Dark Academia 2025: New books, same spiral

Everyone loves a book list

If you become a paid subscriber of The Dark Academicals Book Club during Summer School (16-27th June) you’ll get a 20% discount for the first year of your subscription whether you pay monthly or annually. Welcome to class!

Well, class may be already in session, but some of the reads are still en route to the campus bookshop.

Here's your mid-year update; consider it an unrequired (but greatly encouraged) reading list of the most intriguing dark-academia-leaning titles expected to release later this year.

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Arcana Academy by Elise Kova

We're actually featuring this one on the upcoming season of the podcast! Fake engagement. Secret society. Tarot magic that bites. Clara, our protagonist, breaks out of prision and lands herself in a magical academt where love and power are both deadly games.

Ascension by S.T. Gibson

Hello, yes, this is the High Priest (old internet joke, you probably don't get it, it's fine. I'm old). We're back for more magic-y hijinks. We've featured Gibson's other books on the podcast, and I'm a really big fan our their writing style!

A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid

It's the year of sequel. The anticipated follow up to A Study in Drowning. We're post fairy battle, and trying to pick up the pieces, but Effy and Preston seem to be falling apart faster than they can put themselves back together. Again, another podcast feature for book one. I swear I didn't do this on purpose.

Katabais R F Kuang

Probably the biggest one for 2025? Babel is such a powerhouse, I am nothing if not eager to find out how this one hits. Ahem, yep, you guessed it, we've already done Babel on the podcast… You can bet Katabasis will come up later this year too.

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

We're going back to the Bunny-verse and I cannot wait. Bunny is one of my favourite books we've (you've guessed it) featured on the podcast over the years, so circling back to this world is very exciting.

Oxford Blood by Rachel Davies-Featherstone

We don't get many YA titles in this neck of the woods. The age category of the protagonists usually means we have to skip them by default. But sometimes, sometimes, the themes, settings and/or vibes means we can make an exception.

Boys With Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell

Came out in April. I'm obsessed with the cover. Enough said.

The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw

Described as cosmic horror meets dark academia… So that was my money already leaving my bank account.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh

If anyone has seen any of my recents posts on Notes, you'll see this book come up time and time again. I pick it up and stroke it whenever I go into a bookshop. So yes, this one is technically already out, but indulge me. I'm obsessed. I'm also lobbying to feature it on season 12 of the podcast. So… Wish me luck.

Voice Like A Hyacinth by Mallory Pearson

Again, already out, but we're also featuring this on the next season so consider it a shameless plug!

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So whether you’re into haunted libraries, cutthroat admissions, or occult polycules, 2025 is shaping up to be a very dark semester indeed.

Preorder wisely. Annotate recklessly. And remember: in the world of dark academia, someone’s always watching, and it’s probably the ghost of your tbr breathing down your neck.

Class dismissed. For now.