This was deeply unsettling right from the start. The best dark academia book I’ve read in a long time. Henderson creates atmosphere unlike any other author I’ve read. This really solidified her as an auto-buy/favorite author for me. Detailed settings, complex characters and unique, but familiar, plot devices make every one of her books addictive. The tension in this was thick, the mystery engaging, the romance was forbidden and the end was perfect. I really loved this.

An Academy for Liars
by Alexis Henderson
Pub Date: Sep 17 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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.

The thing about me is, I live for dark academia. Unfortunately this dark academia book wasn't for me.

While meant to be a dark academia setting, it felt much more horror or gothic to me. I was looking for something a bit more magical and atmospheric and that isn't what I got at all. I can look past that though for some amazing characters, but the characters fell flat and overall were one dimensional to me (other than the FMC).

I can see someone who is much more into a gothic style novel enjoying this one, but it missed the mark for me!

Dark academia, mind powers, rivalry, questions of morality, murder, romance.

In this novel, we follow Lennon as she finds herself pulled into a mysterious university that teaches the powers of persuasion. She finds herself with a natural but unreliable talent for persuasion. What follows is a wild ride with schoolmate rivalries, faculty alliances, and dark secrets.

I could see the character arc, but I never knew where the plot was going, making for a thrilling read. The persuasion powers and class exercises in persuasion were so fascinating.

This reminded me so much of The Magicians (in a good way) with the hidden/cloaked university and our main character learning how to harness her powers while figuring out her own sense of morality.

4.25

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I have really mixed feelings about this book. It has such great potential, but I was left wanting so much more.

The premise:
Students are mysteriously offered placement at a school that teaches a skill that may or may not be magic. The entrance exam and school remind me a bit of Brakebills from The Magicians, while the rather unlikeable characters remind me of The Atlas Six. The MC is powerful in ways her classmates are not, and she is both targeted and protected for reasons she does not understand. This is all perfect for me!

The good:
I love this genre as well as the tropes found in this book. I read it quickly and found the ending exciting enough to want to read the sequel. I especially enjoyed the tension that builds as the MC becomes desperate to prove herself despite having the creeping suspicion that all is not as it seems. I love when academia *is* the darkeness.

The problem:
The book is just…vague. We don’t see much of their studies. I still have no idea how they train this power. Months pass and they are more skilled. Relationships appear with no real development. Time passes and suddenly they are friends. More time passes and now there is tension and mistrust. The author wrote a compelling beginning, brought the story threads together for a solid ending, and just hand waved away the middle 75% of the book. I wanted to know how they were studying this power. I wanted to see friendships form and loyalties shift. I wanted to feel something (anything!) for the side characters, but they are given no depth.

I ended up giving this three stars because of my ambivalence.

I am a huge dark academia girlie. You put academy in the title and I'm going to read it. This book grabbed hold of me from the beginning and did not let go until the end! Fantasy, horror, a bit of science fiction, magical realism, and of course dark academia were blended together expertly to create the most captivating atmosphere and story.

When you think it can't get darker, it just keeps going. This is a haunting book that will not let you put it down or leave you after finishing it. Lennon has a self-destructive nature and I kept rooting for her (while also wanting to have a strongly worded conversation) as she grew more powerful and dangerous.

The characters are ruthless, you don't know who to trust, the tension and rivalries on the surface are nothing compared to what's building beneath. The power these persuasionists wield is extreme. The setting is so unique and interesting, and the dark academia aesthetic is in every bit of this book - clothes, meals, schedules, and "extracurriculars" included. I loved it. Alexis Henderson absolutely knows this genre.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and Berkley/Ace for the ARC!

This was a phenomenal book, I can see it being the next big dark academia novel for sure. The world was expertly built, and the magic system within was complicated but still easy to grasp. I loved the school setting, it was unique as far as magic schools go, and I liked the societies within and the classes that the students took. The writing was incredibly vivid, it was so easy for me to picture the settings and characters while reading, it just felt so real. Lennon was a really interesting character, she had a lot of layers to her and her motivations made sense throughout the novel. The focus on race, gender, and class within really elevated the reading experience for me, taking the book into an interesting and critical direction. I could not get enough of this, it was all consuming and I literally couldn't put it down when reading.

4.5

To start off, I’m obsessed with this book and story. Alexis Henderson does it again and her stories just speak to me on a different level, so I’m so grateful that I was granted an e-arc by the publishers in advance of the publish date on September 17th, 2024. Run don’t walk to grab this one on the shelves. Now onto the review-specific bits -

An Academy of Liars follows the journey of our heroine Lennon Carter as she receives an invitation to apply to a secret university called Drayton. Nestled in the ether of Savannah Georgia, Drayton has housed the world’s greatest minds in the art of persuasion. Think of the ability of Greek mythology sirens x 1000. Every admitted student of Drayton has their own backstory of creeps and haunts that lead them to Drayton’s steps and the horrors continue on campus and under the tutelage of Drayton professors. After a series of tests and classes, Lennon is acknowledged as a prodigy of natural talent but her sense of morality and guilt hinders; themes that permeate throughout the story. Running (or as Lennon puts it finding solace) from her past in the campus of Drayton has been her lifeline. Despite being subjected to concerning situations that lead her to gain further control of her abilities, Lennon attempts to create community with other students and encourage a relationship with her mentor Dante. At times I yearned for more about the supporting characters, but given how Lennon operates (and the point of view 1st person) it’s to be expected. I also have been wrestling with even calling Lennon a heroine; she definitely tips into anti-hero status for me but that makes her so enticing and “dangerous” in all the best ways. At times she frustrated, but often I was more in awe of her. She is a fantastic character to wrestle through the themes with and explore the environment. A tense and horrific foray in dark academia, Henderson creates an enticing and dangerous world that keeps the reader second-guessing at every turn.

Henderson is so apt at generating images and setting the mood with her writing it’s so refreshing for me because the visuals feel so tangible in my mind’s eye. This skill was evident and felt in House of Hunger but she can take it to a new level here. Each scene has a smell, a taste, and a sound that centers the reader in these delicious and thrilling moments. There’s one particular moment that comes at one of the major turning points I believe 70%-ish way through the story that I cannot get out of my mind. With each description Henderson added, that image got more visceral and blinding in a sense. In this book, that type of skill is doubly useful because a lot of the violence and harm is mental. There is not always physical strain from the assailant so to feel embodied in the assailant’s mind or body through these descriptions is amazing and makes the story that more heavy of a read. Reading this was as exhausting as the characters felt because you felt like you were put through the spin cycle as they are.

On top of the visual language Henderson employs, her ability to generate atmosphere is commendable. The biggest aspect that is shared between HoH and AAFL is the sexy, dark, and twisted compounded by the themes of morality, guilt, grief, betrayal, and racism. Drayton has a feeling unlike I have ever experienced from another book. The campus’ isolation from the real world allows Henderson to focus on the dark corners in the hallways and the ghosts of past Drayton students. Using the plot structure of a mystery puts a haze on the plot for the reader in a delicious way because it allows Lennon (our driver) to uncover information with each progression and at the same time allows Henderson to manipulate the conventions of the drama to her benefit. We have red herrings, misunderstandings, miscommunication, etc. that is employed in a way that keeps the engine running on the story. Also using the genre expectation of mystery, it is easy for it to live underneath the umbrella of horror with it’s imagery and manipulation of the reader’s expectation here as well.

For me and I think it’s understated but purposeful, how this book tackles racism in academia in a real way despite the paranormal nature. Dante is a Black professor on the campus and is an incredibly gifted persuasionist who was mentored by the Chancellor of the University. He is a much sought-after professor (not just because of his enthralling aesthetics) but because he is known to mentor the best of Drayton. When Lennon is put under his care because of her proclivity in the study, Dante is firm, challenging, and demanding with Lennon, but he is also incredibly protective of her. It resonated with me how Black professors in academia can be both the greatest advocates and harshest credits to Black students. Also given Lennon’s tumultuous sexual history, she falls into this seemingly one-sided attraction with Dante but given the power imbalance and the secrets he keeps to himself that’s a part of Dante, he does not release into Lennon’s possession. I will not go into spoilers but once you have the pieces of Drayton’s history and its secret keepers and mirror it to Dante and Lennon’s relationship everything takes on this incredibly painful and poignant level that made me want to hug and care for these characters.

I took the day to absorb the ending and wrote this review 24 hrs after finishing there were a lot of painful questions answered and explored with the mystery. The exploration of themes at each instance feels like a gut punch; whether it comes in the form of Lennon’s relationships with her classmates, professors, and her family the answers to Lennon’s morality questions and conundrums feel like hard questions I have avoided myself in life. It’s a book that’s seductive in prose but poignant in story forcing you to ask hard questions of your life and your own morality and dark desires. It feels necessary in a lot of ways. I’m excited to re-read this and extract more out it as I feel knowing the ending there is much to uncover of breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout.

An Academy for Liars is a gripping and imaginative novel that skillfully combines elements of mystery and fantasy within an intriguing academic setting. The novel's intricate plot and well-developed characters create a compelling narrative that keeps readers engaged and guessing. With its clever twists and rich world-building, it offers a fresh and captivating reading experience.

Another spooky season must read. It was giving Vita Nostra realness but with more of a focus on the romance. it felt like Alexis jumped in my head and with the information she got, made a book that was CATERED for me.

An Academy for Liars is a gripping and complex dark academia fantasy with elements of horror and romance. The intrigue begins right off the bat when Lennon finds out her fiancé is cheating on her and a mysterious phone call stops her from doing something she can’t come back from. She then finds herself accepted to a hidden magical school where she learns to wield her power of persuasion over others and even reality itself.

The dark atmosphere of this book was great - it’s definitely creepy at times and also a bit violent. The magic system was pretty different from anything I’ve read previously and the act of persuasion was used in really clever ways. There were constantly things to uncover about the school and the characters and I really didn’t see any of it coming.

I wasn’t sure how to feel about the romance for most of the book but I did enjoy the way it turned out. Some minor complaints I have are that it started to drag a little maybe 2/3 of the way through, and some of the side characters were hard to differentiate from one another. Overall a compelling story that I’m sure dark academia fans will love.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I definitely will have to grab a hard copy of this book.

It starts off pretty cliche and slow. However it does pick up as secrets and mysteries are introduced and once everything started rolling into the Academy, it was easily very fast paced and intriguing. It sort of gives me the vibes of Hogwarts but in the south. It is very violent so be mindful if you don't care for those kinds of stories. I do think the ending was a very nice twist but not over the top. A nice blend of horror and fantasy if you don't mind!

I devoured this book so quickly—it was the perfect mix of dark academia, fantasy, and horror. This book is dark and captivating, set in a world where magic and manipulation intertwine in the most intriguing ways. Lennon Carter, our protagonist, is whisked away to Drayton College, a secret school hidden in Savannah, where students master the art of persuasion through mind manipulation. The plot unfolds with eerie beauty as Lennon grapples with her new powers, the school's dark history, and her mysterious mentor, Dante.

Alexis Henderson’s writing pulls you into the spooky atmosphere, blending suspense and academia with a touch of romance. Lennon's journey is both haunting and enthralling, making this a must-read for fans of dark academia. I couldn’t put it down and found myself completely absorbed in Lennon's story. I highly recommend this book if you're into dark academia, dark fantasy, or spooky reads in general. This will make the perfect fall read during spooky season.

This was my first Alexis Henderson book, and it definitely won't be my last.

If you're looking for a darker, more grown up version of a magic school like you had in Harry Potter, this isn't a bad place to start.

I have lived everything Alexis Henderson has written, so I wasn’t surprised at how good this book was.
An Academy For Liars is a dark academia/fantasy book about Lennon. She’s been having rough go of it and the last straw is when she finds her fiancé cheating on her with one of her friends. She takes off from the party with no idea where she’s going, but she ends up in the parking lot of a strip mall just to hear a phone ringing. She’s shocked to realize that the call is for her, offering her the chance to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, even though she’s never heard of it before. Drayton is a secret, magical school hidden in Savannah. After she oases the test, she begins her studies to master her gift of the art of persuasion. But there are dark secrets at Drayton and the more Lennon learns, the more disturbed she becomes.

I wasn’t expecting the twisty ending, and I was unable to put the book down even thought I wanted to make it last longer. This is a dark, violent story and I loved it!

An Academy for Liars is everything I love about Dark Academia — dark, twisty, and a little bit of horror. I absolutely loved this one and stayed up late into the night to finish Lennon’s story. The idea of a school hidden with Savannah was intriguing and once we got there we meet Professor Dante who takes Lennon as an advisee, somethings he’s not done often. I really enjoyed the relationship that developed between the two and how I was never really sure what side he was on. There were definitely some secrets — a lot of them. Some I found worked really well, and others I was wishing for more context in the body of the book. I was still left with a few areas of the book that I felt could’ve been fleshed out more. It had a good ensemble cast of characters, some were a little more flat than others and I didn’t really understand their entire motivation for certain events, however, I did love Lennon, Dante, and oddly a rat named Gregory. Overall, my experience with An Academy for Liars was one I won’t forget and I definitely would recommend this to any Dark Academia lovers!

"An Academy for Liars" is well written and has an interesting story, it is just not for me. DNF @ 45%.

This book has an incredible start and it does not let up - we are consistently moving from one scene to the next but everything flows well together. There is a lot of questions at the beginning and they are answered as more are asked. It is a very engaging story.

The reason this is a DNF is my own issue. I have never read a dark academia book, but the vibes have always intrigued me. In reading this though, I've figured out that this is not a setting for me. I don't really empathize with the characters, but I do not think that that is the author's fault.

I do highly recommend this book to those that enjoy dark academia. I will definitely be looking at reading the author's other books.

Rated 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC ebook.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advance galley in exchange for my honest review.

If House of Hunger has one fan it’s me, if it has no fans I’m dead. I listened to the audiobook ONCE (so far) and I can’t stop thinking about it. You can imagine my delight upon receiving this arc in my Netgalley queue.

I dove into it and loved the first chapters, the characterization of Lennon and her flight from regular life to a supernatural life at the academy.

Charleston was such a gorgeous setting and I loved reading about it and the lore built around the elevator system and how the school is concealed.

Her time learning the skill of persuasion was very interesting and I enjoyed the found family aspects of the novel as Lennon was getting to know her classmates. But they didn’t feel super fleshed out apart from maybe Blaine. I felt that Nadine’s character was super mishandled at the end.

I didn’t like Dante and the romance, which felt flat. And normally I’m not a romance reader but if it’s going to be included, I need some emotion. Lennon is a very emotional character on paper, she is taken kicking and screaming from place to place, but I never felt the love for Dante. He felt the same as her now and then fling with Ian. And if he’s the be all-end all it should feel different.

I didn’t have a lot of feelings about the book at all, completely unlike my experience with House of Hunger.

Lennon began to feel hypocritical, the time travel and the hopping place to place gave me whiplash, and I just straight up didn’t understand what was going on at points (notably Amsterdam).

But that said, I really really really wanted to like it. I think upon release, I will listen to the audiobook instead and try to mimic my House of Hunger experience. And I admit, I’m not a science fiction reader and I think that’s what this is coupled with magical realism. I was expecting fantasy and that’s my own fault.

I find it really hard to rate because did it do what it was trying to do? Yes, probably. Maybe it went over my head. But did I like it? No. The first half, yes very much. And when Lennon went back in time and realized she was responsible for Benedict, yes, I was enthralled with the writing. But Lennon didn’t learn anything through this experience, in my opinion. She was warned that her going back to the past could be the only trigger needed to change something. And then she does it again anyway trying to save Dante. It would make more sense if she acknowledged the hypocrisy and if the love story was better fleshed out. I mean, he broke up with her shortly before she risked her life to save him.

Not to mention how Lennon seems to have a moral issue with using persuasion… but does it anyway. Like even to the hapless guards in the final scene. Even to her sister, and more than once. Her character started to fall apart for me. And upon becoming chancellor, she puts stricter regulations on persuading others. But it doesn’t apply to her?

I also felt some type of way about poor William being in such a state implying that the chancellor position is an enormous challenge. But then it appears when Lennon takes the position, she becomes conqueror and king. Sure, she mentions a drain on her power, but she isn’t chained to the school forever like William. She can vacation, at least.

All of the issues I found, they could have been solved with more pages. More time on the love interest, more time with her coming into her power, and more time learning this new role. It wrapped up too fast. It was too ambitious a concept for only 450 pages. It could have filled a trilogy.

I know this novel will find more hungry and delighted readers, but I’m disappointed to report this one wasn’t for me.

Dark and unexpected. Adult fans of Harry Potter will LOVE this book. This is a must read for dark academia fans. Forbidden romance. Magical school. Mysterious. Need I say more?

Alexis kept me hooked with new twists and turns at every page. Just when you think you know what’s going on Lennon’s character surprises you. The last 15 chapters of this book had me hooked. I could not put it down. I cannot wait to share this book with my friends and family when it publishes. 



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

The school grounds were cast in the early fall sunshine as she walked across the campus. Students were talking, laughing, mingling together without care in the world. She felt out of place here, but something felt right in the very back of her mind… an unseen, unknown purpose calling to her.

An Academy For Liars is a dark academia fantasy book following Lennon. She gets a mysterious phone call informing her she has been chosen to go to Drayton college, a school she had never heard of or even applied for. But this was no ordinary school…

This story was dark, entertaining, mysterious, and fast-paced as I followed Lennon’s journey mastering the art of persuasion and learning exactly why she was chosen for Drayton. This gave Wayward Childrens series vibes… but make it adult! I love Alexis’s books and this one was another fantastic read from her.

If you’re a dark academia fan… definitely pick this one up!