Close your eyes and try to imagine…
You are seated in the huge library of a historic college, surrounded by Gothic decorative elements and volumes that smell of history. You are reading a classic of Greek mythology, or English literature, under the light of candles, dreaming of living in an ancient era, or somewhere magic is not a simple suggestion. A certain nostalgic, romantic feeling and a great desire to learn are the highlights of your life… Now open your eyes.
Welcome to the world of the Dark Academia, an aesthetic that, especially in recent times, has gathered on social media a large number of followers who, driven by the love for art, literature, beauty, set their stories in Ivy League colleges, English or magic schools. Here, a gloomy atmosphere, rich in symbolism and references to classical culture, which wants to escape from the contemporary frenzy, imprints the narration of mystery and suspense.
Here, the rivalry, the desire to be the best, the obsession, and the suggestion, grow gradually, dragging the reader on a journey full of clues, twists, and aulic references. Here, you can’t trust anyone but yourself (maybe…). Here, everything is to be questioned, and nothing is as it seems. Here, you enter a world from which it is difficult to get out…
Books with Dark Academia settings have all these elements and, for this reason, they are impossible to put down once you start reading: you identify with the characters, you let yourself be influenced by what can or could be, you question everything, and you find yourself open-mouthed in the grand finale … I love this type of books because they contain all the inspirations of my taste (from retro settings to classical literature), and it feels so right to share with you the must-read titles of this genre to let you, too, be bewitched by the Dark Academia. But be careful: they are addictive.
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
The Secret History – Donna Tartt
The milestone of this genre, an absolute masterpiece that was a real literary case in the 90s, as well as the debut novel of the writer. Inspired by the settings of the University of Bennington, Vermont, attended by Donna Tartt, the book stars six students of Hampden College: five of them are rich and spoiled, while the sixth, Richard Papen (the narrator), is an outsider both in social background and character. To unite them is the passion for classical literature and belonging to an elite of students led by the eccentric professor Julian Morrow. Between obsession, secrets, the celebration of an idealized past, excesses, and violence, the group will lose control until it commits a serious crime. How much more are you willing to go to protect yourself and your group? What is the limit between illusion and reality? A masterful and unpredictable narrative that leaves you breathless.
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
The Maidens – Alex Michaelides
At St Christopher’s College in Cambridge, there is a course in Greek tragedy that has so influenced a group of students that made them find a secret sect, that of the virgins, where the cult of the fascinating professor Edward Fosca is also practiced. When one of these girls is found dead, psychotherapist Mariana is called to investigate the case: recently widowed, and with the victim who turns out to be the best friend of her beloved niece Zoe, Mariana returns to the classrooms of the college where she studied, and where she met her husband. Here, between facing her memories and the lack of trust towards Fosca, Mariana brings to light a series of murky events, a dangerous game inspired by Greek culture that will leave behind a trail of deaths and mystery… How far is Mariana willing to go to cope with the pain? An engaging and flowing thriller, full of twists and turns.
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
A Lesson in Vengeance – Victoria Lee
Felicity Morrow returns to the exclusive Dalloway School college to finish her senior year after abounding in studies following the tragic death of her girlfriend, Alex. Here, she returns to her old room in the exclusive dormitory of Godwin House, which is said to be haunted by the spirits of the Dalloway Five, five friends who in the 1700s were considered witches and found dead one after the other in different ways. Felicity knows the story of these girls so well that, among the walls of the building, she seems to perceive their presence, and also to see the ghost of Alex, left to torment her and to expose her dark secrets and her passion for the occult. When Ellis Haley, a seventeen-year-old prodigy writer in her first year at Dalloway, asks Felicity to help her investigate the death of the Dalloway Five for her new book, Felicity finds herself once again drawn to a darkness that threatens to drag her to the bottom and bring death back into her path. Gothic settings, witchcraft, dangerous secrets, and curses that re-emerge from the underworld: nothing is missing.
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
The Atlas Six – Olivie Blake
The first book of a trilogy and upcoming television adaptation by Amazon Prime Video, it has been a real phenomenon over the past year in the dark academia world. The story revolves around the exclusive Alexandrian society, guardian of the lost knowledge of the ancient world and composed of the most important magical academics. Every 10 years, only 6 uniquely talented young magicians are selected to take part in the initiation and earn a lifetime of wealth and power among the ranks of society. In the last selection, there are Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, academic rivals and able to control the physical elements. Reina Mori, a very insightful naturalist. Parisa Kamali, a charming telepath. Callum Nova, an empath who can influence others. And Tristan Caine, who can go beyond illusions to give a new shape to reality. The six will find themselves involved in a year-long initiation path, during which they will test themselves around the concepts of time and space, luck and thought, life and death, led by the mysterious Atlas Blakely. Out of six, only five will survive, while the sixth will be eliminated. Each member of the group will therefore have to prove to be the best and fight to get what they want. And to have saved their life. That is until an unpredictable series of events leads them to question everything they know, or think they know…
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
We Were Villains – M. L. Rio
Oliver Marks has been in prison for ten years on charges of murdering Richard, a friend of his at the prestigious Dellecher Institute, where they studied and virtuously recited Shakespeare all the time. In the last year of this path, there are 7 student-actors inseparable from each other, who divide the time between rehearsals, shows, alcohol, drugs, and sex: Oliver, in fact, Richard, James, Alexander, Wren, Filippa, and Meredith. For the show of the first trimester, they have to stage Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar: and, during the rehearsals, the problems within the group will come to the surface, due above all to Richard’s dominant personality. The fights, grudges, envy, and secrets culminate on a frosty November morning when Richard’s corpse is found in the lake near the school. The investigation will lead to Oliver’s arrest, although not convinced of the boy’s guilt is Inspector Colborne, the one who ten years later, when Oliver comes out of prison, waits for him to finally know the truth. A coming-of-age novel, a compelling mystery, a psychological journey, a story of loyalty and betrayal, of madness and exaltation, where the boundary between the role of the victim and executioner, between the actor and character, is extremely labile…
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
Ace of Spades – Faridah Àbíké-Íyímíd
A story of injustice and inequality that recalls “Gossip Girl” and “Pretty Little Liars.” At Niveus Private Academy, everyone is rich, everyone is seemingly perfect. At Niveus Private Academy, everyone is white, outside of Devon, a talented musician, and Chiamaka, a tireless school leader. When anonymous messages signed by such an Aces threaten to uncover the dark secrets of Devon and Chiamaka, the two of them will have to join forces to save their reputation. And, perhaps, even their own life. A gripping thriller that delves deep into the dynamics of institutionalized racism, a current reading (unfortunately), and a brilliant debut.
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
The Ninth House – Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is a freshman at Yale, but she is not like the other students: with a problematic past behind her and the only survivor of multiple murders still unsolved, she is offered by mysterious benefactors the opportunity to start a new life right from Yale. In return, she will have to monitor the occult activities of the secret societies of this university, to capture any illicit uses of forbidden magic. And Alex is the perfect person for this assignment thanks to her unique talent, which allows her to see the dead. Led by the young Darlington, Alex will delve into the dark secrets of a Yale where we find societies dedicated to necromancy, divination, and all sorts of magic, soon finding herself involved in a plot that threatens the security of the entire campus. Leigh Bardugo creates a complex adult fantasy, with well-characterized characters and original events that mix history, occult, and mystery in a skillful way. The second book is expected soon, while Amazon Prime Video has already bought the rights to a television adaptation.
Dark Academia: The 8 Books Not to Be Missed
A Deadly Education – Naomi Novik
The first chapter of a trilogy still being published combines dark environments with interesting magical elements. Scholomance is a particular school of magic: there are no teachers or holidays and there are only two ways to get out once you enter, graduate or die. Here, every failure leads to death, and dangerous creatures known as soul-eaters lurk in every corner of the institute. That is until Galadriel “El” Higgins enrolls in the Scholomance: an extremely gifted student, with a past and a dark talent difficult to control, she may be the only one able to change the rules of this dangerous education. Too bad that her power could lead to the destruction of everything around her… Also thanks to the help of the charismatic Orion Blake, El will have to learn to control herself and be ready for anything to avoid carnage at school. Very interesting is the world-building full of details and the succession of events in a crescendo of tension with dark tones that drags the reader to the last page.
