Really enjoyed reading this book. I loved the vampiric nature of people alongside the dark academia setting. I particularly enjoyed the switching POC chapters and understanding both Laura and Camilla. I am looking forward to reading A Drowy of Blood soon.

The Secret History with vampires.

I absolutely loved Gibsons sensual writing and she absolutely nails what I love best in dark academia - competitive students obsessed with their studies and their professors who spiral. I'm a huge fan of Carmilla and loves the nods to that book, as well as the characters and their complex relationship. This is a great read if you don't mind vibes over plot!

This book wasnt it for me at all, i was just super hored, unenthusiastic about the characters, disnt make me want to pick it up

ahhh absolutely vibey. If you are into dark academia/fantasy/ gothic etc, then this is the book for you. i recommend reading it durting the rainy monhths to match the vibes

S.T Gibson does it again. This book is an actual masterpiece.
The writing was truly breathtaking.
The characters were mesmerising.
I did not want this story to end
OBSESSED

A gripping well paced thriller! 🖤 The twists kept me hooked, and the characters had just the right amount of complexity to make the story feel real. A few parts were a touch predictable, but overall, it delivered plenty of suspense and drama. A solid 4⭐️ for fans of sharp, smart mysteries!

#AnEducationInMalice #STGibson #4StarRead #ThrillerReads #BritishBookstagram #MysteryFiction #BookReview #PageTurner

This had a really strong start, but a bit of a weak, rushed ending. I’m not sure it made the impact it was intending to, and it certainly didn’t have the same impact as A Dowry of Blood, which artfully discussed the trauma of emotionally and physically abusive relationships.
I really enjoyed the academic rivals romance but felt like the resolution of that came about too quickly, which meant the book lost a lot of its tension. De Lafontaine had a lot of potential but I once again felt like her role as villain and obsession fell flat, with the resolution with her lover and the relationship she had with Carmilla being tied up in a nice, easy bow with no real stakes.

S.T. Gibson’s writing is stunning, her prose flowing beautifully, wrapping you in the story and while it did take me a little bit of time to read it, when it was in front of me I had a hard time putting it down.

All in all, this is a great sapphic companion novel that is well written but has decidedly lower stakes than A Dowry of Blood and an ending that left me a little bit disappointed.

Thank you to Orbit books and S.T. Gibson for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Dark academia, sapphic vampires, and a rivalry that seethes with obsession—this book has all the elements of a gothic masterpiece. Gibson’s prose is lush and haunting, crafting an atmosphere dripping in ambition and desire.

✨ Enemies to lovers, but with a razor’s edge 💀 Secret societies & sinister professors 📚 A Carmilla retelling that bites!

While the tension is deliciously unsettling, some plot twists felt predictable, and the pacing occasionally dragged. Still, the aesthetic and eerie allure make it worth a read—especially if A Dowry of Blood and Carmilla are already on your shelf.

3.25/5 stars! The cover of this book is stunning and a well-done gothic horror can be great, so I picked up An Education of Malice to read. There was nothing implicitly wrong with the story. It just felt like not enough. The book has dark academia vibes but didn't commit to this fully. It didn't lean into the horror elements either. It left the book feeling quite bland.

Absolutely loved Carmilla and Laura, the prose and writing.
It had some slower moments, mostly because it focused more on the characters, but it didn't bother me.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is a gothic, dark academia novel set in Saint Perpetua's College, where rivalry, obsession, and supernatural intrigue collide. In a tense battle for power, Laura Sheridan finds herself entangled with the alluring Carmilla and their cryptic poetry professor, De Lafontaine.

With lush prose and an eerie atmosphere, Gibson crafts a sapphic vampire romance that will appeal to fans of gothic literature. While some readers note pacing issues and wish for deeper character development, the book’s haunting aesthetic and morally complex relationships make it an intriguing read.

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua's College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

This just didn't really hit for me. After the brooding, atmospheric A Dowry Of Blood, I was expecting a lot. Perhaps too much.

The writing was gorgeous, but the story felt muddled and too slow. A swing and a miss for me

excellent! This is my third book by this author and love Gibson’s writing as always. The characters were alluringly complex, and the relationships were fully fleshed out. I love the gothic, dark academia elements to the story, and the plot was excellent. Highly recommend

An Education in Malice" by S.T. Gibson fails to deliver on its promising premise. The narrative is underdeveloped, with characters lacking depth and authenticity. The story leans heavily on exposition, telling rather than showing, which diminishes its impact. The dark academia setting feels superficial, serving more as a backdrop than an integral part of the plot. Furthermore, the exploration of complex themes such as power dynamics and obsession remains shallow and unconvincing.

you know i love me a dark academia book. this book is a retelling of carmilla but sapphic and i have to say that i loved the writing style in here. my main flaw with the book was that o found it hard to connect to the characters. i just found myself not really caring for them.

but the writing is absolutely beautiful, and i will be picking up more books by s.t. gibson in the future. i haven’t read carmilla so i cannot say how accurate it is to the classic, but i still enjoyed it. the gothic atmosphere was done really well and i could feel the eerieness of the novel with every word. this book is PERFECT for the autumn, so if this is on your tbr definitely read it then!

overall, this is a quick read that is perfect for those looking for something to get them out of a reading slump or for anyone who is looking for something gothic atmosphere.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced reader copy. The vibes in this one were immaculate, and I cannot wait to read more by the author.

this was very cool in terms of vibes, but it didn't have a lot going on when you dug deeper. there was no commentary on any of its themes, like obsession and codependent relationships and power imbalance; the characterisation fell flat; it was all tell and no show, basically. i expected a lot more from this, but i was let down.

Love love love.

Laura begins her first year of study at Saint Perpetua’s College where she meets Carmilla…

Dark academia - think rivalry, gothic, initiation ceremonies and spice!

LGBTQ+ representation with some great quotes!

I’ve loved ST Gibson since a dowry of blood and was so excited for an education in malice to come out.

This is certainly something for a dark academia lover to enjoy and we follow the story of Carmilla. This was definitely a different take but still brilliant to follow along.

As with Gibson, this book was extremely atmospheric and lush in setting and the prose was incredible. I felt that the book fell a little flat on the character development and pacing, but the writing made up for the flaws and I enjoyed reading this.