Dark Academia

The Secret History

Donna Tartt · Literary Fiction

Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover a way of…

dark academia · psychological thriller · morally grey character · found family

Katabasis

R.F. Kuang · Fantasy

'a formidable, timeless work, destined to be a modern classic' OLIVIE BLAKE 'A novel to savour.

dark academia · grimdark · morally grey character · found family · twist ending

Nowhere Burning

Catriona Ward · Literary Fiction

Nowhere Burning is a harrowing tale of survival that places the dark fairy tale of Peter Pan and the ruthless dangers of Lord of the Flies into the…

dark academia · coming of age · survival · morally grey character

The Will of the Many

James Islington · Fantasy

The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world, but they do not know everything.

dark academia · chosen one · quest

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Grady Hendrix · Horror

*‘I did an evil thing to be put in here, and I’m going to have to do an evil thing to get out.’* They call them wayward girls.

gothic atmosphere · witches · coming of age · dark academia · haunted setting

The Raven Scholar

Antonia Hodgson · Fantasy

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, the reign of Bersun the Brusque has come to an end.

dark academia · slow burn · found family · twist ending

If We Were Villains

M. L. Rio · Literary Fiction

Entreated to tell his side of the story to a detective who put him in prison a decade earlier for a murder he may not have committed, Oliver Marks…

enemies to lovers · friends to lovers · dark academia · obsessive love · found family · revenge plot

Babel

R. F Kuang · Fantasy

From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell…

dark academia · political intrigue · morally grey character · revenge plot · magic academy

Victorian Psycho

Virginia Feito · Mystery & Thriller

Grim Wolds, England: Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House prepared to play the perfect governess—she’ll dutifully tutor her charges, Drusilla and…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · morally grey character · dark academia

Yesteryear

Caro Claire Burke · Literary Fiction

'A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE' NITA PROSE 'SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS' CLARE MACKINTOSH…

dark academia · psychological thriller · twist ending · unreliable narrator · gothic atmosphere

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Heather Fawcett · Fantasy

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the…

dark academia · cozy vibes · fae · slow burn · found family

Bunny

Mona Awad · Literary Fiction

Samantha Heather Mackey couldn't be more of an outsider in her small, highly selective MFA program at New England's Warren University.

dark academia · magical realism · gothic atmosphere · coming of age · grimdark

Hazelthorn

CG Drews · Horror

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian,…

gothic atmosphere · coming of age · grimdark · dark academia · haunted setting

Spoiled Milk

Avery Curran · Horror

“The haunted lesbian boarding school horror show we always wanted.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · found family · paranormal romance

We Love You, Bunny

Mona Awad · Literary Fiction

Longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize Named a Must-Read Pick by The New York Times, Oprah Daily, People, Associated Press, Marie Claire, Bustle, The…

dark academia · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · closed circle · morally grey character

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde · Literary Fiction

**The Picture of Dorian Gray** is a philosophical novel by Irish writer Oscar Wilde.

dark academia · obsessive love · gothic atmosphere

The Bewitching

Silvia Moreno-Garcia · Horror

“Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches”: That was how Nana Alba always began the stories she told her great-granddaughter…

gothic atmosphere · witches · haunted setting · multiple timelines · dark academia

Blood on Her Tongue

Johanna van Veen · Horror

**The Netherlands, 1887.** Lucy's twin sister Sarah is unwell.

gothic atmosphere · paranormal romance · vampires · dark academia

Girl Dinner

Olivie Blake · Literary Fiction

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, Girl Dinner is a darkly-fun novel about power, lust, and eating your fill, as wealthy…

dark academia · psychological thriller · morally grey character · twist ending

Phantasma

Kaylie Smith · Fantasy

Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love. When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one…

enemies to lovers · dark academia · haunted setting · forbidden romance · quest · twist ending

The Red Winter

Cameron Sullivan · Fantasy

A bewitching historical fantasy from a debut author.

dark romance · historical fiction · forbidden romance · revenge plot · dark academia

You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom

Vincent Tirado · Horror

Demons clash with inheritance claims as secrets unfold and violence is unleashed over twelve harrowing hours trapped in a house with the worst thing…

demons · dark academia · closed circle

Mad Mabel

Sally Hepworth · Mystery & Thriller

Meet Mad Mabel. Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She's lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years--longer than…

psychological thriller · dark academia · twist ending · morally grey character

Weavingshaw

Heba Al-Wasity · Fantasy

In this debut gothic fantasy, a young woman who can see the dead strikes a deal with the magnetic and dangerous Saint of Silence, a purveyor of dark…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · forbidden romance · dark romance · morally grey character

Legendborn

Tracy Deonn · Fantasy

After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants to escape.

dark academia · urban fantasy · found family · chosen one · magic academy

Ninth House

Leigh Bardugo · Fantasy

Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class.

dark academia · urban fantasy · trauma recovery · ghosts · demons

Half City

Kate Golden · Fantasy

**Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense.

dark academia · enemies to lovers · slow burn · chosen one · magic academy · found family

Immortal Dark

Tigest Girma · Fantasy

Nineteen-year-old orphan Kidan Adane, heiress to a fallen House of humans tethered to vampiric creatures called draniacs, navigates her duty to…

paranormal romance · dark academia · vampires · quest · found family

Natural Beauty

Ling Ling Huang · Literary Fiction

Our narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can.

dark academia · coming of age · trauma recovery · morally grey character

Alchemy of Secrets

Stephanie Garber · Fantasy

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

urban fantasy · slow burn · enemies to lovers · dark academia

Nightshade

Autumn Woods · Fantasy

“I’ll love you with the same intensity that you hate me.” At elite Sorrowsong University, hidden in the misty Scottish Highlands, Ophelia Winters…

dark academia · enemies to lovers · slow burn · forbidden romance · revenge plot · gothic atmosphere

Gideon the Ninth

Tamsyn Muir · Fantasy

"The Emperor needs necromancers.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · locked room · found family

Shadow and Bone

Leigh Bardugo · Fantasy

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who…

enemies to lovers · dark academia · chosen one · slow burn · love triangle

Heartless

Marissa Meyer · Fantasy

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere.

enemies to lovers · dark academia · slow burn · forbidden romance · redemption arc · morally grey character

Rain of Shadows and Endings

Melissa K. Roehrich · Fantasy

A world the gods forgot. Of all the worlds and life they created, the gods favored their children the most. But with that favor came the fear that…

dark academia · chosen one · quest · magic academy · political intrigue

Iron Flame

Rebecca Yarros · Fantasy

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives.

dark academia · magic academy · enemies to lovers · slow burn · chosen one · dragons

The Goldfinch

Donna Tartt · Literary Fiction

"The Goldfinch is a rarity that comes along perhaps half a dozen times per decade, a smartly written literary novel that connects with the heart as…

dark academia · coming of age · morally grey character · trauma recovery · found family

A Game of Thrones

George R. R. Martin · Fantasy

***A Game of Thrones*** is the inaugural novel in ***A Song of Ice and Fire***, an epic series of fantasy novels crafted by the American author…

political intrigue · dark academia · morally grey character · revenge plot

The Book of Blood and Roses

Annie Summerlee · Fantasy

A vampire hunter goes undercover at a mysterious university—and finds herself falling in love with her roommate, an alluring vampire, in book one of…

enemies to lovers · slow burn · forbidden romance · paranormal romance · vampires · dark academia

A Study in Drowning

Ava Reid · Fantasy

Effy has always believed in fairy tales.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · slow burn · forbidden romance · morally grey character

I, Medusa

Ayana Gray · Fantasy

From New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek…

dark academia · coming of age · redemption arc · morally grey character

Boy Parts

Eliza Clark · Literary Fiction

One of Granta's Best Young British Novelists 2023 An incendiary debut novel from a brash new talent—a pitch-black comedy, both shocking and…

dark academia · coming of age · morally grey character · unreliable narrator

The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires

Grady Hendrix · Horror

Steel Magnolias meets Dracula in this '90s-set horror novel about a women's book club that must do battle with a mysterious newcomer to their small…

vampires · dark academia · found family · paranormal romance · psychological thriller

Arcana Academy

Elise Kova · Fantasy

A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of…

dark academia · fake relationship · slow burn · secret identity · magic academy

Crown of Midnight

Sarah J. Maas · Fantasy

*She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.

dark academia · revenge plot · quest · morally grey character · redemption arc

Diavola

Jennifer Thorne · Horror

Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: *Tread lightly and survive*.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting

The Faithful and the Fallen

Seb Wolff · Literary Fiction

A boy is taken in by the monastery at Steepwood, where he discovers a world of sanctity, secrets and sin.

dark academia · coming of age · found family · forbidden romance · historical fiction

Her First Lie

Lucinda Berry · Mystery & Thriller

In this chilling prequel to The Perfect Child, USA Today bestselling author Lucinda Berry plunges readers into the dark origins of a family's…

psychological thriller · dark academia · redemption arc

Too Old for This

Samantha Downing · Mystery & Thriller

Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her.

psychological thriller · dark academia · morally grey character · cat and mouse

Clockwork Angel

Cassandra Clare · Fantasy

When Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother in Victorian England, something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld.

paranormal romance · urban fantasy · slow burn · dark academia

The Lies of Lena

Kylie Snow · Fantasy

Passionate and Dark. Enemies to Lovers. Forced Proximity. Angst. Lena Daelyra has always lived in fear, as do most Mages in Tovagoth. Mages are…

enemies to lovers · dark academia · forced proximity · slow burn · witches

Dead Beat

Leigh Bardugo · Fantasy

The highly anticipated, explosive conclusion to the Ninth House trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · demons · found family

Stalking Jack the Ripper

Kerri Maniscalco · Horror

A gothic murder mystery set in gritty Victorian-era London, where an intrepid society girl finds herself embroiled in the investigation of a serial…

gothic atmosphere · historical fiction · psychological thriller · dark academia · slow burn

Bury Your Gays

Chuck Tingle · Horror

Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell.

dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · psychological thriller · found family

Futility

Nuzo Onoh · Horror

For readers of Oyinkan Braithwaite’s My Sister the Serial Killer and Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family, this is a monstrous, gleeful, bitingly…

dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · grimdark

My Darling Dreadful Thing

Johanna van Veen · Horror

*Spirits are drawn to salt, be it blood or tears.* Roos Beckman has a spirit companion only she can see.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · haunted setting · psychological thriller · found family

Hamlet

William Shakespeare · Literary Fiction

Hamlet is Shakespeare’s most popular, and most puzzling, play.

dark academia · revenge plot · twist ending

The Academy

Elin Hilderbrand · Literary Fiction

It’s move-in day at Tiffin Academy and amidst the happy chaos of friends reuniting, selfies uploading, and cars unloading, shocking news: America…

dark academia · coming of age · closed circle · revenge plot

He's the Devil

Tobi Coventry · Literary Fiction

An exhilarating, darkly comic debut novel about a do-gooder whose world is turned inside out when his new roommate—who might be possessed by the…

psychological thriller · dark academia · unreliable narrator · grimdark

Graveyard Shift

M. L. Rio · Mystery & Thriller

Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel…

dark academia · psychological thriller · closed circle · found family

Nevernight

Jay Kristoff · Fantasy

"In a world where the suns almost never set, a woman gains entry to a school of infamous assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers that…

grimdark · coming of age · revenge plot · dark academia · chosen one

Hierarchy

James Islington · Fantasy

dark academia · chosen one · quest · found family

The House Saphir

Marissa Meyer · Fantasy

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · forbidden romance · twist ending · morally grey character

The Wings That Bind

Briar Boleyn · Fantasy

It's THE NEVER BEFORE SEEN BOOK in THE hottest romantasy sensation that EVERYONE is talking about!

dark academia · paranormal romance · forbidden romance · vampires · magic academy · chosen one

Oathbound

Tracy Deonn · Fantasy

Bree Matthews is alone. She exiled herself from the Legendborn Order, cut her ancestral connections, and turned away from the friends who can’t…

dark academia · urban fantasy · found family · magic academy · chosen one

An Arcane Inheritance

Kamilah Cole · Fantasy

Elle Magazine Best Fantasy and Science-Fiction Book of 2025 A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly…

dark academia · grimdark · revenge plot · found family

Heat of the Everflame

Penn Cole · Fantasy

The third book in the Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book epic fantasy romance series.

dark academia · slow burn · political intrigue · high stakes survival

Green and Deadly Things

Jenn Lyons · Fantasy

Centuries ago, necromancy almost destroyed the world.

dark academia · grimdark · witches · demons · quest

Matchmaking for Psychopaths

Tasha Coryell · Mystery & Thriller

Love is a dangerous game when your clients are killers…from the bestselling author behind Love Letters to a Serial Killer.

psychological thriller · dark academia · morally grey character · obsessive love

The Infernal Devices

Cassandra Clare · Fantasy

All three books in the #1 New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy are now together in one boxed set!

paranormal romance · dark academia · gothic atmosphere · found family · slow burn

Wicked Onyx

Debbie Cassidy · Fantasy

In a ruthless magical academy where she's cursed and powerless, the last Onyx must unravel dark family secrets and navigate dangerous alliances to…

dark academia · grimdark · revenge plot · morally grey character · witches

The Bear and the Nightingale

Katherine Arden · Fantasy

At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses.

magical realism · historical fiction · dark academia · gothic atmosphere

Deathbringer

Sonia Tagliareni · Fantasy

For fans of Naomi Novik and Kerri Maniscalco, a dark academia romantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love and a twisty murder mystery set within…

dark academia · forbidden romance · slow burn · forced proximity

The Atlas Six

Olivie Blake · Fantasy

The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical…

dark academia · enemies to lovers · found family · morally grey character

The Incandescent

Emily Tesh · Fantasy

Naomi Novik's Scholomance series meets Plain Bad Heroines in this sapphic dark academia fantasy by instant national and international bestselling…

dark academia · paranormal romance · found family · magic academy · slow burn

A Deadly Education

Naomi Novik · Fantasy

“The dark school of magic I’ve been waiting for.”—Katherine Arden, author of the Winternight Trilogy I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after…

dark academia · enemies to lovers · chosen one · grimdark

The Broken Earth Trilogy

N. K. Jemisin · Fantasy

[Volume 2: The obelisk gate] : The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night.

grimdark · dark academia · revenge plot · morally grey character · trauma recovery

The Library at Hellebore

Cassandra Khaw · Fantasy

**A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six who are…

dark academia · morally grey character · magic academy · found family

Green & Deadly Things

Jenn Lyons · Fantasy

For fans of S.A. Chakraborty, Robin Hobb, and Martha Wells's Witch King, a page-turning standalone fantasy of necromancy and magical mayhem from Jenn…

dark academia · grimdark · witches · demons · quest

Electra

Jennifer Saint · Literary Fiction

Três mulheres enredadas numa maldição antiga.

historical fiction · dark academia

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door

H. G. Parry · Fantasy

the ones that friends cast on each other.

urban fantasy · fae · dark academia · found family

Blood & Betrayals

Alexis Rune · Fantasy

Power flows through the ancient halls of Avalon University like a neverending flood.

dark academia · magic academy · political intrigue

Verity Guild

Mai Corland · Fantasy

High Priestess Kerasea Vestal has spent her life hiding the truth—that she’s the last surviving heir of the magical bloodline the republic…

dark academia · political intrigue · secret identity · chosen one · redemption arc

Anatomy: A Love Story

Dana Schwartz · Fantasy

Hazel Sinnett is a lady who wants to be a surgeon more than she wants to marry.

dark academia · enemies to lovers · slow burn · forbidden romance · dark romance

House of Idyll

Delilah S. Dawson · Horror

From the New York Times bestselling author of Bloom and Guillotine comes a darkly seductive tale of beautiful rock stars, sinister cults, and a…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · psychological thriller · closed circle

Blackwater

Michael McDowell · Horror

On the crest of the worst flood that Perdido, Alabama has ever seen, the mysterious Elinor Dammart is rescued from the topmost room of a flooded…

gothic atmosphere · dark academia · small town

The Resurrectionist

A. Rae Dunlap · Horror

In the tradition of The Alienist and Anatomy: A Love Story, a decadently macabre, dark and twisty gothic debut set in 19th century Scotland – when…

historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · dark academia · cat and mouse · psychological thriller

House of Hollow

Krystal Sutherland · Horror

! An Instant Indie Bestseller! A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · twist ending · found family

House of Hunger

Alexis Henderson · Horror

Wanted: A bloodmaid of exceptional taste.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · found family · coming of age

Kala

Colin Walsh · Literary Fiction

ONE OF NPR'S BEST BOOKS OF 2023 • INSTANT IRISH TIMES #1 BESTSELLER • ONE OF ELECTRIC LITERATURE'S MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR • “A…

dark academia · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · cat and mouse · twist ending

The Infamous Gilberts

Angela Tomaski · Literary Fiction

The Remains of the Day meets The Royal Tenenbaums in this darkly funny debut novel about a wealthy, eccentric family in decline and the secrets held…

dark academia · historical fiction · gothic atmosphere · found family

The Delusions

Jenni Fagan · Literary Fiction

THE BOLD NEW NOVEL FROM THE PRIZE-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE PANOPTICON, LUCKENBOOTH AND OOTLIN '1984 for the afterlife' Irvine Welsh 'Outstanding' Lemn…

psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · dystopian society · dark academia · twist ending

Let Us Descend

Jesmyn Ward · Literary Fiction

In this reimagining of American slavery, Jesmyn Ward describes a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans…

historical fiction · survival · trauma recovery · dark academia

The Temptation of Charlotte North

Camilla Bruce · Fantasy

A rebellious young woman desperate to escape her predetermined life joins forces with an unlikely ally—a sinister spirit—in this dark gothic fantasy…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · secret identity · demons · redemption arc

Unhinged

A. G. Howard · Fantasy

LAlyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch.

dark romance · dark academia · enemies to lovers · forbidden romance

Local Heavens

K. M. Fajardo · Romance

A speculative romance reimagining of The Great Gatsby set in 2075 New York, in which Filipino American Nick Carraway has just moved to the heart of…

slow burn · forbidden romance · dystopian society · dark academia

The Examiner

Janice Hallett · Mystery & Thriller

Told in emails, text messages, and essays, this unputdownable mystery follows a group of students in an art master’s program that goes dangerously…

dark academia · psychological thriller · unreliable narrator · twist ending

The Maidens

Alex Michaelides · Mystery & Thriller

"Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge…

dark academia · psychological thriller · twist ending · cat and mouse

Juniper & Thorn

Ava Reid · Horror

From highly acclaimed, bestselling author Ava Reid comes a gothic horror retelling of The Juniper Tree, set in another time and place within the…

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · dark romance · redemption arc · trauma recovery · witches

Honor & Heresy

Max Francis · Fantasy

Northgard has known war for far too long, but the city's plight has just begun.Roy Dawnseve, heir to Dawnseve Manor, cares more for philosophy than…

dark academia · redemption arc · coming of age · political intrigue

Fiend

Alma Katsu · Horror

Historical horror maven Alma Katsu turns her talents to the modern world for the first time, in this terrifying tale about an all-powerful family…

historical fiction · grimdark · dark academia · demons

The Wicked King

Holly Black · Fantasy

The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.

enemies to lovers · dark academia · grimdark · fae · political intrigue · morally grey character

A Sorceress Comes to Call

T. Kingfisher · Fantasy

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T.

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · dark romance · forbidden romance · witches

These Shattered Spires

Cassidy Ellis Salter · Fantasy

Gideon the Ninth meets Leigh Bardugo in this YA high fantasy about four magical rivals who are forced to work together to stay alive during a deadly…

dark academia · found family · survival · magic academy · enemies to lovers

Nettle and Bone

T. Kingfisher · Fantasy

After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized…

dark academia · grimdark · revenge plot · found family

King of Scars

Leigh Bardugo · Fantasy

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible.

dark academia · grimdark · morally grey character · redemption arc · political intrigue

A Day of Breath

Darby Cox · Fantasy

A dark and imaginative fantasy filled with demons and religious conspiracy, A Day of Breath is a perfect read for fans of Naomi Novik and N.K.

dark academia · grimdark · demons · political intrigue · trauma recovery

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards

Sara Raasch · Fantasy

Ali Hazelwood meets Dungeons & Dragons in this enemies-to-lovers fantasy academia romcom where rival grad student wizards are forced to work together…

enemies to lovers · slow burn · dark academia · forced proximity · he falls first

The Councillor

E. J. Beaton · Fantasy

When the death of Iron Queen Sarelin Brey fractures the realm of Elira, Lysande Prior, the palace scholar and the queen's closest friend, is…

dark academia · political intrigue · morally grey character · quest · cat and mouse

Glow of the Everflame

Penn Cole · Fantasy

A sequel in the "Kindred's Curse Saga" by Penn Cole, focusing on Diem Bellator as she navigates a world teetering on the edge of war and faces the…

dark academia · forced proximity · enemies to lovers · slow burn

Gormenghast

Mervyn Peake · Fantasy

A young earl's future in a sprawling castle could be changed by a feral girl and a cunning servant in this acclaimed gothic fantasy trilogy's second…

grimdark · gothic atmosphere · dark academia · political intrigue · morally grey character

Wisteria

Adalyn Grace · Fantasy

Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do...

dark academia · slow burn · forbidden romance · morally grey character

The Fox Hunt

Caitlin Breeze · Fantasy

Dive into the dark underbelly of England’s most ancient university, where behind closed doors a circle of privileged students enter into a dark pagan…

dark academia · grimdark · closed circle

All Hail Chaos

Sarah Rees Brennan · Fantasy

SHE TRIED TO FIX HIM. SHE MADE HIM WORSE. Rae is a fantasy reader who's been transported to her favourite fictional world of swords and sorcery,…

dark academia · grimdark · unreliable narrator · portal fantasy · revenge plot

American Gods

Neil Gaiman · Fantasy

Shadow is a man with a past. But now he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life with his wife and stay out of trouble. Until he learns that…

urban fantasy · dark academia · quest · found family

The Hurricane Wars

Thea Guanzon · Fantasy

*The heart is a battlefield.* All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars.

enemies to lovers · slow burn · found family · dark academia

The Faithful Dark

Cate Baumer · Fantasy

READERS LOVE BAUMER'S DARK WORLD .

dark academia · gothic atmosphere · forbidden romance · demons · psychological thriller

The Changeling

Victor LaValle · Fantasy

"The wildly imaginative story of one man's thrilling odyssey through an enchanted world to find his wife, who has disappeared after having seemingly…

dark academia · urban fantasy · fae · trauma recovery · obsessive love

Prince of Swords

Elise Kova · Fantasy

Welcome back to Arcana Academy. Tarot magic, forbidden desire, battle, and betrayal collide for the power to change the world in the thrilling second…

dark academia · forbidden romance · slow burn · enemies to lovers · magic academy

Year of the Mer

L. D. Lewis · Fantasy

A dark, bloody epic fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid that goes far beyond the fairy tale to explore family legacy, war, and what we will…

dark academia · revenge plot · quest · morally grey character

A Gathering of Shadows

V. E. Schwab · Fantasy

Four months have passed since the shadow stone fell into Kell's possession.

dark academia · quest

A Mastery of Monsters

Liselle Sambury · Fantasy

When August’s brother disappears before his sophomore semester, everyone thinks the stress of college got to him.

dark academia · grimdark · revenge plot · found family · demons