I adored this book! Vampires, gothic vibes and dark academia all together in one book!

An auto buy author for me now as I loved this one just as much as a dowry of blood, the writing is beautiful and just sucks you in. Highly recommend this one!

I loved this! This was so wonderfully gothic and grim. I enjoyed it so much, I read it in one sitting. I’ll be picking up every single thing this author writes!!! A dowry of blood is my favourite out of the two, but still so good! So sapphic and full of angst!

This book… THIS BOOK! It’s so deliciously dark and it’s impossible not to simply devour it. The writing is exquisite and makes you feel the vibes of the book so deeply. It’s sexy, it’s so wrong that it’s right, and it’s completely unorthodox in the best way. I don’t want to say much because in my ignorance I happened to have zero clue where this story was going and it truly made the story so much juicer!

Just trust me and read this book purely for the dark academia, mysteriously darkly sexy vibes with undertones of danger and, well, malice. It’s brilliant, it’s a 5* for me and I can’t wait to check out A Dowry of Blood as well as anything else this author writes! Many thanks to netgalley, Little Brown Book Group and ST Gibson for this eARC!

I know I’m a little late posting about it as it came out last week but, I absolutely loved it! I knew it was Dark Academia and gothic but I didn’t know it had vampires! That was such a pleasant surprise! I loved the dynamic between the Laura and Camilla. I loved the uniqueness of their teacher and the historic tie ins. I loved the structure of the vampire society and how the girls adjusted to it. The dark academia vibes were on point, tied in with the gothic themes, it was amazing! I would definitely recommend.

This book had me gripped from page one. I was heading towards a slump and this dragged me out of it. I absolutely adore Gibsons writing style and this was no different! The different time setting was a fresh perspective and the blossoming relationship from the start was a joy to read. I loved the little poetry snippets too. I’m so excited for more from ST Gibson

The writing in this book was beautiful. I’m definitely a fan of S.T Gibsons writing style and enjoyed reading this, however I didn’t think it was as good as a dowry of blood. The relationships in this book felt a little flat and the main romantic relationship read more like teenage lust than enemies to lovers, it felt bland to me. I would’ve liked to have some chapters from the teachers perspective as I think that would’ve added to the story more and I found that character more interesting than the other two. Overall I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading other work by this author, however I preferred their previous book.

This book has… everything I want it to have to be a favorite. Dark academia and queer girl vampires and polyamory (sort of) and bdsm and unhealthy dedication to your craft and dazzling parties and unethical professors. I really deeply truly want you to pick it up because of these things.

That being said I think the writing itself was not entirely up to the task of conveying what it was trying to convey. At times it was beautiful and lyrical, but at times it was corny and too literal. I think S.T. Gibson’s writing, while not perfect, worked really well as a fictional diary entry in A Dowry of Blood, but it just did not work perfectly in this book and thus I cannot give it 5 stars as much as I loved every other element if it.

I really enjoyed this. I loved that it was set in a different time than other books I've read. The relationship dynamics were great and the snippets about poetry very interesting. I enjoyed the writing style and the nods to a dowry of blood aswell. A bit of mystery and the wonderful sapphic relationship which was evident from the beginning. Excited to read ST Gibson's next book!

2.25/5. Thank you orbit and netgalley for the e-arc. 2.25 stars Mostly because this started off promising and fell off for me a lot onwards.

I enjoyed the authors debut A DOWRY OF BLOOD a lot! I gave it around 4.25-4.5 /5 stars. It was a remarkably beautiful and haunting debut. It possessed a lot of nuance and extremely skilled purposeful but unique storytelling (construction wise) that’s hard to come across in many recent published debuts.

Which is why it pains me to say her companion novel, An Education in Malice, very much missed the mark and fell very flat. When I say I SKIMMMED the last 50%, I
mean I literally skimmed because that’s how flat and boring it was for me.

The POVs read the same - I mixed the characters up. We have our MC Laura who irritated me to no ends. I was okay with her in the beginning but her painfully excruciating and CRINGE insta lust over her counterpart (and obsession?) Carmilla felt soooo forced and low key… very very weird if you catch my gist? It felt like such ab extreme whiplash without any build up. I think I tried very hard to excuse it because they’re girls but if this were a boy’s pov it would have creeped me out. And that awareness of the double standard didn’t leave me.

Plus Laura felt very flat. Like she didn’t have much depth? Her characterization was built on her insta lust over Carmilla and her need to please and do well in class— the academic push over aspect is fine! Like that’s reasonable. But it didn’t go far enough? Wasn’t emphasized a lot? So much telling and not much showing? Instead it read like she was doing it only because of her attraction to carmilla, which didn’t work for me. So she felt flat.

But then Carmilla was a whole other problem. This chick aggravated me. Her POV started off as very distinct from Laura’s but that distinction lasted up until the 10% mark. Then they bled into one another and I mixed them up many times because they read identically. Carmilla was a flat af charscter who was meant to be this spoiled mean brat (which yes she successfully read like) but it didn’t have much depth because all we knew about her was that she was OBSESSED with Professor De Lafontaine. And you never really understand her motivation for WHY. It’s SO MUCH TELLING!! And not enough showing! We’re just repetitively told so much, I got exhausted by it. And couldn’t connect.

Now let’s talk about De Lafontaine. She could have been interesting and tbh was the most compelling character. But I didn’t like the handling of her arc and relationships with Laura and Carmilla because sometimes it felt like Gibson was going for the classic toxic abusive professor but then changed her mind 1/3 into the novel. It whiplashed. And you see this very strongly past the 40% mark where there’s a huge flip in all the relationships. The professor just turns flat, like an overly jealous partner and then whiplashes to very quickly being normal caring and everything is excused and brushed under the rug?? Which shocked me because dowry confronted abuse head on. And Carmilla’s character especially had such huge inconsistencies regarding how she responded to the professor and the arc of their relationship—I was disappointed.

Also everything else turned vanilla. Especially carmilla’s and Laura’s romance. Honestly I didn’t like the romance at all. Didn’t feel like a slow burn and wasn’t rly developed. It felt so surface level lust-y turned into I love you’s. Everything felt quite surface level? I was skimming so hard. I got really bored and wanted the book to be done. Like I was looking forward to the vampire house exhibitionism scene that Gibson keeps promoting on her page - but y’all I skimmed it 💀✌🏽 it didn’t live up to the hype and came too late into the book. I was over them by that point.

Additionally, that subplot with the other vampire came OUT OF NO WHERE. Like it felt so random and rushed and meh. Pretty underdeveloped. I didn’t care for it. It was resolved too quickly too. Especially when a certain someone turned. It was just sooooo rushed. Nothing was interrogated about it— I was baffled. Such a huge monumentous thing yet no commentary whatsoever. It was treated so casually.

I think gibson’s prose is usually fantastic (in dowry) but definitely not nearly as good in this. But it was good enough? just kind of inconsistent? Like there’s parts where you’re like oh yes she tried here and then others where it was like eeeh. I know how incredible her prose can be so I just think this book wasn’t given enough TIME. And you see this especially in how the POVs stopped maintaining any consistency in their voices.

All in all, this felt rushed, like the book didn’t get enough time in writing and development to get revised and fleshed out. I think the gothic atmosphere and academia aesthetic are captured quite well, but that’s never enough to make a book whole. this novel contained a lot on repetitive filler aesthetics and spent a lot less time interrogating relationships better, which is something she did tremendously well in her debut—just not here unfortunately.

I saw Carmilla retelling and S.T. Gibson and knew I needed to read this book, add to that the hint of a shared world with A Dowry of Blood and I was incredibly excited by this.

Now, I have to say that it was a bit of a hard read because the power dynamics of the professor/student relationship and later (view spoiler) was absolutely messed up. I didn't enjoy it in the slightest, and I believe that was a bit the intention, because it sure made me uncomfortable with all the manipulation and gaslight/gatekeep thing De Lafountain had going.

The main relationship between Laura and Carmilla I feel needed a bit more page time, by the end it felt a bit rushed, as much of the second half of the book felt.

I loved LOVED (view spoiler)

I love S. T. Gibson's writing style so much that I would rate her grocery list 5⭐. However... I just couldn't connect with the characters in this one. I wanted to love it, I really did, but it didn't hit the mark as well as A Dowry of Blood and I feel so conflicted because I had no idea what to rate it (and I'm still not sure that I will feel the same way about it tomorrow, or a week from now). At least I can confidently say that it's a quick read and the prose is so captivating!

"I decided on the spot that if I was going to be a monster, I was going to be an elegant one."

When Laura Sheridan arrives at St Perpetua College in Massachusetts, she has high academic aims, particularly for her poetry class with the infamous Professor Delafontaine. She immediately impresses the lecturer, pitting her against Delafontaine's star pupil, Carmilla. Laura and Carmilla seem to fascinate one another as much as they detest each other. Soon, though, the two can't stop thinking of each other, even though Carmilla is already engaged in a dark entanglement with the professor.

A jealous Delfontaine draws Laura into her orbit, asking the young student to join her and Carmilla in an exclusive and secret private study group. Soon, Laura struggles to hold her own obsessions at bay, until she discovers a horrifying and magical secret that will change the way she views herself, Carmilla and the world.

The plot is told from both Carmilla's and Laura's viewpoints. Initially, Carmilla seems like little more than a vain, spoiled brat and Laura like an innocent lamb, but both characters develop fast into complex, much more intricate personalities. I didn't care much for Professor Delafontaine on the other hand, and not because she's an unlikable and aloof character. I felt she was a caricature and wanted more about her background and motivations. The book is short so there was space for development here.

I also felt like the could have been more exposition towards the end. I'm not convinced by the choices the characters make and some more about their thinking and aims wouldn't have been remiss. The romance felt like it developed too quickly – a bit of restraint would have seen a lot more tension being built and would have made the culmination of that all the more satisfying.

'An Education in Malice' is a sapphic, dark academia paranormal fantasy about poetry, deep infatuations and dark magic. I'm not usually into the paranormal side of fantasy but this was interesting enough to keep me reading.

I really enjoyed this one and just the gothic atmosphere that Gibson is so amazing at. An Education in Malice was an gripping and lush retelling and I found myself wanting to devour it at a time where I was struggling to read.

I haven't read the original so this was my first impressions of the characters and I quickly grew to like Laura and Camilla, despite the fact that at times they were reckless and at times naive. They are both easily manipulated and desperate for love and it just made me want to protect them at all costs. I enjoyed having both of their perspectives in this one as we got to see how either one felt about the other and De Lafontaine (who is such a morally grey character!)

This book was a beautiful gothic academia with rivals to lovers at its core. It's dark, bloody and addictive and one I definitely recommend picking up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

S.T Gibson loves her vampire reimaginings and we love her for them!

Following on from her hit reimagining of the relationship between Dracula and his brides in 'A Dowry of Blood' comes 'An Education in Malice', another reimagining, but this time of the story that influenced 'Dracula', 'Carmilla'.

'On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla. But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers.'

Plot aside, the highlight of Gibson's stories for me is her liquid prose. It is sumptuous and beautiful and yet extremely palatable. It is easy when writing in a 'gothic' style to fall into long, monotonous sentences that are trying too hard to sound archaic, but Gibson has truly nailed her own brand of gothic writing and it is a joy to read.

Plot wise, it very much hits the points of what you would expect: an enemies/ rivals to lovers dynamic underpinned by the undercurrents of a dark world wrought in danger and mystique. Uncontrollable passions and raw emotions dominate the story from beginning to end; this is very much a story that explores the line between love and obsession and what can happen when that line is crossed.

This was a fun read for me but I did find the pacing a bit off. The story hits the beats of what you are expecting to happen but the build ups feel... off. There isn't so much a build up to these climactic moments but rather lulls followed by fast action. The ending in particular felt like it came out of nowhere.

This did not take away my overall enjoyment of the novel however and I will certainly continue to read whatever S.T Gibson releases!

**4.5**

I loved A Dowry Of Blood, so I was so excited for this book, and it did not disappoint. Didn't love this one quite as much but still a beautifully written joy to read. This book has everything i live in: a gothic atmosphere, sapphic romance, vampires, and some very spicy spice.

Thank you to Netgalley, Little Brown Book Group. Hathette Audio and S.T Gibson for an advance copy of this book and audio book in exchange for an honest review

ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Situated in the world of A Dowry of Blood, this is a typical sapphic enemies-to-lovers story accompanied by a 'vampire' theme. To be honest, the characters felt uninteresting because the author wasn't diving deeper into their inner workings. Even the romance was easy, they became lovers so sudden and abruptly. It didn't make me want to see the characters together. The pacing was great and lyrical writings are my favourite hence which is why i hold on to this book until the very end. However i still wish it didn't turned out to be boring and uninteresting cause i anticipated this book after reading a dowry of blood, so i pushed through the book chapter after chapter. I got to the end and felt very annoyed because i didn't enjoyed this book as much as i wanted to.

I’m a bit late on my review but many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc! Sapphic, dark academia? Hit me up!
Desire, obsessive and a love for poetry makes me heart sing. This is angst and I’m here for it. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Carmilla reimagining with dark academia, poetry rivalry and Laura living her best dom top life? Sign me up!
A genuinely enjoyable read and compelling character dynamics. Set in the 70's small-town Laura Sheridan, is reimagined new freshman at a prestigious girls university in Boston with hidden desires and Carmilla, OG vampiress is a snooty Austrian rival student who hates her for poetry rivalry reasons as they both compete for the approval and attention of the compelling and mysterious Professor De LaFontaine's attention.

Carmilla, the pet favorite is insecure and aggressive, her relationship with De LaFontaine born of sheer idolatry and admiration, bordering on the inappropriate as De LaFontaine veers between older sister and possessive milf towards Carmilla, especially as Laura starts to display her talent and hidden depths in their class. The way Carmilla and Laura mutually fume and obsess over one another while Carmilla jealously keeps De LaFontaine's biggest secrets, Laura keeps some of her own of her love of domination and kink, only explored in theory, which is a very refreshing take for a character who has been part of the Victorian tradition of the virginal naive one taken in by the allure of the dangerous.

As the supernatural elements (it's Carmilla yes there are vampires) start to become more prominent, so does the story become into a legit love square, but like in a way that I can appreciate. Carmilla's need for DeLaFontaine becomes less and less satisfying as her connection with Laura grows.

It was always clear that Carmilla's love for DeLaFontaine was born of her loneliness, but the book has a very interesting take on such a unequal relationship, not especially condemning DeLaFontaine or infantilizing Carmilla, but not letting them off the hook either.

As Carmilla and Laura's more genuine relationship grows, it is compellingly erotic and yet feels very fresh and awkward and sweet in the way young love is. As girls start to be murdered in the university, it is abundantly clear who the culprit is but the real mystery always lies in the love and priorities of the three main characters which leads to a very neatly wrapped up denouement if a little quick, but very satisfying.

This was magnificent. I heard “sapphic dark academia” and said “HECK YES!” but I was not expecting the supernatural twist! To be fair, had I read the reviews more closely, the words “blood” and “fang-sharp writing” might have clued me in. I will now add this author to my auto-buy list. The vibes were immaculate, dark and romantic and gloomy and decadent. Love that it was set in the 60s too. I highly recommend this for fans of Discovery of Witches, Belladonna, Foxglove, and dark spooky romance.

Thank you so much to @orbitbooks_uk for sending me an arc of that which was totally brilliant😍

[Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua’s College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and dark magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.]

🩸The setting in a school with a dark academia vibe was perfection.

🩸This modern idea of vampires and how they are was totally fascinating.

🩸The Best part was the academic rivals one. We all know how much I love this ant how I need more books with this trope.

🩸The banter with the two main characters was so fun to read. And also watching them become lovers from rivals 😍

It you are a fan of dark academia, rivals to lovers and just an academics setting you need to pick up this book 😍