The setting is superbly spooky: mist-cloaked halls, candlelit archives, and that constant sense of something half-seen lurking in the stacks. I spent a rainy afternoon curled up with The Burning Library and was swept into Gilly Macmillan’s icy, wind-whipped Scotland. The dark academia elements and whispered rivalries between secretive women’s societies lend a deliciously eerie undercurrent, but somewhere between the ancient manuscripts and shadowed cloisters, I found myself craving a bit more bite.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and William Morrow for this ARC!

The Burning Library is a dark academia thriller that weaves together obsession, secrets, and the haunting power of knowledge. Gilly Macmillan, known for her twist-laden narratives, delivers a gripping tale set against the backdrop of an elite institution where a fire in the library uncovers more than charred pages—it ignites a hunt for truth.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was such an edgy thriller. It’s a battle to seek power for women vs the belief that power should be obtained in a more secretive way and when everything collides and things come to light, Anya is at the center of it all. It’s like a deep web of lies where everyone is trying to either seek the truth or cover it up. I loved the pace of this storyline and was on the edge of my seat. This is a great book to read on a weekend when you can just dive right in, since it’s so hard to put down!

I didn’t vibe at all with this book unfortunately. I found it to be very slow moving and the characters weren’t very well fleshed out. Very disappointed.

Gilly Macmillan’s “The Burning Library” is a fast paced thriller set in Scotland, England and Italy with an academic backdrop. Similar to novels such as The DaVinci Code, the main character, Dr Anya Brown must solve clues found in old manuscripts to find an ancient book which is being hunted by two rival groups. Both groups will stop at nothing to obtain this book.

Gilly Macmillan never disappoints and this time delivers a well-researched, twisty thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, Gilly Macmillian and William Morrow Books for an advanced copy for my review. The book publishes on November 18, 2025.

I read about a fourth of this book, and then realized I don't care what happens. To be fair, I don't like fantasy or supernatural themes, so maybe that was what I didn't like. Anyway, I'm not going to finish it.

This is a slow burning dark-academia page turner with many characters and multiple things going on.
Dr. Anya Brown has graduated from Oxford and is offered hard to refuse position to teach a bit. The offer sounds too good to be true, but she accepts.
Little does Anya know she has been recruited to help find a missing ancient artifact the others desperately want.
In come "The Larks" and "The Kats" to very strong and very different groups of powerful women. Each what's the artifacts and will stop at nothing to get it.
The story was mysterious the evolved slowly and kept me engaged completely. I enjoyed everything about this book and would highly recommend. It has all the elements Gilly MacMillan is known for and yet very unlike her other novels.

Well Done!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for providing me the advanced E-Book in exchange for my honest views

3.5-4 ⭐️ I thought that this was really good! The writing is excellent and the story was interesting-so much so that I consumed the whole book in a few days. I liked the concept of the book itself but I expected maybe a few more twists and turns-some of it was a bit predictable but other parts really took me by surprise.

We meet Dr. Anya Brown, fresh off of her translation of an old text that no one previously could decipher. She subsequently ends up in a rivalry/war/conflict of two groups of women racing and competing to be the first to locate something that is imperative to both groups missions.

The librarian in me loved the pursuit of information and the dark academia of it all.

I always enjoy a fun little secret society mystery/thriller type of read. I think the background was well researched and the story was carefully constructed for all things to fall into place. I knocked off a star or so because overall it felt like stakes were low and the ending was rushed. There was very little incentive to care about the main object of conflict.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved the moody setting, but I found it difficult to invest in the story initially. However, the second half of the book picked up and I enjoyed it overall!

I loved this!!! Two societies of women, the Larks and the Kats, both seeking to advance women’s standing and power in the world, but through different methods, are racing to find a historic manuscript that will give them a leg up over the other. There are multiple POVs, and that really makes the story fly by. There are also way more settings than I expected to find, but I enjoyed all of them. Readers that enjoyed The All Souls trilogy will probably also enjoy this, just don’t expect anything supernatural.
*spoilers ahead*
That being said, some of the plot points in this book felt unnecessary. I don’t think kidnapping Anya’s mom really advanced the story. She was already wrapped up in the hunt before that happened. I also thought it was strange that these two societies that are constantly sabotaging the other’s research and legitimately killing each other’s members would just agree that quickly about what to do with the manuscript. Also, what in the world was up with Gulia’s husband and the woman from Poland?? He’s saying they’re in love and she says he was stalking her! It felt very glossed over but I’m glad not everyone that Institute recruited wound up dead.

Overall this book was good, it just had a slow plot at times. The last half of the book was the best in my opinion.

I devoured this book in a few days🤩🤯

It had the elements of mystery, historical fiction, suspense all rolled into one. It definitely kept me on my toes. The chapters are a bit long (which I am not a fan of). There was also side character POVs throughout the book (makes it a bit difficult to track), overall it was mostly the main characters’ POVs. I really enjoyed the plot, historical backstory, and the beautiful descriptions of Scotland!

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the digital ARC.

I have read and mostly enjoyed Gilly Macmillan’s books before and was surprised but intrigued by the synopsis, as dark academia thrillers built around manuscripts and cryptography seemed like a huge departure for her. Parts of this book were excellent. The author clearly understands academic impostor syndrome and did a great amount of research into manuscripts, art and architecture. When the book focused on those aspects, I couldn’t put it down! But the motivations of the two rival groups made absolutely no sense and were simply silly. Only once did we read about how these groups concretely went about improving the status of women. [omitted spoiler]. The ending was also badly plotted, abrupt and limp.

Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book. 3/5 stars with regrets; truly wish this book were better.

In a world where women are divided into two sections- those who value career and those who value homemaker status- the one who possesses the “Book of Wonder” will stand victorious… and both groups will stop at nothing, including bloodshed to get it.
Enter Anya Brown who is being manipulated by both sides to discover this lost manuscript. Once she figures out the game and the players, Anya must do whatever she can to protect her family and the lost manuscript at the same time.
Ultimately for me, this book felt like a feminist DaVinci Code vibe. The manuscripts true value seems an irrelevant metaphor for how women war against how women should ultimately behave. It’s well written with well described scenery and locations, but that’s about all that interested me.

The Burning Library is an utterly engrossing, slow-burn mystery that’s as intellectually rich as it is emotionally gripping. Gilly Macmillan delivers a masterful blend of literary suspense, dark academia, and psychological intrigue—set against the hauntingly beautiful backdrop of coastal Scotland and steeped in centuries of hidden history.

The novel opens with the chilling discovery of Eleanor Bruton's body, found clutching a fragment of embroidery on a remote beach. What begins as a mysterious death soon unravels into a gripping exploration of secret societies, academic rivalries, and the power of storytelling across generations. Enter Anya, a young and brilliant palaeographer, and Clio, a driven detective with secrets of her own—two compelling female leads whose parallel investigations uncover shocking truths.

What sets The Burning Library apart is Macmillan’s exquisite attention to detail and atmosphere. The university setting, secret orders, ancient manuscripts, and layers of deception are all rendered with a precision that feels immersive without ever slowing the pace. This is a novel that rewards careful reading—every thread, symbol, and historical reference is deliberately placed and deeply satisfying.

At its core, this is a story about women, legacy, and the manipulation of narrative power. Macmillan cleverly weaves themes of feminism, obsession, and ambition into the story without ever becoming didactic. The result is a thriller that’s not only gripping but also resonant and thought-provoking.

"A thrilling dark-academia tale of murder, obsession and ruthless ambition set in remote St Andrews, Scotland"

I absolutely loved this book. First, it builds on the two secret groups of women: The Larks and The Katherines (or Kats). I felt that while a bit slow, it was important later on for comprehension purposes. The story's impetus is when a woman named Eleanor is found dead on shore. There are many layers to this book, and people in play. Eleanor possessed an artifact that people are willing to do heinous things for in order to obtain it. This book, once it got going, was un-put-downable. I cannot say how much Gilly Macmillan put into this book because it was everything! Secrets, bertayals, and theories that blew my mind are a few! Such an amazing read!

The burning library has a ton of mystery and keeps you thinking. You are introduced to 2 different group of women. You have the kats who are "old" school women, they serve their husband have children and do the cooking and cleaning. Then you have the larks who are more modern day successful women. The 2 groups are fighting and leaving dead bodies and mystery at every turn.
You follow Anya who has recently graduated and offered a job of a lifetime, or is it? She ignores all orders and does what she feels is best.
This was such a well written book that had me wanting to keep reading to figure out where this book was going to take me.
Thank you netgalley, publishers and Gilly MacMillan for an opportunity to have an arc for my honest review.

Book: The Burning Library
Author: Gilly MacMillan
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date: November 18, 2025

I can’t believe I loved this book as much as I did – easy 5 stars! I was completely immersed in this story from the beginning. It can be described as a “dark academia thriller.” It’s moody and atmospheric – you are immediately transported to the time and place. Excellent writing on Gilly MacMillan’s part. I was invested in every single character and Gilly didn’t care to kill people when their job was finished which I loved. Lots of shocking deaths – at least they were for me. She creates tension with characters who feel sharp, flawed and real. Every scene is moody and rain-soaked because again you are on an eerie Scottish coastline and inside ancient Abby libraries. Think The Secret History meets The Da Vinci Code with a feminist twist.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is November 18, 2025.

Finished *The Burning Library* by Gilly Macmillan and couldn’t put it down. It’s a slow burn in the best way—layered, atmospheric, and full of emotional depth. The past and present weave together into a haunting story about secrets, memory, and grief. Perfect if you like your thrillers thoughtful and a little literary.