An Education in Malice
by S. T. Gibson

2,5/5 ⭐

(More) Sapphic retelling of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Contents:
When Laura starts her first semester at Saint Perpetua’s, a girls only private school tucked away in the woods north of Boston, everything at first seems normal. There is typical college rivalries, a bit of partying and though her literature professor is eccentric and demanding, she is also brilliant and Laura enjoys being challenged. When she and Prof De Lafontaine’s priced pupil Carmilla are invited to private study sessions and pitched against each other to inspire their best performances, things start to become heated — and bloody…

My Opinion:
Well.. the book wasn't bad, just not really my taste. It was well-written and very atmospheric throughout. It had major dark academia vibes, a lot of emotional tension and yearning that could very much be felt while reading it.

The characters' emotions were intense and were definitely transported well. However, we only get little bits of their past and not much beyond the immediate situations they found themselves in. That left them a little one-dimensional and vague and I wished there would have been more explanations or in-depth explorations of their motives. Also, the development of their relationships was somewhat sudden and not really believable in my opinion, especially from Carmilla’s POV.

Plot-wise there wasn't really that much happening, I feel like some scenes were just strewn in so that somewhat realistic contexts for spicy moments were given or to have opportunities for drama. The book lived more from its atmosphere, setting and the character’s thoughts than from the plot, and it was sad to have a few strings not being tied up and the somewhat „easy way out“ in the end.

I must admit that by now I’m pretty sure sure this kind of book just isn’t my cup of tea, too dark and twisted for my taste. I also personally felt uncomfortable with the power dynamics and would recommend that everyone read the content warnings before starting the book.

So if you like dark atmospheric books with horror elements, you will probably enjoy this book, if not, maybe look for something else 😊

Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for the ARC!

This book was WILD.

I liked the concept and the academic setting gave me all the deep, essay-girl vibes. Unfortunately, it was just a little boring and repetitive. I found the characters annoying and weird. The events unfolding in this book just didn't make much sense, and I felt nothing of the romance or chemistry. There was nothing that jumped out at me, and the characters just made the book a bore to read. Although this was nice and quick to get through, the plot itself unfolded in a predictable way and I felt myself wanting to put it down!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc!

Well, this book fell a little flat for me!

I thought the writing was beautiful, the context of obsession and desire explored fully, but I didn’t feel connected to the characters. The only thing I was truly rooting for was the disappearance of the MC’s tutor.

Regardless, I can see this being a firm favourite for many people! It’s gorgeously dark, sapphic and fast paced. But for me the trajectory of the story takes a few weird jumps in the middle, like an old train crossing rickety tracks. We got to our destination, just in an odd way that neglected a few point at times. It just felt a little flat for me personally!

Thank you Netgalley for proving this ARC of An Education in Malice in exchange for an honest review!

Received via netgalley as a free arc to review

I had moments of considering DNFing this book. At points it's more aesthetic than plot. It's honestly like reading a lesbians, Vampire themed Pinterest board 😂

Not for me, I'm sure some others will love it, but there's just too much fluff and not enough plot

I absolutely devoured An Education in Malice by S.T.Gibson.

I didn’t think it was possible for the author to wow me more than they did with A Dowry of Blood, but I was wrong.

I felt so connected to the main characters of the books and felt my emotions deeply when there was conflict.

The pacing of this book was superb and it has the perfect balance between harsh lines and flowery descriptions, I could not put it down and would recommend it to most.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this eARC

This is not quite a page turner but I found it a very easy read; the prose in this is beautiful and I found this book very atmospheric. I enjoyed the theme of obsession throughout the book from the various characters however it fell a little flat for me though as there was just one to many plot threads and I felt this lead to a lack of depth overall.

I liked all the parts individually; the rivals to lovers, the gothic academy setting and the mystery surrounding De Lafontaine, but the pacing felt rushed. Laura and Carmilla's relationship didn't really get that big rivals to lovers pay off as it wasn't quite developed enough even with the multiple POV chapters. Laura in particular seemed like a missed opportunity considering the time period; the timid student who had accepted her sexuality and proclivities but had never really had the chance to explore it. I did love the picnic scene with Elenore though and found it quite sweet. It also didn't really add anything to the plot that Laura had BDSM tendencies either and seemed a little tacked on as did her career choice of entering the priesthood. I expected that to go somewhere but it didn't.

De Lafontaine is an interesting character but she also peters out halfway through the book; her relationship with Carmilla (and later Laura) is manipulative throughout but after the change in Carmilla's circumstances (which was glossed over far too quickly) she seemed really one dimensional. I still don't understand why she chose Laura and what her end goal was regarding her and Camilla. De Lafontaine seemed aware of their attraction, kept them separated for days at a time but still had them both meet her for private lessons under the guise of Carmilla needing a foil. I actually thought Laura was being set up for the main plot and this would cause an interesting tension and a change in dynamic between Carmilla and De Lafontaine but that was not the case and it just seemed like the book couldn't quite decide what the central focus should be.

An Education in Malice is a dark-academia tale of (overly) ambitious students, vampires and obsessions. Laura and Carmilla are obsessed with besting each other, obsessed with getting closer to their mysterious professor De Lafontaine and eventually obsessed with each other and their mutual desire.

The story is set at the secluded Saint Perpetua college and has a gothic, eerie athmosphere. While the plot is relatively limited (in the sense that the events could be summarised quite quickly), it's the atmosphere and aesthetic feel that make this book. In my opinion. S. T. Gibson's writing is exceptional and makes the characters and scenes come alive on paper. All senses feel somehow involved in reading, as the girls every feeling is explored and described in detail with super detailed language. Sometimes double POVs can get confusing if the two characters aren't differentiated enough, but this worked really well! I felt like I got to distinguish Laura and Carmilla quite quickly, despite their similarly obsessive personalities.

On the other hand, De Lafontaine was a character I had mixed feelings about. The imbalanced-power situation between her and the girls and her own obsessions sometimes pushing boundaries too far for me... but it was an integral part of the plot, so...

Overall, it was a very enjoyable read! I wish there had been a bit more movement in the plot and a slightly less "easy" ending, but I thoroughly enjoyed the characters and the athmosphere created by the author.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books UK for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

An Education in Malice has beautiful enticing prose. You just can't put the book out of your hands once you started it.

I immediately became a fan of S.T. Gibson after reading Dowry of Blood, and An Education in Malice has solidified my obsession with her work. Following the world of vampires, An Education of Malice marries dark academia with the sultry, deceptive, gothic world of vampires in this retelling of Carmilla.

The setting of Saint Perpetua as the dark academia's gothic castle was perfect for Gibson's story as a place full mysteries and places to hide from the light.

The character development of Laura and Carmilla was amazing, their romance was a beautiful enemies-to-lovers story with some beautiful moments for a story that has a very sultry subtext. Poetry Professor, De Lafontaine, was such an enigmatic character that was both sultry and dangerous, beautiful and creepy that had me more infuriated with each scene she appears in.

An Education in Malice was, overall, a beautiful retelling of Europe's first lesbian vampire story brought into the 21st century. This is a must-read for any vampire fans, dark academic lovers and anyone who loves a story that breaks the mould.

Thank you, NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for sending me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Solid 4.5 stars, but a fantastic read. Laura and Carmilla are both incredible and flawed main characters i do wish it was longer to flush out some additional plot points on the end or with Isis because that story wasn’t clear enough. Overall, would defo read again, really enjoyed, and loved the characters. I think Laura had a lot of growth as a character, wish the others had similar lines.

3.5*? probably? this was a very quick enjoyable read, but it was nothing extraordinary. ST Gibson's writing is marvellous, as always, but i didn't really connect with the story. i loved the relationships between the characters (vampire milf taking care of her token sapphics, what more can i ask for really). the plot left a lot to be desired in my opinion, but my main qualm with this book is the fact that it's set in the us of a ??????? this should've 100% been set in london or something of the likes ??? alas. liked it was okay will definitely think about lesbian vampires for the next week <3

3 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2024/02/14/an-education-in-malice-by-st-gibson/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : I wanted to love it

I don’t know whether I just over egged the pudding for myself with An Education in Malice and raised it up onto such a high pedestal that it was perhaps never going to be able to achieve those lofty heights but this didn’t work as well for me as I’d anticipated. Dark Academia. Obsession. Secret desires and vampires – so much promise that felt to me a little lacking in direction.

The story is brought to us by two of the central characters, Laura and Carmilla. The setting is a prestigious all girls school and the real hook of the piece is a Professor, known as DeLafontaine, who most of the girls seem desperate to please. To gain a place on one of her selective courses is practically impossible, only a few achieve it and the rivalry and jealousy is intense.

Laura is a new student at Saint Perpetua’s College. She is a shy naive girl who feels a little out of place amongst all these other seemingly worldly wise students. In particular Carmilla. Laura has managed to achieve the unthinkable, a place on DeLafontaine’s poetry course – a year early no less – and Carmilla, always the favourite pupil has her nose put out of joint when this latest newbie arrives and somewhat steals the show. We then have a love/hate relationship between the two, spurred on by the teacher in an attempt to lead them to new heights of brilliance.

So, I will say Immediately that I loved the writing for this. Gibson easily creates this fantastic gothic setting in the mind’s eye and its incredibly atmospheric and I confess that I found the story very easy to get into due to the lush style.

To be honest, I’m finding it really difficult to pin down what didn’t work so well for me with this. I mean, I don’t really want to be overly negative because it’s not a bad book, just something kept it from knocking my socks off.

I actually think there was too much going on – possibly slight spoilers ahead. We have the love hate relationship between Laura and Carmilla – which suddenly clicked into something much more – and, yes,it felt rushed, like a light switch being flicked on. One minute they hated each other, then the next they didn’t. Then you have this sideline infatuation that Carmilla has for the professor – and, lets just say it as it is, the professor is being very unprofessional to say the least and definitely taking advantage of both students. Okay, DeLafontaine is a vampire. This element of the story felt kind of unnecessary really – particularly as it eventually involved a return love interest from the past and a number of grisly murders on campus – all of which seemed to remain very low key, not to mention all too easily resolved.

Looking at the above, the relationship with Laura and Carmilla. I think this was supposed to have a sensual/borderline erotic feel. I found it a bit lacking in chemistry and in one particular scene it lost all credulity with one character acting in a way that didn’t feel plausible.

Then the vampire aspects. DeLafontaine came across almost like an immature child at times. Her emotions were up and down and she went from being a polished, in control professor to someone who was clearly jealous of her students’ relationship. I understand the underlying theme here is all about obsession and that does come across really well with an almost love triangle situation playing out – but, I think I hoped for something more controlling, or in control from DeLafontaine.

I think I’ll finish there. I realise this probably comes across as overly critical and that isn’t really my intention. This is beautifully written and I imagine that it will probably work better for some readers than it did for me.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publishers, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

An Education in Malice is my first S.T. Gibson book and wow, it did not disappoint!

Set in the 1960's, this story is full of dark academia and vampire decadence. I could not pt this down and read it in less than a day. The rivalry between Carmilla and Laura is so beautifully written as is the obsession with their teacher Evelyn.

I'm planning on reading A Dowry of Blood soon and Evocation later in the year, S.T. Gibson has became a new favourite author.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for the chance to read An Education in Malice.

We love to see rivalry to romance, academia settings, and vampires. An Education in Malice has been calling my name since I heard about it. That and combined with the fact that it's by S.T. Gibson - an author who I'm always intrigued to read - and I was hooked. An Education in Malice will satisfy those wanting a queer romance with vampires, deadly obsession, and rivals in academia. From the beginning, we can see how the rivalry is about envy and fixation. The ways we want to have their talent, driven like a moth to the flame.

A haunting gothic love story.
This was an interesting read. I disliked Carmilla to begin with, but as I read more of her POV, I grew to understand her a bit more.
I feel like the ending is set up in a way that it could be the end or it could very well be continued. I would be interested to find out what happens next for Carmilla and Laura. Especially under Magdalena's guidance.

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is a dark academia tale that'll keep you hooked from start to finish. Set in the eerie hills of Massachusetts at Saint Perpetua's College, it's like Hogwarts, but with a darker twist—vampires included.
The story revolves around Laura Sheridan and Carmilla, two students caught up in a fierce academic rivalry. But as they dive deeper into their poetry seminar led by the enigmatic Professor De Lafontaine, things take a turn for the sinister. Secrets, dark magic, and a tangled web of desire unfold against the backdrop of St. Perpetua's gothic campus.
Gibson's writing is as addictive as it gets. She takes inspiration from the classic Carmilla tale but adds her own modern flair, especially in the sapphic tension between Laura and Carmilla. It's not just about academic competition; there's a whole lot of love, power struggles, and self-discovery thrown into the mix.
An Education in Malice is perfect for fans of gothic romance and supernatural intrigue. So if you're up for a thrilling ride filled with secrets and suspense, dive into this dark academia delight—you won't regret it.

[3.5]

An Education in Malice is a dark academia retelling of the classic novel Carmilla. We are following our two heroines: Laura, who is a naive girl who never steps out of her comfort zone (up till a certain point) and Carmilla, who is very competitive and strives to be the very best. We also have a teacher, De Lafontaine, who has a strange and inappropriate relationship with Carmilla

What this novel, in typical S. T. Gibson fashion, excels at is the prose. Her writing is always so beautiful, with so many hard hitting lines you want to underline while reading to come back to regularly. Gibson simply has a way with her words and I can't get enough of it. Along with the prose, I really enjoyed the setting and the atmosphere that the author created. The world was so easy to imagine and the gothic vibes were immaculate.

Sadly though, while I did enjoy An Education in Malice, it did not live up to my expectations -- I thought it was a book to stay with me like A Dowry of Blood did, but sadly I don't think that will be the case. That is to say, the book is not bad by any means -- it's good, just not quite as good as I had hoped.

The characters were memorable enough but nothing groundbreaking. I quite enjoyed Carmilla and her emotional reactions to things. I found that she felt quite real and I simply just wish the novel was longer to delve more into the psyche of these characters. Carmilla is a character I would simply love to have seen explored more, i wanna know everything that goes on in her head.
The romance starts out as rivals to lovers with a lot of lust and promise for a romance i could really get behind, but sadly it fell a little flat as the characters went from being rivals to being in love after a certain plot point with a sudden shift in their attitudes. The feelings between the characters just didn't develop organically, which (again) might simply be due to the length of the book. I still enjoyed the bond between the girls and many of their scenes, I just think it could've been so much more.

I think my biggest disappointment was the ending -- the climax was way too convenient, resolved way too fast with minimal tension. I felt like there build-up was preparing me for something more atmospheric and cruel, but it felt very uninspired and rushed. I also disliked the fact that one of the characters did not face any consequences for all of the shit they pulled, it all just got resolved way too easily and conveniently for my taste. That is to say, I also did thing that Dowry wrapped up a little quick but overall I was way more satisfied with that ending.

I will also say that the dark academia aspect takes a back seat once vampire plot line becomes more prominent. You are still in the school setting but the academic bits and pieces take the back seat. That did not bother me personally, but i figured I will point it out.

All in all, it's a very solid read that simply could've been so much more. I see myself revisiting one day and one that i can recommend to anyone looking for a short sapphic vampire story.

Thank for Netgalley & Little Brown Book UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I loved Dowry of Blood and since then have been a fan of S.T. Gibson as such I was excited to read her dark academia upcoming novel and I was not at all disappointed. The prose was one of the things I loved the most, told through dual point of views we get a beautiful, sultry and haunting look into the heart and minds of Laura and Carmilla. I was dragged into the world from the start.


The enemies to lovers is a trope I had not fully understood but I can say that now I am a fan. This is a beautiful if sometimes violent sapphic horror. As always Gibson brings her world to life in such a way that you feel as if you are alongside them. For me the main thing that kept me hooked was the yearning and elements of dark academia (it spoke to the academic in me).


If you are looking for a beautiful but haunting sapphic gothic horror this is it. it’s hard to mention more without spoilers but if you have read a Dowry of Blood you know exactly what to expect and will not be disappointed.

In Saint Perpetua's College, the academic rivalry between Laura and Carmilla took the main stage. Their struggle takes several twists and turns that are relatively addictive and ambitious, but eventually it won't be what it seems. Much less when they involve such a peculiar bloodthirsty professor, De Lafontaine, whose secrets will come out. Both will be caught in that web of lies and secrets, and they'll have to figure their way out of them. This was such as exquisite and enticing story. This is the first time I read a sapphic academic rivals to lovers book, but this gothic vampire romance is written in a rather captivating way. I loved the tension and dynamic between Laura and Carmilla but I was also fascinated with the development of each one. However, the plot was underwhelming at times, mostly in the second part of the book. There was a drastic change that had a counterproductive effect on the plot. The ending felt a bit rushed for me but despite that, I enjoyed the book.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

An Education in Malice is a captivating dark academia tale set in the ancient Saint Perpetua’s College. Laura Sheridan, a new student, engages in an intense rivalry with the enigmatic Carmilla. Their competition escalates as they both attract the attention of their poetry professor, De Lafontaine. Amidst secrets, dark magic, and forbidden desire, the novel weaves a hauntingly atmospheric narrative. S.T. Gibson’s storytelling shines in this must-read for fans of gothic romance and vampires.

This is a must read for fans of a Dowry of Blood and you may even meet a few familiar faces.
The story is inspired by the classic Carmilla. However, this sapphic retelling it is original enough that I was engaged the whole time and did not expect everything that was coming.

I highly recommend this for everyone, but most especially for fans of dark academia and sapphic drama.