Offering a blend of intellectual curiosity, aesthetic appeal, and complex themes that explore morality, dark academia books provide a glimpse into a world not entirely unlike our own. Some are filled with magic and dragons, while others feature mundane, wrongful death, but either way, we are drawn to the secret societies and morally gray characters that populate them. Books filled with mystery and discovering one’s true self when faced with worldly — and otherworldly — problems are a siren song for those who dip their toes into the macabre. Find your next elite boarding school with this curated list of dark academia romance recommendations.
The Afterdark by E. Latimer
At an elite boarding school, Evie Laurent grows more curious about the old-growth forest surrounding the grounds. Each night, when curfew rolls around, the shutters slam shut and the Afterdark descends, revealing creatures that walk among the trees. After living her whole life tormented by her twin, Ada, Evie has found that the same dark impulses that plagued Ada are rising within herself as she learns more about the forest.
Holland Morgan finds herself immediately drawn to Evie, another bad decision in a history of many. Despite her best friend disappearing into the woods for a few days and returning as a different person, Holland feels that the school’s secret society needs closer examination. Holland and Evie are drawn to each other as they try to uncover why female students keep going missing.
Chaos King by Kacen Callender
In this sequel to Infinity Alchemist, Ash Woods is haunted by nightmares after rising against his father. In an attempt to adapt to this new life he has made for himself, Ash is determined to find a way to speak with his dead mother. However, communicating with the dead won’t be easy, and with anti-alchemist groups spreading across the world, it makes practicing alchemy even more challenging.
Ash gets captured by one of these radical groups and must make a decision. Meanwhile, Ash, Callum, and Ramsay navigate their relationship amid the political tension, with their vastly different personalities. Can alchemist rights be entrusted to the Houses, or should he follow the path his father laid out for him and start an alchemist revolution?
Magic in my Bones by Pepper Oakley
Ren Wickens wants nothing more than to excel at Blackstone Academy for the Dark Arts. This is more challenging as Ren is struggling with his recent transition and his unique abilities, which are hard to hide. Professor Dorian Crowe is torn between his duty as a mentor and budding love as he becomes captivated by Ren’s heart and determination.
When the spirits on campus grow restless and angry, they must determine who is causing them harm. The escalating magical disturbances brand Ren for a dark ritual, and they are in a race against time to figure out who is behind it all. With the support of his friends and the Professor, they uncover the dark forces at play to keep Ren safe and let the spirits be at peace.
Rules for Ruin by Mimi Matthews
In Victorian London, the Crinoline Academy trains young women to challenge men who may threaten their rights and freedoms. Euphemia Flite is tasked with infiltrating the inner circle of the viscount. If she succeeds, Effie earns her freedom from the Academy. But someone is standing in her way. Gabriel Royce, a betting shop owner, wants to protect the viscount for personal gain.
Effie and Gabriel work toward their opposing goals with their battling wit, yearning desire, and distrust. During this cat-and-mouse romance, Effie realizes that it’s not the broken promises to her Academy sisters she should fear, but the danger to her heart. Effie needs to decide whether she should sacrifice for love or risk losing everything.
Boys with Sharp Teeth by Jenni Howell
Marin James infiltrates Huntsworth Academy after the death of her cousin, sure that it will uncover who is responsible for their death. Marin is convinced that elite students Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu know more about the death than they admit. Once inside the Academy, she quickly forgets about the investigation as she falls in love with her new life inside the ivy-covered gates.
Somehow, these two boys understand Marin better than anyone has before, and she must fight to remember her objective. There’s another secret hiding within the walls of Huntsworth, concealed by Adrian and Henry. When the lines begin to blur, will Marin be swallowed up into the darkness or be able to find the truth she set out to uncover?
Nightshade by Autumn Woods
Ophelia Winters accepts a scholarship to attend Sorrowsong University in an attempt to uncover the suspicious surroundings of her parents’ “accidental” deaths near school grounds. The plan quickly goes sideways when Alex Corbeau-Green almost kills her on the first day of school. Alex is the son of aviation tycoon Cain Green, who is the number one suspect in her parents’ deaths.
In her attempt to uncover the truth about her family’s murder, she is paired with Alex and discovers a softer side to his personality. But with a malicious stalker, budding love, and a quest for truth, Ophelia begins to wonder if coming to Sorrowsong was a good idea after all. In the end, she must decide if revealing the truth is worth ripping apart another family.
The Art of Exile by Andrea Max
Ada Castle has mastered the art of falling for the wrong guy. Now she wants to turn over a new leaf by attending the Genesis Institute, a hidden school that her family has been searching for for generations. Descendants of exiled Renaissance masters attend the hidden school to practice lost arts and sciences, but selfishly keep the innovations for themselves.
Ada goes undercover to steal the innovations so that more people can benefit, but finds her creativity nurtured and her worldview challenged. When her new friend goes missing, Ada’s web of lies begins to unravel as they search for her. Ultimately, a choice must be made: betray her family or the school that has become a second home.
A Mastery of Monsters by Liselle Sambury
August Black is searching for her missing brother, knowing that he wouldn’t just disappear before his sophomore year at Queen’s University. The only clue she has to follow is a note telling her to stay safe and protect the family they have left. Then, August is attacked by a ten-foot-tall creature with fur and claws, and she knows that her brother is in danger.
Unfortunately, the only person willing to help is Virgil Hawthorne, a shy shapeshifter who needs a human partner to maintain humanity. Virgil offers to help August if she joins the Learners Society as his partner. To save her brother, she must learn to master monsters and survive the deadly competition.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
Dr. Saffron Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy in England. As one of the most powerful magicians in England, her day consists mainly of meetings and teaching four A-Level Invocation students. As part of her job description, she must also protect the school from demonic incursions, especially Old Faithful, an ancient demon that feeds on stray magic.
When the wards around the school begin failing, Saffron worries that the staff and students are in danger. As she fights to keep everyone safe, an ancient demon, a wave of disappearances, and rebellious teens stand in her way. Saffron realizes that, with everything going on, the threat must be coming from inside the school itself. She must decide how much she’s willing to sacrifice to protect the students.
Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Sciona, an orphan since the age of four, has always felt the need to prove herself to her peers. As a result, she has spent twenty years devoting her time to studying magic in an effort to become the first woman admitted to the High Magistry. When she becomes a highmage, her colleagues make sure to let her know she is unwelcome, assigning her a janitor as her lab assistant.
However, Thomil, the janitor, is more than he appears, coming from Tiran’s magical barrier, where he was a nomadic hunter. During their time together, Sciona and Thomil uncover an ancient secret that threatens to change the course of magic forever. Sciona’s pursuit of the truth takes her – and readers – into a revolution to topple the magical elite.
If you’re drawn to the intricate dance of moral dilemmas, captivated by the allure of unraveling mysterious deaths, or fascinated by the everyday life of elite boarding schools, you’re in for a treat. This list of dark academia romance recommendations is waiting for you, with atmospheric settings and compelling morally gray characters to satisfy your cravings for secret societies.
Browse our 5 Underrated Dark Academia Books To Obsess Over This Fall for more fantastic books for your TBR.
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