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A review by willrefuge
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
4.0
7.5 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/02/13/an-education-in-malice-by-s-t-gibson-review/
“It sounds dark.”
That was my friend’s take upon reading the back cover of An Education in Malice. And exactly the reason I requested it in the first place. Because I don’t read books primarily for their depiction of romance—it’s not my thing. A little bit of darkness, a little bit of magic, a little bit of chaos, yes, even a little bit of romance—that’s my jam.
And this one does start with a little bit of darkness, as something is dark at the heart of this women’s college. I dunno what I was hoping for exactly: occult, for the Massachusetts’ Salem-witches vibe; demons, for the college-summoning vibe; death cults, vampires, ghosts, myths and legends—it’s all on the table. I’m not going to spoil it, but while this does deliver on some element of darkness, it really could’ve been better. The tinge of shadow only really lasts til about the halfway point, when the wool is removed from our eyes. What takes place after that is basically a straightforward (and unoriginal) plot, a straightforward romance, a satisfying end, and an overall lack of darkness.
Now I’ve already stated that I don’t really go in for just romance, so I’m not going to analyze that part too closely. It’s… fine. Entertaining enough, though I felt it went over-the-top at times—basically how I feel about the romance genre in general. Certainly no worse. There’s a bit of a love-triangle, but it’s well done, as it’s not a triangle in the traditional sense, which I very much appreciated.
The leading three characters are deep, immersive, and well thought out, each with their own sense of realism (while not being completely realistic in the way of typical romance leads). However those outside the top three were quite a bit less substantial. Elenore in particular I was expecting more of, as she is much more present in Laura’s life. But the last time we hear from her is entirely inconsequential, and then she’s gone for good. It’s quite a disappointment, as strong as the main cast is.
The story itself (while fairly straightforward and unoriginal) honestly kept me reading. It’s an easy tale to get into, and more than enough to see you through to the end. A fairly quick read; entertaining, immersive, a good distraction from the demands of life. Not 100% that it’s worth the $15 ebook price, but that’s the way of things nowadays. And for you yourself to decide.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/02/13/an-education-in-malice-by-s-t-gibson-review/
“It sounds dark.”
That was my friend’s take upon reading the back cover of An Education in Malice. And exactly the reason I requested it in the first place. Because I don’t read books primarily for their depiction of romance—it’s not my thing. A little bit of darkness, a little bit of magic, a little bit of chaos, yes, even a little bit of romance—that’s my jam.
And this one does start with a little bit of darkness, as something is dark at the heart of this women’s college. I dunno what I was hoping for exactly: occult, for the Massachusetts’ Salem-witches vibe; demons, for the college-summoning vibe; death cults, vampires, ghosts, myths and legends—it’s all on the table. I’m not going to spoil it, but while this does deliver on some element of darkness, it really could’ve been better. The tinge of shadow only really lasts til about the halfway point, when the wool is removed from our eyes. What takes place after that is basically a straightforward (and unoriginal) plot, a straightforward romance, a satisfying end, and an overall lack of darkness.
Now I’ve already stated that I don’t really go in for just romance, so I’m not going to analyze that part too closely. It’s… fine. Entertaining enough, though I felt it went over-the-top at times—basically how I feel about the romance genre in general. Certainly no worse. There’s a bit of a love-triangle, but it’s well done, as it’s not a triangle in the traditional sense, which I very much appreciated.
The leading three characters are deep, immersive, and well thought out, each with their own sense of realism (while not being completely realistic in the way of typical romance leads). However those outside the top three were quite a bit less substantial. Elenore in particular I was expecting more of, as she is much more present in Laura’s life. But the last time we hear from her is entirely inconsequential, and then she’s gone for good. It’s quite a disappointment, as strong as the main cast is.
The story itself (while fairly straightforward and unoriginal) honestly kept me reading. It’s an easy tale to get into, and more than enough to see you through to the end. A fairly quick read; entertaining, immersive, a good distraction from the demands of life. Not 100% that it’s worth the $15 ebook price, but that’s the way of things nowadays. And for you yourself to decide.