I wanted to enjoy this book, but the style of the prose was not for me, and the content warnings made it difficult for me to get too far into the book. I think that there are a LOT of people out there who will really enjoy this book, it's just unfortunately not the book for me.

I think I'll round this up to a 3 star even though this realistically is more like a 2.5. I'm honestly super disappointed in this one after loving A Dowry of Blood as much as I did. (And it may be my fault that I kept comparing it to ADOB as I was reading- but ADOB made me FEEL and this just did not compare.)

In theory, this had every single element that would make this an exceptional read for me- sapphic, vampires, academic setting, gothic horror... but unfortunately it all fell very flat.

The first person narrative style in addition to the dual POV was probably what I liked least. I felt like we lost an element of mystery by getting both Laura's and Carmilla's insights. And on top of that, I never really developed any deep connection with either of them. I think this book tried to tell too much story in a short amount of time and I think the relationship building suffered because of it.

The one thing I did really enjoy was how it tied back into characters from ADOB. The role that the one character (because I don't want to spoil it) plays in the end is very compelling and I almost wish we got to see more of them.

Okay, so after reading a Dowry of Blood I went into this expecting a slam dunk. An Education in Malice was great, but just slightly missed the bar I had set for my expectations.

An Education in Malice is very poetic and has a fantastic gothic vibes in a dark academic all woman's college setting.

In my honest opinion though, this was lacking in a way that A Dowry of Blood wasn't.. I was entertained while reading it, but now as I sit trying to write a review- I'm realizing it was incredibly forgettable. I can hardly remember any elements aside from feeling like the FMC's were strong and loving the gothic setting.

I feel that a lot of people will enjoy this book and don't want to deter anyone from picking it up and trying. It just wasn't for me.

AN EDUCATION IN MALICE by S. T. Gibson is one of those novels that other people adore, but I did not. In fact, while many of the pre-release reviews are very favorable, I have several issues with the story. While one or two issues does not preclude me from enjoying the novel, when combined they do.

My biggest beef with AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is that I never felt like it was a sweeping romance. Obsession, yes. Lust, most definitely. A romance for all time, most definitely not. If anything, I liken Laura's fascination with Carmilla to nothing more than her first taste of the forbidden fruit. She comes from a small Southern town; she's sheltered and pious. She never used the word lesbian to describe herself, and she is only beginning to understand her sexual proclivities through exposure to erotica in the school library. Laura has a crush. It is not love everlasting.

For Carmilla, I believe her attraction to the pure and pious Laura has less to do with lust and everything to do with Laura's infatuation. Carmilla is a young woman who was essentially abandoned by her parents. Her flight to St. Perpetua is, if anything, more a desire to prove that she doesn't need her parents anymore. In Laura, she finds a level of unwavering adoration she never received from either her parents or De Lafontaine. Laura is safety, nourishment, and love.

As for De Lafontaine, I would be remiss if I did not discuss the mental and emotional abuse she heaps on Carmilla and, to a lesser extent, Laura. De Lafontaine may be teaching her students to become better poets, but that does not excuse her cruelty or the mind games she plays with them. It is nothing more than someone with power subjugating the powerless to her whims. With Carmilla, this even extends to a physical relationship. I find nothing about De Lafontaine and her relationships with the two girls to be sexy or romantic.

At one point in time in AN EDUCATION IN MALICE, one of the characters discusses LOLITA, a novel released thirteen years before the happenings of this story. The character goes on to discuss how much she enjoys LOLITA and does not understand why people vilify Humbert Humbert. This scene, even though I can't remember if it was Laura or Carmilla who was narrating at the time, should be a red flag that she has a skewed perception of adult-child relationships. I also think it is a red flag as to the type of relationship De Lafontaine has with either girl.

A minor issue I have with AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is the fact that while narrated by Laura and Carmilla, their voices are too similar. I would lose track in the middle of a chapter and have to flip back to the chapter beginning to remind myself who the narrator was. There is nothing to separate either girl from the other. Both have obsessive personalities, albeit fueled by different desires. Even though Carmilla is almost five years Laura's senior, she is every bit as childish and naive as Laura. The two should not be interchangeable, and yet they are.

All this to say that I did not enjoy AN EDUCATION IN MALICE. I could not stomach the relationships between De Lafontaine and the girls. Neither could I believe in the grandiose love story that others describe it to be. I see it as more of Laura's coming-of-age story than a romance, and that's if I am generous. If asked, I would say AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is about two naive and lonely girls who choose to be in an abusive relationship with an adult before they find solace in each other. Neither girl matures or shows growth at the story's close. It is a Lolita-type novel with a paranormal element, which only serves to muddle the story and the relationships even further.

Why others are giving AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is beyond my understanding. Perhaps I read it when I was in the wrong frame of mind. I might be reading too much between the lines. I could even be interpreting the story in a way the author never intended. I only know why I didn't like it, and I hope your reading experience is much more enjoyable than mine.

This book was so great! Being introduced to Carmilla and Laura and De Lefontaine was instantly contagious. I love a good academic rivals to lovers trope and this one something special. The climactic scene with Isis at the end felt a bit empty and quick to me. For something centuries in the making it seemed a bit easy. Loved the pacing and would have easily read another 50 pages or so to wrap up neatly.

This is a Dark Academia retelling of Carmilla, a gothic novella written in 1872.

Told from two POVs, the story begins when Laura arrives as a freshman to St. Perpetua, a small, private women’s college. She manages to enroll in an upperclassmen poetry seminar taught by the enigmatic Professor De Lafontaine

There she meets Carmilla - a senior at the top of her class, a shining star, and De Lafontaine’s clear favorite. But it’s not long until Laura’s prose catches the attention of the demanding professor. Carmilla hates sharing the spotlight with Laura, and Laura despises her equally. An intense academic rivalry ensues as they both try to prove their worthiness.

The relationship between Laura and Carmilla is passionate from the moment they meet: hatred, mistrust, cruelty, desire, longing - it’s all there. Laura may seem like a shy, pious girl, but her proclivities are anything but. Carmilla may seem like she is always in control, but she desperately wants to serve. And Professor De Lafontaine’s obsession with Carmilla may forever alter the lives of both students.

At less than 300 pages, this book was too short for much depth beyond the main plot. You won’t find anything all that unexpected in these pages - after all, it’s a retelling of one of the most famous novellas of all time. But that didn’t stop me from enjoying it for what it was - a beautiful and dark tale of obsession, hunger, and blood written in luscious prose

4 stars for this perfectly gothic book 💫

An Education in Malice is a Carmilla retelling with the same premise of being a multi-layered story about love, loss, and yearning for a past and future you can’t obtain. This story also ends with a great sacrifice just as the original Carmilla did.

This sapphic, dark academia, academic rivals to lovers book was everything I dreamt it would be. The pure poetry ST Gibson writes is unmatched. Tension & a bit of found family at the end was exquisite. I loved A Dowry of Blood and I loved this book. I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future!

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC! 🤍

I personally could not finish this book. The premise sounds interesting, but it was not what I was expecting at all. I really wanted to love this, but I could not get through it

4.5 stars

First and foremost I want to say that if you (like me) did not care for A Dowry of Blood - you might still give this one a shot!

I absolutely devoured this book. Almost read it in a day, but ended up taking a little more time to savor it. Some really beautiful writing and lush descriptions:
“Mississippi was a study in green, crawling with Spanish moss and bedecked with heavy-laden magnolia trees, but I never realized how many colors there were to be found in nature until that first fall in New England.”

I am obsessed with Laura’s character and I really identified with aspects of her personality. There were some real good quotes about female rage, feeling othered, and life. The academic rivals to lovers I thought was well done with the appropriate amount of angst.

Slight pacing issues that dragged about 70-80% of the way through. The ending was both expected and unexpected in different ways [insert spoilery reasons] - so you’ll just have to read a find out!

A Dowry of Blood was such an amazing read for me, that when I found out there would be a Carmilla retelling from the same author I squealed!

Thank you so much to S. T. Gibson and NetGalley for the eARC!

I loved this story, and enjoyed this read however I didn’t get the same gothic/yearn/poetic vibes from this novel as I was expecting. It left me wanting more.

I would definitely still recommend it, and I loved the special cameo we got to see!

I am not sure a book will ever take up more of my future thoughts than this one. I think about A Dowry of Blood often, and gush about it to customers all the time, but this book was exceptional.
The characters were extremely real to me, and my feelings for them grew at the same rate Laura grew closer to them. Loyalty was a huge trait in this book, and I was surprised to see that the characters remained true to each other even after facing so many doubts about them.
The gothic atmosphere, high-risk romance, and lust-filled longing made this book one of my favorite reads. . . probably ever.
Thank you so much to Orbit and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! I really wanted to love this book, the cover art and description were something I thought I would fall in love with but it was a flop for me. The characters lacked depth and there wasn’t enough background about the characters to make their choices/character development feel important. I loved the concept but felt it could have been executed better.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for blessing me with an ARC of one of my most anticipated reads of the year!

This was absolutely devoured! 🩸

Unsurprisingly, Gibson’s writing is as addictive here as it was in A Dowry of Blood. I lost count of how many lines I reread because of how beautiful they were written. The relationships and interactions between all the characters are very well written. She does such a fantastic job at writing characters like De Lafontaine and at evoking us readers to also feel as hypnotized by them and eager to know more about them as the main characters. The dark academia setting was so well done and atmospheric.

I will say that I didn’t feel as connected to Laura and Carmilla as I did with the main character in A Dowry of Blood. Sometimes their actions confused me, especially Laura’s.

I also felt like the amount of time in which everything took place was very short, so the romance felt a little rushed.

All in all, very good! I truly hope that Gibson continues to write more stories in this universe!

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I have not read A Dowry of Blood yet so this is my first exposure to S.T. Gibson, and after reading An Education in Malice, I will definitely be going back and reading her first book as her writing style is just fantastic! I was hooked from start to finish.
I started this book around 4pm today and finished it that same evening. I could not put it down. The writing is so captivating.

Synopsis:
Laura is a freshman girl from Mississippi starting at Saint Perpetua’s College, an isolated all girls school in Massachusetts. While a natural introvert, she is quickly adopted by two senior girls/mentors as she navigates this new school. Her favorite class quickly becomes her poetry class, taught by professor De Lafontaine. She becomes infatuated with a fellow classmate, Carmilla, who also swiftly becomes her rival in class. Little does Laura know that Carmilla has been forming a strange relationship with the professor over her prior years at this school. This story follows dual POV between Laura and Carmilla as they navigate their rivalry, the attention of their beloved professor, intimacy, and of course - vampires.

The first half of this book was my favorite - you had academia, rivals, and sexual tension mixed with a mysterious yet captivating professor. I absolutely loved it. The second half had more vampires, romance, and spice, which was also great, and the ending wrapped up very nicely.

Will definitely be adding this to my physical book collection on release day!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC! I’ve been ravenous for more of Gibson’s work since I tore through A Dowry of Blood. 🩸🥀 🩸

As expected, Gibson delivered a work complete with lush writing that evoked that perfect dark academia vibe I am forever chasing. It left me desperately wanting to be part of De Lafontaine’s poetry seminar, vying for the top spot in an elite group of poets - minus the toxic student/professor relationship. 🧛‍♀️

Reasons I deducted a star:
- I just didn’t click with Laura’s character. Maybe I just didn’t get enough of her psyche/development but I didn’t buy the whole “sweet southern girl looking to be a dom” vibe.
- The main conflict resolved itself too quickly and neatly to be fully satisfying.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed myself with this one! Can’t wait to get my hands on more of Gibson’s work.

Was a solid 3 stars. I liked the message of the book, but found the second half a little repetitive. Was waiting for some grand reveal or turning point at the end to make all the talking and plot conclude a little better. Would definitely recommend to people who like dark academia, quick reads, and slow plots.

THAT ENDING!?!

This is the first book I've read by this author and the way I'm about to collect and anything else they have to offer!

Vampires and dark academia. Laura goes off to school and had a less than average experience. Meeting Camilla and a certain professor massively changes her life. I couldn't put this book down. It's face paced and constantly has you trying to figure out what the characters are going to do next.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

While the beginning of this book is on the slow side I absolutely adored it by the end. 

This is so incredibly well written and was an absolute joy to read. 

There were so many tense moments that were loaded with sexual tension that while no actual acts were happening the moments felt intimate. 

While I'm typically not a fan of dark academia this had a very nice balance of life and academia that I was able to enjoy it without feeling like I'm at school

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for the digital galley in exchange for my honest review.

I really wish it was longer. I wanted to spend more time in this world than what I was given, though I guess that’s what rereads are for.

I loved the characters and their dynamic, but I don’t consider this a go-to for the enemies to lovers trope. They are enemies for basically one on-page class scene and then a month passes off-page and their feelings for each other get more complicated. Slow burn can’t be accomplished in just north of two hundred pages (see any Dramione fanfiction with 150,000 words and counting). I didn’t get to see them really hate each other. Also, I expected more dark academia, but the scenes in class and discussing poetry are limited. The academia takes a back seat to the romance.

And while I’m speaking of romance, I wouldn’t necessarily call it FFF. The third is not romantically involved, except through emotional entanglement.

My favourite parts were when we got to see deeper into the vampire lore, and what is bound to become the TikTok lauded exhibitionist scene.

A great read for fans of Alexis Henderson’s House of Hunger.

I’m certainly along for the ride for future S.T. Gibson novels.

An Education in Malice is a dark, sensual romance about two academic rivals who compete for the esteem and attention of their poetry professor and end up falling in love and into danger.

Laura is a small-town girl from Mississippi who travels to Boston to study writing at Saint Perpetua's before she begins a career as an Episcopalian minister. When she meets Carmilla, the haughty, dark-haired poet who serves as their professor's protege, Laura is at once enthralled and repelled. The girls become rivals as they compete for the approval of their professor, the capricious and exacting Ms De Lafontaine. Laura and Carmilla end up drawn into a world of danger and passion when they cross paths with a starving vampire and their lives are forever changed.

I picked up this book because I'd heard good things about S. T. Gibson's writing and because I love a good vampire book, and it ended up being so much better than I could have imagined. Gibson's writing is sensual and evocative, and the romantic tension she weaves between Laura and Carmilla is beautifully done. She effectively paints De Lafontaine as equal parts intriguing and dangerous, and she shows that her mentor relationship with Carmilla is unhealthy without Carmilla being any the wiser.

The ending felt rushed, but I forgive it because this is a book that prioritizes characters above the plot. It was an enjoyable read from beginning to end, and I recommend it to others who love vampire fiction.