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A review by sarah2438
An Education in Malice by S.T. Gibson
4.5
I devoured this in all possible forms, given that I received an e-ARC, had my pre-ordered hardcover, and listened to it on Spotify. Because come on, we all knew I'd love this. Full transparency, I haven't even read the description since I first saw it, so I basically went in blind because I just trust S. T. Gibson implicitly after Dowry of Blood. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it, but today's vibe just didn't fit with reading on my kindle. Regardless of the format, this book consumed me.
There are a couple of moments early in the novel where the dark academia is so overdone that it becomes almost comical, like when a character recites Paradise Lost to calm herself, but I found that Gibson quickly hit her stride and left that awkwardness in the dust. The writing is beautiful and even poetic at times. The relationship between Carmilla and Laura was somehow genuinely sweet and romantic despite all the darkness. And honestly, I'd like to have a story all about De Lafontaine, even though I did expect her to be maybe a bit older given the depth of loss that she felt, or for that loss to have been from longer ago than it was. Finally, the ultimate confrontation at the end was a bit underwhelming for me. It seemed pretty clear all of our MCs were in on it, so I didn't feel any tension there or ever believe De Lafontaine was actually making that sacrifice.
While there are some general shared themes between this novel and the original Carmilla, I would not consider this a retelling, but I don't think it's the author or publisher marketing it as one.
Also, not that this is relevant at all to the e-ARC, but why is the font in this hard copy HUGE? I had to double-check that I hadn't accidentally ordered the large-print edition.
All this to say, while I absolutely adored this book, I was unfortunately able to see a few flaws. They're nothing that would deter me from recommending it or loving it, but I just can't quite get myself to do 5 stars. This is a 4.5 or, for those platforms that don't have half stars, a very very strong 4/5.
**Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!!
There are a couple of moments early in the novel where the dark academia is so overdone that it becomes almost comical, like when a character recites Paradise Lost to calm herself, but I found that Gibson quickly hit her stride and left that awkwardness in the dust. The writing is beautiful and even poetic at times. The relationship between Carmilla and Laura was somehow genuinely sweet and romantic despite all the darkness. And honestly, I'd like to have a story all about De Lafontaine, even though I did expect her to be maybe a bit older given the depth of loss that she felt, or for that loss to have been from longer ago than it was. Finally, the ultimate confrontation at the end was a bit underwhelming for me.
While there are some general shared themes between this novel and the original Carmilla, I would not consider this a retelling, but I don't think it's the author or publisher marketing it as one.
Also, not that this is relevant at all to the e-ARC, but why is the font in this hard copy HUGE? I had to double-check that I hadn't accidentally ordered the large-print edition.
All this to say, while I absolutely adored this book, I was unfortunately able to see a few flaws. They're nothing that would deter me from recommending it or loving it, but I just can't quite get myself to do 5 stars. This is a 4.5 or, for those platforms that don't have half stars, a very very strong 4/5.
**Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!!