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Book Summary and Reviews of Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

Unhallowed Halls

by Lili Wilkinson

  • Critics' Consensus (6):
  • Publishes:
  • Feb 18, 2025, 464 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn't even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion's halls--the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots--roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

 "Moody, gripping dark academia steeped in magic." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"[A] rainy gothic atmosphere punctuated by suspense, horror, and humor....feel at once as classic as its inspirations, and as an invigorating reinvention of the genre." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Mixing classical literature, folk magic, and a bit of cosmic horror, this novel will appeal to fans of dark magic and atmospheric settings." —Booklist

This information about Unhallowed Halls was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.

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Author Information

Lili Wilkinson

Lili Wilkinson is the author of nineteen novels published in Australia, including Green Valentine, The Boundless Sublime, and After the Lights Go Out. She established the Inky Awards at the Centre for Youth Literature, State Library of Victoria. Lili has a PhD in creative writing from the University of Melbourne and spends most of her time reading and writing books for teenagers. Her fantasy novels include A Hunger of Thorns and Deep Is the Fen.

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