Must-Read Dark Academia Books to Read This Fall

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Looking for the best dark academia books? Discover the top titles for fans of mystery, elite schools, and gothic vibes. 

If you’re thinking of books steeped in gothic settings, twisted friendships, and academic intrigue, you will love these dark academia books. From secret societies and haunted campuses to the quiet intensity of elite schools, these stories explore the fine line between brilliance and obsession.

Step into a world where knowledge is power—and sometimes, a curse. With candlelit libraries, ancient halls, and secrets that refuse to stay buried, these novels embody everything we love about the dark academia genre.

Here are 15 of the most compelling dark academia books to read right now.

Happy Reading!

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Step Into the World of Dark Academia

The Atlas Six book cover

The Atlas Six

by Olivie Blake

Imagine being handpicked to join an elite secret society that guards the world’s lost knowledge—then realizing your rivals are just as dangerous as the knowledge itself. In this spellbinding dark academia novel, six gifted magicians are invited to the mysterious Alexandrian Society, where power, betrayal, and ambition spiral out of control. Only five will be chosen. The sixth? Disposable. 

Amazon | Goodreads 

Ace of Spades book cover

Ace of Spades

by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

At Niveus Private Academy, Devon and Chiamaka are chosen as senior prefects, a title that promises prestige and opportunity. But then someone named Aces begins leaking their darkest secrets, and as their reputations start to crumble, they’re forced to question who they can trust—and why they’ve been targeted. 

Amazon | Goodreads 

I Have Some Questions for you book cover

I Have Some Questions for You

by Rebecca Makkai

Bodie Kane, a film professor and podcaster, has spent years avoiding the painful memories of her boarding school days and the murder of her roommate, Thalia Keith. Invited back to teach at the Granby School, Bodie finds herself entangled in the very case she tried to forget. As she questions the original conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, new doubts and forgotten details begin to surface.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Maidens book cover

The Maidens

by Alex Michaelides

Mariana, a former Cambridge student and group therapist, returns to the university after her niece’s friend is brutally murdered. She suspects Edward Fosca, a professor surrounded by a secret society of devoted female students called The Maidens. As the killings continue, Mariana’s determination to expose Fosca leads her down a path haunted by myth, grief, and obsession.

Amazon | Goodreads 

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife

by Ashley Winstead

Ten years after graduation, Jessica returns to her elite New England college, hoping to prove she’s no longer the insecure girl she once was. But when her old friend group reunites, the shadow of a long-ago murder mystery resurfaces. As secrets unravel and loyalties shift, Jessica must face the role she played in a friend’s untimely death.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Vicious book cover

Vicious

by V.E. Schwab

Once college friends, Victor and Eli believed they could unlock power through near-death experiences. But ambition turned deadly, and what began as research sparked a fierce rivalry drenched in blood. Ten years later, Victor escapes prison with a single goal: destroy Eli before he strikes again. Eli, now a fanatical killer of the extraordinary, is eliminating anyone with powers he deems unnatural.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Save for Later

DARK ACADEMIA BOOKS
The Secret Place book cover

The Secret Place

by Tana French

A year-old murder at a girls’ boarding school resurfaces when a note appears claiming to reveal the killer. Detectives Moran and Conway reenter a world ruled by silence, secrets, and the volatile dynamics of teenage friendship. Holly Mackey and her friends are at the center—but their smiles hide calculated defenses. With each revelation, the line between innocence and guilt grows dangerously thin.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Ivies book cover

The Ivies

by Alexa Donne

At Claflin Academy, five girls known as the Ivies will sabotage, scheme, and lie their way into the Ivy League—but when one of them is found dead, their elite world of ambition and privilege turns into a chilling hunt for the killer. Secrets come to light, alliances crumble, and the claws come out as one girl races to uncover the truth before she becomes the next target.

Amazon | Goodreads 

One of Us is Lying book cover

One of Us Is Lying

by Karen M. McManus

Five students walk into detention, but only four walk out alive. At this exclusive prep school, secrets are currency—and when the school’s gossip king dies under suspicious circumstances, everyone becomes a suspect. With social media scandals, romance, and betrayal, this young adult thriller is definitely worth reading.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Ninth House book cover

Ninth House

by Leigh Bardugo

Alex Stern has seen more death than most, and her second chance at Yale comes with strings she can’t ignore. Tasked with spying on the university’s secret societies, she quickly discovers their power isn’t just symbolic—it’s terrifyingly real. Rituals gone wrong, bodies that won’t stay buried, and magic that feeds on fear pull her deeper into the dark. As Alex pieces together a deadly conspiracy, she becomes both hunter and hunted.

Amazon | Goodreads 

The Starless Sea book cover

The Starless Sea

by Erin Morgenstern

Zachary Ezra Rawlins, a graduate student, finds a mysterious book and unravels a chilling truth: someone has written about a moment from his life. Haunted by this discovery, Zachary’s search leads him to a secret society, a forbidden archive, and a war between those who protect stories and those who destroy them.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Ghosts of Harvard book cover

Ghosts of Harvard

by Francesca Serritella

Cady thought Harvard would offer answers about her brother’s suicide, but instead, it awakens something terrifying in her own. Voices echo through her thoughts—some tied to the school’s haunted legacy, others too eerily personal to ignore. Each voice carries pieces of Harvard’s past and strange connections to her brother’s fate. As she digs deeper, Cady must decide if these whispers are guiding her toward closure—or pushing her over the edge.

Amazon | Goodreads 

If We Were Villains book cover

If We Were Villains

by M.L. Rio

At Dellecher Classical Conservatory, seven Shakespearean students blur the line between on stage and off—until one of them is dead and Oliver Marks takes the fall. Now released, Oliver faces his final role: revealing what really happened that night.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Save for Later

BEST DARK ACADEMIA BOOKS
Never Let Me Go book cover

Never Let Me Go

by Kazuo Ishiguro

In a quiet, isolated boarding school, Hailsham taught Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy that they were special, but never why. Now, as buried memories resurface, Kathy begins to see the chilling design behind their lives. Each quiet reunion deepens the unease, as familiar moments take on a darker significance about who they are and why they exist.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Babel book cover

Babel

by R.F. Kuang

Welcome to Oxford University, where language is magic—and power comes at a devastating cost. A young student plucked from poverty is trained in translation and colonial linguistics, only to realize he’s a pawn in an empire’s game.

Amazon | Goodreads 

Which dark academia book will you read first? Let me know your favorites in the comments.

Must-Read Dark Academia Books to Read This FallMust-Read Dark Academia Books to Read This Fall

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