I was promised The Secret History meets Ninth House, yet somehow the story didn't grip me at the start. However, I'm glad I persevered. The story was gothic and atmospheric, and I ended up enjoying it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

An enjoyable read, well written and entertaining. Hadn't read this author before but would consider reading again.

This should have been my perfect read. Dark academia, in my former profession, at my favourite museum. But I was bored. The book felt like it was holding back, so I just didn't feel all that invested.

You know that moment where you see a cover for a book, you’ve heard nothing about it until that moment, but you just know it’s going to be right up your alley? That’s what happened to me with Katy Hays’ debut, ‘The Cloisters’. The more I read into it, the more convinced I became that it was going to be perfect and it didn’t take much convincing for Sarah to agree that it seemed like a perfect fit for an episode of ‘The Dark Academicals’. It’s literally being marketed as “The Secret History for a new generation” - we can’t ignore claims like that.

While comparisons to ‘The Secret History’ are usually a bit generous, we were spot on about the vibes of this one. A round of applause for us!

You can listen to the full episode right here:

INSERT EPISODE LINK

The Secret History meets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel . . . the discovery of a mysterious deck of tarot cards lays bare shocking secrets within a close-knit circle of researchers at New York's famed Met Cloisters museum.

Ann Stilwell arrives in New York City, hoping to spend her summer working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Instead, she is assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum and garden renowned for its medieval and Renaissance collections.

There she is drawn into a small circle of charismatic but enigmatic researchers, each with their own secrets and desires, including the museum's curator, Patrick Roland, who is convinced that the history of Tarot holds the key to unlocking contemporary fortune telling.

Relieved to have left her troubled past behind and eager for the approval of her new colleagues, Ann is only too happy to indulge some of Patrick's more outlandish theories. But when Ann discovers a mysterious, once-thought lost deck of 15th-century Italian tarot cards she suddenly finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game of power, toxic friendship and ambition.

And as the game being played within the Cloisters spirals out of control, Ann must decide whether she is truly able to defy the cards and shape her own future . . .

Bringing together the modern and the arcane, The Cloisters is a rich, thrillingly-told tale of obsession and the ruthless pursuit of power.

Once Ann arrives in New York and joins Patrick and Rachel in an effort to locate the origin of tarot in Renaissance Italy, there isn’t a huge amount of plot. The novel is suspended in the sweltering heat of summer in NYC, sheltered by the cool, dark museum, and consumed by their work. It’s slow and introspective with nothing definitive to drive you through the novel, but it’s still incredibly compelling - I was completely absorbed by the atmosphere and the unsettling interpersonal drama between Ann, Rachel, Patrick and Leo.

There are conflicts of class, wealth, and belief in the power and magic of tarot. Patrick, a curator at The Cloisters who is putting together an exhibition of the origins of divination, is having Rachel and Ann search for proof that tarot was used for telling the future in the early Renaissance. It delves deep enough into the academia of it to feel like I was there is The Cloisters wading through research, but not enough that I was drowning in an unfamiliar world. All of this is compounded by this overarching feeling of something looming and the tension climbing towards a boiling point once Ann uncovers tarot cards that will make the exhibition.

I know there have been some criticisms that several questions or elements of the novel were left without a concrete, Agatha Christie style reveal of what happened, but I disagree with that. Everything we needed to know was on page and the rest was inferred - there was nothing missing or frustrating for me at all.

‘The Cloisters’ is a dark, compelling and atmospheric debut that brims with dark academia vibes.

Gothic and Solemn Academia. I admit I was drawn to this novel for three reasons: I miss university (that’s Student Finance), I love the tarot aspect (thanks Samantha Shannon…) and the word “Cloisters” has always been fantastic (thanks Doctor Who).

It was a tough read for me as my first foray into Dark Academia. I don’t know if I was expecting more of The Magicians or The Bone Season but I got neither from this novel.

Ann. What to say about Ann. Now I’ve seen a few people say they couldn’t get with her or her personality drags. I don’t know if it says more about me or Ann that I actually found her a fine protagonist. Though I’m all for flawed and drab if it compliments what is happening around her - which I feel it did.

Patrick on the other hand felt a lot more cookie-cutter and neither him or Leo were sold very strongly despite Hays and Annms best efforts to do so.

Having read The Enigma of Room 622 not long before this, I was prepped for a slow burn. But I admit there was a LOT of moments where DNF sprang to mind, and though I fought the urge I almost regret not dropping it. Unlike the aforementioned mystery, I don’t feel my commitment was reciprocated with enough meat to feel satisfied.

This was such an interesting read! I found myself so engrossed in the story, the characters had such incredible arcs, and I can't wait to follow this author's journey!

Ah I am so glad I was fortunate enough to get this before it was released, because once I saw it in the bookshops, I definitely one I would have picked up, based on cover alone. Gothic vibes, NYC and tarot cards? I am there. Add in a deadly garden?? Sold.
Sadly, the book itself fell a little flat for me. It felt very slow and the motives were revealed far too late in the read for my liking. Premise was great but the details were too much and heavily relied on additional reading.

I was beguiled by this book from the outset, the setting, the tone, the characters all captivated me - entirely my sort of book. So much so that I went and brought my own copy as soon as I could.

It took me awhile to get into this book but as a fan of dark academia I really enjoyed it and the story’s progression. I finished it really quickly as I ended up just being sucked into the story.

Brooding and claustrophobic, this feels more of a literary novel than the mystery I had expected, although it does contain theft, career espionage and murder.

The characters exist in a haze of lust, power and obsession that main character, Ann, blunders and gropes her way through with a strange mixture of innocence and knowing that makes her seem more like an adolescent than a young adult at times. As a result, this is something of a coming-of-age story.

There is lots of exploration of running and hiding from the past and from yourself, as Ann slowly finds herself and her career path through the murky, druggy haze of the Cloisters and its cryptic, secretive staff.

Slow, heavy and oppressive in tone and style, the plot and characters struggle a little under the weight of the building and the history of the items within, particularly the tarot cards that form the focus of some of the story. The author has clearly done plenty of research into the subject, but between that and the characters’ obsession with academia and the pursuit of a scholarly life at all costs, the more human aspects of the story got lost among the dusty shelves.

This didn’t quite hit the mark for me, as I never really engaged with any of the characters, nor did the plot grip me. I did enjoy reading it though, mainly for the evocative atmosphere of ominous, undefined threat throughout.

I enjoyed reading this book, it took me a moment to get into but once I was in, I whizzed through it, The character development is good too.

A very atmospheric book. I really enjoyed the setting of this story. The story felt consuming and you could sense the characters all falling into madness. An obsession not just with each other but with tarot and power.
It felt a little long toward the end but a wonderful story nonetheless.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Cloisters by Katy Hays, it was mysterious and entertaining from the very first page.
Ann Stillwell has gone to New York expecting to spend her summer working at the Met Museum but she ends up at The Cloisters which is a famous gothic museum housing medieval art. Ann is set to work with the enigmatic Patrick and his assistant Rachel. Ann is surprised to discover that they are researching tarot cards and fortune telling and she is soon drawn into their dark and mysterious world.
The Cloisters was well paced, I didn’t want to stop reading when I got to the end of each chapter. It does have a feel of The Secret History about it, you do quickly feel ensconced in this small, elite circle of academics. I loved the tarot card element of the book and you can clearly see the research done by Katy Hays, I found it really interesting and it left me wanting to know more.
I would highly recommend this book, it is a brilliant, thought provoking mystery.

Firstly, the cover of this book needs a massive shout out because its so aesthetically pleasing! I wanted to love everything about this. I didn't... I enjoyed the Dark Academia vibes and the start of the story, but then it took a little turn. The characters were not likeable, but I'm unsure if they were meant to be. I enjoyed the tarot elements, but felt that we spent a proportion of the book uncovering a thriller.

It was well written and I appreciated that, I would love to see The Cloisters, that's for sure! I'd only hope that I wouldn't bump into any of the people who work there, as everyone seems to have a dislikeable altera motive! I buddy read this with a few of the lovely ladies in our Sub Club and there were some mixed thoughts on this one, so perhaps it just wasn't my cuppa!

Dark academia is a whole vibe at the moment, and this debut ticks every box to a tee. And so it should really - after all, the author is an art history professor herself. This book transports the reader to a hot New York summer, where we meet Ann as she embarks on an internship at The Met Cloisters. She's drawn into the strange, dark world of the Cloisters, complete with hidden secrets, tarot readings and deadly plants tended in the beautiful gardens.

The writing is vivid and atmospheric as the plot slow unfolds, twisted and intriguing. For me, there was a tiny something missing from this tale which held me back from giving it the full five stars - perhaps it was the characters, who were in general fairly unlikeable and unrelatable, or just the fact that this story isn't entirely unique. But it is beautiful told, gothic escapism and a very impressive debut.

I completely judged this book on its cover. It’s utterly stunning. And when I read the synopsis I was even more convinced I had to read it! Once I dove in, I realised this was absolutely not what I was expecting.

For me, The Cloisters was written like dark academia, but as a thriller. I didn’t like any of the characters, felt the narrator was unreliable and didn’t trust anyone.

But I loved it.

Hays writing is heavy and thoughtful, and it sucked me in. From the toxic friendships, the misogynistic boss and the love triangle, there was so much going on, each layered over the other, to cast doubt on the reader’s interpretation of events and I was obsessed with reading more.

This is a gothic, atmospheric mystery, seeped in the magic of of the renaissance and the occult. The research into the academic history of the artwork and museum pieces brings the landscape to life and immerses the reader into the story, as though walking the shadowed passages and peaceful gardens of the museum with the characters.

The characters were awful, vain, entitled and perfect. Their ambition to succeed overrode any and all other traits; a joint obsession to achieve notoriety above all else, at any cost. They were horrible, and yet the perfect cast to play out Hays events.

The Cloisters is dark, it’s twisted and it is one hell of a ride.

After her beloved father's death Ann escapes her small town life to head to New York. Working at The Cloisters Gothic museum for curator Patrick and his assistant Rachel, Ann gets drawn into the search for a long lost deck of tarot cards. However the dark world of medieval poisons, the occult, competitive academia and secrets and lies are all waiting for Ann. Should she trust in fate or her intuition to help her?

There's a lot about this to like - deadly academia is always interesting. Yet the characters are all really unlikeable, and the obsession with secrets and mystery means that for me you never really get close enough to a character to root for them.

I went into this novel wanting a sinister and darkly fascinating tale, but unfortunately, what it was for me was a pretentious and ultimately boring meander through the lives of some pretty unpleasant people. I did enjoy the setting very much and found that to be atmospheric, but honestly, that was about all and I found the novel a real slog to get through. Such a shame.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

🎓🕯️ The Cloisters

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“What if our whole life—how we live and die—has already been decided for us? Would you want to know, if a roll of the dice or a deal of the cards could tell you the outcome?”

📖 Ann arrives in New York, hoping to spend her summer working at the Met. Instead, she is assigned to The Cloisters, a gothic museum renowned for its art collection. When Ann discovers a mysterious deck of tarot cards, she finds herself at the centre of a dangerous game. Can Ann defy the cards and shape her own future?

💭 Coined as “The Secret History for a new generation”, I absolutely HAD to get my hands on this book! It’s a slow burn dark academia mystery, with a beautifully gothic setting. There’s a lot of tarot stuff (lol I really don’t have a clue), but I loved Ann’s narration and the delicious dark world of The Cloisters, as we discover what goes on behind the museum’s closed doors.

Ann is caught up with the ethereal Rachel, and we are taken on a journey of toxic female friendship. There’s mystery, murder, secrets, magic, and intrigue. There’s also lots of rich imagery, morally grey characters, and beautifully atmospheric writing.

If you’re a fan of dark academia, then this is definitely one you need to pick up!

I absolutely adored this lovely book. The premise was brilliant and the characters stuck with me so thoroughly. Thank you so so so much for letting me read this early!