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.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is an intoxicating blend of dark academia and gothic horror, set in a university where forbidden magic and power games rule. The story follows Antonia Lucien, a brilliant but vulnerable student who gets drawn into the orbit of the enigmatic Professor Castor. What starts as a mentorship spirals into something darker—an exploration of obsession, ambition, and the steep cost of knowledge.

The world-building is utterly immersive. The university comes alive with its eerie, ancient halls and the ominous weight of long-buried secrets. Gibson’s magic system feels raw and dangerous, rooted in sacrifice and ritual, which adds to the book’s unsettling tone. Every detail pulls you deeper into this shadowy world where power is seductive and comes with a heavy price.

The characters are the heart of the story. Antonia is deeply human, struggling with ambition and vulnerability in a way that feels painfully real. Professor Castor is the perfect dark academia antihero—charming yet deeply manipulative, always keeping you on edge. Even the supporting cast shines, each bringing their own complexities and moral ambiguities to the table.

If you love The Secret History by Donna Tartt, A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, or Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, this book will be right up your alley. It’s dark, tense, and beautifully written, with characters that stick with you long after the final page. An Education in Malice is a story that lingers, challenging you to grapple with its haunting questions long after you’ve finished reading.

Welcome to Netgalley Backlog Friday, where I will be reading my Netgalley backlog and reviewing books until I no longer have a backlog.

Today's book is *An Education in Malice* by S.T. Gibson. This is a retelling of *Carmilla*, told through the dual perspectives of Carmilla and Laura, two rivals who ultimately become lovers in this sapphic story. The book has a very atmospheric quality, but I felt that there was little plot development. It is an extremely slow burn, and at times I forgot whose perspective I was reading as they became quite similar to each other. Although the prose flowed easily, the writing lacked the lyrical yet obsessive and frenetic energy that I loved in the author's earlier work.

You could arguably get the same experience from this book even if the vampirism were removed altogether. Even the romance felt too easy; they became lovers relatively quickly and suddenly. It didn’t evoke the yearning desire in me to see the characters together.

The subplot seemed like an afterthought and remained in the background for most of the book. The antagonist only appeared to provide a conclusion to the plot.

The character De Lafontaine could have been explored further. She came off as a jealous teenager posing as a mature adult, despite being over 200 years old.

#BookReview #Netgalley #AnEducationInMalice #SapphicStory #VampireTales #ReadingChallenge #LiteraryCritique #BookLovers #GothicFiction #NetgalleyBacklogFriday

I love a good academia book. And the twist in this book was interesting. However I didn't connect with the characters, it fell flat at points and I lost interest.

I wanted to love this book so much, it fit everything I love! Dark academia, sapphic, enemies to lovers, and a dash of vampires but unfortunately I couldn’t get behind it. I felt like I couldn’t get interested in the characters enough and the author didn’t share enough about them or their story which made them seem too flat to me. The romance also seemed rushed and didn’t have enough of a slow burn or yearning quality that I love.

"An Education in Malice" by S.T. Gibson is a dark, sapphic retelling of "Carmilla" by Sheridan Le Fanu.

It is an exquisite example of a gothic retelling full of bloodshed, desire, violence, and desperation. Our main characters, Laura and Carmilla, are great examples of how infatuation and complex desires in an academic setting can nearly destroy a person.
Coming from an intensely religious background, Laura is a once-in-a-generation poet accepted into Professor De Lafontaine's exclusive poetry seminar despite being a freshman at St. Perpetua's College for Girls. A quiet, timid girl initially we see her flourish under the dark, intense attention of Prof. De Lafontaine. Brought into her inner circle as Carmilla's rival sets the girls at each other's throats. Carmilla, Ms. D's pet, sees Laura as a direct threat to her beloved professor's devotion to her. Her dark infatuation with her professor harbours more than just the secret of their affection for one another. As the two girls spend more time with one another, their intense rivalry slowly transforms into something deeper, and more intimate. Growing together as rivals, and more, they each grow in their passion for Prof. De Lafontaine. Becoming interwoven into the bed of secrets and lies, their passions and love may end in bloodshed.
Darkness lurks underneath St. Perpetua's, a darkness so consuming neither can resist its pull.

"An Education in Malice" is a brilliant book. A dark tale of love so consuming that it's deadly. The one complaint I have is about the ending. It wrapped up so quickly that it nearly gave me whiplash. I wish it were a little longer so the ending had more time to come into its own and match the rest of the novel. It is still a good ending to a brilliant book just personally would've preferred a more finished, drawn-out conclusion.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish this book because I realized it wasn’t for me. The instant attraction between the characters felt unconvincing and rushed, which made it hard for me to connect with their relationship. The characters themselves lacked the depth and complexity I look for, leaving me disengaged. Despite my efforts to push through, the plot didn’t capture my interest, and the pacing felt dull. On top of that, the writing style didn’t resonate with me enough to motivate me to continue. It might work for others, but it simply wasn’t a good fit for me.

➥ 1.5 Stars *:･ﾟ✧

"I was a doughy overgrown girl who was too shy to even change in front of anyone else."

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This was so half-assed. An Education in Malice is a dark academia Carmilla retelling with rivalry romance, and it wants to be taken seriously. But fails.

Frankly, it's badly written. First person dual pov is used here. The character voices were not distinct. I couldn't tell whose point of view I was reading because the tone remains consistently, frustratingly juvenile.

This book is intentioned with exploring the complexities and severities of academiaand one that follows an academic rigor and rivalry between characters, the writing was far from good. Sure, big words were thrown in here and there, but the writing was anything but nuanced and sharp. It was frankly...sloppy. How cliché to tell and not show; to overexaggerate all body language and descriptors.

And exploring nuances and flaws of academia is not something I'm awarding this author for doing. Rather, it's something that comes with the territory. Something this book should have done and (surprise) didn't.

Reviewers I trust mentioned that this book's critique of inappropriate dynamics between professors and students was weak. And I thought...critique? Where? There were no points made, not once.

The romance between Carmilla and Laura (although weak) is not prioritised. There's a strange emphasis placed on Prof. De Lafontaine. She is downright abusive toward Carmilla, and yet she's ultimately redeemed by the narrative, sloppily.

The romance itself left much to be desired. It doesn't start off too badly. The girls are quite scathingly rivalrous at first, or it seems like a good set up for it. But as soon as Laura is welcomed into the vampire world, everything turns sappy and pathetic.

Both girls begin to weirdly idolise De Lafontaine, and therefore, their partner comes second. It's very unconvincing to be told that characters are sooo in love when their eyes are always on someone else.

This book prides itself on being hedonistic and indulgent and unabashedly explicit because of vampire culture. But ironically, our characters are immature and they share one explicit (and tame) sex scene. They don't actually push each other to their limits in the way rivals would, in the way rivals do.

This book was just that: frustratingly tame .

A book like this, with rivalries and murders, should be intense. It should have mature characters, that challenge each other in multiple ways, in believable increments, to the point where only they can know and appreciate each other in a way other people cannot.

And yet, there was barely tension between these characters, despite the cliché drop of an "I hate her" sentence every now and then.

And part of this was also due to the poor writing. Sure, there were big words used every now and then, but the writing itself was over the top.

The descriptions of character mannerisms were as though they were from a wattpad book. A character bouncing from one place to another, flinging their head back suddenly in laughter etc.

There was a serious lack of nuance, it was all "tell" no showing. There was no good body language descriptors, or even good dialogue.

It's ridiculous for a book about the academic rigor of writing , to have such bad writing!! The writing fails to successfully develop personality for any of the characters! The book is dual pov, and I couldn't even tell when we were in Carmilla or Laura's perspective.

We see multiple descriptions of background characters getting up to strange or tabboo sexual situations. And yet, Carmilla and Laura barely ever engage in sex together, despite the fact that they're both described as very sexual people.

There's a scene where Carmilla finds Laura reading bondage erotica. Laura is obviously mortified when Carmilla points it out and begins teasing her about it. I think Laura even cries...lmao, but eventually recommends Carmilla an alternative sex book. Only for it to never be brought up again!!

And yet the dynamic that Gibson is desperate to enforce is one where Laura holds power over Carmilla?? In what world? Meanwhile, Laura is a trembling mess for half the novel.

The reader is continuously told (not shown) that Laura wants to dominate Carmilla. She just has these random flashes/visions of wanting Carmilla obeying and submitting to her. But sorry, Laura is fucking pathetic.

She's always stuttering, blushing and CRYING, and the reader is meant to believe that this dynamic somehow works??

This blubbering girl wants to suddenly command and be listened to, despite being meek as hell.

And again, we are told that Carmilla, who is at least somewhat charming and sauve, is this bratty submissive but like? There's no evidence? Sure, she can be a bit prickly and testing sometimes. But that was the only fun or somewhat interesting characteristic/personality out of every single character in the novel.

Carmilla and Laura have sex once, and in front of a bunch of people, for Laura's FIRST time. That's right, Laura, the wannabe dominatrix, is a virgin. But ah! We are told multiple excruciating times, that we'd be surprised how much one can learn from books. 🤢🤢

"I'll bet you've never even had another girl. I'll bet you've just read about it in books is all."
"You'd be surprised what you can learn from reading books," she said, and slid her knee between my legs.

Did a 15 year old write this??

Ironically, there are times when Carmilla charms Laura and those are the most coherent parts of their whole relationship. There was one moment I did enjoy, which is one where Laura and Carmilla escaped at night to have a dip in the lake/pond. They were there together, alone. It was intimate, and yet almost lighthearted? They were giggling about the scandal of skinny dipping on campus, and their attraction to each other is already established, so it takes on a playful tone. The writing was even better in the scene, describing the soft sounds of the water lapping at Carmilla's clavicles.

Carmilla floated closer to me in the water, so close her breasts pressed against mine as her arm encircled my shoulder. She laved my neck with her tongue, just once, but it was enough to set my every nerve ending ablaze.
"Carmilla," I breathed.
She bit down.


It was a compelling moment between them, but that's all we got, and it was once their..."like" for each other was already established. The actual progression of their relationship is a mess. One moment they're nearly clawing each other competitively, and suddenly they're this soft, lame, sad couple. Like, pick a side. They're either academic beasts or they're girls prancing in the field hand in hand, but flopping suddenly from one to the next made no sense.

But honestly, their romance was juvenile and cliché from the beginning...

“I decided right away that I hated her, hated her stupid bouncy curls and her soft-edged Southern drawl and that little red notebook she kept scribbling in like a pastor’s pet during a sermon.”


...their romance did have potential, but their rivalry faded into the background around 40% in. The hostility between them evaporated and they became these timid girls, both victim to their circumstance.

This book genuinely feels...low quality. It's so insubstantial, I feel like I couldn't really recommend it to anyone.

So many things were underexplored or badly executed. I've heard this author struggled to write this novel, and sadly, that's evident. I really did have faith and interest in the premise for this book, but this was not well done. I don't even want to think about it any longer.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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