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lavender_menaceee's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
This book I amazing I knew within the first ten pages it was going to be a new favorite:) THE WAY LAURA WENT OFF TO GET A KNIFE TO PROTECT HER FROM ISIS OMGš read this book. It seriously altered my brain forever!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent and Blood
tales_told_in_gold's review
mysterious
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Death
Minor: Alcoholism and Vomit
aileron's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Infidelity, Death, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, and Blood
Moderate: Confinement and Gore
Minor: Abandonment and Injury/Injury detail
hannahelaine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Dark academia isnāt really my thing and I think this book just hammers that home for me. It had some interesting parts and nice lines, but was very slow to get the plot moving, and once it finally was, raced. Pacing inconsistent.
All that said, I would have given this a higher rating if not for the fact that itās literally just a retelling of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanuā that the author never acknowledges. Apart of the character names are directly lifted from the novella, the general plot and vibe, I couldnāt find any instance of the author or publisher mentioning this in the book itself. Not the plot summary, the authors note or acknowledgements, nor the Q&A. I canāt fathom why she isnāt mentioning itā Carmilla had a big resurgence after a web series was made in the style of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries back in the early 20-teens. Regardless, it feels bad, wrong, and icky to not do so. While Carmilla is in the public domain and came out in the 1800s, so the author is long dead, it feels wrong to not credit the inspiration for the novel.
All that said, I would have given this a higher rating if not for the fact that itās literally just a retelling of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanuā that the author never acknowledges. Apart of the character names are directly lifted from the novella, the general plot and vibe, I couldnāt find any instance of the author or publisher mentioning this in the book itself. Not the plot summary, the authors note or acknowledgements, nor the Q&A. I canāt fathom why she isnāt mentioning itā Carmilla had a big resurgence after a web series was made in the style of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries back in the early 20-teens. Regardless, it feels bad, wrong, and icky to not do so. While Carmilla is in the public domain and came out in the 1800s, so the author is long dead, it feels wrong to not credit the inspiration for the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
vemiline's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
3.5 stars
āHysteria is a made-up patriarchal tool of oppression.ā
First let me say thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for giving me the chance to read An Education in Malice. Iāve been wanting to read S.T. Gibson ever since Iāve heard great things about A Dowry in Blood, so I was really excited when I was approved to read this book!
āIf I couldnāt touch her, Iād settle for making her squirm.ā
How do I even start to explain how I felt about this book? It was a wild ride reading An Education in Malice. Iām glad I knew in advance that this was adult fiction. As a reader who typically reads YA, it was nice to know I was reading about horny teenagers haha.
āI write to remember the exultations and miseries of my life. To capture certain moments, certainā¦ people in amber, so they will never diminish, never fade. When youāre as old as I am, sometimes all you have for company are your memories. When everyone else has left you, they remain.ā
An Education in Malice is a very quotable book. This might actually be my first academia book, so I kind of was wondering what academia is. Will it always have words I donāt recognize? Will there always be notable quotes that pique my interest? It was refreshing to take a look at a new type of book that I donāt typically read.
āThey looked like vestal virgins processing towards the offertory flame.ā
Did I like the characters? I thought both Laura and Carmillaās character development was interesting to look into.I appreciate the sapphism, but I didnāt really like the insta-love. Is this a spoiler? Eh. Guess Iāll turn on the spoilers button. Like okay, Laura was instantly attracted to Carmilla, but it was like a complete 180 for Carmilla when she started to become more attracted to Laura.
āI wasnāt obsessed, I assured myself. I was only curious.ā
I was immediately aware of the power dynamic De Lafontaine had over Carmilla and I was so against their relationship.It turned out to be more mother-daughter than romantic, but it was romantic for Carmilla at least. I thought it was weird, the professor taking advantage of a studentās almost obsession with her. It made me feel pretty icky. Iām glad it turned into something that wasnāt romantic, but it was still weird. Maybe itās just me, I donāt know.
āYou must excel or else fade into obscurity.ā
I donāt know why I was surprised about the vampires haha. I think I vaguely remember A Dowry in Blood being about vampires and I think it was said that An Education in Malice takes place in the same world as A Dowry in Blood. I donāt know, the part where things take a big turn immediately made me gasp and I wasnāt expecting that to actually happen.
āIn helping things grow, I love knowing that I was the force behind such beauty, that, in the end, it couldnāt exist without me.ā
LET ME START ON THE ENDING. Ughhhhhh I hate hate hate endings where the reader has to take guesses on whether the character chooses to do something or not because we will never be sure if itās right because it isnāt cannon. Iām actually so disappointed in that ending I had to dock half a star. I detest endings like that, and I can only hope that I donāt have to read another standalone that has a similar like ending.
āI couldnāt walk away from what I was being offered: the chance to live an exceptional life.ā
All in all, I enjoyed the book, I didnāt hate it. Maybe Iāll actually read A Dowry in Blood, maybe I wonāt. I wonder if Iāll actually remember the book and its plot after a while. That pretty much determines whether I feel affected by the book. Iām really glad I was given the opportunity to read An Education in Malice.
āHysteria is a made-up patriarchal tool of oppression.ā
First let me say thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for giving me the chance to read An Education in Malice. Iāve been wanting to read S.T. Gibson ever since Iāve heard great things about A Dowry in Blood, so I was really excited when I was approved to read this book!
āIf I couldnāt touch her, Iād settle for making her squirm.ā
How do I even start to explain how I felt about this book? It was a wild ride reading An Education in Malice. Iām glad I knew in advance that this was adult fiction. As a reader who typically reads YA, it was nice to know I was reading about horny teenagers haha.
āI write to remember the exultations and miseries of my life. To capture certain moments, certainā¦ people in amber, so they will never diminish, never fade. When youāre as old as I am, sometimes all you have for company are your memories. When everyone else has left you, they remain.ā
An Education in Malice is a very quotable book. This might actually be my first academia book, so I kind of was wondering what academia is. Will it always have words I donāt recognize? Will there always be notable quotes that pique my interest? It was refreshing to take a look at a new type of book that I donāt typically read.
āThey looked like vestal virgins processing towards the offertory flame.ā
Did I like the characters? I thought both Laura and Carmillaās character development was interesting to look into.
āI wasnāt obsessed, I assured myself. I was only curious.ā
I was immediately aware of the power dynamic De Lafontaine had over Carmilla and I was so against their relationship.
āYou must excel or else fade into obscurity.ā
I donāt know why I was surprised about the vampires haha. I think I vaguely remember A Dowry in Blood being about vampires and I think it was said that An Education in Malice takes place in the same world as A Dowry in Blood. I donāt know, the part where things take a big turn immediately made me gasp and I wasnāt expecting that to actually happen.
āIn helping things grow, I love knowing that I was the force behind such beauty, that, in the end, it couldnāt exist without me.ā
LET ME START ON THE ENDING. Ughhhhhh I hate hate hate endings where the reader has to take guesses on whether the character chooses to do something or not because we will never be sure if itās right because it isnāt cannon. Iām actually so disappointed in that ending I had to dock half a star. I detest endings like that, and I can only hope that I donāt have to read another standalone that has a similar like ending.
āI couldnāt walk away from what I was being offered: the chance to live an exceptional life.ā
All in all, I enjoyed the book, I didnāt hate it. Maybe Iāll actually read A Dowry in Blood, maybe I wonāt. I wonder if Iāll actually remember the book and its plot after a while. That pretty much determines whether I feel affected by the book. Iām really glad I was given the opportunity to read An Education in Malice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Alcohol
midnightrose_reads's review
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? Yes
3.75
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson is a standalone sapphic dark academia retelling of Carmilla.
It was mostly an enjoyable read for me even though some things bothered me about the plot. Specifically the lack of urgency on the part of DeLafontaine, Laura and Carmilla to dispatch an out of control vampire on the college campus sooner in the narrative. Instead DeLafontaine introduces them to vampire society (specifically Carmilla who sheās turned earlier in the story; with her human companion Laura in tow), Laura goes for Thanksgiving break to San Francisco to spend time with her friendās family, and DeLafontaine holds these private poetry readings between Carmilla and Laura. There doesnāt seem to be a sense of urgency until towards the end of the book to prevent more murders of the student body which I found bizarre.
It was mostly an enjoyable read for me even though some things bothered me about the plot. Specifically the lack of urgency on the part of DeLafontaine, Laura and Carmilla to dispatch an out of control vampire on the college campus sooner in the narrative. Instead DeLafontaine introduces them to vampire society (specifically Carmilla who sheās turned earlier in the story; with her human companion Laura in tow), Laura goes for Thanksgiving break to San Francisco to spend time with her friendās family, and DeLafontaine holds these private poetry readings between Carmilla and Laura. There doesnāt seem to be a sense of urgency until towards the end of the book to prevent more murders of the student body which I found bizarre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Gore, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
grownmoss's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content
Moderate: Murder and Death
manola's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book sadly fell short for me. It had an interesting potential but it focused on few things that developed in ways that weirdly didn't feel compelling.
The story centers on both protagonists, Laura and Carmilla, and how their relationship develops and twists over time. Both girls were fine; I liked Laura and it was fun to witness the first interactions she had with Carmilla, who remained cold and a bit 'bitchy' at first, but their POVs were hard to differentiate. The author did explain in an interview that she was avoiding their narrations clashing too much and disturbing the cohesion of the story, but for me that ended up muddling their voices together in a way that made it difficult for me to find what made each their own character.
I understand that part of the idea for the story (if you want to completely avoid spoilers, I suppose you should skip this part) is watching Laura kind of turn into Carmilla, to start resembling her in some ways, and making the reader sit uncomfortably in that process and wonder if it truly is what's 'best' for her or not. But that transformation wasn't that enticing to me for some reason. I couldn't make myself connect with the characters or feel much compassion for them either. I thought the story could've benefited from weaving in more subplots and character's stories; there are a few secondary characters I found interesting and left wondering about them when the novel tied off.
I just feel like it would've been interesting to have had more things happening in this book. What it concentrated on I ended up not feeling compelled by in the end. It's an interesting concept, and if you enjoy vampire novels it might strike your fancy, but it didn't really do it for me.
(I'm also writing this after some days of having read this, and the story got pretty scrambled in my head so it was hard to put my feelings into words).
The story centers on both protagonists, Laura and Carmilla, and how their relationship develops and twists over time. Both girls were fine; I liked Laura and it was fun to witness the first interactions she had with Carmilla, who remained cold and a bit 'bitchy' at first, but their POVs were hard to differentiate. The author did explain in an interview that she was avoiding their narrations clashing too much and disturbing the cohesion of the story, but for me that ended up muddling their voices together in a way that made it difficult for me to find what made each their own character.
I understand that part of the idea for the story (if you want to completely avoid spoilers, I suppose you should skip this part) is watching Laura kind of turn into Carmilla, to start resembling her in some ways, and making the reader sit uncomfortably in that process and wonder if it truly is what's 'best' for her or not. But that transformation wasn't that enticing to me for some reason. I couldn't make myself connect with the characters or feel much compassion for them either. I thought the story could've benefited from weaving in more subplots and character's stories; there are a few secondary characters I found interesting and left wondering about them when the novel tied off.
I just feel like it would've been interesting to have had more things happening in this book. What it concentrated on I ended up not feeling compelled by in the end. It's an interesting concept, and if you enjoy vampire novels it might strike your fancy, but it didn't really do it for me.
(I'm also writing this after some days of having read this, and the story got pretty scrambled in my head so it was hard to put my feelings into words).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Blood, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
annabelle's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
ST Gibson is a master of writing complicated relationships that center around power dynamics. I loved the setting and enjoyed the exploration of the relationships between Laura, Carmilla, and De Lafontaine. Carmilla was most compelling to me out of the three of them.
I wish we dug in deeper to their characters and relationships and explored more of the vampiric world and its implications. I didnāt fall totally in love with this story the way I did with A Dowry of Blood, but I still enjoyed my time reading this.
I wish we dug in deeper to their characters and relationships and explored more of the vampiric world and its implications. I didnāt fall totally in love with this story the way I did with A Dowry of Blood, but I still enjoyed my time reading this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Toxic relationship
shellbell_04's review
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Overall the plot was good but I found myself getting mad at certain characters- but I think that just means they were developed enough to frustrate me on a emotional level. I also wish that the book wasnāt as fast in parts and there was slightly more world building
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Alcohol