SIBYLLINE, by Melissa de la Cruz, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, Feb. 3, 2026, Hardcover, $20.99 (young adult, ages 14 and up)
Three teens infiltrate the magical ivy league in Sibylline, a dark academia romantasy from Melissa de la Cruz.
Raven, Atticus, and Dorian have dreamed of attending Sibylline for as long as they can remember. But when the magical university rejects them, the friends’ plans for a future studying the arcane together begin crashing down.
Until they decide to steal an education.
Getting jobs on campus, they sneak into lectures and swipe forbidden texts, dodging the administration’s watchful eye. In the quiet of night, in the thrill of secrecy, their magic awakens. And so do long-buried attractions that turn their friendship into something more.
But like magic, love can create, and it can destroy. As unrequited feelings and resentment threaten to fracture their bond, the trio discovers an insidious magic that has sunk its claws into Sibylline, killing students and corroding the very bones of the university. Now the three intruders may be the key to saving the institution from wreckage . . . if they don’t wreck one another first. —Synopsis provided by G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
Sibylline is billed as a dark academia romantasy for a YA audience. Unfortunately, it really feels more like a romantasy for older, more mature readers (at least 17 or 18 years old) .
The good:
- The story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Raven, Atticus, and Dorian. Each voice is distinct with individual their talents, dreams, backgrounds. Author Melissa de la Cruz excels in the exploration of each of the main characters’ feelings.
- Raven, Atticus, and Dorian find work that more compelling than your average college job. This helps set the stage for what is supposed to be the main plot.
- The premise of stealing an education is a fantastic hook that many readers will relate to.
- Sibylline is a mystery unto itself. Nothing you can learn on the outside compares to walking into the magical school.
- Raven, Atticus, and Dorian each have their own talents, and when they start stretching their abilities, it makes everything infinitely more interesting.
The not so good:
- The throuple/love triangle romance takes over the entire book at the expense of everything else. I found myself wondering what the actual story beyond the throuple was supposed to be, and I don’t think that’s how the author intended things.
- Sex scenes are often a part of YA, and they can be done well. In the case of Sibylline, there is a very spicy chapter that comes out of nowhere, and it is so explicit that it takes the book out of the YA zone.
- There’s not enough room in 300 pages to explore what de la Cruz teases. I would have preferred a longer book where the magic and mystery got to play a larger role.
Who should read Sibylline:
- Older, more mature fans of romantasy who don’t mind not having all their questions answered.
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