Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I really enjoyed the audiobook Dowry of Blood by S. T. Gibson, so I was interested in this book. Without a doubt, I would suggest this on audio as well. The narrator is excellent at switching between accents and voices.

This a sapphic dark academia slow burn vampire romance with lush prose and well-developed characters. Something about Gibson’s writing is so easy to binge, as this is the second book of hers I finished in one day.

Highly recommend.

If you want a dark academia story with sapphic Vampires, then this is for you.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator does a really great job with the duel POVs that it feels like it is more than one narrator.

This is a dark and sometimes spicy book that is a quick enemies to lovers story. The chemistry of all the characters was spot on and the story was beautifully written.

Initial Thoughts
This was a fantastic book! I have wanted to read S.T. Gibson's work for a while and am so glad that I picked up this book. I am a sucker for dark academia and when you add vampires to the mix, this book became a must-read. I really liked Laura and Carmilla and couldn't wait to see how they would be able to navigate this strange new world along with their budding relationship. I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did an excellent job with this story.

Review copy provided by the publisher. Full review to be posted soon.

This has been one of my most anticipated reads and when I was approved for the audio ARC from NetGally I couldn’t believe it! An Education in Malice was everything and more that I wanted it to be, S.T Gibson’s Carmella inspired rivals to lovers novel is brought to life in a beautiful audiobook experience, the narrator does an amazing job at bringing both POVs to life that honestly I forgot that it wasn’t duel narrated until after I finished. Gibson is such a talented author that can create such complex characters and hauntingly romantic atmospheres. I can already tell this will become an instant must read in the vampire genre.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An Education in Malice was a dark and gothic story. As soon as I heard there was dark academia and sapphic vampires, I was immediately sold. The writing was beautifully done, which really showed through in the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. Their voice added to the story’s overall tone.

The only things I didn’t care for in this book were the pacing and the lack of focus on the plot. This story was more character driven, which I usually love. I just couldn’t really connect or care for these characters until I was a little more than halfway through. This book felt very slow at some points and fast in others. It didn’t really have that balance between the two.

This story is full of chemistry and tension. I do wish the tension and yearning lasted a bit longer, it seems as though they went from hate to love very quickly. There’s also uneven power dynamics and inappropriate professor-student relationships. There is a fair amount of gore and sexual content, which is normal for a vampire story. Overall, I enjoyed this book. I loved this narrator and will be looking for more of their narrations! S.T. Gibson is a fantastic writer and I will be looking into more of their work!

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the arc! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The audio narration for this book is a 5/5. I sometimes have difficulty with audiobooks, but this audio felt like a natural extension of the setting and brought the content to life. The narrator had a distinct voice for each of the three main characters, and I enjoyed her accents as they made the characters more dimensional. The pacing was good, and I listened to the book at standard speed.

The writing style is beautiful, and the relationships are nuanced.

Starting in the fall of 1968, Laura, a small-town girl from Mississippi, moves to a women's college in Massachusetts to study writing. She's particularly excited to study poetry with enigmatic poetry professor De Lafontaine. However, when she arrives, she quickly finds herself at odds with the favored student, the beautiful, talented Carmilla. As her rivalry with Carmilla turns to obsession, Laura realizes that the relationship between Carmilla and the professor may be more familiar than she previously thought.

This book is labeled horror and romance, but it's very light on horror, and the plot is character-driven. The book's first half focuses on building suspense and creating tension between the three main characters. While that attention means the relationship nuance is well done, the characters and plot fall short. None of the characters are fully developed independently of each other but are only able to function as part of a triangle. While this attention to the characters' relationships could be a plus for romance lovers, I was disappointed at the seemingly directionless plot and frustrated that the vampire element only came into the story about halfway into the book.

Using 1968 as the setting for a sapphic vampire story, I wish there was a greater exploration of the themes around morality, womanhood, and youth that were hinted at. Carmilla's obsession with youth, Laura's interest in religion, and the heavy use of poetry offered plenty of opportunity. It felt like this book was on the edge of saying something poetic and profound but didn't quite reach it.

Ultimately, the slow pacing and focus on character relationships over plot development put this book too heavily into the romance genre for me.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this arc. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette audio, and Redhook for the chance to listen to an advance copy of this book.

I have to open with the caveat that I didn't notice in the description the depth of romance as a subject in this book. That's a category I avoid. However, S T Gibson's writing and Stephanie Cannon Kesha's exquisite narration made it worth it. I admit to fast forwarding for some scenes. So I have no doubt that readers seeking romance titles will love this! Also, I'm not faulting my own poor choices in the number of stars for this review. The story is beautifully told with atmospheric prose and convincing characters. For me, the biggest lack came in the rather one dimensional story. I'm drawn to more complexity in subplot, and likely, with the romance not holding my attention, I noticed this lack even more. Still, I'm giving it four stars as I'm sure it will be a huge hit for today's romance hungry audience.

This is a sumptuous book full of secrets, mystery and romance. A retelling of Carmilla with vampires was what I was given, but this book is so much more than that. this is a glimpse into obsession and the power it can have over our actions and our lives.
Gorgeous prose, and provocative language abounds in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for this ARC.

If you're looking for sapphic dark academia with vampires.... stop everything and pick this up immediately. S.T. Gibson is a master of atmosphere in this dark, gothic story set within a school. Every word, from dialogue to exposition, oozes dark library.

I was granted an audio ARC, and am so glad I was able to read it this way! I thought the narration was beyond outstanding, and loved the voice attributed to the main character- it made her feel so much more real for me!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Redhook for the advanced reader copy! #AnEducationinMalice

An education in malice

Dark, disturbing, toxic, sexy, and gay. I swear this book was written just for me!

The dark academia setting at an all-girls college works so well for this reimagination of Carmilla. S.T. Gibson once again does an incredible job of showing the dangerous allure and inescapability of abusive relationships with the constant switching between hot and cold from Professor De Lafontaine. (Speaking of De Lafontaine: I couldn’t imagine her as anyone except Gillian Anderson, and I too would have had a borderline obsessive crush on her were she my professor.)

The characters and the tangled threads of their relationships definitely take the forefront over the plot here, and as in A Dowry of Blood, the actual vampirism — while very present and real — takes on a very metaphorical role. I personally love this, because I think too much plot could weigh down the story. However, I do think it could have benefitted from being a little longer; certain parts felt a little rushed or glossed over.

/s While we knew from the start that Laura was infatuated with Carmilla, I think Carmilla’s shift from hate to adoration was extremely quick, and while it did mostly fit with her characterization, it was a bit jarring.

I wish we had gotten to see more about the impact of the murders on Carmilla and Laura. They seemed fairly blasé about it all, beyond urging De Lafontaine to stop Isis. /s

Overall, I adored this book somehow even more than Dowry of Blood. One interesting thing I realized after finishing is that, if there were a reverse to the Bechdel test, this book wouldn’t pass (which is absolutely a positive!) Of the four (?) men with speaking parts, I don’t think any of them have more than a couple of lines in the entire book. This is sapphic literature at its best!

On to the narration: Stephanie Cannon was PHENOMENAL. If you had told me there was a different narrator for all three women, I would have absolutely believed it. The way she seamlessly shifts between Laura’s seemingly-innocent sweet southern voice, Carmilla’s haughty-yet-insecure Austrian accent, and De Lafontaine’s ageless elegant professor voice is genuinely masterful. I would absolutely recommend this be read in audio format!!

This book drew me in. It had an edge to it and the scenes were spicy! The characters were a little hard to follow at times, and the audio was great. Good book!

3.5 stars
5 star writing
3.5 stars for plot
5 stars for the trigger warnings at the beginning!!

Finally found an author who puts trigger warnings at the BEGINNING of the book so you know what you're getting yourself into. While this didn't stop me from reading it, there are other books I wish I hadn't read and the author had put a trigger warning at the beginning. It might spoil some things, but barely, and its definitely well worth it for the readers.

This was my first book by this author, but from other reviews I've seen "A Dowry of Blood" might be better/ is the book I should check out next. The narrator did a REALLY awesome job with the narration of this book. I definitely was able to stay more invested based on the narrator alone.

This is dark academia, vampires + lesbian romance. The story was just alright for me. The writing though, the writing was wonderful and I loved the prose. For that reason alone, I will check out the author's other work, and just say this one wasn't my cup of tea.

I was so excited for this ARC copy of S.T. Gibson’s newest book! I just recently finished “A Dowry of Blood” and was in love with it. So of course, I couldn’t wait to read this one too! I feel that “A Dowry of Blood” may have set my expectations very high and unfortunately I was disappointed when I just didn’t love it the same. I love Gibson’s writing style, how her stories flow beautifully like poetry. I just didn’t really get into this one as much. I was alright. I just felt there could be more depth. I will also say I appreciate that the author puts trigger warnings at the beginning of the book for anyone who may be uncomfortable with the content. I wish more authors would do this.

S.T. Gibson does it again! Going into this book, I didn’t even know what it was about, I just knew I LOVED A Dowry of Blood and wanted to read more from her. Just like with A Dowry of Blood, the imagery in this book and writing style are perfection. She could write about two people staring at a blank wall for 300 pages and I would still be invested in the rich imagery. I listened to this book on audio and it was done so well! The narrator has an amazing voice that fit perfectly with the character, and I felt like I was watching a movie. The characters were so interesting and I found myself completely invested in what was happening. I feel like I personally lived this story, and that’s why S.T. Gibson is one of my new favorite authors. She never fails. If you are thinking about reading this book please do! It may not be for everyone but if you like beautiful writing that really takes you on a journey, this is your book.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ALC of this

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for this ARC!

This is a thoroughly enjoyable retelling of “Carmilla” for fans of dark academia. It is well-written with an engaging setting and interesting characters. This book will make a great addition to any high school or public library collection!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Overall Review (spoilers)

This book was a cute lesbian vampire dark academia book. I can tell it was inspired by Interview With A Vampire, but there was a lot of improvement overall and the areas of Interview with a Vamp that didn’t age well were removed. I really was invested in the love triangle going on, even though it mellowed out in the end.I like the vampire society that exist in this book, but I wished it had been explored more. My only complaint is that the ending is a little up to interpretation, and the main characters slowly not being interested in their friends anymore.

Plot Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Genre: fantasy, fiction, LGBTQ+, dark academia

Trigger Warnings: gore, death.

carmilla fans, this is the book for you.

first off - it seems like there's been some confusion on whether or not this is a sequel to A Dowry of Blood. i'm not super sure what the author has to say on that subject, but i did read a dowry of blood the day before i picked this one up to be sure and i can tell you that though they're thematically similar, you really don't need to have picked up a dowry of blood to enjoy this one.

i really love s.t. gibson's writing. this weekend was the first time i picked this author up and i found her writing to be compulsively readable and gripping. both books were consume-in-one-sitting books for me.

here, laura sheridan heads to the dark, isolated campus of st. perpetua's college. vibes are dark, moody, and immaculate. you can almost hear the leaves crunching and the chill of the wind as laura winds her way through campus. the vibes are exactly what i want and expect in a dark academia setting. instantly, she encounters carmilla, seemingly hostile over a classroom competition to win favor and attention from their alluring poetry professor de lafontaine - a woman who may not be what she seems.

we're treated to dual perspectives here from both laura and carmilla. i needed this for this story - without getting in carmilla's head i think i'd have perceived her as a stereotypical mean girl. being treated with both, i loved the way we understood de lafontaine's hold over carmilla, how carmilla perceives laura as a threat to that connection, how laura's just full of yearning and want.

does it get steamy? yes. like, exhibitionist level steamy. which is appropriate because this book is peak obsession and longing and bloodlust.

after a ritual goes wrong to wake de lafontaine's sire goes wrong, carmilla joins the ranks of the undead and de lafontaine's sire is on the loose, dropping bodies and promising to leave more in her wake if she doesn't get exactly what she wants.

i doooo think this book could have benefited from a little more focus on the plot. which isn't to say i wasn't happy with what i got from this. it was a great read. i do also think that i would have loved tons more in the academic rivalry between carmilla and laura because their vibes were great.

all in all, a super fun, quick to read retelling.

3.5 stars.

Laura and Carmilla are the two narrators in this story, and each is given a very distinct voice, which I think can be hard to nail when a story is told in first person.

Laura is a sweet, seemingly innocent, southern girl who is able to explore parts of herself that she hadn’t been able to do before attending Saint Perpetua’s, a women’s college in Massachusetts. A talented writer, Laura has landed herself a spot in the class of Ms. De Lafontaine.

Carmilla is De Lafontaine’s protégé. She is originally from Austria, and sought out her place at Saint Perpetua’s, or more specifically, she sought out De Lafontaine herself . Bordering on obsession, Carmilla craves the affection and attention from her teacher and mentor that she never received in her childhood. She would go above and beyond for De Lafontaine, do anything she asks.

These two women are constantly in close proximity, and the chemistry and rivalry between the two of them grows. Secrets are revealed to Laura regarding the relationship between Carmilla and De Lafontaine that sets in motion a dark, and murderous journey.

Laura and Carmilla have delicious chemistry, but I did find myself confused as to where it came from. It felt a little out of no where, but I still appreciated their relationship. It was equal parts sensual and sweet!

The manipulation and power-imbalance on page is done so realistically, given this is a novel about vampires. I think this could be potentially triggering for some people who may have experienced that type of scenario, but Gibson does a great job at providing trigger warnings at the beginning of the book.

I wish the poetry aspect of this book had been explored a bit more. We’re lead to believe that Laura and Carmilla are astounding poets, but we don’t really get to see that on page. Telling, not showing. That was disappointing.

I also felt slightly disappointed by some things that happen towards the end of the novel. I am all for character growth, but it seemed like one characters actions didn't make sense with the behaviour we had seen prior to the end.

All in all, I enjoyed this! It was my first book by S.T. Gibson, and I found myself thinking that I would certainly pick up another of their works in the future!

I listened and followed along to this book. The prose was nicely done the narration good. It’s vampires which I love. The story, eh ok. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.25/5 stars

This was....interesting. S.T. Gibson has such a stunning, beautiful, lyrical, atmospheric writing style that I haven't really experienced anywhere else. But the plot and motivations here felt very loose, the reactions extreme, and the romance...not forced but there was not build up either. They go from Carmilla hating Laura passionately and Laura being borderline obsessed (from the first meeting, no less) to both being dependent on each other in what feels like no time at all. Yes trauma forges tough bonds and all that but it still felt like a forced rivals/enemies to lovers. Not to mention Laura's juxtaposition between her religion and her sapphic desires, added on to her just absolute willingness to jump into the world of vampires with zero hesitation....and Carmilla's complete obsession with their professor (also immediate).....I just couldn't personally connect with a single character and their motivations all seemed so wild that I couldn't even really call the story believable (or as believable as a story of vampires can be).

Additionally, the narrator did a phenomenal job and production was great. No weird noises in the background or changes in volume/tone - the author had distinct voices for each main character so it was easy to distinguish between POVs, and everything was easy to follow and understand.

It was a quick and easy read and the writing really was beautiful. I didn't have a bad time and I think people that enjoyed A Dowry of Blood will enjoy this one too. I personally just like finding a little more plot and cohesion.