An Academy for Liars, Alexis Henderson
An Academy for Liars, Alexis Henderson
List: $25.00 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.50

An Academy for Liars

Author: Alexis Henderson

Narrator: Tracie Frank

Unabridged: 13 hr 22 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Penguin Audio

Published: 09/17/2024


Synopsis

A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.   

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.  

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her. 

As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it’s a test she’s terrified she’s going to fail.

About The Author

Alexis Henderson is the author of House of Hunger and the Goodreads Choice Awards finalist The Year of the Witching. When she's not writing, you'll find her tending to an assortment of houseplants or nursing a hot cup of tea.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Esta on October 05, 2024

Look, I’ll come clean: I still haven’t cracked open Donna Tartt’s The Secret History or M.L. Rio’s If We Were Villains. I know, I know—I’m a dark academia heretic. My experience has mainly been Hogwarts, Naomi Novik’s The Scholomance, and Leigh Bardugo’s paranormal version of Yale University, which......more

Goodreads review by Lala on February 01, 2025

this had so much to love thematically, but narratively it was a mess. I have loved alexis henderson's other work, her writing is always stunning...but virtually everything else, from plot to characters, magic system to dialogue...needed more time and attention.......more

Goodreads review by Nilufer on April 12, 2025

As a die-hard fan of dark academia and an avid follower of the author’s previous works, the intriguing plot of a hidden school in the heart of Savannah, accessible only to the chosen, teaching the art of persuasion, was irresistible. I dove into this adventure without hesitation. The journey was long......more

Goodreads review by Sydney Books on December 30, 2024

4.5* My last book of the year 🥲 and it was SO GOOOD I love Alexis Henderson so damn much......more

Goodreads review by Evie on November 22, 2024

I’m going to be perfectly honest and say that I would have DNF’d this if I hadn’t spent an audible credit on it. I am counting it as a DNF in spirit though cause I wish I had. To be fair, there were some good things about this story and this world, the idea of persuasion/free will magic was actually......more


Quotes

"An Academy for Liars is propulsive, thought-provoking, and sexy—Alexis Henderson is in a class of her own.” – Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of The Foxglove King

"Alexis Henderson turns her incredible eye for the upsetting to academia, and delivers a campus novel saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely." – Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

“As engrossing as it is intense, it’s a solid successor to Lev Grossman’s The Magicians and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House.” – NPR.org

“A deliciously violent web of lies, magic, and corrupted power, An Academy for Liars is dark academia at its best.”—Dhonielle Clayton, New York Times bestselling author of the Conjureverse series

"An Academy for Liars is the quintessential dark academia story. It’s literally everything you could ask for from this genre, from the atmosphere to the characters to the twisted magic and dark secrets. If you love dark academia and read it all the time, you have to pick this book. And, frankly, if you only read one dark academia book ever in your lifetime, you should make it this one." - Book Riot

"An utterly enchanting dark academia stunner infused with Henderson's signature style– it's lush, atmospheric, imaginative, and impossible to put down." – Rachel Harrison, USA Today bestselling author of Black Sheep

“Alexis Henderson is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the realm of dark speculative fiction, each offering better than the last...An Academy for Liars is full of twists and turns, so hold on tight." - Reactor

“I devoured An Academy for Liars in one sitting. It’s a deliciously haunting dark academia read that’s as sexy as it is chilling. Alexis expertly creates a world steeped in mystery, illicit dealings, ruthless ambition, and thrillingly flawed characters. An Academy for Liars sets the bar for compulsively readable dark academia stories that leave readers breathless. “ - N.E. Davenport, author of The Blood Gift Duology

“Henderson excels at building the world of Drayton, one that's full of eerie history, lush details, and what often feels like a permanent sense of dread.” - Paste Magazine

"Twisted, surreal, and delightfully seductive, An Academy for Liars takes dark academia to an entirely different level. In this book, the institution is the villain, and no one comes away innocent." - Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul

"‘This darkly gorgeous story is lavish feast for fans of gothic horror. One of my top reads of the year!" - Sunyi Dean, author of The Book Eaters

"Alexis Henderson once again proves herself one of the most virtuoso voices crafting genre fiction today in this gothic romance set in the cloistered world of dark academia. An Academy for Liars reads a bit like if Octavia Butler had written the Magicians trilogy, with a strong social justice message that forcefully reckons with a long legacy of stolen talent and cultural appropriation in the intellectual industries. A perfect story for those who enjoyed RF Kuang's Babel or Elisabeth Thomas' Catherine House." - CrimeReads