Books Like An Education in Malice
A gothic, dark Adult dark academia built around dark academia, sapphic, power. 352 pages with moderate to high-heat romance and a satisfying conclusion.
The An Education in Malice book hangover is real, and scrolling through "readers also enjoyed" lists isn't going to cut it. We read An Education in Malice, tagged every mood and trope that made it click, and hunted down books that match on the things you actually cared about — not just "it's also Dark Academia." Gothic energy? Check. Dark Academia? Check. That can't-stop-reading pacing? We've got you.
12 Books Matched to An Education in Malice
The Dark Side You Didn't Know You Craved
Our #1 Pick After An Education in Malice
The Cloisters by Katy Hays — 🌶️🌶️ 2/5 spice, 320 pages
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Questions About Books Like An Education in Malice
Based on mood, trope, and pacing analysis, the most similar books to An Education in Malice include The Cloisters, Gothikana, The Beautiful Quartet. Each matches on specific elements like gothic and dark that made An Education in Malice resonate with readers.
We recommend starting with The Cloisters by Katy Hays — it shares An Education in Malice's core Gothic energy while bringing something fresh to the table.
An Education in Malice is a standalone novel. You can jump right in without reading anything else first.
An Education in Malice has a spice level of 3/5. The recommendations on this page range across spice levels — each one is labeled so you can find your comfort zone.
Yes — several recommendations on this page have lower spice levels while keeping the same Gothic energy. Look for the ❄️ or 🌶️ (1/5) tags.
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Every Sort By Cravings profile is written after a full read-through — not scraped from publisher blurbs. We cross-reference BookTok discussions, Goodreads reviews, and 500+ reader reactions before publishing any mood tag, spice rating, or compatibility note. Read our editorial standards.