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Booksdark academiaAn Academy for Liars
Cover of An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson

An Academy for Liars,

by Alexis Henderson

Ask AI
Rating3.0/ 5
Ratings40
Pages464
Reading Hours10h
Published2024
Language—

§Synopsis

01

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.

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§Genres
dark academia1fantasy1
§Content Warnings
§Moods
adventurous1challenging1dark1emotional1mysterious1sad1tense1
§Tags
#blood1#diverse characters1#grief1#loveable characters1

§About the Author

Alexis Henderson

3 books in catalog

Dark speculative fiction and gothic horror take center stage in atmospheric novels exploring witchcraft, power, and moral compromise, most notably in the fantasy novel The Year of the Witching. Alexis Henderson crafts narrative worlds where dark fantasy, cosmic dread, and fundamentalist intrigue intersect through the experiences of complex women.

Her published work frequently blends haunted settings with visceral dark fantasy elements, offering readers tension-filled narratives that examine authority, autonomy, and survival.

Career & Background

Raised in Savannah, Georgia—a city widely known for its ghost stories and haunted history—Henderson developed an early fascination with gothic fiction and eerie tales. Her upbringing in coastal Georgia heavily influenced her creative trajectory and affinity for dark storytelling. She later relocated to the marshlands of Charleston, South Carolina, where she continues to write while painting and drawing inspiration from horror cinema.

Henderson made her book debut with The Year of the Witching, a dark fantasy novel that earned recognition as a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist. She followed this success with House of Hunger, also a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist, alongside subsequent dark speculative titles such as An Academy for Liars, When I Was Death, and The Godfrey Home for Demonic Children.

Writing Style & Themes

Central to Henderson's writing style is a focus on complicated, intense, and often violent female protagonists forced to navigate oppressive social structures or uncanny supernatural threats. Her stories seamlessly combine tropes from gothic horror, dark fantasy, cosmic horror, and witchcraft, utilizing vivid, atmospheric worldbuilding to heighten narrative tension.

Through her fiction, Henderson explores themes of rebellion, self-determination, fundamentalism, and the moral ambiguity inherent in claiming personal power. Setting choices—ranging from puritanical settlements to dark academic environments—play an active role in shaping her characters' choices and psychological depth.

Major Works

  • The Year of the Witching — Henderson's debut dark fantasy novel explores a young woman's struggle against a deeply misogynistic, fundamentalist society in the puritanical realm of Bethel, earning recognition as a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist.
  • An Academy for Liars — A dark academic fantasy novel set in an environment inspired by the author's home city, examining ambition, secrets, and the heavy price of power.
  • When I Was Death — A dark speculative novel continuing Henderson's signature exploration of complex female characters confronting eerie supernatural realities.
  • House of Hunger — A dark fantasy novel centered on power dynamics and blood allegiance, recognized as a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist.

§Editions

Cover of An Academy for Liars

An Academy for Liars

Hardcover464 pgs
Ace20249780593638309
§Genres
dark academia1fantasy1
§Content Warnings
§Moods
adventurous1challenging1dark1emotional1mysterious1sad1tense1
§Tags
#blood1#diverse characters1#grief1#loveable characters1

Metadata

ISBN-139780593638309
ISBN-100593638301

Editions and availability

Find An Academy for Liars Alexis Henderson in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.

Bookshop.orgGoogle Play BooksBarnes & NobleOpen Library

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248 books