Scan barcode
bergha1998's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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
3.75
Beautifully written and the setting was gorgeous. As with Dowry of Blood there is so much psychological and interpersonal conflict. It can be difficult and a bit triggering to be honest. However, I really liked Laura and Carmilla.
Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Emotional, 2 1/2 đ„
âLife doesnât seem worthwhile without synthesizing my experiences into art, the catharsis of putting it all out onto the page. Itâs the only way Iâve ever been able to get other people to understand how Iâm feeling.â
Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers, Emotional, 2 1/2 đ„
âLife doesnât seem worthwhile without synthesizing my experiences into art, the catharsis of putting it all out onto the page. Itâs the only way Iâve ever been able to get other people to understand how Iâm feeling.â
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Body horror, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Toxic friendship, Blood, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Death
hedonsgaybookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC.
Dark academia, obsessive sapphic romance, vampires, kink, and gore? Yes please!
Dark academia, obsessive sapphic romance, vampires, kink, and gore? Yes please!
As in âDowry of Blood,â Gibson swiftly establishes a lush and immersive atmosphere of dark tension and intrigue. The charactersâ relationships are consuming and dangerously intertwined, characterized by both sick fascination and a craving for violence. We see this cruelty become sweeter and more intimate over time, mirrored in the sexual power play between the two young women MCs. Several plot turns are refreshingly unpredictable, moving faster in the second half and racing toward an imperfect but hopeful ending.
I enjoy the exploration of attachment beyond the romantic, the different relational forms that love and lust can take. The professor-student power dynamics are notably not sensationalized, thoughtfully balancing themes of predation/exploitation with the classic queer experience of infatuation with a mentor. I appreciate Gibsonâs consideration with handling toxic academic power dynamics, as well as the race, class, and body size representation in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Homophobia
lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I was so excited to pick this book up because of how much I enjoyed "A Dowry in Blood".
"An Education in Malice" is a novel that follows Laura Sheridan as she begins her academic journey at Saint Perpetua's College. On her first day, she meets an enchanting peer named Carmilla, whom she grows to have a vicious rivalry with. Laura and Carmilla are both trying to prove that they are the best poets to their professor De Lafontaine, whom is also obsessed with Carmilla, but for very different reasons.
S.T. Gibson has a beautiful way with words, and her prose is captivating in the most stunning of ways. However, I was not as enamored with this book as I was with "A Dowry in Blood". I still very much appreciated this story, and I enjoyed seeing the author write something new.
Laura and Carmilla are both beautifully flawed women, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve from enemies to something more. I think they both helped to bring out the best in each other because they both pushed each other to never be complacent. I think they both also brought out the softness in one another, which is so important, especially for a hopeful poet.
This story is about vampires, but I think the vampiric elements are much more of a subpoint in comparison to the other themes going on. I found this story to be more about love, self-discovery, and finding your niche in your art.
I will definitely be picking up more of S.T. Gibson's work in the future.
"An Education in Malice" is a novel that follows Laura Sheridan as she begins her academic journey at Saint Perpetua's College. On her first day, she meets an enchanting peer named Carmilla, whom she grows to have a vicious rivalry with. Laura and Carmilla are both trying to prove that they are the best poets to their professor De Lafontaine, whom is also obsessed with Carmilla, but for very different reasons.
S.T. Gibson has a beautiful way with words, and her prose is captivating in the most stunning of ways. However, I was not as enamored with this book as I was with "A Dowry in Blood". I still very much appreciated this story, and I enjoyed seeing the author write something new.
Laura and Carmilla are both beautifully flawed women, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship evolve from enemies to something more. I think they both helped to bring out the best in each other because they both pushed each other to never be complacent. I think they both also brought out the softness in one another, which is so important, especially for a hopeful poet.
This story is about vampires, but I think the vampiric elements are much more of a subpoint in comparison to the other themes going on. I found this story to be more about love, self-discovery, and finding your niche in your art.
I will definitely be picking up more of S.T. Gibson's work in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
aliteraryescape's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death
Minor: Alcoholism
nightmarebees's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
yeah this one is NOT for the straights
âI wanted to fall at her feet and worship her. I wanted to desecrate her in every filthy manner I could imagine. I wanted all of her, in every way, all at once.â
after i sped through dowry of blood in a single day, i was so excited to pick this up and it did NOT disappoint. sexy, bloody, toxic, decadent, sapphic as all hell. this one was written for queer girlies specifically. do i hate her? do i love her? do i hate that i want her? should i hate myself for wanting her?
âI was miserably vexed by her presence, but I was just plain miserable without her.â
the themes of jealousy and envy are so well explored as to make you uncomfortable bc it feels like this book SEES you. the dynamics of the main trio are so messy and entangled that at times you donât know who to root for.
literally the only thing keeping this from a full 5 stars for me was that something about the pacing felt a bit off. maybe it just felt different bc it took place over such a shorter period of time than dowry.
lush prose, atmosphere that manages to be both spooky and cozy, and a feeling of obsession that made this so hard to put down. i loved this.
âI wanted to fall at her feet and worship her. I wanted to desecrate her in every filthy manner I could imagine. I wanted all of her, in every way, all at once.â
after i sped through dowry of blood in a single day, i was so excited to pick this up and it did NOT disappoint. sexy, bloody, toxic, decadent, sapphic as all hell. this one was written for queer girlies specifically. do i hate her? do i love her? do i hate that i want her? should i hate myself for wanting her?
âI was miserably vexed by her presence, but I was just plain miserable without her.â
the themes of jealousy and envy are so well explored as to make you uncomfortable bc it feels like this book SEES you. the dynamics of the main trio are so messy and entangled that at times you donât know who to root for.
literally the only thing keeping this from a full 5 stars for me was that something about the pacing felt a bit off. maybe it just felt different bc it took place over such a shorter period of time than dowry.
lush prose, atmosphere that manages to be both spooky and cozy, and a feeling of obsession that made this so hard to put down. i loved this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Sexual content, and Blood
Moderate: Toxic relationship
missreaderlove's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A dark academia retelling of the classic Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu.
I loved that Gibson stayed true to the majority of the plot in Carmilla, but added in her own little changes and quirks to make it her own.
The last quarter of the book was what dropped it down a star for me - I wished there was a focus other than the romantic story, like the previous parts.
Overall, an intense and engaging novel.
I loved that Gibson stayed true to the majority of the plot in Carmilla, but added in her own little changes and quirks to make it her own.
The last quarter of the book was what dropped it down a star for me - I wished there was a focus other than the romantic story, like the previous parts.
Overall, an intense and engaging novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Violence, Death, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content
ashrosereads_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. I haven't read many sapphic romance books but I really enjoyed this one. I loved the dark academia setting with a touch of fantasy. I honestly only read a few sentences of the synopsis and was like, âyupâ right away.
Gibson has such a prose-like voice that is simple yet so perfectly ample at the same time.
I really really wished it was longer. I could have certainly lived in this story for even 200 pages more, but Iâm always feeling that way when I enjoy the writing.
It explores some pretty dark themes, one which I will personally pen as âgroomingâ and uneven power dynamics as supplied by Gibsonâs content warnings before the book begins. (Which is much appreciated).
Read it! Itâs fast and suspenseful and lyrical - then keep it on your shelf always when you need a quick moody sapphic fantasy read.
Gibson has such a prose-like voice that is simple yet so perfectly ample at the same time.
I really really wished it was longer. I could have certainly lived in this story for even 200 pages more, but Iâm always feeling that way when I enjoy the writing.
It explores some pretty dark themes, one which I will personally pen as âgroomingâ and uneven power dynamics as supplied by Gibsonâs content warnings before the book begins. (Which is much appreciated).
Read it! Itâs fast and suspenseful and lyrical - then keep it on your shelf always when you need a quick moody sapphic fantasy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Gore
ohennui's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use
toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Instead of devouring this book in one sitting the way I desperately wanted to, I forced myself to take my time while I immersed myself in Saint's gorgeous prose, deep compelling characters, and the stunning dark academia setting. I loved everything about this book and annotated it like crazy. There is just so much to enjoy here and I'm truly not going to shut up until all my friends read this. If you loved Dowry, you'll love this. Just trust me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Blood, Sexual content, and Drug use
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment
Minor: Racism
lightfoot33's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really liked this! I found it easy and compulsive to read. A Dowry of Blood was the better book and this one "hit" me a little less, but overall it was pretty good for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Sexual content