Today’s review is about AN EDUCATION IN MALICE by S.T. Gibson. It’s a retelling of CARMILLA set in 1960s Massachusetts at a historical women’s college. This dual point of view novel portrays a dark academia environment, vampires, and uneven power dynamics.

Author: S.T. Gibson
Series: None
Age Category: Adult
Publisher: Redhook
Publish Date: February 13, 2024
Print Length: 368

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Official Synopsis

Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua’s College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.

For more from S.T. Gibson, check out A Dowry of Blood.

My Review

I received a free advanced reading copy of this book from the publisher. My review is my own and reflects my honest opinion about this book.

AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is a retelling of the 19th century gothic novel CARMILLA. Set in 1968, a numerical anagram of an important year in CARMILLA, Laura Sheridan arrives at Saint Perpetua’s College in Massachusetts to continue her education. With a keen interest in writing, Laura starts her first year of classes in an upper level poetry class with the esteemed Professor De Lafontaine. What she doesn’t expect is an academic rivalry with Carmilla, the class star, that bleeds into every aspect of her life. As Laura learns more about De Lafontaine and Carmilla, the stakes rise when the sun sets.

Like S.T. Gibson’s A DOWRY OF BLOOD, AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is a novel with vampires. There is also an uneven power dynamic, this time between Professor De Lafontaine and two of her students, Laura and Carmilla. Gibson presents two points of view between Laura and Carmilla. Laura is from Mississippi and seeks to come into her own, whether that’s about her writing skills or her sexuality. Carmilla, bold and stubborn, craves approval and praise, which directs her into De Lafontaine’s magnetic orbit. Personally, I enjoyed Laura’s POV better because of her sensibility.

As Laura and Carmilla end up spending more time together, their rivalry begins to transform into that of lovers. This highlights the questionable dynamic between De Lafontaine and Carmilla. It’s one of old, patient power (De Lafontaine) vs. impetuousness and idolatry (Carmilla) that may leave some readers a little unsettled. While this power dynamic evolves into something less disconcerting, I found this change rather abrupt and unexplored. I also felt as if I couldn’t quite grasp the deeper meaning of it all, like a word perched on the tip of my tongue, waiting for recognition.

Although this story contains vampires and a religious character, the religious metaphors are few, or perhaps missed by someone (me) with an inexperienced eye. It’s perhaps unfair to compare a new story to the author’s debut, but I had hoped for something similar with keen analogies and lyrical writing. The writing style in AN EDUCATION IN MALICE is perfectly fine. But I felt that the atmosphere lacked a certain panache, as if this particular book was a bit difficult to write. It didn’t feel quite as dark academia as I anticipated. Rather, the story focused more on the comings and goings of Laura and Carmilla instead of the history of the school or its grounds. However, that aside, it’s an absorbing and bingeable sapphic read. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, but it’s slightly open to interpretation, so anything goes.

Objective commentary aside, overall, I enjoyed AN EDUCATION IN MALICE. It explores the power dynamics between the instructor and the student and also how that dynamic can be imprinted and nurtured within someone who has a vulnerable mind.

Rating: 3.75
Content warnings: blood, gore, death, sexual content
Reading format: ARC Paperback