Dark Academia

Dark Academia is a literary and aesthetic genre that revolves around the themes of elitism, classicism, intellectualism, prestige, mystery and death taking place in a higher education setting.

Updated June 26, 2025
Drag items up and down to your preferred order then select the "Save Order" button.
The Four
Keel, Ellie.
Paper Book
THE DARKEST DEBUT OF THE YEAR. Unsettling, Uncomfortable, Unputdownable. 'Sharp, powerful, tragic, addictive' Chris Whitaker 'Dark, compelling and beguiling' Kate Mosse 'An engrossing read' The Sunday Times 'Intensely gripping' Karin Slaughter<...
A deadly education : a novel
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
From the leading talent in fantasy, a magical coming-of-age trilogy with a hilarious female anti-hero - a darker more intelligent Harry Potter for adults. ____________ The Sunday Times bestselling novel from the award-winning author of...
All the devils
Wilson, Catelyn
Paper Book
STEP INSIDE THE DARK ACADEMIA NOVEL WHICH HAS EVERYONE TALKING THIS SPOOKY SEASON PERFECT FOR FANS OF LEIGH BARDUGO'S NINTH HOUSE AND NETFLIX'S WEDNESDAY An elite academy. A secret society. A sister who will stop at nothing to...
Hazard Night
Vaughan, Laura
Paper Book
A suspicious death upends the cloistered, privileged and prestigious world of a traditional boarding school.
Babel ; or, The necessity of violence : an arcane history of the Oxford Translators' Revolution
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
THE #2 SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 NYT BESTSELLER 'One for Philip Pullman fans' THE TIMES 'This one is an automatic buy' GLAMOUR 'Ambitious, sweeping and epic' EVENING STANDARD 'Razor-sharp' DAILY MAIL 'An ingenious...
Black chalk
Yates, Christopher J.
Paper Book
Who knows better than your best friends what will break you?      One game. Six students. Five survivors.      In the intimidating surroundings of Oxford University a group of six friends begin to play a game -- an elaborate variant on truth or dare, in which the...
Blood over Bright Haven
Wang, M. L.
Paper Book
The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen. For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to...
Bunny
Awad, Mona
Paper Book
THE TIKTOK SENSATION Meet BUNNY: the darkly funny, spellbinding trip of a novel that EVERYONE is talking about 'No punches pulled, no hilarities dodged, no meme unmangled. O Bunny you are sooo genius!' MARGARET ATWOOD We call...
Catherine House
Thomas, Elisabeth
Paper Book
Dead poets society : a novel
Kleinbaum, N. H.
Paper Book
A novelization of the hit movie starring Robin Williams as Professor Keating, an inspiring, uplifting teacher who changes his students' lives. Todd Anderson and his friends at Welton Academy can hardly believe how different life is since their new English professor, the flamboyant John Keating, has...
Ghosts of Harvard : a novel
Serritella, Francesca Scottoline
Paper Book
Large Print Edition- In this page-turning and affecting debut, a Harvard freshman becomes obsessed with her schizophrenic brother's suicide. Then she starts hearing voices. . . . TEEN VOGUE BOOK CLUB PICK .A Harvard freshman becomes obsessed with her...
Hell bent
Bardugo, Leigh
Paper Book
Wealth. Power. Murder. Magic. Alex Stern is back and the Ivy League is going straight to hell.Find a gateway to the underworld. Steal a soul out of hell. A simple plan, except people who make this particular journey rarely come back. But Galaxy "Alex" Stern is determined to break Darlington...
I have some questions for you
Makkai, Rebecca
Paper Book
The riveting new novel from the author of The Great Believers, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book AwardA successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past: the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable...
If we were villains : a novel
Rio, M. L.
Paper Book
'Enter the players. There were seven of us then, seven bright young things with wide precious futures ahead of us. Until that year, we saw no further than the books in front of our faces.' On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door....
In my dreams I hold a knife : a novel
Winstead, Ashley
Paper Book
"[A] mordant debut novel....examines what it means to covet the lives of others, no matter the cost."--The New York Times "Tense, twisty, and packed with shocks."--Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Survive The Night Six friends. One college reunion. One...
Love & virtue
Reid, Diana
Paper Book
Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelist  Winner of the ABIA Book of the Year Award Winner of the ABIA Award for Literary Fiction of the Year Winner ABA Booksellers Choice Award for Fiction Winner of the MUD Literary...
Madam
Wynne, Phoebe
Paper Book
'Rebecca meets The Secret History. Gloriously dark, gloriously gothic' Sara Collins, Costa First Novel Award-winning author of The Confessions of Frannie LangtonFor 150 years, Caldonbrae Hall has loomed high above the Scottish cliffs as a beacon of excellence in the...
Middlegame
McGuire, Seanan
Paper Book
A HUGO AWARD FINALIST! WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FANTASY NOVEL, 2020! A Pick on the 2020 RUSA Reading List! New York Times bestselling and Alex, Nebula, and Hugo-Award-winning author Seanan McGuire introduces readers to...
My dark Vanessa
Russell, Kate Elizabeth
Paper Book
An instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 DYLAN THOMAS AWARD 'A package of dynamite' Stephen King 'Powerful, compulsive, brilliant' Marian Keyes An era-defining novel about the relationship between a fifteen-year-old girl and...
Ninth house
Bardugo, Leigh
Paper Book
'Impossible to put down' STEPHEN KING __________________ THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE GOODREADS CHOICE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST FANTASY OF 2019 AN AMAZON BEST BOOK OF OCTOBER 2019<...
Paradise rot : a novella
Hval, Jenny
Paper Book
"As intriguing and impressive a novelist as she is a musician, Hval is a master of quiet horror and wonder." --Chris Kraus, author of I Love Dick A lyrical debut novel from a musician and artist renowned for her sharp sexual and political imagery Jo...
Plain bad heroines : a novel
Danforth, Emily M.
Paper Book
'Brimming from start to finish with sly humour and gothic mischief' SARAH WATERS 'Beguilingly clever, very sexy and seriously frightening' GUARDIAN 'Atmospheric, sexy, creepy...totally addictive' KATE DAVIES, author of In At The Deep End ...
Portrait of a thief
Li, Grace D.
Paper Book
"A remarkably assured debut" Sunday Times "This is as much a novel as a reckoning." New York Times The characters are alluring and ... engaging. So too are the emotional struggles the crew endure as they try to...
Society of lies : a novel
Brown, Lauren Ling
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK * "A dark and haunting debut that explores secret societies, the bonds of sisterhood, and the intricacies of privilege at an elite college . . . I couldn't put this twisty tale down."--Julia Bartz, author of The Writing Retreat ...
Survive the night : a novel
Sager, Riley
Paper Book
***THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*** 'One of the most addictive thrillers I've read this year. A compulsive page-turner with high stakes and a heroine you find yourself absolutely rooting for' Gytha Lodge Charlie Jordan is...
The Atlas six
Blake, Olivie
Paper Book
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake is the runaway TikTok must-read fantasy novel of the year. If you loved Ninth House and A Deadly Education, you'll love this. The book includes gorgeous new illustrations. Secrets. Betrayal. Seduction.Welcome to the Alexandrian Society.When the world's best magicians...
The betrayals
Collins, Bridget
Paper Book
LOSE YOURSELF IN THE MOST EPIC BOOK OF THE YEAR. 'BEAUTIFUL' JOANNA CANNON 'MESMERISING' ERIN KELLY 'TOTALLY ADDICTIVE' JOANNA GLEN 'SUMPTUOUS' OBSERVER 'DIZZYINGLY WONDERFUL' THE TIMES ...
The boundaries we cross : a novel
Parks, Brad
Paper Book
He swears by his boundaries. But did he cross the line? At 8 o'clock on a blustery, mid-January morning, Charles Bliss is summoned to the head of school's office at Carrington Academy. Charles, a teacher at the elite Connecticut boarding school, is surprised by the...
The broken girls
St. James, Simone
Paper Book
The Cloisters : a novel
Hays, Katy
Paper Book
In this "sinister, jaw-dropping" (Sarah Penner, author of The Lost Apothecary) debut novel from the author of Saltwater, a circle of researchers uncovers a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York's famed Met Cloisters. When Ann Stilwell...
The golden enclaves
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the Sunday Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate. The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance...
The last graduate
Novik, Naomi
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The specter of graduation looms large as Naomi Novik's groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling trilogy continues in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education. "The climactic graduation-day battle will bring cheers, tears, and...
The magicians : a novel
Grossman, Lev
Paper Book
Lev Grossman's new novel THE BRIGHT SWORD is out now! The New York Times bestselling novel about a young man practicing magic in the real world, now an original series on SYFY "The Magicians is to Harry Potter as a shot of Irish whiskey is to a glass of...
The Maidens
Michaelides, Alex
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements "Michaelides as a major player in the field" (Publishers Weekly)--now in...
The Monarchs
Morgan, Kass
Paper Book
These sorority witches rule. Loyalty, love, and friendships are tested as sorority sisters Scarlett and Vivi face the forces of hell itself in the thrilling conclusion to New York Times bestselling authors Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige...
The picture of Dorian Gray
Wilde, Oscar
Paper Book
Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait...
The secret history
Tartt, Donna
Paper Book
Truly deserving of the accolade Modern Classic, Donna Tartt's cult bestseller The Secret History is a remarkable achievement - incredibly compelling, dramatic and playful. Under the influence of their charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at...
The starless sea
Morgenstern, Erin
Paper Book
The spellbinding new novel from the Top Ten bestselling author of The Night Circus. 'Radiates with the excitement of someone discovering a magical world within the pages of a book. An enchanting read... an ode to stories and storytelling itself, and the joy of reading'...
The things we do to our friends : a novel
Darwent, Heather
Paper Book
What is the cost of an extraordinary life if others have to pay? Clare arrives at the University of Edinburgh with a secret. This is her chance for a blank slate - to finally become who she was meant to be. And then she meets Tabitha. Tabitha is...
They never learn
Fargo, Layne
Paper Book
From the author of the "raw, ingenious, and utterly fearless" (Wendy Walker, USA TODAY bestselling author) Temper comes a dynamic psychological thriller about two women who give bad men exactly what they deserve. Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor....
Tripping Arcadia : a novel
Mayquist, Kit
Paper Book
Med school dropout Lena is desperate for a job to help her parents who are approaching bankruptcy. When she is offered a position working for one of Boston's most elite families, the Verdeaus, she knows she must accept it - no matter how bizarre the interview. Working overtime, Lena discovers the...
We wish you luck
Zancan, Caroline
Paper Book
It doesn't take long for the students on Fielding campus to become obsessed with Hannah, Leslie and Jimmy. The three graduate students are mysterious, inaccessible, and brilliant. After Simone - young, bestselling author and erstwhile model - shows up as a visiting professor, and after everything...
What she left
Richmond, T. R.
Paper Book
'If you liked The Girl on the Train then I think you'll like this just as much, if not more' Scott Pack ****** Who is Alice Salmon? Student. Journalist. Daughter. Lover of late nights, hater of deadlines. That girl who drowned last year. Gone doesn't mean forgotten. Everyone's life leaves a trace...

Library staff! You can create and contribute to lists. Contact your catalog administrator or log in here.