I was intrigued by this novel, as I had just read Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and I really admire her as a writer and advocate for fan writing/fanfiction. Unfortunately, A Deadly Education really didn’t do it for me.

Galadriel, the narrator, is a talented magician and social outcast battling ferocious monsters, dangerous classes, and The Popular Kids at the magical high school called the Scholomance. The cast of characters is very diverse; Galadriel is biracial (Indian-Welsh), and her fellow students are from all around the world. I appreciated this detail, and it made the Scholomance a more interesting place than a homogenous school like...other fantasy magic schools...ahem...

However, this novel never captured me. It was EXTREMELY exposition-heavy, with pages and pages of Galadriel explaining the school and the rules of magic to us. This made the story choppy and clunky, and actually confused me more, since I didn’t get a vivid sense of the look and feel of the world, just bland snippets of lengthy exposition. I also became increasingly frustrated with the school itself — students die constantly in common spaces and in their own rooms, succumbing to horrific predators hiding in the sinks, the classrooms, and even in the food. The nonchalant way Galadriel accepts this huge fatality rate is unsettling, and there seems to be little dwelling on the traumatic circumstances these teenagers are subjected to. Part of why I enjoy books about magic is because I want to be in that world myself, and I found myself extremely glad I am not in the novel’s world going to a magical school, which is something I never thought I’d feel.

Overall, this book really frustrated me. There are some good characters and moments, but Galadriel is so coarse and blithe that it becomes slightly wearisome, and the plot is extremely meandering and weak. I really wanted to enjoy this novel, and I hope other readers will, but I did not. Novik is a good writer and it ended on an excellent cliffhanger, so I will probably still check out the next installation in this new series.

[1.5/5: A book about a magic school that you do NOT want to attend. Fans of Novik’s other works may like this, as well as HP fans, and maybe people who like Rainbow Rowell’s Simon Snow books (which I actually deeply dislike personally) will like this one. It’s dark academia meets fantasy meets monster-hunting meets YA angst, and while it may connect to other readers, it did not resonate with me.]

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had really enjoyed Uprooted and was looking forward to more of Naomi Novik's incredible lyrical prose when I requested this ARC but I ended up very disappointed. This book, while the premise of prickly protagonist reluctantly teams up with a golden boy hero at the magic school that's actively trying to kill the students all the time, was a slog and a half to get through. Clearly a ton of worldbuilding work went into this story but instead of revealing it all through the plot we just got a whole lot of infodumping from El. Seriously, even some potentially exciting moments of action get hampered by the paragraphs and paragraphs of context being spelled out for us while things are happening. Some people may totally dig that, and I think this will be easy to recommend to fans of The Magicians and The Hunger Games looking for similar vibes, but this just didn't work for me.

If you like stories that take place in magic schools - this book is for you.

If you like stories with ornery yet likable female protagonists who may or may not be evil - this book is for you.

If you like stories where people are in mortal peril every moment - this book is for you.

Dark and twisty, imaginative, and fast-paced - this is a lot of fun. My one critique is that it took me a while to understand the magic system at play - you kind of just have to get comfortable with not understanding and keep moving forward; it gets clearer as the story moves along.

Looking forward to the sequel.

I loved this fantastically insane book. It’s witty, dark, magnificent, and impossible to put down. I’ve read several of Naomi Novik’s other works, including Uprooted and the first two books in the Temeraire series, but the Scholomance series has absolutely captivated me. I cannot stop thinking about this magical school and its inhabitants.

The world-building is overwhelming. I mean, a sentient school that’s more likely to kill you than let you graduate? It’s insane and genius. The school feels dangerous and cut off from the rest of the world (probably because it is cut off—the whole idea of the void terrifies me). It’s very obvious that Novik put a lot of thought into the Scholomance and her magic system. I particularly liked that magic costs you something. Either you work to build up the mana needed to cast spells or you drain the life force of something or someone in order to work your magic. Either way, magic is definitely not free. And because it’s not free, there are the haves and the have-nots in the form of those belonging to an enclave and those that desperately want into one.

Through the enclaves and the children born into them, Novik explores privilege and inequality in a way that feels timely and relevant. Enclave children enter the school with so many advantages over kids like El, who don’t belong to an enclave. Enclave children already have allies and power share techniques which means they basically have an unlimited supply of mana at their fingertips. Meanwhile, those without the protection and the advantage of an enclave must fight to grab and hold onto to any scrap of advantage they can through bartering and working for the enclave kids, all in the desperate hope of maybe surviving graduation and securing one of the few open and coveted spots in an enclave.

Now, there’s a lot of info-dumping throughout the book, but to be honest, that didn’t bother me. I eagerly devoured every little tidbit of information Novik supplied, and am waiting, most impatiently, for the sequel.

As far as characters go, El is a marvel. She’s the unlikable, grim, snarky, powerful, prophesied to bring doom and destruction to the world, main character I’ve been waiting for. I understand her cynical outlook and her desperate desire to prove herself. Her struggle against her very dark, very destructive magical affinity while trying to survive in a school that she knows she could destroy and waltz out of, is just amazing to read.

Orion is the not so dashing, more awkward than charming, knight in shining armor that readers deserve, and Novik pits him and El against each other in a beautiful one-sided rivalry turned grudging friendship turned slow burn, antagonistic romance. Together the two of them are absolute perfection. They are complete opposites that slowly discover they’re not quite so different.

Overall, A Deadly Education just might be my favorite book of the year. I cannot recommend it enough to anyone who loves magical schools, powerful female leads, and slow burn kind of enemies to maybe friends to possibly lovers. This book is dark, hilarious, amazing, and an absolute must read.

If I could write a letter to my former self it would be a howler that exploded in rage in the Great Hall to shout, in Mrs. Weaskey's shrillest notes, "STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND START READING NAOMI NOVIK NOW."

A Deadly Education is like professional grade Hogwarts satire-style fanfiction with sass that can cut diamonds and a humor that will pull the air from your lungs because you're wheezing so hard. It is magnificent. It is glorious. From the amazing insults to the bafflingly funny predicaments the characters wind up in, you're in for a roller coaster ride from the first sentebce to the last.

Naomi Novik excels at both world-building and fast pacing. The first book in her new Scholomance series, A Deadly Education, uses both of those skills to their maximum effect. The story centers on Galadriel--El--a student at a boarding school for magic. Where her experience diverges from the standard magic school tropes is that the school is overrun by monsters called mals. Teacherless and parentless, the students strive to store magical capacity and learn as much defensive magic as possible in order to survive past graduation day--which involves getting through a graduation hall beset by these mals. The result is never-ending combat with dark entities and a cut-throat school culture in which students strive to align themselves with magical guilds and feed other, less-able, less-connected students to the mals. All of this is interesting for the reader, although the learning curve required for entry into this world is steep. Where Novik falters is that the book is mostly exposition. You can tell that Novik loves her world and has probably written hundreds of pages of backstory. The thing is--were it not for her ability to keep a book moving--this book might have been a total slog because of that backstory. The actual plot is short and simple and probably could have been disposed of in 20 pages. The climax is unsatisfying. The story builds toward one climax and instead ends on a cliffhanger--a transparent ploy to keep the reader following the series. Will I remember the details of this book a year from now? I don't know. I think Novik is writing for a whole-canon reader, someone five years in the future. For all its flaws, I really enjoyed this book. It was a deeply engaging read, the clear heir of the Potter series. It was transporting at a time when that is deeply needed. So, it earns both a recommendation and four stars for me.

This was an interesting read because I really liked it, the characters were fun and well written, but the prose was quite long and could sometimes get confusing. I would definitely recommend it though. I know I'll be rereading it when the finished proof comes out.

A fantasy about a magic school without teachers and with a graduation requirement of surviving is such an interesting premise for a book. I haven't read any of Naomi Novik's previous books, but I've always thought they sounded interesting. Unfortunately, I was really let down by this one and didn't enjoy it very much.

This almost felt like a nonfiction to me. It felt like there were more pages filled with information and history than the current story. Although I did enjoy certain parts of the book, like El's relationships with her classmates and learning how to use her abilities to help others, those parts were too few and far between and I'd find myself skimming the pages.

I do think this book had a lot of potential and will be enjoyable to readers who like a lot of world building and history of their characters.

El (short for Galadriel, but woe to anyone who calls her by her full name) is a student at an unusual magical high school, the Scholomance. Since it was built, the magical structures that maintain it have gone awry, meaning that the school is full of predatory creatures who feed on the student body, given the opportunity. The students themselves draw on either mana or malia (think light or dark magic) to develop their skills, defend themselves, and have the best chance possible of a professional career post graduation (if they survive it - graduation means escaping past the worst of the school's monsters.) Because El's mother is a devoted practitioner of the lightest and most nurturing magic possible, the universe's sense of balance means that El has a propensity to stumble on the darkest and most violent spells possible, though she is determined to be a "strict mana" practitioner, and not give into the dark -- even though she'd really like to strangle the most popular boy in her class, after he rescues her from one of the school's monsters.

Novik's new series is in dialogue with previous works -- some of them rather momentous in stature, like Harry Potter and The Magicians.. It's not entirely clear what she's trying to say to those works yet, though I don't wholly mind giving the series time to breathe, and it's clear that making the Scholomance books more centered on female characters is important. The first third of the book felt somewhat belabored with worldbuilding to me, but as El's relationships with two other women in her class develop, it found its footing, and I was drawn in. The climax did not provide quite the payoff that I was looking for...but I'm intrigued enough that I genuinely want to read the sequel, and would go grab it now, were it available. Recommended especially for readers who like the magical boarding school trope, and/or snarky heroine narrators.

This was a pure delight. Fans of Naomi Novik will find all the signatures of her writing in this one: moments of dark, biting humor and fast-paced action in an expertly developed magical world (and in true Novik fashion, a great slow burn enemies-to-lovers, thank you very much.)

The familiar story of dark magic and survival in a highly competitive boarding school is told anew, with great care taken to incorporate the past, welding into something that respects what came before it, but does not pretend to be anything but fresh. The twists on tropes of heroism and villainy are compelling and completely new.

I’ve heard conflicting opinions regarding if this is YA or adult fantasy, and while I can see great YA crossover appeal, this book is very dark - the elements of true horror are often. The humor is witty in a truly adult way, and while this IS a coming of age story, I don’t think it’s necessarily a coming of age story for those coming of age. Still - adults and teens alike will find lots to love.

El is a sixteen year old sorceress studying at the incredibly dangerous magic school the Scholomance. The students are trapped in the school, fending off the stray nightmarish malificaria that crawl up from the graduation hall, lured by the enticing smell of mana. To survive, they forge alliances and travel in packs, because everything, even a broken chair in the library, could be a death trap. El’s magic is dark, more suited for chaos and destruction, and it takes all her concentration not to accidentally drain her classmates of their life force for mana. A dark, twisted take on the “school of magic” theme, A Deadly Education is refreshing and fascinating. It excels both in creating a strong female protagonist to root for and an intricate world built on spellcasting, Lovecraftian monsters, and secret magic enclaves. The first book of the Scholomance series, this one promises even more brilliance to come!

I truly, truly can't say enough good things about this book. Making a 16 year old protagonist likable is hard, but Novik succeeds, and I can confidently recommend this title to adults, without worrying that they'll think it's YA. Can't wait to read the next one!

We all have to gamble with our lives in here, we don't get a choice about that; the trick is figuring out when it's worth taking a bet.

Where do I start with this book?

First, I loved this book. I was intrigued from the start, I had no idea where this book was heading and couldn't wait to find out. The school, the magic, the monsters, the students, all of it was fascinating.

Second, El. El is an outcast with a terrible prophecy hanging over her head. She spends a lot of her time doing everything in her power to avoid fulfilling it. The school likes to make that difficult by giving her all the death spells one could ever want (or not want in El's case) when all she asked for was a simple cleaning spell to get the the monster guts off her floor. She has a hard exterior with lots of inner turmoil, but really she just wants to survive her education and be accepted by others.

We progress through El's junior year learning about her past and watching her hopefully form much needed alliances for survival. El ends up getting saved on more than one occasion by the unofficial hero of this junior year class, Orion Lake. El and Orion have led drastically different lives, but manage to work together (albeit a bit reluctantly at times) to save not only each others lives, but many of their classmates as well.

Through class assignments, homework in the library, surviving the cafeteria line and the more than occasional monster slaying we watch as the students of The Scholomance make it through to the end of the year or die trying.

Lastly, my one and only complaint is that I am going to have to wait so long for the next book in this series.

Galadriel, or El for short, is a typical awkward junior in high school struggling to find out who she is,negotiate the social perils of cliques, finish her projects on time, decide if she likes the popular, but goofy guy who follows her around, and survive until graduation. Standard teenage angst - with an evil twist. Naomi Novik’s new title, “A Deadly Education”, is set in a diabolical and exclusive boarding school for the magically talented. The school is devoid of adults and teachers, but infested with malia - countless monsters of every horrible size, unspeakable shape, and gruesome power. The hordes of malia appear in lunchrooms, slip from under beds, lurk in dark hallways, pass through vents and walls, and are all intent on one goal - killing the students before they can re-enter society and join one of the “enclaves.” El is blessed, or cursed, with strong, dark magic of cataclysmic proportions that could easily wipe out a large city, but casting a simple spell to mop up her floor proves difficult. Magic is not free in this world, sorcerers must spend mana or power to work magic, and El grew up ‘poor’ as an ‘indie’ in Wales living outside the safety of an enclave in commune. El has only two more years to gain an impressive enough magical reputation to be invited into a major enclave. Unfortunately, she lacks the mana she needs or the useful friend groups and alliances that would help her succeed.

The story’s progression seems to be stymied by constant waves of malia attacks on almost every page.Should she draw the power from other living creatures? Can she defeat the malia hellbent on killing her? Will she find other students who will align themselves with her to form a posse? And will the hallowed Orion-the-monster- killer ever leave her alone? Does she want him to leave her alone? The conundrums of being seventeen with few friends in a world that wants to eat you.
“A Deadly Education” will appeal to YA readers who thrive on the tropes of magical boarding schools, but it may be less captivating for those who have happily left the drama of high school behind. Noviks’ previous works are not tied to a specific age group, so “A Deadly Education” may introduce new, younger readers to her considerable talents, but could disappoint others. A clever twist on the last page, however, should serve to entice everyone to put Book #2 on their TBR list, and return to the start of the next school year at Scholomance. (I want to thank NetGalley for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.)

I’m starting to think Naomi can write anything and be good at it. This book was a big change from her other work, but I loved it just as much. El’s voice was super entertaining, and it was great to get to know her more and more as the book progressed. I can’t wait until the next!

Galadriel (El to her friends, of whom she has none) is just trying to survive. This is difficult because she has a year and a half left in the Scholomance, an extradimensional dungeon full of monsters which is somehow the best way to train young magicians. Recently, student deaths have plummeted due to the heroics of Orion Lake, your typical Chosen One. El herself is destined to turn evil and plunge the world into darkness, a role she strenuously (albeit grumpily) resists. The pair's constant sniping could lead to a useful alliance (much more practical than a romance) if they can avoid being eaten. Super fun world-building.

I am such a fan of Naomi Novik after Uprooted and Spinning Silver. I saw her speaking at a book panel earlier this year talking about this book and I couldn't wait to read it.. As always she does not disappoint. I love her heroines who defy expectations and take control of their stories. And Galadriel "El" is just the best anti-heroine. She's pragmatic, snarky and doesn't let other people's ideas of how things should be sway her from her goals. She is prophesied to be a powerful dark sorceresses and she's not going to let that happen. Her clash with the school's golden boy Orion "cause she does NOT need to be saved" is just so much fun to read. This book was compelling, and scarily fun. I cannot wait for the story to continue. I will absolutely be recommending this book to all.

I really enjoyed this book. The setting was awesome. The characters were well drawn. I have enjoyed her last few books - this one is a bit different - but I really enjoyed this one as well.

I'm a huge Novik fan. I uphold her as an example of what happens when someone puts in the work to tell thoughtful stories and develop their craft. Unfortunately, it seems she's come out on the other side of that continuum, and has written a self-indulgent, overly precious slog of a book.

The premise is interesting--a school that's bent on killing its students, a handsome but overbearing hero, and a grouchy and begrudgingly powerful sorceress in the middle of it all. Uprooted and Spinning Silver are dark, rich, beautifully told stories. I was so excited to see Novik's take on this concept--I expected it to be exciting and fanciful and vivid, like her other works.

A Deadly Education, by contrast, is hampered by absolutely constant editorializing and description. The premise is complicated, sure, but the first chapter is a massive info-dump during which absolutely nothing happens except El, the narrator, explaining her world to the reader. I assumed once I crossed that hurdle, the actual story would begin. But action sequences, and conversations, and literally anything else that happens is couched in massive paragraphs of context. Even as El is walking into the mouth of an enormous flesh-eating monster, she's describing the history of the monsters, and how her mom feels about them, and how they live at school, and on and on and on and on. This book is like a 300-page stream-of-consciousness description of this school and El's family history with little snippets of story thrown in around it.

I found myself skimming massive swaths of this book because the pages and pages of information weren't relevant to what was happening. There's absolutely a situation of "too much of a good thing" here. Novik seems so in love with the world she created that she neglected to actually do anything with it. An info dump in the beginning of a book is surmountable. An entire book that's just an info dump is not.

This is tonally and structurally completely different than her recent work and has more in common with Temeraire in that it's slow and meandering as hell. Obviously she's gotten to the point in her career where she can write anything and someone will publish it, and that's great. But this could have been a sharp and interesting story with some serious cuts, and it is instead absolutely the opposite.

Another stupendous book from Novik! Yes, the magic school elements evoke Harry Potter, but don't be fooled. Fascinating world, great character development.

Imagine if Draco Malfoy decided to team up with Harry to to fight monsters, expect Draco is a girl and is actively trying to defy the odds stacked against her and a good person. Darkly magical and suspenseful with an unlikeable but sympathetic hero you're root for.