A review by heathersinkwell
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

AN EDUCATION IN MALICE by S. T. Gibson is a Carmilla reimagining that takes place in the 1960s at an all-girls private college in Massachusetts. It’s a dual-POV novel filled with sapphic vampires. This book is atmospheric and filled with dark academia themes (check the content warnings before reading!).

I very much enjoyed this book. I loved Gibson’s prose and character development. Where I didn’t naturally identify with and fall in love with the characters, I was still able to thoroughly enjoy this book. The academic rivals-to-lovers trope was done well in the beginning but lost a bit of steam once the two girls got together. There were several parts of the book that felt rushed, this being one of them, but it never brought me out of the story.

The narrator, overall, did a great job. Her accents and voices were great for each character. My one complaint is that she lost the accents a few times, which made some pieces of dialogue a bit confusing. 

Again, overall, I very much enjoyed this book and am excited for Gibson’s next work.

Thank you to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC!

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