Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC. A Deadly Education is set in the Scholomance, a school for magicians. But it isn't a regular school. There are no teachers and graduation isn't guaranteed. The same can be said about survival as the whole school is out to kill you. Literally. It's either one of the school's various monsters or the graduation that'll be the end of you. Or you get murdered by your peers. So you better stay high alerted all the time. You never know when the time's up. El's one of the students. She's prophesied to destroy basically everything. But she doesn't accept that prophecy and is constantly fighting it. If there wouldn't be that annoying guy, Orion. Who might be a little bit too enthusiastic about getting into trouble. And somehow can't stay away from El.

Inside the Scholomance there are monsters waiting to eat you for your magic, lurking in every shadow. But outside the Scholomance you’re an easier target.

What I loved:
Magic school setting
Hate to friends to….?
Unique magic system
Sassy FMC/narrator

I didn’t think I would like this book so much! Not that I didn’t expect to like it-m… but I LOVED IT.

It has it all for me- an academic setting, magic that requires a price, diversity, a grumpy character paired with an almost sunshine-esque one… 5 stars. All the stars.

We follow Galadriel- or El, who has a hard time using “good” magic, because she was born to use the “bad” kind. She excels at spells that get people hurt, not ones that make daily life easier. Which might be good in a school full of monsters that want to eat you- except that she is just as likely to put an entire room up in flames as she is to just hit her target.

But not to worry! Orion, a student in her year, has a knack for showing up in at just the right moment to take out any monsters, much to El’s dismay. It’s almost like he’s seeking the danger out, and just won’t leave El alone.

We follow El and Orion through their junior year as El tries to figure out her solution for graduation day- where she’ll need to make her way through a room filled with the toughest and hungriest of these monsters alive. If she were in an enclave- a group of wizards with money and power- she’d have a much easier time. However as an outcast she’ll be lucky to make a few allies to team up with against the horde.

I really enjoyed the style and flair of this, which is why I've given it full marks. As a romance reader, though, I was yearning for more in that department. The chemistry was lacking and there wasn't enough adhesion to keep me invested in their feelings for each other. But since that's my problem and not the author's, this is a five-star read for any non-romance readers!

This was everything I wished Harry Potter had been. It captivated me from the first paragraph, and wove it’s way in to my heart in a way that was both comforting and frightening. I’ve already bought the second book!

"A Deadlly Education" is the first book of "The Scholomance," a fantasy trilogy, with dark academia overtones, written by Naomi Novik and concluded.

The story revolves around Scholomance, a famous and historic school created for those gifted with magic. A peculiar institution unlike any other, where strangeness and dangers lurk around every corner, surface and crevice. At Scholomance, there are no teachers, vacations or special permits. There are no friendships, except strategic ones. Survival is far more important than any grade, for the school does not allow its students to leave at least until they graduate...or die. The rules are deceptively simple: don't walk the halls of the school alone. And be aware of the monsters lurking everywhere. Until the presence of a student, is destined to turn the tables and bring new secrets to light. Galadriel "El "Higgins, a third-year student, is exceptionally prepared for the dangers of school. While she does not have many allies, due to her brusque temperament and the feeling of fear she radiates, and while she is not exactly a perfect heroine, she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to use her magic to get rid once and for all of the monsters that haunt the school day and night, attacking and killing her classmates. The problem? Her powerful dark magic could also kill all the other students in the process.

I finally started this series! I had been wanting to jump in for quite a while, fascinated by the premise, only to punctually put it off and devote myself to other titles. But finally, yes, I did it! And I can say that I was fully satisfied! I absolutely loved this volume, more than I had hoped for. I started with moderate expectations, considering the various negative reviews, so as to avoid any disappointment. And in the end I was pleasantly surprised! I found it a delightfully intricate, mysterious and dark read that kept me glued to the pages from beginning to end.

The setting is something incredibly gorgeous in my opinion! Of course, it is a school of magic and yes, at times it is resembling other similar structures in other fantasy books. The Scholomance, though, for me, stands out in its genre. First, as a premise, the institute is inspired by the Romanian legend of the Scholomance, a seven-year, underground school of black magic located in the Transylvania region that was said to be run by the Devil. That said, the Scholomance is a peculiar academy, dark and brutal, where there are no teachers or vacations, no award permits, and more generally no such thing as tranquility. It is a structure with impossible architecture, suspended in a murky, mysterious void, the nature of which is unknown. It is a dangerous school that feeds on the fear, suffering, commitment and desires of its students. As well as death, of course. For yes, at the Scholomance people die. Literally. There are no safe places, for monsters lurk everywhere. In hallways, in classrooms, in labs, in the canteen, in bathrooms, in individual students' rooms. Hidden under surfaces, tucked into corners or ready to crawl through cracks. Everywhere, in fact. If you want to survive, you don't walk the halls alone and be aware of everything. Survival matters more than individual grades, for one does not get out even if injured. No, the only way to leave is to graduate or die. And graduation does not consist of a series of quiet, orderly tasks, but of a mad rush to the doors, into the hall located on the lowest level, infested with monsters waiting to feast. At the Scholomance you don't mind things like hygiene, fashion or beauty, unless you want to become a snack. At the Scholomance you make do with what you have, manage to create or procure. In short, all this talk to say that yes, I loved the Scholomance so much! I found it a very intriguing, dark and mysterious setting that reduced me to a swoon! Clearly not everything is explained, there are a lot of question points, but I guess that's to be expected. It's not like the author can reveal everything right away! I am sure that new pieces will be discovered later on. The same goes for the magic system, complex and articulated, not yet well explored. Seriously, in this regard I can only express compliments!

The story, in my opinion, has no real plot. Or rather, it simply follows the path of the protagonist and the other characters during the third academic year, showing their days, the struggle against constant dangers, and the various relationships that are established. All of this is aimed at reaching the fourth and final year, with graduation as the ultimate goal. Basically what is narrated in the introduction is what is shown. It is a choice that one may or may not like, and I admit that I enjoyed it quite a bit. I was absorbed in the events, perhaps a bit repetitive, with no boring or tired moments.

Novik's writing is very distinctive. In "Uprooted," she had impressed me with her evocative tones, her lyrical traits, her vivid descriptions, and the sophistication of her words. In this case, the author deviates by using first-person narration, through the protagonist El, in what results almost as a continuous stream of consciousness. The protagonist goes from recounting school facts, to narrating personal events, and then digresses into details about relatives, acquaintances and whatnot. She basically jumps from one topic to another, even within the same speech. She provides so much information, about so many different things, often not even related to the main story and therefore not very useful. There is a lot of infodump, with information and names thrown in at a rapid pace. All marked by very descriptive prose, dense at times, full of similes and other things. Not the easiest writing to follow, in my opinion, but nonetheless it engaged me a lot. I admit I am used to this type of narration and if handled well, it captures me. In this case I found it well mastered, so I was satisfied with it. I also liked the way she managed to render the dark, threatening, and restless atmosphere of the academy and the general situation.

I loved Galadriel "El" Higgins, protagonist and only first-person pov! El is a girl of gray morality, characterized by a complex and contradictory personality. Growing up with her mother in an isolated community, she has never known any other sincere affection than that of the woman. In fact, since childhood she has always been disliked, shunned, considered a source of trouble or a threat. Both by laymen (nonmagicians) and by those gifted with magic. A dangerous person, or inferior, to be ignored or gotten rid of. El grew up without friends, with no one to lean on except her mother, learning to rely only on her own strength. The development of her powers first, and the arrival at the Scholomance later, did not change this situation. El is a strongly cynical, decidedly grumpy and perpetually angry girl with a biting irony and a sharp tongue. Antipathic, cheeky and proud, she enjoys poking at others. She knows that others do not like her, she knows she is wrong, but she does not care to make up for it. However, underneath her tough armor, she occasionally hides a sensitive soul that suffers from loneliness and the idea of never being enough. El is literally a loose mine, gifted with a strong dark magic that she can barely hold back. She could destroy everything and everyone if she wanted to, bend others to her will, but she tries to contain herself and stick to the teachings she has received. Which is difficult, since magic and the school itself try to goad her. El is a character that convinced me so much, from the excellent description. She makes questionable choices, has questionable attitudes, but also hides so much more. I am so curious to know more details about her, her past and especially her magic!

The rest of the secondary characters, except Orion, do not shine in terms of depth. Since El is the narrator, and given her jumping between topics, it is difficult to get a complete picture. Always excluding Orion, however, it is clear that these are gray characters, also made so by their surroundings. In fact, the Scholomance praises individuality. Everyone thinks for themselves, planning strategies to obtain what is necessary to survive and pass the graduation. Frequently at the expense of others, according to the "better you than me" principle. Lies, cheating and subterfuge are the order of the day. Opportunism reigns supreme, with exchanges, brief alliances and entanglements, depending on the occasion and the moment. Nothing is given away for free. Everything has a price. A favor for a favor. The relationships that develop are not based on friendship, but on convenience. In this sense falls the elaborate system of circles and alliances, which results in significant disparities among students. I enjoyed this twisted and turbulent atmosphere too much!

Returning to Orion, he is basically the opposite of El and almost all, perhaps, of the other students. Orion comes from a powerful circle and is strong, praised, and respected. Extremely skilled and intelligent, caring and self-righteous, he is a true hero in shining armor, ready to save those in trouble. A boy raised in ease, at times naive and unaware of how things really work around him. I liked him a lot and loved the interactions between him and El!

All in all, I found it a beautiful start to a fantasy series, which I recommend to lovers of the genre, especially if they are fans of dark academia tints.

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

It pains me to say that, though I didn't love this one- at least to the extent that I expected to- I did have a great time enough to consider finishing the series (eventually). A Deadly Education had all the makings to set up a fantastic fantasy series, but it fell a bit short for me...

A few notes:
- I will never not gravitate towards a book about a magical school and students in some sort of high stakes trial or survival. I get the easy comparison to HP, but really that's the only way they compare. The idea of Scholomance and Novik's creation of the magic system was so unique. I'm truly at awe at how creative it was. I loved the sorcerer's unique affinities, the enclaves, and the idea of "mana" and power-showering.

- 90% of the book was our main character, El's inner-dialogue, which was sarcastic and witty, but often too informational. Which makes sense in terms of world-building and attempting to understand the magic system, but it was personally so distracting. I wanted more interactions with her classmates, Orion, etc.

- I honestly wish we got MORE of that classic YA-level tension between El and Orion!! 😂 I mean the book's first line is perfection. Our sarcastic heroine has been "saved" at least twice at this point by the school's golden boy (& actual hero) except, El doesn't actually need saving (with her affinity for destruction). Which makes it that much more hilarious. The potential for what their relationship could be during their senior year is honestly what has me wanting to read more.

Thanks Netgalley & Random House- Del Rey pub for the eARC!

Once I started reading this, I realized I'd read it (or tried to) before, this isn't a new release. I decided to give it a second go as I'm reading more fantasy and sci fi lately. I'm not sure what it is with this story but I just cannot get into it. I tried, I really did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

This book was very much a slow burn for me. I like an anti-hero as much as the next girl, but I just had a tough time getting into the world and understanding what was going on for about the first third of the book. I read through the critiques of race in the book - I certainly agree with some of them, having also noticed the unnecessary details about locs. I also agree that El doesn’t particularly seem to read as a person of color, and that the details of her Indian heritage were very vague. Where I disagree I think is on the critique of the way El analyzes everyone by the language they speak as being a critique of the author. I do feel like that might just be another way in which El reads white, but also vaguely sociopathic.

What I loved about the book - the ending. I had already started really loving the book - and El, asshole though she may be - but I audibly gasped when I got to the last line. I loved that the book actually had some themes I had not anticipated from the first half of the book, like friendship and seeing people for who they are rather than their reputation or how they appear/seem. The relationships that developed over the book between El and Orion, El and Aadhya, El and Liu, El and the wider student body… I of course loved the relationship developing between El and Orion - another example of a slow burn amirite! And I loved all the references to pop culture, right down to Ms. Galadriel herself - a reference to LOTR but also to Stranger Things given her nickname El and her craaaazy strong destroyer of worlds powers.

Overall while I do sort of see the Harry Potter comparison, since it’s a magic school and all that, for me it really was a cross between Ninth House and Disney’s Hercules, but told from Meg’s POV. And I fucking loved it.

This is the kind of school I imagine that my parents would have sent sulky teenage me to. A deadly school, constantly testing my pride, sensibility and ability to cope with whatever life throws at me. All while ensuring that I got a solid academic education and knew how to use tools to create the useful things that I need.

🗺️ The world building is pleasantly presented within the school, and despite the unique creation story of this school you won't find yourself digging deep and flicking back to an unreadable map to try and remember who came from where/when or how they got there.

🌶️ There is no spice here. Which considering that we are dealing with teenagers under the age of 18 is perfectly acceptable.

📚 This book is for you if you enjoy a sassy FMC and are ok with evil creatures trying to eat the FMC more often than not.

✈️ An easy read that's perfect for travel. I'd suggest getting the rest of the series before you leave home!

I stopped at the end of chapter 1 (8%). There was a lot of monologue and heavy exposition, and I wasn't gripped by it. I was told this book falls along the vein of Harry Potter, so I get why it would be popular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

This book was charming and has a potential only if we were given more chance to really know the characters, the plot and its depths.

Right off the bat we were plunged in an internal monologue of the main lead and her rants about the academy. I felt like I was already in a middle of the book with how confusing the storytelling is and I wish we’re given more background about just everything.

I struggled so much with the pacing and just the whole magic system from the start ‘til the end. I’ll admit that this has such a cool term for curses and just the damnation of the school, however one thing that I don’t understand is why is death just so shallow here. When one dies it’s as if someone just drank water and they immediately move on.

Romance wise, Orion seems to be an interesting character but the lack of chemistry put me off, I really really want their romance to bloom but the lack of affection kinda sealed that their romance was non existent. He is a typical hero for the damsel in distress but that’s just it.

The plot kinda felt dragging from the start at 10% and didn’t pick up with my liking. I however would like to give book 2 with a chance

Where do I even begin with "A Deadly Education"?

First, let’s talk premise: Novik's Scholomance is not your run-of-the-mill magical school. It’s dark, it's dangerous, and it’s brilliantly original. Ever been in a school where just surviving is your toughest lesson? Well, our heroine has, and boy, does she make it entertaining. This setting poses mysteries at every corner, and I found myself scribbling down questions that I’m desperately hoping will be answered in the subsequent books.

Now, our lead? She's a breath of fresh air. El is independent, fierce, and her voice rings clear throughout. The dialogue? Oh, it’s snappy, witty, and just a delight to read. Especially her banter with Orion Lake. I mean, she considers him a potential kill and yet can't seem to get away from him - it's pure gold!

I'll admit, the book is brimming with world-building - it's like Novik's conjuring an intricate spell, layer by layer. For those hungry for non-stop action, you might feel it's a slow burn. But for me, it was like unwrapping a magical gift, bit by bit. And just when you think you've got a grip on the world, Novik ends the book on a mini-cliffhanger, making you itch for the next installment.

I powered through this in a day. I simply couldn't put it down. "A Deadly Education" is indeed an unputdownable blend of dark academia aesthetics and the unique magic only Novik can conjure. If you're looking for a fresh twist on the magical school trope with a heroine who's bound to be iconic, dive in. You won't regret it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

+ Intriguing premise with original world-building
- The setting raises some questions which will hopefully be answered in the next book
+ Diverse characters
- If I have to nitpick, diversity feels slapped in for selling point
+ Independent, strong, savage MC with a sarcastic remark ready at all times. It was a joy to read her dialogues.
- El is a loner and basically mean to everyone when it's common sense to make friends who will look out for you in such a setting. Interesting character but desperately needed some development by the end of the book.
+ Well written side characters. Considering that most of this book was to explain the world-building and El's thoughts, it is understandable that we get to see very little about the other characters and yet the author managed to make them memorable.
- Most of the time is spent in the world-building, so nothing much happens. Then the book ends in a mini-cliffhanger. This could have been a single big book or a duology instead of a trilogy.

Writing style:
This was a quick and unputdownable read for me because I've developed a liking for info-dumping stories these days. To give you an example, let's say our characters encounter a monster. In the middle of an action scene, there would be a couple of pages about the monster and some history about it before we get back to the action. I found this good because I was quite intrigued about the world, but others may not like this style.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and am waiting to read the next books to see character development and get some answers.

The narrative definitely skewed my opinion on this and was tricky for me to take seriously for the book's first half. The whole story felt like one giant cauldron of drama with fascinating world-building. It was drama that grew on me though and by the end, I was ready to dive right into the second book.

The magic here is fascinatingly cruel, and the hints at the politics of the world outside the Scholomance being reflected somewhat within (tempered by the whole 'plenty of children die' thing) is fascinating. The environment is what shines for me in this book, and the ending leaves me on hooks waiting to see what consequences await in book 2.

The good thing about reading a first book in a completed series/trilogy is that if you enjoy the book, the rest are waiting for you to binge and you are not left in a cliff-hanger waiting for a future publication date; the bad thing about enjoying the first book in a completed trilogy is that you now need to binge the remaining books and your well-organized to-be-read list just got a hole blown in it. So yeah, I have a couple books that I will be binging very soon.
So why did I enjoy it? It isn't just a random dark academia novel since the genre is popular but actually a solid, easy to read novel set in the world of its main character who just so happens to be a student at Scholomance. This book is told in first-person, and for me, the key to first-person is to truly absorb the voice of that character and the author really delivers as a sarcastic teen trying to figure out romantic relationships, friendships, family, magic, and her place in the world. The description of her school, and the cliques within it as well as the adventures got me so hooked into the story that I didn't want to put it down till the end and at the end was yearning to find out what senior year would be like for Galadriel and how long will it take her to act on her feelings for Orion. And any time the first book of a series leaves me this eager for the next book, I say it is a success.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.

El is actually a superior magician, but no one else at the Scholomance knows it; she’s been hiding her talent, hoping to be asked to join an alliance. Why might she need an alliance? Well, the Scholomance is a school kind of like a semi-sentient Hogwarts with no teachers, really brutal cliques, and an out-of-control infestation of all sorts of magical monsters (called maleficers or “mals”), large and small, that want nothing more than to eat the students. The only way out of the school is to graduate and walk through the only exit, which is a hall where the largest infestation of mals exists, a whole menagerie of monsters lying in wait to eat whoever dares to enter.

Do not go into this book expecting it to be ANYTHING like Novik’s other works. It’s not a rich fairytale, instead it’s brutal, dark, and relentlessly creepy. It’s about survival. The world-building is just so cool. I mean, the setting itself is fascinating. A self-regulating living organism of the school with the self-regulated life and education, WHAT? The writing style is very stream-of-consciousness writing, which I personally enjoyed. I rooted for the FMC, El, entirely. Her grumpiness was endearingly amusing to me, and the more she was unfairly disliked or distrusted, the more protective of her I got and I wished nothing but the best for her.

There’s really nothing more I would expect from a book about a magical school with guarantees of death if you don't graduate.

This was such an enjoyable read!

There enough action throughout the story to keep me interested through some of the more mundane narrative. I did find the writing a bit difficult to understand from time to time, as though the writer seemed to sometimes try to make the sentences more complex than they needed to be in order to sound interesting. It also took me a minute to grasp the jargon of this particular environment, but doing so helped me to enjoy the setting even more. It's dark and whimsy at the same time, and it balances magic and reality so evenly that it felt like a real school with real people that you could pass on the street in your everyday life.

The author does an incredible job providing commentary on social class and social stratification, and I love the way that power and magic are fused together in this story.

I also found the main character (El) incredibly and (ironically, if you've read it) effortlessly likeable. I’m excited to see how her relationships with the diverse cast of the story continue to develop in the consequent books. Plus, that ending?! I'm reading the next book in the series asap!

This book is perfection to me. Everything about is great. The writing, the characters, the magic, the world??? All great. Six stars if I could.

Our main character, El, is a badass and I loved her growth throughout the series. El has to be one of my favorite main characters ever written and she's so different than any other mc I've read. Orion, the best himbo ever created, was such a great character also. All the side characters added so much depth to the story. Every character felt so real and I totally bought into this whole world.

The story and pacing were great, I loved how we were finding out more and more about the Scholomance, lore surrounding it, and about the different enclaves and magical hierarchy. This book had some serious moments, where I definitely shed a few tears but also? this book was FUNNY. The way the dialogue is written between characters actually had me laughing.

This book was unlike anything I've ever read, and I can't wait to read more by Naomi Novik.

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine for this ARC!

How much I love a prickly heroine who is trying <i>so. hard.</i> to be good and the universe is just throwing her all these lowballs to turn into the doom mistress they want her to be... meanwhile making simple tasks like cleaning her room or filtering drinking water <b>herculean</b> in effort. And how adorable it is that she's so rude to this total himbo who's constantly saving people, but because she's actually honest (even if her honesty is abrasive) he's stuck forlornly following her around like a lost puppy because she sees him in a way no one else does.

And yeah, the writing is subpar. The exposition dumps are done terribly and there's often poor connectors between them. BUT I also love all the world-building details so I likewise love and eat them up? It's a conundrum, for sure.

The biggest things that sold me on this series were:
- the sentient school (petty, stingy, suspiciously generous, etc)
- the eat-the-rich vibes
- the library scene (and particularly the <i>book</i>)
- autistic coded male main character
- the dynamic between El and Orion

Did I totally rant the first time I read it about how poorly written it was and I hated it? Yes.
Did I realize part way through the rant that I thought I hated it but in retrospect I think I actually loved it though? Also Yes!

This book is not for everyone. And hoo boy she's messy. But also I love it endlessly and will shout it from the rooftops forever. :3

The world building happens at lightning speed as does character development. I’ve read Novik’s Temeraire series but I guess Scholomance is written for a younger audience and therefore the pace.

It’s an entertaining, plot-driven story and on the surface about how magic works and the age old fight between good vs evil. But I liked that Novik described building up the potential for good magic - mana - through music, exercise, doing chores, and bad magic - malia - by stealing from others. It’s not subtle but the message is sound.

The writing is crisp and tight. Not one word wasted, even though the sentences are longer than average. It’s also funny. A couple of things I didn’t love: the prolonged instances of the protagonist Galadriel talking about herself. Too often and for too long. It deepened her character but did largely nothing for the plot. Second, because the entire story is so action packed, the climax was a non event. It felt like we were building towards something major, but I was disappointed with the end.

Still, overall an entertaining and easy read. I’d recommend it if you like fantasy and are looking for something very light to fill the gap between two more serious books.