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

AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS by @lexish is an atmospheric dark academia novel steeped in secrets, magic and betrayals. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @berkleypub for the e-ARC.

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We meet Lennon as she is fleeing her own engagement party in her now ex-fiance's car after she just caught him messing around with his colleague. Devastated and lost, she receives a call from a prestigious school called Dayton in Ogden, UT that she does not recall applying to, letting her know she has been admitted. With nothing to lose she travels to Drayton to be welcomed by the faculty and fellow students at a school of persuasion, as Dayton is known.

There is an atmosphere of prestige and mystery throughout the whole school but particularly in the dorm of Logos, the most elite living situation on campus that is invite-only and involves a dangerous initiation ritual. When Lennon is finally welcomed into Logos, she starts to see behind the curtain and learns there is much more afoot at Drayton than she ever imagined.

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I was absolutely spellbound by this book. The magic system is dark and costly - physical, emotional and mental costs - and there are layers of mystery to unravel. I was invested in the characters and had to unravel the mysteries of Drayton!Alexis Henderson never fails to grab my attention and her work always just hits a little different and has its own unique twists.

Highly recommend if you like dark academia books with mystery, intrigue, secret societies, passion and fury. This was one of my fave reads this year!

This was my second read from this author and it was not for me. I will continue to read from her but I just didn't connect with the characters or care for this world. I thought that 'the power of persuasion' could have been so cool but the book just didn't so it justice.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An Academy for Liars was a very interesting book. I feel like this should've been read around Halloween, but life tends to throw you some curve balls. Sort of like what Lennon went through (but not really).

At times, I was completely enamored by what was happening in this book. I just had so many questions and wanted to better understand this school and what was lurking beneath it. Then there were these moments where it felt like nothing was really happening and I was bored out of my mind. That little roller coaster, on top of figuring out if I even liked Lennon, was what kept me pausing the book. Sure, it didn't take me that long to read this book, but it sort of felt like it did.

There's honestly so much betrayal, but that should be expected with a title featuring the word liars. As for romance, we have some moments here and there, but I could've had more. Heck, I wanted more because that would give my brain some time to figure out who we could or couldn't trust. Without spoiling anything, just be aware that this book has so many twists throughout it. If I wasn't so tired from work, I probably would've figured out one or two of them before they were revealed. Alas, I didn't, and I still ended up enjoying the book.

In the end, I'm happy that I finally found the time to dive into this. I will definitely reread this around a spooky month in the future because I need to figure out what clues I missed this time around.

I enjoyed this. While confusing at first, I ended the book feeling like I finally understand The magic system the author created and I think it I very unique . The magic and the work were very well fleshed out , but the characters were a little flat, especially the side characters. I found my self confused keeping people in order and even shocked by some people’s reactions because it seemed very out of character.
While not a perfect book, the ending was very good with just the right amount of action.

An Academy for Liars is a fun and fresh take on dark academia while pulling in horror and fantastical elements. Lennon was such an unlikeable main character, but I think thats why I liked her. the first chapter was really unhinged of her, but its so iconic. I loved the world, the romance was weird and some side characters were annoying. I think if you liked Catherin House, you would like An Academy for Liars.

I have read 2 of Henderson's books before this and have liked them so I was looking forward to this one, and while this is very different than her former two books, this was in every way just as good,

This had everything I I could have asked for, I am not even a fan of dark academia, but this was so rich and full of those dark and haunting vibes that I got sold on dark academia with this book. I also was very interested in the magic system, and I adored the romance which managed to be cute and sweet and teasing without. being saccharine.

This is one of the best dark academia books I have read, Henderson's writing is well above average while still being accessible. This gets a very strong 4 stars,

An absolute new favourite!! I loved Alexis Henderson's HOUSE OF HUNGER but AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS truly blew me away. I was obsessed with the world of persuasion and with our deeply flawed and chaotic main character. Lennon was everything I've wanted in a speculative novel protagonist for YEARS—a woman of colour, mentally ill (like me lol), in need of a second chance, and downright determined to make this opportunity worth it. I really loved the other characters as well and the way the book had me on the edge of my seat for the ending was exactly what I wanted. I would give this 50 stars and more if I could because I truly enjoyed every minute of it.

<b>actual rating: 2/5 stars</b>

unfortunately, i really didn’t enjoy this book. while the premise had so much potential, the execution left me feeling disappointed and underwhelmed. the story was unintentionally vague, which made it difficult to stay invested. so much about the world and the magic system felt underdeveloped, leaving countless questions unanswered. the lack of proper world-building was especially frustrating because the setting—a secret school of magic hidden in savannah—could have been so rich and immersive if it had been given the attention it deserved. i think this story was far too ambitious for a standalone fantasy, and it ended up trying to do too much without delivering on any of it fully.

the characters were another major issue for me. lennon, the protagonist, was frustrating to follow. she repeatedly made bad decisions, and while i understand that flawed characters can be realistic and relatable, her choices often felt grating and hard to justify. the side characters, unfortunately, didn’t add much to the story either. they lacked depth and individuality, making them all feel interchangeable and forgettable. none of them stood out or left a lasting impression, which made the interactions between characters feel flat and uninteresting.

the romance was one of the weakest aspects of the book. lennon’s relationship with dante had no chemistry, which made their interactions feel forced and awkward. their dynamic also involved frequent boundary-crossing, which was uncomfortable to read about and detracted from any potential appeal of their connection. towards the end, the romance became a central focus, but because it was so poorly developed, it felt completely unearned. i couldn’t bring myself to care about their relationship or how things turned out for them.

overall, this book was extremely lackluster. while the synopsis promised an intriguing dark academia fantasy with a unique magic system and a morally complex protagonist, it failed to deliver on nearly every front. the story felt rushed and incomplete, and the characters and romance left much to be desired. it’s disappointing because there were elements of the premise that had so much potential, but the execution didn’t live up to what this book could have been.

thank you to berkley publishing group, alexis henderson, and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i feel like the ball was really dropped here. the first few chapters were intriguing but this quickly got boring.

When I saw the cover and read the description for Academy for Liars, I knew I had to give it a go. While I haven’t read any of Alexis Henderson’s previous books, I’ve heard good things. After reading Academy of Liars, I would definitely read more by this author.

I will admit, I had a bit of a rough start with this book. I struggled through the first 30-40%. I was sure it was not going to live up to my expectations, however as the story progressed, I found myself drawn deeper into this story, unable to put it down.

What kept me turning the pages was the unique dark academia elements and the twisty plot. I found myself fascinated with Drayton College and the magic system. The plot started unfolding with layers of secrets, betrayals, hidden motives, and twists and turns that kept me guessing. I was compelled to find out how everything was going to play out.

With that being said, I did have issues with the book. For one, I wanted to see more about the school and classes offered. The Drayton College setting and the magic system was what drew me into the book, but I felt like the world-building was very surface-level. Another big issue I had was the lack of character development and unlikable characters. This book has a huge cast of characters, many of which were hard to keep track of, but none of the characters were fleshed out. It was also hard to root for the characters, since they didn’t really have many endearing qualities. A few do redeem themselves at the end, but it almost felt a bit odd because it was so out of character from the rest of the book.

Despite my reservations, this book was compelling enough to eventually win me over. If you are a dark academia fan, I would say it’s a worthwhile read.

As a dark academia lover, I wanted to like this one but I just couldn't get on board with the characters. The premise sounded great and I was looking forward for the more adult story but it did not live up to my hopes. I wish Lennon did not go from one relationship to the next, she would have benefitted from some time on her own. There was no reason for me to feel attachment to Lennon or other characters and so my overall interest fell flat.

I have mixed feelings about this dark, atmospheric mystery set in a school for magic. The descriptions and setting and character development were great. Despite this I did not engage fully with this book and I am not 100% sure why. If you like dark academia then this might be right up your alley.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an electronic ARC of this book.

This book really challenged my assumptions about dark academia. I have like this genre in the past, but this book really pushed into pure horror territory for me. I really liked the characters, the variety in the cast and how they interacted, it felt like a real group of college students. I also really enjoyed the magical system and the idea that magic is just someone's ability to persuade action and perception. I also think the author's treatment of the various settings is excellent. Each location felt like another character with as much importance as the human characters. I did find the body horror difficult to take, but that is my preference, not an indictment of the quality of writing. In fact I think Henderson's writing skill is what makes the body horror so unsettling. I also found Lennon to be a tricky main character. I found her believable while at the same time unrelatable. She seemed like a well drawn character, just one I did not particularly like especially in her relationships. Again I think it is Henderson's deft writing that makes her as complicated and grey as she is. Overall I would recommend this book to fans of dark academia and horror, who have the stomach for a bit of gore.

Thank you to Berkley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I was really excited to cozy up with this book, knowing it had suspenseful and even horror elements, based on how this book was marketed and what people were saying about this author's work. I truly did like the plot of this and the academia setting and how it was dark and eery. This story follows Lennon and her entry into Drayton College and of course, you have to be on the lookout for a certain Dante... I am not sure what to make of this book, really. I enjoyed it while reading it but at the end, I just felt rather indifferent. This is great for the winter months if you're looking for a university/academia setting read about power (as most things are).

ooooh my god, I absolutely loved this!!! it gave me DARK academia and was such a quick and enjoyable read.

The writing really tickled something for my brain, because I loved everything about it. It was so atmospheric and I thought the pacing was perfect. The concept of this school and persuasion were really interesting and honestly, I wish we had gotten more info and lore!! The other students also felt real and adding layers of depth to this school that let me buy in completely. The romance was good, but it didn't feel like the center of the story (in a good way!!).

This is a book where I truly wasn't sure where we were going but I enjoyed the ride and learning more about this world.

Thank you to Berkley for the ARC!