An Education in Malice, loosely inspired by Sheridan Le Fanu’s ‘Carmilla,’ follows Laura Sheridan as she finds herself drawn to her academic rival Carmilla, but as they compete for the attention of their poetry professor, Laura finds that more sinister things may be at work.

What you need to know:
- sapphic vampires
- dark academia set at a Massachusetts college

Carmilla is one of my favourite classics, not so much for what it is as much as what it has become and how it has been reclaimed, so I jumped at the chance to read this arc. I think to fully appreciate this story you have to distance yourself from the original ‘Carmilla’ and Gibson’s past work because this project is quite the departure.

As always, Gibson’s prose is seductive and impossible to not get lost in. I picked it up and finished it in one sitting. I cannot wait for more from her.

An Education in Malice is a dark academic tale of blood, lust, and love & I was hooked from the start. Set at the prestigious Saint Perpetua's college in Massachusetts, we follow Laura and Carmilla, two young women entranced by the same elusive and mysterious professor: Evelyn De LaFontaine. When Laura learns the truth about Carmilla and De Lafontaine's relationship, she is thrust into a new and intoxicating world, one she never dreamed of being a part of.

I had so much fun with this. There were times when I felt that the plot was chugging along slowly or that the descriptions of Laura's surroundings were a bit much, but ultimately I was hooked on the plot - I wanted to know what was going to happen to Laura, Carmilla, and De LaFontaine, and I was rooting for all three of them to come out unscathed and happy. I appreciated getting to see Magdalena again from A Dowry of Blood, and I thought her appearance in this novel portrayed her as just as elegant and sophisticated as she was in the first novel. I will admit that I didn't think the writing was as stunning or evocative as A Dowry of Blood - at least not always - but this was still a well-written and engaging story. Definitely one I'm eager to add to my collection.

Ugh this was one of my most anticipated reads but it fell so short. After a few chapters, the two POVs started sounding similar—I kept forgetting whose POV I was in. 1st person is already a hard sell for me, and this just didn't hit. It also felt really low stakes. I can do low stakes if the characters are engaging, but this just wasn't for me. Laura also quickly got on my nerves. She told a lot about herself when I'd prefer to be shown it.

S.T. Gibson does it again with the immaculate dark gothic vibes. The writing was also beautiful.

Set in the 60s at St. Perpetua’s college, Laura meets her academic rival and our other main character Carmilla where their rivalry blossoms into something more.

I really enjoyed getting both of the main characters POV throughout the book. It also dives into the different types of love and emotions that come with it such as obsession, jealousy, etc.

Overall, I really loved the story and setting. I think the author did a beautiful job and ended Carmilla and Laura’s story perfectly.

For readers that enjoy rivals to lovers, slow burn, dark academia, vampires and sapphic romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC.

This book is a love story with vampires and mortals set at a college in Massachusetts. Laura and Carmilla are classmates, Carmilla a bit older. They both are in a poetry class with Professor DeLafontaine, and are attempting to get into her good graces and win her attention. This book is a love story, coming of age, what it is like to love someone for a very long time, and the sacrifices that come with it. Laura and Camilla, while set as adversaries to win their professor's approval, become much more as the story progresses. This story was unexpected and enjoyable.

We really need to tighten up the definition of dark academia. This is dark, certainly, but there’s nothing especially academic about it aside from the fact that it s set at a school. And while it’s an entertaining story, this kind of misleading presentation always leaves the reader feeling a bit letdown because of what it’s not instead of being able to fully appreciate it for what it actually is.

I really liked the fantasy element of this book, especially because it takes a while to figure out exactly what that element is and how it figures into the story. The atmosphere of the book is well-rendered and reflective of that fantasy element in a way that I think takes unusual skill on the part of the author.

I liked the characters and to an extent I also liked the dynamic between them, though there’s an unfortunate, goofy romance novel aspect to this that makes the story hard to take seriously, which was a bit of a bummer since the bones of the plot were good. If you like open-door fantasy romance this particular facet of the book will probably be a positive for you, but for me it just felt too cringey and just isn’t to my taste as far as dark fantasy goes.

Regardless, I like the way Gibson writes and how evocatively she builds setting and sense of place well enough to try another when the time comes.

I wanted to like this book really badly, but I ended up finding it just okay. I wasn't the biggest fan of A Dowry of Blood and this had similar vibes to me and it just wasn't my cup of tea. I think if I had read it at a different period in my life, I would've loved this but I thought it was fine. A solid 3 star read.

I’m truly at a loss for words. I’ve never read anything like this in my life, and I don’t know how to convey how I feel. In simple terms, this book is everything to me. I love it, heart and soul. The writing is so beautifully descriptive, and the plot was always taking unexpected turns. The slow-burn romance between Laura and Carmilla was simply beautiful. I don’t think I’ve read Academic Rivals to Lovers like them before! I adored De Lafontaine’s story and personal growth! I love this book so much! Everyone needs to read this, it’s a once in a lifetime books.

Thank you Netgalley and Redhook for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely toxic but undeniably mesmerizing. If there’s anything ST Gibson’s deliciously indulgent prose is suited for, it’s a moody, vampiric, sapphic dark academia story. The characters are deplorable and their relationships are wildly problematic, yet I found myself hanging on to every word and eager to watch it all unfold.

That is, until the last quarter or so of the book, where I was let down by the climax and resolution. After successfully introducing such complex and layered character arcs, their culmination in the end felt shallow. The toxic relationships that were so convincingly established in the beginning of the book were resolved far too abruptly. I was left feeling like a lot of the complex themes and ideas that Gibson opened throughout the story, like the quandary of mortal/immortal relationships, the power imbalances within academia, and the fine line between love and possession, weren’t ultimately explored to the depths I'd hoped.

While I still enjoyed reading this, I would recommend A Dowry of Blood over An Education in Malice for experiencing Gibson at her best.

DNF @ 50% - I don’t think that this story was for me and my 2024 goal is to not make myself finish books that I don’t enjoy. This book was beautifully written in a way where I could picture the setting and feel the vibes. The story started out strong for me, but the seemingly random insert of vampires and lack of build up or chemistry for the “enemies to lovers-ish” was enough for me to walk away and be okay with not knowing where this is going.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my thoughts and opinions.

Saint Perpetua's College is isolated and ancient; it's also not for the faint of heart. Laura Sheridan has found herself in an intense rivalry with Carmilla. De Lafontaine, poetry teacher, draws them into his confidence. There rivalry blooms into something more intimate and Laura is forced to confront her own hungers.

The sapphic, pining, vampiric book we’ve all been waiting for. This Carmilla retelling is to die for.

I will admit, many parts left me wanting, but I enjoyed the story and conclusion.

I will admit, I confused the two POVs several times, and wish I understood the obsession with the professor a bit more. I’ve had my own obsessions of course, but just couldn’t see past the red flags on this one.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this, and will likely be thinking about Carmilla and Laura for a long time coming.

A slow burn, dark Academia,coming of age, Enemies to lover troupe with beautifully written Sapphic!
The retelling of Carmilla, Countess Karnstein intertwined with art, writing and poetry. Takes place in 1986 a time of no internet or cell phones; in the same universe as S.T Gibsons other book a 'Dowry of Blood'. Laura is a young freshmen starting her education at St. Perpetua an all girls private academy. Laura is accepted into a very exclusive class under Professor DeLafontane (professor by day, vampire by night) Soon after her arrival she meets Carmilla one of DeLafontanes Top and Favourite students. From here on in the plot these two become obsessed with each other and become rivals, competing in verse for the top of class spot. Very atmospheric, elegant, and romantic! absolutely loved it! easily my top fav. for 2024. Highly recommend this book, and no you don't need to have read 'A dowry of blood' to understand this new book. (It is a standalone). For fans such as myself of her other book, we get a wonderful Easter egg in the plot!

Thank you Netgalley for my arc copy in exchange for my honest review!

An Education in Malice is a beautifully haunting tale of first love set against dark academia. Gibson's prose is elegant and engrossing in this retelling of Carmilla. The atmosphere drew me in right from the first line and did not lose me. An Education in Malice is set in the same universe as Gibson's A Dowry of Blood. However, reading ADOB is not necessary to enjoy this book.

At Saint Perpetua's College, a prestigious all-women's college, Laura and Carmilla quickly become academic rivals; however, this does not dampen their almost toxic attraction to one another.
If you’re hankering for a book with dark academia, queer yearning, a setting sans men with an eccentric teacher you would do anything to impress, and an academic rivalry turned romantic, you’re going to love An Education in Malice. It’s enemies-to-lovers with a bit of an edge.
This is the first of S.T. Gibson’s works I have read, but it will certainly not be the last.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the eARC! An Education in Malice's publication date is February 13, 2024.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Redhook and Orbit team for allowing me to read the e-arc for this book. This was my first retelling of the story of Carmilla, and it was a very enjoyable interpretation of the classic!

This story was a quintessential dark academia novel, full of sapphic love and lust, as well a being a beautiful retelling of the classic story of Carmilla. The characters were generally well fleshed out and remained true to their original muses which was a definite positive for this story. I did feel like the beginning of the book felt a bit heavy handed with the whole poetic enemies to lovers theme, but the second half of the book resolved a lot of this feeling for me. I do also think that the relationship between the two main characters switched from hate to love a bit abruptly, but it was still written in a way that made it enjoyable which I give kudos to Gibson for! Laura and Carmilla's relationship was passionate, lustful, and deeply devotional, and the way Gibson portrayed this through prose and poetry was absolutely stunning--truly.

If you are sensitive to unbalanced power dynamics or inappropriate student-teacher relationships, I would definitely advise you to pass on this book. The intensity of Carmilla's dynamic with both Laura and Ms. D is one of the central plot points from beginning to end. It is deliciously taboo and intoxicating, but for those who prefer lighter dynamics and fluff this book may be a bit much. Of course, Laura and Carmilla do have a fair share of sweet moments in their relationship, each of which is an absolute delight to read, so I recommend trying this book if you are able. Another aspect of this relationships that is frequently touched on is the constant sexual tension between the two of them, holy cow. It was electrifying and I was on the edge of my seat every time I can't even lie. Laura...holy moly. I won't spoil anything, but Laura's internal monologue was SENDING ME. She's honestly so real.

Overall, I would recommend this book for anyone looking for a dark academia, steamy and sapphic, retelling of the classic story of Carmilla. The setting is beautiful and the prose is beyond gorgeous. I really enjoyed this book despite my slight pacing qualms, and think that this was an abolutely wonderful read!

Endnote: I do possibly plan on putting this book in a TikTok, and if I do, I will revise this review to include the link!

I thoroughly enjoyed this reimagining of Carmilla.

I loved the 60’s setting. It made such a fun picture in my head, the clothes, the school of only women plus it was a great time period to set this exploration of desire and coming into one’s self.

It was interesting to have Carmilla’s POV, which you don’t get in the original story. The obsession part of love, such a large theme of the original book, is definitely there in aspects in all the characters.

Exploring Carmilla as the sub in a Dom/sub relationship was an unexpected flip that I really enjoyed and thought brought a fresh complexity.

It’s was a very fast read and the pacing is quite good. There were not too many lulls in the narrative. Whether that can be owed to the book being so short or just a tidy story, either way it works.

The dynamic between Laura and Carmilla is fun and realistic and charged with sexual tension. The resolution was satisfying in its openness and I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Books for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was looking forward to this sapphic, vampire, dark academia book, especially after hearing such good things about A Dowry of Blood. But I found myself being disappointed by it.

The writing was good at some points, but other times we were being told rather than shown what was happening. Her writing style in this book was not my favorite. The plot jumped around all over the place, and there was no clear storyline. I was a bit confused at the point of the story and where it was heading. I feel like it just fell flat overall, and some things could have happened differently.

The romance felt rushed as well. I assumed it would be a slow burn considering how much they did not like each other, but they fell in love so quick that I did not feel connected to the romance.

I wanted to love this book, but I don’t think it was the book for me. I did love the gothic atmosphere of this book, which made it easy to fall into.

This book is perfect for readers of the dark academia subgenre. ST Gibson's beautiful writing, a gripping plot, and a secluded campus setting made for another amazing read from this author. I hardly ever read books to do with vampires, but I adore the way Gibson crafts their stories around vampire lore, and how they apply their own spin on cultural classics.

4/5 ⭐️
Why would we ever think vampires were male? Okay, I kind of understand why. But it’s such a feminine monster. The way they hunt and attack. The symbolism behind their existence. It is all highlighted here in this book. The potential loneliness to reach this level of enlightenment, or agency. To become the hunter instead of the hunted. This book was such a lovely combination of prose and symbolism and provoking thoughts set in the environment of a dark academia. I wish this was a tad longer. Yet I equally appreciated the speed of the story. I highly recommend this book for anyone that wants to combine dark academia with vampires.
Just a random side thought; in the beginning, when we were first introduced to Laura and the university, it reminded me a lot of Donna Tartt and her experience at Bennington College, which inspired her book, The Secret History.
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

“I learned how to survive in the cutthroat world of girlhood, where all strangeness was unrooted as ruthlessly as weeds from a garden.”

A story about the lines between hate, obsession, and love. Dark, it feels like you can almost smell damp soil as you’re reading it.

The prose in this book is gorgeous, you can tell S.T. Gibson is a poet, and their love for poetry shines through as it’s mixed into the story. I loved getting a glimpse into Carmilla and Laura’s mindsets through their own writing.

There is one storyline with the, sort of, antagonist, that I felt was a little weak. It gets mentioned on and off from midway through the book up til the end but nothing really…happens? I don’t want to say too much and spoil that part but it felt lackluster to me when so much of the rest of the book was deeply well rounded.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!