The characters in this book are so unique. I liked how Laura was a mid-sized, smart girl and how carmilla was the extravagant and bold girl. Now Ms. D was quite unique too with her wisdom and I totally did not see her as an immortal until the big secret drop.
Overall this main characters were great on their own and when the three started becoming a little family it was very bittersweet.

I was expecting more with the big plot though. I wish the murders were more of a mystery and maybe the reader to try to figure out who the murderer was. The twist of it being Ms. D’s sire was a good one; however, it needed something more.
It was a very nice ending, Magdalene giving that ending was super classy.

When I picked up this book, I didn’t really know what to expect. I knew dark academia was an aspect and there were vampires (vibes that I absolutely enjoy). I had forgotten a bit of the synopsis in between the time I applied for the ARC and received it and I did try to go in blind. Honestly, I’m so glad I did. I feel like it connected me to the discovery elements of the story in a special way.

We get a dual POV in this book. We follow Laura. She is a freshman from Mississippi, who is experiencing the wonders of New England and St. Perpetua’s College for the very first time. We get to discover a lot of the world through her eyes. I really enjoyed her as a character and what she brought to the story. She chooses to exist in the world in a way that feels familiar. Flying just below the radar. Not wanting to be noticed more than necessary. Watching her grow throughout the book just so natural and deserved for her. I really loved it.

Carmilla is our other POV in this book. She is a young woman, already well established in her own life and within the college, who wants for the stars. When she finally gets them, she doesn’t quite know what to want anymore. Watching her go through that experience and how it changes who she is was refreshing. I feel like it is not a point of view I see often and I enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed the vibes of this book and the way the story was told. It felt refreshing and a great step away from what I have been reading. Dark academia is a genre of book I really want to explore more and this gave me so many tasty tidbits. I also really enjoyed the different relationships within the book and how all of those developed and played out. I loved watching Laura get scooped into a supportive friend group, something she had not ever really had before. I liked watching the tangled webs of the relationship between Carmilla and Ms. D.

This book had a lot of interesting threads that I wanted to pull on while reading, but I didn’t get as much of them as I wanted. I wanted a bit more of the mystery and the school. I wanted a bit more of diving into the darkness. I wanted to see a bit more of some of the other relationships and friendships. It just felt like there were so many great paths, but not enough space within the story to explore them all.

In all I really enjoyed this book. I was constantly engaged. I did not want to put it down. I will definitely be looking to read more from S.T. Gibson in the future, as this was my first.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook for giving me an ARC of this book.

This was the gothic sapphic dark academia book of my dreams, and I devoured it in less than 48 hours. This was my first book by the author, and I was immediately swept into the moody and atmospheric setting of 1968 New England all girls college and the academic rivalry between new girl Laura and popular but aloof Carmilla. The writing was absolutely stunning, with rich imagery and on point similes, while still being very bingeable. The first half was near perfect - I loved the mix of tension and obsession between the characters and the mystery behind them and their favourite professor. I felt the pacing in the second half was a bit off, with some rushed conflict and resolution that felt only tangential to the two main characters. I am not one to say this often, but it would have almost been better to forgo the action and just concentrate on the conflict and development between characters, which was a highlight of the book. But again, I hardly cared because I loved the vibes and was just happy to be here. I will definitely be reading Gibson's other popular book, A Dowry of Blood, and any books she writes because I'm seriously obsessed with her writing style.

You should read this if: you wanted Dead Poets Society to be darker, bloodier, and have no men

Wow! 4 stars! ⭐️

If you loved, “A Dowry of Blood,” then you MUST read this!!

Love, lust, rivalry, and secret desires! This is a coming of age story about exploring your sexuality, who you want to be, and discovering the meaning of love, devotion, and blood shred. Dark academia, steamy sexual tension, and vampires! Do you need more?!

The story begins by following Laura, a shy Mississippi girl who loves the written word and wants to become a “small town parish priest” after completing her education. Her supportive father sends her to Saint Perpetua’s Women’s College in Massachusetts to nurture her passion for writing with the best possible professors.

Laura enrolls and is accepted into a senior poetry class (although only a freshman - her writing impressive) lead by Ms. De Lafontaine. Laura is immediately taken by the sophisticated and intimidating, “Ms. D” and wants nothing more than to gain her highest praise. But someone else in the class is also highly dedicated to keeping her position as class favorite, the dark beauty, Carmilla.

For months, Laura and Carmilla butt heads and devote their full attention and time to impressing De Lafontaine and outshining the other. There is tension, there is snarkiness. The book then shifts to two different point of views by alternating chapters between Laura and Carmilla. We learn that Carmilla holds a fiery hatred and desire to physically hurt Laura. While Laura fights her thoughts of fiercely seducing Carmilla and undressing her.

The book introduces us to the forbidden student-professor bond that Carmilla has with De Lafontaine. An obsessive and possessive relationship. Dark secrets and interactions between the two that Laura is determined to figure out. Laura’s persistent snooping throws her into a new and frightening, but seductive and intriguing world, just as her relationship with Carmilla starts to bloom and heat up.

As the book progresses, De Lafontaine’s past comes back to haunt the three. Murdered girls are found scattered around the campus. Carmilla and Laura get closer and closer and more intimate as they fear a monster has been unleashed at Saint Perpetua’s and De Lafontaine isn’t telling them everything. The girls begin to worry about De Lafontaine’s plans and involvement with the murders and what she may have in store for them.

We meet Magdalena again from “A Dowry of Blood” and I was so thrilled to see that the two books existed within the same vampy universe! Of course, in Magdalena fashion, there is steamy vampire passion encouraged and shared!

In the end, the book shows us the meaning of love and the sacrifices that we make for it. I enjoyed the ending. I appreciated De Lafontaine’s choice and how it differed from other sires in S.T. Gibson’s world.

All in all, I loved the atmosphere. I loved the gothic college setting. I was invested in the characters and the spicy romance. I couldn’t put the book down. I loved this one. It was mysterious and sexy. I loved how we further explored the universe that S.T Gibson has created and I would love to see more books in the future!

Redhook Books thank you SO much for allowing me access to this ARC! Much appreciated and so happy and grateful for the opportunity!

ARC Review.

S.T. Gibson writes beautifully, almost in its own form of poetry. This was an easy read but there was something that I can’t put my finger on that didn’t hold me to it.

I found the characters a little vague in their development, how they can go from hating each to loving with no real change in their interactions.

For everything that happens, the story seemed to wrap up too nicely. I would have liked to see a more of an intense ending.

While this is based on the story of Camilla, which I am not far with, I really loved the tie ins to A Dowry of Blood.

An Education in Malice will be published on February 13th. Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books and S.T Gibson for this e-ARC

The writing of this book is gorgeous. It’s really easy to sink into the world and just get lost. Overall this book was a really interesting character study. I love how vague the description of the book is left leaving a lot to be found out in the actual reading. It truly was just a case study over obsession. Obsession over people and school amount many others. My only small annoyance was the last two ish chapters and just the overall ending felt a little rushed but I loved the open ended ness of the final bit.

**3.5 stars!
This was what I expected from S.T. Gibson, which was a luscious and dark vampire story with tons of spice!! I read A Dowry of Blood by the same author last year, but this one is my favourite of the two.

This is a retelling of the classic Carmilla vampire tale, and opens with our protagonist Laura arriving at an all-girls university in the late 70s. Laura is a buttoned-up religious girl with a passion for poetry, who eventually wants to become a preacher. Carmilla is a rich Austrian expat, who fled her complicated family to study poetics at St. Perpetua's. The two girls meet, and clash, in the enigmatic Professor De Lafontaine's advanced poetry seminar class, while mysterious murders plague the campus.

This book was quite light on plot: the main action was the relationship between Laura and Carmilla. I usually prefer more plot, and I wished that the 70's setting was a bit more fleshed out. The teacher-student power imbalance and relationship was uncomfortable to read, and was well done in that way, but I think it resolved a little too conveniently. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys queered, gory and often explicit romance stories with a vampiric twist.

This book is a MASTERPIECE. Dark academia Carmilla retelling?! UGH. So gay, gothic and a bit bloody. SO well balanced.

In love. I'm predicting it will be one of my top reads of the year. PERFECTION.

#AnEducationinMalice #NetGalley

An Education in Malice has all the dark academia vibes, poetry, and vampires that you would ever want. I also learned this is a retelling of the classic Carmilla, which sadly I did not even know existed. There is something in Gibson's writing that just puts me in a chokehold and I cannot help but read one more chapter until I've one more chaptered right to the end. This book was so atmospheric and beautiful. Absolutely loved!

Thank you to Orbit Books and Redhook Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a cliffhanger. I'm so curious to know what path Laura chooses. The writing style in this book was very intellectual and inspiring. Very poetic at times, especially considering Ms. D was a professor of the arts. Overall, this is a great dark academia featuring vampires, academic rivals to lovers, and power struggles.

Wow. This book was so intriguing and kept me hooked from the very beginning. The gothic, dark academia setting, and the characters were so beautifully written. However, I feel like the relationship between the two characters was rushed- there needed to be more build up and tension, and that the pacing felt off in the last 25% of the book. Overall, an addictive read.
3.5/5

An Education in Malice is a sapphic rivals-to-lovers story, set in an atmospheric academic setting. Laura is a new student at Saint Perpetua's College where she meets her academic rival, Carmilla, in a prestigious poetry class taught by the mysterious professor De Lafontaine.

I went into this book completely blind, and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey. It's dark, compelling, and the vibes are perfect for a winter read.

S.T. Gibson did a wonderful job setting the scene and the mood in this book. The setting was immersive, and the descriptions were captivating. I could imagine what the characters were wearing, where they were, and enjoyed the internal dialogues of our characters. Somewhat random, but I LOVED imagining the colors in this book. Maybe an artist thing.

The release date of this book is around Valentine's Day, and if I hadn't already read it, THIS is how I would want to spend my Valentine's Day.

I flew through this book quickly, and while I did generally enjoy myself, this book hit its stride about 60% in. It was a 3-3.5 star read for me at first, but once the story picked up, it became closer to a 3.75-4 star read.

This book is dual POV which I really liked; however, sometimes I lost track of whether I was reading from Laura's or Carmilla's POV. This may be because their characters on page read similarly at times. Overall, they did have their own unique motives and perspectives, but it took me out of the story a little bit if I needed to dig for context clues to remind myself whose POV I was reading. If I were to reread, I would have looked into the audiobook with the hope that the narration would help distinguish this more clearly.

This is my first book by S.T. Gibson, and it won't be my last. Excited to read A Dowry of Blood, and I have already placed a hold at the library upon finishing An Education in Malice.

Thank you, NetGalley and Redhook Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My first ever ARC! :)

3.5 stars.

Laura and Carmilla are the two narrators in this story, and each is given a very distinct voice, which I think can be hard to nail when a story is told in first person.

Laura is a sweet, seemingly innocent, southern girl who is able to explore parts of herself that she hadn’t been able to do before attending Saint Perpetua’s, a women’s college in Massachusetts. A talented writer, Laura has landed herself a spot in the class of Ms. De Lafontaine.

Carmilla is De Lafontaine’s protégé. She is originally from Austria, and sought out her place at Saint Perpetua’s, or more specifically, she sought out De Lafontaine herself . Bordering on obsession, Carmilla craves the affection and attention from her teacher and mentor that she never received in her childhood. She would go above and beyond for De Lafontaine, do anything she asks.

These two women are constantly in close proximity, and the chemistry and rivalry between the two of them grows. Secrets are revealed to Laura regarding the relationship between Carmilla and De Lafontaine that sets in motion a dark, and murderous journey.

Laura and Carmilla have delicious chemistry, but I did find myself confused as to where it came from. It felt a little out of no where, but I still appreciated their relationship. It was equal parts sensual and sweet!

The manipulation and power-imbalance on page is done so realistically, given this is a novel about vampires. I think this could be potentially triggering for some people who may have experienced that type of scenario, but Gibson does a great job at providing trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

I wish the poetry aspect of this book had been explored a bit more. We’re lead to believe that Laura and Carmilla are astounding poets, but we don’t really get to see that on page. Telling, not showing. That was disappointing.

I also felt slightly disappointed by some things that happen towards the end of the novel. I am all for character growth, but it seemed like one characters actions didn't make sense with the behaviour we had seen prior to the end.

All in all, I enjoyed this! It was my first book by S.T. Gibson, and I found myself thinking that I would certainly pick up another of their works in the future!

A dark academia retelling of Carmilla set in a rich, Gothic atmosphere.

Laura is thrilled to be attending Saint Perpetua's College, especially since she has been accepted to Professor De Lafontaine's exclusive poetry seminar. However, it is clear she has a rival in classmate Carmilla, who is desperate for De Lafontaine's approval. The professor has a strange infatuation with her, and it is clear she is intent on adding Laura to her confidence.

When something dark and sinister is released, terrorizing the college, Laura and Carmilla must come to terms with how much they are willing to sacrifice in their pursuit of knowledge.

This book is wonderfully lush and dark, it really shines in terms of setting and atmosphere. However, I felt that the tension and stakes were not as high as they could have been. I wanted more from the main conflict, but was satisfied with the romantic tension between the two main characters. I would recommend this title less to those seeking horror, and more to those seeking a dark, seductive romance.

This was a strong 4/5 for me. I don’t know why I’d never read S.T. Gibson’s work before, but after this, I will promptly be moving A Dowry of Blood to the top of my TBR! This was also my first taste of dark academia, and it won’t be my last. Gibson’s writing has an effortless cadence, making it easy to devour.

We follow Laura through her first days at an esteemed college for girls, where she meets her formidable and beautiful academic adversary Carmilla (oh yeah, did I mention this is also a Carmilla retelling??). We watch as the two become closer and are brought into the world of their mysterious poetry professor. When an ancient foe is unleashed on the school, they all need to work together to stop it.

The spice in this novel is done tastefully. I’d give it a 3 out of 5 peppers, though take with a grain of salt because I’m not used to reading spicy books. (The story also involves some potential triggers, so make sure to check content warnings if you need to before diving in.)

I mean, come on. Sapphic vampires. Need I say more?

I listened and followed along to this book. The prose was nicely done the narration good. It’s vampires which I love. The story, eh ok. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.25/5 stars

This was....interesting. S.T. Gibson has such a stunning, beautiful, lyrical, atmospheric writing style that I haven't really experienced anywhere else. But the plot and motivations here felt very loose, the reactions extreme, and the romance...not forced but there was not build up either. They go from Carmilla hating Laura passionately and Laura being borderline obsessed (from the first meeting, no less) to both being dependent on each other in what feels like no time at all. Yes trauma forges tough bonds and all that but it still felt like a forced rivals/enemies to lovers. Not to mention Laura's juxtaposition between her religion and her sapphic desires, added on to her just absolute willingness to jump into the world of vampires with zero hesitation....and Carmilla's complete obsession with their professor (also immediate).....I just couldn't personally connect with a single character and their motivations all seemed so wild that I couldn't even really call the story believable (or as believable as a story of vampires can be).

It was a quick and easy read and the writing really was beautiful. I didn't have a bad time and I think people that enjoyed A Dowry of Blood will enjoy this one too. I personally just like finding a little more plot and cohesion.

Imgur link goes to an Instagram post scheduled for January 29th
Blog post scheduled for Feb 25
Will be featured in January Reads Pt 2

TL;DR: A worthy follow-up to A Dowry in Blood. Even with a slightly predictable ending I really enjoyed this.

A Dowry in Blood was a huge hit last year, with good reason. The prose itself was lovely and dark, and the story was captivating and original. I can tell you An Education in Malice (the Carmilla to the Dracula of Dowry of Blood) is much the same.

This feels much shorter than it is, grabbing you by the collar and pulling you along. This follows Laura and Carmilla, both students at a small all female college. Laura is a freshman, enrolling in a high level poetry course. There she meets Carmilla and De Lafontaine. Carmilla is a senior and the pet pupil of the charismatic teacher, De Lafontaine.

The three’s story begins to knit together as blood and words are spilled between them. My favorite part of this was the dynamic between Laura and Carmilla. At first a rivalry, it develops into a deep attraction. The two grow closer as they begin to deal with the machinations of De Lafontaine and her dark goals.

The ending was the let down on this for me. With how closely this follows to A Dowry of Blood in style I could easily see where the ending was going to go and it felt a little lackluster (though I did like it!). I just felt something was missing in that last quarter. Seeing a familiar character from Dowry was a highlight however, and I really do recommend this for fans of that book.

4 out of 5 over the top poetry classes

S.T. Gibson does it again! In this sapphic retelling of Carmilla we see a play in power dynamics, desperation, desire, self, and obsession. There are a few trigger warnings: student/professor relationship, graphic deaths, and kinks like exhibitionism. So if you are not comfortable with these topics then maybe it isn’t for you. If you can read through this, then please pick it up because the dark academia setting mixed with vampires was soooo perfect!! I really like the exploration into the taboo in this retelling; we have two girls who are discovering themselves and their feeling for each other all while they know that the catholic university, they go to forbids it. The banter in the book is really good as well; they argue and throw insults but it adds to the growing tension between Carmilla and Laura. It is a gothic romance that ensnares you and doesn’t let you go until the last page.

Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley, S.T. Gibson, and RedHook Books for a copy of this ARC.

An Education in Malice follows two rivals at a prestigious college both vying for the attention of their mysterious professor. As they progress further into her world they uncover her dark secrets and begin a relationship. This has all of the best dark academia vibes and the rivals to lovers storyline of the two FMCs is so well done. Just like in A Dowry of Blood S.T Gibsons writing is so lush and atmospheric. While this isn’t a sequel to A Dowry of Blood there is a fun call back so I would recommend reading that first. Education in Malice is a retelling of Carmilla, and even though I didn’t know the story of Carmilla before reading it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of this book. There was the right amount of tension between the characters and I really loved the slow burn and building of their relationship. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop and I will think about Carmilla and Laura often.

An Education in Malice will be published on February 13th. Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook Books and S.T Gibson for this e-ARC