Many thanks to Redhook Books and NetGalley for providing me with this e-ARC in exchange of my honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5

This book is the incarnation of a lesbian-academic-who-happens-to-drink-blood's Pinterest board. This feels like a long woody table decorated with Queens of the Night, red wine from Bordeaux, and Maraschino cherries in whipped cream. This feels like a date with your secret lesbian lover at night in a haunted Austrian castle, where Chopin can be heard from the deep forest near by.

The thing is, S.T. Gibson's atmosphere cannot fail. An Education in Malice is a lush, darkly riveting tale by its setting and its caracter. It's a tale of an intense teacher-student obsession, the quest for grandeur, art, and above all, love. De Lafontaine and Camilla are such interesting characters, and the role Laura played in this whole dynamic is as compelling to read as it is delightful to devour. I find myself marvelling at Gibson's writing, because it thrusted me the world that she created throughout the whole experience. Although I was very sick during the week that I read this, every time I opened my Kindle I found myself captured by the prose on the screen. I don't think I would have liked this book very much had it been written by another.

The thing about these books that are more aesthetic than substance, is that sometimes I am left wanting more from the plot. I wish the murder affair had been more suspenseful (and it would definitely help had the murderer hadn't been revealed before). I also think that the ending was awfully conventional for such an audacious book. Finally, I felt like the relationship between our main girls were slightly rushed, I wish the yearning was more balanced because I felt like the hate-to-love transition was rather abrupt.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. I would recommend this less to people seeks a proper, suspenseful horror but more to those who seek a picturesque, terribly sexy and carnal read.

Unfortunately, this fell flat for me, which was disappointing since A Dowry of Blood is one of my top reads of all time.

As a graduate of a women's college, the setting of St. Perpetua read like the author did a couple of Google searches, found the famous photos of students from the turn of the 20th century in Greek costume for their theater programs on Pinterest, and ran with it. As a fan of the Carmilla web series from 2014, setting this Carmilla rewrite in a remote college with collegiate gothic buildings and creepy old traditions feels unoriginal at best.

Additionally, the beautiful prose that worked so well in A Dowry of Blood feels out of place in the mind of a teenage girl from rural Mississippi in 1968, no matter how mature she may be. For example, I find it hard to believe that Laura Sheridan knows the first thing about experimental French cinema when she has apparently been so sheltered and secluded. It certainly feels far removed from the narrator's naivete in the original work. Frankly, her inner voice sounds like the most irritating of peers from my college days.

I'm sure this book will hit the spot for some young dark academia fans or students who are excitedly preparing to matriculate at a women's college (or any small, private college), so I will keep it in mind for those readers. For me, however, it's a no.

An education in malice is a deliciously gothic dark academia book. If you were a fan of we were villains or The secret history I would recommend giving this one a go.

We have two students battling for the attention and approval of a professor, dripping with lust, jealousy and subtle vampirism.

It is dark, obsessive, sapphic and highly character focused. If you enjoy your writing style beautiful, poetic and seductive then give this one a try.

Thank you to S T Gibson, NetGalley and redhook books for an advanced copy!

Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood was an unexpected favorite read of mine last year so when given the chance to pick up An Education in Malice I was overjoyed. I knew the two are vaguely connected, but I didn’t expect them to hit quite so different.

Just to put it out there, I’ve never read Carmilla so I’m not one to point out how closely An Education in Malice mirrors, retells, or strays from it.

This book is beautifully written and depicts wonderfully complex relationships including a really good sapphic academic rivals to lovers arc. I think it’s an easy hit for its target audience, I’m just unsure if that audience was meant to be me. For reference, I know smutty books aren’t really my cup of tea and that I struggle with anything not set within the last 30 or so years. There are some very sexually explicit scenes here (not to say they were bad, just explicit) and the setting itself pulled me from the narrative often.

That said, I’m still so unsure why 1968 was the chosen setting for this story. Regardless of the reason, the narration felt a lot like Rebecca to me, style-wise, with hints of The Secret History mixed in. The writing flowed well, I just had to shake myself every now and then when a reference to the 60’s was brought up. The cadence felt so much older than the setting to me. It was constantly pulling me out of the narrative, though I’m fully willing to write it off as a personal failing as historical anything is always going to trip me up at least a little.

Other than that, the main fault I found had to do with pacing. The opening of the book was languorous at best, sometimes including scenes that felt entirely unnecessary to the plot, to the point where the plot didn’t really show up until halfway through and even then felt half-hearted. Unfortunately, that only accentuated how little time was spent with the scenes that ended the story, which made them feel overly abrupt and disjointed in comparison. Character arcs were shortened to the point where one character’s entire demeanor was forced to do a 180 in the span of a chapter. Logic was entirely bypassed when it came to certain character choices in order to hurry the plot along. I was constantly trying to figure out when these scenes were taking place because they were taking finals after Christmas break but there was ice on the ground and in the span of a few pages there was an implied entire semester and graduation told through very brief summary. It just felt so rushed.

Even with that in mind this was a tough rating to give because there are parts of this book that were just so well done (like the themes of possession and obsession vs love) or so entertaining to me (like the whole Halloween party from Carmilla’s perspective just cracked me up) that I still truly enjoyed it for the most part and will definitely recommend it just not for any real plot-related reasons.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The writing in this book was absolutely enthralling and just stunning to read. I loved the nuanced relationships throughout, I thought the characters are really well developed and thoughtful. I would recommend this book for any dark academia lover!

An Education in Malice in beautifully written. It flows easily and lends sufficient description to lend to the atmosphere of this dark academic setting.

I had a difficult time with some of the themes, namely the inappropriate student/teacher relationship and abuse. It made it difficult to connect with the characters.

Being unfamiliar with the story of Carmilla, it may have helped going into this to have a better understanding. The personality of the vampires was done well by the author, however for me, I just don't care for them.

Eerily gothic, great modernized story. Beautiful and haunting. Epic love of insatiable tastes in a delicately dark academia setting

4.5 stars! Loved everything about this book. The pace is perfect and that really makes this an immersive experience. I loved the descriptions I felt like I was in the lecture halls or at De Lafontaine’s apartment. The relationship between Laura and Carmilla was so adorable I devoured this book!

If you love dark academia that is an absolute master piece, this book is for you. A Camilla retelling with a gothic twist. This book had me by a choke hold, and I have zero complaints,

This fascinating tale of academic rivals, turned friends, then loves was beautifully done. The way st. Gibson sucks you into the story at the very beginning was made her an instant buy author for me.

Laura has taken the next step in her life. She moves 1/2 way across the country to attend St
Perpetua college for girls. Ecstatic to be excepted in to the perstique literary program ran by De Lafontaine. As the new writing prodigy, Laura is making enemy's on her first day, and may have bitten off more than she can handle. Camilla has been De Lafontaine star pupil for years, the last thing she wants to do her last gear of college is share the professors attention, but if seems De Lafontaine has different plans, in and outside the classroom.

Each character was fascinating to read about, the deep rooted trauma they each have and the way it was depicted was beautiful. The co dependency each one possesses and the way it manifested in each individual, made you acknowledge their struggles, but also understand on an emotional level why they are the way they are.

Everything about this book was amazing and I will take 0 critiques.


Thank you netgalley and Redhook for the chance to read this beautiful book

My heart has been forever changed... every element of this story comes together seamlessly to create a truly captivating reading experience.

The pacing of the narrative is masterfully crafted, it kept me engaged from start to finish. The characters are brought to life with such depth and authenticity that they felt so real to me & the sapphic romance of the FMC's adds a beautiful layer of complexity, capturing the overwhelming feelings of need, lust, and desire with a poignant intensity.

Gibson's writing style and prose are nothing short of breathtaking, with a perfect balance in length that allows the story to unfold organically. What sets this book apart is its refreshing divergence from conventional narratives – the inclusion of vampires and the exclusion of men from the central plot. Both the main and subplots are intricately woven, offering a rich and fulfilling reading experience. It's evident that S. T. Gibson is a master storyteller, and this book deserves nothing less than a solid 5-star rating. Here's hoping that Gibson continues to enchant myself and other readers with their literary prowess for years to come - She has been officially added to my Auto-Buy authors list!

**Thank you Hatchett Books & Netgalley for this ARC - All opinions are my own**

There were definitely some parts of the book/story that I enjoyed, but overall, I didn't really enjoy the book as a whole. Most parts of the book, I felt pretty cringey and I found it highly predatory and uncomfortable to read. I didn't particularly like many of the main characters. I found myself more interested in the friendship Laura had with the side characters and I liked the side characters more than I liked any of the main characters. I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the arc of An Education in Malice.

Without spoilers, I can genuinely say this is one of the best books I’ve ever read. S. T. Gibson’s mind is a masterpiece and I truly believe few are capable of crafting vampires the way she has. This book is beautiful and I have never more so wanted to be a vampire in the company of dark and beautiful women. If you haven’t read her other work, A Dowry in Blood, please do yourself a favor and have your eyes blessed by the wonder that is Gibson’s prose. Five out of five stars.

The year in 1970. Laura, an 18 year old from Mississippi, is nervous but excited to begin her journey as a poetry student in a New England women's college. That is ALL I knew going into this novel and I am so, so glad that I was able to approach it that way. It surprised me again, and again, and again.

WITHOUT spoilers....this is a tale of rivalry and barely suppressed lust in the midst of a mystery. I couldn't put it down. I loved the characters, I loved the turgid mood, I loved the intensity of the relationships, I loved the eroticism.

I've since learned it is a retelling of a classic gothic tale which makes complete sense.

What I'd change.
- MORE Poetry! These are poetry students for goodness sake!
- I imagine the setting was chosen to avoid having the internet and cell phones but the anachronisms were a little jarring, both in speech and attitudes. I expect YA novels to pretend racial tension and homophobia didn't exist but it's odd in an adult novel. Why have Laura be a Southerner in the first place?

Overall I really loved it. Congrats to this author for their achievement. And thanks NetGalley & Orbit Publishing for the ARC.

An education in Malice is a gripping gothic novel filled with suspense and desire. Very much an enemies to lovers story An Education in Malice is filled with blood. Warnings there are some inappropriate relatiopnships between teacher and student.

The book was overall ok I really struggled to read it, it gets very steamy which is just not really my thing. I have the feeling though that for several this will be a hit. Pick up An Education In Malice and get consumed by all it holds.

Thank You to Orbit books and #Netgalley for the chance to read #AnEducationInMalice by #S.T.Gibson

To be honest, I wasn't really into this book at first, though I did find the second half more engaging than the first. There was a lot of heavy-handed writing about an inappropriate relationship between a teacher and student at an elite girls' school in Massachusetts. There's a lot of suspension of disbelief asked of the reader, even before the vampires show up (at that point, the novel becomes more engaging). With an enigmatic teacher who is supposedly brilliant and who takes two of her students under her wing under the guise of furthering their literary education, the whole thing just kind of left me uncomfortable and indifferent about the characters.

Dark academic, sapphic rivals, paranormal romance, mysterious women's college, poetry, and vampires?
Say less.

Set in the 1960's, Laura starts at a prestigious Boston women's college to study poetry and writing. She finds herself thrust into an academic rivalry with her classmate, Carmilla, and both girls are competing for the undivided affection and praise of their poetry teacher, De LaFontaine. But something more sinister is at play, and nothing is as it seems as Laura unravels the secrets lurking on campus, and between her professor and rival.

This book captivated me from the beginning, and was lyrically written, mysterious, intoxicating, dark, and eery (in the best way). This book dives into themes of obsession, power, lust, and femininity. I would have liked a bit more of a pick-up of the plot in the last 25% of the book, because I think there was ample opportunity to step up the stakes, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story.

Thank you NetGalley, and Orbit books for the eARC!

I was honestly a little underwhelmed by this book because I had such high expectations for it. I just found the plot to be very boring and the characters uninteresting.

Really loved this! I had heard other great things about Gibson, and people constantly recommended "Dowry of Blood" to me because of similar themes that were present in "An Education in Malice". As a huge fan of dark academia I definitely don't think Gibson let me down!

Although this one wasn’t ultimately for me, I’m glad others loved it and I encourage everyone to create their art for the right audience to enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for this ARC.

I think this book had potential to be great, but fell flat for me. I loved the themes throughout and it was refreshing to read a sapphic vampire love story.

This was my first read by this author but I’d be eager to read more from them!