Dark academia is hit or miss for me, however, this one was a good, fast-paced read that I enjoyed. Lennon Carter, engaged to be married, witnesses infidelity and flees her engagement. Most people go on with their normal lives after something like that but not Lennon. She's recruited to a hidden school in the heart of Savannah, Georgia to study the art of persuasion. Nothing is as it seems in this book so it kept me guessing until the end. I really liked the character of Lennon and felt like she could be a real person. Dante, however, fell short for me. I just didn't see the allure. He was the typical hunky teacher that the main character falls for. I could have done without that story line but overall, the book was a good read.

It's been a while since a book grabbed me like this one did. I found myself sneaking in extra pages every chance I got. The magic system, centered around persuasion, caught me off guard at first—but Henderson quickly turned it into something fascinating. The way she crafted the school, the political intrigue, and the manipulation of reality was expertly done. Every character had depth, and the romance was woven in seamlessly without overtaking the plot.

The mystery and betrayal were captivating, and you can tell that every detail was carefully thought out. There’s no filler here—just a tightly written, engaging story. It reminded me of the excitement I felt reading Harry Potter or Babel, with its academic setting, power struggles, and corruption. This book stands out for its originality and well-drawn characters.

This book is truly one of a kind in its concepts and characters. I need to read more from Alexis Henderson because every line truly mattered in this story! Every line kept me wanting more!

I’ve seen a lot of good reviews for Henderson’s previous books, and this one sounded interesting, so I thought I’d give it a try. Objectively, this is a very good book. It’s easy to become invested in Lennon, Lennon and Dante, and Drayton College itself. There’s mystery and a somewhat twisted love story, and I love that the students are adults who are outside of the typical age for college. I enjoyed the twists and the persuasive skills, and I had a great time with several of the secondary characters. But I struggled to connect with this one. It felt like the story was crawling along, and I sometimes found myself pleading with it to just be over. Needless to say, An Academy for Liars and I did not click, but I do think it’s a fantastic dark academia novel. Maybe dark academia just isn’t my cup of tea.

On the night of her engagement party, Lennon sees an aberration while she’s looking at herself in the mirror and, later, catches her fiance cheating on her with a friend. So she drives off, intending on killing herself, but the phone in a phone booth rings, and she answers. Thus starts her strange journey to a place in Savannah called Drayton College, a campus hidden where students outside of the typical college age gain entrance after rigorous testing. There, they learn how to use persuasion to make people and reality bend to their will. Lennon and her classmates end up turning on each other, hurting each other and themselves under their professors’ watchful eyes as they learn to use and control their power, because persuasion comes at a high price, and Lennon might have to pay the highest in service to Drayton College. Because there are dark secrets hidden here, and dangers at every turn from students, professors, and administrators.

I was, unfortunately, not persuaded to enjoy this book. I could say it’s because it could be a little gruesome, was a lot bloody, and had horrors that scared me. But, honestly, I think everything I’ve been reading this year has inoculated me from feeling the usual horror I do, so nothing in this book really horrified me, or even turned my stomach. I didn’t enjoy this because I couldn’t connect to Lennon. Even though the reader is in her head the entire novel, I struggled to get to know her. She just felt like a sad, lost soul who made a lot of bad choices and went after the men she shouldn’t have. Perhaps she’s the kind of character other readers will love and root for, but I found her a little childish, a little too self-centered, and completely unable to see things from other perspectives. She just kind of felt like a jumbled mess to me. To me, she lacked maturity, and that led to her making poor choices. There were times, certainly, when I knew she didn’t have any better choices, but there were also other times when I felt like I was begging her to make the better choice. Her romance with Dante is also twisted and unethical, and they both know it, yet they still engage with each other, which just made me feel disgusted. Then again, perhaps these are just part of dark academia. I wouldn’t know; this is my first dark academia novel, and probably my last.

But An Academy for Liars isn’t a bad book; it’s decently written with a compelling story and broken characters keeping plenty of secrets. Lennon is complex and her relationships with her peers are complex. They’re not 18-22 year olds; they’re older and have lived lives and come from varying places of life experience. They have stories and histories and families they never tell each other about. They’re maneuvering around each other to prove their worth, and the school purposefully pits them against each other. It’s ugly and brutal, and it works so well in this story and place. There’s definitely a darkness over this place, and it isn’t helped by professors and administrators who encourage them, delighting in watching them hurt each other. Drayton is a terrifying place, and yet it also, weirdly, felt comforting. It offers a home and purpose to Lennon, one she doesn’t even know until the end. Every piece slotted well together, even all the things I didn’t like.

I didn’t like Lennon, but she was a well-crafted character. There’s depth to her, and a whole host of weaknesses that others try to use against her. I enjoyed watching her journey; I just wish her power and its limits had been explored a little more. Her powers seemed to grow by leaps by the end, and sometimes it felt like it was in service to the story instead of because she actually learned to grow her power that much. And I don’t like the idea that she was just always that powerful and just needed to learn to tap into it. I really hated her romance with Dante, though I am glad it felt more like an undercurrent than a real subplot. Even though I knew what was happening the whole time, I liked that I could pretend it wasn’t. I liked that Dante’s character felt elusive and fascinating, and I wanted to know more about him. I felt like too much was left unsaid about him, and I hated that he held so tightly to all his secrets. I think they ended up hurting Lennon in the end, even if he might have been trying to help her, and I hated that I felt like I had to wait until the end for any reveals to start to happen. Most of the book is given over to Lennon learning how to use her power, and it grew exhausting after a while because there were all these mysteries going on around her and absolutely no one willing to say a word, leaving her to feel a little afloat and at the mercy of literally everyone else.

And yet I liked her classmates. They were all interesting, even if I got a couple of the boys mixed up now and then. There was the hint of possible tension between Lennon and Emerson, a powerful student also under the mentorship of Dante, but it never manifested, and that left me disappointed. I adored Blaine, though. She had a bit of an arc herself, and I really enjoyed watching it unfold. I didn’t get the resolution I wanted from it because I had questions and none of them were answered. But I loved the way her story unfolded, and I loved the way it folded into the main plot of the book. She was also just such a fantastic character, and one of the few I felt actually cared about Lennon. I also really liked Sawyer. He’s very much a background character, but I adored how much he really tried to look out for Lennon, and I definitely wish he could have been a romantic interest. He seemed like such a good guy. Lennon’s rivalry with Ian was fun, though I definitely felt Ian was more unhinged than he came off, and sometimes I felt like he was compelled to hate Lennon more than he actually did.

I liked the idea of how Drayton came about, and I liked that the story focused on persuasion and how it can be used. I loved that it has limits and that everyone’s skills manifested in different ways while still having the same foundation. The college absolutely feels dark and forbidding and I kept picturing persistent dark clouds overhead. I liked getting a glimpse into their classes and lessons, but wasn’t as fond of all the time jumps. Just when I thought something should have happened, suddenly it’s a month later and nothing has happened. Instead, Lennon and her peers go on with their studying and lives, and I felt a little irritated. But this world offered just the right amount of tension, supporting the story in a fantastic way. This felt like the kind of campus I would love to visit, but certainly wouldn’t want to be a student at. But my favorite part was how it could possibly exist, hidden as it is. I loved the lore of it, and how horrifying it is.

An Academy for Liars is, simply, not my cup of tea. That said, there are a lot of good things in it. The elements worked brilliantly together, though I feel I left the novel with far too many questions. I wasn’t a fan of the romance, but I liked Lennon’s friends. I loved the mystery of the campus, and the plotting and backstabbing was fun because, when it came down to it, these students were more united than not and that was fantastic. This might not have been for me, but I think fans of dark academic will find a lot to love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I love dark academia and I really liked the premise of this book. It was, however, a very slow burn and didn’t keep my attention the entire time. I also didn’t truly love anyone in the cast of characters and felt a little removed from the story. With all that being said, the premise is unique and interesting to read and I would not dissuade anyone from reading this. I look forward to trying this author’s other books. We chose this as a book club book so I’m excited to discuss it with other readers!

This was the perfect cross between dark academia and inception. we got the vibes and setting of dark academia while the plot was playing with our minds. As the title says, you couldn’t tell who to trust until the end. A small romance subplot added to the story and didn't take away from it. Overall very much enjoyed the book, and perfect time of year to read!

This book was so good! All the twists and the world of Drayton were so fantastic to read. I loved learning more about the characters and seeing how dark they would get.

Thank you to the publisher for letting me read an early version of this book. Dark academia FTW. Very cool premise. If you liked A Deadly Education and/or Gideon the Ninth, I think this one is for you.

This thoroughly adult piece of dark academia -- no teen wizards, no monsters other than human ones --enhances its Southern Gothic setting with an intriguing magic system variant. Rather than casting spells, students at Drayton College study to refine their powers of persuasion. Far more than personal charm, persuasion is an innate (yet trainable) ability to force one's will upon other entities, from rats to classmates to time itself. Those who wield it pay a heavy price, however -- and many of Drayton's residents are damaged to begin with.

Recruited from a life spiraling toward self-destruction, Lennon Carter struggles at first with both her studies and her relationships. After a short lifetime of choosing controlling men, she winds up falling for her advisor -- a plot point some readers will have trouble with, as I did -- and running afoul of a violent male classmate. Both relationships examine just what power does to those who wield it -- and whether "good" people can truly use persuasion effectively.

Lennon, however, must do more than use her talents effectively. Like all proper dark academic institutions, Drayton has a secret. As Lennon improves her control and discovers her unique persuasive skills, she is drawn deeper into the web of half-truths and betrayals that protect this secret -- and, eventually, the survival of Drayton itself. Her own survival is secondary.

At times, this novel felt over-packed. There's a lot of backstory -- sometimes delivered at multiple-page length --and interpersonal machinations early on, though most will turn out to be significant. There is possibly too much emphasis on style (androgynous names, tattoos galore), and way too many clove cigarettes. As the plot cranks up, however, none of this matters. Alexis Henderson knows her way around eldritch action, and the suspense keeps twisting until the end.

<i>An Academy for Liars</i> is on the morally grayer side of its subgenre. Persuasion isn't a pretty gift, and there's a good bit of gore along the way. Readers seeking an edgier experience, however, should be well satisfied.

Dark Academia in the fall for me is the perfect reading combination. An Academy for Liars is a wonderful new addition to that genre. From the opening of the book forward I immediately felt the dar atmosphere and the sense in which something is not right for the main character. She is not particularly likable, but enough to keep us interested as she is chosen to attend a special university where she can learn the art of magical "persuasion." How dangerous would it be if there were people who could replace our memories and make us believe anything they wanted? I loved the premise here and how the magical system just begs for ethical complexity from the very start. The story has all the needed ingredients: A cast of flawed students, a hidden school, a hot professor, and, well, some unexplained accidents and a possible murder (or two).

Overall this was an enjoyable read that got me into the fall mood. It sadly doesn't rival some of my favorites in this genre, and there are definitely some plot holes I feel like that get glossed over a little too quickly. But it is well worth a read and has some unique takes all its own.

2.5 stars

This was a different take on the standard "magical" school/dark academia. The characters were interesting and varied, however, many of the secondary characters were so one-dimensional that I often forgot who they were. The scenes set at the school were the most interesting to me. I wish more of the story had been set learning more about the magic/persuasion system, rather than the teacher/student romance that felt very out of place.

The story started off well: a mysterious phone call, a school that doesn't exist, a form of "magic," but quickly fell apart. The plot seemed choppy with several scenes serving little purpose that I could see.

The story's premise was so good, but honestly, this fell pretty flat for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for the digital advance reader copy.

A little background: I loved Henderson's "The Year of the Witching". I enjoyed her "House of Hunger". I saw that this new one was a dark academia story, and I was here for it.

The dark academia part kept me reading.

24 year-old Lennon is called to be a student at the unusual Drayton College, a place of study for those who can persuade others, sometimes even to the point of changing reality.

Despite the dangers at the college, Lennon comes to believe it is home for her.

When she uncovers its dark history and the plans for her future, she realizes that all was never as it seemed.

However, this book moved away from the dark academia part too soon for me and into a tragic, complicated romance. This is less my cup of tea.

This doesn't mean that Henderson doesn't do a fine job, and if you're looking for a horror-romance, this would be perfect for you.

It just wasn't for me. I wanted more of the Drayton College experience - the classes, the friendships, the rivalries, the politics. And that was there, but it was far overshadowed by Lennon and Dante's will they/won't they, should they/shouldn't they, who will survive romance.

Again, just not for me, but I hope Henderson keeps finding new readers and keeps writing, because I think her stories and her voice are engaging, and I'll be looking forward to the next.

*language, violence, sex

A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author (Alexis Henderson) of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger. 24-year-old Lennon Carter's life is about as twisted as you can imagine. First, she spent 8 weeks in a psych ward. Second, she believes she sees a version of herself in the mirror, but isn't sure. Next, she discovers her fiance is actually cheating on her with a woman named Sophia. Third, just when Lennon is looking for a way out of this life, a mysterious phone call sends her to a mysterious place called Drayton College.

Drayton College is a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself. After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates.

But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante who both intimidates and enthralls her. As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption and it’s a test she’s terrified she’s going to fail. Drayton is a mixture of school life with the usual bullies, magic study with numerous twists, and horror in a way that felt cinematic.

Lennon struggles mightily throughout the book until she figures out what she's here for and why her abilities are not like anyone else's at the school, except maybe Dante. The only voice of reason seems to be her sister who she promptly dismisses in the most damaging way imaginable. This is, at the core, a story of power and corruption. How much power can one have without it totally corrupting everything you believe in? Lennon isn't a hero or a villain. She wants to be better after her life felt like it was spinning out of control. She must grapple with who deserves to hold power, how we decide to use it, and whether good v evil is an innate choice. Is persuasion an act of force?
Can she trust herself with this power?

4 ✨

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this dark academia novel. The imagery, the world building and the storyline were all chefs kiss! Dante & Lennon were interesting main characters that you absolutely loved and rooted for.

I could see this becoming a Netflix series. I would love to see that happen.

Such an interesting concept of a world that moves through space and time with people acting as fuel with their power of persuasion for the walls around the school.

Despite an intriguing start that really pulled me in with the mystery of a call out of nowhere, directions to a school that shouldn't exist, and powers that the recipients of said call didn't know they possessed, this definitely lost traction along the way. And by that I mean the atmosphere was working overtime to try and make up for a cast of characters I felt nothing for and a very thin plot that had absolutely no tension or stakes or, for me, sense.

And don't even get me started on one of the weak interpersonal conflicts that we then spend too much time agonizing over once it's done. Or the romance that had absolutely no legs to stand on. And then the big climax? I mean.. there was one small element once we got a peek behind the curtain that I did sorta like but honestly it wasn't enough to salvage this. And despite how uninvested I was, I feel like I have a whole host of unanswered questions; or rather, it feels like certain things that were dangled in front of us to add to mystique and uncertainty were never revisited and I'm annoyed by the lack of follow-through.

Ultimately, I don't know if it was the writing that failed to pay out the promised dividends or what but clearly I'm just not meant to enjoy the labour of this author's offerings because this makes for strike two and I don't think I'll be coming back for a third.

I'm really disappointed but considering all the appealing ingredients that make up this story I'm sure other readers will be satisfied by the meal it makes.

Premise: Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart, until she receives a mysterious phone call congratulating her on making it to the interview phase at Drayton College, a prestigious institute hidden from the public and dripping with magic and secrets. Lennon soon finds out that she has a unique gift making her valuable to Drayton, and is soon immersed in lessons in how to master the art of persuasion. Along the way, Lennon makes friends and enemies, harnesses her power, and discovers secrets of this new world she’s found herself in.

I started this book on my flight home from London, knowing that the perfect way to end my trip was to propel myself directly into my long anticipated 🍂fall TBR🍂.

This was seriously the perfect book to pick up. I quite literally could not stop reading it, and flew through it in less than 24 hours, despite being sick AND jet lagged from my trip.

It was the perfect mix of dark academia, magic, horror, time travel, psychology…there are so many nuances packed into this story, and the way it was executed really worked for me. There’s romance, there’s murder, there’s corruption, and so many things in between.

I’m curious if Henderson will write a sequel, or at least some sort of companion novel, because there are so many mysteries left to be uncovered here. I’d love to know more about the backgrounds of Drayton students, and what gives them these abilities. I want to know more about the moth motif, and how it plays into Dante’s past.

I don’t know if this book will be for everyone, but it was certainly for me. I’d love to read more from this world in the future, and am looking forward to picking up Alexis Henderson’s backlist soon, too!

The nitty-gritty: Despite a strong dark academia vibe and some interesting world building elements, An Academy For Liars lacked a cohesive plot and likeable characters.

“Lennon was no hero. And she wasn’t even sure she had the spine to call herself a villain.”

I had high hopes for An Academy of Liars, but unfortunately it didn’t quite work for me, although there were elements I really enjoyed. Lots of readers seem to enjoy it, though, so perhaps I wasn’t the right audience.

The story revolves around Lennon, a twenty-four year old woman who just caught her fiancé cheating on her. She flees her engagement party after walking in on her best friend and soon to be husband Wyatt in bed together (the nerve!) and winds up at an abandoned mall. When a nearby payphone starts ringing and she answers it, she’s surprised when the person on the other end invites her to apply for a spot at an exclusive, secret school called Drayton College. With her personal life in shambles, Lennon decides to make the trip to Utah and takes part in a very strange application process.

When she is accepted into the Academy—a school where select people are chosen for their natural abilities of persuasion—Lennon is thrust into a competitive and dangerous environment, where each student’s progress is closely scrutinized. Lennon turns out to have a rare talent for “calling” elevators, the students’ main method of travel from place to place. With the help of her advisor Dante, she works to hone her skills in order to prevent a disaster. Drayton Academy is in danger, and Lennon might be the only person who can save it.

I’ll start with the positive. I loved the dark academia vibe that Henderson created, with the mysterious Drayton College and the even more mysterious teachings of persuasion. As the story progresses, we learn more about the origins of the college, and trust me when I say there are plenty of dark and violent things going on behind the scenes. The College exists in a sort of time warp, where no one knows about it unless you are a student or a faculty member, so right away there is a mystique to Drayton that made me want to find out more.

The act of persuasion itself is also very dangerous. Students are taught various mind control techniques and must use them against each other as practice. Physical injuries such as bloody noses, broken bones, terrible headaches and more are just part of the deal if you decide to become a student, and I liked that the stakes are so high for Lennon and her fellow classmates.

I also want to mention the romance, which I thought was going to be more prominent, but it turned out it was a very small part of the story. Lennon is attracted to her advisor Dante, but it’s Dante that keeps her at arm’s length, even though you can tell Lennon really wants to hook up with him. I was relieved that the story didn’t focus heavily on their romance, and the few scenes that did deal with their relationship were nicely done.

But I did have some issues. First, the world building was very confusing at times and didn’t feel completely thought out. I didn’t really understand what the whole point of “persuasion” was. Why are these students learning to control others? What do they do when they graduate? Are they ultimately evil tools for the higher ups at Drayton? Even the students at Hogwarts studied for specific jobs that made sense, but I never got the feeling there was a goal for when you graduated from Drayton.

I also didn’t understand how “calling elevators” fit in with persuasion. I guess Lennon could “persuade” an elevator to appear out of nowhere? But that doesn’t really make sense either. I loved the elevator idea, though, an interesting mode of transportation that can take you long distances in only a few seconds, but I wish it had tied in with the main focus at the school, learning the art of persuasion.

There are also quite a few plot holes, like the moth on the cover of the book, for instance. I still have no idea what the significance of the moth is. Dante is covered with moth tattoos, but the reason behind them is never explained (unless I missed it). 

I also struggled with the characters’ ages. When I think “college” I think of 18-22 year olds, and I had a hard time wrapping my head around people in their mid-to-late 20s who are living in dorms with a roommate, going to parties at night, and attending classes. (I get it, you can go to college at any age! But for this story, that didn’t work for me.) The characters themselves are pretty immature and acted exactly like college kids: lots of drama, drinking, and doing drugs. And unfortunately, I really didn’t like Lennon at all. She ignores everything her professors tell her to do, refuses to stop asking questions when it’s none of her business, and is extremely rude. She annoyed me a lot, and her fellow classmates weren’t much better. Lennon, as we learn late in the story, is also a special snowflake, and I had to roll my eyes when her special powers are revealed.

I did like the end, however. The last few chapters are exciting and even scary, and we learn some things about Dante that made him much more interesting. Parts of An Academy For Liars were very well done. If only all the various elements felt more cohesive, it would have been a much better story.

With thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

Look, I got to be honest here. I really didn't like this book too much. I didn't hate it; I just didn't love it. I truly thought that this book was going to be more fantasy than dark academia. However, I was wrong. It's more of a dark academic read than fantasy. And I don't like to read dark academic books. I don't like them. Trust me, I tried before, and it's not for me. If I knew that this book was more of a dark academic read, then I would not have picked this one up. Sorry, not my type of book to read.

Thank you @prhaudio and @berkleypub for an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review . I could not stop listened to this audiobook. I was all in!
Thank you @netgalley and @berkleypub for an arc in exchange for an honest review. Dark Academia is always a yes for me and this gave all the dark vibes.
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Lennon’s life is falling apart and when she gets a mysterious phone call she heads to Drayton college to take a mysterious entrance exam. A secret world, a handsome advisor, power and corruption captivated me for the entire book ! Add this to your list for #spookyseason !
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This one was a wild ride! It is dark and twisted and mouth dropping. I actually would have loved more character development and gotten more background especially on some of the teachers. Overall I really enjoyed this one!

The worldbuilding was unique and the magic system interesting. It definitely gave all the dark academia vibes but I had no idea what to expect because there was a lot going on. The pacing was very slow until close to the end, when it picks up and you feel the chaos, so I struggled to stay invested in the beginning. I also found it difficult to connect with any of the characters because no one was particularly likable. This makes sense for the plot, one of the characters even says that none of them are good people, I just prefer to have a character I really root for when reading. There's a bit of forbidden romance here but the romance aspect isn't that focused on or important except in that the building connection between Lennon and Dante is a key component, so if you're expecting a lot of romance: don't. I think if you're a big fan of dark academia, this is a good addition to the genre if you don't mind a slower pace. And it's nice that it's a standalone because by the time you get to the end you want to know how it all turns out.

2.5

I received a digital arc from Berkley Publishing/Ace via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.