From instant New York Times<\/i> bestseller, Nero Award-shortlisted, and TikTok Book of the Year-shortlisted Lex Croucher comes your new dark academia obsession…<\/b><\/p>\n
Briar always dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy, the elite boarding school that’s produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in history, long rumoured to be magical. Briar’s best friend, Sebastian, just wanted them to stay together forever.<\/p>\n
When Sebastian gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn’t, their relationship is shattered – until, at eighteen, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the magical junk in Temple’s attic, and discovers that quiet, sensitive Sebastian, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become the villain.<\/p>\n
Dark academia <\/b>meets fantasy in this timely page-turner about a student <\/b>who fails to gain admission to the UK’s only school of magic but then finds their way there years later and unearths the ugly secrets simmering behind its ancient walls – unmissable for fans of Babel <\/i>by R.F. Kuang and Ninth House <\/i>by Leigh Bardugo.<\/b><\/p>\n
PRAISE FOR LEX CROUCHER:<\/b><\/p>\n
‘Exactly what I needed right now’ ALICE OSEMAN
\n‘A total, rollicking delight’ CASEY MCQUISTON
\n‘Fun and genuinely funny’ RAINBOW ROWELL
\n‘I loved this book to a degree that’s slightly ridiculous’ BECKY ALBERTALLI<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Signed Indie Hardback Pre-Order | Lex Croucher \u2013 The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones<\/p>\n
Secure a signed indie hardback copy of The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones<\/em> by Lex Croucher, available now as a limited pre-order. Blending dark academia with fantasy, this highly anticipated novel explores ambition, friendship and betrayal within a mysterious elite school. A compelling and atmospheric read, signed copies are expected to be in strong demand.<\/p>\n Publication date: 9 June 2026<\/strong>. All signed pre-orders will be dispatched as soon as stock arrives.<\/p>\n Order your signed copy today \u2014 pre-orders are limited and may sell out quickly. Supplied by an independent UK bookshop and carefully packaged to protect collectible condition.<\/p>\n From instant New York Times bestseller, Nero Award-shortlisted, and TikTok Book of the Year-shortlisted Lex Croucher comes your new dark academia obsession…Briar always dreamed of attending the Temple School of Thaumaturgy, the elite boarding school that’s produced the most CEOs and Prime Ministers in history, long rumoured to be magical. Briar’s best friend, Sebastian, just wanted them to stay together forever. When Sebastian gets an acceptance letter and Briar doesn’t, their relationship is shattered – until, at eighteen, Briar secures a temp job sorting through the magical junk in Temple’s attic, and discovers that quiet, sensitive Sebastian, the boy they once loved more than anything else in the world, has become the villain.Dark academia meets fantasy in this timely page-turner about a student who fails to gain admission to the UK’s only school of magic but then finds their way there years later and unearths the ugly secrets simm<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[16428,225,26102],"product_tag":[27511,763],"class_list":{"0":"post-113059","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","5":"product_cat-pre-order-carousel","6":"product_cat-sci-fi-fantasy","7":"product_cat-signed-and-special-editions","8":"product_tag-dark-romance","9":"product_tag-fantasy-romance","10":"pa_book_author-croucher-lex","11":"pa_cover-hardback","12":"pa_imprint-gollancz","13":"pa_language-english","14":"pa_pages-9842","15":"pa_publisher-gollancz","16":"pa_readership-general-trade-code-k","18":"first","19":"instock","20":"sold-individually","21":"taxable","22":"shipping-taxable","23":"purchasable","24":"product-type-simple"},"yoast_head":"\n