Book Review: An Academy For Liars by Alexis Henderson

I love dark academis reads and I really need to research whats out there because I’m sure there are so many that I havent read that I would love.

A hidden school in Savannah was an immediate yes from me. Having visited Savannah I knew this book had the potential to be creepy and dark. Walking around Savannah at night gives that feeling exactly.

This book is such a mixture of everything I love in a great read. There’s secrets, lies, betrayals, not to mention a teacher/student forbidden love that goes sideways.

Fmc, Lennon, 22, finds herself accepted to Drayton College, a mysterious school that she didn’t apply to located in the 25th Square in Savannah (Savannah only has 24 Squares). When she arrives she meets her advisor, Dante, a 30 something, sexy, tattoo covered professor who Lennon is very much drawn to.

Lennon discovers her powers of persuasion and learns how to manipulate it through controling her mind. Everyone in the school has the ability to weild their power like a weapon so no one can be trusted. During Lennons time at Drayton she learns of its dark past and what is lurking around the corner for it’s future and how she and her advisor Dante are stuck in the tanged web of saving Drayton from being exposed.

If you crave secret socities, dark and gothic atmospheres and enjoy reading about the things people will do for power then add this one to your tbr!

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for my eARC!

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

DNF at 40%

Rating this a very neutral 3 stars, since I didn't finish.

I tried really, really hard to get into this but I just can't do it anymore. This was an extremely anticipated read for me, from the moment I heard the synopsis. It's a really intriguing premise with a fantastic cover.

And I want to be clear: this was not bad.

However, I was struggling with everything from the characters to the plot direction. It was one of those experiences where I didn't even realize I wasn't enjoying it, until I noticed that picking it up felt like a dreaded chore. My delayed realization is partially because I really do like the concept and I also liked the author's writing style.

I think Alexis Henderson is really talented and wrote the book exactly as it was meant to be written.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep me engaged. Despite being an adult novel, the characters read very young and the budding romance (teacher x student, though they're both adults) was... not for me. This, along with the extremely slow pacing and a few other personal critiques, made reading this a difficult task.

I ended up realizing that I could stop reading and would never again wonder where the story was going - a sign that I should probably dnf.

With that being said, I think that's highly personal. I'll repeat: this is not a bad book. I think it's a good book with a super interesting idea, even if I didn't connect with the execution. If this sounds interesting, I do recommend picking it up.

I wish this had worked for me but I'm still incredibly grateful for the chance to read it.

4.5 stars rounded up

What an atmospheric, academic story! I was hooked immediately. The descriptions and plot propelled me through the first half of the book, wanting to know how Lennon would fare at Dayton and if she would find herself.

The story continues on with both Lennon’s time at school and her relationship with her mentor, Dante. I didn’t necessarily feel their connection, but trusted the words. Their story of learning and rescue, plus so much more kept me flying through the pages until the end.

Advance reader copy provided by Berkley and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This grown up magic school book was wonderfully absorbing and well detailed. It's a darker story, and while there is a lot of world building it still felt accessible to a non-fantasy reader like myself.

This dark academia novel, blended with gothic horror, hooks you from the start when Lennon, on the brink of self-harm, is unexpectedly accepted into a mysterious school she's never heard of. The entrance exam is bizarre, and the events that follow are even stranger. At this twisted academy, gifted students are taught the art of persuasion and how to harness their unique powers—but these abilities come at a heavy price. The school holds far more secrets than it initially reveals. The story masterfully weaves together elements of the paranormal, magic, and time travel, creating an intriguing narrative that kept me fully engaged.

Academy of Liars is a dark and thrilling ride through a world of secrets, deception, and intrigue. Alexis Henderson creates a gripping atmosphere with her strong world-building and intriguing premise. The story moves at a brisk pace, which kept me turning pages, but at times, the characters felt underdeveloped, making it difficult to fully connect with their motivations. While the plot twists were enjoyable, a few felt predictable, taking away some of the suspense for me. Overall, it’s an entertaining read with unique elements, but it just missed the mark in delivering deeper emotional resonance. I can see why fans of dark academia have been buzzing about this one, though!

When Lennon Carter is offered a place at a mysterious academia her entire life is changed... from being gifted with magical powers, deadly classmates who want to kill for their place at the top, and a forbidden romance with an advisor who is holding his own dark secrets. Lennon Carter has lived a mundane, boring life... and on the night she discovers her fiancee cheating on her with her friend she takes his car and plans on overdosing... until she gets a mysterious phone call from the Drayton College, a school of magic that has offered her an invitation to the entrance exam. Lennon doesn't have much to lose and decides to partake.... only to discover that she is gifted with unsettling powers and for a school filled with students who all work with the power of "persuasion" they can all reach into each others minds and do terrible things. With a ruthless curriculum and a cut throat student body... Lennon will have to go to lengths she never knew she had in her to secure her place at the top. Then there is her mysterious and talented advisor Dante, a man covered in moth tattoos who goes from hot to cold with her. The longer Lennon goes through with her studes the stronger her control gets... but the closer she gets to uncovering the dark secrets of her college and why they ultimately wanted her there. With so many secrets and bloody decisions.... nobody said college would be easy. This was a fantastic dark academia journey filled with twists and turns that has you guessing at every turn. I loved just how morally grey everyone was, just how much they all wanted to be the best and the lengths they'd go to to just succeed. Lennon was such an interesting character to read and I liked the subtle blending in of a soft romance between Dante and Lennon. I loved the ending and how it all wrapped up, it just felt right. I had a great time reading this and would absolutely recommend this book for fans of dark academia books!!!

Release Date: September 17,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed this book! Definitely the dark academia sub genre was super fun! I liked the unique (to me) I’m not sure if there’s been books that used this type of power/magic-ish system but I thought it was uniques and was giving Inception (one of my fave movies) vibes. The main character was complex and I kinda hated and loved her throughout so definitely kept me hooked! Really had a great time reading this one!!! I would definitely recommend it!

This was a terrific dark academia book! I thought the work building and setting was so good. Throughly enjoyed this one!

Lennon Carter's crumbling life takes a turn when she's invited to Drayton College, a hidden magic school, due to her powerful gift of persuasion. As she masters her ability, Lennon becomes entranced by the school's beauty, her classmates, and her enigmatic adviser, Dante. However, as she uncovers dark secrets about the college and Dante's violent past, Lennon faces the ultimate test: wielding power without falling into corruption—a challenge she fears she may not overcome.

I was immediately captivated by this book. I didn’t expect it to have horror elements, which I thoroughly enjoyed, its such a great twist to the dark academia genre. The writing is incredible, and Alexis Henderson’s ability to build tension is palpable—I felt anxious throughout, constantly on edge, unsure if something terrible was about to unfold.

However, there were a few areas that could have been more developed, particularly at the beginning. Her relationship with her fiancé felt odd and unresolved, leaving me expecting some explanation that never fully materialized. There’s a lingering sense of ambiguity throughout the book, where we think we understand what's happening but never completely do. While most of the mysteries were eventually resolved, some still left me wondering, "Wait, what?" Additionally, there were moments where the same scenarios felt drawn out, though this is something I’ve noticed often in the dark academia genre.

Despite these minor critiques, I truly loved reading this book. I couldn't wait to pick it back up! I hope there is a sequel with that ending.

Thank you to NetGalley & Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for this ARC

This. Was. So. Good. I could be biased because I have (to nobody's surprise) an obsession with Savannah. I'm lucky in that I live pretty close, but oh my god the vibes are unmatched. This was so well-plotted, and I love the characters and world-building. I was drawn in from the first page, and I flew through it. I'm pretty sure I barked at my husband at one point who told me I needed to go outside. I have to say, too, one of the biggest successes of this story is making this feel firmly like an adult story--I have read a handful of dark-academia-esque books in the last while where it was supposed to be adult but there was just petty drama, which made it feel like a bunch of high-schoolers running around.
This was fabulous, and I cannot wait for more from this author!

Just when or FMC Lennon feels as though life couldn’t get any worse, things take a turn and she’s accepted into Drayton College. Once she gets there things seemed a bit peculiar, at least from my view point. Drayton is a school of magic where the gift of persuasion seemed to be the gift to have. Everyone seems to either be enamored by Lennon or not which made for and interesting journey!

From the beginning of Lennon’s journey to Drayton I was so intrigued by the question, what is the big secret at this school and why is she the only one everyone seems to be focusing on. There was always this big hidden agenda it seemed and I’m reading to find out what it is! While it did take a majority of the book to get there, I did enjoy the ride. There were moments that slowed so you can say it is a slow burn; however, there are moments of excitement along they way with the magic of persuasion, compulsion, creation of elevators to travel to other time periods of the story, and many dark elements to figure out the secrets. I think if you’ve enjoyed AH’s previous books you will also enjoy this one with the dark atmosphere element.

The audiobook narration was great and I did also enjoy having that to pair along with my e-book! With either form chosen to read, I think it’s perfect for the season whether you’re jump starting your spooky season reading or slam in the middle of it!

An Academy for Liars by Alexa Henderson is a standalone Dark Academia novel. We meet Lennon Carter, our heroine, who recently withdrew from school, and to her shock she catches her fiancée having sex with her bff. She quickly leaves, driving his car, as she stops at a mall, completely devastated. She hears a phone ringing, and answers the call, which turns out to be for Lennon. She is summoned to participate in an entrance exam at Drayton College, which is a magical school that is hidden in Savannah. After driving for eight hours, she enters an elevator to the administration, where she meets Dante, who will become her advisor.

Lennon was thrilled with Drayton’s campus and meeting all the brilliant classmates; many who became her friends. After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her power, which takes a toll over her body and mind; she is captivated by her studies, as well as learning the ability of persuasion. Lennon slowly begins to be captivated and enthralled by her advisor, Dante, despite him determined to not become involved.

Lennon continues her studies, as her control to her magic escalates, and she learns more about the history of Drayton, and the disturbing things she discovers; such as her becoming a new gatekeeper. Lennon will need to uncover the dark and haunting abilities that continue to grow, and the disturbing corruption from the school counselors; who push her to increase her dark powers. Can she survive?
Lennon must use her powers to protect the school, but can she risk those who might destroy her. As things escalate, she must learn to wield her powers to defeat the enemies, who are determined to take control of her powers.

What follows is an exciting and dark story line, with tension, horror, and paranormal elements; there is a slight forbidden love story. An Academy of Liars was a terrific read, so very well written by Alexa Henderson. If you enjoy dark academia, you need to read An Academy of Liars, which is filled with politics, secrets, lies, betrayal; keeping me glued to the finale.

In AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS, Alexis Henderson builds a highly competitive dark-academic world with quite a lot of exposition. Descriptions of the magnolia- and live oak-studded academy campus and the various ways that academy students found their way to the campus, as well as compelling classes in ethically dubious persuasion, are interrupted by long character monologues about the system of magic (or science) that powers the world of the academy. While the Savannah setting and the protagonist's character arc are compelling, the worldbuilding felt disjointed.

Lennon's life has been acceptable for years - her passive acceptance leads to her engagement party when reality can no longer be denied.
After a phone call from herself in some other dimension, Lennon accepts the test to enter a prestigious academy.
Students from specific bloodlines are tracked for admittance - taught how to use their "other" skills, those essentially creating them outcasts in society.
Some good twists and a good read.

My bookstore had two copies of this book that we received, and I immediately told our book buyer we were going to need more. This book is SO much fun, the pacing was great, the plot was fun and the romance delivered exactly what was needed. Excited to read more from Henderson!

To say this book is unique would be an understatement. To say it's totally mesmerizing and engrossing doesn't do it enough justice. To say I couldn't put it down once I started reading it isn't just hyperbole. This book really is all of that and more. I just love that tingling feeling you get when you start reading the first couple of pages of a book and you just know you found something that's going to totally take you over and capture you in its spell. This is not your average, everyday run-of-the-mill book. You're going to love this one. You won't know what to expect. You won't know what's going to happen. And you definitely won't want it to end. I can't even describe it, nor would I want to, because you have to experience it for yourself. You wouldn't want to have any part of this book spoiled for you. Just get it, dive in and prepare to be magicked.

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
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This is a slow burn, dark academia about a young woman named Lennon who gets accepted to a mysterious college she has never heard of before.
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I hesitate to compare books to other books but this book gave me The Magicians vibes in such a good way. This was a school full of secrets and people with dark power.

I loved learning about the school’s history, the way it worked, and definitely about what was studied there. All of it was well thought out, the world was fascinating and made it an addicting read.

I sometimes struggle with books that have flawed characters and Lennon was for sure a flawed character….and yet I loved her. I loved this world and the mystery and intrigue. There was a simmering tension to the whole book that built and built until that last 70 pages really stressed me out!
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4.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Alexis really hit it out of the park with this book. I enjoyed it more than The Year of the Witching (although that was really good as well!).

Dark, atmospheric, mysterious, and wonderfully written, An Academy for Liars looks at Dark Academia. Lennon receives a bizarre and mysterious phone call inviting her to Drayton College to take her entrance exam. She has never heard of the school before, but she is looking for a fresh start, so she heads off to Drayton College for magic, where she and others will learn to hone their abilities. Things will not be easy at Drayton College, but Lennon is up to the challenge and enjoys her studies. There she has an advisor, Dante, who is equally intriguing and exciting.

This book was a slow burn, and I struggle with slow burns. I found myself wanting to move this book along to learn more about Lennon, Dante, and Drayton College. The college has a dark and secret history, and I was intrigued to learn more.

One thing that Alexis Henderson excels at is atmosphere, building unique worlds, and tension. She came on my radar when I read the gripping and beautifully written, The Year of the Witching. She continued to dazzle me with House of Hunger. She is a gifted writer, and I look forward to reading more of her work.

There were parts of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed, and I was fully engaged, then there were parts that I wanted to move along. Overall, this was an enjoyable read but one I did not enjoy as much as I did the other books that I read by her.

I received an eARC of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit unsure of this book at first. The first ten pages were not what I was expecting and had me second guessing if I wanted to read this. Not because they weren't well written but because it didn't seem like what I was wanting/expecting to read. However, the book shifted gears quickly after that and we began our descent into the madness and peculiarity of Drayton Academy. I loved the characters in this book and was genuinely surprised by some of the twists. This book is completely told from our main character Lennon's perspective and we, therefore, only know what she knows and perceive things via her biases. It's not quite unreliable character but more flawed character viewing the world by the lens of her trauma. I found myself as suspicious as Lennon is throughout this book (and not without good reason) which made it all the more intriguing. It was definitely giving me similar vibes as Ninth House, which I enjoyed as well. I will give my life for Gregory!!! I fell in love with this rat right along with Lennon and I just love that he seems to have bonded with her as well. I caught some of the clues/foreshadowing of this story but now I want to go back and see what I may have missed. I also have a TON of questions that weren't quite answered but if this is a standalone book I wouldn't mind too much. I kind of like that I am allowed to continue to theorize about who was doing what and why with only the hints from this book to go by. I will be thinking about this book for awhile.