The Library at Hellebore, by Cassandra Khaw
17 Aug 2025The Book
Synopsis:
A deeply dark academia novel from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw, perfect for fans of A Deadly Education and The Atlas Six who are hungry for something a little more diabolical.
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the dangerously the Anti-Christs and Ragnaroks, the world-eaters and apocalypse-makers.
Hellebore promises redemption, acceptance, and a normal life after graduation. At least, that's what Alessa Li is told when she's kidnapped and forcibly enrolled.
But there's more to Hellebore than meets the eye. On graduation day, the faculty go on a ravenous rampage, feasting on Alessa's class. Only Alessa and a group of her classmates escape the carnage. Trapped in the school's library, they must offer a human sacrifice every night, or else the faculty will break down the door and kill everyone.
My Review
The Library at Hellebore is a deliciously dark horror novel, written by Cassandra Khaw, and published by Titan Books. A novel that leaves you wondering what you have just read, a blend between cosmic horror and dark academia, not afraid to explore some extreme situations, a visceral and macabre book that paired with Khaw's writing style makes it an unforgettable experience (not gonna lie, I love horror).
The Hellebore Technical Institute for the Gifted is the premier academy for the AntiChrists, Ragnaroks, world-eaters and apocalypse-makers; an opportunity for redemption, or at least that was what Alessa was told when she was kidnaped into enrolling. But now, with the faculty feasting on Alessa's class, a group of classmates and her have escaped to the library, trying to avoid the carnage; they are given an ultimatum: only one will survive, the rest needs to die in a three-day term, or all will be eaten by the faculty.
A diabolical situation that will put the group to the limit of their forces, told in a split timeline that will also shed light over Alessa's past and the complex and sinister world that is contained at Hellebore.
As you might have imagined by this point of the review, practically all the cast is composed of unlikeable characters, but Khaw has an ability to give them great depth; the dynamic between the different members of the group plays an important role on the whole plot. Using an unreliable first person voice for the narration is the perfect choice for this kind of story, an opportunity to make the reader doubt about the reality of what they are reading while also showing really gruesome scenes that I'm certain ticks some parts of your brain.
Khaw's prose is really immersive, contributing to the visceral and macabre atmosphere that is part of Hellebore; a setting which harbours many creatures that are the definition of cosmic horror. A really descriptive approach that enhances the horror at the core of this book.
I never felt the pace to be slow, despite the dual timeline; the alternation between them helps to play with the adequate amount of tension.
The Library at Hellebore is an excellent example of how enjoyable can be a horror piece that is not afraid to break the boundaries, that embraces and enhances the extreme aspects of it; a blend of cosmic horror and dark academia that was one of my highlights of the year.
