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emoverhere 's review for:
An Education in Malice
by S.T. Gibson
First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audiobook arc!
I’m not a fan of dark academia, shocking in today’s climate, I know. But I don’t find the setting or the storylines it usually involved as interesting. It’s a thing I have fought myself long and hard for, but it was futile, or at least it was, up until I read An Education in Malice.
I loved this book. The prose were gorgeous, the characters felt like actual companions by the end of the book that I didn’t want to part with, their struggles felt, somehow, very real. I found myself sympathizing with them, fearing for them, concerned about their eventual wellbeing. I adored the dynamic between Laura and Carmilla, and was pleasantly surprised by how subversive the relationship between Carmilla/Laura and De La Fontaine, though there was still plenty of toxicity to go around, I was incredibly relieved that it didn’t go down the sexual route.
The setting itself felt captivating, the school, its not quite prestigious but also not for commoners vibe was done well, though I would’ve like more insight into the inner culture of the school itself. We got hints of it at the beginning when Laura and Carmilla’s relationship didn’t dominate the plot (not that I’m complaining about that), and I would’ve loved to know more about the girls, their perspectives about our protagonists. A little outsider view is always fun.
As for the romance, it was magnificent, the initial rivalry bordering on hostility from both girls was fascinating, it hooked me and didn’t let go. The development was done very well, and so seamlessly it felt absolutely natural, which is something difficult for an enemies to lovers romance to pull off in a relatively short book,
De La Fontaine herself was an incredibly interesting character, I sympathized with her half the time, and couldn’t stand her the other. Her conflicting feelings, her catastrophic lapse of judgement on that fateful night, and the events that followed because of it were some of my favorite parts about the book. I would’ve loved to get some chapters from her perspective, I think it would’ve added so much to the story.
All in all, I loved this, and I’m looking forward to reading more things by S. T. Gibson!
4.25/5
I’m not a fan of dark academia, shocking in today’s climate, I know. But I don’t find the setting or the storylines it usually involved as interesting. It’s a thing I have fought myself long and hard for, but it was futile, or at least it was, up until I read An Education in Malice.
I loved this book. The prose were gorgeous, the characters felt like actual companions by the end of the book that I didn’t want to part with, their struggles felt, somehow, very real. I found myself sympathizing with them, fearing for them, concerned about their eventual wellbeing. I adored the dynamic between Laura and Carmilla, and was pleasantly surprised by how subversive the relationship between Carmilla/Laura and De La Fontaine, though there was still plenty of toxicity to go around, I was incredibly relieved that it didn’t go down the sexual route.
The setting itself felt captivating, the school, its not quite prestigious but also not for commoners vibe was done well, though I would’ve like more insight into the inner culture of the school itself. We got hints of it at the beginning when Laura and Carmilla’s relationship didn’t dominate the plot (not that I’m complaining about that), and I would’ve loved to know more about the girls, their perspectives about our protagonists. A little outsider view is always fun.
As for the romance, it was magnificent, the initial rivalry bordering on hostility from both girls was fascinating, it hooked me and didn’t let go. The development was done very well, and so seamlessly it felt absolutely natural, which is something difficult for an enemies to lovers romance to pull off in a relatively short book,
De La Fontaine herself was an incredibly interesting character, I sympathized with her half the time, and couldn’t stand her the other. Her conflicting feelings, her catastrophic lapse of judgement on that fateful night, and the events that followed because of it were some of my favorite parts about the book. I would’ve loved to get some chapters from her perspective, I think it would’ve added so much to the story.
All in all, I loved this, and I’m looking forward to reading more things by S. T. Gibson!
4.25/5