An Academy of Liars is everything that defines Dark Academia: dark and slow while also being intriguing. Alexis Henderson has created another gothic tale that if you love Dark Academia, you need to read this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC.

I want to like this more than I actually did. The magic system of persuasion - and the morality and consequences that come with it - is really unique and fascinating, as is the dark secrets surrounding Drayton's. It's a dark academia fantasy that leans heavily into horror, and I really enjoyed that aspect. I wish the characters were stronger, though. Lennon was initially a sympathetic main character, but made increasingly terrible choices and refuses to understand why others would want to cut ties with her for those decisions. Dante is an intriguing love interest with a bit of taboo as her teacher (they are both adults), and it does bring up some of the deeper issues with that relationship, and the connections to Dante's past relationships, but I dont think it's explored far enough because Lennon doesn't really care beyond what we get. The ending doesn't sit right with me because it depends on us believing that Lennon has these really close friends from her time at Drayton that are willing to risk everything for her, and we really don't see much of that; partly because of the length of the novel, but also it's strongly suggested that these friends don't fully like her for various reasons throughout the book. Overall, I do like it. It's a really strong concept and plot, but those do suffer from some weak characters bringing it down.

Lennon hasn’t ever felt like she fit in. After catching her fiancé with an another woman, she escapes to commit suicide only to get a call from Draycott College and have her life changed. ARC from NetGalley.

This book was not a typical read for me. It definitely reminded me of Max Berry's Lexicon, which I loved. This was an okay book for me. I was hoping for more conflict in the real world as they used their gift of persuasion to change society but it was closer to home.

There is a lot of world-building in this book. I thought there was more time spent creating the world they live in rather than the plot.

I'm not sure I really like any of the characters. I felt sorry for a few of them as they seemed to be manipulated. They didn't have a lot going on in their lives, were considered black sheep in their families, or lacked confidence/direction so this school choosing them was the first time they felt special. There is definitely some lying going on.

I didn't like how the book ended. It seemed to be rushed to wrap it up. If I hadn't been reading this for review, I might have DNF'd the story. I was pretty engaged in the story up to about two-thirds in. The last third of the book lost me. Perhaps it is the set-up for a trilogy or a series, though everything seems pretty wrapped up in the end.

I'm not much of a fantasy reader, but this book isn't the realm of witches and vampires. I thought it might be more magical realism and to some extent it is. It is set in our world though there is a secret world (or maybe dimension) that they can access.

You can tell some parts of it were intended for the Harry Potter fan who has grown up. It is new adult but there is no sex in the book. I've always equated sex with new adult (probably because so many new adult novels are romances) so it was nice to see a book in the genre that just indicates the preferred audience. And there is a lot in the novel that college-age/20 somethings will identify with.

I thought MK reviewed this book as I think it is more her style of reading. It didn't really hold my attention. The plot of sort of all over the place and none of the characters were to my liking.

But I think it is largely due to my taste in reading genres rather than the book itself. There has been a lot of hype around this book so that might have played into my dislike of the book. I had built it up to be better than I thought it was.

My review is published at Girl Who Reads - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/03/an-academy-for-liars-by-alexis.html

Thank you, NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group | Ace, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Lennon Carter's life is falling apart, but everything changes when she gets the call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton college, a school of magic. Lennon has the ability to persuasion, to wield her will as a weapon, controlling others and matter itself. After being accepted and while learning how to use her power, Lennon starts to realize the heavy toll persuasion can have on her mind and body, but she can't help but falling in love with the college and her classmates, like her adviser Dante. As her power grows, Lennon will soon learn disquieting things about the college and how to embrace absolute power she should succumb to corruption and that's something she's afraid to fail.

An academy for liars is a brilliant, intriguing and well written stort about a powerful student, the secrets in her school and what she would be willing to change in order to attain power. I loved reading this book. The setting is amazing and I loved Drayton college and how slowly Lennon starts to embrace her power, loving her school and classmates, bonding with Dante and such.
I loved the secrets, the mysteries and the whole persuasion power, that I find really intriguing and compelling, besides being well written in this book.
I totally recommend this dark academia!

I will always pick up an Alexis Henderson novel, but this one wasn't my favorite. It's the most confusing of hers so far, and a bit of the body horror got to be too much for me. I will definitely recommend it to my friends who don't mind that as much though!

Definitely wish I had got to this sooner. This is the dark academy that I look for. I love college age MCs. I loved that our FMC was messy from the beginning and was able to still stay messy but grow from it. I don't know how necessary I found the romance aspects, but I didn't hate them.
The violence though, loved. The tense parts were thrilling, and I was scared at all the right times.
I'll read anything Alexis Henderson writes.

I love dark academia, and this book fit the bill nicely. The world building and magic system were both wonderful. I enjoyed Lennon and Dante, though I felt like some of the secondary characters blurred together. This definitely fell on the violent side of what I would prefer, but it wasn’t too scary. The setting was great. I would definitely recommend this for that “brick building/ivy” feeling.

Thank you to the publisher - I received a complimentary eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An Academy for Liars has such a unique "magic system". I love that its all about persuasion and that most of the world runs on this. Lennon really grew into her own by the end and had great growth. The world of Drayton is one I'd love a sequel to.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson!

This book was an atmospheric and intriguing read with rich world-building and a captivating storyline. The characters were well-developed, and the mystery kept me engaged, though the pacing was on the slower side. Despite that, the tension and eerie vibes made it a worthwhile read, and the payoff was satisfying. A compelling story that lingers long after the last page!

“It was sick, but back then she had liked the power of punishing people with her absence. Of making herself disappear only to turn up again, like some twisted little magic trick.”

Dark, Captivating, and Haunting. As someone who does not read dark academia frequently, I have to say I really enjoyed myself. I felt the plot? Totally unique.

I've enjoyed Alexis Henderson's work in the past, particularly House of Hunger, so I was thrown by how much An Academy for Liars wasn't for me.

I liked the ideas that this book initially presented, such as the art of Persuasion being a magic that could control people, illusions, and, if the will was strong enough, the material world. I also enjoyed the idea of this school that existed outside of our reality, accessible only by gates in the form of elevators, because we perceive elevators as a liminal space.

Unfortunately, I felt that the plot was meandering, and the main characters in the book were very unlikable. I felt both the extent of their powers and their characterization varied wildly, so that it didn't seem to make sense that it was the same person in different scenes.

As an example, our main character Lennon was so soft-hearted that she named her lab rat Gregory, and often struggled to use Persuasion on him in classes, for fear of causing him pain. However, she didn't have issues plucking memories from the mind of her own sister repeatedly, despite her sister expressing how much distress and pain it caused her both times. As a result, I had no idea how to feel about Lennon. Is she empathetic? Is she a sociopath? Does she only feel empathy for rats?

Thank you so much to Ace, Netgalley, and PRH Audio for providing advanced copies of this. All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

This was a shockingly divisive book and one that appeared on a lot of least favorites of the year lists. But I thought this was another solid, atmospheric, tense horror from Alexis Henderson.

This was definitely far different from her previous books. However I feel like every one of her books has felt wholly unique. This was slow moving, intense, and full of pretentious characters. But in a way I absolutely devoured.

This opens with a lot of action and tension - massive content warning so suicidal ideation. But once the MC arrives at the academy things slow down exponentially. Which is where I think this lost a lot of readers. I think the audiobook did a fantastic job keeping me engaged through the slower paced portions.

As a romance reader, I'm normally all for romance subplots. This one wasn't necessarily my favorite, but I thought it explored an interesting dynamic quite well.

And just like all of her other books - the ending of this was wildly intense. This is just an author that always seems to work for me. I find her writing atmospheric and captivating and her horror elements timely and unbarred.

I was provided and ARC of this book via Netgalley and the Berkley Besties program, all opinions re my own.

If you like dark academia with a hint of horror and gothic fantasy, this is a wild ride. The concept was really unique, but this book is either one you are really going to love or it is going to leave you wondering "what just happened?". It certainly left me thinking "Did I even like this?" There were aspects that I enjoyed, while others I thought fell flat in execution.

This follows Lennon in the wake of discovering her fiancé's infidelity. Her self worth is wrapped up in her relationship which is a theme that continues throughout the book, but a mysterious phone call invites her to an interview at the strange and exclusive Drayton University. Upon her arrival at Drayton she is put through a very odd admittance process which includes a written exam as well an in person interview. Lennon finds that she has the gift of persuasion, where she can assert her will on others and at Drayton she will learn to hone that gift and in her case her abilities surpass those of her classmates. She struggles with the morality of persuasion and the mission of Drayton. Her abilities put her in a different category of student and she is pushed harder to develop these abilities than the others for reasons that are revealed much later in the book. Lennon has some issues with her self-worth, so when she is given an opportunity to be loved and praised by her professors, she jumps at the chance and poor decisions are made for the sake of progress. I found Lennon to be immature and unlikable, but I think that was done purposely by the author. The author had the opportunity to explore mental illness, jealousy, toxic relationships, and boundaries but none of those were really fleshed out in the book as Lennon figures out where she fits at Drayton and in the world.

This book is very atmospheric, but left me with a feeling of dissatisfaction. There really isn't a ton of world building as this takes place in Savannah, Georgia; however I thought that the campus of Drayton and the "magic system" could have been described much better. The characters just accept everything a bit to easily when they arrive and the training they participate in. I really liked the idea of the magic and the concepts presented at Drayton, but I would have liked more explanation of how it all worked and more development of the characters. There are a ton of side characters that we never really get to know. There is mention toward the end that "they are Lennon's friends" but they never really develop relationships with her and she is kind of a terrible friend.

In the end, there were concepts I enjoyed but I wanted more explanation of what was going on. I was often confused about what was happening. I feel like the author was trying not to give too much away until the twists and reveals, however by the time we get to the end I wasn't satisfied with the conclusion. I do think there are readers who are absolutely going to love this, but I didn't connect with it the way I had hoped.

Why Did I Listen To An Academy For Liars by Alexis Henderson?

Having listened to Alexis Henderson's previous books, I just knew An Academy For Liars would resonate with me. So, I very eagerly gave it a listen the minute it popped up in the PRH Audio app. Also, when I listened to the book, it was spooky season which was the absolute perfect time to listen to this dark academia themed read. 

What's The Story Here?

An Academy For Liars follows Lennon Carter -- who is struggling. You see, her partner ends up cheating on her with I think it was her best friend. So, anyways, she gets invited to sit for an exam for the prestigious Drayton Academy. Lennon does really well - you see she has this power, the power of persuasion. By attending Drayton, she will learn how to harness and use that power. All cool right? Wrong. There's a sinister secret within Drayton - one that had surprised me when I learned the secret. Also, there is a long, dark history behind Drayton. While Lennon is learning this, she's also catching feelings for her advisor, Dante. 

How Did I Like An Academy For Liars?

Well, I am just getting caught up on my reviews -- so I'll be honest, a few months later I don't remember a ton. What I do remember? I like that Alexis Henderson is able to move between genres. She is an absolute talent. I love that her books star Black women. I loved the atmospheric vibes from this book. The pacing was well done -- kept me engaged throughout the book. I am not typically a dark academia person, but felt like this book nailed it and actually kept me interested.

How's The Narration?

The narrator of An Academy For Liars audiobook is Tracie Frank. The audiobook is a quick one - 13 hours 23 minutes unabridged. I thought that Tracie Frank's vocal stylings worked really well for this book. I'll admit, I had no complaints. I wasn't like in dread for when I was listening to this book. If anything, I think this is an excellent read to pick up for spooky season.

I am an absolute sucker for dark academia. Throw in some magical realism, an intriguing hidden school that only admit the chosen, the gifted, that teaches the art of persuasion, and I am absolutely hooked. This was so good, Dark. Captivating. Haunting. Thank you NetGalley for the arc. 4.5 stars.

Alexis Henderson wrote this book for me specifically.... I don't want to hear any questions. This book was the perfect mix of fantasy horror for my taste and I'm mad at myself for taking so long to get around to reading it. After seeing all the negative reviews rolling in, I went into it with lowered expectations and this book absolutely blew me away. If you're weary about picking this up, I would say to go into it expecting much more fantasy than horror! The magic school was so interesting to me and the magic system was very unique! As a romance hater, even the romance worked for me! I'm really happy that I didn't let the review persuade me from reading it (iykyk) because this was an easy 5 star for me from the beginning.

Lennon joins a mysterious academy that notified her of her acceptance to the program through an old telephone book. This was after she found her partner cheating on her with her friend! Drama and dark academia, I am here for it...normally. Lennon isn't a character I ever particularly cared for and the hot professor (Dante) didn't have much character development either. Drayton was an interesting premise and I love a flawed character and magic, but her motives and constant second-guessing did not endear her to me at all.
Great concept, did not enjoy the execution and the vibes were very YA (which is fine, just not for me) to me.

Completely engrossing, very interesting magic system. A wonderful example of a book being enjoyable without having a single likeable character. The setting and tone worried me somewhat at the start because I’m a scaredy cat but while it had a very tense thriller tone it was not scary in the slightest.