An Education in Malice is a dark fantasy romance from the author of Dowry of Blood, ST Gibson.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thought it was a great addition to the world of Dowry of Blood.

The characters are well written and I loved reading about the relationship between Laura and Carmilla. The tension between them oozed off the book pages.

I look forward to reading the next book from this world!

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for providing me with this arc.

An Education in Malice is a gripping departure from my typical reading choices, yet I relished the opportunity to explore new literary horizons. Having been captivated by the author's previous work, I eagerly embarked on this literary journey.

What truly sets this novel apart is its masterful creation of an atmospheric world, an element that became an unexpected highlight of the narrative. The author's skill in crafting a haunting, dark ambiance within the story is nothing short of remarkable.

One of the novel's undeniable strengths lies in its carefully sculpted characters. The relationships between these characters unfold at a measured, deliberate pace, allowing for a nuanced exploration of their connections, emotions, and motivations. This subtlety in character development adds layers of authenticity to the narrative, enhancing the reader's engagement.

Despite its relatively modest page count, An Education in Malice isn't a fast-paced novel. The deliberate pacing may not appeal to those seeking an adrenaline-fueled, breakneck reading experience. However, for those who appreciate a more methodical and immersive storytelling approach, this novel provides ample room for introspection and character exploration.

This was such a disappointment for me. I loved A Dowry of Blood with its GORGEOUS writing, so I had high hopes for this, but it lacked the beautiful writing style and atmosphere that immerses you in the story completely. The writing felt so void of emotion, and it really clashed with the supernatural element of vampires - it felt really anticlimactic when the vampire was introduced. The main focus on the book was on the characters, but I didn't find them compelling at all, and they frankly annoyed me.

An Education in Malice is a dark academia story at its core. Any theme you can think of, you will find it here. There's obsession, death, passion for learning, ambition and that elitism and social critique that makes dark academia so powerful.
I read it in 15 hours, it was unputdownable. The pacing was phenomenal, the story addictive and engaging, and the characters were so deeply flawed and nuanced that I actually felt like they could be real people.

What to expect:
- Sapphic
- Vampires
- Gothic vibes
- Rivals to lovers
- Academic setting
- Flawed characters

I can't wait for the rest of the world to read this and fall head over heels for this book.
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Pub Date: 15 Feb 2024

Thank you to Netgalley, Little, Brown Book Group UK and the author for giving me the chance to read this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to receive a copy of this dark academia book from the best selling author of A Dowry of Blood! I LOVED the descriptive gothic background theme that entwines dangerous romance and pulls you straight into the book until you are suspended at the mercy of the story. There is a lot of steamy spice but the book is written in a really sensual way.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Gibson.

If you want a sapphic, vampiric and gothic rivalries to lovers full of intimate longing ... READ THIS!

An Education in Malice is a haunting, deliciously gothic Carmilla retelling that will simultaneously have you giggling, kicking your feet and sitting at the edge of your seat in anticipation and worry. Set in Massachusetts in Saint Perpetua's College - a desolate, decrepit and ancient estate where secrets fester and life lives alongside death... we follow Laura who is thrown into a passionate (yet deadly) academic rivalry with Carmilla.

A story full of obsession and the lengths one will go to in order to meet their desires, we see the unravelling of dark magic, lust and the pursuit of knowledge... no matter how bloodthirsty. S.T. Gibson's writing is ALWAYS as eloquent as it is astounding and I am constantly left in awe and wishing for an extra 200 pages and it was absolutely no different with An Education in Malice. I was instantly transported to the autumnal gothic estate, dreaming that I could frolic amongst the danger and fog. The world building and setting were the perfect level of cosy alongside the frightening and it absolutely lived up to its 'dark academia' label.

When it came to the characterisation, I felt SO MUCH for these characters and found myself adoring both Laura and Carmilla despite their inadequate differences and flaws. When it came to their coming together (and their coming apart) I loved the way that S.T. Gibson explored such delicate and complicated feelings all whilst keeping the plot enjoyable and fast paced. The dual POV definitely aided this!

And it's absolutely worth noting that CHAPTER 21..... PHEEEWWWW.

I cannot URGE you enough to pick this up! I have no doubts that this will be one of the biggest books of 2024 and I am already so excited to read what S.T Gibson does next!

'Love is sacrifice, Professor. Whether it’s you on the butcher’s table or not, someone always bleeds.'

Thank you NetGalley for the arc...I loved Dowry of Blood so was super keen to read this!

Once again I adored the writing style with it's rich gothic atmosphere prose that matches my tortured soul. There is something that just draws me in to the world Gibson creates and I will certainly be reading more of their work!

I have a feeling some will not like the ending...I for one prefer a question mark to a neatly wrapped up happy ending so I'm happy!

I've given 3.5* only because there were elements so close to what we'd already learnt Dowry of Blood. Whilst I love that book I wanted something new, to learn a different side of the world.

I still could not put it down and will look forward to any future works!!

A big thank you goes out to @netgalley for providing me with an advanced eBook copy.

This was amazing, this has the mystery, the romance, the spice, and the darkness of A Dowery of Blood but had the deliciously gothic feel of Dark Academia. Brilliant Combination.
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S.T Gibson is bringing vampires back, and it's fantastic to see. Her writing is truly beautiful, and whimsical. Like a poem.
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The story is written from two points of view Carmilla and Laura. Carmilla is the stunning popular older girl and Laura is the quiet new good girl. Things come to a head between the two girls when Professor D the Poetry professor pits the girls against each other.
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Laura knows that the relationship between Carmilla and the Professor is more than it seems, but she could never have imagined the truth and the world she is about to be thrown into.

If you're familiar with S.T. Gibson's previous work, A Dowry of Blood. You need to indulge in this gothic atmosphere followed by sapphic rivals with so much obsession. The writing was soooo poetic and easy to follow. This also features a complicated relationship and devotion to your mentor.

I was so invested because so many mysteries will unveil and keep you searching for more answers. Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book for providing an arc!

Firstly a huge thank you to Orbit Books for allowing me to read this arc ebook.

I absolutely loved An Education in Malice. It truly may have made its way into my top 10 books of 2023 at such a late stage in the year. It’s The Secret History mixed with a gorgeous, sultry, dark underlying tone. I immediately loved the aesthetic of this book. The characters are interesting, deeply flawed yet addicting.

I cannot recommend this book enough and cannot wait to rave to everyone about it. I’m desperate to get my hands on a physical copy now!

I wasn’t sure I liked this for the first bit but it gradually grew on me and by the time I finished I’d really enjoyed it! It was refreshing to have a different historical setting than the usual for this genre. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

When Laura attends the prestigious De Lafontaine literature class, little does she know just how much her life is going to change.

Carmilla is the typical teacher's pet, no one is good enough to come close to impressing De Lafontaine, until Laura. Instantly jealous, Carmilla is determined to hate Laura. Until that hate turns to something more...

If that is not enough to get you hooked, add in vampires, gothic settings, beautiful writing, murder and you have An Education in Malice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, everything I'm looking for in a sapphic, gothic novel and more!

The dream gothic fantasy. It's dark, but atmospheric and so beautifully written it's like poetry. It draws you in with rich setting, and rich characters. Everything has another layer to it and it's enchanting in it's beauty.
Gothic, dark academia. It's exactly that. And also so much more.
There's enemies to lovers, and rivalry. And twists and depth to the characters, everyone with their own flaws that make them infinitely more human. I don't want to give away the plot as I think you should go in blind. But i think you should absolutely read it, devour it! Her writing grows and grows in strength

Huge thanks to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC, in exchange for an honest review, An Education in Malice is brilliant, it’s dark, intriguing and kept me on my toes. I loved the twists but was not a fan of Mrs D and abuses if power. All in all, five stars from me.

I read A Dowry of Blood earlier this year and loved it so I knew I had to get my hands on this. Like A Dowry of Blood, it’s a retelling or reimagining of a famous vampire story; this time, it’s Carmilla. I absolutely adored this story, despite only liking Laura as a character. I found Carmilla to be a bit 2d, whereas Laura felt alive on the page. It’s cleverly crafted and paced and I absolutely flew through it. Thanks to Netgalley.

Everything I hoped for and more.
Gibson is literally a Saint. I will be forever reading her work, devouring it and recommending it to everyone.

This twist of a carmilla retelling was exquisite. Laura, the sweetest pumpkin ever, is lustful and craves academic validation. I loved her interactions with Carmilla. Her fierceness and possessiveness over Mrs De Lafounte was written so well, I could feel the emotions pouring off the pages.

I loved this book so much, definitely a staple vampire must read.
Do check the TWS! This book contains sexual content :))

Ah, what to say about this book... if you follow me on twitter you most definitely saw me manifesting and almost begging to get approved for this arc. I was so excited. ST Gibson's writing is one of my all time favorites, and I devoured A Dowry of Blood in a way even a vampire would be proud of. So I came into this book with a certain sets of expectations which were not all met, although that's not necessarily a bad thing <s>it is sometimes though)</s>

Let's start with the good aspects, which aren't few! First and foremost, this book is unapologetically for girls who love girls. All the main characters are sapphic women, and the narrative doesn't involve a single noteworthy man. A breath of fresh air, in my humble opinion. The dynamic between Laura and Carmilla is gorgeously developed, from rivalry to resignated companionship to buckets of sexual tension and finally, an all consuming devotion that only girls are capable of. Scrumptious.

It was also quite interesting to see STG delving into a more traditional story structure, although I did miss the poetic prose of ADOB. The book creates ambiance, paints a clear picture of Saint Perpetua and its microcosm of secrets and poetry and blood. That by itself would already make it quite worthy of a high review, as for me the crafting of an ambiance is truly what makes or breaks any dark academia book.

But I can't rate this book 5 stars as much as I enjoyed and delighted in it because of one element: De Lafontaine.

<spoiler>At first, I was intrigued. The obvious adoration Carmilla held for the professor, the introduction of Laura in the dynamic, the professor's possessiveness over her protege. As the story developed, and especially after Carmilla is turned into a vampire, the depiction of De Lafontaine becomes quite obviously of that of an abuser, including classic telltale signs of unhealthy relationships: mood shifts, being hot and cold, attempting to isolate from others the victim cares about, the victim's complete inability to perceive their idol as capable of any wrong. Surely, I thought, surely this will lead to some kind of reckoning. We have Laura in the picture, who's completely aware of how the dynamic works, and even Carmilla showing fear of being trapped with De Lafontaine forever.

But as the book rushes to its end, De Lafontaine has a rather sudden change of heart about Laura, becomes seemingly nicer to Carmilla, and then proceeds to bounce from their lives. Carmilla promising to find her after living a full life (and De Lafontaine saying she'd like that) left such a sour taste in my mouth it almost ruined the whole reading experience for me. We have no confrontation, no accountability, no acknowledgment on Carmilla's part of what she went through. And furthermore, it ends up leaving Laura as somewhat of a side character in what's supposed to be her story as well, as if she's an addendum to De Lafontaine and Carmilla's paused relationship.

I understand STG not wanting to repeat the formula of victim confronting an abuser, but I wish she hadn't written such an obviously abusive dynamic and chosen to leave it unaddressed. The emancipation of Carmilla from her mentor which I had been hoping for the entire book ultimately simply did not come.</spoiler>

I've thought a lot about how to rate this book, wavered between 3 or 4 stars, and decided to settle on a diplomatic 3.8. I did enjoy reading it and it is well written, well thought out, and with all the right elements to have me hooked. Even though there are some things I just couldn't look past, it's still a book I'd recommend to anyone who loves rivalry turned sexual tension, girls who love girls, and vampire fans all around.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5943324843

Enchanting, thrilling, mysterious, enticing, terrifying - all words I'd use to describe this book. Really well written, especially as there's two protagonists, which can be quite distracting. The author has done a great job with this, it feels natural and works really well with the story. I whizzed through this, was captivated by the tale, and I didn't expect some elements which was a grizzly surprise. Really well done.

This was seemingly more gentle in tone and action than I was expecting. The world building was lush and evocative. I especially enjoyed the outfit descriptions and covert the Professors wardrobe.
The relationship between the students was built up realistically and was quite intense. There were some stunning tender scenes. Other side characters were great to the point I'd of liked a bit more of some of them. The conclusion was nicely wrapped up.
It was enjoyable and atmospheric whilst reading but I've found it keeps popping randomly back into my thoughts and I find myself increasingly more anomored with it.
Beautifully written and worthy of a re-read.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review An Education in Malice.]

Rating: 4.5/5

An Education in Malice is the dark and seductive sapphic companion to A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson where she reimagines the gothic novella, Carmilla, by Sheridan Le Fanu. The original tale is one of the earlier examples of vampire fiction where a young woman, Laura, is preyed upon by the vampire Carmilla. I haven’t read the original story so I’m not sure how this compares, but I can say that having loved A Dowry of Blood so much, this book was everything I hoped it would be. Gibson writes such atmospheric stories filled with romantic longing that toes the line between beauty and terror, and I’m so happy she has written a book featuring a dark academia backdrop because it suits her style beautifully.

In this book we meet Laura Sheridan as she sets off for Saint Perpetua's, an isolated and ancient college that exists deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts. In this college for girls, Laura immediately finds herself tangled in an academic rivalry with the resident poetry darling, Carmilla, who is caught up in her own strange relationship with their demanding and mysterious poetry professor, De Lafontaine. As Laura and Carmilla’s rivalry grows and evolves into something more romantic, they both find themselves in a dark web of deadly politics, toxic cohorts and bloodthirsty vampires. As the story approaches the climax, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in their dramatic pursuit of knowledge.

Much like A Dowry of Blood, this book is packed with insatiable hunger in its many formats. There’s the intellectual hunger that Laura, Carmilla and De Lafontaine share. There’s also the romantic hungers that each character exhibits, and of course, being a vampire novel, the unavoidable hunger for blood. The academic aspect of this story was something I particularly loved, and I felt that the author did a fantastic job of evolving the rivalry between the young protégée’s as they spiral further into a dark world that their obsession with poetry has introduced them too. I also enjoyed the evolution of Laura’s character as she tentatively embraces the pull that she feels towards Carmilla, and seeing her come out of her shell was fun to read. Her intoxicating exploration of girlhood filled to the brim with honesty, anxiety and rage may feel familiar to some and I loved reading this tale unravel through her eyes.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and my only wish is that it was a little longer. I’d have loved to learn more about De Lafontaine and the history behind her, but I wouldn’t consider this a negative as I felt the pacing and overall length of the story worked well. Mostly, I just loved this so much and could have easily read another 100 pages. S.T. Gibson is quickly becoming an auto-buy author for me and I’m looking forward to the books that she will be releasing in the future. If you enjoy dark academia but want something more sapphic and supernatural, this is the book for you.