Let me start by saying, it will be so hard for me to not be biased with this review. S.T. Gibson is such a special author to me, and I will read and love anything they write.

I was beyond excited to receive an eARC of An Education of Malice and devoured this whole book on a rainy Sunday. This is a Carmilla retelling taking place in the 1960s. It is a sapphic romance, in a dark academia setting with a toxic poetry cohort and a professor who crosses the lines of professionalism. In typical S.T. Gibson fashion, there are toxic characters & dark themes. Once again, Gibson writes about the struggles of codependency in love, particularly when there is a power imbalance. I cannot say enough good things about the way Gibson writes their characters. They have a way of making you have empathy and understanding for their actions that you end up rooting for them in the end. The ending of this was exactly what I wanted and the growth of the characters it took to get there added so much to the story.

… and the scream I scrumped when we had a cameo from A Dowry of Blood character! Ahh!

If you are looking for a dark, gothic, sapphic romance, I highly recommend An Education in Malice.


*thank you to Red Hook & Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was not at all what I was expecting, but in a good way. Dowry was written in such a unique way, I was kind of expecting the same for this one. However, i still loved it. This has all the vampire obsession most of us love. The relationship between carmilla and De LaFontaine wasn't whati was thinking it would be.

It was a quick read and didn't seem like it was set in the 60s at all, minus some of the language here and there. The ending was definitely a little anticlimactic and so was the issue that had to be tackled honestly. It almost felt like something that was thrown out there to cause a problem to be resolved. Which, i know can be the point but it felt forced.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I honestly wish I read the reviews before I read this. It was... bad. The prose was over the top, and didn't really fit the time period of the novel. It felt like the book took place in 1860, not 1968. It also was clunky how the races of each character were announced. I appreciate that the author attempted nuance there, but it just fell flat.

The characters were also so flat. There's no depth to any of them, and even as the love story unfolds, I don't know the characters enough to care. The erotic scenes felt forced. The mystery was anticlimactic, the end boring. I was do looking forward to this. On its face, what isn't to like? But this book was such a disappointment. Two stars since I st least finished it. But wow. It was terrible

An Education in Malice is a reimagining of Carmilla that takes place in the backdrop of an all girls college in the 1960's, where Laura Sheridan has been sent to study poetry and Carmilla is forming an unhealthy bond with her poetry professor, De Lafontaine. We follow Laura and Carmilla as they descend further into a place neither of them can escape.

Laura and Carmilla are the centerpiece of this book and they are perfection. Even while they are rivals, the tension between them is palpable and it just grows as they become closer. While they are definitely into each other before, the whole vampirism thing seems to accelerate the desire part quite swiftly. I liked how their obsession felt softer and could give way to love, directly contrasting Carmilla and De Lafontaine's relationship.

I love vampire books and I love S.T. Gibson's vampires above all. They are easily my favorite supernatural creatures to read about precisely because of how we see vampires lose or twist their humanity. Similarly to A Dowry of Blood, Gibson utilizes vampirism to discuss abusive aspects of relationships. We see how cruel obsession and power imbalance drives De Lafontaine's relationship with Carmilla and how, while Lafontaine is cruel, she treats Carmilla that way because it is how she was conditioned in past relationships, thus showing how the cycles of abuse can continue in relationships.

I am a sucker for dark academia books and, even though the academia aspect is definitely more on the backburner, this is no exception. Gibson does something really beautiful here in making all three of these characters poets. The original poems shared and the existing ones that are studied add an extra layer to the work as a whole.

S.T. Gibson's writing is magnificent and atmospheric, sucking you into the story completely. Even after reading A Dowry of Blood (which I highly recommend), this book blew me out of the water. While so many aspects of this book stand out, her writing is by far the best part and, for me at least, the core of why this book is so easily 5 stars. I cannot wait to share some of my favorite quotes.

Small aside, but it is insanely fitting that I got a Carmilla scented perfume in my literary perfume calendar yesterday. I was definitely smelling that the whole time I was reading this book for the vibes.

Thank you Net Galley & the publisher for sending me an e-arc. I am going to go scream into a pillow and smell my Carmilla perfume some more.

Unfortunately I did not like this, I forced myself to finish it.
To be fair, the plot is very interesting, I think my problem is with the writing. It’s so dramatic and introspective and yet we don’t get attached to any of the characters. This could be classified as dark academia if you squint really hard, but I wouldn’t market it as such.

3.5⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook books for the advanced copy of this book.
An education in malice is a companion story to a dowry of bold, but reads as a story rather than a journal like the first. I enjoyed Gibson’s prose in this book and that we see characters from the first book! Gibson is able to write beautifully and this very much felt like a dark academic story. I will say while I enjoyed this more than the other book, I personally wish it ended differently. I think the use of a southern religious girl as one of the main characters was an interesting choice, and I’ll let others make their own decisions on that subject.

*spoilers ahead*

“An Education in Malice” by S.T Gibson sunk its teeth into me and did not let go. This is the first of S.T Gibson’s works I have read, but will certainly not be the last.

One of my favorite things about this book was the writing. Gibson crafts their words in such a way that is utterly captivating. If you find you DNF books for the writing quality, you need not be concerned with Gibson.

This book features a dual point of view of two opposing characters. Utilizing a dual point of view in this book was a brilliant choice. I was always looking forward to reading the new point of view, and did not begrudge reading one over the other. Having a dual point of view in this book was absolutely necessary. Both characters needed their stories told to understand the complete picture.

This book would be the perfect fall or winter read. A book about sapphic vampires who write poetry is just the dark academia vibes I need.

However, there were a few aspects of the book that I disliked. I HATED the character of De Lafontaine and she was not a character I loved to hate. I felt like at some points of the story I was supposed to hate her, and at others I was supposed to love her. Her character was not morally grey to me though. I felt she was just manipulating these teenage girls, and she should have known better at her big age. I also felt that there could have been a slower burn. It felt like the characters went from enemies to lovers very rapidly, with little context to elaborate the change. I didn’t really feel much of a spark between them. I was not convinced that they really loved one another.

Thank you to Net Galley and Redhook Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you so much to netgalley for this arc of An Education In Malice by S. T. Gibson.

I absolutely devoured this book. It has some of the best tropes/microtropes. Academic rivals to lovers and dark academia being 2 of my favorite. The end of this book absolutely gave me the feels. just as a dowry of blood did. This is so beautifully written and so intriguing throughout the whole book i couldn’t get enough.

Whenever I find a book that changes my life, I find myself equal parts thrilled and reluctant to pick up another book by the same author. A Dowry of Blood remains the most annotated book on my shelf with its prose and, after a year and a half spent pining over the book, AN EDUCATION IN MALICE seemed like a magical antidote to my problems.

Described as a "bloodstained love letter to ambitious girls, all-consuming desires, and the agonies and ecstasies of academia", An Education in Malice is perfect for fans of All of Us Villains or The Secret History.

Laura Sheridan has just started her freshman year at Saint Perpetua's College, and she's determined to not only succeed, but excel. Under the tutelage of the acclaimed professor De Lafontaine, Laura is pushed to the precipice of her writing abilities, which are only heightened by sparring with her academic rival, Carmilla.

Carmilla and De Lafontaine have an odd relationship, and Laura is entranced by the two of them: but she also knows that the two, especially her professor, may be hiding more than they let on, especially as De Lafontaine's past is uncovered and students start turning up dead.

This sapphic Carmilla re-telling was beautifully set and even more beautifully written. The characters seemed to spring to life off the pages and, better yet, Gibson's prose and storytelling is only elevated from her previous work. I was utterly swept away by the eerie, gothic atmosphere of a Massachusetts college. Both Laura and Carmilla were exceptionally well-constructed characters pushed by dark temptations and feelings of obsession, and I loved the easter eggs from A Dowry of Blood.

Although I felt like the resolution was a bit rushed and lacked more background on De Lafontaine, I can also appreciate Gibson's ability to construct having an unreliable narrator. I thought it a somewhat odd choice for the story to be told between multiple POVs, but I nevertheless ended up thoroughly enjoying it-- especially the ending.

Overall, my deepest, greatest, and most admirable thanks to S.T. Gibson, Redhook Books, and Netgalley for the opportunity to review my most coveted 2024 release in exchange for an honest review.

The writing was absolutely beautiful! I love retellings from classic work and this was so well done. The dark academia vibes really added to the mystery and allure of what was happening in the story. The whole book I wasn’t sure how De Lafontaine and Carmilla’s relationship would end. The were so reliant on each other and so I wasn’t expecting the ending. I love that Laura’s ending wasn’t so outright. We are left wondering will she change or stay human and I love that we are left with that question.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This gothic dark academia sapphic enemies to lover vampire experience was exquisite. I look forward to reading more from S.T. Gibson - the writing was beautiful and the execution of the story was so captivating. I loved following Laura and Carmilla's POV back and forth.

The book is set in Massachussetts during the 1960's at a religious college for women. Freshman Laura crosses paths with senior Camilla as they bought seek to impress professor Ms. De LaFontaine. The two are very competitive and snarky toward one another which ends up being so entertaining as we can tell the rivalry causes tension that makes them want to rip each other's clothes off.

The spice was delightful - I was very satisfied with how the romance played out with a slow burn that suddenly erupted.

I would recommend this book to those who love thrilling vampire stories and romantasy.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
An Education in Malice is dark, intoxicating, and edgy academia surrounding our two main characters Laura and Carmilla ( and a third! Whose a little different than these two)
I loved the writing style and the lyricism that ST Gibson exhibits throughout the novel. The synopsis was interesting which is why I wanted to give it a read. This book is short enough that you felt like you were constantly in the action. ( sex scenes very well written, academia scenes a bit lackluster and boring). Another positive is that this book is under 300 pages so if you need a quick read for your Goodreads goal, this one would be pretty good. I also feel like if you are a reader that likes reading during specific times of the year this would definitely be an October read or a January read based on the atmosphere.
Take note of the trigger warnings in the beginning of the book.
I have some qualms with Laura as a character because I felt like she fell a bit flat. I would have liked the relationship between Laura and Carmilla more if it was less shallow. It seems like a lot of the plot was exchanged for the vibes, and I do love these vibes of this cool Gothic atmospheric world, but the plot was kind of sidelined by trying to create a specific image for the readers.
De Lafontaine— this character to me is very creepy and like the trigger warning says there is a power dynamic relationship in this book and personally that is not for me. I do not like that there’s also a part in the book where I feel that Carmilla is so irrational, and she is also extremely emotional. She doesn’t seem like a real person. I found the villain a forgettable character that kind of fades into the background as the story goes on.
good for a specific reader but a bit tedious and lackluster for me. #review #arc #books #bookstagram #book #booklover #reading #bookworm #bookstagrammer #read #bookish #booknerd #bookaddict #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #instabook #love #bookshelf #readersofinstagram #aneducationinmalice #NetGalley #@orbitbooks_us @orbitbooks_us

I love S.T. Gibson. Dowery of Blood was one of my top five reads of 2023. There’s just something about the way this author writes, the way the words flow on the pages that made this story come alive!

The gambit of emotions you feel with these characters is almost visceral. My heart ached for them. The build up to the relationship was fantastic with all the tension and confusion! I loved how this took place in the 60s and showed the inner struggles Laura experienced between religion and her sexuality.

Everything just blended so well together!

Now, I will say the ending is messing with my OCD. I’m the type of reader that needs closure, I need finality! I hope, though, this means we could possibly get a sequel of some sort! Regardless, I will be purchasing this book on it’s debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Books for the ARC!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Redhook, and Orbit Books for granting me access to the digital arc of An Education in Malice for me to read and review. This review is entirely of my own thoughts and opinions on the unfinished copy.

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An Education in Malice is a stunningly dark and twisted, sapphic romantic tale about obsession, competition, and vampirism, set in an east coast collegiate world. This tale feeds the beast inside me that flourishes on twisted dark academic stories, making it near impossible to put down.

OVERALL: 5/5🌟
STORY: 5/5🌟
CHARACTERS: 5/5🌟
SPICE: 2/5🌶️
ENJOYMENT: 10/10

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STORY, PLOT, and WRITING:

This is my first time indulging in Gibson's writing and you bet I'm gonna be opening up the ebook of Dowry of Blood once I finish writing this review. Gibson's written words are intoxicating. Her prose; descriptive and poetic, flowing like silk over skin, tantalizing and seductive—deeply, deeply seductive. I'm absolutely enamoured by this little world she made and the characters within.

The story is a fascinating read. Its told from two points of view, Laura and Carmilla. Its themes of obsession and love are spun in the most delicious, beautiful, and dark way. The pacing never feels off-putting. It flows smoothly and naturally. It's just a wonderfully spun tale.

The atmosphere is so well crafted that I personally forgot myself. I didn't notice how wrapped up in Laura and Carmilla's dark obsessive world until at one point the location of the story changes and the world changes to something bright and vibrant, lively and youthful. It was such a shocking change that it really drilled how exactly what kind of dark, debaucherous world Laura and Carmilla were delving into.

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CHARACTERS:

The study of these characters is phenomenal. Its beyond clear that Gibson delved deep into the psyches of her characters as she created this story. Truly mulling over their likes and dislikes, what drives them, what makes them tick, what makes them, them.

Laura is a somewhat innocent Southern girl, all curves, blonde curls, and baby blues. She's got a love for writing and an academic mind, and deep dark lusts that she keeps buried beneath that sweet southern exterior.

Carmilla is a Austrian trust fund baby with a questionable mentor-mentee relationship ongoing with her poetry professor. She's driven, obsessive, and spoiled. She knows what and who she wants and hell will freeze over before that's taken from her.

The two characters clash beautifully together. They push and pull together in a dance that is mesmerizing to behold. And the driving force behind their dance, is their poetry professor, De Lafountaine. She's a force of elegance and maturity with an air of mystery about her. It's so easy to find yourself obsessing over her the same way Carmilla does. De Lafountaine is the true driver of the plot. Without her, there would be no story. And she's a fascinating point for the story to revolve around.

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SPICE:

Yes, there is some spice in this book. These scenes are woven as poetically beautiful and driving as the rest of the tale. They serve as both points of character growth and plot development. They're beautifully done. And yes, 100% Sapphic.

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ENJOYMENT:

I read this in a day. I opened my kindle app and pulled the arc up and did not put it down until I was done. I was ENRAPTURED by this tale. And I need more of S.T. Gibson's writing. I highly recommend this story for the vampire lovers, the sapphic dark romance lovers, and the dark academia lovers.

This book ended up not being the book for me and I did not finish it. I just couldn't get into it. I didn't appreciate the writing style.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for this e-arc.

🖤 Dark Academia
🩸 FF
🖤 Vampire
🩸 Virgin
🖤 Dual POV

Quotes: could be changed by pub date

“If Icouldn’t touch her, I would settle for making her squirm.”

“And what do you know,” she said softly, “of the atrocities I’ve committed for love? Love is sacrifice, Professor. Whether it’s you on the butcher’s table or not, someone always bleeds.”



I go into most books that I read blindly. I like to be surprised on what’s going to happen. I definitely didn’t know that this book was going to be about vampires. An Education in Malice is a FF dark academia vampire book set in the 1960’s.

Laura arrives in autumn to Saint Perpetua’s Women’s college to better herself as a writer. When she arrives she’s greeted by her senior mentor who shows her to her new room. Laura attends the annual bonfire before the school year starts and is mesmerized by Carmilla, the senior who lays a laurel atop her head. Of course Laura’s in the senior only hard to get class as a freshman. The professor is demanding in the work the students must do for her class and won’t accept any half assed work or you’re out if you can’t keep up. Carmilla is a jealous girl with the competition of Laura in class.

Everytime Carmilla’s chapters are up I am excited to see what she has to say or what she’s up to. She is troubled but puts on a front for people to see.

Of course the library has some erotica on top of the classics that are stocked up. Carmilla finds Laura reading them and is shocked by it. Laura is a virgin but has hidden her true self from others (although her friends see right through that..) but has always been more interested in women than men.

You start to learn more and more about why Carmilla is a jealous girl pretty quickly because she doesn’t know who she is without being in the professors good graces or her star pupil.

I won’t spoil much of this book for others since it was very entertaining. A short & sweet complete book that I truly had no idea what was going to happen each chapter. There is not much smut but the little bits you get are very enjoyable.

Thank you so much to the author S.T Gibson, the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this wonderful book early! I hope you all enjoy it like I did!

This book was really enjoyable! It definitely had the same vibes as dowry of blood and I really enjoyed how it was written. There are also some poly/MFM parts to it which I also appreciated as they were done well. And then you add in vampires and it’s just awesome!

This was gorgeous--lush, assured prose with a dark edge and compelling characters. I devoured most of this in an afternoon. If you like toxic relationships, dark academia, poetry, and, of course, vampires, this one is definitely for you. This is probably one of the best books I've read all year.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

E-ARC PROVIDED BY NETGALLEY

I think the writing in this was absolutely beautiful. The plot of this was interesting and it is a pretty short book, I do think the relationships could have been developed a bit more but since it is so short I think this is great for that length.

Y’all, I read A Dowry of Blood bc my book club girlies told me to, and I was immediately enthralled. So naturally, I subscribed to STG’s Substack, found out about this book, requested it, got it almost immediately and here I am, a forever fan obsessed with Gibson’s writing!!

Our girl Laura is a freshman at Saint Perpetua’s College in Massachusetts. She is reward with a position in the poetry seminar of the legend Prof. De Lafontaine. Also in the seminar is the teacher’s pet, Carmilla. They love to hate each other. It’s encouraged by the bloodthirsty professor, who involves them in dangerous academia politics, a den of iniquity full of night creatures, and a deadly obsession.

If that description doesn’t have you, I don’t know what will. Darkly academic, sapphic, exquisite writing, and the VIBES!! HELLO?!?!! I will be forever buying STG’s books and raving about them.