If, like me, you loved Laurie Petrou’s Stargazer, are obsessed with The Secret History and cannot wait for Donna Tartt’s next elusive novel, you might currently be looking for your next great read to fill the void. Here are five more intense and twisty dark academia books to add to your TBR!
Kuang’s provocative and beautifully complex novel blends dark academia, history and fantasy in an alternate-reality that sees the 1830s British Empire fuelled by magical silver bars. Transporting readers from the hallowed halls of Oxford University to the bustling streets of Canton, Babel follows translation scholars Robin, Ramy and Victoire as they come to recognise the power (and danger) of language. Insightful commentary on the violence of colonialism and the perils of a nationalist authoritarianism underpin an action-packed plot that’s truly unputdownable.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Set in an exclusive girls’ school in 1930s Edinburgh and featuring an anti-hero protagonist who’s equal parts charismatic and terrifying, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie explores passion, politics, obsession and loyalty. Add in a doomed love triangle, sapphic undertones and a dose of unrequited longing, and you have yourself a morally-complex modern classic that deserves its renaissance in our #BookTok era. Plus, it’s short enough to read in just a couple of sittings – a rarity within this genre!
Described as ‘Rebecca meets The Secret History’ (undoubtedly a winning combination), Wynne’s gothic debut is rooted at Caldonbrae Hall, an elite boarding school for girls founded on 150 years of excellence and tradition (read: engrained patriarchy). The stakes are raised when young and ambitious Classics teacher Rose discovers the establishment’s sinister secret and resolves to liberate its fierce young students before time runs out. Dark academia with a chilling feminist spin.
Seven theatre students at a prestigious arts college attempt to cover up the death of a classmate. A decade later, Oliver Marks is released from prison after serving time for a murder he may not have committed. A belligerent detective returns to the scene to hear Oliver’s testimony in full and find out what really happened. Jam-packed with literary references, If We Were Villains blurs the lines between performance and reality and is the perfect tonic for Shakespeare buffs in need of a classic whodunnit.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The long-awaited second novel from the famed author of The Night Circus, Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea most definitely lives up to the hype! A multi-layered narrative that begins in real-world Vermont and quickly expands into an enchanting, magical-realist wonderland, the book sees postgraduate Zachary Ezra Rawlins find his way into an ancient underground library. Piecing together the mystery of his own childhood, Zachary enters a world of infinite stories, masquerade balls, tumultuous romances, crumbling cities and seas of honey. It must be read to be believed.
By Ellie Lavender