I accessed an ARC via NetGalley, so thank you to the author and publishers for allowing me to read this!

*SPOILER FREE REVIEW*

Summary: this is a dark academia fantasy book about a girl called Page who received a scholarship to what appears to be a boarding school for ‘troubled youths’. However, we find out that not all is as it seems.

What I liked:
- there is a good amount of LGBTQ+ representation, and there is a diverse group of characters
- there were multiple plot twists which were surprising
- the plot is unique, and I don’t think I have ever come across something similar before so it was refreshing to read!

What I would change:
- the first portion of the book can be difficult to remain engaged with
- the main romantic relationship felt a bit rushed at times
- Page can seem very ‘cliche’ at times

Rating: 4/5 stars (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this arc!

I sadly DNFd this book at 26%. It was an easy read but I felt myself getting bored and I didn’t really like page. I don’t think the mystery element was et out really well. The clue being dropped where too literal and then we got what happened out of nowhere. It didn’t sit right with me.

I get that they were their own little clique but then why did Lauren also have other friends?? It doesn’t make sense

As an avid lover of dark academia, magic and all things occult I was ecstatic to get my hands on this book as an arc. It's safe to say I will be following lili for future releases as this was a new favourite from start to finish.

From troubled teens of high intellect, to a mysterious school for them in the Scottish moors with a long mysterious history this book is bound to be a new fave for fans of the academia genre.

I loved this from start to finish, really connecting with our main character feeling out of place and not at home anywhere. Agathion is a new start for her, and a unique mystery in itself with how its teaching follows the words and beliefs of the philosphers. Drawing on Gaelic myth we wind up with a twisted dark academia fantasy full of bloodshed and betrayal, elementals/demons and even a goddess. The historical school of agathion may lie on something much bigger than any of us could anticipate.

From found family, to queer relationships and rep, dysmorphia, and addressing themes such as grief, betrayal and sacrifice this book is deeply emotive. Not only did i love the inclusivity but I thought the harder topics were handled well. Although with topics such as death and violence as well as historic abuse it is vital for readers to check the trigger warnings before delving into this read.

Despite so much tragedy, unity and those you hold dear ultimately succeed - with kindness and sacrifice being the long term messages the reader leaves with.

A teen girl called Page receives a scholarship to an exclusive boarding school set in remote Scotland. The school is built on secrets and has secret societies.
Page has always been an outcasts d has been involved in several magical yet deadly incidents. Wanting a new start Page throws herself into school life. She even befriends a popular group of students. Soon Page learns that everything is not what it seems at the school
It is an atmospheric setting that draws the reader in. The first half of book is stronger and more intriguing. The second part has issues with pacing and some characters needed developing.

I read an eARC of this book on NetGalley so thank you to the author and the publisher.

I’ve read a lot of Dark Academia and books set in British boarding schools. It’s been a while since I found one that stood out and was memorable. Well, I found it with Unhallowed Halls.

This book takes those academic and boarding school elements and then blends them with Greek philosophy and Scottish mythology so beautifully to make something that felt interesting and fun to read.

This manages to be dark but not gratuitous, there is violence but not to an extreme and it was all the better for it. I started reading this and I had no idea I was going to become so totally engrossed with this school and the dark secrets it contains. I was absolutely riveted. I loved the conflict between order and logic against wildness and nature. This was so well done.

We have a troubled teen sent to Scotland from Florida to attend a very specific school after an incident. There she’s told she will learn to control herself. However it’s not long before she finds herself embroiled in a mystery and acquiring a new group of friends she’s not sure she can trust.

This did feel a bit YA at times but never to the book’s detriment and I genuinely enjoyed reading this so much!

I found it hard to connect with the characters and story. I tired a few times to really get to it but sadly just not the book for me.

Lili Wilkinson’s Unhallowed Halls is a captivating dive into the world of dark academia, blending the atmospheric charm of a gothic boarding school with the pulse-quickening intrigue of fantasy and mystery. Set in the isolated, mist-shrouded moors of Scotland, Agathion College is a character in its own right—equal parts sanctuary and sinister, its wood-panelled halls and ancient traditions hiding secrets as deep as its foundations.

Page Whittaker, the novel’s protagonist, is a compelling outcast whose desire for belonging is as relatable as her sharp intellect is. Her fresh start at Agathion, following a traumatic event at her old school in Florida, brings her into the fold of a seemingly tight-knit friend group: Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey, and Oak. Wilkinson does an excellent job of crafting these secondary characters, giving each a distinct personality while weaving in layers of suspicion and intrigue.

As Page begins to uncover the dark roots of Agathion—an ancient society tied to demonic magic—Wilkinson’s storytelling shines. The novel balances slow-burn tension with thrilling revelations, pulling readers into a web of mystery that feels both timeless and uniquely modern. The "no-tech" rule at Agathion adds to the timelessness, immersing readers in the classical world of Latin and Greek while reinforcing the school’s eerie disconnect from the outside world.

The prose is richly atmospheric, evoking the chill of the moors and the claustrophobic charm of Agathion’s candlelit halls. Themes of identity, trust, and ambition are skillfully woven into the narrative, elevating it beyond a typical fantasy mystery.

Unhallowed Halls are perfect for fans of dark academia who crave a mix of gothic settings, morally complex characters, and a hint of the supernatural. Lili Wilkinson has crafted a story that’s as intellectually stimulating as it is thrilling, with twists that keep readers guessing and an ending that lingers long after the final page.

Read more at The Secret Book Review,

This is a dark academia set in Scotland, I thought some of the relationship building was very set-piece and forced but I did like that the plot twists were absolutely not predictable based on other dark academia at all.

Thanks for the arc!

Body-swapping dark academia mystery perfect for young readers looking for a boarding school full of mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC

The book followed an American girl who had to transfer schools. This is because she was involved in a serious incident, at her old school, where it ended her friendship with her only friend, Cassidy. The outcast needed a fresh start. She happened to receive a scholarship offer from a college all the way in Scotland. The Agathion College. An elite (boarding) college, where the riches sent their troubled children. However, there's more to Agathion with its dark roots, and its ancient clandestine society...

One thing that struck out to me was how Scotland was being romanticised. Don't get me wrong, Scotland is beautiful, but the description of it throughout the book was a little too unnatural. Like how tourists would describe it. It's not bad but it gets tiring. Also, people from Scotland are Scottish not British. But at the beginning, the girls on the train described as British. Although it wasn't specified where exactly they were when Page encountered them on the train. Maybe the girls were British travelling to Scotland.

The thing that made me DNF the book was how the characters were written.

First off, the main character, Page. She tried too hard to be the dark academia girly. It's like she got a description of Dark Academia, and made herself fit into it. Dusty books, cup of teas, and kept calling books 'literature'. Her calling books literatures bugged me. It was giving 'I'm not like the other girls'. There were other parts too. The author really wanted us to know that Page was an intellectual and sensitive girl. It felt forceful because all this happened within 10% of the book.

This book was written from Page's POV, and it didn't work well. It made her description of people immature and cringe. For example, she described Cyrus, as absurdly handsome, perfectly made human. Right size and shape...I'm not exaggerating, that was how Page described him.

Then there was the most beautiful girl Page had ever seen...who sat at a table of girls who were beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as the girl was. ..

The kicker was when Page described Oak. He looked like a creature from another world. A fairy prince or a trickster crow in human form...Then she said something similar not that much later in the book, and again. Also, I hate the way Oak was written too. He was that carefree dude who stole big books from the library. He was so insensitive, and made Page cried yet she still followed him for a tour. Strange.

I was excited to read this book when I read the synopsis. Even if I didn't get approved, I would have purchased it. However, after reading this ARC, this book turned out to be a major disappointment. I tried my hardest to read more, but the descriptions of the characters were too repetitive and cringey. It was tough to read. Unfortunately I had to DNF the book at 12%.

This dark academic was an easy read. A book you can devour in one sitting. I think young adults would eat this up and I would also read from this author again.

Well, this book certainly puts the dark in dark academia!

Agathion is such a dark and twisted place, full of hurt and half-truths, dark secrets and secret societies. It serves as the perfect backdrop for what is essentially a coming of age story (with a sprinkling of magic, demons and sacrifices involved!)

Centring around Page (or piglet) and her found family of misfits, there were twists and turns a plenty, and each one kept you on the back foot. A beautiful and satisfying ending - sometimes living your life for you is the best revenge you can get.

I wish that the magic system had been developed slightly more, as we only ever caught glimpses and half-explanations of it. The soul candles, and the ability to (albeit briefly) hold the spirit of a goddess in your hands were beautifully described.

(Full review on external sites held until February at the request of the publisher)

I was approved for Unhallowed halls on Netgalley, thank you! My opinions are my own.

Firstly, I want to say that reading a book where the main character not only mentions her period but how utterly crap it actually is was so refreshing! It’s nice to see things like this book and The Last of Us actually acknowledging the extra layers of difficulty that having a period in life or death situations can add.

It did seem like the main character could have endometriosis by the levels of pain she has (and I also want Oak’s tea SO BADLY) and if so, it would have been nice to see some representation for that too, but it’s not a major issue.

I also really liked how the trans rep was added and handled, not everyone was perfect with how they interacted with them, but everything was considerate and realistic. Very well done.

The one reason this book is not quite perfect for me was simply the beginning - it was a little hard to get into and honestly felt a bit “trying too hard” to be atmospheric and deep, but this settled as soon as we got into the plot and dialogue more, so that slowness didn’t last long.

I don’t know also if this was just me reading some similar books, but I did manage to guess the major conflict plot twist early on. This didn’t lower my enjoyment of Unhallowed Halls however because I also felt like the main character knew a bit more than she was willing to admit and was questioning everything also. It didn’t feel like I was reading about an oblivious girl just floating her way through life and death situations, she was just in denial about how bad everything actually was.

This questioning and cynicism also helped me believe that this girl could potentially save everyone, it’s hard to believe that someone so blind and ignorant can solve problems and save lives, but in this scenario it was built up to be very much believable.

But aside from the little details I liked or found frustrating, overall this book was a really enjoyable read with great drama and stakes that kept me guessing all the way through. I would recommend this book to all of my friends!

I enjoyed this book, it has an intriguing story and Paige seems to be the key to a mystery after being sent to Scotland from America where a tragedy occurred. Here she makes friends but all is not what it seems, why are people disappearing, why are students kept until they “graduate”, whether it takes months or years???

Supernatural, mystery, this book has it all

I’m grateful I was able to read this early, I enjoyed reading this.

This story mixes dark academia with fantasy using greek mythology, witchcraft and so much more. I thoroughly loved the queer and LGBTQIA+ representation included.

This story had so many layers and I liked our FMC even if I wish she had been a little more pushy with her questions at some points. This had some twists, betrayal, romance and found family elements that really brought the story together.

Happily rating 3.75 - 4.0 stars.

My rating is 3.5 stars
After a tragic incident at her school, our FMC accepts an offer to an exclusive boarding school where she finds dark secrets and ties to ancient society. I really like the premise and the dark academia vibes but this reads more towards the younger side of YA and may not be for older readers.
I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere but kind of lost me in the last third of the book. I was left wanting more.

A great read for MG/YA fans! Great characters, mystery and fantasy combined with its wonderfully gothic and atmospheric setting make this the perfect book to cosy up with this autumn/winter.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC

I've been struggling with what to rate this book as I've got a lot of mixed feelings about it.
I really like the premise, I think it's really enticing, and the atmosphere is really rich. I genuinely would have eaten this up 10 years ago.
However, I'm 24, and my degree was in history (particularly greek/roman history and myth) and philosophy. And the aspects of philosophy that this book drew on just felt underdeveloped and I feel like they could have been explored a little bit more to help the reader understand what was going on. It also really irked me that near the beginning it mentions the myth of Arachne and blaming it on Hera, when Athena was the goddess involved in that particular myth. I recognise it's a really tiny thing to pick up on, but it just made the book feel like there was a lack of research behind it.
I really liked the dark academia element, and I think the characters were interesting. Page really annoyed me, and she felt rather undeveloped throughout the book. She was constantly whinging about believing everyone else thought they were better than her - even when characters were being fairly nice to her all things considering - and I feel like she felt she was better than everyone. She never really gets out of this mind frame, and it becomes really irritating once we hit the 50% mark. Similarly, the character's main weakness is the desire to belong, and I understand how much rejection hurts, but the hissy fit Page threw when characters she had know for like 3 weeks ditched class without her just felt so entitled.
I will admit, I liked the inclusion of such a diverse range of characters, particularly making them LGBTQ+ and making it relevant to the story was so important to me. Often characters can feel forced in to say a story is inclusive, but this one didn't feel forced, it was an aspect I really liked.
I also will admit I was kicking and giggling like a kid when Page and Oak had their little moments - one moment in particular but I don't want to give any spoilers. I also like they just stuck to the word "like" rather than rushing into any feelings of "love" as again, this book took place over 6 weeks and I would have been beyond mad if they had confessions of love that early.

I think the plot sorta fell apart towards the end and I'll be honest, the only thing that kept me reading was being beyond the 75% mark and not wanting to DNF it.
I would definitely recommend this to a younger reader of YA. But I'm not sure if older readers would enjoy it