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Sign up todayAn Academy for Liars
Narrator
Tracie Frank
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Length
13 hours 22 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“A memorable dark academia read for those who like magical schools…with horror! ”
— Lindsey • The Traveling Book Bus
Bookseller recommendation
“An Academy for Liars creates a world you want to immerse yourself in. Forget Hogwarts. I want to go to Drayton. ”
— Julia Young • Four Seasons Books
Bookseller recommendation
“This is everything you want Dark Academia to be. Perfect for a Fall cozy read. I could never tell what would happen next and the romance is sub plot, but dabbled back and forth at times to take the spotlight. Bit of a slow build through 45%, but then the pace cruises you home. One spicy scene, not super explicit. 🌶️ If you liked Ministry of Time or the Atlas Six, this is a read you’ll like.”
— Pam S. • The Read Queen Bookstore & Cafe
Bookseller recommendation
“This puts the dark into dark academia. When Lennon gets invited to a school with magic, I didn't expect the magic to be what it was. So many twists and turns and filled with morally grey characters, this will have you switching allegiances chapter by chapter.”
— Audrey • Belmont Books
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.
Alexis Henderson is the author of House of Hunger and the Goodreads Choice Awards finalist The Year of the Witching. When she's not writing, you'll find her tending to an assortment of houseplants or nursing a hot cup of tea.
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Reviews
"An Academy for Liars is propulsive, thought-provoking, and sexy—Alexis Henderson is in a class of her own.” – Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of The Foxglove King"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, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House
"An Academy for Liars is the quintessential dark academia story. It’s literally everything you could ask for from this genre, from the atmosphere to the characters to the twisted magic and dark secrets. If you love dark academia and read it all the time, you have to pick this book. And, frankly, if you only read one dark academia book ever in your lifetime, you should make it this one." - Book Riot
"An utterly enchanting dark academia stunner infused with Henderson's signature style– it's lush, atmospheric, imaginative, and impossible to put down." – Rachel Harrison, USA Today bestselling author of Black Sheep
“Alexis Henderson is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the realm of dark speculative fiction, each offering better than the last...An Academy for Liars is full of twists and turns, so hold on tight." - Reactor
“I devoured An Academy for Liars in one sitting. It’s a deliciously haunting dark academia read that’s as sexy as it is chilling. Alexis expertly creates a world steeped in mystery, illicit dealings, ruthless ambition, and thrillingly flawed characters. An Academy for Liars sets the bar for compulsively readable dark academia stories that leave readers breathless. “ - N.E. Davenport, author of The Blood Gift Duology
“Henderson excels at building the world of Drayton, one that's full of eerie history, lush details, and what often feels like a permanent sense of dread.” - Paste Magazine
"Twisted, surreal, and delightfully seductive, An Academy for Liars takes dark academia to an entirely different level. In this book, the institution is the villain, and no one comes away innocent." - Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul
"‘This darkly gorgeous story is lavish feast for fans of gothic horror. One of my top reads of the year!" - Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters
"Alexis Henderson once again proves herself one of the most virtuoso voices crafting genre fiction today in this gothic romance set in the cloistered world of dark academia. An Academy for Liars reads a bit like if Octavia Butler had written the Magicians trilogy, with a strong social justice message that forcefully reckons with a long legacy of stolen talent and cultural appropriation in the intellectual industries. A perfect story for those who enjoyed RF Kuang's Babel or Elisabeth Thomas' Catherine House." - CrimeReads Expand reviews
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