Blog Post

Dark Academia Picks for the Fall

Hayley DenningsSep 9 2023

It’s September, which means it’s time to start transitioning to some darker book recs. Autumn is the perfect time to dive into moody and mysterious atmospheres at elite universities. Here are some dark academia recommendations to match the dark autumnal vibes.

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Dark Academia for the Fall

“Babel” by R.F. Kuang. A historical fantasy novel that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as a weapon of the British empire.“Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo: A dark tale of the secrets, power, privilege, and dangerous magic amongst the Ivy League elite.“Ace of Spades” by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé: This thriller is "Get Out" meets "Gossip Girl" in a story about two students who must save their reputations in a struggle against an anonymous bully.“If We Were Villains” by M.L. Rio: This story is a gripping thriller with an ode to theater, specifically Shakespeare, involving student rivalries and obsessions turned to love and violence. “Bunny” by Mona Awad: A dark and spellbinding novel about the female experience and the dangerous powers of the imagination.

Babel

By R. F. Kuang

A novel that that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Ninth House

By Leigh Bardugo

From the author of Shadow and Bone, now a hit NETFLIX series

Ace of Spades

By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Gossip Girl meets Get Out in Ace of Spades, a YA contemporary thriller by debut author Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé about two students, Devon & Chiamaka, and their struggles against an anonymous bully.

If We Were Villains

By M. L. Rio

Dellecher Classical Conservatory is a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, students play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras.

Bunny

By Mona Awad

As Samantha plunges deeper into the Bunnies' sinister yet saccharine world and takes part in their ritualistic "Workshop" where they conjure their monstrous creations, reality begins to blur. Soon, her friendships will be brought into deadly collision.

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Hayley Dennings is a queer, Black woman from the Bay Area in California. While finishing her French and English undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University, she also spends time on her YouTube channel, Pages of Hayley, where she discusses books and writing with over 45,000 subscribers. Because of reading, Hayley learns about experiences other than her own and gains empathy for those around her. Seeing people like her represented in books encouraged her to write her own books and pursue publishing. When Hayley is not working, she is spending time with her three dogs and baking.