This is exactly as advertised: a dark academia based on Carmilla, full of toxicity, dangerous relationships, and sapphic yearning. The story is told from two perspectives, Laura - an outwardly prim and polite Southern belle, newly come to scholarship at St Perpetua’s, and the beautiful Carmilla, a blue blooded Australian runaway and established darling. Both of them desperate to prove themselves to their mentor, De Lanfontaine, the two embark upon a passionate academic rivalry that takes a more sensual turn as they are drawn into the dangerous secrets that De Lafontaine keeps.

Saint captures the college atmosphere and the relationships well, racketing up the tension. I would have liked to see more poetry, given the subject of study, but otherwise, this retelling delivers exactly as promised.

Going into this, I was convinced that it would never live up to A Dowry of Blood, a book that ended up being one of my favourites of last year. Apparently, I needn’t have worried, because S.T. Gibson has delivered a book that is shooting up into my favourites of this year with An Education in Malice.

Firstly, I feel it’s prudent to let people know to check trigger warnings before reading this book. The version I read had them listed in the front of the book.

The first thing that is noticeable about An Education in Malice is S.T. Gibson’s writing style. Written with beauty, flair, and mystery, we are thrust directly into the world that has been created, and it feels fully-formed and tangible from the very first page. As well as the world, the characters within it feel incredibly real as well, and the relationships that develop (and those that already exist at the beginning of the story) feel honest and believable. The poetic references served the story well, situating it both in its time and its genre.

There wasn’t a moment of boredom when I was reading and I feel that the pace really works for this style of story, and once again Gibson tackles sensitive subjects with tender care and an almost visceral honesty. Toxicity, obsession, dependency, and several other subjects are explored with almost brutal tenderness. Despite its supernatural plot, the themes within this book will speak to many people, giving voice to feelings that aren’t easily expressed. I felt seen in many ways whilst reading, and Gibson weaves heart-wrenching emotion, supernatural mystery, and romance with a master’s touch.

Five stars easily for another S.T. Gibson masterpiece that makes it onto my favourites list.

This review will be posted to Goodreads on February 1st 2024, two weeks before publication.

i absolutely loved a dowry of blood so when i saw this, i had to read it! my favourite thing about s.t. gibson's books, i'm noticing, is the language, the style of writing. it's almost poetic, and vividly immersive. for 'an education in malice' i think it's the strongest aspect which is unfortunate. i definitely enjoyed reading this for the most part. i read it quickly because i was engaged in the narrative, but whether or not the plot was good is another question.

ultimately, i think the plot was sidelined for the gothic, lustrous vibes. and, don't get me wrong, for me that's okay. i don't mind a book having a flimsy plot, so long as i'm invested in the characters and the world. here, i sort of was? i loved the setting, the imagery, and i did like both laura and carmilla, at least in the beginning. i say this because i felt carmilla lost all personality halfway through the book. from this 'mean girl' archetype, boisterous, and cold to almost flat? nonexistent?

i'd have liked if the relationship between the two girls wasn't so shallow, surface-level. it wasn't deep enough to be convincing. the tension though? that was solid, and i believed the attraction but the crush aspect was all consuming too fast.

i also have a few feelings about the main antagonist. i personally think isis had no weight to her as a villain and i kept forgetting of her existence. again, not explored deep enough for me to care.

i liked the ending - perhaps an unpopular opinion but there's just something about non-definitive endings in books like this that work. also incredibly sapphic and sexy so that's always a bonus.

-sapphic
-Toxic academics

I simply adore anything this author writes and this is definitely the same. I adored this book!!! We follow two poetry students who are rivals and fighting for the attention of their tutor who definitely is a little shady.

The only issue I had with this is my same disdapointment is majority of dark academia books is the lack of academia!! I would have loved to have seen more on poetry and the academia of poetry and felt more like I was learning with the characters as there was only limited scenes where the mc was in class. I feel like with a lot of dark academia everyone forgets the academia like she’s at school!! Lemme devour what she’s learning aswell!! I think her writing would be perfect writing about prose and poetry in more detail

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for giving me early access to a copy of this book before publication!

This is everything I’ve ever wanted in a book. Dark academia, enemies to lovers sapphic vampirism? 10/10. I feel like it was written with me in mind specifically. I also really loved the writing style, which fitted really well with the setting and plot, as well as being really pretty. I’m so glad I got to read this. A strong contender for favourite book of the year!

I adored A Dowry of blood, and so was super excited to read this.

With the promise of Dark Academia, vampires, poetry, gothic vibes, saphic romance, there were so many ways this book could be great. And it was.

I didn't immediately fall in love with it like I did Dowry, it was more a slow connection to the characters, and an appreciation for the beautiful way this was written that drew me in in the end. Gibson truelly is an astounding writer.

I loved that this was told from both Laura and Carmilla's POV. You really got to connect with the characters and see inside their strange love / hate relationship at first. As their relationship progressed it got spicier and very graphic in places, so be warned.

The vampiric twists were interesting and added a little something extra to the dark Academia/ gothic vibes of the book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ahead of its release.

This advanced copy was provided by Little, Brown Book, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

TW: Uneven power dynamics, inappropriate relationship between professor and students, toxic relationship, grooming, blood, gore, and murder. Mentions of racist political policies, homophobia, and religious discrimination.

Despite how much I absolutely adored A Dowry of Blood, An Education in Malice fails to live up to my expectations.

An Education in Malice was supposedly written for the dark academia aficionados as we follow Laura, one of the main characters, as she starts Saint Perpetua’s College where she wants to study poetry. She was accepted to attend the highly esteemed poetry classes by Professor De Lafontaine, that only seniors are allowed to apply. There she meets Carmilla, who immediately is set up as Laura's rival in class and for the Professor's attention.

S.T. Gibson's writing remains remarkable. I found myself highlighting many sections because it was either heartbreakingly beautiful or sad. It was also immersive, I felt compelled to keep reading quickly as the story unraveled.

However, the plot makes no sense. This is more about Laura and Carmilla's relationship and rivalry than it is about the setting of dark academia, their classes, and the events that follow. You are meant to root for these two characters but I found myself not believing them to be good together or to even like each other. The events that transpire are so lackluster that you keep wondering when the big moment (climax) will take place. The ending in itself didn't feel like the ending.

As much as I enjoyed the writing, I was astonished to find this book to be completely written without emotion. With A Dowry of Blood, you can feel the pain and the love in the letters. You can feel the anguish of the character's actions and the life they have lead. In An Education in Malice, there's no emotion in Carmilla's pain over her mother or Laura's past. In fact, I didn't quite understand why Laura felt like escaping her life, she was quite a bland character with no personality besides poetry.

I don't quite know how to wrap my mind around this book, I am still disappointment at what I have read.

It's not that I wouldn't recommend it, I just don't believe that it was written by S.T. Gibson, even though it was (if that even makes sense). I guess, one day I'll believe it.

The novel boasts a promising premise and an atmospheric setting, but its execution falls short of its potential.
The characters lack depth and complexity, making it difficult to fully engage with their stories. The plot, while suspenseful at times, suffers from pacing issues and an overreliance on clichés.

Gibson's writing is generally competent, though it occasionally veers into melodrama and purple prose. The dialogue is often stilted and unnatural, further hindering the reader's connection with the characters.

Overall, An Education in Malice might be worth reading for fans of dark academia who are looking for a slow-burning mystery with a Gothic twist. However, those who are looking for a more tightly plotted and well-paced story may be disappointed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the advance reader copy.

Will post on Instagram and Goodreads at the beginning of February.

Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and Netgalley for the arc of An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Whilst An Education in Malice us the sequel to A Dowry of Blood, it can be read as a standalone with little impact on the story or enjoyment of the book. This book felt reminiscent of Dead Poets’ Society albeit with a truly sapphic aspect.

This is dark, sapphic, vampiric academia which places the core focus on female characters from the dramatic, iconic lecturer on whom all the students crush - De Lafontaine. She is immeasurably sophisticated, influential and truly grey, holding influence and power over Laura and Carmilla, her students and acolytes.

Gibson, once again brings forth that slow-burn tension between our FMCs, exploiting the enemies to lovers trope to its fullest extent. Alongside this there is Isis, the monster in the dark, murder and more.

Gibson returns to the world of A Dowry of Blood with a new and distinct vampire love story.

Dark and sensual, An Education in Malice is textbook dark academia.
Elegant in its prose and fluid in its storytelling, it weaves a story of love, lust, and blood.
Slightly predictable, it still achieves its purpose and embodies the enemies-to-lovers trope perfectly.

DNF at 20% in.

I absolutely HATED DNFing this one, I didn't want to as I really enjoyed A Dowry of Blood after being super hesitant to read it but unfortunately this one just didn't live up to my expectations. I feel awful for not enjoying it whatsoever and I could not bring myself to continue it as it was making me slump so hard, definitely going to give Evocation a go when it's out!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for the advance reader copy.

This is a 3.5 star review rounded up.

I hadn’t realised that this book was a sequel until looking into the story more.
I feel that knowing that makes the book and story fall short of how beautiful and haunting A Dowry of Blood was.

The book is set in a secluded girls school where we discover our main characters and their varying proclivities.

The young romance starts off as a petty rivalry which leads to a more romantic aspect,

I think that A Dowry of Blood was for more adult readers, whereas An Education in Malice is for YA/new adult readers.

I feel it could work as a standalone story without actively linking it to the previous book, although there is a character crossover (unless the characters have the same names).

Overall a 3.5 rating for me; one I would read again as it was a quick and enjoyable read but doesn’t have the same poetic flow as A Dowry of Blood.

This reimagining of Carmilla sadly fell flat for me. S.T Gibson’s writing is normally beautiful written, lyrical and thought evoking but this book was overtly descriptive rather than poetic. It felt very clunky and read more YA/middle grade than adult (as the content would suggest).

The story itself felt very poorly paced and seemed to lack direction especially around character and relationship development. It was atmospheric and aesthetically pleasing as is typical of Gibson’s work but it was neither darkly academic or darkly romantic. To give credit where credits due, there were a few scenes where I was completely engrossed. They were beautifully written and quintessential Gibson but these were far and few between.

The characters and their relationships were poorly executed, disconnected and left me wanting more. There was almost no character development and it left the characters feeling very flat and basic. I felt completely uninvested in the story, the characters and their lives which was disappointing given how well Gibson normally executes their characters. To the point that if this wasn’t provided as an ARC, I would have DNF’ed the book.

It may just be that I really loved A Dowry of Blood and was expecting the same level of enjoyment and beautiful writing and was putting to much stock on this given that Gibson is proven with a bit of background material. The potential was there for me and a lot of people will love this but sadly I didn’t.

I can’t wait to read Evocation even despite this let down because the premise is amazing and Gibson is an amazing writing.

My review isn’t on goodreads yet. I’ll post it closer to publication. See link below for that.

Maybe I started this book at a wrong time but I wasn’t feeling it. This is supposed to be a “sequel” to a dowry of blood but the writing wasn’t working for me. I don’t know. I loved a dowry of blood so I had high hopes for this one.

When Laura Sheridan begins at St. Perpetuas she is thrown into a rivarly with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Both vying for the attention of their poetry teacher Ms. De Lafontaine they are drawn into her confidence and introduced to a dark world. As Carmilla and Lauras rivalry blossoms into romance Laura soon discovers that the professor has her own obsession with Carmilla and will do anything to have her by her side always and soon Laura and Carmilla have to decide how much they want to sacrifice for Ms. De Lafontaine.

S.T Gibson has such a beautiful way of writing dark, gothic stories. This sucked me in from the very first page and held me in its grasp until I finished it. The setting was so beautifully written it made me feel like i was really part of the story. This is written in dual POV from Laura and Carmilla so you really get a sense of how they're both feeling and dealing with everything they're going through. The romance in this was also beautifully done and it makes you think about how much you'll do for someone you truly love and care about.

Definitely an auto buy author for me now. I highly recommend.

I absolutely adore this book! This is what I would call true Dark Academia; rather than the mere hint of academia for the sake of it, it's rooted in gothic, dark themes such as lust, sin, seduction and internal conflicts, as well as drawing parallels from the academic subject being discussed, in this case poetry. It's written beautifully and I found it completely immersive in setting, plot and characters. I can't wait for the physical copy to be released so that I can buy it to reread over and over again. A new autumn favourite.

I didn't know that this was a second book to a series. I have not read the first one but I still enjoyed An Education in Malice. I think it's a good book as a standalone too.

What drawn me in was the blurb and the pretty cover. But 20% in the book I was already in love. This is a sapphic, dead poet society, dark academia story with a vampire twist book. There are very limited male characters which I loved. So if this sounds like your kinda thing, you have to add this to your TBR.

My favorite character was defiantly De Lafontaine. A goddess. A true icon. And one of the best characters I have read this year. I love her to the core. I love that she is very gray and there is no right or wrong to her. I love how she is torn in between the two options and two worlds. As soon as I read the description I saw Eva Green and I am never letting that image disappear.

There was great tension between the two main characters. Slow burn energy which lead to some spicy scenes. Unfortunately I found Laura and Carmilla too similar and the chapters which were written from one or other POV felt too same. There was no change of language, no change of attitude. I would love them to feel more different from each other.

I also loved Isis, but I would love to see her having more space and be more of the monster. I felt like she was too much in the background to be a real thread. The main characters were not really dealing with her and hence I don't think she was the real villain of the story.

Overall this was one of the best vampire books I have read and I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed reading this book overall. I did find the lesbian romance in a girls school a little cliche, but the rest of the novel was very atmospheric and gloomy. It seems to be based on the vampire classic Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu and has all that you would expect when dealing with a teenage girl-crush scenario. I do think that publishers should clearly label novels that have gay./lesbian/bi content though, as its not really something that I would ordinarily read. I expected as standard vampyric tale and got more than I bargained for! So although the romantic content isn't really for me, I did enjoy the story overall. It was purely the atmosphere that kept me turning the pages, rather than the relationships and the love triangle.

A dark academia LGBT romance, an engaging read that was overall fairly enjoyable. Some elements would have benefited from perhaps some more robust editing.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

I started this book and immediately panicked because it mentioned being the second book in the series. I have never read anything from this author before, so I looked into the other book she wrote and it didn’t seem like I had to read the first to start this book.

An Education in Malice is a gothic, gloomy, dark academic novel. It has uneven power dynamics, rivals to lovers, mysteries and dark obsessions. It is everything you need for a rainy day and I loved reading it.

Things I liked

I loved that this book is dual pov. It is fascinating to get in both their heads and feel their emotions, see how they lie to themself. The way Gibson wrote these characters, relationships and emotions is simply amazing, even though the characters were sometimes infuriating.

Things I didn't like

I didn’t like how the main problem was solved in this book. For me, it happened way too quickly and didn’t fulfil me fully. I feel like the friendships needed a little bit more attention or purpose because they felt almost like filler content. That said, I still absolutely adored Elenore and her personality.

I highly recommend this book and will definitely read S.T. Gibson's other book.

Thank you again to NetGalley for the ARC