“Love is sacrifice. One of us was always going to bleed for the other.”

This dark academia romance dragged me in an academic world of seductive rivals, passionate gothic atmosphere and a burning obsession between sapphic relationships between morally grey protagonists.

Laura attends a course in poetry and soon develops an interest in her academic rival Carmilla. The latter is also the object of their poetry professor’s obsession. They will experiment lust, desire, blood, fear and rage as well as they face conflicts, half truths and blood thirst.

The prose is elegant and well-studied and drags you in a gothic setting between the lessons of an academia. I experimented all kinds of emotions, from fear to lust, passing through illusion, disappointment and pain, while feeling the vibes of Anne Rice’s vampires.

I would highly recommend this to who loves gothic romance, dark academia, paranormal romance and lgbtqia+ well-developed protagonists.

I think I’ve recommended A dowry of blood to at least more than ten people so I think you might be able to imagine my happiness when I saw that I was approved for an eARC of S.T. Gibson’s new work An education in malice.

Gibson has this way of writing that just sucks you in. I absolutely adore it. It’s also a big part of what drew me in with ADOB. It’s not your “typical” English, with the use of some older and elegant sounding words, but that gives it just that little extra magic ✨

Onto the story;

I have read Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu earlier this year but wasn’t as enchanted by the main character(s) as I am now in An education of malice.

Carmilla and Laura have this perfect, exciting, beautifully sensual connection between them. I mean, the tension in the beginning when they couldn’t stand each other? Sometimes when reading enemies/rivals to lovers I find the tension beforehand better than when they actually get together but that wasn’t the case at all here. I loved their relationship and how they both view each other.
I wasn’t the biggest fan of De Lafontaine at the beginning but the ending did change that for me. I feel like eventually she really does care about Carmilla and can put aside her own feelings to grant Carmilla what she needed and wanted in life (or death lol)

I also really enjoyed Magdalena’s (whom we’ve gotten acquainted with in Gibson’s previous novel A dowry of blood) role in this story and especially the ending.

Overall: loved, loved, LOVED it and it’s going to be hard to choose my fav book of the year since I was almost 99% sure it was going to be ADOB, at least I still have some days left to think about it ;)

All my friends have been singing S T Gibson's praises to me and after reading this book I do understand some of the hype. The writing in this book was so lush and sensual. ST Gibson managed to fully capture the dark heady vibe of this enemies to lovers romance set in a dark academia setting. What I wish we had more of is some depth. The characters other than the two central ones, the relationship, the plot and the world was surface level and the climax just felt rushed. I couldn't really understand what the point of it all was after finishing it. I would definitely check out her other books because the writing is quite frankly beautiful but other than that this book sadly lacked the depth I look for in my reads.

I'm not sure where the disconnect came while I was reading this book, but it unfortunately just didn't hit the mark for me. While the writing was really well done, and no doubt S.T Gibson is an extremely talented author, I felt that it was lacking a bit in plot and I just never felt like I NEEDED to keep reading to find out what happened nor did I really care.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for thr ARC!

This is another great example of ST Gibson’s beautifully seductive writing style. An Education in Malice is a lush, gothic academia novel filled with obsessive and toxic relationships. I personally found the characters to be complex, with the writing showing their struggles with boundaries and morality.

I would definitely recommend this to other readers. I absolutely loved A Dowry of Blood and therefore had BIG expectations for this novel which I personally feel have been fulfilled.

Thanks so much the the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

"An Education in Malice" transports the reader into the academia world of the late 1960s. Similarly to "A Dowry of Blood", S. T. Gibson's prose easily pulls you into the world of the characters with vivid descriptions and little details that make it easy to imagine the setting.

I also read Sheridan Le Fanu's "Carmilla" while reading this book so as to have a better understanding of the original tale as well as its influences. I wouldn't call "An Education in Malice" a retelling based on that. It would be more accurate to say that Gibson has taken inspiration as well as character names and, to some extent, their descriptions from the original, but the main storyline follows a different, original route.

In this book, Laura is a smart girl from a small town who is passionate about writing and determined to do well in her poetry class to impress the mysterious professor De Lafontaine. This frustrates the professor's favoured student, Carmilla, who clearly doesn't wish to share neither the spotlight nor the professor's attention.

The story's main element is the relationship between the girls as well as their connection with their professor. The vampiric aspect adds a touch of the fantastical and dark but gets a more dominant role in the second half of the book. One of my favourite parts of the book was the glimpse we got into the vampire society proper and another one involves a scene too spoilery to mention in this review.

However, I wasn't invested in the actual main characters themselves very much. A few times, I had to double check whose POV I was reading since their voices were too similar to be able to immediately differentiate between them. I also felt that their relationship grew into something more a bit too fast and suddenly. Personally, I would have loved to see a slower, more in-depth evolution. And the same applies to the characters: I wanted a deeper and better understanding of them and what makes them tick. The pacing was a bit off for me as well, with the first half of the book feeling quite slow (due to mostly being the girls and their poetry lessons) compared to the much more hurried second half (where lots of different things come into play).

I had a similar experience with "A Dowry of Blood" where I felt that everything was a bit rushed and I wanted to slow down and just get more of everything, evenly paced, since I was enjoying the gorgeous gothic atmosphere a lot.

Overall, I think it's a fine gothic dark academia romance with vampires and – to my tastes – very mild horror elements.

Thank you to Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. If approved, I will also publish this review on Goodreads, The StoryGraph and my Instagram account with some quotes on February 1st as requested.

St. Gibson has done it once again- packaging up a wonderfully depraved and dark narrative in a swaddling of pleasingly beautiful prose. I will say that this particular novel was an obvious pick for yours truly- a dark academia setting, morally grey main characters, and a protagonist who discovers her sharp edges along the way. There were doubts in my mind about retelling Carmilla, the sapphic vampire classic tale that predates Dracula, but if ever someone could do it justice, Gibson is your gal. Topping the original was a tough job, but for me at least, the addition of the dark academia milieu made the story that much more compelling. Paired with the flowing prose that I love from this writer, AEIM is an easy recommendation.
Releasing February, 2024. Preorder from your favourite bookseller now.

I requested this as I absolutely adored A Dowry of Blood. Unfortunately, this was just an ok read for me. It was enjoyable but I wouldn't rave about it or read it again. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I received this book as a free arc in exchange for review.

I think my actual rating would be closer to 3.5 stars.

I didn't think I was going to like this book at the 50 page mark. I'm still not sure what it was about it that won me over, but every time I thought about reading something else, I just wanted to read this.

The book is fairly light on plot, focusing more on the relationships between the two MCs and their professor. The parts relating to the climax of the book are kind of sidelined until the end.

I liked the characters to an extent, but I do feel like they were maybe a little immature for their age, and it prevented for book from having the "dark obsession, dark academia" vibe it was promising. I wanted more of the academia and more mystery to De Lafontaine's world. The author can definitely write and write well, but something about the vibe was slightly off for me.

Definitely make sure you read the trigger warnings for this book. One of them was what made me hesitant with the book at the start, and I'm not sure the book did enough to challenge the issue presented for me.

I was really excited to receive an arc of this book since I adored A dowry of blood. Whilst I did love this book, it just didn't hit the same as A dowry of blood.

I felt like the characters in this book just didn't have enough character development, they felt rushed and under apreciated in her own work. I also felt the relationships were very rushed and had no actual depth to them as much as other books. I loved the concept of the story but just felt like it could've been done a touch better. I also felt that her writing in this book felt a little weaker and just didn't have the poeticness as her last book.

However I did still love this book and will love everything S.T. Gibson will write.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me an arc of this book.

An Education in Malice
By S.T Gibson

Rating: 4 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Little,Brown Book Group UK for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An Education in Malice is a deliciously, gothic dark academia novel featuring a sapphic Carmilla retelling in the isolated hills of Massachusetts at Saint Perpetua’s Women’s College.
To begin this review, I must admit I am in awe of the imagery put out by the author, gray Gothic stone buildings, Mary Janes and calf-skimming tweed skirts. The vivid descriptions of the bonfire night- I felt as though I were immersed in a paganistic ritual where pretty girls in long white dresses were going to sacrifice me, I absolutely adore the atmosphere set.
Secondly, our two main characters, Carmilla; Austrian, dark long, wavy hair and caramel eyes and Laura; our plus size heroine with blonde curls and a religious inclination both gravitate towards academic rivalry to compete for Professor De Lafontaine’s approval in their poetry as she doles out her praises selectively, invoking their jealousy.
The prose was so well written I felt as though I would drown in the pages of these words, as though I would become rabid like a dog and sink my teeth into the lyrical writing of S.T Gibson.
Laura Sheridan, with an eye for the erotic and things she should not touch and Carmilla, a teacher’s pet and something more?
De Lafontaine’s recklessness and jealousy leads her favoured pupil into the path of vampirism; once as a blood supply but now as a creature of the night. Carmilla and Laura’s relationship does not crumble under this pressure, it releases this carnal desire for something more.
Though, the students aren’t always the most dangerous ones, “She was in love, and that was dangerous. After all, what horror wouldn’t I tolerate, if it was meted out by the hand of my beloved?”
This beautifully written novel now has a special place in my heart, I adored the romantic dynamic between the rivals and the gradual understanding De Lafontaine developed towards her prized pupil’s lover towards the end.
An absolute favourite quote of mine, "She kissed me with a martyr's agonized desperation, like I was the only sword she ever wanted to fall on. I kissed her right back like the cutting edge of a blade, trying to inflict as much damage as possible."

As this was my first S T Gibson novel I didn’t know what to expect in terms of writing style and story telling but I was not the least bit disappointed with what I found in this book.
Laura is a freshman poet, always the ‘saint’ she has hidden desires that, if known, would crumble her good girl reputation to dust.
Carmilla is an upperclassman with the attention of their enigmatic poetry professor and the attitude to match.
Together they go on a journey from academic rivals, to something like friends, to much more than that while also discovering that secrets lay buried under their school that have massive repercussions for them both.
This book was a total triumph, a perfect dark academia read without the sometimes heavy prose that can be found in dark academia texts.

🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ 4.5 stars
First, I’d like to express my eternal gratitude to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for providing me with An Education in Malice e-ARC, since it was one of my most anticipated releases of 2024 (tbh, I’m excited about anything Saint Gibson writes).

To say I was obsessed with A Dowry of Blood when it came out it’s clearly an understatement; I still think about it practically every day, but AEIM has been what has consolidated Gibson’s prose for me. She’s a really accomplished author when it comes to building up tension between characters, you’re practically able to feel it on the pages of this exquisite dual-pov novel narrated by Laura Sheridan, the religious and more quiet new girl in town, and Carmilla Karnstein, the accomplished poet and jealous protégé of ruthless but alluring professor/vampire Ms. La Fontaine.

The novel quickly guides us through the passionate rivalry between the two main characters trying to compete for their professor’s fickle attention on one of the most elite boarding schools among the hills of Massachusetts, Saint Perpetua's College, and how it slowly transforms into a deep connection between them. Blood, power dynamics, ambition and sensuality seep through the very pages of the book in this sapphic and gothic/academic Carmilla retelling.

Although I really enjoyed AEIM, I have to confess A Dowry of Blood resonated a bit more with me, it might be due to its slightly more poetical and lyrical nature despite the brutality of the story (now I want to re-read it sooo badly). Nevertheless, An Education in Malice is also laden with mesmerizing imagery and metaphors that allude to theological themes such as sin, devotion, martyrs, religion, etc. Saint Gibson luscious prose shines through every page. If you enjoyed ADOB you’ll surely drink this one dry in no time. I’m excited to see what S.T. Gibson brings to the table on the second part of the duology.

Laura starts her term at St Perpetua's college for girls where she is studying poetry under Professor De Lefontaine.

During her studies she is thrust into a rivalry against Carmilla a very confident passionate student who is hiding a big secret for their professor and they decide to bring Laura along for the ride.

I absolutely loved the writing style of this book, I haven't read any of S.T. Gibson's books and this one made me angry with myself that I haven't. My favourite part of this once was the society of Vampires, I would love to be able to dive into that world a bit more and see what that goes. I also really enjoyed Carmilla and Laura relationship it reminded me very much of Beautiful Disaster. How they are bad for each other but so good for each other at the same time.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'An Education in Malice' by S.T. Gibson.

'An Education in Malice' is 'Carmila' but make it sapphic. I'll be honest, I'm not a vampire girlie and I'm still not a vampire girlie but I really enjoyed Gibson's storytelling and the way this story was weaved. I have never read 'Carmila' so I cannot comment on the accuracy of this retelling but I did enjoy this book.

🌟NETGALLEY ARC REVIEW🌟

🥀An Education In Malice🥀 by @stgibsonauthor

“Love is sacrifice. One of us was always going to bleed for the other.”

RATING ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

✨️Review✨️

I have so much to say about this story, but I can't yet due to spoilers, so I will update my review in Februrary after release. This book was glorious. An Education In Malice is a dark academia novel set in the 1960s and is a spectacular retelling of Carmilla. The author submerges you into a rich gothic world filled with heart-wrenching sapphic romance, passion, seduction, vampires, and sensual delights. The prose in which this story is written is nothing short of magical, captivating, and poetic.

There are a number of complex themes covered throughout the novel, and they are written and dealt with beautifully. Reading this book was more like watching a movie play out in my mind with how well written it was. @stgibsonauthor writes in a way that leaves you utterly enraptured. I can't wait to read more from her.

Tropes to expect

🩸Vampires
🩸Rivals to lovers
🩸Dark sapphic Romance
🩸Toxic dynamics.
🩸Perfectly balanced Spice.

Thank you to @littlebrownbookgroup_uk @netgalley
@stgibsonauthor for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this beautiful story.

#aneducationinmalice #darkromance #sapphicromancebooks #darkacademia #netgalley #littlebrownbookgroup #stgibsonauthor

A dark academia sapphic romance and a retelling of the gothic novella Carmilla.

The story centres around 2 academic rivals Laura and carmilla and is told in duel pov between the two. It has a delicious amount of sexual tension and i think it explores the discovery of sexuality really well.
Their relationship is full of obsession, desire, jealousy but also admiration.

The poetic language used in this book is beautiful, I am not knowledgeable in poetry or a huge fan of it but it was written in a way in which I could admire and appreciate it.

Also it has vampires! Always a added bonus for me

I have not read dowry of blood but immediately purchased it after reading this and i will be watching out for any future releases from this author.

3.5 stars
It was almost a 4 star for me but I would of liked some more backstory on professor De la Fontaine and her origins. I think her story is now told but would of liked a glimpse into her past. I understand the main focus was the two girls though. maybe she'll make an appearance if S.T Gibson writes anymore books set in this world.

Thank you to little brown book and #Netgalley for an arc of #AnEducationinMalice in exchange for an honest review

As will be posting my review on goodreads. As requested I won't be posting untill 2 weeks before the release date so I will be posting on 1st February 2024

An Education in Malice is an absolutely dazzling. This modern retelling of Carmilla will bring you to an a rollercoaster ride as we embark on a thrilling, sometimes sinister, journey that takes place in Saint Perpetua's Women's College.

Laura Sheridan whose talent so splendid got chosen to enroll in the famous professor De Lafontaine's class, where she met an utterly attractive girl named Carmilla. They soon competed for the professor's approval as if their lives depended on it. Clearly she had zero idea that she was about to descend into the dark path of obsession and ownership.

What wouldn't you do for love? Will you go to a great length in the name of love, granting your beloved's wish?

I am surprised that I am liking this more than I initially thought I would. But this was a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended if you find yourself wanting to consume dark academia, sapphic, and vampire media!

This one was better than A dowry of blood — both books are somehow connected. I did not particularly like the sexual content, because of personal preferences. But I did enjoy the dark academia-esque setting and a plot had some interesting aspects to it. I did not especially connect with the characters, and the romance developed too quickly for me, but I still thought some parts of them were intriguing.

Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a honest review.

S. T. Gibson's writing is the best to put you in a wintery mood as I enjoyed 'An Education in Malice'. I was not familiar with the original story so can't comment on the retelling aspect of it.

Top highlights, similar to 'A Dowry of Blood' I loved the punchy writing and how the character's feelings are described. Without too much flourish, the writer throws you in the story and the plot picks up so quickly. I also enjoyed the 'A Dowry of Blood' easter egg.

My lowlight is that sometimes the two POVs were a bit too similar and I would have to check which character's chapter I was currently reading. While I understand the use of multiple POVs I would have preferred it as a single POV.