of all time, and I still fear nothing will evoke the same feeling in me that I had when reading that book. But An Education in Malice came very close. This book contained so much and I always love when a vampire book doesn’t necessarily delve too deeply into the whole “vampire lore discourse”. I thoroughly enjoyed this and look forward to more from ST Gibson and hopefully from this world.

I have mixed emotions about this book. It was well written, but there are a few bones to pick with it. Honestly, my gripes could be somewhat centered around the fact that reading more than one dark academia book at a time is *too much* dark academia, but I digress. This book has a lot of good in it.

It centers around Laura and Carmilla (*that* Carmilla?), two students of St. Perpetua’s all girls college. Laura’s a college freshman vying for the attention of Professor De Lafontaine, however Carmilla is her star pupil (and pet—more on that later). Laura eventually is invited to the inner circle of poets (that being De Lafontaine and Carmilla) much to Carmilla’s disgust, but she and Laura develop feelings for each other.

This, probably pretty obviously, is a retelling of Carmilla. I honestly haven’t read it (though I want to and usually read OG books before retellings), but it also reads very similarly to “The Society of Soulless Girls.” College secrets, rage-filled girls, wlw, dark academia. So, I guess if you like this one, read that too. I HIGHLY recommend that one.

Like I said, this is good. I do like it. It has a lot of pretty prose and definitely hits the dark academia feels. I like the characters and the story is interesting. I like how uncomfy De Lafontaine made me feel. I think the author did a good job at that. That being said, I do have some grievances.

1. The characters aren’t fully fledged out. We’re in the point of view of both of them. I know who they are at a base level, but I want to know their souls. If storyline could make up for this, I’d excuse it, but
2. The storyline was a bit weak. Yes, De Lafontaine ended up at Perpetua’s to resurrect Isis. But that plot line feels like such an afterthought. It’s in the background and the girls barely touch it. I think it’s because the author wants to do a character study, but referencing back to #1, it didn’t pan out much. Also, I think that
3. It was supposed to be enemies to lovers, but it’s just not. That trope is *way* overplayed at this point because the stakes are never high enough, and even then, it’s not really a rivals to lovers because they’re not in the same grade? And Laura wants to be liked by De Lafontaine, but not to the extent of Carmilla. It feels very one sided.
4. And even when they (Laura and Carmilla) get together, it feels kind of rushed? One minute they hate each other, the next they’re in love.
5. Why did the author have to right De Lafontaine’s wrongs? She’s a weirdo! Let her be a weirdo! She made me squirm the entire book and all of the sudden she gets some arc? The author obviously knew that she’s a weirdo as their relationship is mentioned in the content warnings, but come on now. Lastly,
6. I grew up in the Catholic Church with Episcopalian family members, so I was ??? the entire time Laura 1. Went to confession and 2. Prayed the rosary as penance. Neither of these are very well known to happen in episcopal churches. There are very small sects that do this, but this is heavily Catholic.

I may be nitpicking a bit, but these really stuck out to me. If you want the overall vibe of DA, this is definitely the way to go. Same if you like retellings. However, I just kind of left with a *meh* impression.

This book is a sapphic love story/retelling of Carmilla, one of the very first books involving Vampires. I went into this book completely blind and thoroughly enjoyed my reading experience. This book takes place in the 1960's and I really loved the detailing S.T. Gibson gave to the time period, specifically in the description of the characters outfits. Stylistically, this book was stunning. Very atmospheric with prose that were beautiful yet easy to digest. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark academia or romantic fantasies.

Thank you Netgalley for a free e-book arc copy in exchange for a honest review <3

3.75 stars...
I actually found this book to be about as enjoyable as the previous in the "series". Technically they're standalone books but they are set in the same world (A Dowry of Blood). We even got to see Mother Mag come in for a few pages. I'm actually really glad that we were able to have that connection. Coming into this book, I didn't anticipate the connection (I never read the Classic) but from what I hear this book was the better version anyways?

Yes, this book is a hard read. You NEED to have patience to get through it. The writing is unique and it is difficult to adjust to. It def isn't by any means anything you should recommend to beginners.

I think the book has its flaws ofc. But i think this book was meant to be more of a educational read rather than thrilling one. We get to see the consequences and how powerful love is and we get to see 2 young girls figuring themselves out. It's not by any means like a Freida Thriller or like Suspenseful book. It's a sexy, gothic read. I LOVED Laura's and Carm's relationship.

That's all I gotta say- anything more would be spoilers hehe.

I loved A Dowry Of Blood, so I was excited to read this companion novel that's also supposed to be a retelling of the other famous vampire book: "Carmilla".
But this wasn't at the same level. My interest never peaked, and I ended up skimming through the last chapters cause I was done trying to push through. The ending felt just as flat as the rest.

It started ok, setting the dark academia atmosphere with obsessive and competitive students, mixed with fascination for their professor. Gibson once again did a great job at showing a very toxic relationship, with a clear power imbalance and emotional manipulation.

But that's basically all there was in the entire book. There's basically no plot. No horror or tension.
It took way too long to build up to the vampiric aspect, and I hoped the story would start picking up at that point. It didn't. Having some smutty scenes didn't make up for the rest.

As for the retelling aspect, it's non-existent. Besides a few names and a vampire named Carmilla, I didn't see any connection to LeFanu's novel. That's fine. But "Very loosely inspired by" would be a more accurate way to market this book, and to avoid tinting expectations.

An overall disappointment.

Thank you to NetGalley and RedHook books for providing this ARC in exchange of a review.

oh boy…ummm, where do i start? *sweats nervously*

this was such a letdown. i was so excited to start reading this because even though i hadn’t read a dowry of blood, i had heard amazing things.

unfortunately, this book was, shall we say, not good.

the prose is overly flowery, the plot was virtually nonexistent, the characters were bland and i didn’t care about what happened to any of them, and the conflicts just never really felt fleshed out enough for me to care

also, the vampire aspect could’ve been taken out and nothing would’ve changed. like the vampirism was so non-important that i’m struggling to see how this was a “carmilla” retelling, aside from the name

I am a big fan of ST Gibson's A Dowry of Blood. I even consider it one of my favorite books. But for some reason, An Education in Malice left me wanting more.

With ADoB, there were layers upon layers regarding the characters' relationships with each other--the way jealousy/possessiveness turns into caring, the realization that someone you love doesn't treat you the way you deserve, etc. I was hoping for this kind of exploration within An Education in Malice as well, and there were hints that the narrative would get into it, but in the end, I just wasn't getting the kind of jaw-dropping read I was hoping for.

If I had to pick one thing I wish could get expanded upon, it would definitely be De La Fontaine. There is so much left to be explored regarding her relationship with Carmilla and Isis, and especially how she seems to compare her relationship with Isis to that of Carmilla and Laura. The professor grows jealous, even possessive of Carmilla as her star-pupil and protegee begins to leave her for a human girl, then just suddenly decides to stop acting so toxic. I assumed it was because she understood that her relationship with Isis, while loving, wasn't great, but I wasn't too happy that I had to go about assuming this. I really really wish the book dug deeper into De La Fontaine's toxic behavior and how Carmilla's awe for her idol begins to crack.