"Fall into the depths of darkness at a hidden school of magic, where violence and destruction drenches pages already bursting with longing and power.
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This school of magic is most definitely for over 18’s, 24 year-old Lennon is plucked from a particularly low moment in her life to sit an entrance examination for the secretive Drayton College. From the beginning it is clear that author Alexis Henderson is willing to visit the darker side of life, as anxiety and tragedy become constant companions as you read. She is not afraid to reach into your soul and pull out fear and sorrow. While not shying away from the realities of life, even as this explores magical abilities of persuasion, it also celebrates compassion and friendship. An intense energy infuses the pages, the sense of place of the college incredibly atmospheric, and the powers of the inhabitants is unsettling. A potential romance features, it’s definitely not all hearts and roses though! So, if you enjoy dwelling within the shadows this one is for you. Packed full of secrets and lies, An Academy for Liars is overflowing with a disturbing magical realism.
Until she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to sit the entrance exam for somewhere very few have heard of - 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 is special. She possesses the innate gift of persuasion: the ability to wield her will like a weapon and to use it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself. After passing the gruelling exam, Lennon must now learn how to master this devastating power. While persuasion takes a heavy toll on her body and her mind, she is captivated by all that surrounds her - her studies, Drayton's lush, moss-draped campus, her brilliant classmates and, most of all, by Dante, the charismatic adviser who both intimidates and enamours her.
But as Lennon becomes more adept at wielding her uncanny abilities, she uncovers more about the unsettling history of Drayton and Dante's tragic and violent past, and is increasingly disturbed by what she finds.
For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption and darkness . . . and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail.
'Saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely.' ALIX E. HARROW
'This darkly gorgeous story is a lavish feast for fans of gothic horror. One of my top reads of the year!' SUNYI DEAN
'Alexis Henderson is one of the best Gothic writers out there.' HANNAH WHITTEN
'Dark academia stunner infused with Henderson's signature style - it's lush, atmospheric, imaginative and impossible to put down.' RACHEL HARRISON
'A modern-day Anne Rice, Henderson has a gift for creating a world engorged with desire and death.' THE NEW YORK TIMES
Author
About Alexis Henderson
Alexis Henderson is a speculative fiction writer with a penchant for dark fantasy, witchcraft, and horror. She grew up in one of America's most haunted cities, Savannah, which instilled in her a life-long love of ghost stories. When she doesn't have her nose buried in a book, you can find her painting or watching horror movies with her feline familiar. Her debut novel, the acclaimed and bestselling The Year of the Witching, was shortlisted for two Good Reads Awards. Her second, House of Hunger, confirmed her place as one of the best new writers of Gothic fiction and was also Good Reads Awards shortlisted. Alexis lives in the USA.
