Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I did not know what to expect from this novel. While I did not love it as I hope to, I am glad I read it. This was an interesting reimagining of Carmilla, which I read in 2023 for the first time. An Education in Malice had strong sapphic yearning and S.T. Gibson's writing is atmospheric instead of poetic like A Dowry of Blood. While I liked our characters, I didn't think they had strong character development. De Lafantaine was kinda disappointing for me because I expected more from her, especially in the second half. I liked the ADOB cameo and was well placed into the narrative. I liked Laura and Carmilla's rivals-to-lovers romance and thought the student-teacher power dynamic between De Lafantaine and Carmilla was handled well.

Overall, I liked it but wished I loved it as much as A Dowry of Blood.

Content Warnings (provided by author): sexual content, kink, inappropriate student-teacher relationship, toxic academic environments, murder, alcohol, homophobia (minor), racism (minor), religious discrimination against women (minor)

This was fantastic and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who has enjoyed S. T. Gibson's previous work, 'A Dowry of Blood'. The author's prose is so beautiful but it doesn't ever seem overdone. I also loved the relationship between our two female main characters. Of course the added vampire twist was excellent as well.

One of the best dark academia books I've ever read. Gibson is bold enough to both retell and utterly rewrite Carmilla and the result is an utter success. I couldn't look away.

S.T. Gibson has done it again! I'll absolutely be reading everything this woman writes because - wow. This book has everything: dark academia with sapphic vampires who bond over poetry? *chefs kiss* Immersive, atmospheric writing? Yes, please! Characters you can't decide if you love or hate? All of Gibson's characters fit the bill.

Read if you like:

- The Mikaelsons from TVD universe
- Old fashioned boarding schools
- Young love
- Toxic relationships
- Vampire house parties
- Appreciation for the finer things in life

-----4.5/5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 🌟

Secrecy and obsession are intertwined in the poetic prose that the author gives us to tell a story of freedom, passion and discoveries. A plot that flows organically into a tunnel of darkness and history. You can glimpse the obsessive moments between the characters, almost sickening to witness, until they converge in a round trip of fresh eroticism and new paths.

An Education in Malice is a story of raw obsession; of toxic relationships that grow because of it to transform into something purer, more sentimental. Thanks to the beautiful combination of words, the author manages to give us extensive knowledge of the characters; their fears and fetishes, fantasies and memories. Three characters different from each other, excellently characterized and with much more to tell. The relationship of these three characters was fascinating to read because you could feel every situation and delirium they witnessed. Especially the relationship between a student and her teacher. Toxic and demanding, full of hunger and pain, loneliness and nostalgia, it converges towards a hopeful and even inspiring ending.

The setting is what stands out the most. Academic and gloomy, with those Gothic overtones that made everything seem older and more lonely. Simply brilliant.

I dare say that the ending felt a little bit rushed and predictable. I expected to find more chaos. You could easily glimpse the "happy ending". It was as if all that toxic obsession had been lost, as if the characters' feelings had stopped working. I think with what a great start the story has, it's a little disappointing that it ends so mundanely.

Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit for this ARC.

An Education in Malice tells the story of academic rivals, Laura and Carmilla, who get involved in the dark secrets of their alluring poetry professor. As the two students grow closer, they also explore their sinfull desires with each other.

This book explores the making and breaking of a cycle of abuse. It’s progression was not the story was not what I was expecting but I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. The 1960s college setting made me reminiscent of a time before my own. I loved the crossover with A Dowry of Blood!

S.T. Gibson has quickly become one of my insta-buy authors. Her work is written in simple yet beautiful prose. I simply cannot put them down once I’ve started. If you’re looking for a sapphic vampire romance with depth, I highly recommend An Education in Malice.

Loved how this was set in the same world as A Dowry of Blood, and looooved the Gothic, dark academia vibes. This author is so gifted at conveying atmosphere.

I also loved the very complicated relationship and how closely we got to explore their individual characters.

This was such a good story, and it was the first one that I have read by S.T Gibson! First, the cover is just gorgeous! More importantly though, is the wonderful tale by the author. The beginning was a bit slow for me, but it quickly picked up pace and drew me in so that I didn't want to put it down. I have to say that I'm looking forward to reading more from S.T Gibson and I think you will too!
A big "Thank You" to NetGalley, for allowing me to read an advance copy in return for a , honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. This was my first S.T. Gibson read and A Dowry of Blood has been purchased. Gibson presents a 1960's setting rich in pop culture references that fit the overall arching vibe of the novel: dark, Gothic, sensual, alluring. Sapphic in nature, An Education in Malice, is the story of Carmilla and Laura, two college students who vie for favoritism with poetry professor DeLafontaine while navigating their feelings for each other and the secrets kept between the trio.

Once one secret has been discovered, Pandora's Box is opened to an entire unknown world and further underground secrets. Meanwhile, students are being murdered and it will be up to Laura and DeLafontaine to either save the day or continue into darkness.

A striking novel of feminine exploration, finding ones self, love, regret, and reckoning, S.T. Gibson weaves a tale that will enrapture the reader and leave them with an untold sense of wonder through the very last page.

Well I gotta say that I was very disappointed by this one!

While I enjoyed that it was set in the world of “Dowry of Blood”, this one just was not my cup of tea. Maybe I went into this with too high of expectations since I loved DoB.

The characters fell flat for me; I honestly hated Laura-I did not relate to her at all and while I enjoyed Carmilla, I wanted more from her character development. I wanted more of Laura and Carmilla’s backstories as well.

The romance I felt like was thrown together, while it was enemies to lovers and that’s a trope that I adore, it just didn’t work for me in this one. The romance doesn’t happen until the 70% mark and again, I feel like that could have been fleshed out.

Gibson’s writing in this one just fell flat for me, it didn’t have the same feel as DoB.

Furthermore, the antagonist in “An Education in Malice” barely made an appearance and I feel like their plot line was simply filler. Again, I wanted more of their backstory!!

Lastly, De Lafontaine was the worst!! Her character development could have been so much more; I didn’t like how she was acting like a teenager with her jealousy issues.


Thank you NetGalley and Redhook books for providing me with an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review!

It’s 1968 and Laura is moving from Mississippi to Massachusetts to start university. Laura meets Carmilla at a bonfire her first night and can’t stop thinking about her. After their interaction in their first class together they become “enemies”. The girls each compete for their professors admiration. That is where this story begins. It takes place in the same world as A Dowry of Blood. It has rivals to lovers, dark academia vibes, and vampire parties. I could not put this book down. It immediately draws you in and you won’t be able to stop.

The story, setting, and characters were interesting. However, the sex scenes were unnecessary and derailed the narrative.

I've eagerly awaited "An Education in Malice," and it certainly lived up to my high expectations. While "A Dowry of Blood" remains a personal favorite, this book impressed me with its dramatic flair and unique storytelling. S.T. Gibson's refined writing style and the rich atmosphere enhanced the narrative. The toxic dynamics among the characters, particularly the intense romance between Laura and Carmilla, made for an interesting read. Although the pacing had moments of imbalance and the ending felt a bit rushed, my overall enjoyment was not deterred. The dual POVs of Laura and Carmilla showcased their well-thought out characters. I really enjoyed this book! As a fan of strong women and "monsters", I consider it a great read.
Thanks S. T. Gibson and NetGalley.

This story didn’t really grab me. This is dark academia about a student that goes to study under De Lafontaine . Her name is Laura and has a rivalry with another student name Carmella. It just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced reader copy of this book. This is my first time reading a sapphic romance in a dark academia setting, and I was not disappointed. The fact that it involved vampires made it that much more enjoyable. This book was dark, romantic and angsty. I knew that I was in good hands with S.T Gibson. The writing was beautiful, and included sentences that made me pause and reflect on what I had just read. Overall excellent read.

S.T. Gibson delivered on this “Carmilla” retelling! New student Laura leaves her home to attend college, where she is swept up in the world of fellow student, and academic rival, Carmilla and their mysterious professor, De Lefontaine. Gibson succeeded in creating a beautiful gothic backdrop for her story while paying homage to Sheridan Le Fanu’s original work and life. While I wish Gibson fleshed out the characters and motivations a little bit more (particularly side characters), Gibson created a great story perfect for dark academia lovers!

S.T. Gibson has the most beautiful, poetic writing style. Truly, some of the most gorgeous prose I've ever laid my eyes on. I would drink up anything they created.
Unfortunately, this fell a bit flat. The characters were a little underdeveloped, and I didn't get lost in the plot the way I wanted to. Even the dark academia aspect couldn't save this for me. I think this might have benefited from a bit more time/love?
I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read an early copy, and I will continue to support and recommend the author's work.

Thank you so much NetGalley for approving me to read the ARC for “An Education In Malice” in exchange for an honest review!!

This dark academia retelling of “Carmella” will have you thirsty for more. as S.T. Gibson knocks it out of the park for her second debut novel.
Gibson’s writing is none that I’ve ever read before. Insanely beautiful. Truly gripping the reader into her world of sapphic vampires and the lengths you would go to for someone you would kill for. I honestly was sad when the book ended and I could’ve kept reading on, anxiously waiting to find out what happens next.

I felt so attached to the FMC’s and I loved that she told Carmilla and Laura’s story with such beauty and grace. This book definitely did surprise me with the twists and turns but I was pretty satisfied with the ending overall.

If you’re on the fence about reading this, don’t be. It’s truly very well written and I would read it again in a heartbeat.

This was such a great read! I loved the first book in this series, and I was excited to see what would happen in this one! I loved watching the pair of these girls in college, competing against one another for this professor's attention-and things got pretty heated between the pair of them!

This book is not like the first, where Constanta was writing to her husband, in second person, we alternate between Laura and Carmilla's perspectives, as they spend all this time together, and deal with everything that was going on.

This is a story about love, about obsession, and what someone would do in the midst of either or both. All three of them, Laura, Carmilla, and De Lafontaine, are all tangled up, and there's some good outcomes from that-but there's also some pretty bad ones.

There was a bit of a mystery going on, because not everybody knew what was going on, plus there were the bodies. So I really enjoyed watching that all play out! And that ending was so fantastic! Though I'm not one for ambivalent endings, I do want to know what she chose!

This was a wonderful read, and I can't wait to read more by S.T. Gibson!

Thank you to S.T. Gibson and Redhook/Orbit books for an ARC! All opinions are my own.

I had never previously read anything by Gibson, but this was great. I loved the all girls school setting and the fall/winter vibes of campus. That yearning to fit in and meet new people was there along with a great academic rivals to lovers.

Carmilla and Laura have a great chemistry, their push and pull, both unsure of what the want when it comes to each other and even De Lafontaine. I will say the antagonist of the story felt shallow, I wish we had a little more there. Though I did like that ongoing theme of is what you want truly worth it and truly what you want? Which the antagonist does play into this.

I enjoyed how Laura is discovering herself and taking chances that at the beginning of the novel seemed as though they wouldn’t fit her character, but ultimately she finds herself and her power.

This is a great sapphic rivals to lovers with vampirism in there as well.