A haunting dark academia tale.
When college freshman Adria “Addie” Velde arrives at the University of the Arches, her mother’s California alma mater, she anticipates new beginnings but instead uncovers eerie mysteries. Addie, haunted by strange memories and her mother’s distant behavior, soon finds her college escape turning into a dark descent. The campus is marked by cryptic symbols, unsettling professors, and eerie rituals. From her dorm window, she sees the Devouring Well, locked and steeped in ominous lore. Addie bonds with other legacy students, all connected to a peculiar class and an enigmatic, vanished professor.
The story unfolds at a slow pace, with Velde family home videos and dream sequences
revealing key information. Repeated mentions of “vibes” take the place of more detailed horror descriptions, while stilted prose affects the story’s flow. The romance subplot with twin brothers lacks development, and Addie’s family heritage includes Belarusian and Italian roots, with a cast diverse in race, nationality, and gender identity.
A dramatic exploration of dark academia.
