An Education in Malice is a decadent and sumptuous novel which captivated me from the first page to the last. After reading ‘A Dowry of Blood’, I was incredibly excited to read this ‘Carmilla’ reimagining. All I can say is ‘Wow, this did not disappoint!’
S.T. Gibson’s prose is beautiful and compelling and it’s clear to see the influences of both Anne Rice and Donna Tartt in this novel. Even the most mundane subjects are treated with as much care and attention as the big plot points. An Evocative coming of age story about first loves, obsessions and manipulation. The characters are distinct and believable and the Gothic atmosphere is heady and addictive. It can be hard to find a story that places equal value on the ‘character study’ and the plot but I think that this is a fantastic mix of the two. Balance of power is a big theme in this story as well as toxic and domineering relationships, however I found that these were handled with nuance and sensitivity. The Sapphic relationship at the heart of this book is one of the best I have ever read. An authentic, realistic and thought provoking portrayal of the desire and obsession of youth this story is filled with yearning and lust and jealousy. This book struck exactly the right chord for me and I highly highly recommend picking it up.

Thanks to the author, Little,Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this amazing book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for gifting me a copy of this book.

After loving a Dowry of Blood, I had to read this one, and I would say that I liked it. Not as much as her previous book but the story was still gripping, exciting, daring and a tad dark. I think Laura was my favourite character. She was a bit shy at the beginning, but we soon learn that she has a great personality and is a very smart.

The chapters are rather small and the book too but it’s a good amount. More would have been too much.

I loved the fact that we had Magdalena from A Dowry of Blood in the book.

I would still recommend An Education in Malice, but before make sure to check the trigger warnings that are at the beginning of the book.

𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘
—𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗻 | 𝟱🌟

“𝘐’𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 …” 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙮𝙤𝙪. “𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥.”

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲:
✨Dark academia/horror
✨Vampires
✨Relationship between professor and student
✨Sapphic
✨Exploration of poetry, obsession, dark and delicious desire
✨Dual POV

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀:
Saint Perpetua’s College is an all-female institute that’s home to many impressionable young girls, one enigmatic and commanding poetry professor, and a newly blossomed academic rivalry between Laura and Carmilla for the professor’s affections. But, as the author so aptly puts it: “𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.” Especially when there’s something sleeping beneath the school.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
Just like A Dowry of Blood, I didn’t want this to end. I don’t know what it is about ST Gibson’s writing but I find it so 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸, 𝘀𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲, and 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘅𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. This author melts me into a puddle on the floor. I am literal putty in her hands. My corporeal form is not mine to command but a slave to her her 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗲 in this gothic dark academia novel.

The characters are fully fleshed and flawed, each of their weaknesses like 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗷𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗼𝘂𝘀𝘆, and the desire for 𝗱𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 needing to be sated once in a while. This book features 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀, Laura and Carmilla, wrestling with a 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰 whilst under the thrall of the 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗽𝘁𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 and 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 Professor De LaFontaine, an unorthodox teacher with a predilection for evening classes and fiery young girls.

This 𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 of Sheridan La Fenu’s 𝘊𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢 is a 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲. Gibson’s use of poetry is full of ardent passion that reflects the darker themes of this story such as youth and love.

“𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘴,
𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦,
𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴
𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴: 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵.
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴: 𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵: 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩: 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦.”

𝗞𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵 | 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆

I found this book quite disturbing and unsatisfying at the end. The whole thing seemed to be about a crush on a teacher by 2 students who vye for her attention with a horror twist added to it.

4.5 Stars. A wonderful, poetic, enticing, sapphic Gothic romance. The characters were beautifully written and fleshed out.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown for the ARC. I thoroughly enjoyed this sapphic Dark Academia tale set at Saint Perpetua’s College in Massachusetts. I don’t want to include any spoilers but with main characters names Carmilla and Sheridan there really was only one way this story was going to go. Wonderfully pretentious in places “ “I picked up my love for absinthe in Paris” De LaFontaine said “I used to sit in the cafes with the other poets and argue philosophy from dusk till dawn” “ the story cracks on at a pace and the writing is sumptuously gothic. Loved it! ST Gibson has also, helpfully produced a Spotify playlist that you can listen to whilst reading the book https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2f29RqQAMy1YkmiqUFUsg3?si=iiHAxM_GReWktYDqf92edg&pi=e-i8soN9ycSweb -also highly recommended!

arc provided in exchange for an honest review.

S.T. Gibson's writing style tickles my brain in the best way however this was somewhat of a disappointment for me. 

I enjoyed Laura and Carmilla's dynamic at first, there was chemistry when they were rivals and then it all disappeared to be placed with total devotion. I am not a fan of romance but it felt so quick and rushed that it did kind of ruin the story for me, unfortunately. If you enjoy romance, I'm sure you'd take a liking to this book. 

I didn't connect with any of the characters, it was nice to see an old face though. 

Gibson gives us a dark academia and gothic atmosphere, I liked that. The writing is poetic in the best of ways, it isn't an overpowering prose that makes me roll my eyes however instead it is prose that makes me slow my reading to appreciate the words Gibson has written.

An Education in Malice is a stunning book. The prose left me speechless at many points and it manages to suck you into the book and make you feel like you‘re there with the characters, a feeling I‘ve last had with The Secret History by Donna Tartt.

Laura, Carmilla and De Lafontaine are compelling and alluring in their own ways and I held my breath each time Carmilla and De Lafontaine showed up on page.

A fantastic book, as I‘m used to by S.T. Gibson and I can‘t wait for everyone else to get to read it.

A well-written, pacy Camilla retelling with sapphic vampires, a dark academia setting and dual POV.

The two voices are distinct and I found myself rooting for them throughout the plot which is dark in parts.

There is 🌶️ but also the romance reads like a first love/coming of age which was a lovely contrast to the sinister happenings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

This book was such a disappointment it honestly saddens me because I was OBSESSED with a dowry of blood. The plot moved too fast and Gibson kept tossing new things into the story as if it were a first draft and it was too hard to keep up, even with my good memory. The characters were so bland. Laura blah blah lesbian country girl who's secretly a top and Camila the foreigner in a forbidden relationship with her PROFESSOR. One thing I hated was the inkling of a feeling that Camila was simply playing around with Laura's feelings because I and everyone's mum knew Camila would abandon Laura in a heartbeat for the professor with the fancy French name. Genuinely a waste of time. Read a dowry of blood though it's light years better.

I received this book as an arc copy and was really excited to read it, the premise sounded perfect and while there were many aspects I liked, I found it a little lacking.

First for what I did like. The writing in terms of prose etc I thought was great for the most part, it was lyrical and I felt Gibson built the atmosphere nicely.

That being said, the characters were very surface level to me, this has the potential to be a great actual enemies to lovers story and yet it became an insta love story because the character development hadn’t been fleshed out enough. I’m guessing the aim was to showcase the obsession side of their love but because there was no build up it didn’t really hit that way.

The subplot was also seemingly there only to allow for some sort of ending to the story as it was so far in the background for the entire book that I as a reader didn’t care and the stakes (pun intended) didn’t seem high at all.

All in all it wasn’t a terrible book, the writing was great and the story was somewhat entertaining but for me it just wasn’t memorable.

This was so beautifully written, just as Dowry of Blood was. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and can’t wait to read it all over again when my published copy arrives!

It's only January and I think I've found my favourite book of the year.

'An Education in Malice' is dark, salacious and enchanting. I could not list a single flaw I noticed in the entire book.

Every character was nuanced and full of life. The university setting was the perfect backdrop for the mysterious elements of the plot. The pacing couldn't have flowed better.

The book explores its concepts well, with depth. I was particularly entranced by the way in which obsession soured and twisted the relationships between the characters, The evolving nature of the romance between Carmilla and Laura was fascinating and better developed than any romance I've read in a long time.

The truth is, no matter how long this review is, it will never encapsulate just how obsessed I will be with this book for the rest of this year and how much I love S.T. Gibson's works.

I absolutely loved A Dowry of Blood and I loved this almost as much! This is a sapphic dark academia novel that reworks the classic Carmilla story and it is intriguing, beguiling and delicious. I adored the 1960s setting, the shy yet dominant MC, and the slow unravelling of the mystery. 5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and S.T. Gibson for the ARC of An Education in Malice.

The premise of the novel is what intrigued me, I liked the concept of dark academia mixed with romantic rivalry and supernatural elements. I enjoyed the characterisations of Laura and Carmilla in the book's first half and wanted to learn more about De LaFountaine's backstory.

Though I liked the writing style of this novel, it was overall an underwhelming read for me. The romance between Carmilla and Laura felt very shallow, as it was too fast-paced and the rivalry aspect had diminished very early on. I also felt their distinct characterisation was reduced as the novel went on, and I got confused about whose POV it was. Most of the side characters felt very shallow as well and not integral to the story.

My main issue though was that I felt like there wasn't a significant plotline in the book, and that made the vampiric elements and the murders feel forced, as I felt that the built-up of the first half of the novel didn't make it compelling.

Though the prose was decent, the sapphic romance and vampire storyline promised was disappointing to read.

I will publish this review on Goodreads on February 1st 2024.

A modern retelling of Carmilla with tension and with dark academia vibes? Sign me up!
If you’re familiar with the author’s previous work, a dowry of blood, and enjoyed it. you will hopefully like this book aswell.
This book is a duo pov between the two main characters, Laura and Carmilla.

This story is about Laura, freshly enrolled in the prestigious Saint Perpetua's College. She is one the few lucky students to attend the famous poetry course by Miss De Lafontaine. There she meets the prodigy and protégée Carmilla, a brilliant talent devoted to the professor and extremely competitive. Carmilla was bored before Laura arrived, but now she has competition and nothing will stop the two of them from becoming enemies.
Who's the best poet? Who gets the most of De Lafontaine's attention?

S.T. Gibson absolutely has talent for story writing. I enjoyed this book so much especially the atmosphere.
Thank you so much NetGalley for this arc

An Education in Malice is a beautiful and tender exploration of desire and love and all the complications that come along with it. It was captivating from the start and with the way Gibson goes on about the personal intimacy between Laura and Carmilla, it was a delight to read.

After getting a few pages in the book, I knew right away that it would be another favourite. I've read A Dowry of Blood earlier last year and loved it, so was a little cautious with how An Education in Malice would be, but I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was.

I’m a sucker for this kind of book, and this one An education in malice by S T Gibson definitely did not disappoint!

I have read A Dowry of Blood and loved how poetic and atmospheric it was. This book is much the same with a dark academia feel to it. I loved the characters and the story telling with its gothic. If you love vampires, dark academia and gothic novels then this one is for you. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my eArch.

Danke an Netgalley für das Rezensionsexemplar!

Nachdem mich A Dowry Of Blood positiv überrascht hat, hab ich mich sehr darüber gefreut, dieses Buch vorab lesen zu dürfen. Leider hat es kaum etwas von dem, was ich an dem ersten Buch so mochte.

Die Charaktere wirken für mich blass und langweilig. Der Plot plätschert so vor sich hin. Was mir gefallen hat, war der leichte spice, aber die Liebesgeschichte selbst ging mir viel viel zu schnell.. Alles wirkt so überstürzt und unzusammenhängend. Ich habe einige Passagen einfach überflogen, da ich kein Interesse für die Zwischensequenzen aufbringen konnte. Das Ende ging dann auch wieder extrem schnell und war irgendwie auch unbefriedigend. Von mir leider keine Empfehlung..