Recs if you like An Academy for Liars...

Standalone fantasy books that won't make you invest your life in a dozen installments

Representations of the Black experience through fantasy, science fiction, and speculative fiction. Recommendations welcome!

I'm sure some of these are already on your TBR, so might as well add some more! Let me know if I am missing any of your favorites!

Many of these are the beginning of series, but all of them are about academics in fantasy settings. All cross genres are welcome.

books featuring or set in magic schools / universities / academies, aka, one of the best subgenres in existence !

this list has books for all ages (am actively looking for more adult options), most of the books are dark academia, and ALL of them are fantastical 🪄 recs welcome <3

(alternatively, books to fall in love with & share with others to help avoid supporting or promoting JKR. i will never shut up ab how the Nevermoor series deserves the popularity that Harry Potter enjoys !)

Non-fiction and fiction books with moths in them. That's it. That's the list. PS: Why isn't there a moth emoji already?!?

We all love gothic classics, but what is new when it comes to the gothic genre (from the last 20 years or so)?! For fans of Dracula, Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, etc. Please comment with suggestions to add!

Here are some fantasy novels with black FMCs!

If we are going to do Qwordy's the Hardest Reading Challenge You'll Ever Do 3.0 - we should probably get some Pagebound badges along the way! I'm specifically going to be adding books from Quests and readalongs that I think matches at least one of these cover prompts: craft, food, motion, biomes/landscapes, animals, weather.

Do you love collecting tiny shiny objects (badges)? These books will count towards THREE quests, helping you collect all the shiny objects!

Ever felt overwhelmed by Quests? Well, we currently (August 1st 2026) have over 100 of them, totaling 4000+ different books. Ofc you’re overwhelmed.

Whether you’ve already worked through the ones on top, or just want more of a challenge, here I’m giving you a list of every book on Pagebound that’s in 3 Quests. Hopefully you’ll find it helpful. NB: Time limited Quests not included. Too much upkeep, sorry.

Enjoy, and happy questing

Books that I think have beautiful front covers. Open for recommendations!

a list for love interests who aren't 🔵👄🔵

i want to read more dark academia books by authors who write about poc, queer, disabled characters

Kinda spooky, probably dark and super atmospheric. May include: lady knights, academia settings, broody MMCs, haunted castles/manors, candelabras or gargoyles (BARTHOLOMEW!!)

true dark academia that ranges from fantastical/supernatural to psychological literary fiction

A mix of different books that all centre around the “dark academia” genre ✨

All the books chosen by Booksandlala for the Literally Dead Book club.

Fantasy books where the elements are not the primary source for their magic/superpowers.

Books to read to get quest badges quicker. The books on this list can be found in 3+ quests (not counting limited-time event badges). Inspired by @AsiminaTriloba. Bring home the Badges!