A Lesson in Vengeance
She even has her old room in Godwin House, the exclusive dormitory rumored to be haunted by the spirits of five Dalloway students—girls some say were witches. The Dalloway Five all died mysteriously, one after another, right on Godwin grounds.
★ “Ex Scientia Ultio
From knowledge comes vengeance.”
First impressions: A Sapphic Mystery
I initially picked up this book because I was so excited to finally read a sapphic mystery/thriller. Most sapphic books I’ve read lean towards romance, so this felt just like what I was looking for. It ended up being exactly what I hoped for, and more. In fact, it became one of my favorite reads of the year.
Even though it was released in 2021, I think this novel is still severely underrated. I hope more readers discover it, because it truly feels like a hidden masterpiece.
★ “You can still feel history in these halls; at any moment you might turn the corner and find yourself face to face with a ghost from the past.”
Dark Academia: A Perfect Example
This book is truly a dream for those who love the dark academia genre. The gothic atmosphere, old history, and threads of witchcraft make this read unforgettable. Set in a century-old college campus, the setting helps bring out feelings of the past colliding with the present. Every detail, such as the dormitories, the whispers from the girls of witchcraft, and the secret history, adds to the sense of mystery and uncertainty.
★ “But I’m not haunted anymore. Maybe I never was.”
The Story: Full of Secrets
What I loved most about this story was the unpredictability of the plot. I was never completely confident about which direction the story would go in, and just went I thought I had figured it out, the story veered in a completely new direction. There was this constant sense of unease you felt while reading, and I absolutely loved it.
It reminded me in some ways of If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio, one of my personal favorite books. The similarities in tone, story, as well as just feeling and aesthetics, only deepened my connection to A Lesson in Vengeance. This, along with the whispers of witchcraft and underground covens, made this a sapphic story unlike anything I’d read before.
★ “I still feel her fingers tangled up in the threads of my fate.”
The Characters: All Full of Complexity
The characters are incredibly well written, especially Ellis Haley. She is complex, magnetic, and impossible to thoroughly understand. Throughout the story, you feel that something is going on with her, but you can’t quite put your finger on what it is. She is a 17-year-old Pulitzer Prize winner who drinks bourbon, smokes cigarettes, and writes her novels on a typewriter. This is such an interesting character choice, but it works so beautifully.
Throughout the story, Ellis plants doubt not only in Felicity’s mind, but also in ours as we read. Felicity herself is an unreliable narrator, who is struggling with psychosis and grappling with what is real and what is just in her mind. We are only able to see the world as she does, and that limited perspective made it nearly impossible to uncover the truth until the very end.
★ “The question isn’t whether magic is real. It’s whether I can touch it without being consumed by it.”
The Ending: What Do I Think?
I have seen that many readers find themselves indifferent to the ending, or conflicted about how they feel about it. I, personally, loved it, and it felt like the perfect way to close the story. It was both fitting for the characters as well as emotionally impactful for me as a reader.
While I was surprised that the ending didn’t have a “paranormal” conclusion, it still felt like the perfect way to wrap up the story. The entire book thrives on misdirection, keeping Felicity, along with the reader, unsure of what is real and what isn’t, and so the ending stayed perfectly true to this spirit.
★ “For coffee-stained girls in libraries.”
Final Thoughts: A Hidden Masterpiece
A Lesson in Vengeance is a dark mystery unlike any other sapphic book I’ve ever read. It’s unsettling, atmospheric, and beautifully written, and perfect for readers looking for a sapphic mystery/thriller. For readers of Dark Academia and those who have a love for witchcraft, please get a hold of this book; you will not be disappointed!