This is my second S.T Gibson, first being A Dowry of Blood" and I can honestly say I enjoyed it just as much maybe even more. She has a way of developing characters and really making you really feel for them. I was completely engrossed in the story and invested in the main character's lives. I cannot wait to read more from her in the future. I also love the slight nod/connection that was made to A Dowry of Blood.

Sapphic romances have my heart! Now add in dark academia and you have my attention. This was every bit as good as Naomi Nobiks deadly education series! If you liked that but wanted a version that was sapphic, please pick this up.

I had not read an S.T. Gibson book before this one, but I had heard nothing but good things, and I get it now. The writing style plus the themes and characters was so enthralling right from the first line. There is no better word to describe the vibe of this book than atmospheric. It's safe to say Gibson has become an auto-buy author for me, I need more of their work like I need air.

One of my favorite tropes is enemies/rivals to lovers but I can't say that I had read a sapphic take on this trope previously. The verdict is that my god I was missing out. Carmilla especially was so awful to Laura and I ate it up. So often the enemies/rivals to lovers trope isn't taken to true enemies/rivals level, but this one definitely went there and then some. Add in the dark academia atmosphere, obsession, and dark desires, plus an almost love triangle and power dynamics, and it was a recipe for an addictive read. The element of romance meets dark academia meets queer obsession reminded me quite a bit of a significantly less gut-wrenching sapphic version of These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever, which is one of my all-time favorite books. I've been chasing the feeling of reading that novel, and while this one was definitely quite different in some ways, it did scratch that itch.

It is worth noting that this book is a retelling of the cult classic Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fenu, and while I haven't read the original (but oh my god I need to now), a quick google search revealed some nods to the original, like in names, some plot twists. I'm sure there are even more tidbits to uncover if you're familiar with the original work.

All in all, there was so much I loved about this book, and if I could inject the feeling I got reading this into my veins I absolutely would. There isn't a single thing I'd change. It is perfection in my opinion. TLDR, if you like dark academia, atmospheric writing, lesbians, vampires, queer obsession, or rivals to lovers, you'll enjoy this book.

ST Gibson returns with her signature lush prose and gothic imagery. Her writing style always immerses me in the worlds she creates, and An Education in Malice was no different. Her body image descriptors were extremely relatable, and I loved how unapologetically sapphic everything was.

That being said, I do feel like the characters fell flat. I never felt very attached to anyone in particular, and the development of the story felt rushed and unbalanced. The ending in particular felt unfinished and unsatisfying, so I hope that one day Gibson returns to this universe with a sequel.

It was still an enjoyable read that drew me in, but didn't have quite the impact on me that A Dowry of Blood did.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. This was my very first read of Ms. Gibson's and it certainly will NOT be my last. I love her writing style, and it was written in such a gothic, poetic way that felt like I was reading art. I loved the romance, and the vampires were PERFECT for an adult that grew up reading books like Vampire Academy. A more formal review will be available on my IG/TikTok and Goodreads.

“Right and wrong don’t exist, Laura. They’re fairy tales made up by priests and parents. There is only art and ugliness, and I’m willing to suffer any indignity for the sake of art.”

Themes to be expected-

❤️ Duel POV’s
❤️ Acedemia Rivals to Lovers
❤️ Gothic Dark Academia
❤️ Carmella Retelling
❤️ Sapphic Romance
❤️ Student and teacher relationship
❤️ Vampires
❤️ Blood, Gore, murder, and mystery
❤️ Obsessive and Possessive love interest
❤️ Love of Poetry


This novel plunges the reader back in the world of “The Dowery and the Blood” and blazes brightly with burning desire of blood and companionship. Gibson’s lyrical writing style equips the reader to delve deeper in the seductive and enticing dark genre style she loves writing about.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to read more of what S. T. Gibson offers. This is a fast and easy book to read in one day!

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This novel is so well written that not only could I NOT put it down, I wasn't fazed by how dark the novel got. This is DARK, friends, and yet I needed to know what would happen with Carmilla and Laura. S.T. Gibson pulls you in almost instantly with well written, well paced prose and absolutely goes to all the places angels fear to tread without any hesitation or apology. You instantly care about the characters and that's a hard thing to do. I am impressed with this new-to-me author and HIGHLY recommend this read (after a good look at the trigger warnings!). Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook/Orbit for trusting me with the ARC of this novel.

A favourite of both me and my bestie Sammy who were both lucky enough to receive this arc. Thank you to both the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.

Let me start off by saying that I am a S.T. Gibson fan and A Dowry of Blood is one of my favorite books. Having said that, it is unfortunate that An Education in Malice was a bit of a let down for me. The writing is beautiful and poetic but the story just fell flat and didn't change throughout the story. I didn't connect with the characters and even though this is adult, the writing did seem a bit more YA. 3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for this arc.

“After all, what horror wouldn’t I tolerate, if it was meted out by the hand of my beloved?”

A massive thank you to NetGalley, Redhook, and ST Gibson for an ARC.

An Education in Malice has been a highly anticipated release for me since I heard of it. Sapphic dark academia with vampires - I mean, it’s like personal catnip. This story felt like it penned for me. Dark and delicious, erotic and poetic, it’s everything I look for in my books.

Gibson has a true talent when it comes to prose, and when crafting retellings, she does it incredibly well. I loved every single thing about this book, and Gibson has proved to a be an author I will always reach for when I see her name on a bookshelf!

I adore the original Carmilla and I'm obsessed with the Carmilla YouTube series, and as soon as I heard S.T. Gibson was writing a dark academia retelling, I was over the moon excited to read it, so it pains me to say that An Education in Malice doesn't pack a bite.

At a sentence level, yes, the writing is poetic and lovely. The romance scenes themselves were deliciously written. I have no doubt about Gibson’s technical writing skills here.

Rather, it’s the rest of the book that falls flat to me.

I think my core issue was with the story's poor character writing and overall lack of stakes and conflict. There’s no threat of Laura losing a scholarship or a compelling reason for readers to care about her. There are no missing girls or any looming sense of danger for approximately half of the novel, which I feel should have been introduced earlier on in order to amp up the tension. Instead we get a lot of banal conversations about eyeshadow or the weather that add nothing substantive to the plot.

Overall, the premise itself sounded fantastic and had so much potential, but I feel this book would have benefited from further developmental editing.

"Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge."

I am ALL about dark academia right now... Perhaps the reason shall appear on my blog soon enough...

As someone who absolutely adored A Dowry of Blood, I was so excited to read An Education in Malice. It did not disappoint! It felt like such a classic vampire story and I loved the open end. The only thing it left me with was wanting more! I wish this was longer, that would be my one criticism. I hope to revisit this world again and hear more about Carmilla and Laura and their new adventure with Magdalena. It felt like we were just getting started when it ended. Overall, it was a great story, expertly written, but in the end, I wanted more.

Where to start...
I would consider this a dark academic rivals to lovers. Although the academic rivalry stems mainly in poetry class because of Professor De Lafontain, who charmed Carmilla and Laura with her eerie beauty and high standards.
I enjoyed immersing myself into this world and if it wasn't for work and responsibilities (<i>read in Tommy's voice from Rugrats</i>), I would have finished this in a day. I don't believe we have enough sapphic love in books and that was one of the biggest things that drew me to An Education in Malice.

Two things made this a four-star read for me.
#1 - It was not atmospheric. I was expecting gothic, creepy old school setting, but I was a little disappointed. It didn't seem to have much of a setting beyond being in on a campus.
#2 - The character development felt a little bland to me. There was minor growth with Laura coming into her own but (spoiler posted on GoodReads & StoryGraph

Overall, I can say that I will be buying a physical copy for my shelves because this is a story that I will absolutely come back to in the future. S.T. Gibson is the kind of beautiful storyteller that I strive to be and I cannot wait to read more from her.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion

This is a dark academia and sapphic story. Laura enrolls in St Perpetua’s College where she attends Miss De LaFontaine’s poetry course. Laura meets Carmilla who the star pupil thus far. Carmilla and Laura compete for De LaFontaine’s attention. Through out the story you get Laura and Carmilla POV. A lot unravels between Laura and Carmilla and Carmilla and De Lafontaine. Sometimes it seems like De LaFontaine was thrown in as an after thought we really needed more from her.

I dove into this without any prior research or knowledge of the author. Anything Dark Academia always grabs my attention, and I loved the Poetry class setting for the major characters.

That being said, I didn’t exactly know what I was in for with the direction this went, but still enjoyed the story!

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook publishing for the chance to read A Education in Malice. Laura has graduated high school and is starting her first year at a all girls school college. She is attending the famous literary school Saint Perpetua's College where she has gotten in as a freshman to the renown poetry classes of Professor De Lafontaine. She is a shy and reserved young women embarking on her first real life experience. Laura meets Carmilla, De Lafontaine's star pupal, and the games begin. Laura is both drawn too Carmilla and her sworn enemy as De Lafontaine invites Laura into the world she has already created with Carmilla. It was a great read and a vampire thriller too.

I was honestly hooked from the premise of sapphic vampire romance. I am familiar with other Carmilla modernizations, namely the web series Carmilla. As such, I was really excited to read this!
There was so much I loved about this book. I thought it did a fantastic job of showcasing the frenzy and intensity of first love. This was a wonderful coming of age story, in addition to being a riveting fantasy novel!
I thought the dark academia setting was done really well, and added a lot to both the tone and the plot of the book overall. I thought the time period being the '60s was an interesting choice, but I certainly didn't mind it. I really appreciated that there was no real stigma attached to the main characters' relationship. The one "coming out" scene was honestly so sweet it brought tears to my eyes.
The one downside of this book for me was that the ending seemed a tad rushed. I really enjoyed the slow burn build up of both the overall plot and the relationships within, but everything seemed to wrap up a bit too quickly. I think the book could have been a tad longer to have everything move at a more natural pace
Altogether I'd definitely recommend this book! I mean, as I've already said, sapphic vampire romance. Enough said!

Laura Sheridan knows only one thing after starting at her St Perpetua's in New England, that Carmilla is her rival and she cannot stand her. Or maybe she stands her too much ... A dark and gothic sapphic romance surrounding cold New England nights, blood thirsty monster, and a rivalry turned attraction so fierce it could kill them both.

This book was like a slice of decadent chocolate cake, rich in imagery, deep in its romance, and dark in its academia and its vampires. I loved so much of this book, it's hard to highlight favorite parts.

I loved Laura's growth into herself. I loved Carmilla's fierceness and delight. De Lafontaine was perfect parts mentor, teacher, and monster. The enemies turned lovers aspect was so well done and the build up to their togetherness was so sweet and so good.

An Education In Malice by S.T. Gibson is a standalone companion novel to A Dowry of Blood. If you know me at all then you know that's one of my favorite books ever!

This one is a sapphic, dark academia love story centered around an exclusive, elite poetry class with characters to match. There, we get to see rivals vying for the attention of their professor, who has a secret obsession of her own!

I adored this book so much. I think Gibson has some of the best writing, and it just seeps into my bones. The story was paced well. You get dark magic, blood thirsty vampires, rivals to lovers, student teacher relations, a plus sized heroine, and a nice little visit from a familiar face. Highly recommend! Check your tw!