Dark academia fans are in for a treat this January as The Secret History meets Saltburn in this sultry and mysterious debut set in the hallowed halls of Cambridge. Bryn Cavendish is a magnetic party boy who has everyone under his spell including our unnamed narrator who has arrived at this posh university as a fish-out-of-water from a quiet Northern town. Bryn’s friendship promises a new way of life, one lived in the limelight of charisma, enchantment and wealth in abundance but as the magic tricks performed by Bryn grow darker and more ominous, so does their friendship. What follows is a tale of obsessive and toxic friendship that unravels with a sense of danger that oozes from the page. Kate van der Borgh has managed to write herself expertly into the canon of dark academia fiction that is perenially popular. With gorgeous prose that hooks you from the first page, this is not one to be missed.
Reviewed by Abi.
Published on 30/01/25 by HarperCollins
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