This story has it all: romance, vampires, and dark academia. While I agree with other reviews that the ending was predictable, I don't care much. This is one of those books that makes you forget you're reading and that's what really matters. 4.5/5

This was *clenches fist* so good. I read Dowry of Blood early last year and that was an incredible read but S. T Gibson outdid herself with this. Carmilla and Laura have my whole heart. I love girls who are obsessed with other girls and these two girls are obsessed with eachother.

I've never read a book by this author before and I didn't really know what to expect. It is a dark female romance set at a boarding school type of setting (which I usually love) but I just didn't connect with the characters. Or, maybe it's been too long since my twilight days and I'm not into vampire fiction anymore, I don't know. The writing was good, but perhaps a little too drawn out. This book just wasn't really for me, but it doesn't deserve any less than 3 stars due to that.

I devoured this book in one day; the title is PERFECT for this, and the cover is stunning! Dark academia, sapphic vampires, creepy love stories. It's like if My Dark Vanessa was bitten by a vampire. I loved the loathing and tension between Carmilla and Laura during the first half of the book. The whole book had malevolent vibes, but I couldn't stop reading. My only complaint is that I wish the character of Isis had been a little bit more complex. I tend to prefer a morally grey villain, kind of like the professor in this book. Isis is simply evil, with no redeeming qualities. It made her easy to hate, which I think flattened out some potential there. It would have created even more tension at the end of the story. Overall, this was a really great read, and I would recommend it to anyone who is enjoys dark vibes and some spice! Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

“She kissed me with a martyr's agonized desperation, like I was the only sword she ever wanted to fall on. I kissed her right back like the cutting edge of a blade, trying to inflict as much damage as possible. I wanted her to be able to think of nothing but this kiss when she was alone in her bed at night. I wanted her to feel just how much I reviled and desired her, to what maddening brink she drove me.”

Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!!

I was thrilled when I heard that An Education in Malice was set in the same world as S.T.
Gibson's beautiful novel, A Dowry of Blood.
Sapphic yearning and vampires. What's not to love?

As expected, the author delivered beautiful prose that dripped with desire and desperation.
Definitely pick this up if you like to read about sapphic longing and obsessive relationships, mixed in with gothic academia.

One of my main issues with the book was that at times the characters felt unremarkable and shallow, given the author didn't really delve into their psyches. I also thought that the second half of the book did too much telling and not enough showing. This made the climax feel untethered and the stakes much lower than I would've liked.

Overall, thoroughly enjoyed and would recommend.

Thank you Orbit Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I have admittedly been sleeping on S.T. Gibson and I don’t really have an excuse. An Education in Malice has all the gothic dark academia vibes but with the added bonus of sapphic vampires. A more modern, yet still historic retelling of Carmilla that takes the reader through a journey that captures both literal and metaphorical reincarnation and awakening for our protagonists. The way these characters struggle with the balance of love, lust, infatuation and obsession is masterfully portrayed. I really loved the unexpected dichotomy of innocence and faith with domination and possession. The prose in this story is top notch, beautiful descriptions and analogies throughout.

Dark Academia meets the paranormal and occult. Filled with poetry and prose like none other. The love, loss, betrayal, enemies to lovers, so many beautiful elements all come together in this delightful novel. It reads very fas with dual POV, set in the 1960s and pushing the societal boundaries of what’s allowed. I took off half a star because the ending was a little too predictable to maintain the suspense for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it, though, as you can see since I finished it in the course of 24 hours.

4/5 stars 1/5 spice

An Education In Malice is a retelling of Carmilla. A dark gothic sapphic vampire story. I was entranced, the tension between Carmilla and Laura was so strong. And their scenes together…phew!! Hot dang! I totally went in blind and was so surprised with every little twist. A Dowry of Blood was so beautiful and S.T. Gibson didn’t disappoint with this new book. Such beautiful writing!

Thank you Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up for Goodreads

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher for my honest review.

I had a good time with this book! The relationship between Carmilla and Laura is full of angst and heat. Their professor is a complex character. I’ll never get tired of seeing this vampiric world.

This book has a lot of great things going for it, but falls short in a few places. I think this book would have done better for me if it was marketed as a dark sapphic romance with an academia subplot. As a person who loves dark academia, this felt more like a reach as the first descriptor of this novel. As a romance book this might have had a higher rating for me as I would have had different expectations.

Things I loved:
- great sapphic couple that feels authentic and whose spicy scenes are so well written
- subtle calls to a dowry of blood
- I loved the college and imagery of the scenery
- Ms. D is at once the worst and best character
- all of Carmilla’s POV chapters I found these the most engrossing
- the entire party scene, wow

Things I wished had been different:
- the climax of this book left me a little let down we don’t do enough build up for it to be satisfying as the main end point and it’s a very short scene
- there was a struggle here between sometimes too modern language and other times incredible prose that I think lend itself more to the book
- I wanted more poetry, this was a highlight for me every time it was on the page and as a novel saying it’s dark academia I wanted…well more academia
- there are some mentions of Carmilla’s clique but we hardly see them and when they are mentioned it takes you out of the story because it seems random

I’m back in my vampire era and I’m not mad about it! Especially with authors like S.T. Gibson entering the space. I read Dowry of Blood at the end of last year and couldn’t wait to get my hands on An Education in Malice, it definitely didn’t disappoint. This book excelled in it’s dark academia vibes and exploring the themes of what one would do in the name of love.

I enjoyed the dual point of views of both Laura and Carmilla showing their journey in this book and their growing relationship. Also the way Gibson portrays vampires as these beautiful and haunting yet also sophisticated beings just makes the stories she tells so captivating,

I received an ARC of this title from Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

A delicious gothic dark academia, featuring power imbalances, sapphic vampires, rivals to lovers, YES Please!

I went into this ARC read with 0 expectations and I was so pleasantly surprised!

I loved the rivalry turned attraction between the two MCs. The power dynamics between these girls competing for the affection of their professor and the introduction to the secret vampire society hiding in plain sight.

4.5⭐️

s.t. gibson has slithered her way onto my list of favourite authors. i first came across her work 'a dowry of blood' in 2022 and was immediately enchanted by her unique perspective on the tale of dracula through the eyes of his first wife. when i was approved for the arc of 'an education in malice' all i could do was stare at my screen in shock.

this book isolates both the reader and its ensemble of characters and thrusts them into a richly crafted world of love, magic, power, and secrecy.

the entanglement of character relationships keeps you turning the page. de lafontaine was such an interesting character i could easily read an entire series about her life. honestly, by the end of the book i found myself so enraptured by carmella and laura's relationship that i didn't want the story to end.

Thank you so much to Redhook Books and NetGalley, who provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 


An Education in Malice is a whole vibe. Dark, moody, sapphic, mysterious - the setting of this book has such a strong presence that it easily captivated me from the start. Gibson's writing is stunning. Descriptive and poetic, I found myself appreciating the writing more than the story itself at times. While this book has a very interesting plot involving hidden love, murder, jealousy, vampires, and academia, I didn't find it to be very plot-heavy, or at the very least, substantial enough in that area for a book of its length. Overall, I think this book is fantastic despite that opinion, due to the exceptional writing in large part. If you especially enjoy books that are heavy on vibes, you will undoubtedly adore this. Either way, it's worth the read!

Laura has always loved poetry, and now she has the opportunity to study under the incredible De Lafontaine, who hosts an exclusive poetry seminar in the evenings. But Laura has competition in Carmilla, De Lafontaine's star student. Carmilla is distant, and at times a little cruel, and Laura is absolutely fascinated by her.
Carmilla feels threatened and intrigued by Laura--and jealous, as it looks like De Lafontaine is interested in bringing Laura into their little circle--and sharing her ancient secrets with the other girl.

An Education in Malice is beautifully written and incredibly gripping. It explores the monstrous sides of humanity and the humane sides of monsters. I absolutely loved this book.

There's nothing inherently wrong here, it just didn't do anything for me. I devoured half of this in one sitting, it's easy to read. I just dragged my feet finishing it. I never felt compelled to pick it back up once I put it down. Nothing gripped my attention, even though the storytelling and writing is fine. In a way, the story felt like it was told in the wrong order. We spent so much time meandering and there's no real plot until over halfway in, which made the ending feel rushed. 🙃

This has many of my favorite things in a book: feminism, dark academia, and vampires! You feel the innocent MC Laura being pulled to the dark side throughout this book. There is something about Gibson’s writing that wicked but calm, sinister but sweet. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for a honest review.

3.75/5 stars rounded up to 4.

I sadly have to say that I had never heard of Carmilla (I blame the patriarchy for that) before reading this fantastic novel but I'm happy now that I know of her existence. I feel I must read the source that inspired ‘An Education in Malice’ now. S.T Gibson does an incredible job bringing Carmilla back to life in the 21st century.

The writing in ‘An Education in Malice’ was purely intoxicating and a delight to read. It never felt too heavy with the sapphic elements or not enough. It’s a good balance between romance, sapphic, and erotic. The room got a bit hot at times, not going to lie. The dynamics between Carmilla and Laura and then occasionally adding De Lafontaine into the mix, was quite an enjoyable pleasure that, at times, I wish I could join in on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel but I felt the description did not hold true to what we were really in for. Most of the description talked about how the school ran and how the student body behaved on campus but I feel we barely got a glimpse into school life and more so focused on Laura’s and Carmilla’s relationship. And considering the description we were given, I don't think it accurately portrays what the novel is really about. I mainly applied for an ARC based on the description, as I do love a good dark academia novel, and I don't think we see much of school life or discover much of what the school's mysteries are and student life is like and I really wish we saw more of that.

I have a post scheduled for January 28, 2024 at 5:00AM EST going on my Instagram page.

My disappointment is so real I almost don't even want to talk about it. Especially because this started off so well what with the vibes and the mystery and the scholarly rival trope, but make it sapphic!, plus the undercurrent of eroticism, so I was unprepared for the shift in the second half and it rather took the rug out from under me.. and I never recovered. And neither did the book.

True, maybe part of this is my fault as I don’t think I realized this was to be another vampire novel, I thought it was just sapphic dark academia (because I am a dumb ass who goes off viBeZ OnLy -- or maybe I initially knew and just forgot?), but as the paranormal element came to the forefront, before I could adjust and go with the flow, I also felt that the hate to love dynamics shifted dramatically from one to the other without anywhere near enough cause -- which made it feel sudden and out of character considering what came before. Like, literally it was just a shift from one chapter to the next, and it was a hell of a buzzkill; and all this did was compound my annoyance over inconsistencies, and I'm calling this out specifically, from chapter thirteen (where comments and statements were made that had no bearing on the scene that came before or any dialogue up until that point, so.. it just didn’t make sense. and if you disagree please come into my DMs and explain it because I reread the first twelve chapters three times to try and piece it together). 

Likewise there is something that ends up happening at the school, causing chaos and mayhem and death, and we just totally ignore it for like.. days (weeks?). Even after discussions on how to fix the issue are had and vaguely plotted out. A day passes, then more, and it isn’t spoken of or any kind of concern for far too long -- likely because it would’ve interfered with the ~romance interlude~ -- and honestly this whole plotline was just an exercise in additional frustration.

Honestly, as disappointing as things got around the halfway mark it was nothing compared to the absolute nonsense post-eighty percent. I don’t even have words for the train wreck this became. 

There was, however, the tiniest glimmer of redemption in a conversation right before the end as if trying to make up for the mess of it all and while I thought it was a poignant and well-written exchange, as well as an acknowledgement of the messy power dynamics that Gibson detailed throughout, it just.. it was too little too late for me.

Overall none of these characters, after the initial blush of interest, did anything for me. They felt shallow and inconsistent, inconstant, and more just vehicles for the vibes the author wanted. Which is a shame because the cast of characters from A DOWRY OF BLOOD were overflowing with complex characterization whereas the ones herein had only drips and drabs of mess. And that compounded by the "plot" just didn't make for a good mix.

Sadly this won't be one I recommend and I will have to go forth with lowered expectations for the author's May release. Though maybe that's for the best anyway; and at least that one, I'm sure of, isn't a vampire book. Maybe a change will do me good.

An Education in Malice is the first S. T. Gibson book I’ve read and I’m instantly a fan! I devoured it in one sitting.

Her writing is haunting and luscious. The emotions of the character are so beautifully described they feel tangible to the reader.

The fantasy elements are a subtle balance between powerfully ominous and enticingly elusive.

Themes of longing, power, devotion, and destructive love woven in to this Carmilla retelling are aching and delicious.

A must read for all gothic horror, dark academia and poetry lovers!

A Dark academia gothic tale with vampires and a sapphic romance.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Redhook books for a digital ARC of this book for an honest review. I rate this book as a 3.5/5

This dark academia tale starts off in 1968 at Saint Perpetua's Women's college located in Massachusetts where we meet our two main characters, Laura and Carmilla. As remarked by Carmilla, both young women are the two opposing sides of the same coin. Carmilla came from Europe to exclusively work with Professor De Lafountaine and be in her elite poetry class. Carmilla yearns to be coveted and prized by De Lafountaine and becomes jealous when Laura, the talented freshman is accepted into the prestigious class.

What ensues is an entanglement of emotions as Laura becomes obsessed with Carmilla from afar and Carmilla is envious and suspicious of Laura's writing gifts that further welcome the attention of their professor. As Laura observes the relationship between De Lafountaine and Carmilla, she is convinced that all is not what is seems, especially when after class Laura hides and catches a glimpse of what looks like De Lafountaine drinking from Carmilla's neck.

This story is full of luscious prose that delves into the psyche and dark desires of two young women who are coming into their own in the late 60s amid gender rights, racism, and coming to terms with their own self-identity. Laura struggles with pursuing her own desires and of what is socially acceptable. With a religious background, Laura tries to accept that it's a part of her identity while trying advocate for feminist rights. As the relationship between Laura and Carmilla shifts from malice to passion, we start to focus on the motivations and intentions of De Lafountaine. She has secrets of her own that are dangerous and put the girls in peril. Carmilla was once hers, but Carmilla wants another. Neither is De Lafountaine the only vampire.....

Although the written perspective alternates between Carmilla and Laura, I really wished that the third perspective of De Lafountaine was present as there is a triangulation of enmeshed relationships: love, betrayal, jealousy, and broken boundaries. The author covers a lot of ground in this story and although the setting of the women's college provides a vessel for this story to take place - I was hoping for the college to also be a character in the story in its own way. Topics of racism and religion were there, but more of a backdrop to the story and could have been explored more deeply. I also enjoyed Laura's friendship with Elenore, and after spending time developing Elenore's character and relationship with Laura, she vanishes from the storyline. There are also other plot points that really had me wondering. Some were too neat and reactions of characters to certain events did not land as logical to me.