Thank you to NetGalley for a review copy of this anthology.

Dark Academia is definitely still a genre that I am exploring, and this is a fantastic way to find new material to read. I am already a big fan of Olivie Blake and M.L. Rio but have found some new authors to check out which is really exciting!

I’ll start off with my favourite stories, I really wanted to only pick three but I ended up with 4 and they are: Pythia by Olivie Blake, X House by J.T. Ellison, The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant and Playing by Phoebe Wynne. I am very excited to check out the further works of the three authors I haven’t read before. Each story had a mystery I was trying to unravel and, even if I guessed it, I still felt gratification and excitement at the end. They were engaging, an accomplishment in short stories,and created a strong atmosphere that made them different to the others.

There were two that I didn’t particularly connect with and they were Four Funerals and The Ravages by David Bell and Layne Fargo respectively, neither felt particularly “dark academia” in the sense that I know it. Four Funerals in particular did not fit to the expected themes of Dark Academia and quite honestly should come with a trigger warning for its content. While I understand it shares similar themes to dark academia, having the main character be a teacher and have part of the context be in an academic environment is not enough. Death is very common in Dark Academia but the way it was handled in Four Funerals did not work for me. Similarly, while The Ravages felt more appropriate the Dark Academia, the plot felt weak and the ending just felt wrong for me. We know from the first line that betrayal is a major theme of the story but this kind of betrayal and how it was concluded just felt flimsy.

Overall, many of the stories were strong and I would even reread and recommend a lot of them to my friends.

Review will be published to Goodreads in September.

4.5 stars

Dark academia has become a prominent sub-genre in the book community over the last few years; however, the “aesthetic” conjures up different images unique to each reader.

In These Hallowed Halls is a remarkable collection of dark academia short stories filled with obsession, madness, and the macabre. With a wide variety of tales, readers can explore the genre through authors well-versed in the literary subculture.

My favorite short stories were The Hare and the Hound (I’ve always loved Alice in Wonderland), X-House, and The Professor of Ontography. I would advise checking the trigger warnings for each story, especially those for Four Funerals, as it touches on a delicate topic.

Overall, this anthology was very easy to indulge in, and I’m sure fans of the dark academia genre will find at least one if not several, short stories that haunt them long after finishing the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Titan Books for sending me an e-ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I love dark academia books as they have a vibe like no other. They have a dark undertone of creepy and unsettling yet strangely cosy and comforting. It’s a genre that’s really come into its own in the past couple of years so I was super excited to see the release of this one!

With a stunning collection of dark academia short tales from a range of epic authors, there’s bound to be a story in here to tickle your dark fantasies and interests.

As with any book of short stories, I always find there are some that are enjoyed more than others. Some I really got into and enjoyed and others felt a bit harder to get through and engage with but it was an enjoyable book all in all. It’s hard to choose a favourite but I think Phobos was the one that topped it for me. That and the Professor of Ontology.

Many of these stories were filled with intrigue and you never quite knew what was going to happen next or what twist the author would delight you with.

They’re all fabulously written and expertly set the tone for the book. It’s a must for all lovers of this genre of book and definitely if you’re a fan of short stories.

I enjoyed reading this Anthology, as a collection I rated it 4/5 ⭐'s but definitely found individual stories within it that could have been rated higher.

"Four Funerals" touched on a very sensitive topic so I would make sure to be mindful of that upon reading it and check for trigger warnings within the others.

I read quite a bit from the dark academia genre and I felt like most of these stories fit within the category.I would recommend adding this to your Fall TBR .

Thank you to the author's , Net Galley and Titan Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own. Spoiler free review.

4.5 Stars.

This anthology would have been perfect had the Four Funerals short by David Bell not be included or placed somewhere else. I adored this story, but it felt like it didn’t fit with the rest of the anthology. This is the only reason why I am rating 4.5 stars. Each story would earn 5 stars in my opinion; I just feel like the aforementioned story interrupted the flow.

My favorite readings were 1000 ships (I’ve already added Truants to my TBR), Pythia, The Ravages (sapphic revenge story?! I mean come on), and Phobos. I had read works previously by Blake and Bovalino, and I am pleased to say that I will continue to read their work, but to also began reading the works of these other authors.

The overall mood was a rainy day, a cozy blanket, and a hot chocolate. It’s summer time, but I felt like I had been transported into a gorgeous fall day at a gothic style university.

10/10 do recommend.