Reviews with content warning for Adult/minor relationship - An Education in Malice

Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

32 reviews

exhumedprince's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Sapphic poetry? Kinky vampire parties?? Excellent, stellar, perfect. I love Carmilla, and this is a very interesting and creative retelling. Some parts of the climax and resolution, I didn't like. Also, I know she's not a main character in the story, but I loved Elenore and wished there was more of her.

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gabburrit0's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

vampiric lesbians who are just trying to be gay but there's also jealous, older lesbians who are bringing the newbies in between them resulting in serial murders. so a casual day for the girls.

in all seriousness, this was a nice, bite-size story that I instantly liked. the atmosphere was really what drew me in as well as Fontaine. i personally would've given this book a glowing 5 stars if we had delved further into Fontaine and Irene's background (like an off chapter from Fontaine's POV) but I understand that she's supposed to be this brooding and mysterious character and I can respect Gibson for sticking with that til the very end

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emilie_anine's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Kind of one of those books that was a brain-off read for me, which is partly what made it so enjoyable

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egheinze's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No

3.75

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courtsport3000's review against another edition

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dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Super solid 4.5, leaning oh so close to a five. This book had me on a leash the entire time I was reading it. I was hooked from the first chapter and tore through the pages as quickly as I could. I always wanted to be reading, always had these characters on my mind.

There's so much in this book that Gibson does well that I hardly know where to start. The dark academia vibes are perfection. The character work is some of the best I've read in a long time. The way the relationships are portrayed in this book... somehow Gibson manages to capture all these subtle, delicate little details that really make everything feel realistic and relatable, even when it's not. There's this careful balance between the comfortable and the uncomfortable and it's handled in a way that's almost playful. It works so well in a book that centers yearning that becomes obsession and idolatry that borders on unhinged. Add in all the trademark moments of college girl life - discovering an independent self, exploring sexuality, deciding where you fit (or don't fit) within the norms and expectations you carry... I could ramble forever about all the ways I found this book relatable in all the best and worst ways.

As for the more horror-ish elements, those were more in the forefront than I expected them to be, but not in a bad way. I do wish certain aspects of that plotline were better fleshed out (not a pun...?) but I found them rewarding regardless. I also have complicated feelings about the ending, but I'll leave it at that to avoid spoilers. Eager to see what other readers think about it.

I'm basically going to scream about this book for a really long time. So grateful to Redhook for an ARC in exchange for review.

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themagicalworldofnian's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An Education in Malice by ST Gibson - review

5 ⭐️
2 🌶️

Wow S.T. Gibson did it again. If you have read A Dowry of Blood this gives the same vibes ✨

An Education in Malice is a sapphic Carmilla retelling, do I even have to say anymore 🤯
It follows both Carmilla and Laura, two academic rivals who are infatuated with poetry and getting the approval of their demanding professor De Lafontaine.

While Laura is timid and very insecure about herself and her sexuality, is Carmilla the complete opposite, she is very confident and a bit of a mean girl. They both want the approval of the professor. But there is a thin line between desire, obsession and academic approval.

Again S.T. Gibson her prose is just so captivating an poetic, which I just love💕. She just has a way with words that I can’t describe in any other way than just read her books and stories. The use of literary devices such as metaphors, imagery, symbolism and repetition is done just perfectly. It just adds this extra layer to the writing.

I also just loved the inclusion of a couple of poems written by Laura and Carmilla, tho I would have liked seeing even more of them.

The story is also again very character focused and driven just as her other books. The relationships are written soo good. The relationship between Laura and Carmilla, but also between Carmilla and De Lafontaine. The jealousy, the desire, the obsession, the lust, but also the love and friendship.
I also loved how you could really see the imbalance in power between everyone, but also how it is challenged in certain situations.

I love dark academia and I love S.T Gibson and her poetic writing, so for me this was the absolute perfect combo.

So overall, I would definitely recommend this if you love a dark academia that is mainly character driven with sapphic relationships, vampires and obsession and desire packaged in poetic writing.

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julalbert56's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I’m a little confused on what S.T. Gibson wants us to think of De LaFontaine… at the beginning I was like “ok, toxic not-appropriate relationship, she’s gonna get called out/clearly become the villain”

and that started to happen when De LaFontaine was icing Laura out, but then it totally switches and St Gibson tries to make the reader sympathize with her? And say that she’s a parent figure even though she abused them

Idk man. I appreciate complex morality but this just seemed… plain unethical. I can’t tell if ambiguousness was what the author was going for though! I’m really just not sure.
The rest of the book I loved lol. Sapphic academic rivals to lovers w/vampires? Yes please.

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