Dark Academia
VELLUM: A Dark Academia Sapphic Romance (The Athenaeum Trilogy Book 1)
Book 1 in the The Athenaeum Trilogy series · Reading order →
SpiceDarkness
- Kindle, paperback & audiobook on Amazon
- Spice & darkness rated — content warnings listed below
Many dark romance titles are in Kindle Unlimited or on Audible. Check this book’s Amazon page for its formats.
As an Amazon Associate, Readark may earn from qualifying purchases.
Why we recommend it
A sapphic dark academia romance set among rare books and secret ambition. For readers who love cloistered libraries, intellectual rivalry, and slow-burning tension between dangerous women, this delivers atmosphere thick with longing and menace. The mood is gothic and seductive, the romance forbidden and charged. Ideal for fans who want their elite institutions hiding deadly games and their love stories laced with brilliance, danger, and desire.
At a glance
VELLUM is a dark academia romance by Stacey Kendrix. Spice 4/5, darkness 3/5 — on the lighter side for dark academia romance. Among 191 rated dark academia romance books, almost none are less dark and 56% less spicy. Tagged tropes include forced proximity, slow burn and enemies to lovers. 2 content warnings are listed below, hidden until you tap.
Book details
- Published
- April 2026
VELLUM spice level
VELLUM is rated 4/5 for spice on Readark’s scale: explicit and frequent, meaning multiple detailed scenes, with heat central to the story. Its darkness rating is 3/5: genuinely dark, meaning violence, coercion or captivity drive the plot, not just the mood. How we rate
VELLUM content warnings
We list 2 content warnings for this book. They stay hidden until you tap, so you can check without spoilers.
Content warnings (tap to reveal)
- Emotional Abuse / Gaslighting
- Graphic Violence
Decided this one is for you?
Check Price on Amazon →More like this
Dark Academia
A Taste of Torment (Shadow Hills Academy: Relentless)
SpiceDarkness
Forbidden RomanceMorally Grey MCSlow Burn
Content warnings (tap to reveal)
- Emotional Abuse / Gaslighting
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.