Murder & More in Academia!

This dark academic fantasy debut has a cult following for a reason. Every decade, six of the most uniquely talented magicians are selected to join a secret society that cares for the lost library of Alexandria, but as with most elusive invitations, there’s a catch. This is a tale of power, privilege, magic and manipulation told through six extraordinary characters that will linger in your subconscious indefinitely. Believe the hype.

YA powerhouse author Leigh Bardugo gifts readers with a tale of intrigue and supernatural horror set in the world of Ivy League secret societies. Galaxy “Alex” Stern has a past that would give anyone nightmares; as the only survivor of a multiple homicide, the 20-year-old is in desperate need of a fresh start. It arrives in the form of a full ride at Yale, with the caveat that she must report back to her strange benefactors with information concerning the occult activities taking place on campus. The B&N Exclusive Edition includes an annotated chapter with handwritten notes from Leigh Bardugo in the margins.

In an imaginative twist on superhero tropes, this novel follows two college friends in their pursuit for power whose determination leads to tragic consequences, changing them both forever. Once friendly competitors, the two become bitter enemies as their powers lead them on divergent paths that will leave the reader asking questions about what really makes a hero or a villain.

A supremely sarcastic sorceress (and supposed harbinger of death) does her best to survive and thrive in this first book in the Scholomance series. Novik maintains her stunning world-building and intriguing characters with this first-in-class novel, and you’ll want to follow Galadriel straight through this insane school and right into the sequel.

A boarding school enshrouded in tales of witchcraft, the mysterious death of five students, and one student facing the darkness of the school when history starts to repeat itself, Lesson in Vengeance is a must-read book for fans of dark academia. Full of twists and suspense, this read follows Felicity who called the campus of Dalloway home until the death of her girlfriend. She returns to campus after a year away, hoping to put the darkness behind her, but the campus’s history, and the new girl, simply won’t let her put the past behind her.

A love story for the ages set against a backdrop of feuding otherworldly creatures: A Discovery of Witches is fun and addictive from start to finish. We meet Diana, our heroine and unlikely witch who falls into thrall with a scintillating vampire. Their love story sets off a chain of events centuries in the making, and the action, academic and otherwise (!), builds through to the end and will leave you ready for book two in the All Souls trilogy.

A gripping thriller, The Secret History is the type of enthralling book that you simply cannot put down. With a charismatic classics professor, a group of eccentric misfits, and a new way of living and thinking, this book is an exploration of boundaries and just how thin the line really is between truly living and the ease of killing.

If you’re looking for your next read after The Secret History, then you should definitely check out If We Were Villains. This debut is an exploration of passion and jealousy, and if you’re a fan of Shakespeare, then it’s the perfect dark academia for you! Set at a conservatory, it follows seven young actors with a history of cutthroat competition. In their fourth year, the tragedies they’re so used to on stage catch up to them off stage, and they find themselves having to play the biggest part they’ve ever played, one that convinces the police (and themselves) that they are innocent.

A modern retelling of the immortal and dark Daphne and Apollo myth, The Latinist explores the pitfalls of extreme ambition, passionate desire, and dangerous obsession. With a moody backdrop of Oxford academia and a propulsive mystery threaded throughout, the story follows Tessa and the complicated relationship she has with her charismatic and enigmatic classics professor Chris…a relationship that builds to an explosive conclusion. A debut that reads as if it is from a well-seasoned author and an undeniably twisty way to start off your dark academia tbr list.

Alex Michaelides sure has made us wait for the follow-up to his 2019 psychological thriller, The Silent Patient. And it was worth the wait! An instant classic for fans of bildungsromans/college campus thrillers such as Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth has it ALL and in a super cool Instagrammable/TikTokable cover! Yes, it’s got the goods to back up your next favorite social media book! Multiple heroines to root for, scary, macabre and a twinkle of the eye funny. Did we mention all those heroines to root for?

While snooping through her father’s library, a young woman learns of a nefarious presence in her parents’ murky past when she stumbles over an ancient book and an aged collection of letters. The letters are addressed to “My dear and unfortunate successor” and lead her on a quest across parts of Europe and Asia to discover inconceivable evil and a time-defying pact that may end in her death. This book is so steeped in dark academia that you will pinch yourself to make sure that you, too, haven’t gone into a deep, dark library.

For murder mysteries involving students and lots of twists, Karen M. McManus has really perfected her corner of the dark academia market. One of Us is Lying focuses on the Bayview Four, aka the four students out of five who made it out of detention alive. It is fast-paced and full of secrets, and the addictive nature of the book will not only have you finishing it at breakneck speed, but you’ll also be clamoring for all of McManus’s other books!

When shocking secrets are blasted out to students at Niveus Private Academy via an anonymous texter, two students’ lives are turned completely upside down on the cusp of graduation. However, they soon realize that Aces happens to only be targeting Black students — in fact, the only two Black students in the elite private school. This twisty ride of a thriller will leave you reeling as you uncover the disturbing secrets lurking in the dark corners of the school and will linger with you long after the last page

An exclusive prep school in Long Island, a not-so-secret secret society, and a murder mystery, They Wish They Were Us is an enthralling debut that will chill you to the bone. One of Jill’s best friends was murdered by her boyfriend, Graham, during their freshman year, and now, as a senior, suddenly Jill begins to receive texts claiming Graham was innocent. As her dream of a picture perfect senior year crumbles, Jill begins to wonder: if it wasn’t Graham, then who did it?

With one elite prep school, a dead student, and four former best friends now deemed suspects, How We Fall Apart is a thrilling page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Each of the four students have secrets, big ones, that are at risk of being revealed to the entire school if they don’t catch the true killer of their former friend before an anonymous texter, the Proctor, reveals too much about each of them. This book explores the pressure of academics and picture perfect images in a compelling and dramatic story you won’t want to miss!

Dark academia and fairytale retellings collide in The Grimrose Girls, a haunting mystery with magical elements woven seamlessly throughout. After the death of their best friend, Ella, Yuki and Rory are joined by new student Nani as they question her death and ultimately uncover a book with sinister ties to real life. This fast-paced, twisty ride of a tale is sure to leave readers begging for the next installment.