3.5 stars

After a series of mental health struggles, dropping out of college and chasing men who take advantage of her, Lennon Carter is ready to end it all. That is, until a mysterious phone call informs her she’s been accepted into Drayton College—a hidden academy where students learn the mystical art of persuasion. With a semblance of direction and purpose, Lennon ventures off to Drayton, only to discover that academic rivals, eerie demons, suspicious professors and many more secrets await.

AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS started off so strong—I was hooked in the very first chapters and intrigued by the mystique surrounding Lennon’s history, hauntings and journey to Drayton… but then everything fell apart. There are few more disappointed in this book than I.

This feels like a classic case of “great concept, poor execution.” The premise is extremely exciting: A secret college, a unique magic system, dark academia vibes, an MC with a troubled past seeking purpose and acceptance. But with all of these elements came a whole lot of confusion, loose ends and unexplained phenomena.

The good:

-Lennon was an engaging main character. I appreciated the ways her background led her to the desperate, somewhat vicious place she finds herself in. She’s a pretty consistent character throughout (some might say TOO consistent by the end), and I rooted for her.

-The magic system was very unique, albeit too unexplored. The idea of persuasion to impact people, animals and the surrounding world is something I haven’t seen much of before, and I liked the idea of classes teaching principles of this concept.

-I found the questions raised about good vs. evil and the role this magic could play in our world interesting. Character motivations varied, showcasing the ways persuasion could help or hurt.

-The ending of the book was action-packed and pretty gripping.

The disappointing:

-Pretty much every character aside from Lennon felt really flat, and in a lot of cases, entirely unimportant. There’s a found family aspect to the story, but Lennon’s classmates could largely be interchanged with one another with little to no consequence. By the end, I barely remembered certain students’ names because they were so undeveloped—but, for some reason, they’d play a major role in an escape, death or plot beat.

-I wanted so much more from the magic system and school. The classes started off interesting, but then the plot flew by and we barely learned anything about how the magic was used. Over time, it became a little too limitless, as well. All of the sudden, people could not only influence other people but also impact matter, persuade entire cities, create full illusions, etc.

-Lennon’s academic growth was unbelievable. When she first begins her studies, Lennon is at the bottom of her class, struggling with no concept of how to pull ahead. But all of the sudden, she’s mega-powerful and being recruited to the prestigious Logos house, which barely showed interest in her prior to their induction ceremony? The “chosen one” narrative was too convenient and didn’t pay off.

-I still have SO many questions. There were entire scenes in the first half of the book that I thought were building up to some big mystery reveal, but they never were discussed again or amounted to anything. Who was the boy Lennon saw through the elevator and why was not mentioning him important? What was up with all the moths? What was the purpose of the Amsterdam scene and the “monster” they ran from? There were so many pieces that felt extraneous to the puzzle Henderson was putting together here.

Ultimately, I wanted so much more from this novel. It didn’t feel tight enough to propel me through the story, and the ending didn’t have the payoff required to feel worth all the mystery. I definitely feel like there are stronger dark academia books to turn to than this.

I’m not sure I think this is truly Dark Academia, but it’s hard to care about that because it’s just a really good book.

This is an interesting spin on the magical college setting, and while it’s a bit short on atmosphere (especially for something billed as Dark Academia), the setting works really well and it has a unique spin that feels fresh. The system and basics of the plot feel a little bit like a less irreverent Magicians or a better-plotted Vita Nostra, but it’s very much it’s own original story in the end.

I liked the magical system here, which is complex without being incomprehensible and fits tightly with both the character development and the story.

And of course, there’s Lennon, a complicated, fascinating, and utterly lovable protagonist. Henderson does such a good job of writing flawed but likable characters and placing them in situations that demonstrate both the best and worst of who they are as well as their ability to evolve.

I would have loved more atmosphere and day-to-day details about the school, but overall this is really well done. I’m now very curious to check out Henderson’s other novels.

I did almost DNF this at one point but I am so glad I pulled through. I think if you liked ms peregrines home for peculiar children as a kid, you'll enjoy this. The beginning felt extremely slow to me and I wasn't super intrigued. I couldn't picture some of the characters and there were quite a few so it made it hard to keep track of. I liked Lennon and I thought the plot was very mastermind. There were totally fall vibes and the school was cool. Around 40% is when it really started to pick up and I flew through but it took a while to get there. For fans of the atlas six and if we were villains.

Creating a well-done, non-ironic story about a secret magical school is not easy - but this book got it right. It is beautifully written, succinct where it matters, and has a plot that, for the most part, holds well.

The "will they, won't they" bit of a romance had lots of buildup with a lackluster resolution, but I didn't hate it.

The book was surprisingly gruesome at times, verging on horror - I wasn't upset about it, and it was fitting for the scenes/to move the story along. I still don't get why Lennon got so much hate for the elevator incident, and no one really mentioned what Ian was trying to make her do.

I enjoyed the inner struggles of Lennon and Dante and their desire to be better people and the fear of not quite measuring up.

The part where we get a story about a minor student being involved with a much older teacher (who is now in a leadership role overseeing this now-grown man - also working in the school) was a bit startling. They also share a child? What in the Letourneau?

I am guessing the boy with the bloody knuckles is William, who was trying to tell Lennon about his fate. I never got the meaning of the moths. Anyone?

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group, for sharing an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Ace books for my stunning copy.

Lennon Carter's life is not so stunning when she discovers her Fiancé with one of her close friends hooking up in the bathroom together on their engagement party YUCK. Lennon takes off, and finds herself in a mall parking lot when she hears a phone ringing from a strange vintage phone booth. When she picks up, she is being told by a voice that sounds just like her, that she has been selected for an interview for the prestigious Drayton College, will she accept?

This book was dripping with dark academia, the character and setting descriptions are just stunningly on brand. The students and professors smoke clove cigarettes, have their sleeves rolled up to their elbows, there is vintage and stately furniture around every corner (not to mention skulls) in these large homes on a Southern campus around the 25th square.

I loved that this world existed on the non-existent 25th square in Savannah, my hometown. It made the setting so much clearer for me, and having a campus set up around a square just makes sense! The descriptions and setting were my favorite part of this book.

This book blended magical realism, dark academia, and horror really well, it definitely can get a bit gory and sinister. I did not love our main character, as she is very morally gray along with a lot of the characters. However, Lennon does suffer from depression and panic attacks which comes through on the page. I particularly disliked the scenes of Lennon falling for her professor, which was on brand for her, just not enjoyable to read for me.

The magic system was also not my favorite but it REALLY did lend it to the more darker magic. What these people can do…is truly messed up. And if you are wondering what it is like without spoilers, it very much is giving Eleven from Stranger Things. Mind manipulation, and LOTS of nose bleeds.

All to say I love Henderson's descriptions, settings, and plots. If you can handle the TWs definitely check this one out!!

Full review:

This is “Divergent” if it was set in Savannah, Georgia and focused on illusion and mind control rather than physical strength training. Just replace trains with elevators.

There’s a rigorous academic environment where the FMC is constantly having to fight to stay at the school and prove herself. The students grades are ranked and shown publicly. She’s also a bit of a “chosen one” and different than her peers. So she’s like Tris from Divergent.

She also has a professor/advisor who’s very intense and kind of rough around the edges. He’s trying to help her and continues to pull strings to assist her in some way. So basically like Four from Divergent. His personality is also the same. He even helps her and cleans her up when her knees are bleeding. (Also a Divergent scene).

Down to the plot line, several scenes, the secretive and mysterious school politics, the threat from powerful school officials that want to control everyone, and the relationships between the FMC and MMC as well as the side characters.

LIKE IAN!! Her competition/enemy at the school. Literally exactly like Al in Divergent. He even tries to kill her in the same way!

I really hoped it would change the further into the book, but as the story went on, it only got more and more similar to Divergent.

I guess you could say that it’s slightly witchy though. The school teaches persuasion and illusion, so it’s almost magical. Although the setting feels less magical and more of a steril, stressful, private school to me.

Aside from that, it also lacked the “gothic environment” that I was promised. So both the story and setting were super disappointing.

I’m not a fan. It’s just not sitting well with me.

I understand that there are stories similar to this (like Fourth Wing) but this one feels too much like a copy of something rather than being its own unique story. It didn’t feel like it stood out enough on its own for me the way that similar books did.

I’m gonna DNF this at 70% because it’s really bothering me. I was trying to push through because “House of Hunger” by this author is one of my favorites.

as lennon’s life begins to come apart, she receives an odd phone call from the mysterious drayton college, a school of magic hidden in savannah. at drayton, she learns how to wield her gift of persuasion like a weapon. she also becomes enamored with her advisor, dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her. as the school year progresses, though, she begins to learn more and more about this secret world she has stumbled upon.

i’ve read alexis henderson’s other two books, so i had some expectations going into this, mainly that this would be a haunting story. i also knew this would have dark academia vibes. besides these two aspects, i really didn’t know what i had in store for me. while these expectations did come to fruition, this book was so much more than that. one of my favorite aspects was the depiction of grief, not only for what could have been, but also for those lost throughout the story. by the end of the story, i was tearing up (which is always a compliment from me).

overall, this story was hauntingly beautiful, and i’d recommend it to anyone looking for a dark academic book intended for adult audiences.

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / Pages: 464 / Genre: Dark Academia

On the night of the lowest point in Lennon Carter’s life, she gets a mysterious call from a phone booth in the parking lot of an abandoned mall. An invite to apply for acceptance to a secret academy offered only to those who have special hidden talents. Talents of incredible psychic powers of persuasion. Is Lennon really one of them? Is it something she should hone or hide?

This dark academia thriller was so engrossing and hypnotic. The characters are intriguing, the storyline intense. I loved it! This one tops my spooky reads list for the year.

Thank you, @NetGalley, @BerkleyPub, and @Lexish for my gifted copy.

𝚁𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐: 4.5⭐️
𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: Fantasy/ horror 📚

𝙼𝚢 𝚃𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜:
Such a unique plot- I was hooked in right from the start

𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚒𝚏 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎:
Rivalry and special talents
Dark academia
Secret societies / hidden schools
Morally grey characters
Complex and captivating reads
Side of forbidden romance
Paranormal elements
Academic politics
Found family

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎𝚍:
Gregory!
I was hooked in from the start

𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝙸 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛:
A little slow a times

Thank you to @prhaudio @berkleypub for the #gifted copy!

Dark academia horror fans this is for you! I am Pretty sure I am dreaming about rats. Eek! 🐀 Lennon’s life is falling apart until she is invited to Drayton. Then she learns how to use her gift of persuasion, but is it a gift or a curse?! As she learns more about her teacher Dante’s shady past and the darkness that shrouds her school she has decisions to make. It was mysterious and atmospheric. I loved the school setting and story line. The pacing was just a tad slow for me. Overall a great read! I really enjoyed the audio narrator.

The beginning of this was really intriguing, and I was fully invested in what was happening with Lennon at this mysterious school. From the get-go, It seems like she is a hot mess, and the only thing holding her together is Drayton. She and the other students are learning Persuasion which I found a super unique concept, and Lennon feels like she has finally found something she is good at and doesn't want to let that go, which does cause her to make some pretty poor decisions. But that felt very on-brand for the person we met when this story started and I was fine with that.

At some point after that halfway mark, I started to really lose interest. The romance between Lennon and Dante was non-existent. They had zero chemistry, and really no moments that felt to me like they were on their way to catch feelings for each other. There were a lot of interesting concepts and big moments that happened, but I felt like a lot of it felt like it was left unexplained.
Normally I'm all about vibes in a book, and this story definitely delivered that, but the characters kind of ruined it for me.

“𝐼𝓉’𝓈 𝑒𝒶𝓈𝒾𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝒾𝑒 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜𝓃’𝓉 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽.”

Eerie and thrilling with way more horror than I expected. An Academy of Liars had a unique concept of using persuasion to bend reality to your will. It really made you ask yourself moral questions throughout in a very twisting way.

It took a little bit for me to really get pulled in. With the main characters, I thought the relationships felt disconnected. Between Lennon and Dante, yes, he kept her at arm’s length for a reason, but even when the tipping point occurred I never truly felt a switchover. For some reason, Kieran and Sawyer were my favorites in this. I liked their personalities and the parts they played in the story.

I think there is a really awesome concept here. It is extremely dark academia with a thriller twist that will definitely keep you questioning throughout.

I enjoyed the writing and the development of the characters. The setting felt real and well thought out.

Book Review: An Academy For Liars by Alexis Henderson

I love dark academis reads and I really need to research whats out there because I’m sure there are so many that I havent read that I would love.

A hidden school in Savannah was an immediate yes from me. Having visited Savannah I knew this book had the potential to be creepy and dark. Walking around Savannah at night gives that feeling exactly.

This book is such a mixture of everything I love in a great read. There’s secrets, lies, betrayals, not to mention a teacher/student forbidden love that goes sideways.

Fmc, Lennon, 22, finds herself accepted to Drayton College, a mysterious school that she didn’t apply to located in the 25th Square in Savannah (Savannah only has 24 Squares). When she arrives she meets her advisor, Dante, a 30 something, sexy, tattoo covered professor who Lennon is very much drawn to.

Lennon discovers her powers of persuasion and learns how to manipulate it through controling her mind. Everyone in the school has the ability to weild their power like a weapon so no one can be trusted. During Lennons time at Drayton she learns of its dark past and what is lurking around the corner for it’s future and how she and her advisor Dante are stuck in the tanged web of saving Drayton from being exposed.

If you crave secret socities, dark and gothic atmospheres and enjoy reading about the things people will do for power then add this one to your tbr!

Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for my eARC!

ARC provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

DNF at 40%

Rating this a very neutral 3 stars, since I didn't finish.

I tried really, really hard to get into this but I just can't do it anymore. This was an extremely anticipated read for me, from the moment I heard the synopsis. It's a really intriguing premise with a fantastic cover.

And I want to be clear: this was not bad.

However, I was struggling with everything from the characters to the plot direction. It was one of those experiences where I didn't even realize I wasn't enjoying it, until I noticed that picking it up felt like a dreaded chore. My delayed realization is partially because I really do like the concept and I also liked the author's writing style.

I think Alexis Henderson is really talented and wrote the book exactly as it was meant to be written.

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to keep me engaged. Despite being an adult novel, the characters read very young and the budding romance (teacher x student, though they're both adults) was... not for me. This, along with the extremely slow pacing and a few other personal critiques, made reading this a difficult task.

I ended up realizing that I could stop reading and would never again wonder where the story was going - a sign that I should probably dnf.

With that being said, I think that's highly personal. I'll repeat: this is not a bad book. I think it's a good book with a super interesting idea, even if I didn't connect with the execution. If this sounds interesting, I do recommend picking it up.

I wish this had worked for me but I'm still incredibly grateful for the chance to read it.

4.5 stars rounded up

What an atmospheric, academic story! I was hooked immediately. The descriptions and plot propelled me through the first half of the book, wanting to know how Lennon would fare at Dayton and if she would find herself.

The story continues on with both Lennon’s time at school and her relationship with her mentor, Dante. I didn’t necessarily feel their connection, but trusted the words. Their story of learning and rescue, plus so much more kept me flying through the pages until the end.

Advance reader copy provided by Berkley and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

This grown up magic school book was wonderfully absorbing and well detailed. It's a darker story, and while there is a lot of world building it still felt accessible to a non-fantasy reader like myself.

This dark academia novel, blended with gothic horror, hooks you from the start when Lennon, on the brink of self-harm, is unexpectedly accepted into a mysterious school she's never heard of. The entrance exam is bizarre, and the events that follow are even stranger. At this twisted academy, gifted students are taught the art of persuasion and how to harness their unique powers—but these abilities come at a heavy price. The school holds far more secrets than it initially reveals. The story masterfully weaves together elements of the paranormal, magic, and time travel, creating an intriguing narrative that kept me fully engaged.

Academy of Liars is a dark and thrilling ride through a world of secrets, deception, and intrigue. Alexis Henderson creates a gripping atmosphere with her strong world-building and intriguing premise. The story moves at a brisk pace, which kept me turning pages, but at times, the characters felt underdeveloped, making it difficult to fully connect with their motivations. While the plot twists were enjoyable, a few felt predictable, taking away some of the suspense for me. Overall, it’s an entertaining read with unique elements, but it just missed the mark in delivering deeper emotional resonance. I can see why fans of dark academia have been buzzing about this one, though!

When Lennon Carter is offered a place at a mysterious academia her entire life is changed... from being gifted with magical powers, deadly classmates who want to kill for their place at the top, and a forbidden romance with an advisor who is holding his own dark secrets. Lennon Carter has lived a mundane, boring life... and on the night she discovers her fiancee cheating on her with her friend she takes his car and plans on overdosing... until she gets a mysterious phone call from the Drayton College, a school of magic that has offered her an invitation to the entrance exam. Lennon doesn't have much to lose and decides to partake.... only to discover that she is gifted with unsettling powers and for a school filled with students who all work with the power of "persuasion" they can all reach into each others minds and do terrible things. With a ruthless curriculum and a cut throat student body... Lennon will have to go to lengths she never knew she had in her to secure her place at the top. Then there is her mysterious and talented advisor Dante, a man covered in moth tattoos who goes from hot to cold with her. The longer Lennon goes through with her studes the stronger her control gets... but the closer she gets to uncovering the dark secrets of her college and why they ultimately wanted her there. With so many secrets and bloody decisions.... nobody said college would be easy. This was a fantastic dark academia journey filled with twists and turns that has you guessing at every turn. I loved just how morally grey everyone was, just how much they all wanted to be the best and the lengths they'd go to to just succeed. Lennon was such an interesting character to read and I liked the subtle blending in of a soft romance between Dante and Lennon. I loved the ending and how it all wrapped up, it just felt right. I had a great time reading this and would absolutely recommend this book for fans of dark academia books!!!

Release Date: September 17,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*