The Devil Makes Three is the perfect dark academia novel for fans of this literary genre and would function well as a gateway novel for readers who have yet to set toe in these murky waters. For the uninitiated, dark academia revolves around a narrative steeped in mystery and Gothic gloom in a university or boarding school setting, often involving secret societies or a dark ominous campus history heretofore unknown to its modern day crop of students—until disturbing events start to take place, perhaps someone disappears or a body turns up, prompting our intrepid protagonist to investigate! Or it may be that they have a secret personal connection to the unnerving incidents taking place…
In this debut novel by Tori Bovalino, who launches herself into the YA book market with self-assured style and polished prose, our heroine is the sharp and spiky Tess Matheson. She has a chip on her shoulder and isn’t afraid to show it, even when putting on an amiable face would help smooth the way. Her path to a part-scholarship at Falk University and job at its library was a rocky one paved with a blindside that rocked her family dynamics, noble self-sacrifice and the charity of a distant great aunt which secures a place on campus for herself and her beloved younger sister, Nat.
The reader isn’t privy right away to the circumstances that led to Tess being at Falk, and she comes off as a trifle off-putting with her anger and resentment, but once the background is revealed, her character becomes more sympathetic. It’s an interesting tactic introducing her to us in this manner, almost as though we’re being encouraged to view her through one slightly negative lens before the author refocuses it to show her in another light. Female protagonists in YA are often a combination of various positive attributes, with flaws being something acceptable like ‘feisty’ or ‘impulsive’, so it’s interesting when a bookish heroine is more notable for being antagonistic, daring us to like her despite herself.
And liking Tess is certainly a challenge for our other main character, Eliot Birch, son of Falk’s headmaster. Due to an unfortunate case of mistaken identity and some regrettable passive-aggressive venting on sticky notes affixed to a large pile of requested books, she and Eliot don’t exactly start off on the right foot! But luckily for the audience, this potential blackmail allows Eliot to take advantage of Tess’s full library access to sneak him into a restricted area where they wind up discovering a secret passage to a mysterious grimoire tucked away in a remote corner…and that’s just the start to their misadventures involving demons, creepy ink magic, possession and a lot of gruesome gore!
This book isn’t for the squeamish as the author doesn’t hold back on visceral descriptions of decaying bodies and violent attacks, making it more intense than your average YA novel (content warnings are available here and here) However rest assured that this isn’t dabbling in torture porn as the focus is mainly on how these graphic scenes impact on the main characters so it doesn’t ever feel gratuitous, plus the grisly visuals are spaced out at regular intervals to give the reader a bit of breathing space in between confronting scenes. For horror fans, there is a lot to enjoy here with deliciously dark and twisted moments that will set your head reeling, and a huge part of the thrill is watching our leads embark on a misguided course of action just knowing it will lead nowhere good and waiting on tenterhooks for the trap to be sprung. There’s also the literary equivalent of jump scares which the author confidently executes to great effect, sure to lead to sharp gasps and frantically pounding hearts!
In between moments of horror, there is a slow-burn romance unfolding between Tess and Eliot which is a pleasure to read as their initially hostile dynamic warms into something closer to an alliance, then a friendship and hints of more. It’s beautifully measured and restrained, giving the reader time to invest in both characters and their individual journeys before strengthening their connection and willing us to yearn for more along with them. The romantic tension isn’t the only relationship dynamic developed in this book as there is also a large focus on platonic and familial bonds as well. While Nat doesn’t feature as heavily in the action despite how much she fuels Tess’s drive to succeed at Falk, the sisterly relationship is a constant feature in the background and Tess’s roommate also pops up now and then, showing a warm supportive female friendship that is welcome in the midst of all the angst and gloom! Eliot’s family background is explored in greater depth than expected, providing a great deal of character nuance and fleshing him out as we witness his closeness to an ill mother who taught him magic and his strained, toxic relationship with his father who abhors any hint of the supernatural.
Intriguingly dark and macabre, The Devil Makes Three is a perfectly chilling YA horror that delivers in spades on the delicious premise of dark academia set in a formidably vast library with a creepy basement, ancient grimoires, and secret passages. Its spooky atmosphere is expertly drawn by accomplished, captivating writing that amps up the reader’s breathless anticipation with each unsettling new chapter. The charismatic lead characters are easy to emotionally invest in and will have you praying for their safety as they desperately face off against demons, possession, and dark magic. And the final brilliant closing line will linger in your head long after finishing this eerily haunting and unexpectedly emotional story.
The Devil Makes Three is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 10th 2021.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Tess Matheson only wants three things: time to practice her cello, for her sister to be happy, and for everyone else to leave her alone.
Instead, Tess finds herself working all summer at her boarding school library, shelving books and dealing with the intolerable patrons. The worst of them is Eliot Birch: snide, privileged, and constantly requesting forbidden grimoires. After a bargain with Eliot leads to the discovery of an ancient book in the library’s grimoire collection, the pair accidentally unleash a book-bound demon.
The demon will stop at nothing to stay free, manipulating ink to threaten those Tess loves and dismantling Eliot’s strange magic. Tess is plagued by terrible dreams of the devil and haunting memories of a boy who wears Eliot’s face. All she knows is to stay free, the demon needs her… and he’ll have her, dead or alive.
