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All That We Raised
Not yet published
Expected 12 Mar 26The devil is real...he just prefers tenure.
When Lexi takes a research position at St Dunstan’s, she believes it’s only a way to earn money and, quietly, to uncover what happened to her mother, a brilliant scholar who vanished after becoming entangled in the university’s occult work.
But St Dunstan’s does not give up its secrets easily. Within its marble corridors, stone cloisters conceal ritual circles, rival scholars hoard fragments of forbidden knowledge, and Lexi’s own sister keeps a wary distance.
At the center stands Professor August Hale; charismatic, unreadable, and already claimed by something far older than academia. His seminars blur the line between scholarship and summoning, intellect and temptation. To study under him is to risk obsession; to love him may be fatal.
As Lexi delves deeper into the institution’s archives and her family’s hidden history, she must decide whether she is solving her mother’s mystery, or repeating it.
Lush, unsettling, and intoxicating, All That We Raised blends the seductive allure of dark academia with the creeping dread of gothic horror. A story of legacy, desire, and the perilous hunger for knowledge and power.
When Lexi takes a research position at St Dunstan’s, she believes it’s only a way to earn money and, quietly, to uncover what happened to her mother, a brilliant scholar who vanished after becoming entangled in the university’s occult work.
But St Dunstan’s does not give up its secrets easily. Within its marble corridors, stone cloisters conceal ritual circles, rival scholars hoard fragments of forbidden knowledge, and Lexi’s own sister keeps a wary distance.
At the center stands Professor August Hale; charismatic, unreadable, and already claimed by something far older than academia. His seminars blur the line between scholarship and summoning, intellect and temptation. To study under him is to risk obsession; to love him may be fatal.
As Lexi delves deeper into the institution’s archives and her family’s hidden history, she must decide whether she is solving her mother’s mystery, or repeating it.
Lush, unsettling, and intoxicating, All That We Raised blends the seductive allure of dark academia with the creeping dread of gothic horror. A story of legacy, desire, and the perilous hunger for knowledge and power.
534 pages, Paperback
Expected publication March 12, 2026
43 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Purnell
1 book4 followersSarah writes dark, romantic stories about obsession, academia, and occasionally the devil... But she also has a soft spot for small towns, second chances, and the kind of love that feels a little too dangerous to touch.
Armed with a Master’s in Professional Writing and a pepsi max dependency she insists is “part of the process", she writes stories that balance darkness with desire, exploring the fine line between tenderness and temptation.
Whether it’s a Gothic campus haunted by ambition, a forge glowing in the Kentucky dusk, or a storm-wracked keep in a world where love might cost your soul, her stories are always about flawed people finding something worth burning for.
Armed with a Master’s in Professional Writing and a pepsi max dependency she insists is “part of the process", she writes stories that balance darkness with desire, exploring the fine line between tenderness and temptation.
Whether it’s a Gothic campus haunted by ambition, a forge glowing in the Kentucky dusk, or a storm-wracked keep in a world where love might cost your soul, her stories are always about flawed people finding something worth burning for.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 28, 2026
a haunting, dark academia whirlwind that follows Lexi who becomes a research assistant in hopes to find answers about her missing mother. she soon gets swept into a pulsing, occult underworld that goes well beyond the margins of her work.
I think this book would do wonders with a good editor. There are flashes of brilliance, and I think Purnell has a great grasp on how to capture that dark academia atmosphere she sought out for. My favourite aspect of this book was how clever the dialogue was; the flow of banter and intelligent quips were perfect.
Where I think an editor would transform this story would be in its pacing and plot direction. Some sections were quite meandering, while others were blown through too fast. The plot also seemed to wander at times, muddling the main objectives and deflating the rising action. In the end, I was left feeling unclear on quite a few narrative threads that I wish were better explained and expanded upon.
Overall, this book needs some work but the potential is certainly there. I loved the witty dialogue, rich occult imagery, and of course, the professor — phew, what a man!
Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the opportunity read and review!
3 stars
I think this book would do wonders with a good editor. There are flashes of brilliance, and I think Purnell has a great grasp on how to capture that dark academia atmosphere she sought out for. My favourite aspect of this book was how clever the dialogue was; the flow of banter and intelligent quips were perfect.
Where I think an editor would transform this story would be in its pacing and plot direction. Some sections were quite meandering, while others were blown through too fast. The plot also seemed to wander at times, muddling the main objectives and deflating the rising action. In the end, I was left feeling unclear on quite a few narrative threads that I wish were better explained and expanded upon.
Overall, this book needs some work but the potential is certainly there. I loved the witty dialogue, rich occult imagery, and of course, the professor — phew, what a man!
Thank you to Victory Editing and NetGalley for the opportunity read and review!
3 stars
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you for the opportunity to read my first ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
From the very first pages, this novel sets the tone like a dramatic cloak being thrown over candlelight. The language is whimsical, poetic, and absolutely dripping in metaphor. We’re talking crows, looming academic architecture, and a deliciously dark gothic atmosphere that immediately had me thinking, oh hello old friend, a la Edgar Allan Poe and Mervyn Peake. Moody? Yes. Pretentious? No. Seductive? Entirely.
Now, full disclosure: names and characters are introduced at a pace that briefly made my brain wave a tiny white flag. I did lose track of who was who for a hot minute but thankfully the tone relaxes, the narrative steadies, and suddenly I was back in the game, leaning forward like tell me more, tell me everything. Mystery seeps in early, thick and velvety, raising far more questions than answers and sinking its teeth into you until you’re helplessly hooked.
At the heart of it all is Lexi, our FMC, piecing together the truth about her mother’s disappearance. The mystery rooted deep in her childhood and tangled up with St. Dunstan’s University, where her mother once worked. What starts as a search for answers becomes something far more dangerous: a door into a world Lexi never knew existed. And once opened… well. The real question isn’t how to walk through it, it’s whether she can ever close it again.
And then there’s August Hale. *Sigh*. I am nothing if not predictable, and yes, I love a dark, brooding, somewhat cursed MMC who looks like he hasn’t slept since 1843. The hot and cold, will they won't they tension felt like two magnets repeatedly slamming together and ripping apart, leaving behind that exquisite ache that is half frustration, half obsession. And the yearning? *Chef’s kiss.*
Quick side note because it deserves one: Marcus. Absolute standout. LGBT representation, West Indies roots, and effortlessly compelling. I loved all the side characters, but he was my favourite by far. And Nix… listen. I wasn’t supposed to want him almost as much as August, but here we are. No regrets.
This is not a book you casually skim while half distracted or knee deep in brain fog. It demands your attention and rewards it. Lectures pose questions like “What makes a devil?” with answers such as "rebellion, ambition, desire" and then reminds us these are traits society teaches us to fear, especially in women. There’s a strong undercurrent here that brought to mind the idea that when men become spiritual they’re called religious, but when women do, they’re called witches. If that doesn’t spark interest and curiosity, the steadily unfolding mystery absolutely will.
In terms of pacing, this is a true slow burn. Slower than my usual taste, if I’m honest. But curiosity (and my undeniable attachment to August) kept me turning pages. By the halfway point, I was fully attuned to its rhythm, struggling to put it down, giggling, swooning, and occasionally yelling “just kiss already” at the page. Turns out the slow burn knew exactly what it was doing.
And then… the ending. Without trying to give anything away. Consequences hit hard and fate is difficult to escape, and it all feels perfectly in step with the old school gothic heart beating beneath the story. This is the kind of book that lingers. The kind that makes you stare into space afterward, reflecting, replaying, wanting just a little more even though you were given enough.
Dark, clever, seductive, and quietly ferocious. This book didn’t just entertain me. It bewitched me. Will you let it bewitch you too?
From the very first pages, this novel sets the tone like a dramatic cloak being thrown over candlelight. The language is whimsical, poetic, and absolutely dripping in metaphor. We’re talking crows, looming academic architecture, and a deliciously dark gothic atmosphere that immediately had me thinking, oh hello old friend, a la Edgar Allan Poe and Mervyn Peake. Moody? Yes. Pretentious? No. Seductive? Entirely.
Now, full disclosure: names and characters are introduced at a pace that briefly made my brain wave a tiny white flag. I did lose track of who was who for a hot minute but thankfully the tone relaxes, the narrative steadies, and suddenly I was back in the game, leaning forward like tell me more, tell me everything. Mystery seeps in early, thick and velvety, raising far more questions than answers and sinking its teeth into you until you’re helplessly hooked.
At the heart of it all is Lexi, our FMC, piecing together the truth about her mother’s disappearance. The mystery rooted deep in her childhood and tangled up with St. Dunstan’s University, where her mother once worked. What starts as a search for answers becomes something far more dangerous: a door into a world Lexi never knew existed. And once opened… well. The real question isn’t how to walk through it, it’s whether she can ever close it again.
And then there’s August Hale. *Sigh*. I am nothing if not predictable, and yes, I love a dark, brooding, somewhat cursed MMC who looks like he hasn’t slept since 1843. The hot and cold, will they won't they tension felt like two magnets repeatedly slamming together and ripping apart, leaving behind that exquisite ache that is half frustration, half obsession. And the yearning? *Chef’s kiss.*
Quick side note because it deserves one: Marcus. Absolute standout. LGBT representation, West Indies roots, and effortlessly compelling. I loved all the side characters, but he was my favourite by far. And Nix… listen. I wasn’t supposed to want him almost as much as August, but here we are. No regrets.
This is not a book you casually skim while half distracted or knee deep in brain fog. It demands your attention and rewards it. Lectures pose questions like “What makes a devil?” with answers such as "rebellion, ambition, desire" and then reminds us these are traits society teaches us to fear, especially in women. There’s a strong undercurrent here that brought to mind the idea that when men become spiritual they’re called religious, but when women do, they’re called witches. If that doesn’t spark interest and curiosity, the steadily unfolding mystery absolutely will.
In terms of pacing, this is a true slow burn. Slower than my usual taste, if I’m honest. But curiosity (and my undeniable attachment to August) kept me turning pages. By the halfway point, I was fully attuned to its rhythm, struggling to put it down, giggling, swooning, and occasionally yelling “just kiss already” at the page. Turns out the slow burn knew exactly what it was doing.
And then… the ending. Without trying to give anything away. Consequences hit hard and fate is difficult to escape, and it all feels perfectly in step with the old school gothic heart beating beneath the story. This is the kind of book that lingers. The kind that makes you stare into space afterward, reflecting, replaying, wanting just a little more even though you were given enough.
Dark, clever, seductive, and quietly ferocious. This book didn’t just entertain me. It bewitched me. Will you let it bewitch you too?
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Very grateful to have gotten this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I was hooked immediately. Not only by the first chapter, but rather by a casual note to the reader beforehand that encompasses wit and intrigue in a few simple lines. All the way to the end, this book had me in its teeth.
Lexi, our FMC, is desperately trying to figure out what really happened to her mother despite the muddled truths and the cost that may come to her. She is not particularly memorable at first, but rather acts as the conduit through which the story happens. The further into the mystery she gets, the more she blossoms.
Our MMC is absolutely delectable. August is broody surrounded by his own brand of intrigue. I actually found myself wanting to know more about him more than I wanted to learn about Lexi. The way I squealed whenever he spoke to Lexi, the absolute YEARNING. The looks, the tension, the everything!! The tortured soul he is, so beautifully written.
The side characters are exciting in their own regard and I found them likable and they had great depth.
The overall pacing is excellent, just enough was going on that I didn’t want to put it down, but not so much that it felt busy. I did find that there would sometimes feel like there was a disconnect within transitions, but still the plot stayed steady. I think the book itself was longer than it needed to be, but it did keep my interest especially in the second half. I didn’t want to put it down.
The writing is beautiful, poetic but still accessible. Haunting with an insurmountable tension. The theological questions that are put forth are a refreshing perspective without being overwhelming.
Highly recommend for an immersive experience and true dark academia.
I was hooked immediately. Not only by the first chapter, but rather by a casual note to the reader beforehand that encompasses wit and intrigue in a few simple lines. All the way to the end, this book had me in its teeth.
Lexi, our FMC, is desperately trying to figure out what really happened to her mother despite the muddled truths and the cost that may come to her. She is not particularly memorable at first, but rather acts as the conduit through which the story happens. The further into the mystery she gets, the more she blossoms.
Our MMC is absolutely delectable. August is broody surrounded by his own brand of intrigue. I actually found myself wanting to know more about him more than I wanted to learn about Lexi. The way I squealed whenever he spoke to Lexi, the absolute YEARNING. The looks, the tension, the everything!! The tortured soul he is, so beautifully written.
The side characters are exciting in their own regard and I found them likable and they had great depth.
The overall pacing is excellent, just enough was going on that I didn’t want to put it down, but not so much that it felt busy. I did find that there would sometimes feel like there was a disconnect within transitions, but still the plot stayed steady. I think the book itself was longer than it needed to be, but it did keep my interest especially in the second half. I didn’t want to put it down.
The writing is beautiful, poetic but still accessible. Haunting with an insurmountable tension. The theological questions that are put forth are a refreshing perspective without being overwhelming.
Highly recommend for an immersive experience and true dark academia.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Full disclosure: Sarah is my best friend, so I’m somewhat biased, but All That We Raised is brilliant regardless.
I’ve probably read hundreds of thousands of words of Sarah’s writing over the course of our friendship, but this, her first published novel feels special.
The doomed, spiralling pull between Lexi and August; the suspicion of every player at St Dunstan’s; the interludes, I LOVE THE INTERLUDES; and the discussions of theology, ritual and power, and the way that women are always the pawns and victims of the men who write the rule books.
Sarah and I run a dark academia podcast together so we’ve spent hours and hours discussing what works and what doesn’t for the genre. It was so fun to see our discussions of what’s lacking in some DA novels here in All That We Raised, and to see this book and St Dunstan’s become a part of something we both love so much.
All That We Raised is dark, moody and compelling. The perfect dark academia read.
I’ve probably read hundreds of thousands of words of Sarah’s writing over the course of our friendship, but this, her first published novel feels special.
The doomed, spiralling pull between Lexi and August; the suspicion of every player at St Dunstan’s; the interludes, I LOVE THE INTERLUDES; and the discussions of theology, ritual and power, and the way that women are always the pawns and victims of the men who write the rule books.
Sarah and I run a dark academia podcast together so we’ve spent hours and hours discussing what works and what doesn’t for the genre. It was so fun to see our discussions of what’s lacking in some DA novels here in All That We Raised, and to see this book and St Dunstan’s become a part of something we both love so much.
All That We Raised is dark, moody and compelling. The perfect dark academia read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first dark academia and I buzzed right through. I loved the author’s writing style and the pacing and premise of the story. Some parts did feel like I could’ve used a little more detail or direction but I did enjoy the overall vibes and plot.
The romance had tension and yearning and I was very intrigued by how the relationship would turn out by the end.
I loved the Interludes they broke up the pacing in a good way by giving outside perspective and an overall view of the bigger picture before drawing us back in closer to the action.
If you’re a dark academia reader who enjoys a side of the occult you’ll have a good time!
This was my first dark academia and I buzzed right through. I loved the author’s writing style and the pacing and premise of the story. Some parts did feel like I could’ve used a little more detail or direction but I did enjoy the overall vibes and plot.
The romance had tension and yearning and I was very intrigued by how the relationship would turn out by the end.
I loved the Interludes they broke up the pacing in a good way by giving outside perspective and an overall view of the bigger picture before drawing us back in closer to the action.
If you’re a dark academia reader who enjoys a side of the occult you’ll have a good time!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I’m certain that there’s an audience that’ll love this. Unfortunately, I am not that audience. I think the writing is a bit shallow, despite the book being so long, and you can tell that it’s a very millennial writing style, which isn’t quite my thing but has its place. I wish the characters, especially Lexi (our mc), were more fleshed out and had more depth. Lexi was a bit of a Mary Sue despite her motivation being the driving force of the narrative. I do feel like this got the dark academia vibes down, and I wish we could’ve seen more of it outside of the theology department.
I’m certain that there’s an audience that’ll love this. Unfortunately, I am not that audience. I think the writing is a bit shallow, despite the book being so long, and you can tell that it’s a very millennial writing style, which isn’t quite my thing but has its place. I wish the characters, especially Lexi (our mc), were more fleshed out and had more depth. Lexi was a bit of a Mary Sue despite her motivation being the driving force of the narrative. I do feel like this got the dark academia vibes down, and I wish we could’ve seen more of it outside of the theology department.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks Netgalley and the author for this Arc.
I really loved this read.
The plot was mysterious and dark. The suspense very well done, I couldn't put it down.
The Mc was a bit of a Mary Sue in some moments at the start it felt like somehow everybody loved her even tho they didn't know her at all.
The male interest was more likeable, tbh all the characters were very well constructed.
At some points it felt like the plot was totally disconnected from the story and this has so so many mistakes, grammar and even whole paragraphs that repeat themselves.
I think with some more work this could be a 5 star read, still, amazing work for a debut novel.
I really loved this read.
The plot was mysterious and dark. The suspense very well done, I couldn't put it down.
The Mc was a bit of a Mary Sue in some moments at the start it felt like somehow everybody loved her even tho they didn't know her at all.
The male interest was more likeable, tbh all the characters were very well constructed.
At some points it felt like the plot was totally disconnected from the story and this has so so many mistakes, grammar and even whole paragraphs that repeat themselves.
I think with some more work this could be a 5 star read, still, amazing work for a debut novel.
January 26, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this arc!
This was such a difficult one to rate… there was some lovely, poetic and descriptive writing and if I was going on pure vibes then it could’ve been higher. Sarah hit the ‘dark academia’ nail right on the head in a lot of ways. There were plenty of moments where I did start to get really invested and then moments where I struggled to get through it.
The dialogue, unfortunately, was stiff and weird a lot of the time, there’s a time and place for ominous, cryptic one-liners, I don’t think they’re needed multiple times in every conversation.
I liked the crows at first, until it became clear that they didn’t serve much of a purpose and there were times where the story as a whole was just confusing.
That being said, I did enjoy plenty of it, I just think the story wasn’t quite there for me. I’d be very interested to see what Sarah does next and I’d definitely read more from her!
This was such a difficult one to rate… there was some lovely, poetic and descriptive writing and if I was going on pure vibes then it could’ve been higher. Sarah hit the ‘dark academia’ nail right on the head in a lot of ways. There were plenty of moments where I did start to get really invested and then moments where I struggled to get through it.
The dialogue, unfortunately, was stiff and weird a lot of the time, there’s a time and place for ominous, cryptic one-liners, I don’t think they’re needed multiple times in every conversation.
I liked the crows at first, until it became clear that they didn’t serve much of a purpose and there were times where the story as a whole was just confusing.
That being said, I did enjoy plenty of it, I just think the story wasn’t quite there for me. I’d be very interested to see what Sarah does next and I’d definitely read more from her!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews