School is back in full swing and so is autumn. In the literary world, these combine perfectly in a somewhat niche genre; dark academia. The books we reviewed for this issue are perfectly suited to this time of the year. They are mysterious and sinister, whilst oddly comforting and warm. From elite universities, historical fantasies, secret societies, and magical studies, these reads expose the dangers of humanity’s hunger for knowledge and control.
Our rating system:
1/5: It’s so bad I wanna give you a 0, but I can’t so I’ll give you a 1
2/5: Wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy
3/5: I plead the fifth
4/5: Snap girl, I think you dropped something… my JAW
5/5: I would sell all of my organs for this book
Babel by R.F. Kuang
5/5
In 1828, the British Empire was built on languages and silver. Robin Swift, saved from Cholera and poverty by a renowned Oxford professor, was raised to be the perfect academic for Oxford’s School of Translation. Steps away from achieving his goal of becoming a translator, his friends and he discovers on a trip to Tobin’s hometown that the Empire they were taught to love and be loyal to was built on the blood of their ancestors. Suddenly, after an accidental murder, scholars are turned into revolutionaries fighting against the violent colonialism their school was built on.
When you first see this book, it is daunting—800 pages and weighs at least a good kilo or two. I will admit that, given its size and sophisticated academic vocabulary, it did take me a good month and a half to get through. Despite this, it was well worth the read and is now one of my all-time favorites. What I loved most was its message and how it intertwined with historic events. It brought up themes of exploitation, racism, colonialism, and imperialism and forced me to look at history through a lens I had never considered before. The characters were exceptionally well written especially from the narrative perspective. You truly see the other characters through the main character’s perspective. For example, if you know a character is evil, you don’t necessarily feel angry towards them. You feel the same way the main character does. The writing is that powerful. Through the eyes of a person of color, you see white privilege and ignorance in a new way. Personally, as someone who is white, it made me reflect on my actions and gave me deeper empathy and understanding of how not trying to solve the problem of racism makes you part of the problem. This world is beautifully crafted with a magic system that reflects today’s modern technology. It’s crafty because it gives the story a mystical and fantastical feeling while not straying too much from reality to the point where the message misses the mark. The plot starts slow and is extended at first, primarily due to its heavy academic terms as the reader goes through a student’s school day. However, once you push through, it is fast-paced and keeps you on your toes. I highly recommend this book during a vacation when you’re not too loaded with schoolwork. Sit down and open your mind fully to this magical world. If you want to change or gain a new mindset or viewpoint, this book is the way to start.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
4/5
Six extraordinary magicians are recruited for the Alexandrian Society to study magic and test its limits. Libby and Nico can control matter, Parisa is a telepath, Callum can manipulate feelings and desires, Reina has an influence over plants, and Tristan can see through illusions. By the end of their first year, one will be eliminated, only the five remaining will have access to ancient secrets. But knowledge and power come at the cost of sacrifice…
I’ve heard so much about this book, so it’s been an anticipated read for a long time, and autumn was the perfect time to finally read it. I can definitely understand why this is such a popular book, but I also agree with some of its mixed reviews. The six main characters were very interesting to read about (some more than others), understandably so, as the plot felt very character-driven. The need to find allies to survive and the responsibility of the group to choose who to eliminate definitely added an intriguing element to the character dynamics. A mind game among characters was created as to whether or not they could trust each other, impossible to tell if their thought or emotions were manipulated. However, this also meant that the story wasn’t very action-packed or hooking at times, often going on about magical theories that were a little difficult to follow. I wish that we got more of an insight into the actual program that the characters participated in, seeing more of the magic rather than the lengthy descriptions of physics. Regardless, I still enjoyed The Atlas Six, which had some fascinating and thought-provoking plot points about the nature of humanity and power. The ending did leave me curious to read the next two books in the trilogy, but I am conflicted about whether to do so, as I’ve heard that the main critiques of the first one are only amplified in the rest of the series. Overall, I would recommend the first instalment, a perfect dark academia book with a good mix of magic and reality.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
4.5/5
Alex Stern is given a fresh start at Yale from her messy, traumatic past, only to be thrown into the mess of Yale’s chilling secret societies. As a member of Lethe House, she is tasked with monitoring the suspicious behaviour of the societies, her ability to see ghosts invaluable to her role. After the murder of a girl on campus, Alex becomes set on getting to the bottom of the case, her job more difficult with the mysterious disappearance of her mentor. But will Alex survive her confrontation with the sinister Houses of the Veil?
Though very different from Leigh Bardugo’s earlier works, Ninth House did impress me just as much. I was quickly captivated by the paranormal world, the mystery and tension even leading me to search up some spoilers (not recommended for a full experience of the plot, I just lack self-control). The book switches between two perspectives and moments in time, and while I’m not usually a fan of this, it did work really well in this case and helped to further build mystery. Alex was a great protagonist, witty but also very real in the sense that she sometimes did questionable things but it all came down to her need to survive. Her backstory was heartbreaking, and I found it really interesting that Leigh Bardugo explored the potential negatives of the power of seeing the dead, which would normally be perceived as a very cool ability. I was invested in the dynamic between her and Darlington, that being one of the main factors convincing me to read the sequel. The supporting characters were also captivating and well-developed, Dawes and Alex’s tentative friendship being another one of my favourite aspects of the story. The setting and atmosphere make this a great autumn read, as well as a good reflection of the lengths people will go to for power and out of desperation. The chaos and mystery really made me question and be suspicious of several characters, but the ending still surprised me. I definitely recommend Ninth House, but I do advise searching up trigger warnings as the book does have some sensitive topics.
