In These Hallowed Halls features stories that range from spooky and dark to what could be the plot of a Community episode. I enjoyed it thoroughly. As the weather gets colder, even here on the West Coast, I want to escape into cozy study spaces with multiple fireplaces. This collection of short stories scratched that itch for me. It is a perfect companion to the changing seasons. There is something in this collection for everyone and it did introduce me to a few new authors that I will be absolutely adding to my TBR.

As someone who loves dark academia, I was really excited for this anthology! Eerily creepy, and perfect for fall, I devoured In These Hallowed Halls in one sitting. A particular standout for me was Kelly Andrew's, The Hare and The Hound, which gave me chills, and I thought was so well crafted. I also particularly loved Tori Bovaliano's Phobos, which reminded me of Ninth House in a way. I struggled with Sabbatical, and didn't love how mental health or weight were addressed in that story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was overall a great collection of short stories, each a bite size tale of academia. But was all of it what I'd class as dark academia? I'd say probably only half, and the others were academia-adjacent with a university setting or backdrop.

Highlights for me were Pythia (a bizarre but engaging cautionary tale about AI by Olivie Blake), The Hare and the Hound (a creepy portrayal of one college student's descent into guilt-induced madness by Kelly Andrew), The Professor of Ontography (an Oxbridge-set, atmospheric and deeply unsettling gothic jaunt by Helen Grant) and Phobos (secret societies, dark deeds and dangerous dealings at an American university by Tori Bovalino).

I also highly enjoyed Four Funerals by David Bell as a short story about grief, loss and blame - although it didn't feel exactly 'dark academia' for me. It was still an impactful story.

I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to sample some different takes on the dark academia genre and to see if it suits them or not. Perfect for swiftly approaching Autumn evenings!

Individual Ratings:

1000 Ships by Kate Weinburg 3/5
Pythia by Olivie Blake 4/5
Sabbatical by James Hill 2/5
The Hare and The Hound by Kelly Andrew 4/5
X House by J.T. Ellison 3/5
The Ravages by Layne Fargo 3/5
Four Funerals by David Bell 3.5/5
The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang 2/5
Weekend At Bertie's by M.L. Rio 3.5/5
The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant 4.5/5
Phobos by Tori Bovalino 4.5/5
Playing by Phoebe Wynne 3/5

Overall, this collection of dark academia stories was an eclectic mixed bag. As expected, some stories were thematically relevant, gripping, moody and twisty. Other stories were a bit of a stretch for what I would classify as dark academia.

My top picks of the anthology are:
○ The Hare and the Hound
○ Phobos
○ Pythia
○ The Professor of Ontography

1000 Ships by Kate Weinberg: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3 stars
This is an intriguing, dark first chapter of a full novel called The Truants. I didn’t feel I had enough time to connect with Lorna Clay, and I was perplexed about how this was meant to be dark academia.

Pythia by Olivie Blake: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4 stars
If you like techno-horror shows like Black Mirror, you’ll probably like this one. This timely tale explores the ethical implications of technology, exploring what it means to be human and the longing for genuine emotional connections. It is a unique format with a Q&A deposition + traditional narrative storytelling. I thought it would’ve been stronger as purely futuristic and speculative sci-fi and eliminated the fantasy/magical element, which was only vaguely explained. Still, it was one of the more memorable reads in this anthology.

Sabbatical by James Tate Hill: ⭐/ 1 star
Maybe the author intended for the MC and supporting cast to be unlikeable. Still, the churlish narration, especially when the MC and other characters spoke of weight and mental illness, didn’t sit comfortably with me. The one star is for the cat, Edward.

The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4.5 stars
A creepy folkloric, whimsical and magical realism-infused horror short story that gripped me from beginning to end, about a boy tormented by inner demons and a prophecy he received from a seer at a fair regarding a white rabbit. One of my personal favourites in this anthology. Must remember to investigate more of Kelly Andrew.

X House by J.T Ellison: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3.5 stars
Reminiscent of The Grace Year meets Lord of the Flies, this short story explores the darkest, sinister depths of teenage girl cliques. However, the pacing wasn’t quite right, and I felt that a more in-depth length would’ve allowed this story to realise its full potential via richer world-building and plot.

The Ravages by Layne Fargo: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3 stars
Nothing groundbreaking, but revenge on a cheating lover is a dependable and entertaining trope.

Four Funerals by David Bell: DNF
Trigger warning: The subject matter of gun violence and school shootings is one I choose to actively avoid in my pursuit of reading for escapism and enjoyment. Skipped.

The Unknowable Pleasures by Susie Yang: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3.25 stars
A tale of an almost fetish-voyeuristic obsession over a charismatic professor and a speculated relationship with a student. The ending built up to what could’ve been a well-executed reveal or climatic point but then ended up being anticlimactic—bold artistic choice, although it left me unsatisfied.

Weekend at Berties by M.L Rio: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3.5 stars
A solid character study in this one, with some lovely prose. This story explores the morals of what people would do if they found the dead body of an acquaintance in their house. Felt unfinished.

The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4 stars
Creepily satisfying love and uncanny horror story with an ending that gave me nostalgic R.L. Stine Goosebumps vibes, which I embrace and welcome.

Phobos by Tori Bovalino: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 4.5 stars
This one was a gripping, dark story with Ninth House vibes, exploring disturbing initiation rites into secret societies and the depraved extremities humans will go to in order to belong and get a leg up in life. This had a satisfying length, plot and ending despite being a short story. Still, I wouldn’t be bummed if Tori Bovalino expanded this into a longer book. It makes my top 3 in this anthology collection!

Playing by Phoebe Wynne: ⭐⭐⭐/ 3 stars
While the “reveal” was almost immediately obvious, this premise had intrigue and potential. Maybe it would be better executed as a longer story. I appreciate what seemed to be authentic musical knowledge of the keys engrained into the story.

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this work in exchange for an honest review.

"In These Hallowed Halls" is an anthology of twelve dark academia short stories written by various masters of the genre, including Olivie Blake ("The Atlas Six"), M.L. Rio ("If We Were Villains"), Kelly Andrew ("The Whispering Dark") and Tori Bovalino ("The Devils Makes Three").

I loved this collection of short stories! As a lover of dark academia books, I started this adventure with very high expectations and came to the end fully satisfied! I found it a pleasantly disturbing read, intriguingly dark, deliciously mysterious, and seductively unsettling. This book is a journey into the darkest depths of the human soul, where obsession, revenge, remorse, madness, thirst for power and knowledge, resignation, and more reign supreme. These are ambiguous, dark, enigmatic and often unsettling stories, where happiness and solutions are not always guaranteed. In fact, not all of the texts have an actual explanation, not all of the stories have actual closure. Some are left hanging, open to possible interpretations, emphasizing even more the cryptic atmosphere of the work. I was deeply captivated by the events narrated, absorbed by the pages, often feeling pleasantly disturbed. Obviously I enjoyed some stories more than others, I have my favorites, but in general I enjoyed everything. My only "criticism," if you can call it that, is that for me some titles would have rendered even more as novels.

Now I will try to give a brief overview of the twelve stories!

"1000 SHIPS" by Kate Weinberg. Tells the story of a relationship between a brilliant student named Lorna and her charming professor, who is being investigated for the suicide of another student. Very short story, but beautifully written, which is a kind of prequel (centered on Lorna) to another work by the author.

"PYTHIA" by Olivie Blake. Tells the story of a clinical psychologist who is interrogated after a mysterious incident concerning a cult of technomancers who believe their supercomputer knows and predicts everything. Part deposition, part explanation, this story is one of my favorites.

"THE HARE AND THE HOUND" by Kelly Andrew. The story follows Mason, better known as Bunny, who has been tormented since he was a young boy by a prophecy he received from a seer in a tent at a fair. A prophecy concerning the appearance of a white rabbit, harbinger of great misfortune for him, followed by an encounter with a girl. A girl who, should he choose to follow, will drive him to madness. Years later, in college, Bunny has a sudden bicycle accident and accidentally runs over a rabbit, injuring it. After the incident, out of nowhere, a girl appears at school with white hair, a cast on her arm and eyes the same color as the rabbit's, plunging him into chaos. This is one of my favorite stories in the anthology, full of unease and turmoil.

"SABBATICAL" by James Tate Hill. A tale that revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a professor at a decadent institute after he takes a sabbatical. This is the story I liked the least. It left me very puzzled.

"X HOUSE" by J.T Ellison. The story follows a professor named Mia, newly hired at an exclusive and isolated female college haunted by rumors of madness and mysterious suicides. Beautiful, I enjoyed it a lot and I admit I found it quite disturbing.

"THE RAVAGES" by Layne Fargo. The story follows a betrayed woman who decides to take revenge on her occult-loving girlfriend within the institution where they both work, in a situation destined to take a terribly unexpected turn. Cute, though not among my favorites, with an excellent sinister atmosphere.

"FOUR FUNERALS" by David Bell. The story follows a teacher, sole survivor in a mass school shooting, who decides to travel to attend the four funerals of his students who died in the attack. The deceased killer, a classmate, had written his plan in a creative writing assignment for the man, who interpreted it as a simple and harmless work of fiction. High-potential short story, in my opinion too short, with an intense portrayal of survivor guilt.

"THE UNKNOWABLE PLEASURES" by Susie Yang. The story follows a girl who develops a sudden obsession with a relationship between a classmate and their professor, going so far as to have fantasies about them. I enjoyed the writing and the premise, but the resolution left me perplexed.

"WEEKEND AT BERTIE'S" by M.L. Rio. The story follows two people who find the dead body of an elderly and lonely academic in the basement of her home and decide to organize a plan to steal all her life savings. The style is very lyrical and evocative, I read it with great pleasure, however, I missed the essence of the plot at the end.

"THE PROFESSOR OF ONTOGRAPHY" by Helen Grant. The story follows one of the first girls to be admitted to an ancient college in the 1980s, who discovers the mysterious and seemingly unknown Department of Ontography. Intrigued, she decides to investigate with her boyfriend, leading to disturbing developments. This story is one of my favorites in the anthology, and I don't know, I found it very disturbing and unsettling.

"PHOBOS" by Tori Bovalino. The story follows a group of boys who must complete a series of trials to be admitted to the prestigious Order of Prometheus. This story is among my favorites in the collection, although as a novel it would have done much better in my opinion.

"PLAYING" by Phoebe Wynne. The story follows a pure, rigid and arrogant student,, organ player, hired to play at a series of funerals, which she believes have an obscure connection. Cute, with an interesting development, though not among my favorites.

All in all, I found it a very intriguing and enjoyable anthology of short stories, which I absolutely recommend to lovers of dark academia!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Real rating 3.5 rounded down to 3 stars

This was a very interesting read. I was intrigued and really wanted to dive into this dark academia anthology novel, the descriptions of the different stories peaked my interest. It had lots of amazing authors that most people are familiar with, and I got introduced to many new authors that I will definitely be checking out their other works in the future. My favorite story was probably "The Professor of Ontography" by Helen Grant, a very dark, disturbing story that left me wanting more. There was good LGBTQIA+ representation that I really enjoyed too throughout this book.


Dark Academia is a genre that is one of my favorites, and a lot of the stories were disturbing, dark and gave off those dark academia vibes, and unfortunately a few of the stories did not. A lot of them felt like a "dark" story just loosely tied to school, and unfortunately fell a little bit flat for me personally. I did not enjoy some of the way certain topics were being handled or the language used for certain stories, but there were a lot of good reads to even it out.


Overall, it was a very decent read and if you like Anthology and Dark Academia stories you should definitely try this book out.

Thank you, TitanBooks, and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review

A strong short story collection with a number of standouts! If you enjoy dark academia, give this one a try. Each story is very distinct and different from the others, so it doesn't get repetitive. My personal favorites were the stories by M.L. Rio, Layne Fargo, and J.T. Ellison.

In these Hallowed Halls is a collection of a dozen short stories from well known authors including Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio and Phoebe Wynne, which has been put together by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane. As with any anthology it was something of a mixed bad and I could not help but feel like some of the stories included in the collection had only the most tenuous of connections to the purported theme of Dark Academia.
There were several stories I really enjoyed, but many more that did not make any lasting impression, which is a shame. Olivie Blake has been something of a hit or miss author for me, but her story Pythia was one of the more interesting and more innovative in the collection with its blend of horror and technology. In fact most of the stories I particularly liked had more of a horror theme, most notably Weekend at Berties by M.L. Rio with its nods to The Fall of the House of Usher by Poe, and The Professor of Ontography by Helen Grant which was deliciously creepy and mysterious. The standout of the collection for me however was The Hare and the Hound by Kelly Andrew which blends mythology, mystery and horror to wonderful and memorable effect and made me keen to seek out more from this author.
Overall I would say most fans of the genre will find something to like, but may be disappointed by the overall collection.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

Before you pick up the In These Hallowed Halls anthology you need to ask yourself one question; what do you consider dark academia? If you consider it to be any story set in an academic setting then this anthology is for you. If like myself you’ve always viewed the “dark” part of the genre to refer to something mysterious, gothic, thrilling, monstrous, supernatural and/or paranormal then you’re going to be sorely disappointed. There’s also the definition of “dark” as pessimistic, and melancholic.

Tucked in at the end of the synopsis for In These Hallowed Halls, under the list of authors, is a dictionary definition of dark academia:

"Definition of dark academia in English:
dark academia
1. An internet subculture concerned with higher education, the arts, and literature, or an idealised version thereof with a focus on the pursuit of knowledge and an exploration of death.
2. A set of aesthetic principles. Scholarly with a gothic edge – tweed blazers, vintage cardigans, scuffed loafers, a worn leather satchel full of brooding poetry. Enthusiasts are usually found in museums and darkened libraries."

Presumably the editors used when putting this anthology together, the problem is that even taking these definitions into account some stories in the anthology do not fit into the dark academia genre. Unless of course you consider the mere mention of the word “tweed” criteria enough.

I have to admit I’m slightly biased. After reading Twice Cursed and being very disappointed by the editing choices in that anthology, I had chosen to avoid the editors. In my excitement and haste to grab hold of the first dark academic anthology, a genre I’ve grown quite fond of, and an anthology featuring authors I like or hoped to read, I didn’t notice who the editors were. I’d hoped the previous book was a one-off… it was not. The introduction of In These Hallowed Halls was promising, asking readers if they were looking for stories of “Mysterious and dangerous occurrences in various seats of learning? Students, and sometimes their tutors, in peril? Murder? Magic? Ghosts? Dusty books in old libraries? Clandestine cults and secret societies devoted to ancient rituals?”. Yes, I said to myself with a smile, this is what I’m here for!

Unfortunately these opening words of propaganda were promptly forgotten by the editors as soon as the first story. The first story in anthologies is often the most read story. Unless a reader has picked up the anthology to read something by a particular author, they will start at the beginning of the anthology. If the first story doesn’t impress them then they are unlikely to keep reading, and that’s why I always consider it an editor’s job as well as their responsibility to choose a good starting story. They need to hook the reader, reel them in so that they make their way to other author’s stories.

I find it disappointing when editors seem to select stories for an anthology that have the thinnest of connections to the theme/topic. Sometimes it’s clearly just a difference of opinion, and that’s fair enough. But in the case of In These Hallowed Halls I’ve no idea what the editors were thinking when they selected ‘1000 ships’ by Kate Weinberg for the anthology, especially not for the first story. It has the loosest of connections to dark academia. It is a story about a student in a relationship with her teacher, told from her perspective as she watches him from the window as he stops to talk to another female student. He is on the way to speak to the board, his career on the line, and as she watches him she reflects on their time together.

While there is a level of peril for the professor, the only connections to dark academia are the academic setting and the tweed wearing professor. At a push you could refer to this story as being slightly dark, but otherwise I personally feel that it doesn’t fit in any definition of dark academia. Also keeping in mind that the first story is a privileged position, I found it distasteful that this was the only story in the anthology that had an author’s note promoting the author’s other books at the end.

The second story in In These Hallowed Halls should have been the first in an anthology for dark academia, in my opinion. It’s by an author that many of us automatically associate with the genre; Olivie Blake. ‘Pythia or Apocalypse Maidens: Prophecy and Obsession among the Delphian Technomantic Elite’ is a brilliant tale of magic and technology set in a futuristic academic setting. Blake expertly merges so many different genres in this story that I don’t even know where to begin. If you’ve never read anything by her and want to know what all the hype is about then this is an excellent starting place. She really pushes the genre of dark academia to the limits in this one and ‘Pythia’ has the delicious sinister style that I’ve come to recognise in Blake’s work.

The second story that I was very interested is ‘The Hare and the Hound’ by Kelly Andrew. I’ve had my eye on Andrew for a while now and have yet to get my hands on her book, The Whispering Dark. I’ve heard many good things about her writing and this story confirmed them. ‘The Hare and the Hound’ is a wonderfully gothic urban fantasy story about a college student who is haunted by a prophecy he received as a boy.

The final story that I was looking forward to is by Helen Grant who has become a firm favourite of mine since I read her novel Too Near Dead. Grant never fails to deliver deliciously dark horror and ‘The Professor of Ontography’ is another horror masterpiece that fully explores the darker side of dark academia.

These three stories alone make this anthology worth reading. Additionally, ‘Phobos’ by Tori Bovalino, ‘Sabbatical’ by James Tate Hill, ‘The Ravages’ by Layne Fargo (although the academia setting is a bit of a stretch in this one), ‘X House’ by J. T. Ellison and ‘Playing’ by Phoebe Wynne are interesting reads. The other stories, although well written, fail to convince me that they belong in an anthology for dark academia.

‘Four Funerals’ by David Bell is about a teacher who chooses to attend the funerals of his students after he is blamed for not seeing the violent potential in a school shooter. It was a dark subject, just not the right type of dark in my opinion.

Susie Yang’s story ‘The Unknowable Pleasures’ is about a female student who recognises a fellow student and her professor fall in love. Their relationship appears to be a secret, one that only she knows about. This story left a nasty taste in my mouth as the young woman is essentially gaslighted by her boyfriend, told that it is all in her head and that she is becoming obsessed. Instead of helping a friend, she decides that he’s right and at the last minute decides not to go to a meeting. And she suddenly feels magically better. If this had been better written as actual obsession then I could see this fitting in the genre, however, it wasn’t and it just felt icky.

One that almost got there was ‘Weekend at Bertie’s’ by M.L. Rio. I felt that there was a hint of something supernatural that the author was trying to get at, and yet it ended up being a story about two people stealing from a dead woman (a professor).

It was hard to rate In These Hallowed Halls when only three of the stories were of excellent quality to me. While I considered five other stories interesting, my exact ratings for each of them vary with their saving grace only being that they actually fit in the dark academia genre. Whether this is an anthology you’ll enjoy will depend on your personal reading habits, and as I said at the start of this review, what you consider the definition of dark academia to be. For me, this wasn’t it.

As with most anthologies, this one was pretty hit or miss. I found more hits than misses, though! This book is a great sampler of Dark Academia across a few different genres, and would be perfect for readers looking to scratch that DA itch in bite-sized pieces.

🕯ARC BOOK REVIEW: In These Hallowed Halls anthology
Page Count: 368
Publish Date: COMING SOON: September 12th, 2023

Are you a Dark Academia fan? If so, you'll need to get your hands on In These Hallowed Halls when it's published on September 12th. If you're new to this sub genre and want to explore it more, this is the perfect place to start.

This collection is comprised of 12 short stories that all tie into the Dark Academia theme. It includes stories by great authors like Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, Layne Fargo, David Bell, Phoebe Wynne, and Susie Yang to name a few. And I even found some new-to-me authors that I really enjoyed!

Some favorites were:
✨ X House: Rumors and urban legends surrounding a dangerous boarding school
✨The Ravages: betrayal and revenge with a fun twist
✨Weekend at Bertie's: I love Poe. I loved that this story mentions him.
✨The Professor of Ontography: Curiosity gets the best of a couple college students. I loved the mystery of this one!

Thank you @netgalley for the early read! It was fun. 🖤

In these hallowed halls/

From great, soaring buildings resembling cathedrals to hidden prophecies, the creaking of floorboards, the crunch of leaves beneath your shoes, to hidden mysteries and secret societies the tropes of dark academia are many and far between.

While some stories form around elements of fantasy and others about the mundane, everyday aspects brought to life in stunning color this anthology really does have it all: betrayal, love, cracked spines of books, monsters and foreboding fog all included.

As a lover and avid reader of the dark academia novel I was so excited to pick this up. Featuring some of my favorite authors and others new to me, I found myself in shock and awe at so many of these darkly-weaved tales. Dark academia is truly the perfect genre for autumn, and with cold, foggy days slowly approaching, this book is the perfect anthology to curl into on a cold, rainy night.

This is my first anthology, and I found it difficult to rate as I adored many of the stories but found a few fell flat for me. This was a wonderful way to find new authors and revisit new works from authors I have grown to love.

Here are my ratings for each individual story:

1000 ships: very interesting concept but left me wanting more 3/5

Pythia: love the mix of fantasy and dark academia olivie puts in her novels, creates such inviting new worlds that are filled with magic. The escapism is perfect.

The perfect embodiment of dark academia: a murder, a secret society; with a splash of fantasy and new age of technology. Such a refreshing, original story that still carries all of the traits of dark academia we have grown to love.

“The problem was what it always is- power, betrayal, the carelessness or a man.” 4/5

Sabbatical: 1/5

The hare and the hound: this was my favorite story out of the whole book. It was obviously bunny inspired. Rabbits, shapeshifting and dark magic. It was so well written and kept me on my toes the entire time, I couldn’t put it down and the vibes were perfect. Gray, stormy endless days. An attention to detail that was impeccable. I can’t wait to read more of this authors work. 4.75/5

X house: “it was rare to have a lake so close to the ocean, but this land was different than most. It kept secrets. It’s said that there was something about it that drove people mad. It made them do things they wouldn’t normally do, it hypnotized. It seduced. The sea called and the body answered, helpless against the pull of the tides,”

The personification. The sea feels like a living breathing thing, an evil entity.

The lore of the school is atmospheric and rich. True dark academia vibes.

“Isolation and cold breed a certain kind of madness that disguises itself well.”

“She’s always preferred the company of a novel to a person.”

Some of the characters dialogue and inner thoughts come out awkward and unrealistic.

“It has no conscience, the sea. It takes what it wants and spits out the remains.” 3/5

The ravages: This one was spooky and a lot of fun. A nice revenge twist with perfect dark academia vibes

4/5

Four funerals: this was an interesting concept but the execution fell flat and needed more detail. It kept me on the edge of my seat but then abruptly ended. 2.5/5

The unknowable pleasures: this one truly feels like a cold, autumn day on campus. Romanticizes the simple pleasures in life. I think she’s obsessed with romance, jealous of Elliot’s and Lawrence’s, hoping she could have something so pure.

“Yet she also knew this was a stupid desire, a product of her peaceful, privileged life that romanticized suffering as a way to feel something deep and meaningful.” 3,75/5

A story about obsession

Weekend at Bertie’s:
The Poe references are perfect. Literature reflecting the classics.

“Now that he was out of the ruinous old house, he didn’t think he could go back in, gripped by the irrational conviction that it’s malignant influence was working on them both,”

The house holds a malicious quality, but truly it is their own guilt eating away at them at their sanity, reflect of Poe’s tell tale heart. 4/5

The professor of ontography: so creepy, gives Edgar Allan Poe vibes, obsessed 4.5/5

Phobos/ perfect vibes. Secret society, a series of rituals that just be completed before entry, a spooky house, perfect embodiment of what you think of when you think dark academia.

“She wanted to take all of the order in her hands, push and push until it molded itself into something kinder, something that wasn’t so sharp edged and cutting against her. She wanted so badly to be soft. Wanted so badly for the order to cave against her, to become a pillow to fall into instead of a shackle to rage against.”

“She wanted him to carve his fingerprints into her skin,”

5/5

Playing:

“She’d looked up as she always did at the great monster of the university building, peeping at the lit up windows scattered like stars around the stacks of steeples stark against the night sky.”

So many unnecessary details

The personification is perfect, as if the piano is alive and to grace it is. Her only friend, her only companion.

“She’d take small refuge in the towering shelves, the falling stacks, the short tables alcoves to tuck into.”

2.5/5

This is not a dark academia anthology. This is a collection of mysteries that each have some vague connection to college. Though there is a lot of debate around what works should be considered “dark academia,” very few of the stories in this collection gave me the dark, moody, and all-encompassing atmosphere that I have come to expect. There are definitely a few stories in here that deliver on the promised atmosphere—X House, The Professor of Ontography, and Phobos in particular. But others simply centered a professor or were set near a college (Four Funerals and The Hare and the Hound for example). The ones that leaned into the weird and obsessive were definitely the strongest. Overall the term dark academia was applied very loosely and I am a bit disappointed.

My favorite stories were: Pythia, The Unknowable Pleasures, and The Professor of Ontography

1000 Ships | Kate Weinberg | 3 stars: Not the strongest opening to the anthology. A relatively generic premise. Some of the word choices were questionable.

Pythia | Olivie Blake | 4.5 stars: I hesitate to call this dark academia, but I appreciated the focus on STEM. This was one of my favorite stories in the collection. The mix between traditional narrative and interview question and answer format was very clever. I really loved the reveal at the end. The explanation of “technomancy” was a bit weak. It would have made more sense to portray it as futuristic computer science rather than trying to weave magic into the explanation. Person of interest anyone?

Sabbatical | James Tate Hill | 1 star: This one was terrible. It was a bizarre crisis without even the bare minimum connection to dark academia. I was appalled by the way mental illness was portrayed.

The Hare and the Hound | Kelly Andrew | 4 stars: This was an incredibly satisfying descent into madness story with a great pay off.

X House | JT Ellison | 3 stars: An interesting concept that reminded me a lot of A Lesson in Vengeance. The dark academia vibes were there but it didn’t work crammed into a short story. The reveal was way too easy and the pacing was off.

The Ravages | Layne Fargo | 4 stars: Nothing shocking or unique and it does fade into obscurity when I consider the collection as a whole but I was entertained.

Four Funerals | David Bell | 2 stars: I don’t know if I like how this story handled the subject matter. It had the beginnings of an interesting exploration of trauma and blame.

The Unknowable Pleasures | Susie Yang | 4.5 stars: This one will probably be divisive because of the repulsive behavior of the main character. Yang delivers an intriguing story of obsession that subtly builds. It kind of felt like it pulled back from a confrontation/climax at the last second which left me feeling a bit unsatisfied. But that definitely could have been the intention. I would definitely be interested in seeing this as a full length novel. There is so much potential to play with an unreliable narrator.

Weekend at Bertie’s | ML Rio | 4 stars: I love ML Rio’s writing so, of course, I enjoyed this one. The characters were intriguing and there were some interesting lines towards the end about morality. However, it felt like the story lacked a point.

The Professor of Ontography | Helen Grant | 5 stars: The ending of this story was actually nauseating and so unexpected. A very eery story that would make a fascinating full-length novel told retrospectively.

Phobos | Tori Bovalino | 3.5 stars: An interesting take on the concept of secret societies and inequality in academia. Would have hit me harder as a full-length novel.

Playing | Phoebe Wynne | 2.5 stars: I am honestly indifferent towards this one. It was definitely creepy but heavy-handed and obvious.

This collection didn’t quite live up to expectations for me. When it was touted as dark academia, I went in expecting a certain type of flavor. Some of the stories fit this but all. They do have a common academic theme. The stories are well written, and I liked some more than others.

This ended up being a DNF after the first four short stories. It may be something I come back to at a later date, but I just did not enjoy the stories that I read at all. When I heard this was a dark academia short story collection, I had a MUCH different expectation for it than what I ended up experiencing. Some of the stories didn't even feel dark academia and felt like they belonged in some other type of story collection. I didn't even like the stories I was really looking forward to by authors I've liked before.

'In These Hallowed Halls' is a ya dark academia anthology, that is - as I expected - only partially dark academia. A lot of these stories have characters, that happen to be students or professors, and very few are actually about academics. The stories themselves are fine, I enjoyed some and I skimmed some. 2,5/5 stars.
A very compromised list of the content and my ratings:
1000 Ships - 3/5 - it was alright
Pythia - 2/5 - so much info dump and telling instead of showing
Sabbatical - 2/5 - what
The Hare and the Hound - 4/5 - almost psychological horror
X House - 4/5 - straight forward, but nice atmo
The Ravages - 3/5 - alright
Four Funerals - 4/5 - emotional, but misplaced in here
The Unkowable Pleasures - 3,5/5 - weird and interesting, but too long
Weekend at Bernie's - 3/5 - well written, but pretty plain
The Professor of Ontography - 2,5/5 - alright
Phobos - 3,5/5 - in line of what I expected in here
Playing - 4/5 - interesting narrating voice

1000 Ships: I thought this one was incredibly well written and intriguing, although I found the beginning a little confusing. 4 stars.

Pythia: This was my first introduction to Olivie Blake and now I’m wondering why I haven’t picked up The Atlas Six. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and found myself captivated by the writing. 5 stars.

Sabbatical: Sabbatical was, unfortunately, entirely forgettable and overall uninteresting to me. 1 star.

The Hare and the Hound: I adored Kelly Andrew’s The Whispering Dark and am highly anticipating Your Blood, My Bones, so this short story was the reason I was first interested in this anthology. It did not disappoint. I adore everything about the way Kelly Andrew writes. Her prose and her characters always shine. 5 stars.

X House: This was (I think, if memory serves) the shortest story in the anthology. I wasn’t overly impressed but I also still enjoyed it. 3.5 stars.

The Ravages: I adored this one. It was a revenge story about infidelity, and I usually don’t like infidelity in fiction, but I really loved the way it was explored in this story. 4 stars.

Four Funerals: This was incredibly heart wrenching and poignant, and it isn’t a story I’ll forget any time soon. 5 stars.

The Unknowable Pleasures: I found this one to be a little bit forgettable, and I struggled to really be invested in it. 3 stars.

Weekend at Bertie’s: This is probably one of my favorite stories. Not much really happened (at least from a plot perspective) but I felt like the characters were intriguing. I did find the writing a little confusing at times. 4.5 stars.

The Professor of Ontography: I found this one to be the perfect amount of creepy and intriguing, although I will say it was a little bit too predictable. 4 stars.

Phobos: This one was too dark for my taste, and I ended up skimming a good portion of it because it wasn’t my style. 3 stars.

Playing: Maybe it was just the fact that I read this entire thing in one sitting, but by the time I made it to this story, I was pretty done with reading about funerals. 3 stars.

Overall, I really enjoyed this anthology!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC! All views reflected are my own.

Short story collections are never my favorite but I couldn't resist a full collection of dark academia stories from a variety of authors I know and love. All in all, I was hooked by parts of the stories but overall the collection left me disappointed.

1000 SHIPS: I was immediately hooked and this was a great one to start with but it left me hanging and felt unresolved/unfinished. They noted this was a prequel for her novel so I will be picking that up.

PYTHIA: heavily technology based and written mostly in dialogue. It really missed the mark for me which made me sad because O.Blake can blow me away at times.

THE HARE AND THE HOUND: Fantasy-horror much more than dark academia. Involved an animal-person-incident which creates the whole plot. Interesting concept but it didn't work for me.

SABBATICAL: not memorable.

X HOUSE: mean girls, mean girls; this one was enjoyable but short.

THE RAVAGES: revenge story - enjoyable but a bit over the top - not necessarily what I think of when I'm thinking 'dark academia' but I did appreciate the use of statues and old texts.

FOUR FUNERALS: complicated concept to write on (school shooter).... less dark academia more psychological-horror ?

THE UNKNOWABLE PLEASURES: not memorable.

WEEKEND AT BERTIES: a bit pointless, not dark academia but not a bad story.

THE PROFESSOR OF ONTOGRAPHY: not memorable.

PHOBUS: Really cool concept but overall didn't quite love it.

PLAYING: not memorable.

Pub Date 12 Sep 2023 | Thank you to Titan Books for the gifted copy.

I am usually not a fan of anthologies but I do love dark academia and some of the authors featured in this anthology so I wanted to give it a try - and I don't regret it at all. This may actually be the first anthology I honestly enjoyed reading and more importantly, didn't have to force myself to finish.
All of the stories - and I really mean every one of them - had me hooked after the first few sentences. Of course I enjoyed some a bit more than others but I did like every one, which is rare for anthologies I think. But every story was so weird, sometimes really dark, some felt more academic than others, but every one was really interesting and even though I finished this book weeks ago, I'm still thinking about some of the stories.
I tried choosing a few favorites but I just couldn't because I genuinely liked all of the stories a lot and I just couldn't choose. What I find most fascinating is how memorable all of the stories are. As I said, I finished the book weeks ago but I still remember every story when I look at the titles.
»In These Hallowed Halls« was really a pleasant surprise for me. I hoped that I would like the majority of the stories but I didn't except to be this enamored by the whole anthology.

This anthology should have been for me. Dark Academia? I eat it up, everything about it. However, I fear the definition of "dark academia" was stretched a bit too thin here. Some stories were merely set on campuses. Some seem to merely include someone with an academic decree. My favorite story (in general) was Kelly Andrew's.