I am an absolute sucker for dark academia, and I was really looking forward to this book! I really enjoyed my first read from this author (A Dowry of Blood). The dramatic writing style in this book really contributed to the gothic atmosphere. This is a retelling of a classic vampire book, and the writing style and atmosphere felt perfect for a sapphic vampire story.

Unfortunately, this book did feel like a little bit of a miss. The summary sounded like everything I’d want in a book. I wanted a little more relating to the rest of the school and ‘strange ceremonies’ that were mentioned, but this really focused strongly on our two main characters and their professor. The plot was not as strong as I wanted it to be, and only one of the dramatic scenes really hit for me.

I listened to this on audiobook. The book follows two perspectives, and the narrator had slightly different accents for each. The narration definitely contributed to the atmosphere!

If you want a read that is mostly gothic atmosphere, sapphic romance, and power dynamics, I would absolutely recommend this to you.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hatchette audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook! This was one of my most anticipated releases for this year. I read A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson, a Dracula retelling, last year and have been looking forward to this installment in the same world.

An Education in Malice is a sapphic retelling of Carmilla, a classic I have admittedly not read. It follows the toxic and obsessive relationship between two academic rivals and their professor.

S.T. Gibson’s writing is atmospheric, dark, and provocative, making an immersive audio experience. The narrator flawlessly switched between characters, giving each their own voice and adding to the sumptuous atmosphere. Laura’s slight southern lilt, Carmilla’s seductive European accent, and De Lafontaine’s authoritative voice, were all done to perfection.

This isn’t a book I would recommend for everyone but I loved it and will continue to read everything Gibson writes.

4 Stars

An adult gothic queer with a dash of horror and romance.
"a dark academia tale of blood, secrets, and insatiable hungers..." What more can be said about this book, that describes this book perfectly! I love dark academia and this one was one that I enjoyed. So I am going to lightly spoil things that are in the blurb or used in the promotion.
I say this book is split into three parts; before the secret, finding out the secret, and after the secret. All parts are fun to read. We open with Laura who is tossed into the academic and meets the beautiful Carmilla. Their wit, the push and pull between Laura and Carmilla is done so well. There is a bit of an uneasy, unsure, uncomfortable 'relationship' between the poetry professor, De Lafontaine, and a student. As a reader, I love the writing, bookish, academic setting, and talks in this book.
Bit of a spoiling coming in. I didn't know that this had vampires in it, I knew it was dark academia and that was all so I was shocked when I found that out.
The writing was my favorite part of this book, I will be looking into more books by S.T. It's definitely a character-driven story, there are two main plot lines woven together to make this story.
I got an audiobook copy of An Education in Malice through Netgalley. It's Narrated by Stephanie Cannon (who also narrated The Fortune Seller by Rachel Kapelke-Dale.) I liked the voice, and the tone, it fit the overall feel of this story.
A queer gothic rivalry that blossoms into a battle of who's willing to sacrifice the most in this adult romance.

Laura joins St Perpetua’s College as a writing major and meets Carmilla in her poetry class. There is an immediate tug between them as they end up as rivals, with Carmilla not wanting Laura to take her spot as the favored student in the class. The dual narration tells the story from Laura’s and Carmilla’s perspectives as they get closer to each other as they uncover dark secrets about their poetry professor, Professor De Lafontaine.

Notes: 3.5 rounded up. This is a short book and could be a little longer to flesh out the characters a little more. In particular, I’d love to hear some POVs from Professor De Lafontaine.

Narration: I want to give a nod to the narrator as I think she did a fantastic job narrating the different characters. Each of the women’s voices were distinct and done beautifully.

What to expect:
- Dark academia in a gothic setting 🖋️
- Rivals to lovers 🗡️
- Sapphic 👩‍❤️‍👩
- Vampires 🩸
- Love triangle with forbidden / obsessive vibes (from one character) (check TWs)

Thank you to S.T. Gibson, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for providing an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Little,Brown Book Group UK for an e-ARC.

"An Education in Malice" by S.T Gibson is a spellbinding journey into the heart of dark academia and forbidden desire. Set within the eerie confines of Saint Perpetua's Women's College in the secluded hills of Massachusetts, the novel paints a vivid picture of Gothic allure and scholarly competition. Through rich prose and immersive imagery, the author transports readers into a world where rivalries simmer, passions ignite, and the line between reality and the supernatural blurs.

At the heart of the narrative are Carmilla and Laura, two unlikely rivals whose academic competition evolves into a captivating romance. As they vie for the approval of their enigmatic professor, their relationship deepens amidst the backdrop of Carmilla's transformation into a creature of the night. With its intoxicating blend of Gothic atmosphere and sapphic romance, "An Education in Malice" is a mesmerizing tale that will enthrall fans of dark academia and lovers of forbidden love alike.

Right so two things off the bat:
1) I was under the impression from the synopsis that this was a Young Adult book. It definitely is not YA. The book is more New Adult and has some explicit sex scenes, some of which are very kinky, so do know that going in. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Adult and not YA, but not everyone will feel that way.
2) I saw other comments saying this was a retelling of Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, and if you're trying to figure out if you should read that before reading this: nah. Like, Carmilla IS an interesting classic, and I went to read it before reading this and it was entertaining, and it's only 2 hours long so you might as well give it a go, but the only similarities between that book and this one are the names Laura and Carmilla, and that there's vampires. Like, this is as similar to the source material as a Sam/Frodo modern day coffee shop AU fanfic would be to the source material of The Lord of the Rings.

That out of the way, my thoughts on the actual book: I liked it? While I found the first half a bit boring, I did get a lot more into it during the second half, and I thought Laura and Carmilla's relationship with Professor De Lafontaine really interesting.

That said, I wish there'd been more development of Laura and Carmilla's relationship, the girls at school getting killed could have been suspenseful if we hadn't been told who the murderer was before the murders even happened, and I really wish there'd been at least one more sex scene, maybe? I don't know, I feel like a lot of aspects of this book just needed more.

I also wasn't a big fan of the audiobook narrator - her voice was great, but I personally didn't think she suited Laura or the story. Her voice would have suited something set in the 1950s or earlier, and I kept having to remind myself this book was set in the late 1970s and not the 1870s solely because of her voice.

During her freshman year at an all-girls college in Massachusetts, a fresh-faced girl from the Deep South finds herself in the inner circle of her intense poetry professor, De Lafontaine. The other student member of the circle is competitive and compelling senior Carmilla, who does not want to share her beloved professor’s attention.

This novel, set in the 1960s, is a dark academia tale plus sapphic romance that includes vampires. The students on campus become the prey.

This is my first book by this author, and I am unfamiliar with Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fans, so I was not expecting everything that happens in this one. Make sure to read trigger warnings because the book is probably not for everyone.

I liked how the author crafts her descriptions and sentences and plays with power dynamics in this book. This one is dark and atmospheric but feels like the story execution could have used some more development and finessing. The scenes are well-written, but the beginning has a slow buildup and then things begin to happen abruptly. I would have appreciated more transitional flow and additional interstitial moments in the second half of the book.

I listened to this one on audio. Stephanie Cannon’s narration is excellent with easily discernible—but not overpowering—Austrian and Southern accents for the two FMCs. She stays in character for the narration of full chapters—not just for sections of dialogue.

3.5⭐️ for the story, 5⭐️ for the narration

I received an advance copy of the audiobook from Hachette Audio and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

This book wasn’t for me, but that does not mean it was a bad book. I liked the dark academia vibes, but both the rivalry and the romance of the enemies to lovers trope felt forced. The big mid-story reveal wasn’t my taste, however I could see other people enjoying it so I won’t give anything away. I did like the ending of the book a lot! The narrator of the audiobook was the real winner of this book. She kept me engaged even when I wasn’t particularly into the story and I loved the accents and inflections given to each character.

4.75 ⭐️

I was provided an audio ARC of this which was the very first audiobook I ever finished!

I had heard about this book before, as well as the author’s other work, though I had not read or otherwise consumed any of it myself so far. This was thus my first encounter with S.T. Gibson.

That said, listening to this was a very pleasant experience. The narrator, Stephanie Cannon, did an amazing job of the voices and has a beautiful voice. Multiple times I went back in the audiobook to hear her narrate professor De Lafontaine because it sounded like an entirely different person. It greatly helped immerse me in the story.

Going into this, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect of the story, especially the relationship between the professor and her students. On that, I am still not entirely certain what I think, though although strange, technically nothing too damnable happened in that aspect which I appreciate. (By damnable I‘m mostly referring to anything explicit since I don’t know how I would’ve felt about that. That aside the relationship was still really toxic! However, I don’t think the book acknowledged it as anything but if I‘m not mistaken which is important.)

I did really enjoy the relationship between Carmilla and Laura. As a very loyal and faithful person myself, unfaithfulness is generally something I can’t tolerate and there was at least one instance in this book that tested me in that regard. However, surprisingly it didn’t make me drop and dnf it like I would other books until now so that definitely says something. I think the other party‘s reaction influenced my own reaction to it as well, but that’s as much as I want to say on that to not spoiler too much!

Overall, I enjoyed the narrative style and the writing as it was read beautifully was nice and not too complicated. The characters were fleshed out with interesting, albeit a bit strange dynamics, though those were a big point of the story anyways and weren’t supposed to be the most healthy.
In my opinion it was a very nice experience and I‘m very grateful I got approved for this ARC!

this was.. something. okay so personally, i like s.t. gibson’s writing in dowry of blood and i was expecting more from their works so i picked this one up. unfortunately, i didn’t liked for multiple reasons.

the first being the characters. it felt like there wasn’t really much about them that made them memorable. they weren’t interesting on bit and they’re kind of like just thrown into the story and figure themselves out which was kind of disappointing. obviously, laura and carmilla both has their own issues and problems, though they were written as if those doesn’t matter and the only important thing is the chemistry between them ( honestly, where? ) and their supposedly “romance” with each other. don’t get me wrong, i love my sapphic queens ! they just didn’t live up to my expectations.

the second is the plot. it was.. confusing for me. like idk what the story wants to focus on and there were just a lot of things going on at the same time. there were more scenes with de lafontaine being touchy with these teens than what the actual book is trying to convey ( the vampire stuff ). idk man it’s just.. *sigh also where are the dark academia vibes..? i’m afraid its not here in the room with us..*

as for the positives, this book wasn’t BAD but it also wasn’t good. it was alright for me. i did enjoy some parts but then after some time, it just got boring for me, though i completely understand that some people might like this !

thank you still for s.t. gibson for their efforts and talent ! i received this book as an audiobook from NetGalley and the narrator did an excellent job of reading the book ! thank you so much as always <3 have fun reading everyone !

I wanted to read this and received an audio book arc. I absolutely loved this audiobook and I will be purchasing the special edition later this month.

I have been reading dark academia novels lately and this was one of the best that I have listened to so far.

I can’t wait to have a printed copy if this book.

This was actually a 4.5 stars for me. I was lucky enough to receive this as an audiobook arc, so thank you to Netgalley & HachetteAudio for providing this to me.

This is a dark academia, Carmilla retelling. The story follows Laura, who manages to secure a place at St. Perpetua's college, which is based in the middle of nowhere in Massachusettes. While there, she meets Carmilla & they quickly become academic rivals. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsessions with Carmilla. As sinister secrets come to the surface, Laura & Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their pursuit of knowledge.

I found the audiobook for this very enjoyable. I got on with the narration so well. Even though it was just one person narrating the story, it didn't feel like it. With each accent done so well, it really helped me to become immersed and absorbed into the story. Even though the audio is 8.5 hours long, I managed to fly through this in two sittings as I just could not put it down.

It has every trope you could want in a book:
-Dark academia
-Saphic romance
- Possessive/Obsessive desires
-Academic rivals
-Murdery mystery
-Dark gothic atmosphere
-Vampire women
- Blood & Gore

Overall, I think S T Gibsons writing is so atmospheric and immersive. I really enjoyed this story & found the audiobook easy to follow.

This was a fantastic audiobook! I really enjoyed the slow ease of this story — you truly fall in love with all of the characters. I did enjoy the distinctive voices and feelings each character had, especially through the audiobook. It was a fantastic narration and a beautiful descriptive character study. 5/5 for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC/ALC copies of An Education in Malice.

I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning! I loved the school setting with its rivalries and school rituals. I loved the complicated relationships between Laura, Carmilla and Ms. De LaFontaine. The vibes were beautiful and seductive. I love a sapphic story that is accepting and not centered around shame and coming out. The fear of judgement was there for one of our main characters, but she was shown acceptance rather than judgement whenever her sexuality was brought up. She wasn't consumed by fear and shame until she had a big coming out moment. Her story was more than just her sexuality, and I really appreciated that.

I was interested in this book because I heard "sapphic, vampire, dark academia" and I was in. It absolutely did not disappoint, and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is intrigued by those buzzwords as well.

3.75 stars rounded up. I did enjoy this sapphic dark academia vampire story. But not as much as A Dowry of Blood. It was an easy listen and the narrator did a good job to change the voices of the three main female characters.

The prose was rich but not too flowery which I liked as it wasn't too slow paced for a character driven story.

The story itself didn't stand out from other sapphic dark academia books I've read this year. It felt very similar to some. That's my main negative.

ARC reader for NetGalley

I wanted to read(listen to) this because I thought it had a pretty cover. The first half of the book moved very slow, but it was still interesting. A sapphic, dark academia, rivals to lovers novel and add a dash of vampires. I certainly recommend the audio for this one, the narrators voice was perfect for the girls. Spice level 🌶

If you know me, you know how much I love a good vampire story. So when I heard that S.T. Gibson's newest book was going to be a sapphic Carmilla retelling, I was foaming at the mouth to get my hands on it. I was so grateful to Netgalley for approving my request for the audio ARC because it was a phenomenal way to read this book.

I read Dowry of Blood last summer and it was good, but this one was so much better! I love S.T. Gibson's ability to take these old stories and tales and infuse them with modernity and apt and timely commentary on modern issues.

The love and obsession between Laura and Carmilla was so perfectly done. The atmosphere was breathtaking and I loved every second of listening to the audio.

I am not quite sure what I expected this book to be, but what it ended up being was so much better than my expectations. It was a dark and twisted fantasy in the best possible way.

Laura has just moved from Mississippi to attend a small, isolated all women’s college in Massachusetts. She’s managed to get into an advanced poetry seminar with a demanding professor as a freshman where she discovers a rival, Carmilla. Tensions mount between the two and the fight for the favor of their professor, De Lafontaine. Soon the tension spreads beyond just academic tension and the situation become quite bloody.

This is what I want in a dark academia fantasy. Before I read this book, I felt like the synopsis was a bit vague and now I find myself writing a similarly vague synopsis because this is one that just needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

I flew through this book and absolutely loved every single moment of it. It is definitely one where you need to check the trigger warnings because they are no joke, but if you can handle them and you like dark academia fantasy, this book is more than worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book. I leave this review voluntarily.

If you love a good romance with a biting twist, look no further! The voice narration for this book was beautiful and swept you up in a charming tale! Love triangles between students and a professor can be pretty tricky. My only question is, Can a vampire blush? If you liked twilight, add some spice and you get An Education in Malice!

Teacher student taboo✨
Love triangle ✨
Uneven power dynamics ✨
Gothic paranormal vibes ✨
Really loved the poetry aspect of this story and the way it play in to every part✨
Lots and lots of yearning ✨
Definitely spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Shappic✨✨✨
Overall really fun dark academia book