First of all, this has major The Magicians vibes, with a bit of Max Barry’s Lexicon thrown in. To be honest, I wasn’t a huge fan of The Magicians, so at first I was a bit put off by how similarly An Academy For Liars started off. Things picked up and were going strong for about 50% of the book - I was invested in Lennon and her relationships with her peers and the mystery of Drayton and persuasion itself - but I think there ended up being too many threads. Of the ones that were resolved (which was definitely not all of them), they were not resolved super satisfyingly to me, and the ending felt really rushed.
The biggest problem, though, was that by the last quarter of the book or so, it was hard for me as a reader to root for Drayton as an institution. I couldn’t be invested in its continued existence or in Lennon’s role in said continued existence. And since those were the major plot points, I sort of lost interest in the story generally.
That said, I’m still giving it 3 stars for hooking me so strongly in the front half.

An Academy For Liars is a book wherein protagonist Lennon is invited to attend a mysterious school to learn the art of Persuasion. This book was tense; it was the kind of book where I found myself holding my breath without knowing it, waiting for what, exactly, was going to happen next. I adored this book, and completely recommend it. The author, Alexis Henderson wrote one of my other favorite books, House of Hunger, and this book is equally as good, if not better than her previous work; I can say for certain that this is going to be one of my favorite reads this year. If you're a fan of books like If We Were Villains or the Secret History, or anything else often labelled with 'dark academia', I absolutely recommend this book.

I absolutely loved this book. It's a great addition to the dark academia genre, and I can't wait to read Alexis Henderson's other books. This book follows Lennon as she enters a world hidden within our own. Drayton College is everything I want in a dark academia setting: secrets, hot professors, and classes entirely focused on a specific, out-of-the-ordinary topic. I also loved Lennon and many of the other characters. I enjoyed watching her find herself and gain confidence.

I would highly recommend this book to people who enjoyed the Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik and Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. The first half of the book was mysterious and kept you hooked. I really enjoyed the magical realism and escape setting of the book. However, it never gained pace or picked up. It lacked serious world building to make it come alive and feel real. The character was rather flat, so flat in fact I forgot her name. Like I said, not for me.

I truly don't know what to say about this book. It's unbelievably inventive and I haven't stopped thinking about it. Alexis writes from the heart. She writes from a deep and twisted place that brings books that will challenge you and your way of thinking. The depth of this book, what it means to persuade someone; what it means to own someone's body and mind and how doing that could corrupt. Absolutely power corrupts absolutely. This book is so traumatic and messed up and I loved every second of it. You are in for a ride.

An Academy for Liars is a dark academia novel that is a dark fantasy mystery with a little horror and murder thrown in for good measure and set at a magical school that is very unique. It's a really interesting premise and I think the concept would have been even better as a series.

Thank you to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

This one ended on the last sentence.

Suuuuper dark academia. The HP comparisons end at getting a letter that you get to come to this magic school. Well, okay, I guess friendships are important throughout too, just like in HP but the main character doesn't realize it fast enough. There's a love story, too, of course. Some really heart-racing scenes.

I had a hard time with this book. I loved the premise: magical college, dark academia. a “chosen one” storyline, and a splash of romance. By the execution was meh. I liked the world building and felt swept into the story at the beginning, only to have it fade as i reached the 50% mark. There were a lot of questions or themes brought up that weren’t resolved, including the symbolism of the moths and the names. The romance in this book was absolutely flat. Our MC has horrid taste in men and only leans into that as the book goes on. Even with her main love interest, the chemistry was no where to be found, and I didn’t feel invested in the relationship one bit. In fact, it felt pretty icky and immature. Overall, I liked the ride but I have a lot of questions left and wonder why the MC did what she did.

I am full of tears and emotions and Alexis Henderson has me in a chokehold

After House of Hunger being my favourite read last year and one of my favourites of all-time, I knew I needed to read this. I wasn't expecting to feel so deeply again but I think that is the skill of the writing and storytelling from this fabulous author. At first I was a little worried I would have difficulty picturing the world but it was described in such a way that my brain felt like it had been transported. I don't want to give too much away but yes, I definitely think you should read this if you love dark academia and feeling things deeply.

This book was an interesting foray into adult dark academia for me. The magic system was very unique and interesting. The book had a lot more direct action than I expected. It is pretty violent as far as my experience with dark academia. It is not a book with a lot of (read: any) likeable characters. The point that no one is good is drilled home over and over. The book did well as far as plot twists without having specific misdirects.

Lennon our main character seems to lack drive or will which makes her a bit difficult to root for in most of the book. The romantic subplot was well done and well-woven into the story, but I wasn't a fan of the relationship itself. The mystery of the school and its existence developed well and built over the book. It is very character driven to start, and then we end up in the mystery plot.

Disclosure: I received a free eARC and print copy of the book. No review was required and all opinions are my own.

Absolutely no idea why the average rating for this is so low! This was SO GOOD! I loved the atmosphere that Henderson created, and the suspense/worldbuilding was great too! I really liked the dynamics between the characters, specifically Lennon and Dante. The first half of the book is definitely stronger than the second, because once the time travel was introduced, I kind of got confused. But overall this is DEFINITELY worth the read!

This was INCREDIBLE! it felt like a mesh of Babel and The Secret History, I love Dark Academia and this was *chefs kiss* dark and broody, atmospheric and an intricate expansive world and magic system? Need I say more, I was gripped from the first page, propulsive plot and a great cast of characters! Can't wait for my special edition to arrive!

I wanted to share a glowing review of this book today but alas, I can’t do it, I dnfed around 10%. I usually dnf if I can’t connect with the characters or writing style and feel it will ultimately be less than 3 stars from me, which was my experience with this one. I think part of the problem is it reminds me so much of one of my favorite books (The Magicians) but done not as well which is just frustrating and disappointing. A lot of people hte the Magicians writing style and characters though so if that’s the case for you maybe you’ll love this!

I’m disappointed because this was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year! I loved House of Hunger, and this is my favorite genre (dark academia fantasy)😭 Also, TRIGGER WARNING there is a suicide attempt within the first few pgs which I wasn’t prepared for 😓

Thank you @berkleypub & @penguinrandomhouse for the eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a WILD RIDE. Lennon has just run away from her cheating fiancé and receives a call from a mysterious phone booth summoning her to Drayton College, a magical college hidden in Savannah. As she discovers and develops her powers, she discovers that a threat looms over the school and it may cost her everything.

I really enjoyed this book! It took its time setting up the school and the plot, and I was glad to have the time to discover what was happening along Lennon. The pacing increased as the tension did, and this gave it a thrilling feel! An Academy For Liars is a dark academia thriller with secret agendas, a forbidden romance, and supernatural threats.

Thank you to Berkley Pub for the earc. All thoughts are my own.

Dark Academia and fall are a perfect pairing, especially with a cup of tea in hand. An Academy for Liars is a fantastic new entry in the genre. From the very first page, I was drawn into its dark, unsettling atmosphere, where it's clear that something is amiss for the protagonist.
Lennon, the main character, may not be immediately is she, selected to rituind a universo specializested the art of magical "persuasion." The concept is chilling
—imagine people with the power to alter our memories and make us believe anything, even convincing us to harm ourselves or those we love.
I found the premise fascinating, particularly how it raises ethical questions about power and manipulation right from the start. The book hits all the classic dark academia notes: a flawed group of students, a secluded school, an attractive professor, a formidable vice chancellor, mysterious accidents, and perhaps even a murder or two.
Overall, it's an engaging read that perfectly sets the tone for fall.

I had such high hopes for this one but ultimately left disappointed. I loved the idea of this story, however, the execution left me wanting more - despite this being a long read.

I couldn’t really wrapped my head around the magic/powers used and how this school was established - it was a bit too much unknowns for my liking. I didn’t like any of the characters and felt Lennon did not experience any personal growth by the end. She merely got powers by the end.

And the romance subplot I could have done without since it lacked chemistry from me & didn’t felt wholly necessary to the plot - in my opinion.

Overall, I just ended this book not feeling much of anything & a bit confused. I’m still happy to read more from Alexis H. though as I loved House of Hunger.

This is a classic dark academia story - atmospheric and a little eerie with an incredibly unique magic system and a story that gets more and more unhinged the further you go. This felt like a mix of The Secret History and the Scholomance series with a sprinkle of Babel.

The only complaint I have about this book was that the pacing felt a little off to me in the middle. It was definitely a slow burn, but the payoff was worth it because the ending was wild!

An atmospheric, dark academia book. The atmosphere, the setting and the world building were done really well. Unfortunately I did not connect with a single character and felt the depth was missing.. I never found myself rooting for our MC or any of the other side characters. The pacing was also a bit slow for me until about the 75% mark.

So GOOD! An Academy for Liars hooked me from chapter one (what a spicy way to start off a book). It only got better from there. I found the setting to be very atmospheric and while the story started off a slow burn it kept you fully invested until the plot picked up pace. This may have been my first Alexis Henderson novel but it won't be my last!

Alexis Henderson did not disappoint with this broody, atmospheric dark academia novel. The FMC Lennon has felt chronically misunderstood by her family for the majority of her life so when she receives a mysterious invitation to attend Drayton, she see's it as an opportunity for self-discovery and redemption. What presents itself an a chance for self-discovery becomes a swift path to self-destruction. I loved this book for so many reasons. Henderson is a master world-builder and this book was instantly immersive. I loved the concept of persuasion and all of the mystery surrounding Drayton and it's history. My only criticism is that the romance initially felt forced and obvious, but by the end I was team Lennon and Dante. One of my favorite reads this year, easily!