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An Academy for Liars

The addictive, horror-drenched new Gothic dark academia novel everyone will be talking about

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An Academy for Liars

Written by: Alexis Henderson
Narrated by: Tracie Frank
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Buy Now for ₹682.53

Buy Now for ₹682.53

Brought to you by Penguin.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Until she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to sit the entrance exam for somewhere few have heard of – Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah.

Lennon doesn’t know it yet, but she is special. She possesses the innate gift of persuasion: the ability to wield her will like a weapon, controlling others, and even matter itself. But this is a devastating power than Lennon must learn how to master.

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 campus and, most of all, Dante – the charismatic adviser who both intimidates and enamours her.

But the longer that Lennon spends at Drayton, learning to wield her uncanny abilities, the more she uncovers about Drayton’s unsettling history, and Dante’s tragic and violent past.

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.

‘Saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely.’ ALIX E. HARROW

'Alexis Henderson is one of the best Gothic writers out there.' HANNAH WHITTEN

‘Dark academia stunner infused with Henderson's signature style – it's lush, atmospheric, imaginative and impossible to put down.’ RACHEL HARRISON

'A modern-day Anne Rice, Henderson has a gift for creating a world engorged with desire and death.' THE NEW YORK TIMES

©2024 Alexis Henderson (P)2024 Penguin Audio

 Contemporary Dark Fantasy Fantasy Ghosts Horror Paranormal & Urban Science Fiction
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Critic Reviews

This darkly gorgeous story is a lavish feast for fans of gothic horror. One of my top reads of the year! (SUNYI DEAN, author of The Book Eaters)
The perfect blend of gothic horror and dark academia. It grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until long after its final pages. Lennon’s is a vicious and gloriously unsettling tale of power, betrayal, and the bloody price of ambition. (FRANCESCA MAY, author of Wild and Wicked Things)
Alexis Henderson turns her incredible eye for the upsetting to academia, and delivers a campus novel saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely. (ALIX E. HARROW, author of The Ten Thousand Doors of January)
A modern-day Anne Rice, Henderson has a gift for creating a world engorged with desire and death.
An Academy for Liars is propulsive, thought provoking, and sexy - Alexis Henderson is in a class of her own. (HANNAH WHITTEN, author of The Foxglove King)
Dark academia stunner infused with Henderson's signature style – it's lush, atmospheric, imaginative and impossible to put down. (RACHEL HARRISON, author of Cackle)
Perfect for the darker nights, this atmospheric novel is one for lovers of dark academia.
All stars
Most relevant
since the book is labelled as a dark academia novel, it hearkens the expectation of something reminiscent of the secret history or if we were villains. it is in some ways similar but also entirely unique in it's own way which adds a refreshing spin on the genre. much like most novels in this tradition, an academy for liars ruminates on power and its ethical complications, classism and exclusionary politics of academia as well as touches in certain parts on racism.

the magic system is quite unique in its exploration on human psyche and pursuasion. the plot is disjointed, often confusing, for at least 50% of the book, until the past of the characters and the school starts to unravel. I must admit Lennon is a frustrating narrator to read, unreliable as she is, bound by her cluelessness about her surroundings. and perhaps it is her jadedness, which seeps in her inner thoughts, that kept me from truly connecting with any character. her budding romance with dante wasn't to my taste either.

the strongest quality of alexis Henderson perhaps is her writing style. despite the confusing plot and tiring characters, I couldn't stop reading it. i was captivated with the description of the surreal, almost grotesque world, particulary after the 70% mark. I felt the chilling horror in my stomach as the truth behind the magic is revealed and it is solely because of the writing. I'm excited to read more from Henderson.

the most unique dark academia ever

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