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One crowning factor that makes dark academia books so irresistible is the presence of secret societies.
In this post, I’m going to share my favorite books featuring secret societies that I found absolutely thrilling.
The intrigue of a secret society – the rules, the people, the enigmatic characters, and all the behind-the-scenes drama that influences the visible world – makes these stories even more amazing.
And in these books, the characters take it to the max.
I’ve read every book on this list, and while some are better than others, they’re all worth checking out.
Just be sure to review the content warnings before reading any of them!
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake
Imagine getting a chance to join the most exclusive magical society in the world, where knowledge is power – literally.
Every ten years, six gifted magicians are chosen to compete for a spot, but there’s a catch: only five will make it.
The recruits have one year to prove their worth, while they study things like time, space, and even death itself.
The characters are wildly different but equally intriguing – rivals Libby and Nico have insane elemental powers, Parisa can read minds, Reina understands life itself, Callum manipulates emotions, and Tristan sees through illusions.
And then there’s Atlas, the mysterious recruiter pulling the strings.
This book is filled with tension, secrets, and so much dark academia goodness.
If you love stories about magical elites who may or may not betray each other, you’ll eat this one up!
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides
Mariana, a therapist dealing with her own past, is convinced that a charming, well-respected professor at Cambridge is actually a murderer.
His little fan club, The Maidens, is suspiciously obsessed with him, and when one of them is killed, Mariana is sure she knows who did it.
The problem? No one believes her. As she digs deeper, her obsession with exposing the truth starts to unravel her own life. And then the bodies start piling up.
This one is a mix of dark academia, murder mystery, and Greek mythology references, which makes it even more interesting.
If you love psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, this book will definitely keep you guessing.
The Lilies by Quinn Diacon-Furtado
Elite private schools and secret societies always have a dark side, don’t they?
At Archwell Academy, the Lilies Society is the key to success but sometimes, members just vanish.
When four students wake up trapped in a time loop (yes, a time loop), they realize they each hold a piece of a disturbing mystery.
Every time the day repeats, they relive their worst memories while trying to figure out what’s really going on.
This is like The Atlas Six meets One of Us Is Lying with a twist of Groundhog Day.
It’s mysterious, thrilling, and a little mind-bending.
The Seven Dials Mystery by Agatha Christie
This one has classic Agatha Christie charm – old mansions, secret codes, and, of course, murder.
It all starts as a harmless prank: a group of friends set up a bunch of alarm clocks to wake up their notoriously late-sleeping friend.
But when morning comes, one clock is missing and their friend is dead.
Suddenly, the phrase Seven Dials starts popping up everywhere, and this leads to an underground society and a much bigger mystery.
Transmuted by Eve Harms
Isa, an influencer who rarely shows her face, finally has the chance to get gender-affirming surgery – until she has to use all her money to save her dad.
Desperate, she signs up for a free (and very experimental) procedure with Dr. Skurm, a surgeon who gets unnervingly good results.
At first, everything seems perfect. But then her body starts changing in ways she never expected – or wanted.
Now, she has to figure out what’s happening before she loses herself completely.
This one is body horror with a dark academia twist – creepy, unsettling, and impossible to put down.
If you love Frankenstein-style transformations, this will give you chills.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Alex Stern is the last person you’d expect at Yale. She had a rough past, barely made it through school, and is the only survivor of a horrific crime.
But somehow, she’s given a full scholarship with a catch.
Her real job? Watching over Yale’s secret societies, where the rich and powerful practice real magic – sometimes in very disturbing ways.
As she gets pulled deeper into their world, she realizes someone is hiding something deadly.
This book is dark, intense, and full of secrets.
If you love magical societies, murder mysteries, and morally gray heroines, this is the book for you.
Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco
This one is a wild ride!
Three editors, bored of reading nonsense manuscripts about secret societies, decide to make up their own conspiracy theory as a joke.
They mix in bits of history, myths, and occult references just to entertain themselves.
Then their made-up conspiracy starts coming true. Suddenly, real secret societies believe they have the key to ancient power, and the editors are in way over their heads.
If you love books that make you feel like a genius (or totally confused in a fun way), this one is packed with historical references, mind games, and mystery.
It’s a thinker, but totally worth it.
A Darker Mischief by Derek Milman
Cal, a queer teen from Mississippi, wins a scholarship to an elite boarding school in New England.
But fitting in isn’t easy his classmates mock him, and he feels totally out of place.
Just when he’s about to give up, he learns about a secret society that could change everything.
With the help of the enigmatic and dangerous Luke Kim, Cal gets caught up in the world of old money, privilege, and elite traditions.
But as the initiation rituals turn sinister, he has to decide – how much of himself is he willing to sacrifice to fit in?
This one has The Secret History vibes but with more heart and romance.
If you love dark academia with secret societies, forbidden love, and a protagonist you really root for, you’ll adore this book.
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in a park, surrounded by dead bodies, with no memory of who she is.
She finds a letter from her former self and explains that she was part of a secret organization fighting supernatural threats – and someone inside betrayed her.
Now, she has to pretend to be her old self while figuring out who tried to kill her.
Along the way, she discovers she has some very unusual powers and gets involved in a conspiracy much bigger than she ever imagined.
This one is part spy thriller, part supernatural adventure, and 100% fun.
The Worm and His Kings by Hailey Piper
Monique’s girlfriend, Donna, has vanished.
As more women go missing, Monique starts hearing whispers of something lurking beneath New York City – a creature with talons that drags people into the dark.
Determined to save Donna, Monique descends into an underground world filled with cults, nightmares, and things that shouldn’t exist.
The deeper she goes, the more she realizes this is bigger than she ever imagined.
This one is eerie, emotional, and absolutely haunting.
If you love cosmic horror with deep, personal stakes, you need this book.
Which of these books with secret societies are you planning to read? Let me know in the comments below!
If you’ve already read any of them, drop a little review and tell me whether you liked it, loved it, or didn’t enjoy it at all.
If you want even more recommendations, here’s a list of my favorite gothic romance novels that I think everyone should read.
And if you’re looking for something even more intense, check out this list of the best horror books ever!
