This book is beautifully written and overall, I did enjoy it. However it is definitely a character driven book and I found myself not really invested in any of the two protagonists or what happened to them. I also sometimes found it hard to distinguish between them when their POV.

Again, the writing prose is lovely and it’s a solid read form people who are looking for a character driven, sapphic, dark academia book. But it wasn’t a huge win for me, unfortunately.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy!

Dark academia, obsessive sapphic romance, vampires, kink, and gore? Yes please!

As in ‘Dowry of Blood,’ Gibson swiftly establishes a lush and immersive atmosphere of dark tension and intrigue. The characters’ relationships are consuming and dangerously intertwined, characterized by both sick fascination and a craving for violence. We see this cruelty become sweeter and more intimate over time, mirrored in the sexual power play between the two young women MCs. Several plot turns are refreshingly unpredictable, moving faster in the second half and racing toward an imperfect but hopeful ending.

I enjoy the exploration of attachment beyond the romantic, the different relational forms that love and lust can take. The professor-student power dynamics are notably not sensationalized, thoughtfully balancing themes of predation/exploitation with the classic queer experience of infatuation with a mentor. I appreciate Gibson’s consideration with handling toxic academic power dynamics, as well as the race, class, and body size representation in this book.

This book was luscious, sexy, and visceral! It captures the heady obsession of falling in love as a young adult and the rush of being chosen as a favorite. Plus vampires! Additionally, if I'd had this book when I was in college, I think I would have realized I was queer a lot sooner.

An Education in Malice, by ST Gibson
ARC review- advanced digital copy provided by Redhook Books
Set to release Feb 13

I feel like it’s important, especially with ARCs to distinguish between when a book is not for me and when I think it is just not well done. This is an example of a book where there are specific reasons it didn’t fit my usual style, it I do think there are a lot of people who will really enjoy it. I did enjoy reading it though!

The book is described as a dark academic fantasy with a heavy romance element. It focuses on the relationships between two poetry students (female) and a poetry professor (female), and the blurred lines between desire, obsession, and rivalry.

Vibes: sapphic romance, enemies to lovers, academic rivals

The truth is this book is mostly a romantasy. It has more depth and plot elements than a lot of books in the genre, and is well written stylistically, but the focus is on the rivalry/romance and not on fleshing out the magical worlds/academic world.

You will like this: if you’re looking for a book that’s romance focused with poetic prose and with a bit of delightful sapphic 🌶️ and dark academic vibes

You may not like this: if you’re looking for a mostly dark academia and fantasy book similar to Ninth House or Atlas Six, or something with a heavier mystery/cult element. Or if you want any poetry, despite all being poets this book basically uses that as window dressing.

It seems often true that authors face the same difficulties as musicians when faced with a sophomore release. Whether it is high expectations coming off the back of a spectacular debut or the pressures of the publishing world restraining a second work I cannot say, but An Education in Malice was for me a decided downgrade from A Dowry of Blood.

On one hand I don't know if it is entirely fair to the author to be making such one-to-one comparisons. On the other, there's literally crossover characters so if she kind of made her own bed there. While AEIM has all the same lush prose and evocative world that ADOB did, and that same un je ne sais quoi that keeps you enthralled the whole time, it lacked the depth and heart of its predecessor. The promising start leads to a sort of meandering middle, eventually becoming a predictable and underwhelming ending. At no point is it bad, but neither am I left with anything that will keep me thinking about it for more than 10 minutes. There is a shallowness to the story that left me thinking "what was the point of it all?" at the end.

I recognize this all sounds rather negative, but I did still enjoy it and would probably recommend it to someone who enjoyed Gibson's first work. I just don't think it's her best.

3.5☆ — thank you to Orbit for providing me with an ARC of this title!

Carmilla and A Dowry of Blood were two of my absolute favourite reads from last year, so imagine my surprise when I heard there was going to be a Carmilla retelling released by none other than S.T. Gibson herself (I was speechless).

An Education in Malice showcases the best of Gibson’s signature writing style—rich and full of passion, dripping with desire, and coupled with lush atmospheric imagery. The religious boarding school was such a classic setting for this sensual tale, and you truly cannot go wrong with a backdrop like rural Massachusetts!

I absolutely adored the prose and the atmosphere of this book, but there were a few aspects of this story that fell a little flat for me:

First off, despite the stunning prose, there was just so much telling instead of showing. I know this isn’t a deal breaker for a lot of people, but it’s definitely one of my greatest pet peeves, and it often felt jarring in a way that ended up taking me out of the story completely. There were a number of times where a beautiful line was said only for the meaning of it to be immediately explained to us outright, which almost took away from the intimacy of the initial sentiment. I felt like the story would’ve benefited from a little more subtlety and for a lot of these moments to be explored and fleshed out just a bit further instead of being stated and abruptly moved on from.

This book is also written in dual-pov, switching between our main character, Laura, and our femme fatale, Carmilla. Coupled with all of the explicit explanations, I felt like the dual point of view held the story back a little by taking away a lot of the mystery and allure surrounding Carmilla that is so central in the titular classic.

Overall, I really respect what S.T. Gibson did in An Education in Malice. The feverish desire absolutely bleeds off the page, and, like A Dowry of Blood, I just can’t get over how Gibson writes about relationships—both the tender and the ugly. Despite my gripes with this story, I would still recommend it to anyone who’s looking for an atmospheric and poetic read to sit down and indulge in on a chilly evening!

An Education in Malice is a Dark Academia Sapphic vampire romance that is sure to pull you in from the first page. I really enjoyed a Dowry of Blood and can report that I enjoyed an Education in Malice just as much.

Laura is a freshman at Saint Perpetua's College in 1968 Massachusetts when she meets Carmilla, an infuriating but beautiful academic rival. Their rivalry slowly blossoms into something more, albeit in the midst of the dangers of a vampire on the loose. I found the plot to be simple in its overall goal, but very easy to get sucked into and not want to put the book down. I loved the tension between the characters and felt Gibson did a great job of balancing slow burn without getting boring. I am a fan of Gibson's writing style, it feels old but modern in that I don't get frustrated or bored of it.

I was also surprised to enjoy a book where the characters are into poetry. That topic is absolutely not my jam but don't let that deter you from picking this up! I actually enjoyed the few poems in the story and didn't want to tune out the topic like I would have expected.

The tie to dowry of blood felt limited (vampires and a particular character shows up as a minor character here), so this story can easily be read as a stand alone although I definitely recommend reading both!

For readers that enjoy enemies to lovers, slow burn, dark academia, vampires, Sapphic romance, with a 60's era setting.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read the next book by S.T. Gibson!

thank you so much for this arc!

“Love turns some people into birds or beggars,
but you make me into architecture,
into a sanctuary of soft and holy spaces shaped to catch the sound of your voice.”

an education in malice by s.t. gibson transported me into candlelit rooms, shelves filled with poetry books where the pages are delicate from constant use. a place where i can feel someone’s breath tickle my neck ready to take a bite. the prose was enthralling and beautifully done! i knew i would love it because i loved a dowry of blood! i’m also a huge fan of gothic vibes, dark academia and mysteriousness so if you like that, you will like this too!

it’s a delicious sapphic retelling of carmilla filled with desire and obsession. in this gothic academia we find ourselves in saint perpetua’s college where our main characters; laura and carmilla, are thrown into an academic rivalry, both dancing in the orbit of their professor, de lafontaine. laura is shy and hides her own desires and hungers while carmilla is ambitious and mysterious. between them, they explore that dark territory of rivalry and want *insert giggle* in the end our girls must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice for love and knowledge. i’ve personally never read carmilla before but now i want to!

release date: feb 15th

the author has given out these trigger warnings:
-uneven power dynamic
-blood, gore and murder
-consensual sex (public sex too)
-alcohol, smoking and drug use
-toxic academic environments
-inappropriate relationship between professor and student
-kink, negotiated and spontaneous

4.5 ⭐️

I’m not well versed in the books of ole, I didn’t know this was a retelling going in but boy does this book stand on its own. The prose? Beautiful. The characters? Incredible, even when you don’t want to root for them. The rivalry? Outstanding. Women loving women? Immaculate.

A true sapphic rivals to lovers with longing, obsession, and jealousy, manipulation and abuse of power… When I think about dark academia this is what I envision. Laura and carmilla had me in a chokehold from start to finish, and Laura’s character development was perfectly paced and executed, my only wish was that Carmilla had grew a little more in step with her.

Overall this book hit every box for me and I absolutely adored it.

S.T. Gibson never ceases to wrap me up in her enthralling, dark worlds with her atmospheric writing and unique story telling. An Education in Malice is a story of two young women finding a home within each other in the midst of an intense rivalry competing for the attention of Professor De Lafontaine. After Carmilla and Laura are dragged into the seductive, yet dangerous world of vampires, they struggle to find a way to be happy together while experiencing the hot and cold treatment from De Lafontaine. When De Lafontaine attempts to awake her long asleep lover/sire, a greater danger in unleashed upon Saint Perpetua’s College.

An Education in Malice is on par with A Dowry of Blood in terms of there being a manipulative abuser using their power and position in an attempt to keep those beneath them desperate for their affections. However, we get to see that the abuser was herself abused, a is able to redeem herself through sacrifice and self awareness. I didn’t expect for a redemption arc, but I think it was well done and I didn’t feel so much disgust or contempt at the end. Overall, this was a super easy read and I really enjoyed it. I’ve really loved the vampiric stories that have come from S.T. Gibson.

Thank you to NetGalley, Redhook, and the author for providing an early copy, I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was okay, but I expected more depth. It explores a sapphic enemies-to-lovers trope with vampirism in the background. The characters lacked depth, and the exploration of vampirism felt superficial. The romance unfolded too easily, and the subplot seemed like an afterthought, with the antagonist serving more as an ending device. De Lafontaine's character could have been more nuanced for her age. Overall, it was an okay read, but I felt there was potential for a more profound exploration that wasn't fully realized.

Thanks to Net Galley for the Arc

As someone who has been screaming online about how so many dark academia books don't understand the genre, An Education in Malice does not miss the mark, fully embracing the genre to show the blurry lines between being in love and being obsessed. This is greatly helped by the novel's adaptation of the first vampire novel, Carmilla, which also dealt with these same themes. So, if you are looking for something spicy with vampire girls and a novel that demands you play Lana Del Rey while reading. An Education in Malice is a perfect read.

I was a HUGE fan of A dowry of blood, so naturally I could not wait for this one.

We get to follow Carmilla again, as she draws in Laura. They are in college and become drawn to one another. This book is perfect for dark academia lovers, vampire lovers, wlw lovers, etc.

I don't want to say too much, but if you liked her other book ,then you will LOVE this one!

Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for this arc copy.

When I found out S.T. Gibson was releasing a new book I was immediately interested. I loved A Dowry of Blood, and this book followed suit! Gibson absolutely nails the aesthetic and vibes of a New England school, and they know how to write a vampire story. Readers of this book will be hooked from page one as they follow Laura’s journey at a prestigious university shrouded with mystery and Carmilla as she grapples with a demanding mentor and a shocking evolution.
The yearning between the two main characters was so well crafted, and the payoff for it was incredibly satisfying. While Gibson kept a large focus on the book between the romance, they did not shy away from creating a plot that would not let me put the book down! I loved following the characters journey while also being surrounded by discussions of power, love, and death that was heavily steeped in vampire lore.
One surprise I enjoyed while reading this book was the bridge between Gibson’s books, as an important character from A Dowry of Blood does make an appearance in this book.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book! S.T. Gibson has officially been cemented within my top authors with their beautiful writing and darkly rich stories.
*** While I received a free ARC of this from NetGalley, all thoughts and opinions given in this review are 100% honest. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC***

Dark Academia has taken over my reading journey this year and I am LOVING it so far! *I received "An Education in Malice" as an ARC.*

I LOVED the gothic feel of the reading experience. It was perfect to sit down with on a rainy day with a hot chocolate and soft music playing. Gave an amazing experience in the setting and character building. Sexy and tense, though still maintaining the naivete of girlhood.

I read "A Dowry of Blood" before and I feel like you can definitely tell S.T. Gibson enjoys the dark, gothic reading experience. I am excited to see where their writing takes them in the future. I'm enjoying their style.

I was and frankly still am a huge fan of A DOWRY OF BLOOD, so I have been highly anticipating this book since I first heard about, and while there are some significant differences between MALICE and DOWRY, I also think it manages to live up to its own expectations and do something new. S.T. Gibson is a master of writing something so vivid and a relationship so inherently toxic and yet captivating, even as part of me almost wanted to dive into the more gruesome parts of the story. In a way that was both expected and unexpected, this book is a love story in a similar way to DOWRY, despite and because of everything. In some ways it’s hard to tell why Carmilla and Laura become what they do to one another, but as I mentioned, it’s captivating nonetheless. If you’re a fan of DOWRY, or the fever dream of all girls school and what goes bump in the night, this is definitely a book worth checking out.

As one of the few classics being retold that I’ve read, I’ll admit I’m not the biggest fan of CARMILLA, but I do think that Gibson’s interpretation makes it more interesting and accessible (and frankly, having read the original source material didn’t add much to my reading experience). The pure vibes of an all-girls college in the hills of Massachusetts during I believe the 1950s is absolutely captivating, and I almost wish that it was delved into more. Frankly, my biggest critique of the entire book is that I wish everything had gone deeper, the levels of obsession, craving, toxicity, almost felt mellow. The pacing of the book itself was alright but I think a full immersion is stopped short, some in Laura’s narration and some in the attempt to weave De LaFontaine’s story with Laura and Carmilla’s.

All in all, I think this book checks a lot of boxes. It’s a messy sapphic romance mixed with vampires, poetry recitations, and a touch of kink (though I would definitely say there’s fairly low levels of actual on-page exploration of it). It was an interesting and fairly quick read for me, and one I would definitely recommend if it interests you!

Dark. Sexy. Thrilling.

This book was impossible to put down. The tension that laced every page was addicting and I felt as if I was on the edge of a cliff just waiting to watch everything spiral out of control.

Two rival classmates get caught up in the attention of their enigmatic poetry professor and both of their lives are changed forever.

The prose was beautiful but not over the top, the plot moved quickly, and the characters felt impossibly real.

I will warn: this book is dark so check the trigger warnings but if you’re into sapphic vampires and dark academia this one is for you.

3.75/5 stars 🌟
Thank you NetGalley and Red Hook Books for providing me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a dark academia, multi-POV tale between two rivals battling for the affection of their poetry professor.

The tension from the main characters grows as we read the story and wow the chemistry is there. Their relationship dynamic throughout the book fascinates me.

I have read A Dowry of Blood before this so I am familiar with her writing and wow it still amazes me how beautiful it is. I wanted to underline so many lines in this book. The author really does have a way with words.

The middle was a bit slow but it does pick up towards the last part of the book. I was invested to see what would happen. I am satisfied with the ending and I look forward to reading more from this author.

An Education in Malice is a sapphic dark academia rivals to lovers book filled with vampires and Gothic New England atmosphere set in an all girls school. Loved the three MFC Laura, Carmilla and professor Professor De Lefontaine. It is also a retelling of the book”Carmilla “.
Being my first S. T. Gibson book I did not know what to expect and I will be reading more of her books. I really enjoyed the writing and pace of this book but wasn’t fond of how it ended. Overall I would recommend this book.

Beautiful writing and a captivating story. I wasn’t entranced in the same way I was when I read A Dowry of Blood, but this was still a lovely read. This could almost pass as YA, despite some heavy themes and overt sexuality. I actually think some teens would feel really validated reading about these young girls’ experiences. This is also definitely one of those books that spans genres— because of the author’s previous work, I’m assuming this will be shelved in horror. But despite having vampires, this is very dark academia and like I already said, would appeal to teens as well.