I found it quite challenging to stay engaged with this book. I kept reading in the hope that it would improve, but unfortunately, it didn't. The concept was intriguing—combining a magical school with dark academia seemed like a great idea for a setting—but the execution fell short. The plot was flat, with far too many info dumps, and the characters didn't really captivate me, especially the main character, who I found quite irritating. The story relied too much on inner monologue, with very little dialogue between characters, making the romance between Galadriel and Orion feel awkward, forced, and lacking in development. Moreover, the narrative relied heavily on telling instead of showing, which made it feel quite boring. This book had potential, so I might consider continuing the series to see if it improves.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Deadly Education is set in a nightmarish magic school infested with monsters. It was well done. I loved the main character's initial cynical attitude, and the "teen angst". I enjoyed the action scenes and felt it helped with the plot.

It was a great start of the series and can’t wait to continue.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I actively disliked this when I first started reading it, but I stuck with it and I'm glad I did. The characters grow on you, and once you understand how the school, magic, and universe work, it pulls you in and you have to know what happens next.

i was almost immediately hooked once i figured out the magic system. El is a fascinating character study of a should be villain and this is one of the most ruthless magical school i’ve ever read, and i LOVE magical schools. so excited to continue the series !

This book had an interesting concept but was poorly executed. It was very repetitive and consisted of them just almost dying by monsters (mals), and killing them with spells. The romance was strange. And the El was soo aggressive for a person who wanted friends / an alliance so badly. It was hard to watch how she interacted with people. Something good about this book were the details. Everything was described so well that it was like a movie in my head. For example: the building was described and at the end of the book it shows a photo of what it looks like and it was very similar to how I seen it in my head. The monsters were lowkey really creepy, but also very detailed. There were some very good things about the book, but the storyline itself fell flat. Which is really sad because it had such potential to be great. I do plan on trying to continue the series to see if it gets any better. Thank you netgalley and random house publishing group for this book. My review is 100% honest.

There has been a lot of criticism and controversy over this book and its author.

I am choosing to side with the marginalized group with this one and leave it at that.

Dark academia at its finest! This book gave Hogwarts vibes, but a lot darker. I enjoyed all the plot elements and characters.

Fantastic! This book is like Harry Potter, but the castle is trying to kill you. I will admit, I had a hard time getting into this book at first. It is a bit confusing, but once you get halfway, it really takes off! The romance between the two main characters - El and Orion - is also beautifully done. El is so spiteful and sarcastic, but honestly, I love when people are sarcastic. Such a good read!

This book has been highly recommended by so many and I thought I would love it.

Unfortunately I found that you were kind of dumped into this universe with little to no explanation. I struggled with the first half of the book simply for that reason. I don’t really understand what the appeal of the story. I was really bummed as a I wanted to like it SO BAD.

I also found the main character to be so much of a “im a bad ass” but was really not a bad ass all? I hate people like that in real life and don’t enjoy reading about them either.

I was not a fan of this novel, unfortunately. I really enjoyed Uprooted and Spinning Silver by this author, but I could not connect with this book. I did not like the main characters, and I found it a little boring. I could not wait to be finished with it. I do not plan on reading more in this series, but I will check out other books by this author. I know others really like this series, so I think the problem lies with me. I enjoy magical school settings, so I thought this would be a sure winner for me. However, it wasn't. I found the lack of teachers/direction to be unrealistic and wondered why anyone would want to attend this school.

While the concept and plot of the book initially intrigued me, along with some compelling side characters, the execution ultimately fell short due to the author's writing style. The narrative is heavily dominated by internal monologues and narration, constituting about 80% of the content. This approach not only leads to excessive info-dumping but also includes tedious and repetitive descriptions that stall the story's progression. The lack of engaging dialogue and excessive 'telling' rather than 'showing' made it difficult to remain invested.

Additionally, the main character presented significant challenges. From the outset, she is portrayed as rude, obnoxious, and selfish—traits that she is aware of but indifferent to changing. Her persistent lack of development or redemption only compounded my frustration, leaving me with little hope for her character arc.

I find myself hopeful that the next installment might shift towards more dynamic character interactions and less reliance on internal reflections. The potential for a richer, more engaging narrative is there, if only the pacing and character development can be improved to truly bring the intriguing plot and vibrant side characters to life.

I very much loved this book and will be recommending it to library patrons at my job. An excellent series kickoff that left me wanting more.

"A Deadly Education" by Naomi Novik is a captivating dark academia novel set in the perilous Scholomance, a school for magically gifted students where survival is key. The world-building is intricate, and the school itself feels alive with danger and mystery. El, the cynical and sharp-witted protagonist, is refreshingly unique and her development throughout the story is engaging.

The magic school setting is particularly enjoyable, adding a fresh twist to familiar tropes seen in books like "Harry Potter" and "The Magicians." The book excels in exploring themes of privilege and power within its magical setting, making it thought-provoking as well as entertaining. While the dense information dumps can sometimes slow the pacing, the overall narrative remains compelling. Fans of dark academia and fantasy will find this a standout read.

3.5⭐️

This is the first book I've read from Naomi Novik, but I really had a good time. A Deadly Education is set in a school full of monsters, where magic is what can get you killed but also is the only way you can survive. The book follows El, a sardonic girl who is an acquired taste. I wasn't a huge fan of her if I'm honest, but I saw the appeal as soon as the relationship between her and Orion started to flourish. Their goal is to survive the school year, but there are plenty of twists and turns that keep you on your toes.

I liked the concept and was intrigued by magic system, but I will admit the scholomance setting as a whole is confusing as hell. I had no clue what was happening most of the time. 🤪 But it was a fun ride to see the monsters and El's power reveal more and more of itself.

El and Orion are so ridiculous but cute. I love the cynical black cat girl & a golden retriever himbo. They’re fake dating but he doesn’t realize it’s fake 😂

The writing style was a bit much for me, causing a lot of confusion, but it was negligible in the full plot of the story.

📖 Magically Dark Academia
📖 Monsters in a death trap of a school
📖 Unique Magic system
📖 Fake-(ish!) dating
📖 Angsty Black Cat FMC + Himbo Golden Retriever MMC
📖 Heavy, intriguing world-building

I liked the writing style a lot. And the themes the novel presented. I felt like the end was a little bit of a let down. I wanted more from El.

I could not get enough of this book! Naom Novik is one of my favorite authors, and her world building is spectacular. A dark magical boarding school where there is danger at every step and characters that are so complex — I loved it!

"Deadly Education" by Naomi Novik is an electrifying blend of magic, danger, and coming-of-age struggles that captivates readers from the first page to the last. Set in a school for young sorcerers where survival is as crucial as mastering spells, Novik crafts a richly imagined world filled with dark secrets and relentless challenges.

What worked: the atmosphere, cast of characters, the magic system!! (the magic system felt so well thought out and unique, I loved it)
What needs work: pacing - the story lagged in moments where I thought we would get a bit more of the immersive writing she already exhibited.

Overall, very excited to continue this series.

I've heard so much about this book and have read Naomi's other books and liked them alot. I loved it so much. This series is amazing.

3⭐️
I think this is an interesting book and an interesting and unique concept but I just don’t think it’s the book for me. I see the potential but I just wasn’t sucked in and couldn’t get into it unfortunately. But maybe one day I’ll pick it up and get sucked in.

I ended up falling in love with this quickly. It had been on my shelf a long time, but Netgalley pushed me to finally read it. i am so grateful for that. I've already purchased physical copies of the rest of the series so I could jump right it.

At first the stream of consciousness style of narration was a little disorienting, but then I realized that it's similar to how my brain works and was a fun way to get the story and the possibly more boring details of the world. I enjoyed the characters, the weird world Naomi built, and the complexities of the magic system (even if I remain a little fuzzy on some of the details).

This was a great read. if you love magical schools, complex & unique magic systems, and unlovable lovable characters - run, don't walk to pick this one up!