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The Library at Hellebore
A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six who are hungry for something a little more diabolical.
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.
Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled.
But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.
Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.
Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled.
But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.
Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?
268 pages, Hardcover
First published July 22, 2025
779 people are currently reading
32587 people want to read
About the author
Cassandra Khaw
126 books2,966 followersCassandra Khaw is an award-winning game writer.
Their recent novella Nothing but Blackened Teeth was a British
Fantasy, World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, and Bram Stoker
Award finalist. Their debut collection Breakable Things is now
out.
Their recent novella Nothing but Blackened Teeth was a British
Fantasy, World Fantasy, Shirley Jackson, and Bram Stoker
Award finalist. Their debut collection Breakable Things is now
out.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,733 reviews
November 18, 2025
One of the best books I've read all year, by a mile.
Video review here
The Library at Hellebore is exactly what I've come to expect from Khaw at their absolute best. Gruesome and gory and containing so much heart that it hurts.
What does it mean to be a monster? Ostensibly this is a story of 8 disparate people - the only [currently] surviving victims of an ongoing massacre - barricaded in a library at their academy for monsters, but what it comes back to again and again is the concept of monstrosity itself. And particularly, I think, of women made monstrous by the monstrous things men do to them. Is there a difference between the two? The one who becomes a Monster to survive and the one who simply is, at their very core, a Monster because they enjoy the power it allows them to wield against others? Where lies the difference in seeing yourself as a monster vs being seen as a monster, and is there a point where the distinction becomes meaningless and seeing oneself as monstrous pushes them to act to be seen as a monster? (I promise I'm going to stop saying "monster" now) At Hellebore, they're all in the same category and quite literally, physically, in the same space, whether they want to be or not.
There's something to be said for the fact that we see in real life the extreme ends of this, how women who kill or even just threaten their abusers end up in the prisons that should have held the men who brutalized them. For what its worth, "... approximately 23% of women
incarcerated for homicide in California are serving time
for a crime directly linked to their experience of intimate
partner violence."*
I could go on about this for hours (and I did in this podcast episode) but I'll leave it off there for now. It was such a compelling point through the whole book that I find myself still thinking on it all these weeks later.
(I'm writing this review a whole month+ after having read the book and yeah, this is still rattling around my brain all the time)
As a rare Five Star read for me, there's also just generally a lot to love here. It's certainly not new information that I adore Cassandra Khaw's work, but my previous experiences were with their novellas and they have such a distinct writing style that works incredibly well in that shorter format that I was curious how it would translate to a longer novel.
The answer is that it's great. While not quite as intense as their prose in novellas like Nothing But Blackened Teeth or The Salt Grows Heavy, The Library at Hellebore still holds to their distinct voice and cadence that I love so much.
(I had to stop and look up no less than five words while I was reading this, and I'd expect nothing less.)
Structurally, I think this is perfect. A three day countdown structure interspersed with flashbacks that come at exactly the right moments to flesh out the world you're unceremoniously thrown into at the start. Khaw doles out the information you need exactly when you need it, and occasionally when it will deal the most psychological damage (complimentary).
And of course, at the heart of it all is an incredibly strong cast. I think it can be difficult to balance building a cast like this one where every person involved is, in another world, the main character of their own equally gruesome horror story, but Khaw gives you just as much as you need from them at any given time. Just enough to whet your appetite for them and still leave you hungry for more, but not unsatisfied.
I've had such a feeling of apathy in media this year (for reasons that are apparent from the *gestures at the general everything about everything*) and The Library at Hellebore ripped right through all that and grabbed me by the throat from the first pages.
*GREAT WEIGHT: A Review of California Board of Parole Hearing Transcripts to Assess Frequency and Consideration of Intimate Partner Violence among Women Convicted of Homicide Offenses (Stanford Law School)
Video review here
The Library at Hellebore is exactly what I've come to expect from Khaw at their absolute best. Gruesome and gory and containing so much heart that it hurts.
What does it mean to be a monster? Ostensibly this is a story of 8 disparate people - the only [currently] surviving victims of an ongoing massacre - barricaded in a library at their academy for monsters, but what it comes back to again and again is the concept of monstrosity itself. And particularly, I think, of women made monstrous by the monstrous things men do to them. Is there a difference between the two? The one who becomes a Monster to survive and the one who simply is, at their very core, a Monster because they enjoy the power it allows them to wield against others? Where lies the difference in seeing yourself as a monster vs being seen as a monster, and is there a point where the distinction becomes meaningless and seeing oneself as monstrous pushes them to act to be seen as a monster? (I promise I'm going to stop saying "monster" now) At Hellebore, they're all in the same category and quite literally, physically, in the same space, whether they want to be or not.
There's something to be said for the fact that we see in real life the extreme ends of this, how women who kill or even just threaten their abusers end up in the prisons that should have held the men who brutalized them. For what its worth, "... approximately 23% of women
incarcerated for homicide in California are serving time
for a crime directly linked to their experience of intimate
partner violence."*
I could go on about this for hours (and I did in this podcast episode) but I'll leave it off there for now. It was such a compelling point through the whole book that I find myself still thinking on it all these weeks later.
(I'm writing this review a whole month+ after having read the book and yeah, this is still rattling around my brain all the time)
As a rare Five Star read for me, there's also just generally a lot to love here. It's certainly not new information that I adore Cassandra Khaw's work, but my previous experiences were with their novellas and they have such a distinct writing style that works incredibly well in that shorter format that I was curious how it would translate to a longer novel.
The answer is that it's great. While not quite as intense as their prose in novellas like Nothing But Blackened Teeth or The Salt Grows Heavy, The Library at Hellebore still holds to their distinct voice and cadence that I love so much.
(I had to stop and look up no less than five words while I was reading this, and I'd expect nothing less.)
Structurally, I think this is perfect. A three day countdown structure interspersed with flashbacks that come at exactly the right moments to flesh out the world you're unceremoniously thrown into at the start. Khaw doles out the information you need exactly when you need it, and occasionally when it will deal the most psychological damage (complimentary).
And of course, at the heart of it all is an incredibly strong cast. I think it can be difficult to balance building a cast like this one where every person involved is, in another world, the main character of their own equally gruesome horror story, but Khaw gives you just as much as you need from them at any given time. Just enough to whet your appetite for them and still leave you hungry for more, but not unsatisfied.
I've had such a feeling of apathy in media this year (for reasons that are apparent from the *gestures at the general everything about everything*) and The Library at Hellebore ripped right through all that and grabbed me by the throat from the first pages.
*GREAT WEIGHT: A Review of California Board of Parole Hearing Transcripts to Assess Frequency and Consideration of Intimate Partner Violence among Women Convicted of Homicide Offenses (Stanford Law School)
August 3, 2025
Whenever the words "for fans of A Deadly Education" are used to describe something I immediately materialize out of thin air, so here I am. And the comparison really does check out in my opinion. But if you thought that the Scholomance was the worst nightmare school, then you clearly haven't heard of the Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted yet. Yes, every single one of the students may be able to cause the apocalypse, but is it really the best solution to trap them in a school where the teachers want to eat them and where murder isn't frowned upon? There's horror from page one, and I mean the intestines-hanging-from-the-ceiling kind, and the magic is so freaky, it weirded me out the entire time. (I loved it.)
I feel the need to give other recommendations based on this book, because the unhinged-gory-dark-academia-adjacent genre feels a bit underrepresented to me. If you liked this book, you may also develop an unhealthy obsession while reading:
- the whole Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
- That Devil, Ambition by Linsey Miller
- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
- the Chainsaw Man manga series for some reason (*finger guns*)
Damn, such a short list. I NEED MORE.
I feel the need to give other recommendations based on this book, because the unhinged-gory-dark-academia-adjacent genre feels a bit underrepresented to me. If you liked this book, you may also develop an unhealthy obsession while reading:
- the whole Scholomance series by Naomi Novik
- That Devil, Ambition by Linsey Miller
- The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
- the Chainsaw Man manga series for some reason (*finger guns*)
Damn, such a short list. I NEED MORE.
August 27, 2025
currently contemplating billing everyone who rated this above a 3 as compensation for my time & suffering, since that's what convinced me to even give this book a chance.
i hated everything about this book. it was actually nonsense. i was bored & confused pretty much the entire time.
the writing style/language was certainly a choice & also kinda awful, literal gibberish for the entire 268 pgs. i don't mind looking up the meaning of a new word or two but babes, i'm literally not going to bust out a thesaurus every two paragraphs to attempt to decipher what the author is trying to say...this is not a vocab assignment. the dual timelines between before & now did not work for me, i felt like i was being yanking back & forth for no real rhyme or reason & often times, i was lost. some before pov's felt out of order? for instance...
i got tired of the mc's try hard edgy "i don't care about anyone" personality after about 5 chapters. what happened to Johanna is made to be suuuuuuch a big deal in the beginning then we apparently forget about her until the end & then when we finally find out what happened it was so anticlimactic, like that was really what i waited for? really?
too many characters, too much information that adds nothing to the story, & the gore did nothing for me. i'm sad that evernight wasted such a gorgeous edition on such a bad book. but hey, if reading the 268 pgs wasn't enough torture we're given some deleted scenes at the end...as if we needed more of the story.
i would have dnf'd if i wasn't doing a buddy read but ultimately we decided to suffer together.
1/5 🕷️
pre read⁀➴
buddy read with mikeyyy
i hated everything about this book. it was actually nonsense. i was bored & confused pretty much the entire time.
the writing style/language was certainly a choice & also kinda awful, literal gibberish for the entire 268 pgs. i don't mind looking up the meaning of a new word or two but babes, i'm literally not going to bust out a thesaurus every two paragraphs to attempt to decipher what the author is trying to say...this is not a vocab assignment. the dual timelines between before & now did not work for me, i felt like i was being yanking back & forth for no real rhyme or reason & often times, i was lost. some before pov's felt out of order? for instance...
i got tired of the mc's try hard edgy "i don't care about anyone" personality after about 5 chapters. what happened to Johanna is made to be suuuuuuch a big deal in the beginning then we apparently forget about her until the end & then when we finally find out what happened it was so anticlimactic, like that was really what i waited for? really?
too many characters, too much information that adds nothing to the story, & the gore did nothing for me. i'm sad that evernight wasted such a gorgeous edition on such a bad book. but hey, if reading the 268 pgs wasn't enough torture we're given some deleted scenes at the end...as if we needed more of the story.
i would have dnf'd if i wasn't doing a buddy read but ultimately we decided to suffer together.
1/5 🕷️
pre read⁀➴
buddy read with mikeyyy
February 6, 2025
AAAAHHHHH they came to my store with this ALREADY INSCRIBED to me and i didn't even notice until i started reading it on the train home!! i was trying to be all cool, but i was seriously fangirling, folks.
this puppy starts out BLOODY AS HECK and i am already in love.
August 1, 2025
I loved the body horror and dark fantasy aspects of this story.
The narrator was fantastic as well.
What I didn’t enjoy so much was the frequent time jumps back and forth, especially with SO many characters and so much information right away.
This made it hard to absorb details, understand what exactly was happening, and I feel like I was thrown into the deep end with too much going on to get a firm grip on the edges of this dark academia tale.
The book flips back and forth from the beginning of the school year and graduation, with minimal meat in the middle. I never really grasped the scope of this magical world and the Hellebore Institution within it. Neither did I fully comprehend the lore/backgrounds/motivations/powers of the students.
So many random details come and go in every chapter, but ultimately did not contribute to the plot in any meaningful way. I’m still trying to figure out why the deer paintings/artist was important (yes I got that they found out who she was, but why did it even matter because then she was gone shortly after?). Were these red herrings? I feel like this may lean more towards the author’s style of prose instead (along with playing unnecessary thesaurus roulette).
Overall I think I somewhat enjoyed this work of fiction, but I also feel like I only reached a surface level integration; at the end of the day there are way too many characters and not enough time spent with any of them. Also, I’m kind of wondering what the heck the point of the story was. Defeating the iron grip the professors/adults had on the magical kids I guess? I’m just really confused after finishing this one.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the narrator, and MacMillan Audio for a copy!
The narrator was fantastic as well.
What I didn’t enjoy so much was the frequent time jumps back and forth, especially with SO many characters and so much information right away.
This made it hard to absorb details, understand what exactly was happening, and I feel like I was thrown into the deep end with too much going on to get a firm grip on the edges of this dark academia tale.
The book flips back and forth from the beginning of the school year and graduation, with minimal meat in the middle. I never really grasped the scope of this magical world and the Hellebore Institution within it. Neither did I fully comprehend the lore/backgrounds/motivations/powers of the students.
So many random details come and go in every chapter, but ultimately did not contribute to the plot in any meaningful way. I’m still trying to figure out why the deer paintings/artist was important (yes I got that they found out who she was, but why did it even matter because then she was gone shortly after?). Were these red herrings? I feel like this may lean more towards the author’s style of prose instead (along with playing unnecessary thesaurus roulette).
Overall I think I somewhat enjoyed this work of fiction, but I also feel like I only reached a surface level integration; at the end of the day there are way too many characters and not enough time spent with any of them. Also, I’m kind of wondering what the heck the point of the story was. Defeating the iron grip the professors/adults had on the magical kids I guess? I’m just really confused after finishing this one.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, the narrator, and MacMillan Audio for a copy!
April 13, 2025
My review is published at Grimdark Magazine.
There’s dark academia, and then there’s The Library at Hellebore, the latest dark fantasy horror from the mind of two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author Cassandra Khaw. Modern fantasy literature is rife with magic schools, but none as grim or as brutally dark as Khaw’s Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted.
The Hellebore student body consists of world-eaters and apocalypse-makers known, respectively, as Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks. With a campus environment like that, it’s no wonder that the primary means of student recruitment is through abduction.
Although Hellebore promises its students a normal life after graduation, the school harbors a much darker secret: on graduation day, the faculty embark on a hungry rampage, feasting ravenously upon their students. A small group of students escape to the school library, forced to work together if they want any hope of survival. However, the sanctuary of the library proves to be short-lived.
The ensemble cast is led by Alessa Li, the first-person narrator of the novel who, like many of her peers, was kidnapped and forcibly enrolled at Hellebore. Alessa’s narration shifts back and forth through time, building suspense while creating a disorienting feel that deepens the unsettled mood of The Library at Hellebore.
As someone who is usually left unsatisfied by the dark academia aesthetic, I appreciate how Cassandra Khaw cranks the darkness nob to its pitch-black setting and then splatters it with blood and a heavy dose of entrails.
Cassandra Khaw’s prose in The Library at Hellebore is their best since The Salt Grows Heavy, a darkly beautiful nightmare of a novella that weds Han Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid with a cannibalistic apocalypse. While The Salt Grows Heavy reads like a hallucinatory nightmare, The Library at Hellebore feels more grounded in its vision of unforgiving horror.
The Library at Hellebore packs a surprising amount of nuance for a body horror, a subgenre that I wouldn’t normally associate with subtlety. Cassandra Khaw also makes effective use of unreliable narration, building up to a conclusion that left me floored and speechless.
Altogether, The Library at Hellebore’s marriage of dark academia and body horror delivers just the right balance of physical gore and psychological dread. Cassandra Khaw blurs the line between the monstrous and the humane, while delivering a gut punch of a story that serves as an allegory of survival in a world of pain. The Library at Hellebore is highly recommended for readers looking for a new twist on grimdark.
There’s dark academia, and then there’s The Library at Hellebore, the latest dark fantasy horror from the mind of two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author Cassandra Khaw. Modern fantasy literature is rife with magic schools, but none as grim or as brutally dark as Khaw’s Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted.
The Hellebore student body consists of world-eaters and apocalypse-makers known, respectively, as Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks. With a campus environment like that, it’s no wonder that the primary means of student recruitment is through abduction.
Although Hellebore promises its students a normal life after graduation, the school harbors a much darker secret: on graduation day, the faculty embark on a hungry rampage, feasting ravenously upon their students. A small group of students escape to the school library, forced to work together if they want any hope of survival. However, the sanctuary of the library proves to be short-lived.
The ensemble cast is led by Alessa Li, the first-person narrator of the novel who, like many of her peers, was kidnapped and forcibly enrolled at Hellebore. Alessa’s narration shifts back and forth through time, building suspense while creating a disorienting feel that deepens the unsettled mood of The Library at Hellebore.
As someone who is usually left unsatisfied by the dark academia aesthetic, I appreciate how Cassandra Khaw cranks the darkness nob to its pitch-black setting and then splatters it with blood and a heavy dose of entrails.
Cassandra Khaw’s prose in The Library at Hellebore is their best since The Salt Grows Heavy, a darkly beautiful nightmare of a novella that weds Han Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid with a cannibalistic apocalypse. While The Salt Grows Heavy reads like a hallucinatory nightmare, The Library at Hellebore feels more grounded in its vision of unforgiving horror.
The Library at Hellebore packs a surprising amount of nuance for a body horror, a subgenre that I wouldn’t normally associate with subtlety. Cassandra Khaw also makes effective use of unreliable narration, building up to a conclusion that left me floored and speechless.
Altogether, The Library at Hellebore’s marriage of dark academia and body horror delivers just the right balance of physical gore and psychological dread. Cassandra Khaw blurs the line between the monstrous and the humane, while delivering a gut punch of a story that serves as an allegory of survival in a world of pain. The Library at Hellebore is highly recommended for readers looking for a new twist on grimdark.
September 1, 2025
What a wild ride!! This was an *incredibly* gory book with an insane amount of body horror and grisly scenes. DO NOT EAT WHILE READING THIS 😅
I do wish it played out just a bit differently, especially with how the story jumped back and forth in time (I think a more linear story structure would have made it a much more intense read).
Also, there were many ideas that fascinated/horrified me that were introduced that I wanted to read wayyy more about (the wolf and the pale mother esp but there were so many eldritch, cosmic, and creature backstories/lores I was obsessed with). Khaw’s world building is very impressive and it made me want so much more, like I would have read 700 pages in this world genuinely 😂
Also, there were a few things I felt were a bit anticlimactic, but overall I was hooked and had a really good time with this absolutely disgusting story!!
I do wish it played out just a bit differently, especially with how the story jumped back and forth in time (I think a more linear story structure would have made it a much more intense read).
Also, there were many ideas that fascinated/horrified me that were introduced that I wanted to read wayyy more about (the wolf and the pale mother esp but there were so many eldritch, cosmic, and creature backstories/lores I was obsessed with). Khaw’s world building is very impressive and it made me want so much more, like I would have read 700 pages in this world genuinely 😂
Also, there were a few things I felt were a bit anticlimactic, but overall I was hooked and had a really good time with this absolutely disgusting story!!
July 30, 2025
….lol what
I was warned that the author’s style isn’t something everyone enjoys, so maybe this is a case of me not connecting to the writing.
The concept is intriguing, but the execution feels like a jumbled mess. We jump around in the timeline, but it doesn’t seem to be any real reason for that. We also get zero explanation or background. We know nothing about the characters, the school or the magic. We get no buildup or explanation to why the faculty wants to eat the entire student body.
The writing is dense and thought it’s a pretty short book, it felt like it dragged on forever. My experience with this book felt dreadful.
I was warned that the author’s style isn’t something everyone enjoys, so maybe this is a case of me not connecting to the writing.
The concept is intriguing, but the execution feels like a jumbled mess. We jump around in the timeline, but it doesn’t seem to be any real reason for that. We also get zero explanation or background. We know nothing about the characters, the school or the magic. We get no buildup or explanation to why the faculty wants to eat the entire student body.
The writing is dense and thought it’s a pretty short book, it felt like it dragged on forever. My experience with this book felt dreadful.
August 1, 2025
''[...]the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers[...]''
Ah yes, my friend group
Ah yes, my friend group
May 19, 2025
Title/Author: The Library at Hellebore by Cassandra Khaw
Page Count: 288 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Format: Hardcover (special editions available)
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Salt Grows Heavy, Breakable Things (short stories)
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125087...
Release Date: July 22nd
General Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Magic
Sub-Genre/Themes: Body Horror, "fight to the death", Cannibalism, Campus/Students, Morally grey characters
Writing Style: Dual timelines, "before & present", if you didn't enjoy the lyrical/stylish prose of 'The Salt Grows Heavy', you most likely won't appreciate here--I love it. I delight in seeing new words and looking them up. The tone/vibes are different though
What You Need to Know: : "The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.
Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled. But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.
Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?"
My Reading Experience: I just enjoy being in Cassandra Khaw's imagination and storytelling style. I'm a fan. This review will be slightly skewed toward my personal preference for Khaw's very stylish brand of dark fantasy/horror.
I love the premise of The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted, a secret school filled with diabolical minds capable of dangerous students.
"Every single item was embossed with Hellebore’s heraldry: fig wasps and the school’s namesake threaded through the antlers of a deer skull, its tines strung with runes and staring eyes."
Can I have a tattoo of this? Also, I will never eat a fig again, ever.
My only complaint is the school is really more of a setting/battleground and not a fully developed magic system or curriculum. That was the only failed expectation--I was excited to see how Khaw would put a unique flourish on trad Dark Academia tropes but the focus is more on relationships between students and the survival story--which is fine, I'm not mad about it. (dropped a star though)
At first, the dual timelines are challenging--we go back in time to "The Beginning" to watch the MC, Alessa, navigate her new surroundings after waking to learn she has been kidnapped and forced to enroll in a secret academy.
Then there are chapters that fast forward in time where Alessa already has fully formed relationships and we're inching toward graduation day.. Eventually, the past timeline catches the reader up enough to where the present chapters make more sense.
The kill scenes and the body horror are unmatched in the genre. I read certain scenes with my jaw dropped open in shock and awe. Khaw's imagination is wickedly clever and disgusting. I love it! I had so much fun with this book.
Final Recommendation: For horror fans who appreciate twisted, gruesome and intricately detailed deaths/kills, a touch of dark academia--more of a setting/vibe instead of a deep dive into the academia elements, themes of cannibalism, morally grey characters, strong (sassy) female protagonists, video game "final boss" battles (imagery), survivors banding together & group dynamics.
Comps: Hunger Games + The Faculty, An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
Page Count: 288 pages
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Format: Hardcover (special editions available)
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: The Salt Grows Heavy, Breakable Things (short stories)
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978125087...
Release Date: July 22nd
General Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Dark Academia, Magic
Sub-Genre/Themes: Body Horror, "fight to the death", Cannibalism, Campus/Students, Morally grey characters
Writing Style: Dual timelines, "before & present", if you didn't enjoy the lyrical/stylish prose of 'The Salt Grows Heavy', you most likely won't appreciate here--I love it. I delight in seeing new words and looking them up. The tone/vibes are different though
What You Need to Know: : "The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.
Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled. But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.
Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?"
My Reading Experience: I just enjoy being in Cassandra Khaw's imagination and storytelling style. I'm a fan. This review will be slightly skewed toward my personal preference for Khaw's very stylish brand of dark fantasy/horror.
I love the premise of The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted, a secret school filled with diabolical minds capable of dangerous students.
"Every single item was embossed with Hellebore’s heraldry: fig wasps and the school’s namesake threaded through the antlers of a deer skull, its tines strung with runes and staring eyes."
Can I have a tattoo of this? Also, I will never eat a fig again, ever.
My only complaint is the school is really more of a setting/battleground and not a fully developed magic system or curriculum. That was the only failed expectation--I was excited to see how Khaw would put a unique flourish on trad Dark Academia tropes but the focus is more on relationships between students and the survival story--which is fine, I'm not mad about it. (dropped a star though)
At first, the dual timelines are challenging--we go back in time to "The Beginning" to watch the MC, Alessa, navigate her new surroundings after waking to learn she has been kidnapped and forced to enroll in a secret academy.
Then there are chapters that fast forward in time where Alessa already has fully formed relationships and we're inching toward graduation day.. Eventually, the past timeline catches the reader up enough to where the present chapters make more sense.
The kill scenes and the body horror are unmatched in the genre. I read certain scenes with my jaw dropped open in shock and awe. Khaw's imagination is wickedly clever and disgusting. I love it! I had so much fun with this book.
Final Recommendation: For horror fans who appreciate twisted, gruesome and intricately detailed deaths/kills, a touch of dark academia--more of a setting/vibe instead of a deep dive into the academia elements, themes of cannibalism, morally grey characters, strong (sassy) female protagonists, video game "final boss" battles (imagery), survivors banding together & group dynamics.
Comps: Hunger Games + The Faculty, An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
August 2, 2025
does this book deserve 4 stars? probably not but it was fun and it held my attention the most while trying to pull myself out of a reading slump. this book would probably be perfect to read for back to school or in the fall!
August 5, 2025
TW/CW: Language, gory scenes, blood, violence, attempted rape
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled. But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style is gory
What I Didn't Like:
1. Hate the story
2. Bored
b>Final Thoughts:
I made it to page 60 before I had to stop this book. The writing style was annoying me and it felt like nothing was happening. This is the 3rd book I've read from this author. I absolutely hated Nothing But Blackened Teeth and The Salt Grows Heavy was a 3 star for me.
I just did not care for where the story was going. There were parts where it rambled. I hated the characters too. Not one likeable thing.
*Shrug* I tried!
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that’s what Alessa Li is told when she’s kidnapped and forcibly enrolled. But there’s more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa’s class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school’s library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.Can they band together and survive, or will the faculty eat its fill?
Release Date: July 22nd, 2025
Genre: Fantasy
Pages: 288
Rating: ⭐
What I Liked:
1. Writing style is gory
What I Didn't Like:
1. Hate the story
2. Bored
b>Final Thoughts:
I made it to page 60 before I had to stop this book. The writing style was annoying me and it felt like nothing was happening. This is the 3rd book I've read from this author. I absolutely hated Nothing But Blackened Teeth and The Salt Grows Heavy was a 3 star for me.
I just did not care for where the story was going. There were parts where it rambled. I hated the characters too. Not one likeable thing.
*Shrug* I tried!
IG | Blog
Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for this advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 6, 2026
Honest question, why is this person incapable of writing anything other than stream of consciousness drivel with a heaping dish of hyper casual dialogue? They have great ideas but they are constantly wasting by the fact that they are not actually a good writer
July 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley ARC and I went into The Library at Hellebore with high hopes—the title alone had me hooked, and I’ve enjoyed Cassandra Khaw’s lush, evocative style in the past. Sadly, this book ended up being a real struggle for me.
From the start, the prose is undeniably beautiful, but also incredibly dense. Every sentence feels like it’s trying to be a poem, which at first I appreciated, but it quickly became overwhelming. The descriptions are so ornate and abstract that I often had to re-read paragraphs just to figure out what was going on. It started to feel less like reading a story and more like decoding a riddle.
The plot itself felt very thin. I kept waiting for something to anchor me—a strong narrative thread, a clear sense of stakes, or at least a character I could latch onto emotionally—but that moment never came. The setting is gorgeously eerie, and the ideas hinted at are intriguing, but everything stays too vague to really land.
As for the characters, I wish I could say more about them, but they didn’t leave much of an impression. Their motivations and relationships felt more implied than explored, and I never felt invested in their fates. There was a sense that big, meaningful things were happening, but without a strong emotional core, it just felt distant.
To be fair, Khaw’s style might work better for readers who enjoy more experimental, atmospheric horror where mood takes precedence over plot or clarity. But for me, the lack of narrative momentum and character depth made this a very frustrating read. I really wanted to like it, but I found myself skimming just to get to the end.
Still, I admire the ambition and the unique voice—it just wasn’t for me.
From the start, the prose is undeniably beautiful, but also incredibly dense. Every sentence feels like it’s trying to be a poem, which at first I appreciated, but it quickly became overwhelming. The descriptions are so ornate and abstract that I often had to re-read paragraphs just to figure out what was going on. It started to feel less like reading a story and more like decoding a riddle.
The plot itself felt very thin. I kept waiting for something to anchor me—a strong narrative thread, a clear sense of stakes, or at least a character I could latch onto emotionally—but that moment never came. The setting is gorgeously eerie, and the ideas hinted at are intriguing, but everything stays too vague to really land.
As for the characters, I wish I could say more about them, but they didn’t leave much of an impression. Their motivations and relationships felt more implied than explored, and I never felt invested in their fates. There was a sense that big, meaningful things were happening, but without a strong emotional core, it just felt distant.
To be fair, Khaw’s style might work better for readers who enjoy more experimental, atmospheric horror where mood takes precedence over plot or clarity. But for me, the lack of narrative momentum and character depth made this a very frustrating read. I really wanted to like it, but I found myself skimming just to get to the end.
Still, I admire the ambition and the unique voice—it just wasn’t for me.
June 12, 2025
can’t wait for the night terrors this will give me
June 1, 2025
4.0 Stars
This is a familiar yet well written piece of dark academia. The story starts off strong and continues with a compelling narrative throughout this short novel. I generally liked the characters who were decently complex.
I have previously read and enjoyed most of this author's backlist so it was not surprising that I also enjoyed this one. This is a good place to start with this author as long as you enjoy dark academia because this story is quite a classic one in the genre. While not revolutionary, it was a strong entry in the subgenre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is a familiar yet well written piece of dark academia. The story starts off strong and continues with a compelling narrative throughout this short novel. I generally liked the characters who were decently complex.
I have previously read and enjoyed most of this author's backlist so it was not surprising that I also enjoyed this one. This is a good place to start with this author as long as you enjoy dark academia because this story is quite a classic one in the genre. While not revolutionary, it was a strong entry in the subgenre.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
![Profile Image for Kate [catching up].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1748423704i%2F51087392._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
August 29, 2025
DNF at 44%. Completely unreadable, word salad nonsense.
July 11, 2025
I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This dark academy fantasy/horror/comedy novel is scheduled for publication in July and August 2025 (UK/USA).
The Library at Hellebore starts off with a very loud bang and the tension rarely relents. The novel is told by Alessa, an older teen who has developed a supernatural gift in a society that considers such gifts curses. After an unfortunate incident involving her gift, she is essentially kidnapped by government agents and forced to attend Hellebore, a supposedly elite academy which claims to help young people to use their abilities in positive ways. Ironically, Hellebore (I love the academy's name btw--the winter flower that blooms a blackish purple in shade and snow) enjoys such an excellent reputation that many privileged students have actually chosen to attend. The truth of what really transpires at this school has been lost to the propaganda fed to a general public who no longer recognizes the truth and doesn't know what to believe. As Alessa herself says, "these are unutterably stupid times." Whether students are there by choice or folly, they are all in constant and grave danger without exception. Alessa's narrative primarily begins during the height of a conflict between staff and students and then, almost like an epic device (or a mock epic), rewinds to the past to fill readers in on background information.
I have read several other novels by Cassandra Khaw, but this is by far my favorite. It's just so well written. The tone of Alessa's narrative is clever and so witty that despite the horror she and her friends face, I read most of this with a huge smile--the sides of my cheeks started to ache at one point. I laughed out loud constantly.
I am afraid that the "dark fantasy academy" label is going to repel some horror readers. So let me clarify that this isn't about a student's journey into magic and romance--not at all--and there is utterly nothing cliche about this book. It has been compared to Naomi Novik's Deadly Education trilogy, and this is a far more apt comparison. But rest assured, The Library at Hellebore is its own. Both stories are told in first person by a female protagonist and both involve extremely dangerous, life threatening academies for magically gifted/cursed young people. That is where the similarities stop; the storylines are completely different. Novik's story actually involves the process of education. Khaw's story is centered around a library in which a small group of friends are huddled, trying to survive, fighting for their lives. There is very little "school shop" ever discussed. I don't want to give away spoilers, but I will say Khaw's Hellebore is far more brutal and far more graphic (though not overly gory--I'm sensitive to too much gore and none of Khaw's descriptions bothered me).
I'm not certain where the idea of dark academia actually began--probably with Buffy and her scoobies as their high school tried to kill them fairly episodically. But just like the most clever episodes of Buffy, The Library at Hellebore clearly employs dark academia metaphorically to start a much broader conversation about our current society and our big businesses involvement in government, the manner in which disinformation becomes fact in our now unregulated news/media, and the way in which our society throws away anyone we fear for their differences. It manages to make highly poignant comments which are carefully imbedded in truly delicious horror and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
The Library at Hellebore starts off with a very loud bang and the tension rarely relents. The novel is told by Alessa, an older teen who has developed a supernatural gift in a society that considers such gifts curses. After an unfortunate incident involving her gift, she is essentially kidnapped by government agents and forced to attend Hellebore, a supposedly elite academy which claims to help young people to use their abilities in positive ways. Ironically, Hellebore (I love the academy's name btw--the winter flower that blooms a blackish purple in shade and snow) enjoys such an excellent reputation that many privileged students have actually chosen to attend. The truth of what really transpires at this school has been lost to the propaganda fed to a general public who no longer recognizes the truth and doesn't know what to believe. As Alessa herself says, "these are unutterably stupid times." Whether students are there by choice or folly, they are all in constant and grave danger without exception. Alessa's narrative primarily begins during the height of a conflict between staff and students and then, almost like an epic device (or a mock epic), rewinds to the past to fill readers in on background information.
I have read several other novels by Cassandra Khaw, but this is by far my favorite. It's just so well written. The tone of Alessa's narrative is clever and so witty that despite the horror she and her friends face, I read most of this with a huge smile--the sides of my cheeks started to ache at one point. I laughed out loud constantly.
I am afraid that the "dark fantasy academy" label is going to repel some horror readers. So let me clarify that this isn't about a student's journey into magic and romance--not at all--and there is utterly nothing cliche about this book. It has been compared to Naomi Novik's Deadly Education trilogy, and this is a far more apt comparison. But rest assured, The Library at Hellebore is its own. Both stories are told in first person by a female protagonist and both involve extremely dangerous, life threatening academies for magically gifted/cursed young people. That is where the similarities stop; the storylines are completely different. Novik's story actually involves the process of education. Khaw's story is centered around a library in which a small group of friends are huddled, trying to survive, fighting for their lives. There is very little "school shop" ever discussed. I don't want to give away spoilers, but I will say Khaw's Hellebore is far more brutal and far more graphic (though not overly gory--I'm sensitive to too much gore and none of Khaw's descriptions bothered me).
I'm not certain where the idea of dark academia actually began--probably with Buffy and her scoobies as their high school tried to kill them fairly episodically. But just like the most clever episodes of Buffy, The Library at Hellebore clearly employs dark academia metaphorically to start a much broader conversation about our current society and our big businesses involvement in government, the manner in which disinformation becomes fact in our now unregulated news/media, and the way in which our society throws away anyone we fear for their differences. It manages to make highly poignant comments which are carefully imbedded in truly delicious horror and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
November 3, 2025
I literally couldn't care less if any of these characters died & that's a huge problem for me. I did like the descriptive body horror, but otherwise it felt too much like how I felt reading A Deadly Education, which I hated.
November 9, 2025
Decadently stylized and relentlessly bloody, this story is a tasty bite but doesn’t feel like it has too much substance. I really like Khaw’s writing style, so I was happy to fall into her literary wordplay that describes horrible things, and this novel has that in spades. I just think there wasn’t a whole lot of actual story, here. It felt like enough story to fill a novelette or novella, maybe, but there just wasn’t enough to sustain a novel. The plotting was done across two timelines, jumping back and forth from the past to the present, and while I often appreciate that way of building tension and misleading the reader about various plot points or character traits, here it just felt like it emphasized that there wasn’t a solid narrative actually leading this story anywhere. I think the characters were all interesting, the main character and a large cast of ancillary characters all felt unique and colorful, and they all seemed to have genuine life stories propelling them. However, we don’t really get to know them as much as I would have liked due to the fractured storytelling style, often learning interesting things about characters after they have already died or suffered in some way. As a result, I don’t have any emotional connection to their deaths, it is all just spectacle, which is fun, for sure, but not particularly emotionally resonant. In addition this is marketed as “dark academia,” but that is rather misleading, in so far as their being “students” is more façade than anything else, and their studies and exploits that would actually drag this story into dark academia territory are merely mentioned in passing, just throw-aways that don’t do a whole lot for the story or the characters. The world-building is interesting and has a lot of promise, but the lack of real narrative doesn’t give it room to grow or expand beyond “magical young adults trapped at their school,” regardless of how interesting or exciting the various magical/demonic/eldritch powers the students possess.
If you are a fan of Khaw’s flowery and literary prose, and you enjoy the way she can make an evisceration sound like poetry, you will have fun here. The characters don’t have a lot of room to grow or change, but what you do come to learn about them keeps them interesting and engaging, and something similar can be said about the world-building. There are some underlying explorations about not having to be the sum of the awful things that have been done to us, ideas about autonomy and empowerment and the recognition that the monstrous visages we wear to protect us can end up eating us alive, if we aren’t careful, but I didn’t feel enough of an emotional connection with the characters or the narrative for these to feel more than pro forma. This would have succeeded much more for me if it followed straightforward plotting style, instead of the multiple timelines, and was allowed to be a proper character study of these monsters who are just trying to survive. Still, I appreciate Khaw’s dark imagination and writing and am glad I read it, and still look forward to continuing to read more from her in the future.
If you are a fan of Khaw’s flowery and literary prose, and you enjoy the way she can make an evisceration sound like poetry, you will have fun here. The characters don’t have a lot of room to grow or change, but what you do come to learn about them keeps them interesting and engaging, and something similar can be said about the world-building. There are some underlying explorations about not having to be the sum of the awful things that have been done to us, ideas about autonomy and empowerment and the recognition that the monstrous visages we wear to protect us can end up eating us alive, if we aren’t careful, but I didn’t feel enough of an emotional connection with the characters or the narrative for these to feel more than pro forma. This would have succeeded much more for me if it followed straightforward plotting style, instead of the multiple timelines, and was allowed to be a proper character study of these monsters who are just trying to survive. Still, I appreciate Khaw’s dark imagination and writing and am glad I read it, and still look forward to continuing to read more from her in the future.
July 11, 2025
Part dark academia part cosmic horror. This novel takes you on a visceral body or ride through a school that eats it students.
Book Stats:
📖: 288 pages
Genre: Dark Academia/Occult Fiction
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Format: Tandem: ARC Ebook/ALC
Series: standalone
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 8 hours and 34 minutes
🎤: Natalie Naudus
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Format: Singular POV
Thoughts on Audio:
Natalie Naudus is one of my absolute favorite audiobook narrators. This book was no exception. The voices used to differentiate between the characters were amazing. I feel like they gave a lot of emotion and realism to the characters. The dictation was consistent throughout the book and I never had to adjust my speed.
Themes:
💫: Working together
💫: Survival in the face of poor odds
Representation:
🧟♂️: Korean main character
Tropes:
💗: Morally grey characters
💗: Fight to the death competition
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
Alessa is kidnapped and unfortunately enrolled at hellebore school. A school for the worst of the worst with the promise of a normal life after graduation. But on the day of graduation, the school turns against them and the students must work together to survive.
General Thoughts:
This book is absolutely a wild ride. Told in a series of present day narration and previous day flashbacks, you circle the graduation day of these morally gray students out for their own survival.
The characters are super interesting. A full cast of Ragnaroks, anti Christs and generally deplorable beings. The body horror is visceral and unapologetic. And the story in general is just really well done and compelling.
The writing style is super on par for Khaw. Very lyrical and flowery with vivid imagery. If you are a fan of their writing style currently then you won't be disappointed. It's pretty standard for this author.
The back-and-forth between the two different timelines was a little hard to keep straight in some instances. With the book being of a shorter volume and with very fast paced action It did start getting a little jumbled here and there. But overall, I was able to keep a decent enough grasp to understand what was happening.
Alessa was a great main character. She's very cynical and sarcastic. And I loved that!
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC via NetGalley and Tor Nightfire. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Book Stats:
📖: 288 pages
Genre: Dark Academia/Occult Fiction
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Format: Tandem: ARC Ebook/ALC
Series: standalone
Audiobook Stats:
⏰: 8 hours and 34 minutes
🎤: Natalie Naudus
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Format: Singular POV
Thoughts on Audio:
Natalie Naudus is one of my absolute favorite audiobook narrators. This book was no exception. The voices used to differentiate between the characters were amazing. I feel like they gave a lot of emotion and realism to the characters. The dictation was consistent throughout the book and I never had to adjust my speed.
Themes:
💫: Working together
💫: Survival in the face of poor odds
Representation:
🧟♂️: Korean main character
Tropes:
💗: Morally grey characters
💗: Fight to the death competition
🥵: Spice: 🚫
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.
Short Synopsis:
Alessa is kidnapped and unfortunately enrolled at hellebore school. A school for the worst of the worst with the promise of a normal life after graduation. But on the day of graduation, the school turns against them and the students must work together to survive.
General Thoughts:
This book is absolutely a wild ride. Told in a series of present day narration and previous day flashbacks, you circle the graduation day of these morally gray students out for their own survival.
The characters are super interesting. A full cast of Ragnaroks, anti Christs and generally deplorable beings. The body horror is visceral and unapologetic. And the story in general is just really well done and compelling.
The writing style is super on par for Khaw. Very lyrical and flowery with vivid imagery. If you are a fan of their writing style currently then you won't be disappointed. It's pretty standard for this author.
The back-and-forth between the two different timelines was a little hard to keep straight in some instances. With the book being of a shorter volume and with very fast paced action It did start getting a little jumbled here and there. But overall, I was able to keep a decent enough grasp to understand what was happening.
Alessa was a great main character. She's very cynical and sarcastic. And I loved that!
Disclaimer: I read this book as a eARC via NetGalley and Tor Nightfire. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 23, 2025
If you want your Dark Academia drenched in gore with messy characters who could end the world, professors who want to consume them, and a non-linear story that slowly unravels... then The Library at Hellebore is perfect for you! I love Cassandra Khaws writing and this very much reads like their work - dark, gory, super gay, with complex characters and prose that has me recalling my SAT vocabulary.
The main character is Alessa Li and unlike many of her classmates who entered voluntarily, she was kidnapped by the government and forced to enroll in The Hellbore Technical Academy for the Gifted where the only way out is graduation. I won't say more than that, but this was fantastic.
The main character is Alessa Li and unlike many of her classmates who entered voluntarily, she was kidnapped by the government and forced to enroll in The Hellbore Technical Academy for the Gifted where the only way out is graduation. I won't say more than that, but this was fantastic.
September 10, 2025
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Ebook format 📖
I think I might be in the minority on this one. There’s lots to love in this one and a few things that would have worked better for me while reading this new book by Cassandra Khaw.
I loved the grim, the gore, the human filth, and the body horror with The Library at Hellebore!
✔️ This book shines and is unparalleled with how they can describe body horror in such a poetic way. In my opinion, it’s disturbing and so good on how grotesque and visceral the writing is.
I was a big fan of The Salt Grows Heavy so I knew going in how Khaw writes. It’s still my favorite of their books.
Where the book could have worked better for me was with the characters, the timeline, and world building of Hellebore.
1. I wish there was more character development with all the characters. I would have cared whether they lived or not, and I just did not get that in this new book.
2. The dual timelines between Day One and Before were a bit confusing. I had to keep tons of focus on which timeline I was in since it felt like I was just being dropped off in the story at any moment.
3. I love dark academia and would have liked more information on the setting and magic systems with the school.
I think this book would have benefitted more if the characters and school had been expanded on.
Dare I say that the book should have been longer?!
I will continue to read more by them without a doubt. They will always excel with making body horror look beautiful, sexy and weird as hell!
Ebook format 📖
I think I might be in the minority on this one. There’s lots to love in this one and a few things that would have worked better for me while reading this new book by Cassandra Khaw.
I loved the grim, the gore, the human filth, and the body horror with The Library at Hellebore!
✔️ This book shines and is unparalleled with how they can describe body horror in such a poetic way. In my opinion, it’s disturbing and so good on how grotesque and visceral the writing is.
I was a big fan of The Salt Grows Heavy so I knew going in how Khaw writes. It’s still my favorite of their books.
Where the book could have worked better for me was with the characters, the timeline, and world building of Hellebore.
1. I wish there was more character development with all the characters. I would have cared whether they lived or not, and I just did not get that in this new book.
2. The dual timelines between Day One and Before were a bit confusing. I had to keep tons of focus on which timeline I was in since it felt like I was just being dropped off in the story at any moment.
3. I love dark academia and would have liked more information on the setting and magic systems with the school.
I think this book would have benefitted more if the characters and school had been expanded on.
Dare I say that the book should have been longer?!
I will continue to read more by them without a doubt. They will always excel with making body horror look beautiful, sexy and weird as hell!
January 3, 2026
there was a description for the librarian but literally all i could picture was the librarian slug character from monsters inc
June 29, 2025
full review to come but this is one of my top reads this year, loved it, obsessed!!!
August 22, 2025
1.5 stars, rounded down in this case from pure lack of enjoyment
No two ways about it this was a tough book for me to get through for being so short. On paper this is a book that should have worked for me; monstrous beings of legend who are enrolled (in some cases forcefully) into a dark, mysterious school taught by professors who are just as monstrous plus there's something fishy going on with the school, but tragically it did not. While I think the writing was stunning in how visceral and gruesome it was, after a while I became a little desensitized to it all. Organs were slopping and glopping to the ground with sickening plops, skin was being sheeted off, people were exploding in gallons of blood and gore and shrapnel of bone, and it happened every other page, it started out disgusting and exciting and quickly became tiresome in its repetitiveness.
Another thing I struggled with was the dual timelines, so respectfully to Cassandra Khaw I just don't think there was a reason for it. It was so jarring for me to be ripped back and forth between the timelines, and for what seemed like no real storytelling purpose.
I left this book with more questions than answers. Who was Alessa "speaking" to? What was the purpose of Hellebore and what did Hellebore specifically do for the Ministry, was it to experiment on those with powers and then destroy them? I guess I understand the overarching message in that but the story itself was just far too discombobulating for it to make any real impact on me. I wish this book had clicked with me at any point because I received the Evernight edition of the book and the artwork is stunning, like it's breathtaking, but I can't keep this book on my shelves just because it's pretty, unfortunately.
Half a star added because Rowan made me laugh sometimes. Once I decided to cast him as Matthew Lillard in my mind, a Stu Macher type, if you will, he was very nearly a character that almost worked for me. Also Rowan calling out Alessa's name and asking her if it was from Silent Hill was actually pretty funny and the only thing that made me smile.
Oh well, you can't love them all.
No two ways about it this was a tough book for me to get through for being so short. On paper this is a book that should have worked for me; monstrous beings of legend who are enrolled (in some cases forcefully) into a dark, mysterious school taught by professors who are just as monstrous plus there's something fishy going on with the school, but tragically it did not. While I think the writing was stunning in how visceral and gruesome it was, after a while I became a little desensitized to it all. Organs were slopping and glopping to the ground with sickening plops, skin was being sheeted off, people were exploding in gallons of blood and gore and shrapnel of bone, and it happened every other page, it started out disgusting and exciting and quickly became tiresome in its repetitiveness.
Another thing I struggled with was the dual timelines, so respectfully to Cassandra Khaw I just don't think there was a reason for it. It was so jarring for me to be ripped back and forth between the timelines, and for what seemed like no real storytelling purpose.
I left this book with more questions than answers. Who was Alessa "speaking" to? What was the purpose of Hellebore and what did Hellebore specifically do for the Ministry, was it to experiment on those with powers and then destroy them? I guess I understand the overarching message in that but the story itself was just far too discombobulating for it to make any real impact on me. I wish this book had clicked with me at any point because I received the Evernight edition of the book and the artwork is stunning, like it's breathtaking, but I can't keep this book on my shelves just because it's pretty, unfortunately.
Half a star added because Rowan made me laugh sometimes. Once I decided to cast him as Matthew Lillard in my mind, a Stu Macher type, if you will, he was very nearly a character that almost worked for me. Also Rowan calling out Alessa's name and asking her if it was from Silent Hill was actually pretty funny and the only thing that made me smile.
Oh well, you can't love them all.
June 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this and I'm so glad to say that because I was highly anticipating this book! This sort of felt like a dark academia style Hunger Games. I had the ALC for this book and while I deeply enjoyed listening to this story, this also felt like a story that I would've benefited from having the physical book in front of me. This was narrated by Natalie Naudus and I thought she did an amazing job. Her narration was mesmerizing to me and completely fit the vibe of the story. The narration really helped me get immersed in this story. I do feel like this became a bit confusing at times only having the audio copy available. I had to rewind at some parts and even then, I feel like I got a bit lost without being able to look at the text. I feel as though I maybe missed a few things just from my own confusion and I'd really love to revisit this later when I have the physical copy in front of me. My confusion didn't make me enjoy this any less though.
I'm a huge fan of violence, gore, and the macabre which I thought this book really delivered on. This book also had some crude descriptions as well so if you're not a fan of any of the things that I just stated, this book probably won't be for you. As I already stated, the story was atmospheric to me. The setting, narrator, and prose within this book really engaged me as a reader (listener). I thought each character's special powers were provoking but I do wish that there was a bit more character development. It seemed a little lacking. I liked these characters, but they were very morally grey and I can see a lot of people disliking them. I think they all meshed well together though.
I also was expecting more of a dive into the academy than we ended up getting. This didn't have the same kind of dark academia as The Secret History, if that even makes any sense to say.
This book checked most boxes for me: morbid, queer, mysterious, unsettling, dark, and survival based. I plan to purchase this book once it publishes and I'm highly considering a reread. If you're thinking of reading this, consider whether the content warnings are doable for you. I would also recommend the audiobook but with visual text as a backup, since I do think it can get confusing at times with only listening.
Truly hoping that this jumbled mess of a review makes sense and helps anyone considering to pick this up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
CW: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
StoryGraph review
Fable Review
I'm a huge fan of violence, gore, and the macabre which I thought this book really delivered on. This book also had some crude descriptions as well so if you're not a fan of any of the things that I just stated, this book probably won't be for you. As I already stated, the story was atmospheric to me. The setting, narrator, and prose within this book really engaged me as a reader (listener). I thought each character's special powers were provoking but I do wish that there was a bit more character development. It seemed a little lacking. I liked these characters, but they were very morally grey and I can see a lot of people disliking them. I think they all meshed well together though.
I also was expecting more of a dive into the academy than we ended up getting. This didn't have the same kind of dark academia as The Secret History, if that even makes any sense to say.
This book checked most boxes for me: morbid, queer, mysterious, unsettling, dark, and survival based. I plan to purchase this book once it publishes and I'm highly considering a reread. If you're thinking of reading this, consider whether the content warnings are doable for you. I would also recommend the audiobook but with visual text as a backup, since I do think it can get confusing at times with only listening.
Truly hoping that this jumbled mess of a review makes sense and helps anyone considering to pick this up!
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. All opinions are my own.
CW: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
StoryGraph review
Fable Review
did-not-finish
January 19, 2025Couldn’t get past the egregious use of a thesaurus and the immediate inelegant info-dump it jumps into after an intriguing prologue. Not a great writing style for me.
August 23, 2025
Gory like a mofo! Good audiobook.
July 25, 2025
The Library at Hellebore is strange, gory, and completely unlike anything I’ve read before. It leans a lot more into Horror than Dark Academia, with a story that slips through time and logic in deliberately disorienting ways.
The prose is lush and lyrical, packed with a distinct voice and rich prose that really set the tone, but I’ll be honest, it was a lot. At times, I felt like I was fighting through the language to stay grounded in the story, and that definitely slowed the pacing for me. However, I'm sure fans of the author's other books will love this one. I just had to get used to it.
I didn’t always feel connected to the characters either. With the frequent time jumps and intentionally disorienting style, it was hard to build that emotional thread with anyone.
The horror, however, is where this book truly shines. It's deeply visceral, grotesque in the best way, and genuinely original. The world is eerie and unsettling, and I really admired how the story explored themes of power, control, and identity through such a strange and disturbing lens.
That said, I think this would have worked better for me as a novella. The full-length format left too much room for confusion, and I found myself more adrift than immersed by the end.
Still, if you're looking for something unique and you don’t mind your horror a little strange and a lot bloody, this could be your kind of weird.
Especially as I don’t think it’s trying to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s sharp and experimental and very specific in its voice.
3.5 stars for this one!!
The prose is lush and lyrical, packed with a distinct voice and rich prose that really set the tone, but I’ll be honest, it was a lot. At times, I felt like I was fighting through the language to stay grounded in the story, and that definitely slowed the pacing for me. However, I'm sure fans of the author's other books will love this one. I just had to get used to it.
I didn’t always feel connected to the characters either. With the frequent time jumps and intentionally disorienting style, it was hard to build that emotional thread with anyone.
The horror, however, is where this book truly shines. It's deeply visceral, grotesque in the best way, and genuinely original. The world is eerie and unsettling, and I really admired how the story explored themes of power, control, and identity through such a strange and disturbing lens.
That said, I think this would have worked better for me as a novella. The full-length format left too much room for confusion, and I found myself more adrift than immersed by the end.
Still, if you're looking for something unique and you don’t mind your horror a little strange and a lot bloody, this could be your kind of weird.
Especially as I don’t think it’s trying to be a crowd-pleaser. It’s sharp and experimental and very specific in its voice.
3.5 stars for this one!!
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