
Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
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.
An Academy for Liars: content & age rating
Intended for adult readers (18+).
Contains disturbing themes of mental manipulation and mind control, with a magic system that exacts a heavy physical and psychological toll. Explores moral corruption, power abuse, and features a potentially manipulative mentor-student dynamic.
What to know going in
This book has moderate violence, mild sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include addiction, mental manipulation, and power imbalance (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will be drawn to the atmospheric dark academia setting and the compelling exploration of absolute power's corrupting influence.