Thank you, NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Lennon Carter's life is falling apart, but everything changes when she gets the call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton college, a school of magic. Lennon has the ability to persuasion, to wield her will as a weapon, controlling others and matter itself. After being accepted and while learning how to use her power, Lennon starts to realize the heavy toll persuasion can have on her mind and body, but she can't help but falling in love with the college and her classmates, like her adviser Dante. As her power grows, Lennon will soon learn disquieting things about the college and how to embrace absolute power she should succumb to corruption and that's something she's afraid to fail.

An academy for liars is a brilliant, intriguing and well written stort about a powerful student, the secrets in her school and what she would be willing to change in order to attain power. I loved reading this book. The setting is amazing and I loved Drayton college and how slowly Lennon starts to embrace her power, loving her school and classmates, bonding with Dante and such.
I loved the secrets, the mysteries and the whole persuasion power, that I find really intriguing and compelling, besides being well written in this book.
I totally recommend this dark academia!

I will always pick up an Alexis Henderson novel, but this one wasn't my favorite. It's the most confusing of hers so far, and a bit of the body horror got to be too much for me. I will definitely recommend it to my friends who don't mind that as much though!

Definitely wish I had got to this sooner. This is the dark academy that I look for. I love college age MCs. I loved that our FMC was messy from the beginning and was able to still stay messy but grow from it. I don't know how necessary I found the romance aspects, but I didn't hate them.
The violence though, loved. The tense parts were thrilling, and I was scared at all the right times.
I'll read anything Alexis Henderson writes.

I love dark academia, and this book fit the bill nicely. The world building and magic system were both wonderful. I enjoyed Lennon and Dante, though I felt like some of the secondary characters blurred together. This definitely fell on the violent side of what I would prefer, but it wasn’t too scary. The setting was great. I would definitely recommend this for that “brick building/ivy” feeling.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An Academy for Liars has such a unique "magic system". I love that its all about persuasion and that most of the world runs on this. Lennon really grew into her own by the end and had great growth. The world of Drayton is one I'd love a sequel to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson!

This book was an atmospheric and intriguing read with rich world-building and a captivating storyline. The characters were well-developed, and the mystery kept me engaged, though the pacing was on the slower side. Despite that, the tension and eerie vibes made it a worthwhile read, and the payoff was satisfying. A compelling story that lingers long after the last page!

“It was sick, but back then she had liked the power of punishing people with her absence. Of making herself disappear only to turn up again, like some twisted little magic trick.”

Dark, Captivating, and Haunting. As someone who does not read dark academia frequently, I have to say I really enjoyed myself. I felt the plot? Totally unique.

I've enjoyed Alexis Henderson's work in the past, particularly House of Hunger, so I was thrown by how much An Academy for Liars wasn't for me.

I liked the ideas that this book initially presented, such as the art of Persuasion being a magic that could control people, illusions, and, if the will was strong enough, the material world. I also enjoyed the idea of this school that existed outside of our reality, accessible only by gates in the form of elevators, because we perceive elevators as a liminal space.

Unfortunately, I felt that the plot was meandering, and the main characters in the book were very unlikable. I felt both the extent of their powers and their characterization varied wildly, so that it didn't seem to make sense that it was the same person in different scenes.

As an example, our main character Lennon was so soft-hearted that she named her lab rat Gregory, and often struggled to use Persuasion on him in classes, for fear of causing him pain. However, she didn't have issues plucking memories from the mind of her own sister repeatedly, despite her sister expressing how much distress and pain it caused her both times. As a result, I had no idea how to feel about Lennon. Is she empathetic? Is she a sociopath? Does she only feel empathy for rats?

Thank you so much to Ace, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This was a shockingly divisive book and one that appeared on a lot of least favorites of the year lists. But I thought this was another solid, atmospheric, tense horror from Alexis Henderson.

This was definitely far different from her previous books. However I feel like every one of her books has felt wholly unique. This was slow moving, intense, and full of pretentious characters. But in a way I absolutely devoured.

This opens with a lot of action and tension - massive content warning so suicidal ideation. But once the MC arrives at the academy things slow down exponentially. Which is where I think this lost a lot of readers. I think the audiobook did a fantastic job keeping me engaged through the slower paced portions.

As a romance reader, I'm normally all for romance subplots. This one wasn't necessarily my favorite, but I thought it explored an interesting dynamic quite well.

And just like all of her other books - the ending of this was wildly intense. This is just an author that always seems to work for me. I find her writing atmospheric and captivating and her horror elements timely and unbarred.

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions re my own.

If you like dark academia with a hint of horror and gothic fantasy, this is a wild ride. The concept was really unique, but this book is either one you are really going to love or it is going to leave you wondering "what just happened?". It certainly left me thinking "Did I even like this?" There were aspects that I enjoyed, while others I thought fell flat in execution.

This follows Lennon in the wake of discovering her fiancé's infidelity. Her self worth is wrapped up in her relationship which is a theme that continues throughout the book, but a mysterious phone call invites her to an interview at the strange and exclusive Drayton University. Upon her arrival at Drayton she is put through a very odd admittance process which includes a written exam as well an in person interview. Lennon finds that she has the gift of persuasion, where she can assert her will on others and at Drayton she will learn to hone that gift and in her case her abilities surpass those of her classmates. She struggles with the morality of persuasion and the mission of Drayton. Her abilities put her in a different category of student and she is pushed harder to develop these abilities than the others for reasons that are revealed much later in the book. Lennon has some issues with her self-worth, so when she is given an opportunity to be loved and praised by her professors, she jumps at the chance and poor decisions are made for the sake of progress. I found Lennon to be immature and unlikable, but I think that was done purposely by the author. The author had the opportunity to explore mental illness, jealousy, toxic relationships, and boundaries but none of those were really fleshed out in the book as Lennon figures out where she fits at Drayton and in the world.

This book is very atmospheric, but left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. There really isn't a ton of world building as this takes place in Savannah, Georgia; however I thought that the campus of Drayton and the "magic system" could have been described much better. The characters just accept everything a bit to easily when they arrive and the training they participate in. I really liked the idea of the magic and the concepts presented at Drayton, but I would have liked more explanation of how it all worked and more development of the characters. There are a ton of side characters that we never really get to know. There is mention toward the end that "they are Lennon's friends" but they never really develop relationships with her and she is kind of a terrible friend.

In the end, there were concepts I enjoyed but I wanted more explanation of what was going on. I was often confused about what was happening. I feel like the author was trying not to give too much away until the twists and reveals, however by the time we get to the end I wasn't satisfied with the conclusion. I do think there are readers who are absolutely going to love this, but I didn't connect with it the way I had hoped.

Why Did I Listen To An Academy For Liars by Alexis Henderson?

Having listened to Alexis Henderson's previous books, I just knew An Academy For Liars would resonate with me. So, I very eagerly gave it a listen the minute it popped up in the PRH Audio app. Also, when I listened to the book, it was spooky season which was the absolute perfect time to listen to this dark academia themed read. 

What's The Story Here?

An Academy For Liars follows Lennon Carter -- who is struggling. You see, her partner ends up cheating on her with I think it was her best friend. So, anyways, she gets invited to sit for an exam for the prestigious Drayton Academy. Lennon does really well - you see she has this power, the power of persuasion. By attending Drayton, she will learn how to harness and use that power. All cool right? Wrong. There's a sinister secret within Drayton - one that had surprised me when I learned the secret. Also, there is a long, dark history behind Drayton. While Lennon is learning this, she's also catching feelings for her advisor, Dante. 

How Did I Like An Academy For Liars?

Well, I am just getting caught up on my reviews -- so I'll be honest, a few months later I don't remember a ton. What I do remember? I like that Alexis Henderson is able to move between genres. She is an absolute talent. I love that her books star Black women. I loved the atmospheric vibes from this book. The pacing was well done -- kept me engaged throughout the book. I am not typically a dark academia person, but felt like this book nailed it and actually kept me interested.

How's The Narration?

The narrator of An Academy For Liars audiobook is Tracie Frank. The audiobook is a quick one - 13 hours 23 minutes unabridged. I thought that Tracie Frank's vocal stylings worked really well for this book. I'll admit, I had no complaints. I wasn't like in dread for when I was listening to this book. If anything, I think this is an excellent read to pick up for spooky season.

I am an absolute sucker for dark academia. Throw in some magical realism, an intriguing hidden school that only admit the chosen, the gifted, that teaches the art of persuasion, and I am absolutely hooked. This was so good, Dark. Captivating. Haunting. Thank you NetGalley for the arc. 4.5 stars.

Alexis Henderson wrote this book for me specifically.... I don't want to hear any questions. This book was the perfect mix of fantasy horror for my taste and I'm mad at myself for taking so long to get around to reading it. After seeing all the negative reviews rolling in, I went into it with lowered expectations and this book absolutely blew me away. If you're weary about picking this up, I would say to go into it expecting much more fantasy than horror! The magic school was so interesting to me and the magic system was very unique! As a romance hater, even the romance worked for me! I'm really happy that I didn't let the review persuade me from reading it (iykyk) because this was an easy 5 star for me from the beginning.

Lennon joins a mysterious academy that notified her of her acceptance to the program through an old telephone book. This was after she found her partner cheating on her with her friend! Drama and dark academia, I am here for it...normally. Lennon isn't a character I ever particularly cared for and the hot professor (Dante) didn't have much character development either. Drayton was an interesting premise and I love a flawed character and magic, but her motives and constant second-guessing did not endear her to me at all.
Great concept, did not enjoy the execution and the vibes were very YA (which is fine, just not for me) to me.

Completely engrossing, very interesting magic system. A wonderful example of a book being enjoyable without having a single likeable character. The setting and tone worried me somewhat at the start because I’m a scaredy cat but while it had a very tense thriller tone it was not scary in the slightest.

Cannot begin to tell you the clamor of dark academia among our readers. It's become a vibe, and I'm happy for anything that gets our young people to grab books.

So I loved seeing this new offering which felt like a combination of a lot of good DA books (Atlas Six, A Study in Drowning, etc.). It takes a while to get into, but I thought the combination of horror and romantasy was well done. I also like that it has socially relevant themes. Gives you a lot of food for thought. A definite addition to our collection.

alexis henderson is really out here with some of the most beautiful writing i’ve ever read in my life. every book i pick up by her just amazes me with her prose. and this story has one of the most unique premises i’ve ever read, as well.

lennon carter is at her engagement party when she realizes that maybe this is not the life she is meant to have, regardless how much she wants to be worthy of love, even with a shitty partner. one escape and payphone later, she is swept into a world of academics she never knew existed - filled with gates and shadows and a different set of expectations. and i loved it so very much.

i feel like this story might be better to go in not knowing anything more than that, but i will say that this has one of the best endings i’ve read in a very long time. just haunting and perfect and i feel like alexis really went for it, and it really paid off for me and my reading tastes.i also love how this author talks about different biracial experiences in her books, and this was no different. this book also really discusses mental health and prioritizing healing - both by yourself and with the help of others. and how that journey can be a really hard one to navigate, especially alone, or with people who will maybe not make the best choices alongside you. this was just expertly crafted and i never wanted to stop flipping these pages. and i hope that if you’re reading this, you open all the gates you want to open, regardless of anyone else’s feelings and wants, ever.

trigger + content warnings: racism, panic attacks, talk of rehab / psychiatric hospital, cheating, suicidal thoughts, student + advisor relationship (with uneven power dynamics), drug use, smoking, blood, vomit, seizures, asthma attacks, magical experimentation on rats, talk of domestic abuse in past, suicide, one sentence mention of cancer, talk of loss of sibling in past, statutory rape in past, crown crush, talk of overdose, dark compulsion thoughts / ocd, violence, grief, death of animals (fish, birds, maybe rats), magical compulsion, gore, ptsd, sex shaming (negative light), drowning, one brief scene involving a white supremist. This story can get pretty dark at times, especially with mental health and some dark thoughts that can come during hard times, so please use caution!

This book had an interesting, unique concept that I really enjoyed! However I did feel like it was very slow at times and the pacing was not consistent. I do wish there was a little more to it to keep me engaged but it was still decent overall

Title/Author: An Academy for Liars

Page Count: 464

Publisher: Ace/Penguin

Format: NetGalley (own a physical copy)

Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Year of the Witching, House of Hunger

Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/9780593638309

Release Date: September 17th, 2024

General Genre: Horromantasy, Dark Academia, Paranormal,

Sub-Genre/Themes: Light romance, paranormal abilities, diverse cast of characters

Writing Style: dark stories between horror and fantasy, balancing speculative elements with social issues and universal themes like grief, class, and questions of identity. Realistic world-building

What You Need to Know: "A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel"

My Reading Experience: Stepping into An Academy of Liars is equal parts enchanting and disorienting. Alexis Henderson crafts a world steeped in lush, magical realism. The setting is a masterpiece of dark academia, I loved the chapters describing the library, classrooms, and academy grounds.
The protagonist, Lennon, is a character who immediately intrigued me—but not always for the right reasons. Her eagerness to escape her old life and leap into the unknown world of the Academy left me questioning her motivations. This impulsiveness speaks to a desire to break free of bad circumstances and betrayal but it felt unrealistic to not have any ties at all to her former life. She just disappears. Who can immerse themselves in a secret academy for weeks on end without a single thought to anyone or any situation back home? I kept thinking about that.; it was just so immediate and seamless. She barely hesitates, questioning nothing about this strange, foreboding school, which dulled some of the tension I craved early on. Her willingness to leave behind everything, to throw herself headfirst into a situation that practically screams danger, felt like it needed a stronger foundation in her character arc.
That said, Lennon’s enthusiasm and ambition are what draw you into the story’s emotional core. The Academy is a place of intoxicating possibility—a world she’s desperate to claim for herself.
And let’s talk about the romance, it felt unnecessary. For a story so rich in setting, the romance seemed to detract from the real allure: the Academy itself and Lennon’s evolving relationship with its many secrets. I found myself wishing for those pages to be spent diving deeper into the Academy’s motivations and the consequences of Lennon’s choices.
I think my main struggle was that I just didn't fall in love with Lennon. I think I wanted more of the Academy and a real purpose for its existence. Why the art of persuasion? Just a deeper dive into the foundations of the school and its disciplines rather than the interpersonal drama between its students. But I did enjoy myself. I love Alexis Henderson, I'm a mega-fan and will show up to everything

Final Recommendation: An Academy of Liars offers a magical experience. It’s bold and unafraid to take risks. Henderson’s storytelling has an undeniable magnetism, and though this journey left me slightly at odds, I’m glad I took it. If you’re drawn to dark academia with a side of romance this one’s worth your time. 3.5 stars (rounded up for Goodreads & NetGalley)

Comps: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake