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3.4 AVERAGE
3.4 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
In These Hallowed Halls is a dark academia anthology. Overall I love short story anthologies as a way to discover new authors but they can be a bit hit or miss! This one is a solid 4 for me, highly atmospheric and diverse
"1000 Ships" by Kate Weinberg - this is a short story prequel to Weinbergs book, which I thought was very clever! I will be adding Truants to my TBR.
“Pythia” by Olivie Blake – I thought this was very good! A mix of magic, dark academia and the influence of AI. With the oracle of Delphi re cast as an algorithm
“Sabbatical” by James Tate Hill – A professor passing time a minor university, seedy kind of true crime esque
“The Hare and the Hound” by Kelly Andrew – The descent into madness based on a prophecy/prediction made to the main character as a child. The prophecy haunts him into adulthood at university. This was doesn’t feel like dark academia except for the setting (university based)
“X House” by J. T. Ellison - this has to get all the points for atmosphere and set up! Set a remote all girls school, where rumors persist of mysterious deaths
"The Ravages" by Layne Fargo - very good! Set against a library/center cataloguing letters and ephemera, a woman catches her partner cheating
"Four Funerals" by David Bell – while I appreciate the flipped on its head nature of this story, I didn’t really enjoy this one. By nature of the subject (school shootings) it will be divisive
“The Unknowable Pleasures” by Susie Yang – I found this kind of meh with potential, a student becomes obsessive about relationships between a student and a teacher
"Weekend at Bertie’s" by M. L. Rio - I really liked When We Were Villians so had high hopes for this but it didn't quite deliver. I didn't quite get the characters
"The Professor of Ontography" by Helen Grant - to me this was horror set against academia as students try to discover a mysterious university department they stumble on one drunken night
"Phobos" by Tori Bovalino - Absolutely brilliant from beginning to end. Capturing the hazing/induction of a secret society
"Playing" by Phoebe Wynn -A music/organ student plays at funerals
Phobos was definitely my fave, and not just because it took place at Pitt and also made a cle reference
I love dark academia books as they have a vibe like no other. They have a dark undertone of creepy and unsettling yet strangely cosy and comforting. It’s a genre that’s really come into its own in the past couple of years so I was super excited to see the release of this one!
With a stunning collection of dark academia short tales from a range of epic authors, there’s bound to be a story in here to tickle your dark fantasies and interests.
As with any book of short stories, I always find there are some that are enjoyed more than others. Some I really got into and enjoyed and others felt a bit harder to get through and engage with but it was an enjoyable book all in all. It’s hard to choose a favourite but I think Phobos was the one that topped it for me. That and the Professor of Ontology.
Many of these stories were filled with intrigue and you never quite knew what was going to happen next or what twist the author would delight you with.
They’re all fabulously written and expertly set the tone for the book. It’s a must for all lovers of this genre of book and definitely if you’re a fan of short stories.
Thank you to the authors and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
With a stunning collection of dark academia short tales from a range of epic authors, there’s bound to be a story in here to tickle your dark fantasies and interests.
As with any book of short stories, I always find there are some that are enjoyed more than others. Some I really got into and enjoyed and others felt a bit harder to get through and engage with but it was an enjoyable book all in all. It’s hard to choose a favourite but I think Phobos was the one that topped it for me. That and the Professor of Ontology.
Many of these stories were filled with intrigue and you never quite knew what was going to happen next or what twist the author would delight you with.
They’re all fabulously written and expertly set the tone for the book. It’s a must for all lovers of this genre of book and definitely if you’re a fan of short stories.
Thank you to the authors and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Pythia was my favorite. At least half of the stories aren’t dark academia.
dark
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No