#an academy for liars

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb:

A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from 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. 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’s going to fail.

Review:

When Lennon Carter is offered a place at a mysterious academia her entire life is changed... from being gifted with magical powers, deadly classmates who want to kill for their place at the top, and a forbidden romance with an advisor who is holding his own dark secrets. Lennon Carter has lived a mundane, boring life... and on the night she discovers her fiancee cheating on her with her friend she takes his car and plans on overdosing... until she gets a mysterious phone call from the Drayton College, a school of magic that has offered her an invitation to the entrance exam. Lennon doesn't have much to lose and decides to partake.... only to discover that she is gifted with unsettling powers and for a school filled with students who all work with the power of "persuasion" they can all reach into each others minds and do terrible things. With a ruthless curriculum and a cut throat student body... Lennon will have to go to lengths she never knew she had in her to secure her place at the top. Then there is her mysterious and talented advisor Dante, a man covered in moth tattoos who goes from hot to cold with her. The longer Lennon goes through with her studes the stronger her control gets... but the closer she gets to uncovering the dark secrets of her college and why they ultimately wanted her there. With so many secrets and bloody decisions.... nobody said college would be easy. This was a fantastic dark academia journey filled with twists and turns that has you guessing at every turn. I loved just how morally grey everyone was, just how much they all wanted to be the best and the lengths they'd go to to just succeed. Lennon was such an interesting character to read and I liked the subtle blending in of a soft romance between Dante and Lennon. I loved the ending and how it all wrapped up, it just felt right. I had a great time reading this and would absolutely recommend this book for fans of dark academia books!!!

Release Date: September 17,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Ace for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[luxetobscuritas-blog]

November // books that magically found their way into my home this month:

Stolz und Vorurteil / Pride and Prejudice (graphic novel) by Jane Austen

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

This Savage Song & Our Dark Duet by V.E. Schwab

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong

An Academy For Liars by Alexis Henderson

When Haru Was Here by Dustin Thao

The Serpent of Wings and Night & The Ashes and The Star-Cursed King by Carissa Broadbent

November was definitely dominated by FairyLoot and Illumicrate editions. Most of these books were either pre-ordered or part of my monthly subscription box.

To be honest, Pride and Prejudice set up as a graphic novel was not on my bingo card this month, but after a lovely conversation with the local bookseller in my town, I gave this one a try. Though I would always recommend reading the original beforehand, I guess this edition is specifically made for collectors and avid lovers of Jane Austen.

I've had my eye on Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar for quite a while now, but when it came down to buying it, I unfortunately chose Fourth Wing and Iron Flame instead - a huge mistake. Hoping that this will mend the wounds that have been inflicted by Mrs. Yarros for wasting my time, The Familiar offers a refreshing change with its historical fantasy setting in late 16th century Madrid, inspired by Bardugo’s own family history. I have high expectations, especially after hearing so many great things about Bardugo’s work.

When I opened my monthly FairyLoot subscription box, I couldn’t help but smile at the cover of The Teller of Small Fortunes. This edition just radiates cozy, Ghibli-like vibes, and the story inside might be just as enchanting as the beautifully designed cover. Tao, a traveling fortune teller, predicts only small fortunes to avoid the dangers of bigger ones. Her quiet life is upended when a reformed thief and an ex-mercenary enlists her help to find a lost child. Along with a baker and a magical cat, Tao must decide if she’s willing to risk everything to protect the family she never thought she could have.

The Monster of Verity duology by V.E. Schwab, consisting of This Savage Song & Our Dark Duet, mostly convinced me with it's beautifully illustrated cover design. I have barely read anything about the premises of these books, and I admit that my intention behind buying them was merely out of my appreciation of the art enveloping this story. So I guess this duology and I will have a little blind date very soon.

The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden was delicately displayed at a local bookshop since it got shortlisted for the 2024 booker prize. According to the book seller, this story brims with vivid characters, profound emotional depth, and delves deep into issues like loneliness, longing, love and redemption.

Vilest Things by Chloe Gong was a pre-order from FairyLoot that I received in November. It's the second book of the Flesh and False Gods series, but I haven't had the chance to read this one yet. I've heard mixed opinions on this series, claiming that this isn't her best, but I am, as always, neutral until I can form my own opinion.

An Academy For Liars was part of my Illumicrate Evernight box. It's quite fascinating to witness the current upsurge of books set in academia, and I can definitely see the potential lying in stories that take place in that particular environment. Set within an intellectual environment, these stories not only offer the opportunity to explore themes of ambition, but also open the door to discussions about one's own identity and worth in the world of academia - a world that is often ruled by unjust power dynamics that are a result of prestigious and elite institutions.

When Haru Was Here promises heartbreak and tears, and as someone who's a sucker for emotionally gripping stories, this is exactly the kind of novel I couldn't resists to buy. The story revolves around Eric Ly, who starts to imagine scenarios to cope with the grief of losing his best friend. One day, one of his scenarios becomes real as he quite unexpectedly meets Haru, a boy he met last summer in Japan. As Haru sits next to Eric in a coffee shop, it is clear that no one else can see him except Eric. It's a hauntingly tragic story, as it largely revolves around Eric's emotional journey to come to terms with loss and the inevitability of death. If you're a masochist like me who needs a good cry, go for it. My sister-in-law also recommended You've Reached Sam, another book by Dustin Thao. Apparently, this is also a great book to read if you are in a desperate need to shed a few tears.

As part of my pre-order from FairyLoot, I also received the first two books of the Crowns of Nyaxia series. A friend of mine promised me that I would love them - probably because I am still a bit obsessed with one particular white-haired vampire, *cough* Astarion .. *cough*, which, according to the logic of my friend, consequently means that I will be obsessed with everything that is sharp-toothed and centuries old. Is she right? Maybe. We will see, but I highly doubt that any vampire will ever come close to Baldur's Gate's infamous Fangs.

Yay. We've made it to the end of my pile. To be honest, my resolution for November was to not buy so many books, and as you can see, I failed spectacularly. But at least I got to spend my Saturday night writing this silly little blog post for someone who wants to read about someone who adopts way too many books.

[the-final-sentence]

Dante staggered—his face screwed with pain, his knees buckling—and fell into the elevator a moment before its doors sliced shut.

Alexis Henderson, from An Academy for Liars

[solitudeanddespair]

September Reads

In my gothic era! I'm reading Tigest Girma's Immortal Dark and Alexis Henderson's An Academy For Liars! Immortal Dark has been highly suggested and its oft compared to The Cruel Prince (which i devoured the whole series from Holly Black in like three days...NO SLEEP)! An Academy For Liars is marketed as gothic horror and I eat that shit up every time. Pray for me as I juggle two books so I can be ready to read other books in my TBR that just got pushed back!

[seanalmond]

'An Academy for Liars' by Alexis Henderson, promises to be an interesting read! Gifted with the ability to alter, even reality, with their words, we are introduced to a school for the gifted... which in reality, could be any one of us!

[beckysbook5]

First Lines Friday!

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines? Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page. Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to…

[sandythereadingcafe]

REVIEW:

AN ACADEMY FOR LIARS by #AlexisHenderson at The Reading Cafe:

'exciting and dark'

[thereadingcafe]

[valsverse]

‼️ MY EXPERIENCE WITH @girlkisser13

🚨 HARASSMENT & PLAGIARISM 🚨

i want to address a serious issue that has recently come to light regarding a user in the fanfiction community (@girlkisser13) with a concerning history of plagiarism and ongoing harassment. this situation involves not just the act of stealing someone else's work but also a troubling pattern of aggressive behavior that has surfaced, indicating a lack of accountability and growth. it’s crucial for us writers and fans to stand together against such actions to maintain a supportive and respectful community for all creators. with that being said, read below. transparency is key, so i want to share the full context of this situation, including all relevant screenshots. underlined words/sentences include links to posts that are relevant to the incident, so i encourage you to check them out. (if you've recently received a message from an anonymous user about this situation, click here)

SECTION 1 : The Original Plagiarism Incident + Backstory

on june 3, 2023, i was notified by an anonymous user in my inbox that an account called girlkisser14 (now known as girlkisser13 after deactivating her old account) was plagiarizing my work. she repeatedly lifted sections of my writings and headcanons, merging them into her own posts. (note that i pretty much exclusively write for the percy jackson fandom.) after reaching out to her privately i discovered that i could no longer view her posts. at first, i thought she had taken her account down, but it turned out she had just blocked me. by june 5, 2023, i decided to create a post detailing the situation, which you can read here. shortly after, she contacted me, and we managed to come to a resolution. it seemed like a good opportunity for her to acknowledge her mistakes and learn from them. i updated my original post to reflect that the issue had been resolved. later on, she messaged me saying she couldn’t cope with the backlash. while i’m unsure if she was genuinely receiving hate, i felt sympathy for her situation. she asked me to take down the post, but i declined as accountability is important to me and i didn't feel comfortable with just erasing history. soon after, she deactivated her account.

although she deactivated her original account, she shortly after created a new one. i was notified by a different anon about this because her posts were moved to the new account, and some still included my work—presumably by accident. from that point on, she became known as girlkisser13, which can be confusing given her original username was girlkisser14. initially, she missed a few paragraphs of my work, as mentioned earlier, which prompted me to make a post about it (as seen in screenshot 2). however, she reached out to me, and we clarified everything through direct messages. after that, all seemed well!

however, things would get much worse from here. (this main character ahh dialogue bro.. 💀)

SECTION 2 : Account Tries a New Persona, Still Fails at Not Harassing Me.

(september 21st, 2024) an anonymous account messaged me with the following:

to be honest, i was completely baffled. i had completely forgotten about this issue, and out of nowhere, someone decides to bring it back up. it struck me as strange because… who gets so personal over something like this?

the user, which goes by the handle 'multifandombisexual13' also sent the exact same message directly to me, which made it clear that the anonymous message came from them, as shown.

first of all, the usernames are incredibly similar. both have the number 13, and girlkisser13 is a multifandom account. if you look at their profile, you'll notice they only repost stories from girlkisser13. even on the "check out these accounts" sidebar, there's only one account listed: girlkisser13. this is because they only repost content from that account.

let’s be real—this isn’t the behavior of a genuine fan. who goes through that much trouble? it’s obvious that this is girlkisser13 under an alternate handle.

i raised these concerns with the user, and i made sure to respond in a civil manner.

they didn’t respond to my initial message and only replied after I reached out to girlkisser13. i sent her a message about this situation. (just to be clear, this user and girlkisser13 are the same person.)

the user then responded at 4:38 PM. note that her main account, girlkisser13, replied to my message at 4:42 PM. (less than 5 minutes apart.) classic. (dates and times are included right under the text.)

if it wasn’t obvious by now, this person has been harassing me from their alt while pretending to be an innocent bystander on their main account. it’s like they’re playing both sides—using one account to send nasty messages and the other to act like they have no clue what’s going on. it’s honestly ridiculous and kind of sad at this point. (you will most likely have to zoom in to read the screenshots.)

you get the idea: this account goes off on personal jabs, claiming i have some need for control and a massive ego just because i refused to take the post down. i defended myself (obviously), but then she decided to accuse me of being jealous. (???)

i’ve made it clear SO many times—the post stays up for accountability. but no, she’s built up this entire fictional scenario where i’m obsessed with who’s getting more notes or attention. i promise you, i literally could not care less.

every single message is her droning on about “jealousy” or my supposed "ego and control issues," but never once acknowledging the actual point. it’s about holding people accountable for their actions. this isn’t a competition or a takedown—it's about transparency and honesty in the community. and to try and reduce it to some petty jealousy battle? that’s honestly ridiculous and completely out of touch.

like, she’s sitting there imagining i’m losing sleep over someone’s follower count on tumblr of all places. does she even realize how absurd that sounds? i'm a high school student who posts fanfic maybe once a month in a small fandom. tumblr is not my life, and there's definitely nothing here for me to be jealous of.

i don’t care how well someone is doing, i care about transparency and keeping things honest in the community. now, let’s address the obvious here. it’s super weird for another account to be going so hard defending a situation they supposedly have no part in. like, who does that? no one would go to these lengths unless they were personally connected, right? i brought up this whole issue in these screenshots below:

funny how they only stopped harassing me once i mentioned, at the end of my paragraph, that i’d happily make this public. up until that point, it was nonstop. i kept pressing them on whether they were connected to girlkisser13 (and if you somehow forgot—yes, this account and girlkisser13 are the exact same person). it was obvious, but i just wanted them to admit it.

it was around this time that i decided to message her main account, girlkisser13, to clear things up. i figured it was best to go straight to the source and get some clarification, but of course, things only got more suspicious from there.

SECTION 3: Ongoing harassment just a heads-up to pay attention to the account names at the top so you know who I'm messaging.

i like how i don't even have to comment on this part lmao. i sent the situation to girlkisser13 at 11:01 PM, and then at 11:39 PM, their other account decides to confront me about it.

anyways, i tried to get some honest answers from girlkisser13, but it was all just denial. at the very least, i asked her to reach out to the "other user" to stop the harassment.

at this point, girlkisser13 decided to backtrack and throw in an apology. i mean, i still firmly believed they were the same person, but honestly? i was just so exhausted from the whole ordeal that i thought, “whatever, let’s just agree and move on.”

SECTION 4: The Slip Up: GirlKisser13's Attempt at Damage Control

almost immediately after the conversation shown before, i received 13 messages TOTAL in my inbox, all in rapid succession, so obviously, they were all from the same person. i won't show them all because they're essentially the same. each one harassed me about my plagiarism post still being up, mentioning girlkisser13, and accusing me of jealousy in the same short, lowercase writing style. i brought this issue up to girlkisser13.

the first slip-up happened when I received a message from her alternate account, multifandombisexual13. up until that point, all the messages had come through anonymously, but it seems she forgot to enable the anonymous option this time.

shortly after, i got a message in the same style from her main account, girlkisser13. need i say more?

so, naturally, i sent the screenshot over to her main account, just to see what she'd say. and what did i get in return? excuse after excuse. it was honestly kind of impressive how quickly she could come up with new stories to cover her tracks. each response was more outlandish than the last, trying to justify what was blatantly obvious.

my brother sent that message!" yes—because your brother just happens to have access to your account. yes, because your brother happens to also be on tumblr, spending his time catching up on the latest percy jackson fanfiction drama... 💀 the sheer absurdity of it all. the pathological lying is honestly embarrassing at this point.

and, of course, the apologies only start rolling in after she's been caught—clearly just an attempt to redirect the drama and save face.

embarrassing...

SECTION 5: FINAL THOUGHTS—My Brain Hurts

in conclusion, this user does not deserve a platform on this app. she has failed to learn from her past mistakes and has clung to an incident that happened over FOUR MONTHS AGO. it’s time for accountability in our community.

harassment and deception have no place in spaces dedicated to creativity and expression. when individuals prioritize personal vendettas over respect and integrity, they tarnish the very essence of what fandom is meant to be.

it’s crucial that we foster an environment where originality is celebrated and where creators feel safe to share their work without fear of retaliation or harassment.

i highly encourage you to read everything i’ve shared and form your own opinion on the incident, but now you know my point of view.

ADDRESSING COMMON QUESTIONS

1. Isn’t this just a personal dispute?

while this situation is personal to me, it reflects broader issues within our fandoms. it’s not just about my experience; it’s about creating a community that values respect and integrity. we should all feel safe to share our work without fear of harassment or plagiarism. no one should feel comfortable stealing others' hard work or bullying creators into silence.

2. Why are some of the photos lower quality than others?

tumblr has a 30-photo limit, which meant i had to manually combine certain screenshots in a photo editor to get everything in. i also wanted to save space to make sure the most important screenshots could be posted in their highest quality. this is especially noticeable in the banter between me and her alternate account (see Section 2).

3. Why didn’t you just take down the post like she asked? Are you really jealous of her like she accused you of?

• absolutely not. i kept the post up for accountability. this was never about ego, jealousy, or a desire for control, as she accused me of—it’s about making sure people are aware of what happened and holding someone responsible for their actions. removing the post would allow her to escape the consequences of her behavior, which isn’t fair to me or anyone else she may target in the future. trying to turn this into a jealousy issue is a distraction tactic, and honestly, it’s irrelevant to the conversation. it’s not about followers or popularity—it’s about principles. 4. Why make this public? • because i gave her chances to handle this privately, and she chose to continue the harassment. this could have ended quietly, but she made the decision to escalate it. i’m not going to stay silent about someone who continues to lie, harass, and try to manipulate others.

5. Is it really that big of a deal?

yes. i know this whole situation is a bit silly, but plagiarism and harassment are serious issues, whether they happen online or in real life. it’s not just about fanfiction; it’s about respecting people’s work and holding individuals accountable when they cross boundaries.

to wrap this up, if you have any questions or concerns about the situation, feel free to reach out to me. i’ve tried to lay everything out as clearly as possible while trying to get this information out as quickly as possible, but i’m open to any clarifications or further discussion. i honestly don’t know how far this will reach or how many people will see it, but I think it’s important to at least try. for accountability’s sake, i’m tagging all the fandoms she’s active in, so all people can be aware of what’s been happening. hopefully, this will help set a standard in our community for respecting each other’s work and holding people accountable when they cross the line. i understand that some may want to defend her, but it’s crucial to consider the pattern of behavior exhibited. defending someone who has repeatedly shown disrespect for others’ work can enable harmful actions. i encourage people to look at the evidence and form their own opinions rather than simply siding with someone based on personal feelings.

thank you for your time!! ©valsverse— do not steal, edit, or repost my works. plagiarism is prohibited.

[floral-comet-whump]

Whumpee that deceives Whumper

They rack their brain to memorize every little movement, every indicator of Whumper's mood, every pattern. At some point, they even learn to predict Whumper.

They know what Whumper likes to see. They know what they want within a few minutes, what's going to happen to them. They're powerless to stop it.

Sometimes Whumper wants them to silently cry on the floor, so they do. It would be foolish not to conserve energy while they can.

Sometimes Whumper is already in a bad mood. They probe, both because the knowledge is invaluable and because then Whumper will take it out on them.

Whumpee has a little internal guide to how to take punishments. Begin as defiant, but still shake. Look like they're trying to conceal their fear. Gradually break. It starts off as a yelp or sob or whimper followed by an immediate insult, then Whumpee goes quiet for a bit until it's “too much,” begging quietly. And then it's as if a dam has been broken, frantically pleading for mercy, for a reprieve. They look at Whumper with wide, teary eyes, and both their true self and their facade just want it to stop.

Their cries turn quiet as their energy runs out, until they can't bear to look at anything. Their flinch at Whumper's hand on their chin doesn't need to be faked. Their distress is real, and they let themselves whimper. Whumper likes displays of exhausted weakness, it makes them feel as if they've won.

They lean into the little coos and pets Whumper gives after, trying not to gag. Alarms of panic ring through their head, and they acknowledge them.

It would be easier to lose themselves in the comfort after the torture. It would be so much easier to become a shell of a person. They already act like one. Why can't they give up?

The emotional exhaustion after they've been left alone. The dark quiet. Their steadying breath. The scent of both blood and anticeptic. The locked door. The pain.

They can escape once Whumper deems them broken enough to let out unsupervised. It's just a matter of time, just a matter of maintaining this act. A matter of trust from a sadistic torturer that keeps Whumpee in a basement for no reason other than their own pleasure.

They have to keep going.

[scre6m]

CHARACTERS played by TRANSMASC ACTORS @lgbtqcreators​ creator meme (v2): [2/3] free choice

viktor hargreeves, the umbrella academy (2019—2024) ash romero, pretty little liars: original sin (2022— ) hayley, talk to me (2022) danny, evil dead rise (2023)

[girlkisser13]

my megalist

avatar the last airbender masterlist

bridgerton masterlist

celebrities masterlist

criminal minds masterlist

dc masterlist

glee masterlist

grey’s anatomy masterlist

harry potter masterlist

heartstopper masterlist

marvel masterlist

pretty little liars masterlist

riordanverse masterlist

rwby masterlist

the legend of korra masterlist

the sex lives of college girls masterlist

the summer i turned pretty masterlist

the umbrella academy masterlist

the vampire diaries universe masterlist

[nick-cassidy]

from lia blocks tiktok

[helenofblackthorns]

Mark calling Julian "my dreamer" & Julian calling Dru "the dreamer" :(

[femmehysteria]

I'm doing a series of "Best Character Named X" polls where all the characters have the same first name but are from completely different media, feel free to send in name/charcacter suggestions, I'm posting one poll a day, check my pinned post for active polls

[going-down-with-the-ship]

Top Ships

Spelivia- All American

Spoby- Pretty Little Liars

FitzSimmons- Agents of SHEILD

Clace- Shadowhunters/TSC: The Mortal Instruments

Bonenzo- The Vampire Diaries

Kataang- Avatar: The Last Airbender

Percabeth- Percy Jackson and the Olympians

FourTris- The Divergent Series

Sukka- Avatar: The Last Airbender

Maiko- Avatar: The Last Airbender

Romitri- Vampire Academy

Skloom- Fate: The Winx Saga

Haleb- Pretty Little Liars

Klamille- The Originals