Ellis, a hotshot novelist, transfers to Dalloway to work on a new book about the Dalloway Five. In the 18th century, five Dalloway girls died in terrible circumstances, and many believe they were murdered for being witches. Ellis embeds herself in the legends, and that includes Felicity, who spent months researching the women and the accusations of witchcraft. Felicity is drawn to Ellis, and Ellis in turn tries to help her new friend confront her trauma instead of burying it. The closer the two girls get and the more intimate their relationship becomes, the more Felicity begins to believe she’s being tormented by Alex’s malevolent spirit. Bumps in the night, figures cloaked in shadows, impossible notes left in books…is Felicity being haunted by a ghost or her own guilt? Or is something—or someone—else to blame? A Lesson in Vengeance is dark and mysterious, equal parts intense and haunting. It is a tale to read if you want to have your mind thoroughly blown through clever writing and characters. I cannot recommend this book enough if you fancy some lesbianism alongside your dark academia and murder mysteries. Victoria Lee grew up in Durham, North Carolina, where she spent her childhood writing ghost stories and fantasizing about attending boarding school. She has a Ph.D. in psychology, which she uses to overanalyze fictional characters and also herself. Lee is the author of A Lesson in Vengeance as well as The Fever King and its sequel, The Electric Heir. She lives in New York City with her partner, cat, and malevolent dog. In July 2021, Titan Publishing Group brought the UK and Commonwealth rights for the book. [3] Themes [ edit ]

trigger/content warnings: death, violence, manipulation and emotional abuse, child neglect (past/offscreen), mental health issues (specifically psychotic depression), substance abuse, suicide references (no actual suicide), references to racist history. I’ve never been able to do that. Even after ages staring at myself in the mirror, I’ve only ever been able to muster a constipated sort of grimace.” NOTE: a criticism this book has gotten is that it misrepresents psychotic depression. I have no idea if the people who are talking about it have any experience with having psychotic depression, but I just want to bring my perspective. As I mentioned, I previously reviewed this book before it was published. My review wasn’t exactly kind, I tend to be extremely frank and I won’t apologize for this or attempt to police my tone.

Felicity was once drawn to the dark legacy of witchcraft. She's determined to leave that behind her now; but it's hard when Dalloway's occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won't let her forget it. Ellis is something new, and it feels like she creates and unravels me in the same moment, a sentence she writes and erases and rewrites, a product of her wants and imagination. I feel like she invented me. I wonder if she feels the same.” But bitch felt like a harsh word to apply to a girl who was fighting so hard to make space for herself in a world that didn’t want her.” With queer primary characters, an irresistible gothic atmosphere, and unrelenting creeping dread, this propulsive work of dark academia is both thrilling and thought-provoking."— Publishers Weekly, starred review

Witchcraft is woven into Dalloway’s history. The school doesn’t talk about it, but the students do. In secret rooms and shadowy corners, girls convene. And before her girlfriend died, Felicity was drawn to the dark. She’s determined to leave that behind her now; all Felicity wants is to focus on her senior thesis and graduate. But it’s hard when Dalloway’s occult history is everywhere. And when the new girl won’t let her forget. I've dealt with psychotic depression from ages twelve to fifteen. It was the darkest time of my life because I thought I was just... wrong. I thought I was crazy and that there was something incredibly wrong with me, especially because I'd never heard of people outside of my psychiatrist talk about it.

Credits

Fantasy drama series. Darkness steals into the very heart of Camelot as Morgana and her puppet queen hatch a sinister plan to murder the king. More Just so,” Ellis interjects. “As Astell said herself: It were well if we could look into the very Soul of the beloved Person, to discover what resemblance it bears to our own.”

The memory lances through me like a thrown dart. It’s unexpected enough to steal my breath away, and for a moment I’m standing there dizzy in my own doorway as the house tilts and spins.Two scenes: one happens in the woods, and one happens in a graveyard. I think those are the scenes I spent the most time mulling over pre-writing (and devoted the most playlist songs to). They’re also the most Aesthetic (with a capital-A). Once upon a time I found it so easy to forget the stories about Godwin House and the five Dalloway witches who lived here three hundred years ago, their blood in our dirt, their bones banging from our trees." Ron Rash is renowned for his writing about Appalachia, but his latest book, The Caretaker, begins ... A Lesson in Vengeanceis at once dark and mesmerizing, with spine-tingling suspense and mind-bending twists. I loved it.” — Kara Thomas, author of The Cheerleaders and That Weekend