19 Dark Academia Books That Will Suck You In From the First Page

The Everygirl Book Club’s October pick! When an unnamed narrator arrives at Cambridge University, he is determined to reinvent himself. His northern accent marks him as an outsider, but thanks to his musical gifts, he manages to fall in with his wealthy classmate, Bryn Cavendish. A charismatic party host and talented magician, Bryn enthralls the narrator. But something seems to happen to those who challenge or simply irk Bryn—and they aren’t ever the same again. As the tension between them grows, so does a story about the dark powers of privilege.

Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone but Galadriel “El” Higgins, that is. As far as she’s concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts; just give her a chance, and she’ll level mountains and make herself the dark queen of the world. She may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but she’s going to make it out of this place alive, and she’s not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either. Although she is giving serious consideration to just one.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, hoping to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry. When she finally passes the qualifying exam, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new peers are determined to make her feel unwelcome—and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor. At first, they have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever

Sasha Samokhina has been accepted to the Institute of Special Technologies. Or, more precisely, she’s been chosen. Situated in a tiny village, she finds the magic students bizarre, and the curriculum even more so. The definitive English-language translation of the internationally acclaimed Russian novel—a brilliant work of metaphysical and dark fantasy combining psychological suspense, enchantment, and terror that makes us consider human existence in a fresh and provocative way.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to work with Professor Jacob Grimes. That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault. Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him because even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion. With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

After the tragic death of her girlfriend, Felicity Morrow is back at Dalloway School to finish her high school career. At Dalloway, witchcraft is everywhere—especially at Felicity’s old dormitory where the spirits of the five Dalloway sisters haunt the halls. Felicity is determined to leave the darkness behind, but the new girl won’t let her forget it. Ellis Haley, a young prodigy novelist, is on a mission to learn more about the Dalloway Five for her second book. When history begins to repeat itself, Felicity will have to face the darkness in Dalloway—and herself.

New York City isn’t all bright lights and big city. Hidden deep within the northern streets of the Bronx is The Cloisters, a small set of gothic buildings that Ann Stilwell finds herself assigned to after taking a job as a curatorial associate for the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the summer. And while her colleagues are obsessed with the collection of medieval art and learning the history of divination, Ann discovers a 15th-century deck of tarot cards that could be the key to predicting the future, turning her summer into a potentially deadly one.

On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after 10 years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago, he was one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college. But the play spills dangerously into real life, and when one of them is found dead, the rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

After a disastrous affair in Boston, Isabel Henley moves to Scotland to get her PhD with a well-known professor—only to find out her new advisor is unexpectedly dead. In an attempt to rejigger her new life, Isabel befriends Rose, her charismatic classmate. But when Rose confides to Isabel that she is in trouble, and then goes missing, Isabel’s life is sent into a tailspin. As Isabel follows Rose’s paper trail, she uncovers family secrets, the legend of a cursed emerald, and a chain of betrayal and treason.

Effy Sayre is obsessed with Angharad, a fairytale by Emrys Myrddin. When Effy finds out that Myrddin’s family is holding a competition to redesign the late author’s house, Effy is elated to enter. However, the manor is far from welcoming, and she clashes with resident Preston Héloury, a scholar determined to expose the Myrddin family secrets. Effy and Preston find themselves piecing together Myrddin’s story, eventually coming across dark forces that are conspiring against them.

At 20, Galaxy “Alex” Stern has been through a lot. Raised by a hippie mom in Los Angeles, Alex has survived drug-dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and even a horrific multiple homicide. On her hospital bed, Alex is offered the opportunity to attend Yale on a full ride—but she has no idea what the catch is, or why she’s been chosen to attend the elite institution. Searching for answers, Alex is tasked by her mysterious benefactors with uncovering Yale’s secret societies and infiltrating them herself. And they are more sinister and extraordinary than she ever imagined.

10 years after graduating from the elite Duquette University, Jessica Miller is eager to return for the reunion. She wants her fellow alumni to see her flanked by her six best friends, beautiful and confident—not the way she left, when Heather Shelby’s murder sent everything into a tailspin. However, the reunion brings more controversy than reconciliation, and not everyone is ready to move on from Heather’s mysterious murder. With the six friends reunited, they are forced to reconcile with what really happened that night that Heather was killed.

The Secret History is the blueprint for modern dark academia everywhere. Under the influence of their charismatic teacher, a cult-like group of clever, eccentric misfits at an elite New England college discover new ways of thinking and living that are a world away from the norm. But as they slip gradually from obsession to corruption and betrayal, they go beyond the boundaries of morality, resulting in the murder of a student. Now, they just have to avoid getting caught.

Samantha couldn’t be more of an outsider at Warren University. She is utterly repelled by the clique of rich girls who call each other “Bunny,” and seem to move and speak as one. But everything changes when Samantha receives an invitation to their “Smut Salon.” As Samantha plunges deeper into the Bunnies’ world, they begin to conjure monstrous creations and the edges of reality blur. Soon, her friendships with the Bunnies will be brought into deadly collision.

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 secret school of magic. Lennon has been chosen because she possesses the innate gift of persuasion, which she can wield to control others. After passing the test, she begins to master her unsettling power. She is captivated by her studies and her charismatic adviser, Dante, but as she uncovers more about the secret world, she is increasingly disturbed by what she learns.

When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon and Chiamaka, are selected to be part of the elite school’s senior class prefects, it looks like their year is off to an amazing start. But shortly after, someone who goes by Aces begins using anonymous text messages to reveal secrets about the two of them that threaten every aspect of their carefully planned futures. The sick prank turns into a dangerous game, with all the cards stacked against them. Can Devon and Chiamaka stop Aces before things become deadly?

When Laura Stearns arrives at St. Dunstan’s Academy, she dreams that life there will echo her favorite novel by St. Dunstan’s alum Sebastian Webster. She soon finds the Webster-worshipping members of the school’s choir, presided over by the charismatic and neurotic Virginia. Virginia inducts Laura into her world, but when a new school chaplain challenges Virginia’s hold on the “family” she has created, and Virginia’s efforts to wield her power become increasingly dangerous, Laura must decide how far she will let her devotion go.

At Montverre, an ancient and elite academy, society’s best are trained in the grand jeu, a mysterious competition that combines music, art, math, poetry, and philosophy. Léo Martin once excelled at Montverre but turned to politics after a violent tragedy. When a small act costs him his career, he is exiled back to Montverre. Though it’s not the place he remembers. Léo feels a mysterious, familiar connection to Claire, the head of the great game. As the game approaches, long-buried secrets rise to the surface.