Dark academia meets magical realism in Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson, a gothic and immersive tale of secrets, suspicion, and ancient forces. The tension is expertly handled; something always feels off, but the truth unravels gradually. I particularly loved that Cellianth, the Gaelic goddess, was seamlessly woven into the story, adding a mythic weight to the unfolding mystery.

The school setting is a highlight: richly detailed, atmospheric, and haunting, with the moor beyond adding to the eerie isolation. Recurring sensory details, especially scents, make it feel immersive. The characters are engaging, with solid LGBTQ+ representation and a protagonist, Page, whose endometriosis is realistically portrayed as part of her life rather than a token detail. However, I wished for more depth in the character backstories and motivations.

The pacing works well, shifting between unease and action. The action sequences, in particular, balance tension and emotion, keeping the stakes high. While I wanted more from the characters, the atmosphere, world-building, and mythological elements made this a compelling read.

American teen Page joins Scottish boarding school Agathian College following events at her last school. She tries to make friends and feels drawn to a group in particular, and yet they appear to be hiding something from her.

This feel like a book of two parts, a dark academic novel heavy in atmosphere, with its setting and language, and then the story delves into a magical ethereal narrative which explores both human psyche and otherworldly elements.

I adore the cloaks, candles and standing stones. At times there's a little more written than the reader needs, some ambiguity is always nice in dark academia and this story describes a lot, however a great plot, interesting characters and twists and turns supreme make for an immersive read. Best read in autumn, in the Highlands, if you can..

This was the best kind of dark academia. I loved the school as much as Page did and the secrets it hid were thrilling and just so dark and riveting. I sped through this and just ate up every single page.

I loved how on the surface the school was all about Greek philosophy but under the surface was Scottish Mythology seemingly into the very core of the school. The ending was perfect, tying this all together.

It was also really easy to read. Even though they were talking about Greek philosophers that I haven’t read much about some of the time, it didn’t get bogged down in that. There would be a be a conversation about Plato or something from Greek myth and then it would move on.

Honestly I wish I could go back and read this all over again straight from the start, 10/10

In Unhallowed Halls we join Page who starts at Agathion College - an elite boarding school. She's so excited to start and is hoping this will be a new start for her.
However shortly after she starts, Page realises her friends are keeping secrets and there is much more to this college than she realised.

I was so excited to read this but I really struggled to get through this in the end unfortunately. The premise was fine but I just felt it was quite slow-paced and I got frustrated. Will definitely suit those who are happy for a slow descriptive build. Full of mystery, secrets and drama - I cannot fault the story line really. Just wasn't for me I'm afraid.

I enjoyed the start of this book but then felt it lost its way, and I didn't really enjoy it after that. I never really liked any of the characters, either, and was pleased to get to the end.

Really enjoyed the beginning of this book, however did feel it lost its way as it went on. However the author did amazing with setting up the story and the atmosphere just a shame it lacked a little something within the story.

Not sure how to describe this book.
It certainly makes your head buzz there is so much going on. I liked the fact it was set on Rannoch Moor and it did capture the eerie bleakness and beauty.
However it was really strange in parts and pretty gruesome at times.
Paige is likeable she just wants to belong somewhere. Ren, Gideon and Oak had their own concerns but on the whole were okay. In the end so was Lacey.
Parts of the book did seem farfetched and bizarre it was sometimes a bit hard to follow.
I did like the myths and legends.
It was certainly different and you were never sure who could be trusted.
It wasn't really my kind of book however and I don't think I would read the next if there is one.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher.

To simply put it, I think this book has changed something inside me.

Page has never felt like she belong everywhere. When an incident happened at her old school, she needed to escape. A scholarship offer came from an elite boarding school in Scotland, Agathion, which boasts its education for the elite and rich. She took it and finally feel like she belong somewhere. But the dark secrets loom around her and she can feel it. The people there are not who they say they were. The friends she made might be keeping secrets from her and she needed to know what it is. Why is she, an ordinary girl from Florida got invited there with a full scholarship when it is very clear that the students that go there had to pay an extreme amount of money to be there?

This book was very slow at the beginning as I think most of fantasy books are, as it sets the scene in which the story is set in. However, from like about 30% into the book, I literally can’t put it down. It absorbs you into their world and you feel like you’re there in that boarding school also trying to figure out what the heck is actually going on?! The way the author describes every single detail gives me a vivid imagery of Agathion and its surroundings. I LOVE the way this is written!

Page is a character that you can help but feel sympathetic towards. She has been through so many things and I think I really respect her for her bravery. All of the characters in this book are each so unique in their own ways. The way she got a group of friends, it feels so much like a found family by the end of the book and I absolutely love it! Cyrus, Oak, Lacey, Ren, and Gideon, all has their own personal issues and tribulations but the way they lean on each other 🥹 I love them so much

This book made me FEEL so much in the last few chapters of the book, I think it taught me a lot of things that I though I already knew but know this: life is so so fragile and it can be taken away from you in a split second, so while you’re here, make the most of it being present and just LIVE 🥹 

Overall, I absolutely URGE you to read this book!!! I think I’ve been blessed this year by the bookish gods (and goddesses) because I have been reading REALLY amazing books this year!!

I really enjoyed Catch Your Death and This Book Kills so I was excited when I learnt that Guron had a new book coming out. Mondays are Murder is a pacy and twisty YA thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I will say some readers who are well versed in YA, New Adult or general thrillers may get a few guesses right but I doubt all the loose ends can be guessed before the big reveal.

What I do like about Guron is how their characters are realistic. Whether you like all of them or not you will at least get dragged in to their lives. I also think there is a nice mix of characters with their own motives and reasons for doing what they do. I don’t personally think, within the genre, it’s farfetched at any point though.

This was a really good read and I think it has serious re-read potential. If you have enjoyed Guron’s previous books like me you will love this one.

As always thank you to Usborne for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

American teenager, Paige Whittaker, receives a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school in the Scottish countryside. However, Agathion College isn’t what it seems; a boarding school for rich, trouble teens - which teaches Greek philosophy and how to use the mind to over come adversity.

The descriptions in this book are wonderful- so rich that I felt like I was part of the student body. The characters felt so realistic, their conversations natural and nothing felt forced.

I liked that this book wasn’t predictable- I had no idea what direction the story was going in and really enjoyed the themes that Wilkinson explored. When I had to put the book down (because, life!!) I was always looking forward to picking it back up to find out what happens next.

Read this book for:

🎓Dark Academia
🇬🇷 Greek philosophy
✝️Secret Societies
🕯️paranormal elements
👥LGBTQ representation
💬Rich descriptions
👹Demons

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark academia novel with a touch of demonic possession, witchcraft and cosmic horror thrown in. There’s a great cast of characters and Agathion feels like an additional character itself with its mysterious and ancient past. There was a mix of influences and genres within the story and I personally enjoyed them, such as the mash-up of ancient Greek philosophy and Shakespeare quotes. I would’ve liked the book to be a bit longer to give more of a history of things that I won’t say as I don’t want to spoil the story. Without the fleshing out of the back stories, delving deeper into side characters, this feels like a little sister/cousin to The Secret History and would be perfect for younger readers just getting into dark academia, as well as existing fans of the genre who want something less heavy.

3/3.5 🌟

Spoilerish!

This was a really interesting and at some times creepy read! I enjoyed pretty much the whole story, I don’t think I would read it again purely because it was just too long! It could’ve been a lot shorter and a lot more interesting.

Agathion was just all in all a bit weird especially how none of the student questioned a lot of what went on there - I just feel like a lot of it I would’ve been asking everyone what the fuck?! 😂 I enjoyed the ending and that it sort of was a circle back to the beginning but obviously with a lot of consequences 😂

This did keep me guessing and I had no idea it would end up where it did, if you are looking for dark academia & a mystery this would be right up your street!

ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀʀᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ
ʙᴏᴏᴋs ᴀʀᴇ sᴀғᴇ

Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six with a ya target

[Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. When she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.
Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. For the first time in her life, Page has almost managed to make a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls—the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.
It seems Page’s perfect new school has dark roots—roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society. Page quickly learns that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are.
Least of all her new friends.]

If you are a fan of mystery and dark academia this is your book.
Page just transferred to an elite new school. Where nothing is what it seems. She promised herself not to make any new friends that she’s here just to study.
But the more time she spends there the more she spend time with her new friends and the mystery she wants to discover together with them.

Such a good story and perfect for a ya target for an easy story with friendship and found family as main theme of the book.

3.5 stars
Unhallowed Halls is a dark and interesting story full of intrigue and dark academia elements. I'm a sucker for a story centered around a mysterious boarding school and this one doesn't disappoint in that, with secrets, archaic traditions and rituals at its core.

Page finds herself in this new environment after being offered a scholarship and her whole world changes. There is no technology allowed, nearly every other student is rich and sent there for behavioural issues and the curriculum focuses on Greek Mythology and philosophy. I think Page was written really well and found her to be a complex character who just wanted to belong despite her past and it was nice watching her learn more about herself. I also loved the representation of endometriosis in this as it's so rare to find this in books of this genre.

I will admit that past the half way mark the book started to become a bit too fantastical and supernatural considering how the book started and I almost felt ike I was almost reading a separate book entirely. However, I do feel like this might just be me and in the end I did end up enjoy this story and the premise of it all.

Unhallowed Halls is a well paced and atmospheric YA dark academia/fantasy, which is perfect for those who are new to the genre. I do recommend checking the trigger warnings however before starting!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was everything I could hope to want from a dark academia story. The setting was richly described and because a real living breathing part of the story. Page was such an interesting character to follow through this narrative and I loved how she came into herself the more she understood what she was capable of. Once this book passed the halfway mark it truly became the wildest of rollercoasters with twists and turns that I couldn’t predict and kept me so hooked that I stayed up late into the night to find out how all the pieces came together. A thoroughly enjoyable story.

3.5 ⭐️
ive got mixed feelings about this mainly because the story did not make any sense to me whatsoever 😭
i don't really understand the whole thing about connecting with your body and body swap thing...like what was the reason for that?
i loved the characters and it was written so well but i hate how rude oak was at the start, i felt like that was uncalled for and weird.
i also loved the dark academia feel and period/endo representation! the plot was quite funky and all over the place but whatever i guess 🤷‍♀️
overall, this wasn't exactly amazing but still enjoyable if you're looking for weird book vibes!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!!

I don’t actually know how I feel about this beyond - I enjoyed it a lot. I loved the characters and the plot and that little bonus content at the end?? MWAH.

Thank you for letting me read this

Page has a mysterious power that doesn't let her become closer to people. After an accident at her high school in Florida, she finds a school in Scotland that caters to philosophy and she thinks it's the best place for someone like her. However, the place has weird vibes. There is something going on that calls to her, but no one seems to give her any answers, not even the most popular students in the school, whom she gets close to. But Page is not giving up finding the truth, whether her new friends let her in in their circle or not. It's a mystery that spans centuries, and involves human sacrifices. And it will be only through the Scottish legends and her own power that Page will be able to survive and protect the people she has started to consider friends.

While I liked the setting of the novel, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing, so I wasn't able to immerse myself in the story. It's dark academia, with a little bit of romance in it.

I feel like I’ve been rather burnt out by ‘academy’ stories recently. There seems to be so many, and they all end up being sappy and romantic in a way that I’m absolutely certain life at boarding school is not.

Fortunately our narrator Page is so likeable that I found myself a fair way into this book before the… let’s say Strange and Unrealistic aspects really made themselves felt.

‘Unhallowed Halls’ is a clever, thoughtful and beautiful story of a ‘gifted’ girl (but not in the way you think) growing up. Yes, this is very ‘Young Adult’ - and I did get frustrated as a Mature Adult watching these youngsters make mistakes on their adventure! - but Page is someone I’d genuinely want to help, to befriend and to share her journey with.

I saw my younger self in her, often the New Kid at school and being thought weird for taking time among the trees and green spaces rather than behind the bike sheds.

The language here is particularly remarkable. This book has deep Pagan roots and the author has done her homework. The tactile nature of everything leaps from the pages, with the scents of heather and rosemary, the experience of tea and scones, the cold atmosphere of an ancient tower.

The contrast between the wonderful wildness versus the pretentious philosophising of the faculty is appropriately frustrating and amusing. These adults seem eons away from understanding their young charges, and as the reason for this becomes apparent, I was rooting for our heroes even more.

The magic that slowly reveals itself is accurate to that of modern Paganism, and I had to laugh at the jabs towards how ‘fluffy’ that can be - because this is a thoroughly 21st Century tale, as the protagonists deal with weighty issues of gender and self, found family, loss and personal truth. None of this is heavy-handed; in fact, Lili’s touch can be both gentle or furious as needed. Anger is valid but so is grief, and the concluding themes of friendship, love and hope actually made me tear up a bit.

Perhaps my only nitpick is that from the halfway point or so, this becomes a rollercoaster. I didn’t realize we’d been on the slow uphill climb, but after a Big Reveal, we get so many ups and downs that it felt like the end of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ movies! Surely it should be ending now… nope, still more miracles to work and baddies to defeat! Not a huge problem, but with the villains being rather moustache-twirly Eeeeeevil, I didn’t want Page to become a ‘Mary Sue’-type heroine, nor the plot to descend into a sappy Superfriends scenario. Fortunately it does not (phew!). And the epilogue is the perfect cherry on the cake.

It was an absolute pleasure to walk the Unhallowed Halls. I’m looking forward to dipping into this author’s back catalogue, as well as seeing what she does next.

Unhallowed Halls is everything you want in a dark academia story—mysterious, eerie, and packed with supernatural suspense. From the very first page, I was hooked by all the twists and turns, and the atmosphere was so immersive that I felt like I was right there with the characters. If you love taking your time to really settle into a world and uncover its rules alongside the protagonist, this book will definitely pull you in.
The worldbuilding is rich and unique, blending Greek philosophy with Scottish mythology in a way that feels both familiar and fresh. I was especially drawn to the mix of goddesses and demons. The pacing is great too as things build up nicely and the mystery of the school and its students will keep you guessing, eager for answers. The side characters, with their found-family bond, were such a highlight for me. I loved following Page’s journey as she uncovered why she was even admitted to the academy in the first place.
The book really nails that gothic dark academia vibe, with misty moors, ancient stone circles, quirky rituals, and secrets hiding around every corner. It’s a beautiful mix of magic, folklore, and mystery, making for an unforgettable experience.