Dark Academia Book Recs by Kris!
"That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands ."--R. F. Kuang, Babel
Colorful leaves in the air, coffee (or tea) in hand, and a good book waiting for you—what could make the fall time even better than it already is? My answer: dark academia books. And a lot of them! Here is my list of my favorite dark academia reads and some more I haven’t read yet, but am very excited to fall into as the days grow shorter.
An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson
Sapphic rivals-to-lovers dark academia with vampires? Absolutely! Returning to the world she created in Dowry of Blood, Gibson takes us to a college that’s brimming with beautiful fall leaves, and spilt blood. The push and pull of rivals along with a greater mystery happening right on campus makes this book one of my all-time favorites of the genre.
All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
If you want to be the best in this world, you have to invite the best in—and that’s not a laughing matter. Dive into the mystery at Corbin College as our main character, Tara, navigates the social structure, and academic rivalry. There’s more to this college than meets the eyes, and Tara is on a self-destructive course to find out for herself.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
So far in this two-book series (I am desperate for a third!), we’re introduced into a world with secret magic societies that seem to have their entire magic system embedded into every echelon of society. Then we have our main character, Alex, who is not the kind of girl who goes to Yale and doesn’t she know it. But Alex has a particular talent that has invited her into the elite school and deep into the magical societies and their dramas. Chaos ensue.
In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology edited by Maria O'Regan and Paul Kane
Bringing together some of the best authors of dark academia in this haunting collection, it gives wonderful bite-sized stories that are still packed with ghosts, murders, and mysteries that make dark academia what it is! If you’re new to dark academia, I cannot recommend this book enough as it serves not only as a sampling to the genre, but also to the incredible authors that make the genre so captivating!
A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
This dark and haunting read will chill you to the bone with its ghost-story-vibes. It’s about two characters who are invited to a dilapidated house on a cliff to help rebuild—or destroy—the home, with or without the current owner’s blessing. These two rivals-to-lovers are on the opposite sides of academia, but as the house and its haunting owner seem to be at the center of strange events, the academics don’t just have a grade on the line, but their very lives.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Blake is very talented at taking a large cast of characters and giving each of them their own stories, drives and voices, but also making the reader love each in turn and feel personal betrayal when they don’t act like characters (they act like people). Take all of that talent and throw it into a secret magical society that’s invite only and taking on the topic of Time itself, and you get The Atlas Six. Be careful who you pick as your favorite: this dark and twisty tale will have you at your wits’ end by the time you finish the first book, let alone the other two in the series!
Babel by R. F. Kuang
This incredible dark academia is filled with magic and mysteries on every page! I loved how Kuang took the characters on a journey with the protagonist as he grapples with his own identity and issues within the academic world. Colonialism, racism, white supremacy, and sexism are just a few of the issues woven into the story. I also want to say that this magic system is one of my favorite systems I have come across in my countless hours in fantasy worlds!
ABOUT THE BOOKSELLER
Kris studied for their MA in creative writing in Cardiff, Wales. Their favorite genres are horror, science, manga, and fantasy. Kris cannot DNF a book; they either force their way to the finish or it sits in their TBR pile for all eternity.