I decided to DNF this book, as I think it’s just a bit too dark for me. But I think the writing is very good, and the right person will definitely enjoy this one. I may decide to give it another try someday.

The first 20% had me hooked, the middle had me questioning if I was vibing with the story but I definitely was trying to process what I was feeling reading this. The last 30% was !!!! this book went so many different directions that ultimately came together at the end. If you like a dark academia with misfits, fantasy, violence, and power…An Academy of Liars is really atmospheric.

The institution is the VILLAIN and the book was extremely ambitious. With that, I don’t think it’s everyone’s cup of tea for dark academia. I did leave wanting to read even more dark academia. Loved the gothic writing and I’d read more from Alexis Henderson!

I am utterly OBSESSED with this book! I am a huge fan of dark academia and the subsidiary “school for the gifted” trope within the genre but An Academy for Liars took these preconceived premises and warped them anew.

As Lennon’s life is falling apart, she receives a mysterious phone call inviting her to take an entrance exam for Drayton College. The school trains those gifted in the arts of magical persuasion and Lennon has been deemed one of the chosen few to study and hone these powers. Lennon’s acceptance to Drayton comes with shocking discoveries and as the school year progresses, and her relationship with her advisor Dante becomes more muddled, Lennon will learn the cost of her gifts and just how many secrets Drayton’s hallowed halls are built on.

There wasn’t a second of this book that I wasn’t fully locked in. For a novel well over 400 pages, I felt like it flew by. Alexis Henderson stuns with her mastery of atmosphere. Drayton itself is an entity of its own and Henderson’s stunning, oftentimes jarring, prose hammers this idea into readers continuously. Through Lennon’s naivety, we stumble alongside her as she tries to make her way in this shrewd and violent new reality.

Plainly put, An Academy for Liars is a commentary on violence, power, and morality. Henderson uses Lennon as a device to lay out the perverse and uncomfortable notions of the human condition. These assertions were intellectual without feeling pretentious and I credit that to the relatability in which I found Lennon. She was a character I strongly rooted for even as she was forced to make harrowing choices I myself could not fathom. Her empathy and strength endeared me to her and I was in constant awe of her hunger to survive.

There are touches of fantasy, sci fi, and horror elements to this novel. I will warn squeamish audiences that there is quite a bit of gore and body horror that all come at the cost of the characters’ ferocious powers. This book is definitely digestible for those new to dark academia while also providing a fresh take to seasoned supporters of the genre. I will absolutely be thinking about this constantly in the weeks to come and can see this being one of my favorite reads of the year!

Thank you Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An Academy for Liars was just the right book for fall. The dark academia & fantasy-horror had me glued to the page and transported into the atmospheric world of Draven. From about the halfway mark all the way to the last sentence, I couldn’t put it down. This is a book I can see myself rereading again and again, looking for different clues and foreshadowing.
The characters were one of the strongest aspects of this book. All of the characters were morally gray and had such a compelling element to them that I wanted to know more. And the different relationship dynamics between characters & the way they changed throughout the story made them all feel very real and authentic. Dante in particular was such a complex character that had me constantly swapping my feelings about him.
The magic system, while quite mysterious and complex, felt very well thought out and explained. The plot wasn’t simplistic but never felt overly confusing. Henderson knows how to set up a plot twist well. I also really liked that Henderson addresses the aspect of believability within the plot. The school of Draven exists on the premise that they have their hand in practically every aspect of the outside world, but remains unknown to most and I felt that the explanations made sense.
I absolutely loved An Academy for Liars. It was the perfect mix of eerie atmosphere, cut-throat academia, sexual tension and heart-pounding, mysterious plot.

REVIEW: An Academy for Liars

I decided to take a break from romance and go in a different direction. An Academy for Liars is a dark academic fantasy thriller with some horror. As a warning, this book does get pretty dark, violent, and intense.

Alexis Henderson does a great job of world-building. Although the story takes place in Savannah, Georgia, the School of Drayton and its students and faculty have a believable and exciting culture. I read other dark academic books before, but this one feels unique based on Henderson’s writing and everyone working on the art of persuasion.

An Academy of Liars storyline has many ebbs and flows regarding pacing. Some moments were slower, but when it picked up, there were some fast-paced, action-packed parts that you had to keep reading. Many twists and turns made it hard to predict what would happen. There was a decent amount of characters in the cast, and some were stronger than others. There were some characters I just couldn’t connect with.

A few things I wasn’t a fan of were that some parts of the book seemed to stretch longer than they should. An Academy for Liars was already a longer book, and I think some areas could have been shortened. I also thought the climax and solution were not what I hoped for. It needed a little more to it.

Overall, I enjoyed An Academy for Liars. The action-packed moments drew me in and made me want to keep reading.

Thank you, Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, for the free advanced copy for my honest review!

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This book has excellent vibes. The brain melting fuzziness reminds me of Vita Nostra in the best way. And elevator magic?move aside, Willie Wonka and the Great Glass Elevator! Lennon and Gregory are here to replace you.

I don't even know where to begin. This just didn't work for me at all, which guts me to say because I've loved all of Henderson's other books and this one sounded so cool. I couldn't wait to read it, but then everything about it just kinda fell flat for me. Despite a strong intro, I immediately fell off a little when things started happening (no spoilers!) and our mc just goes along with every weird twist as if nothing abnormal is happening... like what do you mean you get invited to a mysterious school you've never heard of and just decide to go along with it?? what do you mean you find out you have supernatural abilities and aren't surprised or suspicious in any way?? what do you mean????

And then it was all downhill from there. The stakes never felt that high for me as a reader because of how dispassionately the mc reacted to everything. If she's barely phased, why should I be? I had similar feelings about the various relationships I was supposed to care about. None of the secondary characters felt real or three dimensional. They all read as props who were only put into place to further the mc's story. There's a wide cast of family members and friends and school teachers, but they all fade into the background and only seem to matter when they have to step in to hold up a plot point. This goes for the romance as well. I wanted to care about that most of all, but the lack of chemistry was almost painful. Even the moments of vulnerability and raw humanity felt muted and ill-fitting.

A huge miss for me, but hopefully a win for other readers. I'll still be eager to check out whatever Henderson publishes next.

Thanks to Berkley for an ARC in exchange for review.

A true dark academia book! I found this book to be so dark and spooky, with real emotional depth. The academy setting was very satisfying and the magic of "will" and "persuasion" was both mysterious and well-described. Really big fan of this book and would love to read a Book II in this series someday!

I love dark academia and Alexis Henderson's newest, AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS was so well done. Lennon is such an interesting main character as she heads off to school at Drayton College- a magical and secret institution in Savannah. She was such a flawed character and you couldn't help but root for her growth as she tries to master her power. I really liked the uneasy feeling Henderson's writing gave me as the history of the college was slowly revealed. The only reason this wasn't five stars for me was I felt like it lagged a bit in the middle, but overall I really enjoyed this one.

Please tell me there is going to be a sequel to this book! I got so immersed in the world of Drayton and all the magic, only to reach the end wanting more. I love dark academia, and this book tackled it in an intriguing way. I enjoyed watching the main character grow from pitiful to strong, even if I didn't understand much of the "magic" behind her persuasion abilities. This book was pretty gory, especially by the end where all the characters were bleeding out of every possible place on their bodies, but I appreciated the morality of the main character. I have a million more questions about Dante and the moths, so it feels like there must be a sequel coming, but since this book was just published last month, it will probably be a while before we hear anything about that. Overall, this was a really interesting and engaging dark fantasy novel that I think many people are going to love.

I loved the idea of this book so much, but I quit reading about 70% through it. I just couldn't take it anymore.

This book needed a round of developmental edits! There were some interesting ideas presented but clear the author had no idea what direction to go in. We didn't learn enough about the school. Not it's reason for existence, not it's graduates impact on the world outside of the campus, not the magic system and the way in which it's used. On top of that the main character had no growth whatsoever but we also never learned why she makes the decisions she does. Instead the second half of this book relies heavily on tropes and reveals that have little impact.

A dark academia novel featuring a hidden magical school and the power to influence minds. Fans of Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House will like this one.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It is the perfect combination of sci-fi and mystery. Savannah is one of my favorite cities and I could just imagine all the places from the descriptive scenes. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and colleagues. The character descriptions were perfection.

This book was a little too slow for me and I found Lennon's character to be very unlikable. In dark academia books, the characters really drive the story and the ones in this story fell flat for me.

This book is a masterclass in unexpected twists and turns. Just as you think you’ve settled into a rhythm; Henderson throws in a curveball that answers lingering questions while simultaneously setting your mind spinning in new directions.

Set in Drayton College, a hidden private academy located in the secretive 25th ward of Savannah—an area uncharted on any map—the narrative unfolds within this isolated world. The students gathered from around the globe, possess extraordinary talents, the type that fuel the ambitions of powerful figures.

Lennon Carter enters this world in disarray. Fresh from discovering her fiancé in a compromising situation with her best friend during their engagement party, Lennon stumbles upon a mysterious phone booth in an abandoned mall. The call she receives informs her of her acceptance into a college she never applied to, plunging her into the enigmatic Drayton College.

Her advisor, Dante Lowe, becomes a complex figure in her life. Their relationship evolves in the expected way in books of this genre and is further complicated by Dante’s undisclosed past. Drayton College’s motto seems to be that if you excel in persuasion, your past is irrelevant.

Lennon's first year is fraught with chaotic challenges, not just academically but personally, as she learns to navigate the intense and often brutal environment of Drayton. The book does not shy away from violence, highlighting the struggle of the students as they come to terms with their innate abilities and the explosive emotions that accompany them.

One of the book’s most captivating aspects is its unpredictability. The middle may have felt a bit slow at times, but that was only to prepare you for the ending which delivers a punch that leaves a lasting impact.

An Academy for Liars stands out as one of my top reads of the year for its intensity and the memorable twists that keep me holding my breath.

Though it’s listed as a standalone, the world Henderson has created is ripe with potential for a sequel.

Dark academia vibes for sure, but the plot was so formulaic and step-by-step to me. I didn't care about any of the characters, and there were no or hardly any scenes existing to <i>make</i> me care about any of them. It felt very "this is what happens, and then this happens" over and over again. I liked the atmosphere, and the concept was cool, but it wasn't executed that well. Maybe it needed to be longer to establish more rapport with the cast of characters.

I'm sad to say this book took me awhile to get into, it took me almost 2 months to finish it actually. And the reason I say I'm sad about that is because this book was fantastic! I knew I loved Alexis Henderson's writing after reading, and loving, House of Hunger but this book far surpassed my expectations. The writing was fantastic and flowed so well, at times I would sit down to read this and be amazed that I had read so much. The chapters are not super short but the writing made this book fly by when I would actually read it. The magic system was very unique and unlike anything I've ever read before. This was one of the very few books that I could picture everything that was happening, that's how descriptive the author's writing was. I also was not expecting this book to have such great, heartbreaking romance in it. I was gasping and tearful quite a few times while reading and then the ending got me more than once. I loved this book, I loved Lennon, the cover, it was just great.

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the gifted copy for my honest review!

I've enjoyed everything by Alexis Henderson that I've read, and this one does not disappoint.

The first third or so seemed a little slow as her dark academia world is introduced, but after that it's a roller coaster ride to the finish. Questions of moral and ethical responsibilities. is power inherently evil or is it what we do with it, and rising above past pains and finding our own way regardless of what tradition dictates.

This had a great start and definitely gives off strong dark academia vibes which I enjoyed.
I loved the idea of Drayton College. It was mysterious and houses some dark secrets. I was incredibly curious about its past and purpose. Students at Drayton are taught the art of persuasion, the ability to use their will to control others. They are taught to wield it like a weapon and at times, must practice against each other which can get a bit bloody.
The idea of persuasion was intriguing but I was hoping to learn a little more about the magic system and more world-building.

The biggest issue I had with this was that I didn’t particularly care for Lennon or any of the other characters. Lennon was constantly making bad decisions and I was hoping to see some character growth by the end but it just never happened. The romance also left much to be desired. I never really felt a connection between them.

The pacing was a bit slow at times but really picks up near the end and by that point I could not put it down.