By Ashley Rands, Marketing
Last challenge to complete for our summer reading challenge: read a dark academia book! There’s something irresistibly captivating about the world of dark academia. Imagine a realm where intellect and intrigue collide, where shadows whisper secrets in the halls of ancient universities, and where every page turned pulls you deeper into a web of mystery and melancholy. This is the essence of dark academia, a literary genre that has captured the hearts and minds of readers around the globe. Let’s embark on a journey into this hauntingly beautiful world and explore what makes reading a dark academia book such a uniquely enriching experience.
Reading Recommendations for Dark Academia Books
Separate Peace by John Knowles
Set at a boys’ boarding school in New England during the early years of World War II. This book is a harrowing and luminous parable of the dark side of adolescence. Gene is a lonely, introverted intellectual. Phineas is a handsome, taunting, daredevil athlete. What happens between the two friends one summer, like the war itself, banishes the innocence of these boys and their world.
Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde’s only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world.
Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Told in Kvothe’s own voice. This is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. If you like a tragic hero tale then be sure to give this one a try. Read about Kvothe’s struggle and how his life was an ever-changing cycle of fortune and disaster.
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
In a small town, Blue Sargent has always been on the periphery of the supernatural, assisting her clairvoyant mother. This changes when she sees a boy named Gansey (a wealthy student from a local private school) in the churchyard, a vision she never experienced before. Gansey is on a mystical quest with three friends: Adam, Ronan, and Noah. Despite her resolve to avoid the trouble associated with these “Raven Boys,” Blue finds herself irresistibly drawn to their world. Blue’s involvement with Gansey and his friends leads her into a world of danger and intrigue that she never anticipated.
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
A thrilling and original coming-of-age novel for adults about a young man practicing magic in the real world.
Quentin Coldwater is brilliant but miserable. He finds himself unexpectedly admitted to a very secret, and exclusive college of magic. After graduating, Quentin and his friends discover the magical land called Fillory from a novel is actually real. But this land turns out to be much darker and dangerous than any of them could imagine.
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Maxim de Winter remarries and brings his new shy bride to Manderley. Yet, the memory of his former wife Rebecca is very present. Can the new bride escape the shadow of the former mistress of the house? Can she unravel the secrets of Rebecca before she is consumed by her ghost?
So, if you’re ready to lose yourself in a world where mystery, intellect, and intrigue reign supreme, pick up and read a dark academia book. Let the shadows guide you, let the ancient walls speak to you, and let the stories transport you to a place where every secret is a treasure waiting to be uncovered. Happy reading!
