Foggy days, hot cups of coffee, oversized sweaters, cardigans: Fall and winter provide the perfect weather for the dark academia aesthetic. That means it's also a great time of year to delve into dark academia books!
Dark academia takes place in an academic setting, which has dark themes or tones. Primarily, dark academia is used to critique the institution of academia and showcase its flaws. The most notable and likely most famous example is The Secret History. Other times, dark academia novels utilize the setting to create a dark atmosphere, explore themes related to academia, and can often incorporate the paranormal/supernatural to enhance these stories.
Without further ado, here are some dark academia recommendations!
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
An Academy for Liars follows the main character Lennon as her life reaches a breaking point: She's unhappy in her relationship and unfulfilled in her life. She gets a call to join a mysterious university that no one has heard of, and finds herself craving this venture. However, when she gets to Drayton, things are a lot more complex than she initially realized: Things at Drayton are more...supernatural. Those at the school are gifted, and Lennon has a gift for persuasion. At the same time, she spends more time with her advisor Dante, learning more about the secrets that shroud Drayton like clouds.
An Academy for Liars explores themes of power and greed at an institutional level, the influence of interpersonal relationships, and the power of persuasion.
A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
A Lesson in Vengeance picks up with Felicity's return to school, Dalloway, after a year away dealing with the loss of her girlfriend. Upon her return, she meets Ellis who is new to the school. She's drawn to Ellis' curiosity and intelligence, and the two grow closer throughout the novel as they research mysteries and stories behind their house. However, the more they uncover about these stories, the more truth Felicity learns about mysteries plaguing her own life.
Full of twists and turns, A Lesson in Vengeance explores themes of obsession, grief, and closure in a dark academia setting.
Babel by R.F. Kuang
Babel centers on Robin Swift as he is swept to England by Professor Lovell, after he becomes an orphan. Robin was promising in languages and trained until he began at Oxford in their linguistics program, Babel. While there, Robin is swept up in the knowledge and magic he's learning through translation. In this world, translations can contribute to enchantments. However, over time, Robin meets people who challenge his expectations of Babel as an institution, the people around him, and the work he's a part of.
Babel is a thrilling novel exploring translation and language, colonialism, and discovery about yourself and the world around you.