9 Dark Academia Books Recommended Again & Again Online

Alex Stern was raised on the scary side of the tracks, and by the time she turns 20, she has survived an unsolved multiple homicide. At her hospital bedside, a mysterious benefactor appears and offers her a spot in Yale’s incoming first-year class under one condition: She must help keep tabs on the eight secret societies at the university. These houses all have their own secrets and paranormal dealings, some of which have begun leading to deaths in New Haven.

This is the first book in an unfinished trilogy. The second book, Hell Bent, is out now, and the third has yet to be given a release date.

Dark academia with a focus on theater? Yes, please. In this tale, Oliver is one of seven actors studying Shakespeare at the highly competitive Dellecher Classical Conservatory. In their final year together, the rivalries brewing between classmates lead to unimaginable violence, and all of the fourth-years must convince the authorities they’re innocent.

Cut to 10 years later when Oliver is released from prison, and he’s finally ready to tell detectives everything they’ve wanted to know.

The year is 1828 in a fantastical version of London. Robin Swift is studying Latin, Chinese, and Ancient Greek to prepare for the day he enrolls in Oxford’s Royal Institute of Translation, housed in a tower called Babel. Babel is the global hub for translation and silver working, the magical art of uncovering lost meanings in ancient texts using special silver bars. This practice has made Britain a leading world power, fueling its colonization efforts.

Robin loves Oxford and pursuing higher learning, but before long, he realizes that serving Babel will mean betraying his homeland of China. Which will he choose?

This book has been called a blend of Gossip Girl and Get Out — not sure what else you need to hear, but here are the details: When two Niveus Private Academy students, Devon Richards and Chiamaka Adebayo, attend the elite Niveus Private Academy, they’re chosen as senior class prefects, which puts them both in the running for valedictorian. That’s when someone by the name of Aces begins revealing their secrets through anonymous texts to the student body, the kind of secrets that could dismantle their bright futures.

In this dark academia thriller, Chiamaka and Devon must team up to stop Aces before the prank turns deadly.

Published in 1992, this read is perfect for fans of Dead Poets Society. In Tartt’s novel, a group of misfit students at a New England university fall under the sway of their classics professor, who introduces them to new ways of thinking about the world. Before long, they find his teachings are leading them closer and closer to danger.

Amazon reviews say this book makes you want to stay in this world, so it should be perfect for dark academia fans who really want to get into the school setting.