Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a completely beloved author of sumptuous, historical novels so maybe you’re wondering why we’re tackling one of her novels for ‘The Dark Academicals’ - well, stick with us.

Gothic fantasy can be dark academia, plus it’s set in a big mansion, the summary speaks of secrets and mysteries and we’re a sucker for beautiful writing.

The award-winning author of ‘Gods of Jade and Shadow’ (one of the 100 best fantasy novels of all time, TIME magazine) returns with a mesmerising feminist Gothic fantasy, in which a glamorous young socialite discovers the haunting secrets of a beautiful old mansion in 1950s Mexico.

He is trying to poison me. You must come for me, Noemí. You have to save me.

When glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada receives a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging to be rescued from a mysterious doom, it's clear something is desperately amiss. Catalina has always had a flair for the dramatic, but her claims that her husband is poisoning her and her visions of restless ghosts seem remarkable, even for her.

Noemí's chic gowns and perfect lipstick are more suited to cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing, but she immediately heads to High Place, a remote mansion in the Mexican countryside, determined to discover what is so affecting her cousin.

Tough and smart, she possesses an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerised by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to leave this enigmatic house behind . . .

Now, Sophie has a tricky relationship with historical fiction and both of us had actually tried to read this before a few years ago and didn’t quite connect with it, but will the magic of the podcast transform this book for us? Will Gothic fantasy become dark academia?

Come along and find out.

In this episode we discuss:

• The presence and discussion of colonialism, eugenics and oppression in the novel

• Trauma bonds and the longevity of the romantic relationship

• Fungal horror

• ‘Mexican Gothic’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald

• ‘Certain Dark Things’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• ‘The Daughter of Doctor Moreau’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

• ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë

• ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

• ‘Rebecca’ by Daphne du Maurier

• ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe

• The theories of Freud and Jung

If you’re a little late to this dark, historical fantasy like we were, you can grab a copy of ‘Mexican Gothic’ from bookshop.org and support both us and independent bookshops. A win for all, with no extra cost to you!

You can also sign up to The Dark Academicals Book Club mailer to be entered for exclusive book club content and giveaways!