Book Review: ‘An Academy for Liars’ by Alexis Henderson (dark academia horror)

I read Alexis Henderson’s ‘House of Hunger’ in the dark, grey days of last January and it felt so fitting to dive into her next novel, ‘An Academy for Liars’, this dark and grey January as I prepped for our podcast, The Dark Academicals. It felt very fitting for the season and it really, really hit the spot for me.

I really can’t tell you the joy of getting two podcast books in a row that I really loved, and I really loved ‘An Academy for Liars’ - Henderson’s writing really fits what I like in Gothic, horror-drenched novels that comments on control, obsession, desire and how they interfere and interact with a woman’s life and motivation. So much so that I’m even considering going back and reading ‘The Year of the Witching’ and I generally don’t enjoy historical fiction or witches in this setting.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Until she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to sit the entrance exam for somewhere very few have heard of - 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 is special. She possesses the innate gift of persuasion: the ability to wield her will like a weapon and to use it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the gruelling exam, Lennon must now learn how to master this devastating power. While persuasion takes a heavy toll on her body and her mind, she is captivated by all that surrounds her - her studies, Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, her brilliant classmates and, most of all, by Dante, the charismatic adviser who both intimidates and enamours her.

But as Lennon becomes more adept at wielding her uncanny abilities, she uncovers more about the unsettling history of Drayton and Dante’s tragic and violent past, and is increasingly disturbed by what she finds.

For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption and darkness . . . and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail.

It had everything that we look for in dark academia: a mysterious and exclusive school setting, scary powers, forbidden romance, and a life or death decision - what more could The Dark Academicals ask for?

From the first few pages we spent with Lennon as a fragile woman whose life is fracturing around her to her coming into her power to then finding connection and family at Drayton, I found myself really rooting for Lennon as she progressed through the novel. She’s not necessarily likeable at all times, but she is a character that has suffered at the hands of others and herself so it’s easy to empathise with her, even as she makes unfortunate decisions. Her strength and potential is always lying in wait and as we see the glimmers of this becomes a more confident and dominant trait for her while she battles the idea of good and bad, and morality around the school and the power of persuasion.

There are, of course, fantasy elements in terms of the power of persuasion and Drayton College’s existence present in the novel, but it doesn’t feel like fantasy in the way that we’ve explored dark academia previously on the podcast. This book is incredibly dark and intense and tackling some really big and serious themes (you can always check content warnings on StoryGraph!) that definitely made me it feel more like a dark, adult thriller rather than a fantasy novel. I think that it’s one of those titles that melds a lot of different genres and stands alone.

I was utterly consumed by the atmosphere of this novel, just as I was with the previous Henderson novel I’ve read. Her writing is beautiful and she weaves a spell of darkness, threat and the sense of haunting that started on page one and didn’t let up for a single page. Although this is the second book of Season 10 of The Dark Academicals, it’s actually the first book I read for this season and I really, really hope it’s setting the tone for success for the next five books.

‘An Academy for Liars’ is my favourite book of 2024 so far. I was swept away by the intense, Gothic atmosphere and the breathtaking action and risk at every page. Alexis Henderson is fast becoming an author to watch for me.

Written by Sophie