While the concept of “dark academia” as a fiction subgenre didn’t really emerge until the mid-2010s, it spawned from popular works as old The Picture of Dorian Grey and Maurice, though Donna Tartt’s The Secret History is largely held to be the true progenitor of the trend. It has only become more and more popular in recent years thanks to social media and therefore has spawned countless books, but I suspect there have been none as dark as Cassandra Khaw’s The Library at Hellebore.

Alessa Li is about to graduate from the Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted, a school that houses those among us who harbor magical gifts of a sort that if left unchecked could easily lead to death and destruction on a massive, possibly planet-ending scale. The school alleges that their curriculum will prepare its students to reenter the world of the commonfolk and coexist with us in peace, leading perfectly ordinary, safe lives. On graduation day however, the true purpose becomes gruesomely clear when the faculty begins to kill and eat her classmates.

Alessa and a few of her “friends” (no one is trustworthy enough at Hellebore to fully earn the title) manage to escape the carnage and lock themselves in the library. The staff is at least temporarily unable to enter, but through the door demands that the group make a violent sacrifice or else be completely eliminated. Reluctant to obey, the teens try to work out a solution, but as time wears on they start to turn on each other and their survival begins to seem less and less likely.

Flashing back and forth between their current predicament and various points in the days leading up to it, Khaw gradually fills us in on how this group found themselves where they are. There isn’t much by way of a mystery to keep things moving along, just a curiosity over how the situation will play out and who will emerge on the other side. Luckily, the writing is gorgeous despite the author’s liberal use of visceral violence (rarely has gore been so beautifully described) and the characters are interesting enough to follow despite none being remotely likable.

There is some clever commentary on the way societies can be so quick to lock away and punish those they find different or threatening as well as the notion that the young are sometimes viewed as mere fodder to “feed” the machine, with little or no regard for their well-being, though none of it is really explored in much depth. Despite the steady stream of teen drama mixed with finely wrought effluvia, the story still seems to drag at times and the action only occasionally generates any suspense. Fans of extreme horror will likely enjoy it enough to finish, but others should probably look for their thrills elsewhere.

Twisted, extreme, and haunting, it is a must-read for fans of body horror and dark academia. Khaw’s extensive vocabulary and relentless scenes of violence and sacrifice make this novella a compelling and horrific reading experience - one I won’t soon forget. I've been a fan of Khaw since I listened to The Salt Grows Heavy (we need more mermaid horror), and this was a fantastic full-length debut.

“The Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse makers.”

The Library at Helleborre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A school, not just for the gifted and talented- but those that threaten the safety of the entire world, and could unwind it with a thought. Welcome to Helleborre, here’s your school-issued uniform and guide to your classes, and if you happen to see a few students get eaten, unwound, killed or worse along the way, pay no attention, that’s an everyday occurrence around here.

3 days, 8 students, only 1 can make it out.

Khaw’s writing is so beautiful. It’s elusive, it’s clever and is genuinely like nothing I’ve read from before. Beauty with a tinge of horror she captivates it perfectly. This story isn’t going to be for everyone, and honestly I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. Khaw’s writing and story leaves you always wanting a bit more. This isn’t a crazy in-depth built world. Suspend your disbelief, with the understanding you are along for this ride, but it’s one of the few times I was very happy to be. I let the story unfold around me, at its own pace. I’ll always want more from her, but I treasure each broken shard that I get.

We follow a cast of characters in this one, with the primary focus on our fmc split between two timelines. Before graduation day, and after. Before builds who she is, after building who she will become. I will be honest I had to take a couple breaks in this one because ummm, yeah there’s some gross parts. But honestly my jaw was pretty much just on the floor the whole time in what these characters could do, and were doing.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves:

🖤 beauty with a dark side
🖤 fans of A Deadly Education
🖤 lovers of fantasy and horror
🖤 lovers of beautifully twisted writing

Thank you @tornightfire for the gifted ARC.

I should’ve read the synopsis for this because I was completely thrown off by what was going on. In a good way of course. This DEEPLY dark academy story was so interesting I couldn’t stop reading. Extremely gory and violent but I was very entertained. When at first I didn’t realize what this book was about and started to get to the gory scenes, I was in shock. I wasn’t expecting any of it but it was still good nonetheless.
This isn’t going to be the best book ever, the writing was good but not amazing, the timeline jumps which I can see people will complain about but it was still enjoyable if you’re reading it for what it’s offering.
Many, if not all, of the characters were unlikable, they were made that way on purpose which would normally make me extremely annoyed. However, I think my interest in seeing the ending made me overcome that.
I don’t think this book would be for everyone but it was definitely a good time for me.

Serena’s Thoughts
There are definitely specific sorts of books that Kate and I target for joint reviews: often some sort of dark fantasy/horror lite title. That being the case, the balance between dark fantasy and horror elements often determines where each of lands on any given read. And this one leaned a bit too far into the horror side for me to fully appreciate.

I did, however, enjoy the dark academia vibes of the story. I definitely understand the comparisons to Naomi Novik’s “Scholomance” trilogy. However, for me, this worked a bit against the book too, as Novik’s series is one of the more fully realized, complex world/magical systems that I can remember reading. In contrast, while this book leaned heavily into similar areas of dread and constrained claustrophobia within the school setting, there wasn’t quite as much actually backing up how this world operated.

In place of some of these scene setting or worldbuilding elements, the author peppered in a seemingly inexhaustible number of deep cut word selections. It sometimes felt like a thesaurus was required reading for getting through certain sections (perhaps this is just revealing my own limited vocabulary, but it’s a fairly unique problem I had with this book.) At the same time, there was a lot of emphasis on modern references peppered throughout. Between the high-end academic vocabulary, the modern references, and the choice to swap between two different points in time within the story, the book had a distinctly choppy feel to it as I read through.

I appreciated a lot of what this book was trying to do, and towards the back half I definitely started to become more invested. I also think that, when disconnected from some of the more elaborate word choices, there was a lot of skill to the writing itself. There were some incredibly poetic turns of phrase, and, even if I didn’t enjoy some of the darker horror moments, there’s no denying the author’s ability to write in a way that elicits a strong emotion.

However, in the end, this was simply too gross and too depressing for me to really enjoy. It may work better for true horror fans than the dark fantasy readers who enjoyed “Scholomance” so much.

Kate’s Thoughts
As someone who has read previous works by Cassandra Khaw, this was not my first time the gruesome body and cosmic horror rodeo, as it were, so I think that I was little more prepared for some of the elements than Serena was (also, SORRY SERENA, I should have warned you that Khaw is BRUTAL). I think that going in expecting something truly disgusting along with flowery turns of phrase made my experience a bit better than my blog partner’s, but I also think that I agree in a lot of ways with her review.

Since I’m the horror gal here I can focus on that for the most part, and I still think that Khaw has this true knack for pulling truly beautiful words and phrases and literature from unrelenting balls to the wall descriptions of viscera, violence, and despair. This was the first full length novel I’ve read of theirs, and I will say that MAN the body horror and gore just kept going because it wasn’t a novella, and it made for a harder read. But at the same time, I really appreciated the visuals and the descriptions because Khaw is more than willing to go to some disgusting places, and I gotta respect that even if it can be stomach churning. And I also have to give credit where credit is due; they are VERY creative with some of the kills in this book.

I also didn’t mind the time jumps as we went on, as I generally enjoyed getting juxtaposition of the present danger of being trapped in a library with a ravenous faculty outside the door with the background of our main players, and getting to know Alessa and her changing relationships with her dangerous cohorts turned unlikely allies. I also just liked Alessa. She’s not particularly likable but I found her refreshing in her candor and ruthlessness.

“The Library at Hellbore” is exactly what I expected from Cassandra Khaw, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t wholly repulsed as I was reading. I mean that as a compliment.

Serena’s Rating 7: This one was a bit too horrific for me, but if you’re truly looking for a dark DARK academia read, this one might be for you!

Kate’s Rating 7: Gory and horrific but sure to please those who love some really gnarly body horror.

Thank you so much for approving me for a review copy of The Library at Hellebore. Unfortunately I couldn't connect to the characters and it was a little too horror soaked for me so on this occasion I've had to put it to one side.
I don't usually review DNF titles as I prefer to give the title 100%.
Kind regards
Lynn

As fantastically gory as I had hoped it would be, The Library at the Hellebore was as dark as dark academia can get, filled with so much death and beautiful writing. This is such a fast-paced book that will leave you dying for more time with the characters before they are ripped off the pages by the ravenous faculty. It is pretty graphic, but if that does not bother you and you love dark academia mixed with horror, then you need to pick this one up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you to @tornightfire for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

Hogwarts but everyone is Slytherin and the staff is so, so hungry. At times confusing, but always fascinating, I couldn't help but be drawn into a world where evil is real and monsters walked the earth, not only with the world's governments knowledge,but their complicity. The ending seemed open for the possibility of a sequel and I'll be standing in line immediately should that happen

For all my dark academia, monster fantasy, body horror friends, Cassandra Khaw has written this bloody librarian nightmare for us all. Visceral, surreal and exceptionally gory, The Library at Hellebore is also super fun for those of us who aren’t afraid to show our teeth when needed.

Did not finish. This was way more graphic than I expected and unfortunately it was too much for me. I was interested in the story though.

This was really terrible, which is sad because I've loved Khaw in the past. The characterization is awful, none of the characters are fully realized despite it feeling tediously long. I could best describe the tone as a desperate, embarrassing attempt at edginess coupled with some Marvel-style humor to break moments of tension that all fell flat. The prose was so heavy handed and bizarre, with mixed metaphors, repeated buzzwords (everything is glutenous, somehow), and confusing sentences. The sentence level confusion was mirrored by the incoherence of the overall plot.The chronology is scrambled to make it seem more interesting but basically these are the major events: MC is introduced to Hellebore on her first day; after being at Hellebore for a bit the MC follows Rowan into the library where some other characters are; graduation day and the immediate aftermath of running from the cannibal teachers. The stakes never change, there's no tension or development, we don't care enough about any of the characters to be interested in their deaths. This has already been published, but I would have cut several secondary characters, fleshed out the ones chosen better, and create a more interesting narrative arc.

I'm always interested to check out a new work by Cassandra Khaw. Even when their work is at their goriest there is always something beautiful about the world they have created.

The Library at Hellebore focuses on a school for those with dark supernatural powers. This is Dark Academy at its darkest; Harry Potter if the dementors were running the school.

Although some of the students apply and arrive by choice, the main protagonist, Alessa Li, however has no other option after she is forcibly enrolled. When it becomes clear that the school is less about rehabilitation and more about using these would-be anti-Christs as fuel for the even more malevolent staff, they will need to use all their powers to if not save the world at least try to save themselves.

I thought it was interesting how the school is often symbolized by carnivorous plants and many of the students are associated with insects and plays with the idea of symbiosis and parasitism. Also the idea of the ways love can become dark, obsessive and predatory are explored in a number of the characters relationships.

TW/CW: Language, gory scenes, blood, violence, attempted rape

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled. But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Writing style is gory

What I Didn't Like:
1. Hate the story
2. Bored

b>Final Thoughts:
I made it to page 60 before I had to stop this book. The writing style was annoying me and it felt like nothing was happening. This is the 3rd book I've read from this author. I absolutely hated Nothing But Blackened Teeth and The Salt Grows Heavy was a 3 star for me.

I just did not care for where the story was going. There were parts where it rambled. I hated the characters too. Not one likeable thing.

*Shrug* I tried!

So…. It’s good but it’s too bloody for me and it’s definitely more horror than fantasy. I have enjoyed a few other books by this author but they were on the border of too much for me and this one just oozes over the edge. Dripping entrails as is slides over with an unspeakable slugs of bloody horror. If you’re looking for horror with fantasy underpinnings I did like the books of hers I’ve finished and I’d very probably try another by this author. Carefully.

What an absolutely batshit book.

As a dark academia lover, I was thrilled to get an ARC of this—and wow. This isn’t just dark academia. This is darkest academia.

From the very first sentence, it’s unhinged in the best way, and it only escalates from there. By the end, I was sitting there asking myself what the hell I just read… in a good way.

It’s dark, gory, and violent—LOTS of body horror, so keep that in mind if that’s not your thing. I sometimes had to take breaks. But it also delivers a fiercely feminist story—I do love monstrous women—and has a lot to say about agency. It’s unapologetically queer, too.

I especially loved the way the narrative weaves between past and present—it kept me hooked the whole way through.

If you have a strong stomach, I highly recommend this book!

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Even though Cassandra's writing can be a bit complex and wordy at times, I really enjoyed this book. It was fairly fast-paced, gory, and entertaining. The plot was different from anything else I've read, with elements of magic and bordering on extreme horror. The Library at Hellebore had a lot of interesting, complex characters, with tons of gory deaths. The Librarian was one of my favorites! She was scary and yet, I felt sad for her (along with most of the students trapped at Hellebore). All the characters (including the faculty) were creepy and cool at the same time, which is an interesting balance to be able to pull off. The underlying themes of abuse and the struggle to survive at any cost has you questioning what's morally right and wrong. This was basically like a dark academia version of Heathers and Battle Royale, with the gore and badassness of Samara Weaving's character in Ready or Not.

If you like dark academia and also love extreme horror, this book is definitely worth reading!

The main appeal of this book was that it was a dark academia with “student-eating” teachers at Hellebore. Beyond that, I did not know much about The Library at Hellebore. Knowing only these details, I went in expecting that the book would focus more on that, and while we do see some of the teachers, it follows the students, which looking back now makes sense.

The book begins at the end. It is graduation day, but instead of a ceremony, the teachers hold a feast where the meal is the student body. We then follow Alessa Li and the other surviving students as they hide out in the library for the next few day, as well as flashbacks to the beginning of the school year.

Alessa is an interesting character. She portrays herself as not caring about others, and her background shows why, but she ends up having a soft spot for many of the people she meets at Hellebore, whether she admits it or not. Though we don’t spend much time with the other characters, they make an impact on the story and the reader becomes attached to them. I ended up liking Alessa’s relationships and interactions with the others, whether friend or foe. The teachers were definitely formidable opponents to these very powerful beings, who each had the potential to bring the end of the world. The powers of the students were fun and different.

The horror elements, mainly body horror, were very well done. It was gory, and I was able to picture what the author was describing. Even through the horror, the story never gets lost in trying to be shocking and even adds some humor.

Some parts were confusing and I had to go back to reread some passages, but it didn’t impact my enjoyment.

Such a fun, dark, spooky read, I wish I had waited until Halloween to pick it up! I loved the premise and the almost Hunger Games vibes- but if the Hunger Games was set in a library! Not for those who are a fan of gore, but for everyone else, you will find something to love about this book!

DNF - the first section of the book was not only disgusting (which I'm sure is what the author was going for), but also used so many impressively large vocabulary words or was like the author was using a thesaurus for every fourth word written. Absolutely could not get into this writing style at all.

Gross! Yuck! Ewww! I wish I didn’t know how to read!

This a sampling of the words and phrases you might find yourself whispering out loud as you read The Library at Hellebore. And you’re going to LOVE it.

Told in an engaging alternating timeline, this is the story of a young woman forced to attend a magic school for murderers. And honestly, I don’t think you need to know more going into it. Compelling, twisty, and with memorable characters, this is a library you’ll never want to leave, which is convenient, because the library doesn’t want you to leave, either.

Khaw’s writing is so poetic but completely accessible. I had to look up the definition of several words, but it wasn’t a chore—these were fun words I can actually see myself using.

This is the violent, messy love child of A Deadly Education and Gideon the Ninth. Fans of either (or anyone who enjoys oodles of gore and horror) ought to pick up a copy immediately.