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

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I fell deeply in love with the imagery and overall vibe established in the beginning of the book. Never have I yearned more for a traditional college experience on a campus with ancient buildings and a rich history. The first few chapters feel sunlit, not necessarily light, but the sun is shining and you, nor the characters, yet know the horrors possible. The characters are all beautifully developed and the three main characters feel whole. De Lafontaine never feels fully known by the reader, because she keeps so much of herself from Carmilla and Laura, as much as they know, we know. This entire book is poetry, I found myself constantly finding lines I wanted to write down. An important thing to know about this book is there is a very distinct first and second half of the book. It is not marked, but there is a specific plot point that very clearly marks the two halves of the book as different. The first half does an amazing job of establishing and creating this world that they live in. The St. Perpetuas campus felt real and I could vividly see it in my mind's eye as though I were there. I loved the creation of the routine, the focus on academia and the obsession with the poetry seminar. The beginning of Laura and Carmilla's obsession with one another, how it slowly but surely goes from embers to a burning fire. The second half is where we delve more into darkness and De Lafontaine, she becomes more known and yet held at arm's length. Academia becomes more of a background part of the story and vampires take the forefront. The evolution of Laura and Carmilla's relationship is so delicious to read, the rivalry to obsession to lovers was done so beautifully. Once their relationship blooms it's so much softer than one would think yet also just as depraved as one expects. I deeply love S.T. Gibson's writing and was thrilled to have a cameo of Magdelena my darling! The ending was bittersweet yet not painful and left the door open for future adventures with Laura and Carmilla in this vampiric world. Fair warning that is book is incredibly horny and there is an orgy scene, all characters are twenty or older and there is very clear consent for everything sexual that happens. 
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