An Academy for Liars

By: Alexis Henderson

Narrated by: Tracie Frank

A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it’s a test she’s terrified she’s going to fail.

©2024 Alexis Henderson (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"An Academy for Liars is propulsive, thought-provoking, and sexy—Alexis Henderson is in a class of her own.” – Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of The Foxglove King

"Alexis Henderson turns her incredible eye for the upsetting to academia, and delivers a campus novel saturated with violence, desire, and power. It's a book with blood on its lips, and I loved it completely." – Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House

“Alexis Henderson is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the realm of dark speculative fiction, each offering better than the last...An Academy for Liars is full of twists and turns, so hold on tight." - Reactor

“I devoured An Academy for Liars in one sitting. It’s a deliciously haunting dark academia read that’s as sexy as it is chilling. Alexis expertly creates a world steeped in mystery, illicit dealings, ruthless ambition, and thrillingly flawed characters. An Academy for Liars sets the bar for compulsively readable dark academia stories that leave readers breathless. “ - N.E. Davenport, author of The Blood Gift Duology

"Twisted, surreal, and delightfully seductive, An Academy for Liars takes dark academia to an entirely different level. In this book, the institution is the villain, and no one comes away innocent." - Olivia Atwater, author of Half a Soul