I have no idea what I expected heading into this book- but I was completely hooked just from the cover and the title itself. A fantasy dark academia story filled with so much twists and turns that i definitely needed to fill myself in for this summer. This is DEFINITELY a read a bunch of people would want to pick up. The MC was absolutely incredible and badass and I found myself so incredibly enamored by that charcater that I simply wanted 15 MORE OF THIS RIGHT NOW‼️‼️

If given the opportunity to escape your troubles and attend a school that teaches you more about yourself than you wanted to know, would you take it. Admission comes at a high price, but is finding your purpose worth it? For Lennon, she must find her way through the unknowns, the betrayal and ultimately decide is it all worth her life.

Henderson weaves an interesting story full of secrets, murder, betrayal, friendship and love that keeps the reader wondering what will happen next.

Not sure where to start with this. This was my first Alexis Henderson book. She created a really fascinating world where the "magic" is the ability to persuade others. My problem was with the characters. They all seemed so flat. For me, Lennon was the worst because she was flat and whiny. She was such a perpetual victim. I wanted to hurl my ereader at the wall several times, but I still wanted to know how it ended so I stuck with it. It just left me with an overwhelming feeling of "meh".

This book blew me away. It digs deep into the recesses of what haunts us. It’s bloody, it’s dark. It shows us what we don’t want to see in the mirror. If you’re scared that something may look back, this book is for you.

Lennon is broken when we meet her. She finds her fiance cheating and runs for it. She has enmeshed herself in the lives of men around her and can’t stand alone. When fleeing, she hears a phone ringing— and that one call changes her life completely.

Something was always waiting within her. She has the power to open worlds and change them. This book is Lennon’s journey to find her feet, stand on them, and carve out a space for herself, even if the path is bloody, laden with deception and malice.

I loved this book. I love how a hopeless, starved Lennon can find deep strength and hope in herself, even if she has to go through hell to get there. She finds a mentor and lover who is just as ravaged and downtrodden. Their relationship is pitch-perfect for this layered dark academia in a fantastical Savannah, and I loved it just SO, so much.

For everyone screeching for Ava Reid’s Lady Macbeth, know this book is for you. Lennon and Roscille are both blood-soaked, both feral, and both fighting to free themselves from the confines of the world that men have wrought for them.


Thank you to much to Ace/Berkley for the arc!

The main character, Lennon, has had a rough go of it until she is invited to Drayton College for exceptional students. Think of it like it’s Harry Potter but the kids are adults and all the classes are related to occlumency.

The premise is intriguing and slightly different - persuasion with the mind. The last quarter is crazy in a more confusing way but the whole book moved quickly and I was satisfied by the ending! Great read.

DNF at 15%.
I really wanted to enjoy this book, and I think the premise was great. I am sure for the right person, this will be a hit! It reads similar to The Starless Sea and Atlas Six. I just didn’t find myself wanting to pick it up.

I am a huge fan of gothic dark academia novels, so when I found out that Alexis Henderson wrote one, I was incredibly excited!

This book has solidified Alexis Henderson as one of my top 3 favorite authors of all time! She is genuinely one of the best writers I’ve ever read. Her writing style is so beautiful & distinct. I can see her becoming a classic horror author that people will read for years to come.

This novel is so mysterious and creepy. The imagery is HAUNTING. I could definitely see this becoming a movie! I absolutely LOVE the idea and execution of the persuasion magic in this novel. It was a very interesting spin on the power of mind control. I may or may not have been wishing that I had the power of persuasion while reading this novel lol.

The novel did slow down at times and there are aspects of the story that I wish had been explored and delved into more, like the aberrations, but I enjoyed this so much and can’t wait for everyone to read it!

Thank you Ace and NetGalley for this arc! All opinions are my own.

CW: suicidal ideation, animal cruelty & death, adult/minor relationships, child abuse

I enjoyed the idea of this book, but I ultimately ended up frustrated with it. I felt like there were too many plot holes and inconsistencies. Many things weren't explained and the ending felt incomplete. Lots of potential, I just didn't feel like it came together for me.

I have loved every book that Alexis Henderson has written thus far and I feel like this is her crowning glory. Her books always tend to be darker--on the verge of horror--with flawed characters you can't help rooting for. This is exactly that tenfold. Lennon is a seemingly ordinary (if very depressed) woman who discovers that she has magical abilities. The dream. She get's accepted into a prestigious magical school where her newfound skills will be honed, but not all is what it seems. I loved the slow build off the mystery in this story and the magic of persuasion was incredible! It's been awhile since I've read a book that i struggled to putdown. This filled the gap for me!

"An Academy for Liars" offers an engaging escape into a world where an ordinary (and depressed) woman, Lennon, discovers her extraordinary abilities at a mysterious magic school. The narrative is well-written and delivers an intriguing twist on the familiar magical school trope, enhanced by a slight horror feel that makes it perfect for fall reading. While the pacing occasionally lags, the plot features some genuinely surprising twists that keep readers invested.

However, the book has its shortcomings. The magic system, termed "persuasion," feels disjointed and vaguely explained, not living up to its potential complexity. Additionally, Lennon herself is a problematic protagonist. Her selfish decisions and poor judgment make her hard to root for, and her seemingly loyal friendships feel unconvincing, despite a late revelation attempting to justify them ("You'd do the same for us." She realizes she probably would not have done the same for them, but now she will)! The school setting, where both students and professors are adults, creates a strange dynamic that doesn't quite fit the typical school atmosphere. Furthermore, there are noticeable gaps in the story, such as Blaine's circumstances and how she ended up assigned to her role, the medical workings of "persuasion," and the under explored background of Dante and the apparitions haunting the school, which didn't feel like they contributed to the overall plot...but seemed at first it was going to, but was then explained away on a single page.

Despite these flaws, "An Academy for Liars" has its merits and could appeal to many readers. While it may not make it to my list of favorites, I can still recommend it for its unique twists and seasonal charm. Rounding up to four stars from 3.5.

I definitely liked this book more than House of Hunger. I think the premise was really interesting and it had a very distinct atmosphere to it. It almost felt like a fever dream. I appreciated that the characters were a little older than usual and I almost always like an academy type setting.

While I do like the author's writing style in many instances, there were several things that I think detracted from my enjoyment of the story overall. I think that the characters were intentionally unlikeable so I didn't find myself rooting for or connecting emotionally to anyone. While I really quite liked the 'magic' abilities, there was a lot that didn't make complete sense. I think my biggest issues came from any scene that was meant to be action-y. That's where the writing I think could have used more polish. Whenever the pace would pick up, things really became confusing and hard to visualize.

I would absolutely still recommend this to my customers who are into magical realism, dark academia, telepathy, and diverse representation.

Really great. I liked it a lot. I'm not always the biggest on fiction so that's great feedback coming from me.

This was a really intriguing read. I absolutely got sucked into the atmosphere and the writing. I loved the setting. I’m a huge dark academia fan and I loved Drayton College. The powers of persuasion and the ability to wield will like a weapon were fascinating. I thought the mystery surrounding the school was gripping and once I started this I couldn’t put it down. The dark history of Drayton was unsettling but I honestly thought this was one of those books that felt like it could be real. I loved the themes about the power of persuasion/ free will. Is it better to learn how to bend the will of others in hopes you can make yourself powerful enough to stop those who would use their powers to harm? We see Lennon test the boundaries of embracing ultimate power while she struggles not to succumb to corruption.

I didn’t know what to think at first seeing the synopsis alluding to a teacher student relationship. It was okay it’s definitely not my favorite trope but for a teacher student relationship it was decent. I think if you’re a fan of this trope you’ll enjoy this book. But my biggest disappointment with this book were the characters in general. I didn’t really like or care for any of them. Lennon is frustrating and does so many stupid things. I don’t need a genius MC but how many times can you surprise pikachu when you take a bunch of unknown drug concoctions and end up overdosing and in the ICU? I found her aimless and lazy at times. Towards the end her character did start to grow on me but I just felt like it was a bit too late and I wasn’t attached or really rooting for her.

Overall I think this was really interesting and I think dark academia fans will enjoy this one. It kind of gave me some Ninth House and Atlas Six vibes at times.

3.5 stars. I would definitely recommend this for someone new to fantasy but for someone who has read a lot of fantasy it may seem predictable. The book had a great start, I could really see Henderson's horror writing coming through but that left very quickly. Overall the story was good but there were some key areas missing. I feel the book could have been taken down about 100 pages, a lot of the school time in the middle going into the last third of the book seemed useless. I also had a hard time with the timeline of this story, there was a lot "three months later and x, x, and x have happened" which meant we didn't get to see the main characters progression with her studies or much of the romantic relationship grow. I think if the book had taken place over a semester rather than a year it would have run a lot smoother. In the end I was not rooting for the FMC and MMC to get together, I really just wanted her to get away from him probably because I wasn't able to see any reason for the relationship to work or why she even liked him past looks. I think if Henderson gives fantasy another go I have no doubt we will see her writing improve but it was a bit of a rusty start.

I love dark academic books and this absolutely fit the bill. I was enthralled by the story and couldn’t put it down. I oftentimes found myself noticing and thinking through the philosophical and moral issues at hand in the story and really enjoyed that as well. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this.

Such fun and new concepts!
I flew through the first half and then hit a lull. I think because I didn’t care much for the characters.
Would still continue to read more of this authors work

The description of this book gripped me at first, so of course I requested it. I was done 10% in, this book moved so slowly and could've been at least 100 pages shorter, definitely needed at least 2 more rounds of developmental editing. I was bored, really bored.

"An Academy for Liars" by Alexis Henderson is a dark academia book, and as a fan of the genre, I was enthusiastic to read it. Let me start by saying this is a very good book. It is well-written, well-plotted, and kept me interested throughout.

The book follows Lennon Carter, a college dropout turned housewife who is invited to enroll in Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Students at the school learn to hone their gift of persuasion - the ability to control others and, in rare cases, even affect matter itself. At first, all goes well, and Drayton seems like heaven to Lennon. She is captivated by her studies, the campus, her brilliant classmates, and her charismatic adviser, Dante. But something is rotten in Drayton College. And if she is not careful, she will be destroyed by it.

I loved the book and couldn't stop reading. It started a bit slow, but then the pace picked up. The author keeps the story's pace up, and the secrets that are revealed are exciting indeed. The dark atmosphere is well-sketched and convincing. It is one of the best dark academia books I have read recently. It's full of atmosphere. The author writes the scenery and atmosphere so well that the reader is swept into that world.

The book has everything I like about the genre: complex and morally gray characters, good world-building and a magic system, intrigue, and even a bit of romance between an unlikely pair. Additionally, it deals with themes of mental illness, abuse, drug use, friendship, moral conflicts, and teacher/student relationships.

Lennon is imperfect, as likable as she is flawed. I liked the delicate way her mental issues were described. I didn't like or approve of some of her choices and actions. It wasn't easy to relate to her, but I warmed up to her. Her sister was really annoying, quick to judge and criticize. Dante was intriguing, and I liked his mysterious stranger vibes.

I loved the diverse ethnicity, the LGBTQIA+ representation, and the backstories. I really liked that the characters were portrayed as real people with flaws. The author also managed to surprise me with a couple of twists. There are some unanswered questions, though, such as the mystery of the moth, which wasn't clear until the end.

The world-building, characters, magic system, themes, and suspenseful plot make it an enjoyable and engaging read. The book stands on its own, but its ending implies there may be another book on the way (I certainly hope there is). If you love dark academia and flawed characters and don't mind a bit of violent action, then this is totally for you. Full stars from me!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
I definitely enjoyed this book but I also feel like the story isn't entirely over. It was a little slow to get going and there were parts that lulled a little bit but all the buildup was worth it.

An Academy for Liars takes readers on a journey to Drayton, a "magical" college hidden in Savannah, Georgia. Drayton is a college for persuasionists and the most talented persuasionists' can alter ones perception of reality. Lennon Carter finds Drayton (or more accurately Drayton finds her) when she's running away from a bad situation. After taking the entrance exam and impressing her advisor Dante, Lennon is admitted to the mysterious school. There is definitely a mental and physical toll to studying the art of persuasion and Lennon's backstory reveals she's already had some issues with her mental health. Things also almost immediately start going wrong adding a sense of foreboding that lingers through the rest of the novel. Luckily Lennon has her hot advisor to help her out though Dante is just as mysterious as the school itself.

Lennon was a great character and I liked that she didn't start off super powerful or super smart and that she struggled with her classes before eventually learning and growing into her powers. Her friendships with the other students were fun though a little flat at time but the strongest relationship was between her and Dante which I liked.

I'm not sure this is a bad thing or a criticism but An Academy for Liars really reminded me a lot of The Magicians series - especially the entrance exam and the mysterious campus. I would definitely recommend this book for fans of that series.


Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend to fans of magical books, dark academia or a combo of the two.

I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

This one took a while for me to settle into, but when it took off, it went to places I never expected (even as a fan of Henderson's other two books). Definitely worth a reread now that I know how it ends - it's one of those books where I know I missed little details because I was flying through it, eager to see what would happen. Recommended for fans of dark academia and horror (though I personally would class it more as horror; it does take place at a college though).