An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
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This book is absolutely captivating. It’s so dark, haunting, intriguing, and complex. It takes place on a college campus, where there are secret societies, rivalries, and danger. The magic system was completely unique and original. Everyone in the book has questionable morals and has done bad things, and none of them are trustworthy. This book examines the things we are willing to do for power and the cost associated with having it. It perfectly blended a paranormal setting with horror elements and added a dash of forbidden love, and the result was one of the most compelling books I’ve ever read.
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My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level: 🌶️
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Read if you like:
▫️dark academia
▫️gothic fantasy
▫️elements of horror
▫️student x teacher
▫️found family
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Thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Alexis Henderson for the ARC. I received an advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

4.5 stars
Dark academia/gothic feels with a morally grey mc. This book had me captivated from the first page and the small hint of forbidden romance made this CATNIP for me! This is the kind of horror I want to read!

"A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter's life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because - like everyone else at the school - she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion's heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton's lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it's a test she's terrified she's going to fail."

But to be among those like her that would level the playing field...

Thanks so much Berkley for the ARC!!!

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson is everything I want from a dark academia novel, and it more than delivers. This story follows Lennon Carter, whose life is unraveling until she receives a mysterious invitation to Drayton College, a secret school of magic hidden in Savannah. At Drayton, Lennon discovers she has the rare ability to control others through persuasion, a power that comes with immense responsibility and physical toll. As she navigates her studies under the guidance of her enigmatic mentor, Dante, Lennon uncovers dark secrets about the school and its dangerous past. With a lush, atmospheric setting and a magic system rooted in persuasion, it’s the kind of book that lingers long after you finish.

What really stood out to me is the moral complexity of the characters and the stakes. Henderson doesn’t shy away from making her characters—and by extension, the readers—question the cost of power. The gothic horror elements and the creeping sense of dread made this a perfect fall read. While there were a few moments where the pacing lagged, especially in the middle, the intrigue and world-building were strong enough to keep me hooked.

Overall, An Academy for Liars is an immersive, haunting experience that fans of dark academia, secret societies, and morally gray characters will devour. A solid 4.5 stars for me - this is my first Alexis Henderson novel but it won't be my last!

A dark academia novel with gothic/horror elements about a hidden school in Savannah, accessible only to those gifted with the ability of persuasion?? Say less!

With a bit of a slower start, it took me some time to get into the story but once Lennon gets to Drayton College I was fully immersed and flew through the rest. The romance takes a bit of a back seat here but that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment as the premise itself was that unique and interesting.

What to expect:
Southern gothic/horror vibes
Magical school
Rivalry
Unique magic system
Forbidden romance
Morally grey characters

Huge thanks to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

A book perfect for spooky/fall season.
An Academy of Liars is a dark academia with fantasy and horror. I found myself fully immersed in this world. With such vivid descriptions and beautiful writing I was captivated.
There was tension, drama, secrets and a hint of forbidden love. This will be one you’ll be up way past your bedtime reading!

I couldn’t put this book down – seriously, I grabbed it every spare second I had! The plot? Totally unique. I’ve read plenty of "School for the Talented" type stories, but none have grabbed my attention like this one. It’s more on the adult side, which I loved—no petty high school drama or vicious betrayals.

Lennon, our main character, has a special talent. But it’s not your usual flashy power – it’s all about the mind and psyche, which makes it almost believable, yet just wild enough to feel superhuman. Enter Dante, the professor, who helps Lennon hone her skills. And yes, as expected, there’s a touch of romance, but what I liked was that it wasn’t the steamy, over-the-top kind. It felt real, simple, and sweet.

And of course, no story is complete without a solid friend group! They were perfect, playing their roles without stealing the spotlight but still making you care about them. As I raced toward the ending, I had a few moments of "Wait, what’s going on here?" But don’t worry, it all came together beautifully.

Honestly, this book is probably one of my top reads of the year. Alexis is quickly climbing my list of favorite authors. Big thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for letting me dive into this ARC—it was fantastic!

I really enjoyed this one! I’m always looking for true fantasy horror, and this one fits the bill. If you’re looking for dark academia that’s truly dark, this will be the one for you.

It follows Lennon, a young woman who struggles with mental health and has attached her identity to her fiancé. When she finds him cheating on her at a party, she steals his car and goes to an abandoned building with the intention of committing suicide. Instead, she receives a mysterious call inviting her to attend a magical school that teaches the power of persuasion.

“What if this was all some elaborate sex-trafficking scheme wherein the targets were “gifted and talented” kids who’d never received their magic school acceptance letters and grew up to become depressed, praise-starved, thoroughly gullible adults.”

I really liked this take on the magical school setting, none of the characters are innocent and no one should be trusted. Lennon learns to channel her power over the minds and matter around her, but she grapples with questions over who has the right to wield this kind of power.

There are a lot of triggers in this book, including:
• suicide and suicidal ideation
• animal torture and cruelty
• body horror and broken bones

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

An Academy for Liars was put on my radar because it’s rumored to be in a book box that I subscribe to so I requested the arc. I loved the book, it grabbed my attention immediately and held it to the very end. Never did I have any idea what was going to happen but I was invested. Great for dark academia fans plus some fantasy and horror. Definitely would recommend!

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of “An Academy for Liars” by Alexis Henderson in exchange for an honest review.

After years of uncertainty and instability, Lennon Carter discovers her fiancé's infidelity. She steals his car and just as she’s contemplating ending it all, she receives a mysterious phone call. It’s an impossible call with improbable instructions: she’s to drive through the night to an address in Utah. There, she will take an entrance exam for a college she’s never heard of, let alone applied for. But as unlikely as that scenario seems, she goes.

The school, hidden by arcane magic more than a century old, is for people who can persuade; they can persuade people to do anything. The strongest can even persuade inanimate objects and magic itself. It’s a heady, powerful feeling and although signs immediately suggest that this place has a dark side, Lennon finally, finally feels like she’s found her place and her purpose.

Her classmates are brilliant and terrible, her charismatic advisor even more so. She may not be the strongest or the richest, but her naturally scrappy instincts push her through every challenge that comes her way. She’s caring, but also flawed and vicious in the best way.

It’s a dark, thrilling story. The obvious comparison would be like a twisted and trippy version of a certain Wizard School, but that would be a disservice to both the story and the author. Alexis Henderson is very talented writer, demonstrating a keen sense of character development and plot pacing.

Recommended highly for readers who enjoy dark academia and strong female protagonists, who want a ”back-to-school but on an acid trip” story, and who have a full day to binge read because you will not want to put this book down.

This was my first experience with this author, and since I had heard good things in the past, I wanted to try it. Unfortunately, this writing style is not for me as I felt distracted and bored from the beginning.

This perspective on dark academia was truly captivating.
Lennon has a reputation for avoiding her issues.
When Drayton mysteriously call, she picks up the phone.
The school is different from her expectations, focusing on the art of persuasion and dangerous trials; will she choose to keep running or stand up for herself and her friends before everything comes crashing down?

An Academy for Liars HOOKED me from the beginning with the idea of a hidden academic campus and secret society that only select few can be apart of. However; as I continued reading I became insanely creeped out by the mind tricks/games unraveling and the MOTHS. The rats were fine, every book with this context has some sort of rat experience. But I couldn't get behind the moths and weird persuasion games, finding this novel to be more horror than what I anticipated. Realizing I had more than 50% of the book to read, I decided "not to finish" and recommend it more to my horror novel lovers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for the pre-release copy of An Academy for Liars. Below is my honest review.

Alexis Henderson really knows how to set up a new world. She's an expert, even. This one is no exception. Receiving a random entrance call like a letter from Hogwarts, the school for persuasion happens to have its own secret hideaway domain, out of view of the eyes of the rest of the world. From the phone call in the abandoned booth to the final paragraph, An Academy for Liars gripped my attention in a chokehold and wouldn't let go.

If you haven't read Henderson's works, this one is a fine place to start. I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. I can't say much more without spoiling things, but be prepared for some magic school fun and a lotta bit of darkness. Definitely recommended for fans of dark magical realist academia stories.

This story follows Lennon, a woman whose life is completely unraveling. She’s engaged to a man she doubts even loves her, keeps her family at a distance, and sees herself as a mentally unstable failure. One night, on the brink of giving up, she receives a call from a mysterious stranger inviting her to Drayton College, a hidden school of magic. Lennon, unaware of her own abilities, learns that she’s been chosen because of a gift she never knew she had. At the school, she discovers everyone shares this ability, and as she begins to hone her skills, she uncovers unsettling truths about herself and the institution. Despite this, Lennon stays—driven by the chance to prove herself and drawn to her captivating advisor, Dante.

I don’t usually read dark academia, but this story was compelling. I have to admit, I loved the first 40% more than the rest because of the intrigue surrounding the magical school and the vivid world Henderson crafted. The descriptions were enthralling, and I appreciated the feminist undertones. There’s also a forbidden romance element that kept me hooked.

This book is truly dark, and at times, it doesn’t entirely make sense, so you’ll need to suspend disbelief to enjoy it fully. By the 70% mark, the story takes a wild turn, and my heart was pounding! The twists had me 🤯🤯🤯!

If you enjoy dark academia, stories about societal outcasts finding a home, found family vibes, betrayal, forbidden romance, secrets, and a dash of magic, I definitely recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley & Berkley for this ARC!

What a book.
An Academy for Liars is a deeply intrinsic dark academia (in vibes primarily) at a mysterious academy for persuasionists. Our main character, Lennon, gets accepted into a school she never applied to during an extremely trying time in her life- one where she is contemplating suicide. Feeling listless and like she has no other place, she goes on a whim to this school hidden from the outside world. There she is swiftly indoctrinated to the strange study of persuasion and meets her handsome advisor, Dante.
Over the course of this novel, Lennon discovers more about the art of persuasion, the nature of the school itself, her mysterious advisor, and the darkness in herself.
Overall, this novel took me a frustratingly long time to complete. I think this is partly my own reading slump but the slow nature of this book contributed. Like most dark academia type books, there is little plot but more vibes and character study, which was definitely the case.
My critiques include the length of the novel, (I’d say we could have cut out maybe 50-100 pages) and the slower pace.
As with Hendersons other works, the writing and storytelling itself is otherworldly. The atmosphere was atmosphere-ing and the prose was prose-ing!
In addition, the last 100 pages went crazy and the ending made my heart race! Although I would have loved for that energy to be more consistent, I still did enjoy and would recommend this novel.
3.5 stars

"I just want to matter. But everyone who matters hurts people. It's like you said.. all of us tramping on the bodies of others to get to a place where we don't actively hate ourselves."

This is D A R K academia, so be prepared for some pretty graphic descriptions of dark themes! I don't know what I was expecting when I started this, but it wasn't this--and I mean that in the best way! The story starts with Lennon watching her life fall apart in front of her, and as she's driving away with the intention of ending her life, she receives a phone call offering her the opportunity to attend Drayton University. With no other options, she decides to go and learns that she has the "gift" to master the power of persuasion at this by-invitation-only and secret college. From the second Lennon gets the phone call, the vibes are VIBING. You want dark, creepy, gothic vibes? WE GOT THEM.

Lennon is also a great flawed character--she's not great in school. She's not the smartest kid. She's struggling with her mental health. And she also doesn't want it the most. But her arc from the beginning to the end, as she fights for her place and her future is inspiring even as it is exhausting. I probably would have left after two weeks--she's much stronger than I would be. ESPECIALLY when we get to the WILD ending.

There *is* a small romance subplot, but it's barely even a subplot--so don't pick this up looking for an epic romance, or you will be disappointed! But the story didn't need a romance, and honestly I think having a full subplot would have taken away from Lennon's character development and been incredibly out of place for the story. I think the balance was perfect for the story being told.

The two things that stopped this from being a 5 star read for me were pacing (some places felt like it dragged, others felt like the story was progressing too quickly) and wanting....more. The ending felt a tad rushed to me, and I wish we had stretched the last 50 pages into maybe 100 to really get a feel for what was happening and giving more weight to what was going on. As it is, it felt a touch random--while in retrospect it's clear we were building to that ending, it just felt like there should have been one more final push before we got there.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for the ARC to read and review prior to publication! I'm already anticipating Henderson's next books!!

dark academia is my absolute favorite vibe for the fall season and my literal only regret is not reading this ARC earlier. This book is beautifully written, captivating, and perfectly paced. I was interested the entire time and have since added the author’s previous work to my TBR. 10/10.

3 ⭐️

I really wanted to love this but I had to push through to finish. This is a really unique dark academia with an interesting “magic” system. The pacing felt really off, with a couple good fast-paced scenes. Dark academia is usually slower, but I felt like the slow parts were pretty hard to get through and it lost me a lot. I think it definitely could’ve gone more in-depth with the characters. With that being said, I think some people might really enjoy this. It just wasn’t for me!

See my video below for a full review. Overall, this book hooked my while I was reading, but when tasked with actually picking the book up, I was having some difficulty being motivation. The premise was intriguing and the magic system was really unique! This would appeal to adult Harry Potter fans. However, I felt like it was trying to do too many things (there was romance and a murder mystery, there were dark moments, there were moments that were trying to be Harry Potter, etc.). It was also much too long. 100 pages could have easily been shaved off the beginning/end. This is picky and minor, but the reword "ineffable" was used too many times. It was like the author had just watched Good Omens and wanted to use that word a lot! Haha.