A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.
Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.
Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.
After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.
As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College, and the way her mentor’s tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it’s a test she’s terrified she is going to fail.
“It’s easier to lie when you don’t know the truth.”
Eerie and thrilling with way more horror than I expected. An Academy of Liars had a unique concept of using persuasion to bend reality to your will. It really made you ask yourself moral questions throughout in a very twisting way.
It took a little bit for me to really get pulled in. With the main characters, I thought the relationships felt disconnected. Between Lennon and Dante, yes, he kept her at arm’s length for a reason, but even when the tipping point occurred I never truly felt a switchover. For some reason, Kieran and Sawyer were my favorites in this. I liked their personalities and parts they played in the story.
I think there is a really awesome concept here. It is extremely dark academia with a thriller twist that will definitely keep you questioning throughout.
Jotted by Jena 