I had really high hopes for this dark academia, Carmilla-retelling, companion novel to ST Gibson’s debut A DOWRY OF BLOOD (which I absolutely loved) but walked away with some mixed feelings.

what worked: Gibson’s writing is as gorgeous as ever! it’s a little less flowery-gothic than DOWRY was, but stylistically clearly influenced by the greats of the dark academia genre (especially THE SECRET HISTORY), making for immersive vibes and atmosphere. I had fun with the central romance between Laura and Carmilla (even though I didn’t always find it deeply memorable) and I loved that we got a plus size lead.

what didn’t: I’m of the opinion that dark academia, as a genre, is fundamentally concerned with a critique of the institutionalized problems of academia and the power dynamics involved. this book got close to exploring those in a thoughtful and nuanced manner, but fell just a little bit short of actually achieving it. there’s a dysfunctional teacher-student relationship at the core of this book, and the power dynamics involved are tangled up directly with vampirism, which is such a fascinating and worthwhile metaphor for power struggles - but it just wasn’t explored to its full potential. I also felt like a lot of the plot elements were oddly paced and rushed, probably in order to give more time to the romance.

overall if you’re in this for the vibes and the romance, you’ll probably have a good time, and I’d say it’s worth picking up; if you’re hoping for a nuanced critique of academia or a driving plot, you might not find what you’re looking for. I enjoyed it, but wanted a little more than I got.

thanks so much to Redhook (Orbit) and Netgalley for the advance copies!

I appreciate the opportunity to read this book as an ARC. Unfortunately it was one I just could not get into and ended up DNF’ing around 23%

AN EDUCATION IN MALICE was sooooo for me. A sapphic retelling of the tale of Carmilla? Please. More please. I recently discovered ST Gibson when I randomly picked up an audiobook of her new novel, Evocation, and I can tell you I am such a stan now.

An Education in Malice was a good novel. I appreciated the characters, the LGBTQIA+ representation, and a beautiful yet haunting experience doused in blood and rolled in erotica. I've read ST Gibson's work before (Dowry of Blood, you have my heart) and An Education in Malice is right in the same vein.

The two POVs were the least of this books issues. It had no direction, to many long winded descriptions, and just had no life in its pages.

4/5 stars!!!! <3 iconic
First off I want to say that I will read anything S.T. Gibson publishes, it could be a grocery list for all I care, I adore the writing style, the characters, and how quickly I get sucked into the world-building! And this did not disappoint.

An Education in Malice is a dark academia, sapphic, rivals to lovers(?), Carmilla retellin (loose). Literally all of my favorite things in one. I loved the slightly gothic, New England, academic setting (very secret history vibes) but the vampire twist made it so much better! Carmilla is one of my all time favorite novels and anything that is a retalling or even just loosely based on Camrilla is immediately going on my tbr. Emphasize the sapphic aspect and I'm even more on board.

I loved this version of Laura and Carmilla! Giving Laura a new level of agency was such a twist and I appreciated it so much. The relationship between the two felt natural and while a little insta-lovey it fits with the setting and their story overall.

I'm sure some things could use some work but honestly, my enjoyment and absolute love of these characters on top of adoring Gibson's writing style overshadows anything that could have been off. I'm not even sure that I can give an in-depth review because I just keep thinking "read this" over and over. If I have more coherent thoughts later on, I will make sure to update my goodreads review.

There are few things I love more than sapphic vampires. I absolutely ate up the storyline, and the narration really did it justice. It felt like the author kind of held the reader's hand a little to much in the end, though.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is beautifully written retelling of Carmilla. I have never read the classic but I loved this! The poet in me loved every page of this book. The writing was lyrical and elegant without being too flowery. The poetry was beautiful. The three main characters were all so unique. Their relationships were so raw and obsessive. I mean, what's not to love about the sapphic vampire poets? The eerie and gritty atmosphere was perfect for a dark academia vampire story.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gibson's A Dowry of Blood is one of my favorite novels and as a big fan of the original Carmilla, this sounded like a dream. While I still enjoyed the characters and ideas behind the story, it just didn't live up to the expectations I had for it. Still love Gibson and her characters, it just wasn't for me

I really enjoyed this book! Spooky in all the right ways. My only complaint is that I felt like it took a while to get into the story- I kept waiting for something to happen. But when the story got started, it swept me away and into the world.

Dark academia, rivalry, and intrigue? Say less. Although this is a re-telling, it felt fresh and can definitely stand on its own. The writing was beautiful and kept me super interested. The characters were easy to understand and well-written. Reading from their perspectives really gave insight into their motivations in the beginning. This is one of those books that you’ll want to just keep reading and finish in one sitting. However, there are themes I wish had been further explored. The rivals-to-lovers aspect felt rushed so the ending felt unfulfilling. Once the vampires were fully introduced the story started to really fall apart and I couldn’t really justify why the characters were reacting so calmly when there were literally people dying? That plot kind of seemed to be just a side note and not fully addressed when it really should have been. I wish the ending had come together a little more cohesively, but for the most part, I liked the overall story.

A sapphic dark academia story about vampires? And by S. T. Gibson? I was so excited for this book. The writing didn’t disappoint either. S. T. Gibson’s prose is so beautiful. I loved the characterization of Carmilla and Laura, as academic rivals to lovers. Their relationship was believable and so lovely. My biggest critique of this story is that it did feel a little slow moving, and I honestly didn’t care about Professor De Lafontaine. Overall, S. T. Gibson provided a story about female friendship and obsession, and I loved it.

I really like this book. It was a fantasy and it was very well written. I would read more by this author. I would recommend reading this.

happy release day to an education in malice @stgibsonauthor!

AEIM is not only the newest release from one of my favourite authors but also a companion novel to my favourite read of 2023, a dowry of blood. Huge thank you to ST Gibson, Red Hook Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. AEIM should be your next read if you like:

🥀 sapphic dark academia
🥀 academic rivals to lovers
🥀 plus size heroine
🥀 Carmilla retelling
🥀 queer desire
🥀 professors behaving badly
🥀 toxic poetry
🥀 1960s setting

synopsis - 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 dark magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.

This was so LUSH!
It is a bit slow-paced, and honestly, until the sharp teeth touched necks, I finally believed it was a vamp story. It was giving The Maidens vibes for its secrets.
Though I don't love it as much as Dowry (the cast is what made it great), I still really enjoy this lesbian/Bi dark romance.
If you liked A Lesson in Vengeance, you'd love this.

Thanks to NetGalley I was able to read an advanced copy of An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson.
The genres listed for this book are fantasy, romance, lgbt, gothic, vampires.
This book is a retelling of the gothic novella Carmilla. It’s a dual pov of our two main characters Laura and Carmilla who are academic rivals.
They both of a crush on their professor and they try to best each other on everything to try and get the approval of their professor.
The premise of the book itself had a lot of potential but it just didn’t come together for me. I couldn’t relate to the characters and it was just too childish for me. I have read some of the authors other worked and loved it. Just something about this wasn’t my cup of tea.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Listen when I tell you that this book was a masterpiece. This was my first time reading S.T. Gibson, and it has solidified her as one of my auto-buy authors. Her prose is gorgeous; I've never read such poetic descriptions of gore or carnal pleasures. Reading An Education In Malice satisfied both the romantasy lover and the former lit major in me.

As Saint Perpetua's College freshman Laura embarks on her studies, she finds herself fixated on her beautiful and talented academic rival Carmilla. When Laura begins attending private lessons with Carmilla and their alluring professor, she's forced to examine her obsession and confront her deepest desires. However, as a dark secret is revealed and the campus falls under threat, the girls' relationship with one another is put to the test.

From the beginning, I was invested in Laura and Carmilla. Each character is written with such depth and care, and it was a joy to witness the personal growth that both underwent as a result of their relationship. In one another they find not only romance, but a chosen family. The dark and mysterious backdrop of Saint Perpetua's and the action that unfolds as the plot progresses added a fantastical layer to what was already a compelling character-driven story.

I absolutely devoured this book, and can't recommend it enough if you're a fan of any/all of the following:

-Gothic literature
-Dark academia
-Fantasy
-Romance
-Academic rivals/enemies to lovers

ST Gibson has become an immediate purchase for me after this book. A Dowry of Blood was one of my favorite reads last year, and An Education in Malice did not disappoint.

While taking place in the same world as A Dowry of Blood, you do not need to read it before picking up An Education in Malice. There is a singular crossover character but you do not need to know their backstory to enjoy their presence in this book as they are a minor character.

An Education in Malice is set in a small university in the Northeast and follows Laura, a freshman from Mississippi, and Carmilla, a senior originally from Austria and is set in the late 1960s. Laura and Carmilla are rivals for their literature classes and excellent poets who are competing for the attention of their mysterious literature professor, who has many secrets. I would describe this as a true Rivals to Lovers along with a little toxic relationship to a mentor thrown in. And it has vampires and who doesn't love vampires?

The story explores sexuality, obsession, religion, and death all while being written beautifully. Some of the lines were so interesting and moving that I found myself returning and highlighting them to read later. Many of the metaphors and descriptions were clearly inspired by religoius themes which helped to echo the religious nature of the setting and characters. The book had me enthralled for almost the entirety. I think it lost its way a bit toward the end, but not in a way that would cause me to lower the rating. I do think A Dowry of Blood was better, but I greatly enjoyed this book. I would love if ST Gibson wrote more books in this universe but I am excited to read more she writes in other universes.

Powered by a gripping storyline and powerful cast of characters, AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is the kind of read that captures your attention from the very first page.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

DNF. This book was great of what I read. I really enjoyed the academic rivals and the teacher conflict. I would recommend this book for people who like the Atlas Six. I DNF this book due to the not connecting with it. I was heavy on English terminology that I made me get lost easily. I think a lot of people will enjoy this!