Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Sapphic, vampires, dark academia – kind of the recipe for my favourite book but I wasn’t drawn in by the writing at all. The characters both felt thinly drawn. Having Carmilla’s point of view, in addition to Laura, sucked a lot of mystery out of the story and took a lot of tension out of the plot and relationship developments.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🏫🩸📔⚰️☔

An Education in Malice is a dark academia sapphic reimagining of J. Sheridan Le Fanu's novella "Camilla", written by S.T Gibson. It did not disappoint. featuring a world of academic rivals to lovers, a suspicious connection between student and professor, body positivity, and vampires, written in a way that has you yearning for more.

We follow Laura and Camilla as they learn how to share the spotlight of the demanding poetry Professor, De Lafontaine. Camilla, not exactly known for sharing her role of teacher's pet and being suspiciously close to the professor is a little more standoffish with Laura, who only wants to do her best and prove that she is worth the professor's attention. She can't help it if Camilla is the perfect distraction.

The plot is good enough to keep you wanting to read the whole thing in one setting, but I did find it went a bit quickly around the middle part onwards. Things moved quickly, especially for someone new to the scene of vampirism and the life that came with it. The writing however was done is such a beautiful way, I can see why S.T Gibson is becoming the queen of queer vampire stories.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves sapphic stories and especially those who love a good retelling.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group for a copy of the ebook. This review is left volunterly.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC of An Education in Malice
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's fast-paced and I loved the dual POVs.

This was my first S.T. Gibson book and it definitely will not be my last. t had this incredible goth vibe, and the academic rivals plot sparked a lot of joy. I really enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the story. The setting was perfect, and the vibes were immaculate. S.T. Gibson's writing is a delight to read, and I cannot wait to read more of their work.

Thanks to this book, now I am yearning for reading the classic gothic gems titled Carmilla. I notice that retelling version of classic literature become new hype lately. But An Education in Malice stands out because the writing will mesmerizing readers who love atmospheric, lucious, and rich storytelling style with rich proses without feel over description.

This is my second read from the author and she always built up my inner dark romantic, gothic, esthetic vibes I never realize always trying to found in my read. I love triangle relationship between characters at here and how they are developing interesting intensity when interacting between them self. The emotions struggles are rich but romance readers will need more convincing actions. Overall this is a beautiful story, and become one of my favourite

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Publisher from Little Brown Books UK for providing copy of this ebook. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Expecting Publication : 15 February 2024

This was the second book of S.T. Gibson that I’ve read and just like with the first one I have no idea how I feel about the book. I liked the overall vibes, but I’m really not sure what to think about the plot.

Although I liked A Dowry of Blood, the previous novel by ST Gibson, and saw a lot of potential in the beautiful writing, I still don't think An Education in Malice quite meets the writers ability. The character development and romantic relationship is just a bit boring and underwhelming. Couple this with a very slow paced mysterious setting, that granted is very atmospheric, and I found I just couldn't stay interested in the story at all.

I'm still waiting for the deeply romantic, gothic story I know this author can deliver. It's hinted at here, but never quite manages to create enough tension for me. The writing is really excellent however.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book and give it an honest review.

Having read some of the book it didn’t grip me as much as a dowry of blood has!

I enjoyed the gothic and sapphic descriptions and the overall vibe of this book. Maybe I wasn’t in the correct mood or in a different urge to read something maybe more lighthearted.

I did not finish this book but I might once more go back and try again

This book was everything - it had this incredible goth vibe, and the academic rivals plot sparked a lot of joy. This modern(ish) re-telling of Carmilla is poetic, delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The novel is set at a fictional all women’s college and Laura has started as a freshman. She immediately attracts the attention of her upperclassmen, Carmilla, who becomes increasingly frustrated as her beloved Processor begins doting on Laura.

The characterisation of both protagonists is done really well, with clear tones of voice changes based on POV. You can tell that the author has an academic/poetry background because the prose is beautiful.

If you’re keen to read a sapphic vampire x academic rivals novel, this book is for you 🧛🏻‍♀️

This was my first S.T. Gibson book and it definitely will not be my last.

I really enjoyed the characters and how they developed throughout the story. The setting was perfect, and the vibes were immaculate.

S.T. Gibson's writing is a delight to read, and I cannot wait to read more of their work.

A great dark and sapphic read, as much as I enjoyed reading this. It was somewhat forgettable in some aspects.
Still an enjoyable journey non the less!

An education in malice is a dark academica, sapphic, enemies to lovers story that centres around academic rivals, Laura and Carmilla. They both fall under the wing of their professor and become embroiled in a dark and seedy underworld. This novel is well written with a beautiful, flowing narrative. The characters are memorable and well fleshed out and I enjoyed the story.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

It’s quite difficult to review An Education in Malice as a crucial reveal in the story isn’t mentioned in the synopsis but plays a huge part in the direction and shape of the story. However that key detail aside, this is another book by S.T. Gibson addressing important issues of power imbalances in relationships. This time the power imbalance takes the form of professor De Lafontaine at Saint Perpetua’s College and Laura Sheridan and her academic rival Carmilla, both desperate to please and gain the attention and approval of the professor. De Lafontaine has just as unhealthy obsession in Carmilla and both students in their competition are drawn into a dark world of sacrifice, danger, hunger and ultimately love.

I did really enjoy the romance between Carmilla and Laura in this, they start off as rivals however the more time they spend together, trying to impress De Lafontaine, they form a connection and the infatuation they previously had for the professor turns to each other. Carmilla is an outwardly ‘perfect’ confident young woman however she starts the story desperately seeking the validation of this older woman, masking insecurity with arrogance. Laura is more awkward, she loves poetry but she is not used to this world of money and power, and she feels incredibly insecure alongside Carmilla. Laura’s body is described as ‘Rubenesque’ (a phrase I will now be clinging to) and this book is incredibly body positive in how Laura is viewed, and she slowly sees it too.

The romance isn’t always healthy between the 2, and the power imbalance of the De Lafontaine is never romanticised or condoned to be clear, however in escaping her grasp they cling to each other. Laura places herself in situations for Carmilla but not for herself, perhaps it is healthy in the sense that she challenges herself and pushes herself beyond stifling comfort zones, however it’s also dangerous at times. Laura starts the story secretly reading erotica but as the story progresses she becomes more confident in her own body and sexuality. Some of the scenes are pretty explicit, I didn’t feel like they were gratuitously so but it definitely maturely addresses the relationship of 2 young women hungering for each other in a dark and dangerous world they’ve been drawn into. Like I said though, it doesn’t feel ‘seedy’, you can feel the connection between these women, there’s an intimacy between them that you can feel through the page.

Gibson is a brilliant writer and I have huge respect for the way they tackle themes of toxicity with sensitivity (the book starts with trigger warnings) and depth. This is dark academia and addressing adult and important themes but it’s also a tender love story, both between women and of oneself. It’s dark, it’s bloody, it’s sexy and it’s surprisingly sweet. Thank you NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review and a great read.

Another great book from ST Gibson!

The writing was beautiful, and it was an interesting story. However, I found the story lacked depth and felt a bit rushed at the end. I didn't get to connect with the characters as much as I would have liked.

Thanks: Received from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

Oh I liked this one. While I do wish that some of the reveals been left a bit more in suspense, some of the characters motives and the ultimate ending did take me a bit by surprise. In a way while the book certainly has some darker themes and moments it wasn't quite as horror as I'd initially thought. In particular the relationship between the two main leads is beautifully written and quite well done for a novel that is on the shorter side.

If anything I wish it was longer so we could have spent a bit more time developing relationships at the beginning and seen more into the future, Laura's character in particular and the dichotomy of her pull towards religion and her own desires and personality was quite fascinating and I would have liked to have seen more of her POV chapters dwell a bit more on what was happening around her, she had seemed to perhaps get used to everything a bit quickly. But overall I did quite enjoy this book and would read more of Gibsons work. And it's always great to see more recent historical sapphic stories!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I really enjoyed this book and particularly liked the retro boarding school/college vibe it gave. Some of the romance aspects didn't quite work for me, but a good romp nonetheless and the author's writing is exquisite. 3.5/5

An Education in Malice immerses readers in the darkly seductive world of Saint Perpetua's College, where secrets, ambition, and dark desires intertwine. S.T. Gibson crafts a sumptuous tale filled with intriguing characters like the intense professor De Lafontaine and the enigmatic Carmilla.
The atmosphere is richly depicted, captivating readers with its gothic allure. While the plot may lack suspense at times and the romance feels rushed, the aesthetic and sensuality of the narrative are undeniable. Despite its flaws, this novel offers a delightfully carnal read for those drawn to its picturesque and alluring setting.

3.5 stars rounded down.

So this book was in my opinion okay, it was interesting as I went in completely blind mostly reading this based on the cover so I didn’t know it was about Vampires. If I had known that everything would have been very predictable. ( I am glad I didn’t know it made the book better to me) I love the rivalry between the two characters but most of the time their relationship felt kind of flat. The book was very slow. I think the only reason I finished it is because it is because it was short and still fairly easy to read. I liked the author's style and writing but the pacing and overall story felt lacking, I was hoping for something more? I think if we had gotten to see more of the society or maybe gotten to know more about De Lafontaine it would have intrigued me more.

I might recommend this to some people but to me I think this wasn’t enough fantasy, enough vampires and enough backstory to really capture me. It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t amazing.

“This was my whole world, wrapped up in one awful, wonderful girl”

After enjoying ‘A Dowry of Blood’ and hearing dark academia sapphic rivals, I went in immediately and fairly blind. I’m not sure this is a book that lends itself to being picked up as such though, aspects from the 60’s setting to the plot arc threw me. It wasn’t until after finishing ‘An Education in Malice’ I discovered it was a retelling of the vampire classic Carmilla and I found myself a little less baffled by what I’d read.

I finished the book in a day, and I once again enjoyed Gibson’s prose and I love the way she explores desire, power and immortality. Such as Laura (one of our student FMCs) discovering erotica in the library and gaining an understanding of her sexuality and desires, especially from then feeling the push and pull with Carmilla (our other student FMC). There is some beautiful descriptive language and provoking commentary included throughout the novel.

However, I often felt distanced from the main characters themselves and the pace didn’t always flow naturally to me. I haven’t read Carmilla, and although I’m now intending to and I’d love to compare, I think ‘An Education In Malice’ potentially suffered from the author trying to drag the characters down a certain plot path.

I can respect that there was some intention behind it, so although there were so many points when I thought ‘What are any of these characters thinking!’, it felt like you were meant to be frustrated. These characters were all walking the line of irrational action in pursuit of love, and it was meant to be uncomfortable at times.

This was also why Professor De Lafontaine (our last FMC) was a difficult character to enjoy reading. Think toxic teacher relations, not fun taboo dark romance. Also why I wouldn’t recommend this book to the usual romantasy fans, this isn’t the sort of book I’d pick to fix a quick fun fantasy romance need. It does hit the dark academia sapphic spot though and I wouldn’t rule out picking up Gibson’s next book.

“Why do we write poetry, pupils?
“To live forever,” I said immediately. There had never been any other answer, would never be. “Art outlives all of us. It makes us immortal.”

Thank you NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for sending me an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sapphic vampire dark academia romance set in the swinging 60s?

Sign me up!

An Education in Malice is a much anticipated retelling of the classic Carmilla and features protagonist Laura who attends a young women’s college in the 60s, enrolling in an exclusive poetry class where she meets Carmilla.

Quiet, well-behaved and church-going Laura decides to attend St Perpetua’s, a women’s college hidden away in isolation in Massechussets. Despite being only a Freshman, she manages to be accepted into a Senior level poetry class with the much revered Miss De Lafontaine, an exacting and demanding professor with dark secrets of her own.

In this poetry class Laura soon finds her rival in Carmilla, her exact opposite in a brash young woman who wears outrageous outfits, and happen’s to be De Lafontaine’s protege. Tension, competition and conflict arise between the young women as they strive for De Lafontaine’s attention.

This story is full of tropes, from enemies to lovers to love triangles and an aspect of forbidden love. It’s dark and sexy, the sapphic love story infused with a light element of kink which adds to the power dynamic of the classic vampire trope. Gibson explores Sheridan Le Fanu’s story with a fresh perspective, while staying true stylistically to the original. We recieve first person narrative in Laura, but this time also Carmilla, perhaps due to the shift in dynamics with the addition of a different predatory vampire figure. The narrative retains Fanu’s classic detatched and timeless style, particularly in Laura’s narration, simultaneously allowing the tale to easily be transported to the 60s while retaining Laura as a classic victorian heroine when compared to Carmilla’s fire and passion.

While the concept promised a lot, the plot itself is quite thin and doesn’t fully deliver. The subplot of murders on campus holds little intrigue and after a slow burn throughout the novel, the climax of the ending happens incredibly rapidly. However, the core attraction of the book is the slow burn romance, seduction and obsession that sits between the characters.

An Education in Malice is a fun and inventive take on the classic vampire tale. If you enjoy dark academia and gothic romance, this book is well worth picking up.