UNDER: Book One in the Descent Into Darkness Trilogy

by Lily Fay

"The only monster to stake its claim was the one winking in her reflection”

When Aurelia’s father meets his untimely demise, her purpose dies with him.

Thrust into Vanderbel Academy she knows no one. Nothing is as it seems. Not even her unexpected roommate Veronica Lancet; who seems to be keeping secrets of her own.

Are the voices that haunt Aurelia somehow interlaced with the mystery? Or has her sanity finally given way?

Genres: Dark Academia

361 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 8, 2026

About the author

Lily Fay is a 23 year old queer indie author based in New South Wales, Australia. Her stories are emotionally driven, with wild twists and complex characters that will have you swooning and sobbing interchangeably.

Her debut is a Sapphic Dark Academia Fantasy, and the first in a trilogy.

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

had the extreme pleasure of reading the alpha version of this book!!!!!!!!! and now i have the extra extreme pleasure of claiming to know an author mweheheh

I’m excited for the finished book to release and see what changes!!!! this was sm fun to read 😋😋😋

“A wick of a boy shyly rose his hand, hair swaying, a single lilting flame.”

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

i'm so unbelievably honoured to have been able to beta read this beautiful story, I knew that I was going to love the story before i read it and SHOCK i was so right. At it's core it's a story of two girls navigating their grief and trauma alongside each other, but it's so so much more than that, it is dark academia, its a murder mystery, its fantasy and it melts together seemlessly. I fell in love with the characters from the get go, (especially veronica and her slutty little suits) and just how poetically they were written. Lily Fay has such an incredible way with her storytelling and her words, i just know there are so many amazing quotes in here that are definitely going to become people's new favourites because they have become some of mine. I'm so excited to re read the final edition because based on this copy? you'll are in for an incredible journey when it comes out and it's a bloody masterpiece now.
Proud of you forever <3

[Riris.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the great pleasure of beta-reading Under by Lily Fay, and what a beautiful novel it is!

Looking for hauntingly lyrical words that will pierce your heart with a doomed romance and sapphic no less! I highly recommend this book!

When Aurelia’s father meets his untimely demise, her purpose dies with him.

Thrust into Vanderbel Academy, she knows no one. Nothing is as it seems. Not even her unexpected roommate, Veronica Lancet, who seems to be keeping secrets of her own.

Are the voices that haunt Aurelia somehow interlaced with the mystery? Or has her sanity finally given way?

This story captures your attention from the first page with its poetic description of grief, want and love. Fay masterfully crafts the romance, the murder mystery, and a dusting of magic throughout the novel. If your vibes are Bridgerton meets Frankenstein in a dark academia setting, this one is for you!

“𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑒.“

4⭐️
2🌶️

[Alyssa (Nova) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Aurelia faced her reflection in the water, hoping to see someone worth breathing for."

༝ ˚ ｡⋆ 𓇼 ⋆｡ ˚ ༝

Being picked to alpha read this book was an incredible honour. It so perfectly explores grief and trauma in a way that I felt like I was there alongside her characters' struggles. 

Lily has an extraordinary capability of capturing emotion with a beautiful array of metaphors and poeticism that I have absolutely zero doubt that future readers of this book will fall head over heels for. I'm so ridiculously excited to see how this book progresses through the editing process - if this is the first version, y'all are in for a ride with every rendition afterward.