Episode 7.6: ‘I Have Some Questions for You’ by Rebecca Makkai
Mar 19, 2024
Show notes
Can you believe it’s already the season seven finale of ‘The Dark Academicals’? We can’t!
For this final episode we’ve got a dark academia thriller set between the 1990s and current day that we think is going to be a surefire hit, and possibly pose some real connections to ‘The Secret History’.
Episode 7.5: ‘An Education in Malice’ by ST Gibson
Mar 05, 2024
Show notes
It’s Sarah’s first time reading S.T. Gibson, while Sophie has already read ‘A Dowry of Blood’ and so there are already some expectations and intrigue going into ‘An Education in Malice’.
We had a lot of fun talking about this book, and we hope you enjoy listening along!
Episode 7.4: ‘Prep’ by Curtis Sittenfeld
Feb 20, 2024
Show notes
It’s time for our dark academia adjacent title for season seven and we’re tackling Curtis Sittenfeld’s classic campus novel, ‘Prep’.
Sophie read this about a decade ago and has had a lingering love for it ever since, so it has some big shoes to fill on this reread and for Sarah’s first read.
'Prep’ is a modern classic generally in fiction, but also in the realm of campus novels. We can’t wait to see how this informs what we know as dark academia.
Episode 7.3: ‘Belladonna’ by Adalyn Grace
Feb 06, 2024
Show notes
‘Belladonna’ is the type of book that we both love in YA - romantic, Gothicky, high-stakes and the potential for some serious drama. Sign. Us. Up.
Add in dark academia? What more could we want.
For as long as Signa Farrow has been alive, the people in her life have fallen like stars . . . Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her wellbeing - and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family's waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother's restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger, and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer. Signa's best chance of uncovering the murderer, though, is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he's made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful - and more irresistible - than she ever dared imagine. From New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace, Belladonna brings to life a highly romantic, gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.
This is basically guaranteed to be a really fun read, but can it give us the dark academia vibes that we’re after too?
In this episode we discuss:
The “crossover” effect and the pros and cons of choosing an age category
All of the plot twists!
The personification of Death and the lusting over a concept made real
You can listen to it here:
Episode 7.3: 'Belladonna' by Adalyn Grace
The Dark Academicals
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TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Belladonna’ by Adalyn Grace
‘Red Rising’ by Pierce Brown
‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ by Lemony Snicket
‘Gothikana’ by RuNyx
‘Ice Planet Barbarians’ by Ruby Dixon
‘Girl, Goddess, Queen’ by Bea Fitzgerald
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Bridgerton’ (2020-)
‘Gilmore Girls’ (2000-07)
‘Labyrinth’ (1986)
Hades and Persephone
If you fancy taking a chance on ‘Belladonna’, we’d love it if you considered using our bookshop.org link below to purchase your copy of the book which helps us fund ‘The Dark Academicals’ and gives back to independent bookshops at no extra cost to you.
Episode 7.2: ‘Curious Tides’ by Pascal Lacelle
Jan 23, 2024
Show notes
Have you ever come across lunar magic before? We haven’t!
With this beautiful cover and the promise of dark academia meeting lunar magic, ‘Curious Tides’ had to have a starring role in season seven. This was one of our most anticipated reads of the end of 2023 so we’re incredibly excited to get to discover it for the podcast.
An atmospheric dark academia fantasy for fans of The Atlas Six, The Binding, The Hazel Wood and Fourth Wing, set in a world of lunar magic, secret societies and dangerous friendships. Emory is returning to the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magic for one reason: to uncover the secrets behind the night that left her best friend, Romie, and seven other students dead. But Emory has plenty of secrets herself, not least that her healing abilities have been corrupted by a strange, impossible magic, granting her power no one should possess. Turning to the only person she believes she can trust, Emory enlists the help of Romie’s brother Baz – someone already well-versed in the dangers of his own dark Eclipse magic. But when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore – alive – only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths, Emory and Baz are no longer the only ones seeking answers. There's a hidden society at the heart of the school, and they’re attracted to nothing more than they are to power...
Can this possibly deliver everything it’s promising and hit the right dark academia notes?
In this episode we discuss:
Love triangles and how it age brackets a novel
The power of protagonist perspective and how we would have preferred different ones
You can listen to it here:
Episode 7.2: 'Curious Tides' by Pascale Lacelle
The Dark Academicals
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TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Curious Tides’ by Pascal Lacelle
‘The Atlas Six’ by Olivie Blake
‘Ninth House’ by Leigh Bardugo
‘Fourth Wing’ by Rebecca Yarros
‘A Deadly Education’ by Naomi Novik
‘House of Night’ by PC and Kristin Cast
‘The Morganville Vampires’ by Rachel Caine
‘Twilight’ by Stephenie Meyer
‘True Blood’/’The Southern Vampire Mysteries’ by Charlaine Harris
‘Empire of the Vampire’ by Jay Kristoff
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Bridget Jones’s Diary’ (2001)
If you fancy taking a chance on ‘Curious Tides’, we’d love it if you considered using our bookshop.org link below to purchase your copy of the book which helps us fund ‘The Dark Academicals’ and gives back to independent bookshops at no extra cost to you.
Episode 7.1: ‘A Deadly Education’ by Naomi Novik
Jan 09, 2024
Show notes
Welcome to season 7 of ‘The Dark Academicals’! We’re so grateful to see you back for another season, and we’re excited to be recording again.
Our first book of the season is one that seems to have so much hype across social media, but it also has rather mixed reviews, so we were curious how it would hold up under our examination.
Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered. There are no teachers, no holidays, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival are never equal. Once you're inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or you die. El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school's many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions - never mind easily destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school. Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it . . . that is, unless she has no other choice. With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a heroine for the ages - a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come.
‘A Deadly Education’ by Naomi Novik promises a boarding school, dark academia fantasy and monsters - who are we to say no to that?
In this episode we discuss:
Lacking and problematic representation of people of colour
The impact of a lack of scene setting and sense of place
You can listen to it here:
Episode 7.1: 'A Deadly Education' by Naomi Novik
The Dark Academicals
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TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘A Deadly Education’ by Naomi Novik
‘The Hunger Games’ by Suzanne Collins
‘The Mortal Instruments’ by Cassandra Clare
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Mean Girls’ (2004)
If you fancy taking a chance on ‘A Deadly Education’, we’d love it if you considered using our bookshop.org link below to purchase your copy of the book which helps us fund ‘The Dark Academicals’ and gives back to independent bookshops at no extra cost to you.
Bonus Episode: ‘Gilmore Girls’
Dec 12, 2023
Show notes
There is one TV show that we have discussed, referenced and alluded to throughout the history of The Dark Academicals.
It’s ‘Gilmore Girls’. Obviously.
It’s synonymous with the dark academia seasons, she’s everyone’s favourite bookworm, and everybody has opinions about this show. We couldn’t get any further in The Dark Academicals without dedicating a full, available-to-all episode to one of our favourite shows.
In this episode we discuss:
The merits of Paris Geller
The complicated class and social wars of Stars Hollow, Chilton and Yale
The gross betrayal of Lane Kim
Dean vs Jess vs Logan - do dark academia love interests and relationships exist?
You can listen to it here:
Bonus Episode: Gilmore Girls
The Dark Academicals
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TEXTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Great Expectations’y Charles Dickens
‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Episode 6.6: ‘A Study in Drowning’ by Ava Reid
Nov 28, 2023
Show notes
We’ve reached the finale of season 6! Already!
There seems to be a curse within ‘The Dark Academicals’ for the finale books, but we’re confident that we’ve broken the cycle with Ava Reid’s ‘A Study in Drowning’.
Effy has always believed in fairy tales. She's had no choice. Since childhood, she's been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She's found solace only in the pages of Angharad - a beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him. Effy's tattered copy is all that's keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at her prestigious architecture college. So when the late author's family announces a contest to design his house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny. But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn't the only one who's made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin's papers and is determined to prove her favourite author is a fraud. As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author's legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house's foundation isn't the only thing that can't be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.
Can it possibly live up to our sky-high dark academia expectations and turn around our tradition of ending the season on a disappointing book? Let’s find out!
In this episode we discuss:
Misogyny in academia
The cult of publishing
Mythology and folklore
You can listen to it here:
Episode 6.6: 'A Study in Drowning' by Ava Reid
The Dark Academicals
Mrs Havisham and Satis House from ‘Great Expectations’ by Charles Dickens
OTHER MEDIA AND POP CULTURE MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
‘Chicago’ (musical)
If you fancy taking a chance on ‘A Study in Drowning’, we’d love it if you considered using our bookshop.org link below to purchase your copy of the book which helps us fund ‘The Dark Academicals’ and gives back to independent bookshops at no extra cost to you.
Epsiode 6.5: ‘Summer Sons’ by Lee Mandelo
Nov 14, 2023
Show notes
‘Summer Sons’ by Lee Mandelo is taking us to Vanderbilt and we are so excited about this one!
This sounds like everything that we love in a novel and we’re really looking forward to seeing how it measures up against our examinations.
A queer Southern Gothic with ‘academic intrigue’?Bring. It. On.
In this episode we discuss:
- When the Southern Gothic meets just…the Southern
- The atmosphere and the cloying humidity of the novel
- Vanderbilt and the academic possibilities
Episode 6.4: ‘She is a Haunting’ by Trang Thanh Tran
Oct 31, 2023
Show notes
Happy Halloween!
To add a little haunting into your day, we’ve got a brand new episode for you! ‘She is a Haunting’ by Trang Thanh Tran has been on our list for a long time and it couldn’t be a more perfect season to feature it on the podcast.
We’ve got a haunted house, a Gothic mystery, a ghost and questions about belonging - but does it tick any of our dark academia boxes?
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