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.

Such a great dark academic read, it had great characters and the twists were great, looking forward to reading more by the author.

This was one of my most anticipated reads for this month. Everything about this book breathed my name. The setting, the plot, the cover, the characters. I had my copy pre-ordered for a long time already and then I saw that the book was also available through Netgalley. I didn't hesitate to request my copy and I was insanely thankful that Titan Books granted me a digital review copy. Since I prefer to release reviews shortly before the release date I could finally dive in last week.

There were a lot of things in this book I ended up loving. I was insanely glad that this book didn't just call its students highly intelligent, but allowed them to prove it too. The book was infused with nods towards classic Greek culture. Myths and Legends were mentioned and used as inspiration, philosophers and scientists were quoted and used to figure things out and the author never tries to explain every little detail. You get it or you don't.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the atmosphere of the story. I can't exactly pinpoint why, but it never really felt like I was there. I never really felt the tension and fear. I never really moved to the edge of my seat. Maybe the beginning was a little too slow, with our heroine not really involved in everything, but not really bothered by it either. Maybe the ending was too weird. Maybe the writing just didn't work for me. I just had a hard time feeling much when reading.

Just like I'm not entirely convinced by the plot. There is a lot going on. It's quite bizarre and the more you think about it, it's also quite horrific and gruesome. However, in a way I missed the emotional impact of everything. I guess the writing style of the author simply doesn't fit my reading style. The finale is quite spectacular and action-packed. I'm sure a lot of people are gonna love it. Especially because the characters all get their moment to shine.

I felt a little dissatisfied. I had simply wanted this book to be something it turns out it was not.

I actually loved Unhallowed Halls.
The start of it was very different to the end, in terms of the tone, in my opinion. The first part is very much mysterious because it is essentially Page's journey to figure out what is going on. Whereas the second part, you know what is happening, and it addresses this and goes with it.
I would liked to have explored more of a couple of the characters. But I would 100% read this again and read a sequel or another book in this world.

A brooding slice of dark academia that ruthlessly criss-crosses genre boundaries. After a traumatic incident abruptly severed her connection with her girlfriend and turned her into a pariah, American teen Page is shocked to be offered a scholarship to elite boarding school Agathion College. Tucked away in remote, rural Scotland, Agathion has a reputation for housing “posh fuckups”. Built on a once-sacred, ancient hillside, Agathion seems to have created its own reality. Its pupils are beset by complex rules and arcane rituals: there’s no technology, students must leave personal possessions behind, and even nineteenth-century fiction’s considered too newfangled. Page strives to keep her chequered past a secret but it’s soon clear her teachers and fellow students have their own sinister secrets to protect.

Lili Wilkinson, in an obvious nod to The Secret History, floods her novel with elements taken from Greek mythology and philosophy but adds in copious allusions to Shakespeare and gothic literature from The Mysteries of Udolpho to Northanger Abbey. Although these can be entertaining, the sheer number of references threatens to overwhelm the narrative – and the representation of Greek philosophy can be frustratingly unsophisticated. It also seems increasingly irrelevant, overwritten by aspects of pre-Christian Celtic and pagan belief systems that are instrumental in the transition into fantasy threaded through with strands of cosmic, Lovecraftian horror.

Despite the obvious tropes and mish-mash of influences, I was completely caught up in this, at least until the mystery that dominated the first half was solved. Wilkinson’s cast of characters is pleasingly diverse even if the queer rep could feel a bit superficial at times. There’s some stirring imagery and a wealth of atmospheric, arresting scenes - I particularly enjoyed the startling blend of absurd and grotesque in the banquet episode. But in the second half there’s a disappointing shift in tone and pace. There’s a series of frenzied plot developments and an emphasis on overly detailed, slightly muddled, action sequences. All of which came close to derailing my investment in Page and her fate. All in all, it was still a decent read but it could have been so much more.

Philosophical debates, wrapped up in mysteries with appendages of old magic and a love language of Shakespearean insults.
I loved this book.
From the dark academia aspect of a girl with a troubled past going to a boarding school in the middle of Scotland to the soul-catching talents which emerge within Page there is little left to ask for in this YA novel.
There are definitley a few times which gave me a nostalgic yearning from my time going Philosophy in Uni, one that I welcomed like an old friend.
The plot twists were somewhat predictable in the plot device way however there are some elements that leave you and the characters shocked.
What I loved the most was the natural queerness that lived within Page's world and identity. It did not come as a plot device but a part that was emblazoned on her blazer.

There was one thing that seemed weird though: periods. At the start I wondered if it would be the weirdest plot device and yet it still didn't gain major relevance. Though it was nice for a teenager to have a similar experience to which I experienced growing up. Especially that critique of the weird always adverts which claim that a period is only two table spoons- a thing I feel like an idiot came up with. Yet, apart from this odd detail this book was brilliant.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from #netgalley , thank you. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This was gorgeously gothic! A wonderful example of dark academia- dense but throughly captivating. The story rich in detail but still easy to follow. I absolutely loved the world, the lore and the magic!

I read this with my daughter in law and her eldest daughter. My granddaughter thought that it was a bit like the Harry Potter series in setting and tone but had much more of a real modern feel about the characters and their daily lives. I just enjoyed the tale without analysing it too much !

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

From the publisher: “An American teenager joins an exclusive boarding school hidden deep in the Scottish countryside. New friendships blossom, but not everything is as it appears...

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.”




For anyone liking their Dark Academia (very popular at the moment!), this is a book that should tick all the boxes. An outsider wanting to fit in, a strange isolated place of learning, odd academics, companions of different shades, sorcery, magic and ancient rituals. Not to mention stacks of revered books, mountains of food and copious cups of tea.

Really, though, it’s a story that’s about belonging – or a lack of it. Page desperately wants to find stability and safety in her life, after traumatic events earlier in her life (which are described and explained as the book progresses.) She is an outsider, with no friends, separated from her family and starting a new life in Agathion College.  This does all sound rather unpleasant, although Lili makes Page a likeable enough character, albeit with a dark past, for which Page feels very guilty.

In terms of characterisation, generally they are what you expect – the good guys are good, the bad guys less good. It’s an enigmatic collection of misfits and reprobates, all locked away in an isolated school for students on their last chance (what could possibly go wrong?)

I soon realised that this is a book that has themes and ideas similar to that very-well known series, but given a contemporary makeover. This is something that is for more modern readers, perhaps. This is being marketed as a Young Adult novel, although I found it engaging enough for older readers like myself. Keeping with the times, there is an LBGTQ character, there is a trace of sex and same-sex relationships, but nothing too graphic, there is talk of periods and the sort of confusing feelings that teenagers experience, which should make the book relatable to many readers. It’s not off-putting, but it is partly what makes the book different. I was pleased that such details were not heralded as major issues but allowed to be gently nurtured as the plot progressed – we may finally be reaching a point where such details in novels are seen as just part of the general scheme of things, rather than something odd or unusual.

What surprised me most was the smatterings of Shakespeare quoted throughout and the emphasis on Ancient Roman and Greek philosophers and teachers at the beginning – Plato, Diogenes, Socrates are all mentioned. This raises the book up sharply into a novel that makes you think about wider issues - there’s a good dollop of philosophising debate which may make non-Classics readers want to know more, with lots of philosophical points to muse over there.

About halfway through there’s an intriguing twist, which rather turns the plot on its head. The book moves away from being about making friends and a gentle romantasy to something else more akin to a race against time and the resolution of ancient wrongs. The ending is good, although some throwaway comments at the end about what happens next seemed naïve and took the shine off a little for me.

Nevertheless, Unhallowed Halls is a good read in an increasingly crowded niche of the Fantasy genre, with lots of things regular Dark Academia readers will like (and perhaps expect!) and enough originality to make it stand out. I read it very quickly, as it quickly became an un-putdownable read.

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.