In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology

by Marie O'Regan (Editor), Paul Kane (Editor), M.L. Rio (Contributor)

ENROLLMENT BEGINS NOW

A beguiling, sinister collection of 12 dark academia short stories from masters of the genre, including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Susie Yang and more!

In these stories, dear student, retribution visits a lothario lecturer; the sinister truth is revealed about a missing professor; a forsaken lover uses a séance for revenge; an obsession blooms about a possible illicit affair; two graduates exhume the secrets of a reclusive scholar; horrors are uncovered in an obscure academic department; five hopeful initiates must complete a murderous task and much more!

Featuring brand-new stories from:
Olivie Blake
M.L. Rio
David Bell
Susie Yang
Layne Fargo
J.T. Ellison
James Tate Hill
Kelly Andrew
Phoebe Wynne
Kate Weinberg
Helen Grant
Tori Bovalino

Definition of dark academia in English:
dark academia
1. An internet subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof with a focus on the pursuit of knowledge and an exploration of death.
2. A set of aesthetic principles. Scholarly with a gothic edge – tweed blazers, vintage cardigans, scuffed loafers, a worn leather satchel full of brooding poetry. Enthusiasts are usually found in museums and darkened libraries.

Genres: Dark Academia, Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Anthologies, Horror, Gothic

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 12, 2023

Reviews

[Melanie (meltotheany) · Rating 3 out of 5]

a dark academia anthology? what more could the book community ask for in 2023? i had some hits and a few misses, but overall i did enjoy this collection for the most part. for sure a mixed bag, but that's always to be expected with a short story collection, but i feel like if dark academia appeals to you, you will probably have a decent time with this one! down below is my break downs and feelings regarding every short story in the collection, also with trigger and content warnings i found while reading.

━━♡ 1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg ★★

an autumn college campus setting, a student with masochistic tendencies and a professor who bullies and belittles his students, and a morning of their relationship before the professor goes to a hearing at the dean's house to try to clear his name from the involvement of a student's death. this was a very atmospheric introduction to what will be a full story soon, and i was very enthralled with what was happening throughout, but upon finishing it just felt bad that our mc didn't care about all the horrible things until something impacted her.

tw/cw: student + college professor relationships, power imbalances, grey area consent, infidelity, mention of suicide, inducing pain on oneself, unwanted pictures being taken, use of the slur for romani people to describe a blouse.

━━♡ Pythia by Olivie Blake ★★★★★

“Watching it was like watching a potion get made, where you could see the sparkle of magic or the ether or whatever it was pouring into the code itself, like honey from an open wound.”

it is not a secret that i love olivie blake and her writing, but this short story was just harrowing and heartfelt perfection to me. it is very timely, with perfect parallels, and some of the most beautiful writing that truly makes me ache with so much feeling. this story is told q&a style through a legal proceeding deposition, with a case involving a super computer and the involvement of deaths on campus. i really loved this one and everything it had to say (so softly yet so loudly).

tw/cw: talk of murder + suicide, power imbalances, a lot of talk of mental health, very brief mentions of a lot of horrible things in this world.

━━♡ Sabbatical by James Tate Hill ★★★

i liked our mc, i really loved his cat, and i was interested in where this story was going! this is about a teacher trying to find out what was happening between a former faculty member, looking for another former faculty member, who was knocking on an empty professor's room next to his! but sadly i just ended up not loving this one as much as i hoped i would, even though i did enjoy the writing and trying to figure out things alongside our mc. i also might be wild for my interpretation of the ending of this one, but i enjoyed my feelings at the ending of this, too!

tw/cw: ableism, fatphobia, talk of forced hospitalization, infidelity, death/murder, joke about gun violence.

━━♡ The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew ★

i feel like i just really disliked this one from the start >.< basically a kid receives a prophecy when he is young and it has haunted him all the way to university, but also the things he has done in the time between has been haunting him, too. i don't know, i feel bad but the "descent into madness or very obvious supernatural element" really just didn't do it for me here.

tw/cw: car accident in past, death/murder in past, hurt animal, talk of loss of a sibling in past, nightmares, animal death.

━━♡ X House by J.T. Ellison ★★★★

“She doesn’t want to be an anxiety-ridden mouse who’s afraid of the dark and doesn’t like to be alone.”

a very isolated boarding school built a long time ago next to a lake and ocean, with four separate houses, and our story taking place in the house that is separated by a very creepy bridge, switching perspectives between a girl who just lost her roommate and a new professor sent to protect the six remaining girls! the setting and premise were perfection, truly. i was teleported and so intrigued. i am not sure i loved the story completely upon finishing the last page, but it was a solid short story that really kept me captivated while reading.

tw/cw: talk of suicide in past, panic attacks, anxiety, bullying, gun violence, violence, blood, and death

━━♡ The Ravages by Layne Fargo ★★★

women's academy archivist is cataloging letters from sapphics of the past, while her relationship with her own girlfriend just got destroyed in the very library she works at. but unlike the letters from the past - our mc wants revenge in the archives. i really enjoyed this one and i thought the ending was extra cute.

tw/cw: infidelity, an offhanded mention in a sentence of self harm/suicide, seance performance.

━━♡ Four Funerals by David Bell ★

this just felt so disrespectful because of the subject matter. i also think this was a weird choice for a selection in a dark academia collection. but we see a professor living with survivor's guilt and being immensely disrespectful, while going to four funerals of his four students when the families are expressing they do not want him there.

tw/cw: school shootings, suicide mention, miscarriage in past mention, vomit, loss of sibling in past mention, ptsd, and harassment.

━━♡ The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang ★★

i really don't know how to feel about this one. themes of religious upbringings and current environments and also people sometimes speculating, and obsessing, and even fetishizing, queer relationships. the author doesn't write this story in a positive light, but i just felt really meh about it, and wasn't really interested in it at any point, and felt a little gross while reading it.

tw/cw: blood, sickness, one sentence mention of family history of cancer, student teacher relationships (some kind of power imbalance dynamic going on), and fetishization.

━━♡ Weekend at Bertie’s by M.L. Rio ★★★

so two things first off: 1) this was, hands down, the most anticipated short story of the whole collection and 2.) i have never seen weekend at bernie's! the atmosphere and writing of this was beautiful. i'm just not sure i loved the story itself, but that could be because i am unfamiliar with the original source material. but back to begging for more of whatever ml rio is willing to give us.

tw/cw: a lot of drinking, smoking, death, vomit, mention of surprise pregnancy, unwanted touching, one sentence description involving cancer imagery

━━♡ The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant ★★★

this one was actually scary (i say, being a baby, but still). the basic premise is a girl in the 80s, doing her undergrad, finds a mysterious hidden locked door with the words "department of ontography", and she becomes obsessed. i feel like the writing was just hard for me to get into, and i kept thinking this story was way older than the 80s. also, why did she wait 30 years to do a thing she knew to do then? overall, i like how this was scary and different for the anthology, but it's not a fave.

tw/cw: drinking, vomit, missing person/loved one, human experimentation, body horror

━━♡ Phobos by Tori Bovalino ★★★

a secret society, one more challenge, one final sacrifice for the order. this short story felt the most dark academia to me. i really ate up the writing and setting and was so very intrigued. sadly, i kind of felt the twist coming, so my enjoyment was dampened, but i still had a good time getting there. but this is the reason why i love short story collections, because now i want to read more from this author.

tw/cw: drinking, assault, murder

━━♡ Playing by Phoebe Wynne ★★

maybe not the best story to end on. i wish this one was swapped with the one before it. we see an organist playing at a church where elderly people keep dying and she suspects there could be more to the story. i just knew what was going on from page two, and it really did hinder my enjoyment, but the miss marple sentence did make me giggle.

tw/cw: blood, death, murder, funeral setting, anxiety

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━━♡ buddy read with evie + penny

[Esta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Happy publication day!

Overall, this collection of dark academia stories was an eclectic mixed bag. As expected, some stories were thematically relevant, gripping, moody and twisty. Other stories were a bit of a stretch for what I would classify as dark academia.

My top picks of the anthology are:
○ The Hare and the Hound
○ Phobos
○ Pythia
○ The Professor of Ontography

1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3 stars
This is an intriguing, dark first chapter of a full novel called The Truants. I didn’t feel I had enough time to connect with Lorna Clay, and I was perplexed about how this was meant to be dark academia.

Pythia by Olivie Blake: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4 stars
If you like techno-horror shows like Black Mirror, you’ll probably like this one. This timely tale explores the ethical implications of technology, exploring what it means to be human and the longing for genuine emotional connections. It is a unique format with a Q&A deposition + traditional narrative storytelling. I thought it would’ve been stronger as purely futuristic and speculative sci-fi and eliminated the fantasy/magical element, which was only vaguely explained. Still, it was one of the more memorable reads in this anthology.

Sabbatical by James Tate Hill: ⭐/ 1 star
Maybe the author intended for the MC and supporting cast to be unlikeable. Still, the churlish narration, especially when the MC and other characters spoke of weight and mental illness, didn’t sit comfortably with me. The one star is for the cat, Edward.

The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4.5 stars
A creepy folkloric, whimsical and magical realism-infused horror short story that gripped me from beginning to end, about a boy tormented by inner demons and a prophecy he received from a seer at a fair regarding a white rabbit. One of my personal favourites in this anthology. Must remember to investigate more of Kelly Andrew.

X House by J.T Ellison: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3.5 stars
Reminiscent of The Grace Year meets boarding school stories, this short story explores the twisted, sinister depths of teenage girl cliques and relationships. However, the pacing wasn’t quite right, and I felt that a more in-depth length would’ve allowed this story to realise its full potential via richer world-building and plot.

The Ravages by Layne Fargo: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3 stars
Nothing groundbreaking, but revenge on a cheating lover is a dependable and entertaining trope.

Four Funerals by David Bell: DNF
Trigger warning: The subject matter of gun violence and school shootings is one I choose to actively avoid in my pursuit of reading for escapism and enjoyment. Skipped.

The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3.25 stars
A tale of an almost fetish-voyeuristic obsession over a charismatic professor and a speculated relationship with a student. The ending built up to what could’ve been a well-executed reveal or climatic point but then ended up being anticlimactic—bold artistic choice, although it left me unsatisfied.

Weekend at Berties by M.L Rio: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3.5 stars
A solid character study in this one, with some lovely prose. This story explores the morals of what people would do if they found the dead body of an acquaintance in their house. Felt unfinished.

The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4 stars
Creepily satisfying and uncanny love-horror story with an ending that gave me nostalgic R.L. Stine Goosebumps vibes.

Phobos by Tori Bovalino: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4.5 stars
This one was a gripping, dark story with Ninth House vibes, exploring disturbing initiation rites into secret societies and the depraved extremities humans will go to in order to belong and get a leg up in life. This had a satisfying length, plot and ending despite being a short story. Still, I wouldn’t be bummed if Tori Bovalino expanded this into a longer book. It makes my top 3 in this anthology collection!

Playing by Phoebe Wynne: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3 stars
While the “reveal” was almost immediately obvious, this premise had intrigue and potential. Maybe it would be better executed as a longer story. I appreciate what seemed to be authentic musical knowledge of the keys engrained into the story.

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.

Read the full review.

[Brend]

I saw a few people talking about how they thought 2023 would be the year dark academia calms down and softer, lighter books rise.

I say no.

[Samantha (ladybug.books) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a dark academia anthology. This is a collection of mysteries that each have some vague connection to college. Though there is a lot of debate around what works should be considered “dark academia,” very few of the stories in this collection gave me the dark, moody, and all-encompassing atmosphere that I have come to expect. There are definitely a few stories in here that deliver on the promised atmosphere—X House, The Professor of Ontography, and Phobos in particular. But others simply centered a professor or were set near a college (Four Funerals and The Hare and the Hound for example). The ones that leaned into the weird and obsessive were definitely the strongest. Overall the term dark academia was applied very loosely and I am a bit disappointed.

My favorite stories were: Pythia, The Unknowable Pleasures, and The Professor of Ontography

1000 Ships | Kate Weinberg | 3 stars: Not the strongest opening to the anthology. A relatively generic premise. Some of the word choices were questionable.

Pythia | Olivie Blake | 4.5 stars: I hesitate to call this dark academia, but I appreciated the focus on STEM. This was one of my favorite stories in the collection. The mix between traditional narrative and interview question and answer format was very clever. I really loved the reveal at the end. The explanation of “technomancy” was a bit weak. It would have made more sense to portray it as futuristic computer science rather than trying to weave magic into the explanation. Person of interest anyone?

Sabbatical | James Tate Hill | 1 star: This one was terrible. It was a bizarre crisis without even the bare minimum connection to dark academia. I was appalled by the way mental illness was portrayed.

The Hare and the Hound | Kelly Andrew | 4 stars: This was an incredibly satisfying descent into madness story with a great pay off.

X House | JT Ellison | 3 stars: An interesting concept that reminded me a lot of A Lesson in Vengeance. The dark academia vibes were there but it didn’t work crammed into a short story. The reveal was way too easy and the pacing was off.

The Ravages | Layne Fargo | 4 stars: Nothing shocking or unique and it does fade into obscurity when I consider the collection as a whole but I was entertained.

Four Funerals | David Bell | 2 stars: I don’t know if I like how this story handled the subject matter. It had the beginnings of an interesting exploration of trauma and blame.

The Unknowable Pleasures | Susie Yang | 4.5 stars: This one will probably be divisive because of the repulsive behavior of the main character. Yang delivers an intriguing story of obsession that subtly builds. It kind of felt like it pulled back from a confrontation/climax at the last second which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. But that definitely could have been the intention. I would definitely be interested in seeing this as a full length novel. There is so much potential to play with an unreliable narrator.

Weekend at Bertie’s | ML Rio | 4 stars: I love ML Rio’s writing so, of course, I enjoyed this one. The characters were intriguing and there were some interesting lines towards the end about morality. However, it felt like the story lacked a point.

The Professor of Ontography | Helen Grant | 5 stars: The ending of this story was actually nauseating and so unexpected. A very eery story that would make a fascinating full-length novel told retrospectively.

Phobos | Tori Bovalino | 3.5 stars: An interesting take on the concept of secret societies and inequality in academia. Would have hit me harder as a full-length novel.

Playing | Phoebe Wynne | 2.5 stars: I am honestly indifferent towards this one. It was definitely creepy but heavy-handed and obvious.

Thank you Titan Books and NetGalley for the eARC

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[Alex.andthebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

O ile ze zbiorami opowiadań jednego autora nie mam już takiego poczucia niedosytu o tyle tutaj znów wróciła chęć czytania dalej, szczególnie przy opowiadaniu „Tysiąc okrętów”, „Pies i królik” i „Profesor ontografii”. Ale może to kwestia tego, że po prostu szalenie mi się podobały. Całość wypada naprawdę w porządku, szczególnie biorąc pod uwagę jak różnych autorów tu mamy. Klimacik!

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

1000 SHIPS details an affair between a student and a professor where he is being investigated for another student’s suicide.
This gives My Dark Vanessa vibes. Deeply uncomfortable, dark, and vengeful.

PYTHIA is part deposition, part explanation from a clinical psychologist who’s being questioned after a suicide of a student involved in a cult of technomancers who believed that their supercomputer knew all and predicted all.
I found it funny that the computer was basically diagnosed with anxiety and got better because the psychologist basically treated it as if there was nothing wrong (virus etc.) with it.

THE HARE AND THE HOUND is a magical realism psychological horror.

”One day, a white rabbit will appear to you. For most, the hare is a symbol of blessing and renewal, but for you it is to be a harbinger of great misfortune. On the tail of the rabbit's arrival, you will meet a girl. Should you give chase, you will pursue her into the mouth of the wolf, and you will be consumed by the madness that follows."

Now, Mason, nicknamed Bunny, is at college and haunted by an innocent biking accident where he injured a rabbit and a girl called Arlen who suddenly appears with an injured arm and the same coloured eyes and hair as the rabbit.

This was delightfully creepily terrifying! I loved it!

SABBATICAL was probably my least favourite. A former professor fired for being a nut case reappears looking for another old professor who has disappeared without a trace.
This just felt fairly pointless and boring sadly.

X HOUSE follows a professor named Mia who has a new job in a place where madness is rumoured to call.

Six girls to teach. Six girls to keep safe. Six girls to keep alive for the rest of term. Someone is trying to murder the young women of Xavier House, and Mia is here to stop them.

Think extreme hazing. Short and pretty predictable.

Their attentions hurt, but they also feel good. They make Lily feel special in ways she never has before.

THE RAVAGES is what happens when you catch your witchy and seance-obsessed girlfriend making out with someone else in the aisles of the archives.

Even after we are both in our graves, I hope the ravages of your betrayal torment your withered soul.

A fun lil revenge story.

FOUR FUNERALS is about a teacher who travels to four funerals for his students who died in a mass shooting by a classmate which he planned out in a creative writing workshop.
This was pretty forgettable as it was so short and straight forward, but the emphasis on survivors guilt was poignant.

THE UNKNOWABLE PLEASURES is about a girl who becomes obsessed with a relationship between a fellow student and professor which turns into an almost fantasy for her to make her own life more interesting.

She often wondered if she'd been born in the wrong century. People seemed to live so differently in the past, with real purpose and romance - true romance - born of suffering and sacrifice and courage, not this modern-day idea of romance made up of cheap words, alcohol, and trivial gestures. Perhaps the problem with her and Alan's relationship was that they had never done any thing to earn their love, like survive a war or fight through insurmountable obstacles (disapproving parents, societal judgment, physical separation) to be together.

Honestly, a relatable outlook for any reader who feels inadequate on the face of unachievable romance and stakes.

WEEKEND AT BERTIES finds a dead body in the basement and a plan hatched between the two people who find her to take her life savings for themselves - a victimless crime as she has no dependents.
I don’t know if I misread this of what, but I didn’t really understand the point of it.

THE PROFESSOR OF ONTOGRAPHY is about a student who is one of the first girls to be admitted to study at a college who discovers the mysterious and unknowable Department of Ontology with her boyfriend.
This was creeeepyyy. Yes, it was predictable but this was definitely the most horrifying.

PHOBUS is about the Initiation into the Order of Prometheus which requires the completion of nine challenges.
Fairly predictable with a dark look on what humans will do to feel like we belong.

PLAYING is an ode for musicians. The pure, goody-two-shoes, above-everyone-else organ player spotting a link between a string of funerals she’s asked to play at.

Tonight she would play barefoot, barehanded and barefaced, as close to herself as she could get inside the music.

Normally I’m not a huge short story fan. I can’t connect to the characters, there’s not enough time to develop a coherent story, there’s not enough world-building or connection.
However, this was enjoyable. A nice break from the long books and sagas I’ve been reading.

I think if dark academia is your jam - you’ll love this!

Bookstagram

[Saimon (ZanyAnomaly)]

M L RIO *AND* SUSIE YANG. DARK ACADEMIA.
haven't been excited for an upcoming book in a while.
GIMME GIMME GIMME (a man after midnight) (but also this book right away)

[tessa · Rating 2 out of 5]

to quote my own tweet, someone tell publishers that being set at a school or any other academic setting does not mean it is dark academia

Rating: 1.5 stars

Review:
Thank you kindly to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I struggled finishing this book, I did not find most of the short stories engaging or compelling. The nature of these stories being short did nothing to showcase the talent of these authors, many of whom I’ve read previous works of and enjoyed. I think it is also warranted to mention that for an anthology that it is marketed as dark academia, the stories had nothing tying them together or to dark academia itself, other than a shallow undertone of the popular aesthetic or by throwing in a loose tie to some sort of academic setting.

Dark academia at its core has some theme or critique of the genre, it is not just a setting where the characters wear plaid. I think calling most of those stories “dark academia” was a stretch at best and a money grab marketing tactic at worst. I’m disappointed to say that this wasn’t for me at all.

[Raquel Flockhart · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this anthology because even though I usually don’t love short stories, the idea of a collection of them taking place in a dark academia setting was really appealing to me. Sadly, the majority of these stories were a miss for me, but I enjoyed a couple of them.

➼ 1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg: ★★★★
This was my favorite of the anthology. A prequel to The Truants, this is a story of a college student and her affair with her teacher, who is being investigated for the suicide of another student. The author managed to intrigue me enough to want to read her full-length novel.

➼ Pythia by Olivie Blake: ★
This one was kind of a scif-i story about AI and it intersperses an interview with the narration. It bored me from start to finish.

➼ Sabbatical by James Tate Hill: ★
I would say that calling this story dark academia is a bit of a stretch. It’s a story about a professor who decides to get involved in finding another teacher who has been missing for years. I didn’t like the writing or the story itself.

➼ The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew: ★★★
This one follows a young man who was involved in an accident that resulted in the death of another teenage girl and how he can’t escape his past, no matter how hard he tries. I liked the spooky and paranormal vibes of this one, even though I saw the twist coming from a mile away.

➼ X House by J.T. Ellison: ★★
This story had a very promising beginning, but I ended up being disappointed by the turn it took. It’s about a new teacher infiltrated in a school where several mysterious deaths have taken place in recent months.

➼ The Ravages by Layne Fargo: ★★★
I liked this one. A spooky story about a girl and her cheating girlfriend deciding to play with an ouija and everything that unravels from there.

➼ Four Funerals by David Bell: ★★
This was a story about the aftermath of a school shooting and follows a teacher who blames himself and decides to attend the four funerals of his students. It has some interesting discussions, but overall it wasn’t my cup of tea. I also don’t think this one can be called dark academia.

➼ The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang: ★★★
This one was quite interesting. It’s about an unlikeable young woman getting obsessed with the idea of her teacher and one of her classmates having a secret relationship. I was a little disappointed by the abrupt ending.

➼ Weekend at Bertie’s by M.L. Rio: ★★
I was particularly excited about reading this one because I recently read If We Were Villains and loved it. So I wanted to read more from this author. Unfortunately, I felt kind of meh about this one. It’s about two characters that find the body of a colleague and decide to take her money.

➼ The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant: ★★★
This story is probably the most spooky of the collection. It had me very intrigued from start to finish, but I wasn’t impressed by the final twist.

➼ Phobos by Tori Bovalino: ★★★
It follows a student who is taking a series of trials in order to become part of a secret society but who has to decide how far she’s willing to go when the society asks her to kill someone. I liked the vibes, although I saw the plot twist coming.

➼ Playing by Phoebe Wynne: ★★
The story of a church organist hinting that the older people who used to go to church and who recently died were actually murdered. I felt quite indifferent about this one. That said, maybe it’s because I read it when I was about to fall asleep, but I was surprised by the ending.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy the majority of these stories and I personally consider that half of them aren’t even dark academia. But I’ll keep an eye on future releases of the authors whose stories I enjoyed.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[mag_book_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Dwanaście krótkich, niepokojących opowiadań w klimacie dark academia. Każde różne ale łączy je jedno: przynajmniej jeden trup.

Niektóre opowiadania mocno mnie zaintrygowały, inne miały ogromny potencjał ale zakończenie nie satysfakcjonowało przez to, że zazwyczaj było otwarte, a takie niedopowiedzenia strasznie mnie irytują.
W środku znajdziecie: historię o chłopaku, którego ciała nigdy nie odnaleziono gdy zgubił się na tajemniczym wydziale Ontografii, czy dziwnych zbiegach okoliczności gdy pewna pianistka pogrzebowa nagle dostaje więcej zleceń. Pojawiają się też opowiadania bardziej o naturze i relacjach szczególnie związanych ze zdradą: akademicką czy romantyczną oraz zemście na niewiernych.

Niektórzy bohaterowie odkrywają swoje wewnętrze "ja" w kryzysie swoich wartości i przełamaniu moralnej postawy. Szczególnie wtedy, pojawia się prawdziwa natura człowieka, która skłania go do pewnych czynów, a mi szczególnie podobała się doza tajemnicy w tych wzbudzających refleksje historiach.
Polecam by wyjść poza swoją strefę komfortu czytelniczego, szczególnie na jesień by wczuć się bardziej w klimat opowiadań.

[Izabela Górska · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Dokładnie taka średnia wyszła mi po zsumowaniu moich ocen każdego opowiadania w tym zbiorze. W takich momentach cieszę się, że poprzez krótką formę mogę poznać twórczość pisarzy o których nie miałam pojęcia.

Z drugiej strony boli, gdy autorki których nazwiska na okładce zachęciły cię do przeczytania tak koncertowo wypadły najgorzej (patrzę na was Blake i Rio) ☠️💔

Do niektórych opowiadań z pewnością będę wracać.

[Ingerlisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

✧.* Did I only pick this up because of Olivie Blake's story? Yes, I did.

1. 1000 Ships ★★★☆☆
2. Pythia ★★★★★
3. Sabbatical ★★☆☆☆
4. The Hare and the Hound ★★★★★
5. X House ★★★☆☆
6. The Ravages ★★★★☆
7. Four Funerals ★★★☆☆
8. The Unknowable Pleasures ★★★★☆
9. Weekend at Bertie‘s ★★☆☆☆
10. The Professor of Ontography ★★★☆☆
11. Phobos ★★★★☆
12. Playing ★★★☆☆

[heba]

I'm losing it!! Just saw Olivie Blake post this on her Twitter and seeing M.L. Rio on here too just makes it even better.

[River · Rating 4 out of 5]

Average Rating: 3.5/5

1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg: 4.25/5
Pythia by Olivie Blake: 4.5/5 (my favourite by far)
Sabbatical by James Tate Hill: 3/5
The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew: 3.75/5
X House by J.T. Ellison: 2.5/5
The Ravages by Layne Fargo: 3.75/5
Four Funerals by David Bell: 2/5
The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang: 3/5
Weekend at Berties's by M.L. Rio: 3.25/5
The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant: 3.25/5
Phobos by Tori Bovalino: 4/5
Playing by Phoebe Wynne: 4.25/5

[Laura]

i already know this will be an obsession

[milliereadsalot · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.87 stars

Overall, I liked this anthology a lot - there were a few stories that really gripped me and that I would absolutely loved to read full length novels of, while there were also a couple of stories that didn't feel like they fit in with the others selected. My favourite short story in this anthology was The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant!

1000 Ships - Kate Weinberg
So interesting! I found myself wanting to read more straight away - it had the same vibes as "My Dark Vanessa", so it was incredibly gripping. I do wish we'd had more insight into what happened with the student case that was occurring in the background. I also think that if it is a short story, it should be able to be wrapped up within that story, rather than functioning as the first chapter of a full novel.
4/5

Pythia - Olivie Blake
I felt very confused throughout this. I didn't understand what was going on or what Pythia was - is it a Scythe Thunderhead situation? So baffled sadly.
3/5

Sabbatical - James Tate Hill
This had me very intrigued! There was a lot that felt quite confusing, but it was tense and I enjoyed the buildup to the climax of the story! It was a little predictable but enjoyable, and I would definitely read this as a full-length book!
4/5

The Hare and the Hound - Kelly Andrew
Okay now this is what I was waiting for! Creepy, unsettling, eerie, mysterious, this was exactly the kind of short story I was wanting. I loved that it wrapped up perfectly, and how the story played out was very satisfying!
5/5

X House - J.T. Ellison
Honestly it just felt a bit underwhelming. I like the setting, but having dual POVs in such a SHORT short story meant that there was no tension, and it also felt as though there was no clear reasoning for the events that happened either?
3/5

The Ravages - Layne Fargo
I enjoyed this a lot! It was entertaining and a bit spooky - I loved the revenge plotline and the characters were very interesting; this felt a lot like a classic ghost story told around a campfire which was very cool!
4/5

Four Funerals - David Bell
Interesting, but I'm not sure this exactly fits with the other dark academia short stories. There is murder involved, but the story is actually quite quiet and sad, really. I did like it though, I'm just not sure it fits with the others.
4/5

The Unknowable Pleasures - Susie Yang
I was really enjoying this up until the end! The ending was pretty disappointing, but the rest of the story was so intriguing and ever so slightly eerie. Reading from the perspective of Sophie, in the beginnings of a stalker/obsessive mindset, was really fascinating, I just wish it hadn't ended in such an anticlimactic way!
4.5/5

Weekend at Bertie's - M.L. Rio
Again, I don't really see how this fits in with the other dark academia stories? There is a death, but it's really just two people chatting in a house for the vast majority of the story. I also didn't understand why the two characters didn't call the police straight away? It didn't make much sense to me.
3/5

The Professor of Ontography - Helen Grant
I both hate and love this story - it was so, SO good, and I could not wait to find out the ending; I was on the edge of my seat the whole time reading it. The last bit was just so creepy and weird that I felt a bit ill, but that also just added to the atmosphere!
5/5

Phobos - Tori Bovalino
Quite interesting - I love reading about a secret society of course, but I was surprised that it didn't feel that tense, especially given the plotline of there needing to be a murder committed.
3.5/5

Playing - Phoebe Wynne
I did enjoy this story, but it was obvious from the beginning what the "twist" was going to be, and yet there was no explanation for the character's motivations behind what they did; was it really all just about money?
3.5/5

[catarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really understand the complaint that most of these stories don't fit into the "Dark Academia" genre. Dark Academia isn't a genre with an actual definition, it's just a name that's stuck in recent years. In my opinion, Dark Academia novels are campus novels with a little bit of murder on the side, and since most of these stories had that, I was satisfied.

1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg
3 stars - Loved the writing, cool but very simple story. I'll probably check out the author's books at some point.

Pythia by Olivie Blake
5 stars - Love Olivie Blake, she never disappoints.

Sabbatical by James Tate Hill
2 stars - The story doesn't hold up well on its own because it's very clearly about already established characters in another book. Plus I really disliked the writing style.

The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew
3.5 stars - Really enjoyed it but the ending was a bit anticlimactic and not very satisfying. I'm interested to check out this author's other works.

X House by J.T. Ellison
3 stars - It would have benefited from being longer and building up the suspense a bit more.

The Ravages by Layne Fargo
3.5 stars - Creepy and satisfying.

Four Funerals by David Bell
4 stars - I would read a full-length novel based on this story. It explored such an interesting moral dilemma. I blamed and felt for the protagonist in equal measure.

The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang
4 stars - I was really enjoying this until the ending because it made the entire story seem pointless. Beautiful writing, though, and fantastic characterization for such a short story. I'll definitely check out the author's other works after this.

Weekend at Bertie's by M.L. Rio
5 stars - This short story was one of two reasons I picked this book up, and it did not disappoint. Rio's writing is intoxicating, and so are her characters.
I especially loved these lines:

Some nights she wandered in and out of dreams, up and down the halls of the crumbling house, reaching around every dark corner in search of remorse, but could never find it, never grasp it, never hold it fast. Sometimes, to tame her restless hands, she ran her fingers through her tangled curls and savored the tenderness there.

Perfection.

The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant
5 stars - A delightful surprise. I loved everything about this.

Phobos by Tori Bovalino
3 stars - Interesting story, but it could have had more depth. I wanted to know more about Prometheus. I'm also already starting to forget it.

Playing by Phoebe Wynne
2.5 stars - Very interesting protagonist, but she was the only thing that stood out in this story. It wasn't very memorable.

[talia ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

🍂☕️🪵time turns flames to embers/you'll have new septembers🧣🧦🍁📚

kicking the best month off by participating in the NEW SEPTEMBERS mini readathon hosted by cossette and jamie, two blogs i admire greatly and have been following since forever!

like most readers, i loveeeee autumn and autumnal reads so i was overjoyed to see this readathon was taking place (the graphic is super cute too!).

i AM planning to read a book per prompt and have a really good feeling about this one 🕯📜📖🍁

🍄 BOOK 1: read a book that takes place in september - dreams lie beneath
🍄 BOOK 2: read a book about a haunted house - masters of death
🍄 BOOK 3: read a book with a yellow cover - a far wilder magic
🍄 BOOK 4: read a book that takes place at a private or boarding school - killingly
🍄 BOOK 5: read a creepy or horror book - together we rot
🍄 BOOK 6: read a classic or a retelling - our hideous progeny
🍄 BOOK 7: read a book about witches - enchanted to meet you
🍄 BOOK 8: read a gothic novel - foxglove
🍄 BOOK 9: read a dark academia book - the st. ambrose school for girls
🍄 BOOK 10: read a september '23 release - a study in drowning
🍄 BOOK 11: read an autumnal romance - you, again
🍄 BOOK 12: read a book with a red cover - rouge
🍄 BOOK 13: read a short story collection - in these hallowed halls

----------

convinced that 99% of working authors (especially YA ones) don't know what dark academia actually is—or what it's supposed to represent—and have butchered the word to death. however, that won't stop me from reading this anthology, for better or worse.

[Leonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

“1000 Ships" by Kate Weinberg - Lacked substance, the story could have been told within a page.

"Pythia" by Olivie Blake - How is this dark academia?

"Sabbatical" by James Tate Hill - Forgettable.

"The Hare and the Hound" by Kelly Andrew - this one was decent with the potential of being good. “Bunny”, though? There are other names, this felt too The Secret History inspired.

"X House" by JT Ellison - I don’t remember anything about this story.

"The Ravages" by Layne Fargo - I don’t remember anything about this one either.

"Four Funerals" by David Bell - TW: school shooting. This didn’t really feel like an academia story and I wasn’t a fan of the choice of subject.

"The Unknowable Pleasures" by Susie Yang - It felt like the academia setting was just thrown in so that the story fits into this anthology. The topic was a little weird too.

"Weekend at Berties" by ML Rio - Rio’s writing in this story felt somewhat pretentious, the story itself wasn’t overly interesting.

"The Professor of Ontography" by Helen Grant - I think the author was going for mysterious vibes her, but those didn't fully come across to me. Additionally, the story felt dragged out and too long. Finally, the word "Ontography" was mentioned 46 times, which is too much.

"Phobos" by Tori Bovalino - While the ending of the story was predictable, this was by far my favourite story in this anthology. It was well written and felt neither too long, nor too short.

"Playing" by Phoebe Wynne - While this one wasn't my favourite of the stories, I did like the overall concept and the plot twist towards the end.

Overall, most of the stories fell rather flat for me and I personally would not recommend this anthology to other readers.


[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

[akacya ❦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 reads: 286/350

this anthology includes twelve stories detailing dark accounts in academic settings. i have not read many anthologies, but i’ve enjoyed the ones i have read up to this point. just because something is a short story doesn’t mean it can’t be satisfying, but a lot of the authors in this anthology didn’t seem to get that memo. as i trudged through the first part of the book, i was expecting this to be a 2-star read or possibly even a dnf. however, there were quite a few stories i really enjoyed, enough to bring this up to 3 stars for me. this did introduce me to some new-to-me authors that i’m interested in reading more from, and there were some familiar authors whose stories i enjoyed.

[cossette · Rating 2 out of 5]

trigger warnings: violence, murder, grief, death, school shooting, gore, blood, vomiting, student teacher relationship, infidelity, pregnancy, blackmail, sexual misconduct, car accident, panic attack, hazing, alcohol, suicide, institutionalization, PTSD

[ʚ Aileen ɞ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ehhhhm.

I wouldn‘t exactly call this book a dark academia anthology as some of the stories had zero dark academia vibes, but all in all this was still enjoyable.

1000 Ships ⭑⭑
Pythia ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Sabbatical ⭑
The Hare and the Hound ⭑⭑⭑
X House ⭑⭑⭑
The Ravages ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Four Funerals ⭑⭑
The Unknowable Pleasures ⭑⭑⭑
Weekend at Bertie‘s ⭑⭑
The Professor of Ontography ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Phobos ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Playing ⭑⭑

Pre-read : It‘s dark academia time ✨

[Kalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Titan for the ARC!

What a wonderful anthology from some of my favourite authors. I really enjoyed seeing how each contributor put their own spin on the genre— from horror to secret societies, grief and obsession, each story was unique and a stand-alone display of talent and storytelling. My favourites were Kelly Andrew’s take on a whimsical and feverish horror-romance, Tori Bovalino’s vicious secret society and Helen Grant’s twisty thriller about a reclusive university department and the horrors it’s concealing. Like any anthology, not all were to my taste but overall if you’re a fan of dark academia this is a great taster of the genre and a perfect example of some stellar author’s short form work!

[nelka9books]

🕯️„W tych szacownych murach”, czyli antologia dark academia składająca się z dwunastu opowiadań. Myślę, że dla każdego z nas definicja dark academia będzie inna, a ta antologia pozwoli niektórym zdecydować, czego w tym podgatunku szukamy. Zbiór zabiera nas w podróż po całej skali natężenia mroku. Jestem bardzo ciekawa, które z opowiadań wpiszą się akurat w wasze pojęcie dark academii.

Mówiąc o klimacie dark academia, na myśl przychodzą mi bardzo konkretne hasła:

🖤Świat akademicki, tajemnice, zabójcza wiedza, nierzetelni narratorzy, mrok, duchy przeszłości, nawiązania do starożytności, wątpliwa moralność.🖤

🏛️Czytając tą książkę, absolutnie nie zawiodłam się, jeśli chodzi o zawarcie właśnie tych tematów (no dobra, może brakowało mi trochę tego braku zaufania do narratora). Jak to przy antologiach bywa, niektóre opowiadania okazały się lepsze, np. „Tysiąc okrętów”, „Pytia”, czy „Fobos”. To historie pełne napięcia, przekraczania własnych granic i radzenia sobie z własnym sumieniem.
Ale w zbiorze znalazły się też teksty, które nie przyciągnęły mojej uwagi i nie wzbudziły żadnych skrajnych emocji. Z tych mniej dla mnie ciekawych: „Grając”, „Urlop naukowy” oraz „Cztery pogrzeby”. Nie do końca przekazany został w nich klimat dark academia, a po prostu rozgrywały się na tle uniwersyteckim, poruszając tematykę zbrodni.

🦉Różnorodność pozycji zawartych w antologii, a jednocześnie łączące je tematy, zaspokoiły moją chrapkę na podgatunek dark academia, a zarazem pozostawiły we mnie niedosyt. Ciężko ocenić kilkanaście historii jako jedną całość, ale na pewno była to lektura wzbudzająca przeróżne refleksje, grozę i zaciekawienie. Szczerze polecam!!✨

[Veronica ☽◯☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

➵ 4.2 ⭐️

This was a great anthology! I'd definitely recommend In These Hallowed Halls to anyone who wants to read dark academia but doesn't know where to start but also to anyone like me who's in the mood but can't make up their mind what book to pick up lol.

This pic is from Jill's Tumblr
and this is my bookstagram

My absolute fav stories were Phobos, Weekend at Bertie's, The Hare and the Hound, The Professor of Ontography and Pythia.
Phobos by Tori Bovalino is dark academia at its best - secret societies, privilege, power, murder - the whole story was like a love letter to Ninth House and all books like it and I absolutely devoured it. As far as I'm concerned Tori can do no wrong and I only wish her story was a whole novel instead. Her debut The Devil Makes Three is one of my all time favs so if you read Phobos and you fall in love with it you should read TDM3 next.
Weekend at Bertie's is another one that just had me in its thrall the whole time. I've been meaning to read If We Were Villains for the longest time maybe now is the time.
Sabbatical and Playing were the only 2 I didn't really connect with or like. I found both boring and Playing was too repetitive. They just weren't for me at all.

- 1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg - 4 ⭐️
- Pythia by Olivie Blake - 4.5 ⭐️
- Sabbatical by James Tate Hill - 2.5 ⭐️
- The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew - 5 ⭐️
- X House by J. T. Ellison - 4 ⭐️
- The Ravages by Layne Fargo - 4 ⭐️
- Four Funerals by David Bell - 4 ⭐️
- The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang - 4.5 ⭐️
- Weekend at Bertie's by M.L.Rio - 5 ⭐️
- The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant - 5 ⭐️
- Phobos by Tori Bovalino - 5 ⭐️ (I wish I could give this 10 ⭐️)
- Playing by Phoebe Wynne - 2.5 ⭐️

eternal gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

[rayhanah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've realized I don't like anthologies. This will probably be my first and last one 😬. Most of the stories didn't grip my attention. I was skimming really hard to finish this, and in my opinion, only 2 were thrilling. They weren't even by the 'popular' authors included here!!

[witchy_book_babe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally loved this Anthology and felt that each Author understood the assignment on "Dark Academia". I appreciate that this brought many unknown Author's to my attention and there were some definite favorites here that continue to linger in my mind.


1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg
I really enjoyed this story! It may be a slight nod to Helen of Troy mixed in with elements of deceit, trust, and naivety in an academic setting. After finishing, the Author stated that this story is a prequel to her book The Truants. Which, I immediately added to my TBR pile!

Pythia by Olivie Blake
What a weird and interesting short story. A few times, I did have to reread sentences because I wasn't certain if the passages were inner thoughts, speaking to the reader, or spoken aloud dialogue. But, overall I enjoyed it; even if I felt that this was much more in the realm of Sci-Fi (in my opinion) and pushing on the limits of a Academia setting.

Sabbatical by James Tate Hill
This was a short story on a Professor, who I personally felt had a sad existence...a muted, gray life. I felt attached to his melancholy, even if it wasn't screaming on page. He seemed to have a charisma that maybe he wasn't aware of? And the event that he found himself in the middle of, was handled with such a level of cool and unbothered emotion that I found it to be the perfect end to the short story.

The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew
***This was a favorite of mine*** This story really stood out to me and I am still thinking about it. It was intriguing, mysterious, slight horror element (depending on your perception, I suppose) and this wonderful Nordic Folklore sprinkled in. I loved this so much, I ran out and purchased her other available book and preordered the next!

X House by J.T. Ellison
A school with a chilling reputation and mystery...that had a devious conclusion. I loved the bluntness of this story. It had me guessing with the more that I learned.

The Ravages by Layne Fargo
What a wicked fun tale with a cherry on top of Feminine Rage. I loved this story. Scorned lover that may even be bordering a possessive nature line? The ending is open to interpretation in my opinion.

Four Funerals by David Bell
This one may actually be quite uncomfortable for many readers and I completely understand that. The story revolves around a fatal school shooting. However, I am thinking that this Author's intent was to be thought provoking. And a zoomed in focus on all individuals affected by something as horrible and tragic as victims/families of victims/survivors of a horrific tragedy. Maybe going as far as to show the different faucets of humanity and how lives change for all during an act of unbelievable violence. It was a very sad story.

The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang
This was an interesting take on obsession to a varying degree. But, also straddles that line of longing and what motivates our dedication towards intimate relationships.

Weekend at Bertie's by M.L. Rio
Interesting plot line...this was kind of a story based on two questionable amoral characters that kind of get away with this terrible thing.

The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant
***This was another favorite*** I seriously can not stop thinking about this story. It was surprisingly sad and horrific. I feel it haunting me a bit, but in the best way. The way that this Author was able to grip me so fiercely within such a short amount of time, I was extremely impressed.

Phobos by Tori Bovalino
This was maybe the only one that I didn't quite get pulled into with the writing. I think I needed more time with the characters and plotline in order to be interested. It was a quick peek into a Secret Society and the ending was slightly shocking just because I felt it was at odds with the character's decision. Maybe that was the point? I'm not sure.

Playing by Phoebe Wynne
I thought that this was the perfect story for the Finale in this Anthology! The star of this story was everything she needed to be and I felt like there are not enough characters written like this, especially female characters; it was truly refreshing to read!

[Klaudia • szumiabooki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 Największe wrażenie zrobił na mnie “Profesor i Królik”, tuż za nim na podium “Weekend u Bertie” oraz „Profesor ontografii” (tutaj nadal zbieram się po końcówce). Cały zbiór “W tych szacownych murach” również oceniam pozytywnie. Brakowało mi czegoś takiego na polskim rynku, @insignis_media i @wydawnictwostorylight idealnie więc tę lukę wypełniło. I to w tak wizualnie zachwycającym wydaniu! 🙌🏻

[bie · Rating 2 out of 5]

at first i thought my expectations had been too high, but the truth is this was just unfortunately bad; and the problem isn’t that i disliked some of the stories — the problem is i actively Hated most and only liked one (three, but not entirely).

i also find it silly to shove this anthology under the dark academia umbrella since i would barely call some of the stories dimly lit circuses, let alone dark academia.

alas, love and light, kelly andrew, you’re the only real one

[Ketelen Lefkovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since it was announced both by Titan Books and by some of the authors in it which I follow, I’ve wanted to read this Dark Academia anthology. I am currently writing my master thesis on DA as a literary genre, and so I’m always looking for new books to add to my ever growing list of DA titles. This anthology also features some authors that I love so I wanted to read their stories as well.

Now here is a disclaimer, I have my own set of parameters for the Dark Academia genre, and the books I add to the list and subsequently my thesis need to check some boxes, which are different for example that just being described as being part of the DA aesthetic. For instance, the setting must be an institution of learning, weather a university or boarding school, you can’t have DA without that because DA stems from the Campus Novel, which are essentially fiction set in uni/colleges. DA also features gothic themes, and death in some capacity.

That being said, not all the stories in this anthology are part of the Dark Academia genre. Only four out of twelve are, which are as follows: 1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg; X House by J.T. Ellison; Phobos by Tori Bovalino, and Playing by Phoebe Wynne. The rest of the stories can be divided into three categories. Five of them have elements of Dark Academia, which include the aesthetic part, but for some reason they are not fully part of the genre. Sabbatical by James Tate Hill is a Campus Novel (or Campus Short Story in this case) in my opinion. And then we have the two short stories that are in no way Dark Academia, and which make me question why are they even in this anthology at all. These are The Hare and The Hound by Kelly Andrew and Four Funerals by David Bell.

I’m going to break down each of the stories below to comment them in more depth. I have given individual ratings to each of the stories, and upon calculating the arithmetic mean and rounding it up, my final rating of this anthology is going to be 4 stars. It is overall, a very good anthology, especially because 5 short stories are 5 stars and that is almost the half. I enjoyed reading these. Let’s take a closer look.

»1000 Ships - Kate Weinberg, 5 stars 💫 dark academia

The opening story of the collection, and what a start! As this was the first story I read it set a very high parameter that for a while I thought no other story was going to match (I don’t tend to read short story collections in order I just choose whichever appeals to me the most first). This is also the shortest story which just proves that quantity does not mean quality. This story is a prequel of the book The Truants, the debut novel of the author and also a Dark Academia novel. I simply loved this story. Not just because it was a DA story, and I was fearful of how many I would encounter on this anthology, but also because as a short story it was a great one. It had a very clear sense of where it was going and what it wanted to say, structurally it had a beginning, middle and end that made sense (you’d be surprised how many short stories don’t). If you’re familiar with The Truants, this story is about Lorna, and it was the story we needed! We learn so much about her and her characterization is incredible.

»Pythia - Olivie Blake, 3.5 stars 💫

Much like her famous book The Atlas Six,this story is not part of the Dark Academia genre, however it does have elements included. It is also similar to TAS in the sense that the writing is extremely confusing, apparently on purpose, and to mask the fact that the worldbuilding is a mess. However, somehow this works. The intercalation between an interview and past events, makes you aware of specific information as you go along. There are some great criticism in here as well. I think what genuinely bothered me with this one was the writing, I feel like it was such a great idea and concept but the writing prevented me from fully enjoying it.

»Sabbatical - James Tate Hill, 2.5 stars 💫

This one appears to be a prequel to the author’s novel Academy Gothic, but I cant verify that because I haven’t read that novel. It was a confusing and average story. This is the one that for me reads very much like a Campus Novel (or Campus Short Story in this case). I just didn’t connect much with this one or find anything special about it, hence the lower rating.

»The Hare and The Hound - Kelly Andrew, 3 stars 💫

This story is one of the two I don’t consider to have anything DA about it, and I don’t understand why it was even featured in this anthology. This was filled with magical realism and fantasy to the point that made me question why it wasn’t featured in a different themed anthology. It is not a bad story per se, but it’s just so off thematically from the rest. The focus here is not academic life or anything pertaining to it, the focus is a Hare and magical transformations and I was just very annoyed. It was also way too long, one of the longest of the whole anthology, and being longer didn’t even add that much to it.

»X House - J.T. Ellison, 5 stars 💫 dark academia

This one was superb. A masterpiece. A school, with four founders and subsequent four houses, we are introduced to X House and its ruthless girls. This is such a fleshed out short story, incredibly written and you can see how much the author as thought everything through. It also features multiple povs and the organisation in which it was written makes all the difference. This was amazing and so satisfying to read due to its high quality. Again not saying that because it is part of the DA genre, but because as a short story it is such a fantastic one, and so well written.

»The Ravages - Layne Fargo, 4 stars 💫

Layne Fargo is the author of the insanely good book They Never Learn, and here she follows the theme of female rage and female desire. She is a master of exploring those, and this short story was delicious to read. It’s very strong on the gothic, the atmosphere is intense, and its also very strong on the Dark Academia aesthetic. It does feature DA elements but because of one thing (you’ll know when you read it) I’m refraining from putting it as DA. That is actually the reason why I am rating it 4 stars as well because it could have easily been a 5 if that one thing were different.

»Four Funerals - David Bell, 1 star 💫

This is the worst story in the anthology and the second one that is not Dark Academia in the least. I am only going to say this once, school shooting is not Dark Academia. I don’t know where this has stemmed from, but it is absurd. It has absolutely nothing to do with what Dark Academia even stands for. Yes, it is something dark that happens in places of learning, it is the complete opposite of what both the genre and the aesthetic of DA stand for. I found it a little offensive that this story was included in the anthology, I feel like the editors made a poor choice to include this one. This is also a story that is a possible trigger warning. It does not describe the events of the shooting per se, it deals with the aftermaths, a.k.a four funerals, but it could still be triggering nonetheless. Also, there is a very strange and possible problematic message at the end of the story where it seems that both the MC and the shooters mother attempt to say that the shooter is blameless of what he’s done. I found it a disservice that this story was featured.

»The Unknowable Pleasures - Susie Yang, 3.5 stars 💫

This story had everything to be perfect, if it weren’t for the ending!! That’s what I mean when I say a short story should have a clear beginning middle and end, and this one doesn’t!! Gosh, it is so frustrating to me because I was LOVING this up until the end. It has an interesting obsessive main character, that becomes so invested in the lives of her professor and her classmate, it was such an original concept! It’s not fully DA but does have elements and it was almost perfect. I was so excited while I read this, but the ending was so annoying ugh.

»Weekend at Bertie’s - M.L. Rio, 2.5 stars 💫

I can’t believe I am giving this such a low rating but here we are. This was one of my most anticipated stories from this anthology. It’s the first piece of writing we’ve had from the author of If We Were Villains in years, and yet here we are. It was not what I expected. In both the DA sense, so little elements, and it is not set in an institution of learning… It was annoyingly frustrated because it could be fixed easily, and also in the sense of short story format, this was the type of short story that I hate. The one that feels unfinished, like a chapter in the middle of a book that you’re just trying to caught up to. It made me feel lost. It also has a very unremarkable writing which was not what I expect from M.L. Rio at all. Overall, this was boring and nobody is sorrier to say that than I am.

»The Professor of Ontography - Helen Grant, 5 stars 💫

This story will live in my mind for years to come. It is one of the best short stories I have ever read in my life. It has such a strong atmosphere, so unique and eerie. This could easily be an episode of an anthology series on Netflix (yes I am thinking about Guillermo Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities). There is just a different thing here, a sense of weird and uncanny. It reminded me of Cabinet of Curiosities, of Poe’s short stories, of Lovecraftian horror. It’s just incredible. There is a clear sense of beginning middle and end that just leaves you breathless and floored after you finish. It does feature some DA elements. I just loved this one so much. I am going to be thinking about this one for a long, long time.

»Phobos - Tori Bovalino, 5 stars 💫 dark academia

While I was reading this anthology I kept asking myself, will there be a story featuring secret societies? Phobos was the answer to that question. This story was amazing from beginning to end. Frenetic, ruthless, competitive, ambitious, it was dripping with everything DA is. It was one hell of a story and I loved it.

»Playing - Phoebe Wynne, 5 stars 💫dark academia

This was amazing. There is excellent characterization here, we get to unpeel the layers of the main character little by little, and the more we discover, the darker it gets. This is just dripping with gothic atmosphere, it’s a treat. It also has everything a good DA needs. The story itself its very full circle too, and the ending is incredibly satisfying. I had a great time reading this one, it was perfect.

As I said, the anthology in full gets a 4 star. For an anthology, this is one of the best, with more good stories than bad. I recommend it.

Many thanks to Titan Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

↠ 4 stars✨