The Sword and Laser discussion

(Some minor spoilers for early chapters, I haven’t hidden them)

I read this book last year (finished it just before Halloween in fact) and in my review I commented that it really puts the darkness into dark academia. The hospital-bed invitation to come to Yale and join Lethe is like a dark version of the letter from Hogwarts, with Alex’s ability to see “Grays” (ie creepy ghosts) her magic powers. At Yale it turns out that magical rituals are real but involve gross things like delving in intestines. Meanwhile we have murders, drug use, sexual assault… a whole bunch of trigger warnings.

What I really liked about this book was the way it features both the allure of academic life - the secret societies, the privilege and of course access to all those books - and the dark side. The magic is essentially a representation of the way wealth and power are perpetuated through the Ivy League, with a few useful people allowed in.

What did you all think?

How many books have we read that take place in a school or academy? I can think of:

The Poppy War
The Fourth Wing
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/Sorcerer's Stone
House by the Cerulean Sea

I'm wondering if we've read any other's about Secret Societies too. We probably have, but that would also depend I guess on the definition of a secret society, whether based on our real world or something fantastical.

The Magicians, too. Pretty sure we read that as a a club.
Among Others also takes place in a school but it's way less of the story.

Updraft, she’s in flight school.

One character in Jade City is in a school, and his older cousin reflects on his time there. Half point?

The Rook is a secret organization. It's pretty impressive to look back on all the books.

Ender’s Game has Battle School

The Name of the Wind has a university for teaching magic-like abilities

Rivers of London is a secret part of the British police force.

The Invisible Library is about a secret organisation hunting dangerous books from other secret organisations.

I just started this book (50 pages in) and so far I like it. It is very dark and I hope it continues to be. I loved Six of Crowes and I guess I like her writing style it seems to fit me. I am loving the dark academia so far.