#an academy for liars

[rhysknees]

What to Read Next

[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!

[nyxxhexx]

Shout out to ireadblackbooks on Lemon8 for the Gothic suggestions! I'm super excited to read them!

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

A Dark Academia, Gothic novel about a student at a magical college in Savannah, Georgia.

And Don't Look Back by Rebecca Barrow

A thriller about a teen piecing together the truth of her family's past – including secrets about her recently deceased mother who kept them always on the run.

No Gods, No Monsters by Cadwell Turnbull

A p*lice br*tality case leads to the revelation that monsters are real – and they want everyone to know it.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

A pregnant woman flees a religious cult to protect her twins, but they aren't ready to let her go.

The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi

A short story about a girl searching for her missing mother in Brazil.

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

A Black teenager enters a Squid Games-like competition at her prestigious prep school to regain her Ivy League acceptance.

[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

[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*

[luxet0bscuritas-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.

[epicnessunfolds]

An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson My rating: 4 of 5 stars Confusion. More confusion. Rooting for a couple of characters. More confusion because of the large cast of characters. Extremely fast-paced, although I'm not sure what was fast-paced considering the bulk of the action took place in the last 10% of the book. Nevertheless, it has a hold on me that I haven't felt about a book in sometime. I think I can compare it, in terms of vibes, with The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. I genuinely didn't exactly what was happening for half of the book and not even the female main character, Lennon, kept me going, but her advisor, Dante. His mysterious character got me hooked and for three quarters of the novel I was convinced of a certain plot point that turned out to be absolutely false. It's a confusing book, with minimum explanation given for why the people at Drayton are trained to do what they are doing. I suppose more is gleaned from the context, that actually info-dumped. The characters, the main ones especially, are pretty cool and I liked, as I said, Dante, the main male character more than the female MC. Henderson's writing flaws smoothly and the writing style is simple which I'd say it's a plus considering the harder-to-grasp concept of the… setting and, sort of plot. I think this is a novel that gets better understood upon a re-read once everything is known because there are so many foreshadowing moments and so many call backs that are worth while. I managed to catch a couple of them, but for sure there are several more. The ending is really satisfactory and it kept me on my toes up until the very last page. View all my reviews

[fragmentedvisions]

[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]

[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.

[taivans]

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

jujutsu kaisen masterlist

marvel masterlist

pretty little liars masterlist

riordanverse masterlist

rwby masterlist

the legend of korra masterlist

the summer i turned pretty masterlist

the umbrella academy masterlist

the vampire diaries universe masterlist

[nick-cassidy]

from lia blocks tiktok