Making the Grades
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| Making the Grades | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jasper Flynn |
| Format | Novel series (3 books, each released as 3 novellas) |
| Universe | Subconium Shared Universe |
| Genre | Dark Contemporary Romance, Psychological Erotic Thriller, Light Paranormal |
| Published | 2025–present |
| Status | Ongoing |
About
Making the Grades is a novel series set in the Subconium Shared Universe, written by Jasper Flynn. The series takes place in the fictional town of Verdant, Connecticut and primarily on the campus of Eastern Tsuga College. Each book follows a different female protagonist whose life becomes entangled with the manipulations of Professor William Taylor.
Format
Each of the three books is released as three novellas before being collected into a single complete edition.
Books
- Making the Grades: Kelly's Unveiling (2025) — Protagonist: Kelly Spaihts
- Allie's Descent (forthcoming) — Protagonist: Allie
- Heather's Awakening (forthcoming) — Protagonist: Heather
Connective antagonist
Professor William Taylor is the connective antagonist across all three books. Each book follows a different student who enters a remediation arrangement with Taylor that escalates through psychological manipulation and power dynamics. Taylor's methodology evolves across each book — he learns from each encounter.
Setting
The series is set in 2023. Key locations include:
- Eastern Tsuga College — primary setting
- Verdant, Connecticut — surrounding town
- Camera Noctis — members-only club
- La Sorcière — French restaurant used by Taylor
- Astro Club — campus dance club
- Astraea Society — sorority-like organization Kelly belongs to
Themes
Submission, control, self-discovery, corruption, power dynamics. The series operates in a dual register — on the surface a dark romance, beneath it a story about institutional power and psychological exploitation. The Hemlock Veil provides a subtle supernatural underpinning without overwhelming the human drama.
Connection to the broader SSU
Making the Grades shares the universe with Comply, a visual novel set one year later in Fall 2024. Characters and organizations from Making the Grades exist in Comply's world as background — Professor Taylor is still at ETC, the Astraea Society still operates, Camera Noctis is still running.
Publication history
Kelly's Unveiling
- Part One — January 23, 2025 (Amazon ASIN: B0DR9H73Z8)
- Part Two — February 24, 2025 (Amazon ASIN: B0DRDLCN78)
- Part Three — March 24, 2025 (Amazon ASIN: B0DRDQZZP8)
- Complete Edition — TBD