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This is post is all about dark academia books…
Hello, my darlings and welcome to another post on the blog. For this weeks post we will be diving into the most popular dark academia books to read right now that will have you pulling all nighters. After reading A Study In Drowing by Ava Reid, I have been hooked on dark gothic inspired romance novels.
If that is your jam and you are in need of some good dark academia books for teens then keep on reading, I am sure you will find exactly what you are looking for. Be sure to add it to your dark academia books goodreads list to find them all easily or save this post on Pinterest.
The Secret History
by Donna Tartt
Tropes:
Found family gone wrong, morally gray characters, elite academic setting, Obsession & betrayal.
Vibe:
Cold, mysterious, intoxicating. Intriguing and haunting with psychological depth. Feels like winter break at an Ivy League school full of secrets.
Read if you love:
If you love beautiful writing, existential dread, and watching brilliant minds slowly unravel, this classic will consume you. The emotional tension feels like a tragedy in slow motion.
If you’re new to the world of dark academia books, The Secret History is a must-read. This is the quintessential dark academia book that built the genre’s aesthetic: think elite universities, morally gray students, and obsession that turns deadly.
It’s haunting, intellectual, and beautifully written. Whether you’re looking for dark academia books for adults or popular romance books that explore the consequences of unchecked genius, this one gives all that it has to give and then some. It’s the ultimate book rec that belongs on every 2025 reading list.
The Atlas Six
by Olivie Blake
Tropes:
Secret societies, enemies to lovers, chose elite, and academic rivalry.
Vibe:
A sleek, seductive blend of magic and academia. Think: dark library stacks, whispered secrets, and intellectual power plays.
Read if you love:
You’ll fall for the magnetic cast of morally ambiguous geniuses and the slow-burn, intellectual relationships that simmer under high stakes and hidden motives.
This is one of those dark academia books that effortlessly blends fantasy, secret societies, and complex relationships. The characters are enigmatic, the setting is lush, and the romance simmers beneath all the magic and manipulation.
If you want dark academia books with romance, The Atlas Six hits the mark. The book cover alone is aesthetic goals.
A Study in Drowning
by Ava Reid
Tropes:
Rivals to lovers, gothic academia, literary mystery, and haunted heroine.
Vibe:
Atmospheric, mythic, and deeply feminine. Feels like unraveling a dark fairytale while trapped in a crumbling seaside manor.
Read if you love:
The romance is tender and hard-won, layered between trauma, myth, and truth. Perfect if you want literary romance with a quiet but powerful feminist core.
This gothic novel combines literary academia, feminist themes, and enemies-to-lovers romance in a crumbling seaside manor. A Study in Drowning is one of the best dark academia books romance readers will love in 2025.
It has that windswept, stormy dark academia aesthetic, perfect for fans of mysterious authors, haunted pasts, and deeply emotional storytelling. If you love books like The Secret History, but want a more intimate, female-led story, this one’s for you.
If We Were Villains
by M.L. Rio
Tropes:
Found family, tragic romance, obsession and murder mystery at school.
Vibe:
Theatrical and poetic. A stormy love letter to Shakespeare, drama kids, and the beauty and destruction of passion.
Read if you love:
You’ll be swept away by the blurred lines between love and ambition, truth and performance. The emotional intensity lingers long after the last act.
This novel is drenched in Shakespearean drama, unspoken love, and tragic obsession. If We Were Villains is often considered one of the best dark academia books ever, and for good reason. It explores the blurred line between performance and reality at an elite arts conservatory.
If you love books with romance, twisted friendships, and poetic prose, this book will stay with you long after the final act. It’s perfect for fans of dark academia books for adults and emotionally charged slow burns.
Catherine House
by Elisabeth Thomas
Tropes:
Isolated school, secret experiments, unreliable narrator, and psychological descent.
Vibe:
Dreamy, eerie, and suffocating. A surreal mix of sci-fi and gothic horror all wrapped in the pretty boy that is dark academia.
Read if you love:
This is for the girlies who love cults, slow unraveling plots, and romantic detachment. It leaves you guessing what’s real—and what’s a lie.
Weird, eerie, and captivating—Catherine House takes the dark academia books aesthetic and cranks up the mystery. If you’re into books that go beyond murder and explore identity, isolation, and institutional control, this is for you. It’s a slower read, but the atmosphere is unmatched. If you’re building a Pinterest board of dark academia book recs, be sure to add it to your board.
The Cloisters
by Katy Hays
Tropes:
Mysterious mentor, tarot & fate, forbidden attraction, and academic envy.
Vibe:
Darkly glamorous and richly atmospheric. Like stepping into a medieval art museum where no one is telling the full truth.
Read if you love:
It’s sexy in a secretive way—more tension than heat—and perfect if you like academic rivals, hidden motivations, and a touch of the occult.
If you love dark academia books that flirt with the mystical, The Cloisters will sweep you into an underworld of tarot, secrets, and forbidden research. It’s perfect for fans of dark academia books with romance and a slow-burn descent into obsession.
The art history angle adds a new twist, and the dark academia book cover is absolutely gorgeous. One of the best dark academia books to add to your 2025 reading list if you’re craving something glamorous and sinister.
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife
by Ashley Winstead
Tropes:
College reunion, second-chance romance, secerets & lies, and who-done-it twist.
Vibe:
Flashy, dramatic, and emotionally intense. Gossip Girl meets Gone Girl with an academic backdrop.
Read if you love:
If you live for messy love triangles, elite college flashbacks, and morally gray women chasing validation, this is your binge-worthy dark academia read.
This one is juicy. It reads like a murder mystery meets a college reunion from hell. In My Dreams I Hold a Knife is one of those dark academia books for adults where you’ll question every character’s motives.
The second-chance romance and layered secrets make it perfect if you love dark academia books with romance and plot twists. If you’re searching for a dark academia book rec that’s fast-paced and full of drama, this will be your next obsession.
The Bellwether Revivals
by Benjamin Wood
Tropes:
Tragic genius, outsider falls in, fatal attraction, philosophy and madness.
Vibe:
Elegant and melancholic. Oxford’s dreaming spires hide a simmering descent into psychological ruin.
Read if you love:
If you loved the intellectual drama of The Secret History and want something more emotionally devastating, this will quietly break your heart.
Quietly devastating and hauntingly beautiful, The Bellwether Revivals is a lesser-known gem among dark academia books. Set in Oxford, it explores psychological manipulation, love, and the limits of human belief.
The emotional payoff is slow but powerful. It’s a must for fans of dark academia books like The Secret History who want something more tragic. This is definitely one of the best dark academia books for adults who love introspective stories.
A Deadly Education
by Naomi Novik
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers, dark magic school, grumpy x sunshine, and forced proximity.
Vibe:
Snarky, sharp, and gritty. Like Hogwarts but with teeth—and no safety net.
Read if you love:
Galadriel and Orion are academic rivals with undeniable chemistry. Come for the dark academia, stay for the heart-melting slow-burn romance.
This one gives you dark academia fantasy vibes with a magical school where danger is everywhere. A Deadly Education is witty, gritty, and filled with sarcastic banter, plus a surprisingly wholesome slow-burn romance.
If you’re looking for books for teens or fantasy lovers who want more edge than Hogwarts, this is it. A standout in the popular dark academia books category that’s equal parts thrilling and tender. Bonus: the world-building is chef’s kiss.
Thank you so much love for reading this post on dark academia book recs, I hope you found some groundbreaking books to keep you warm through the season.
Happy reading love, until next time.
This post was all about dark academia books.
