If We Were Villians, by M. L. Rio

 The best Dark Academia books seem to have one more thing in common I wasn't expecting - a cast of completely unlikable characters.
In this book, they are at least interesting, and the Shakespeare gave it more depth than a certain other DA novel it's been compared to. I really didn't have this one figured out, and I did end up feeling compassion for the lead character in the end. A solid and entertaining read.

pub. 2017

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, by V.E. Schwab

 Sexy, broken, emotional, and emotionless.
If you thought the world did not need another vampire story, you were absolutely wrong.
V.E. Schwab has created characters so complex, yet so relatable, they make you believe they are real.
Three women connected over many centuries, their stories at once tragic and courageous, innocent and evil.
I could not stop reading this book until it was done, and I craved more. I spent the better part of an afternoon at work to finish it. V.E. Schwab is one of my favorite authors, and this is absolutely one of her best.

Expected publication June 10, 2025
Thanks to the publisher, Tor, and Netgalley for the ARC version of this book.