There was so much going on and it really lost me with how much was happening. Very heavy on world building but felt too light on plot which for me was the biggest problem

4.5

I LOVE a magical school setting. Harry Potter vibes for sure. This was so fun and interesting. Yes of course this felt younger (it’s ya!!!) but I didn’t mind it one bit, which is surprising because I don’t usually love ya these days. And what’s the opposite of a chosen one? Because that’s what El supposedly is (more like chosen to destroy the world) and I love that trope.

We are thrown into a magical school riddled with monsters and it’s never really explained what they are or why they’re there (maybe in future books?). I’m not one who always needs a lot of explanation in my fantasy books but if you do, you probably won’t like this. This is the type of book where you don’t always understand or know what’s going on but are along for the ride - and what a fun ride it was. I loved the characters and the friendships/mild relationship. I’m super excited to continue in this world. Currently have the second book on hold from my library!

This is a banger of a book. The world-building is supreme and can't be ignored. The characters are complex and you don't want to leave them. In the end you're just glad there is another book coming, because any wait to go back to the Scholomance is too long.

This book is very heavy in world building and light on plot points, I suppose the author is setting up the scene for the following two books in the series. It also relies heavily on inner monologue which may put off some readers. The last 20% of the book the plot really picked up so I’m looking forward to book 2 and 3.

Single POV, School Setting, Magic

I'm not a stranger to Naomi Novik. I have been an avid fan of her Termeraire series.
So when NetGalley gave me the chance to do a post-release ARC review, I was ecstatic.

Reading through this, there were a lot of challenges that I can't help but make comparisons to her other series. The story in itself is fantastic, the world-building and character development are really on par with a lot of the big names in the field. In this sub-section of dark academia, Scholomance does set itself apart.

But, the biggest hurdle is getting through Naomi Novik's writing style. There's something rather off-putting for readers in the initial parts, specifically when they're trying to make points of reference to other fantasy and YA authors - it's different, marginally so. This can make the initial setup and character introductions a little bit hard to read, and possibly want to just drop the book entirely. However, sticking with it and calibrating to the reading - you'll come across with a great story and a great delight in the atmospheric story-telling with character development.

Will I continue this series? Absolutely.

Thanks again to Naomi Novik, Netgalley and Random House Publishing for providing me with an ARC for review!

3.36 / 5

Main character was starting to annoy me with being so closed off and negative. And why was Orion so obsessed with saving everyone?? I liked the adventure but the attitude really got to me.

I hate to say that I really struggled with this book. I felt like I was walking into a movie halfway and missed all the explanations that would help me understand what was happening. It had great potential to me but missed the mark.

This is the story of a group of students who are in a magical school. They are working their way towards graduating and from what I could gather it is encouraged to join an enclave before you graduate for safety. We learn a little bit about our main character, Galadriel, whose mother is a famous healer. She is being consistently saved by a guy named Orion Lake who is a top hitter in the school. She also has a few other friends that she realizes are actually friends halfway through her book. We learn that she has been hiding a lot about herself including how powerful she is. With how the book ends it leaves a lot open to what could happen next. I do not plan on reading book 2 at the moment.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I've attempted this book so many times but for some reason I just can't get into it and I can't even put my finger on why exactly, it's just not captivating me even though the premise sounds incredible

One of the best magic school books I've read! I loved that it was dark but with humor, it wasn't depressing. The FMC was *chef's kiss.*

Great fantasy novel and book 1 to the series. It’s not for those looking for a quick easy read as it has quite an intense world building but overall a really interesting read.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I've read books by Naomi Novik before and enjoyed them so figured I would this series but I honestly loved this one so, so much! The world building was good, El was an amazing main character and it was just such an enjoyable read. I'm already on the 3rd one and don't want it to end!

I’ve attempted to read this book on 3 separate occasions and have yet to get beyond the first 5 chapters. It definitely feels young and the inner dialogue of the FMC was difficult to follow. Ultimately I had to DNF. I do think this book is probably enjoyable for some people, I was just not the correct audience.

DNF

The world building seemed all over the place and it was really hard to like the main character. I really wanted to like this book because the premise seemed super cool and interesting but this somehow felt like a first draft.

Loved it - mix of Harry Potter and Hunger Games - will definitely be reading the following books in this series.

I feel as though I had extremely high hopes for this book and it ultimately fell flat for me. I think I could have skipped probably 200 pages of it and still understood the point of what was happening. The only thing that had me slightly interested was honestly the last sentence. I do plan on eventually trying the second book, because of the last sentence in this one, so we will see how that goes. This is my first book by NN and I do plan on trying more of her books, but it may be that her writing style isn’t for me. Only time will tell.

In A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, lesson one: block off a large block of time when starting this series because you will not want to put it down -Damn, getting sleep and bathing. Hell, even food is optional. This book is so excellent it will grasp you around the neck and hold you tight. 

“READER, I RAN the fuck away.”

First off, let me set the scene. The first book of the trilogy, A Deadly Education, introduces us to our protagonist, Galadriel, and the school called Scholomance. Galadriel’s character reminds me of if I took Harry Potter and made the exact opposite of him in every way. 

If I constantly put him in dangerous situations, and Hogwarts continually tried to feed him to fluffy the three-headed dog, it would be Galadriel. The only similarity between them is at both of their cores, they have good hearts. But in Galadriel’s case, her heart is slightly darker and has terrifying magic and great snark armor. 

Scholomance is the wizarding school that Galadriel goes to. The survival rate for Scholomance is around 50%. You do not fail out; you are blown to bits, eaten, have your skin flayed off in strips, or suffer irreparable psychological damage. To graduate, you must run the gauntlet through an obstacle course of creatures from hell all bent on devouring your mind, body, and soul. Surviving Scholomance is just as much about luck and social station as it is about skill. 

“I love having existential crises at bedtime, it’s so restful.”

Imagine being a kid; maybe you are a bit shy or gawky. You come from humble beginnings. Now imagine that your ability to survive Scholomance depends on your family’s wealth or your power to be a suck-up. If you aren’t good enough at it, you will probably get eaten by the demons that roam the sacred halls. In Galadriel’s case, everyone hates her or is unnerved by her. They know something is off: dark queen vibes. What they don’t understand is that Galadriel has an immense amount of power. The kind that flattens cities and makes people slaves. Except that all she wants to be is left alone and not hurt anyone. How does she survive her junior year without harming anyone and not being eaten alive by the evils that roam the halls?

“You know, it’s almost impressive,” he said after a moment, sounding less wobbly. “You’re nearly dead and you’re still the rudest person I’ve ever met. You’re welcome again, by the way.”
“Given that you’re at least half responsible for this situation, I refuse to thank you,” I said.”

It has been a long time since I read something as engaging as A Deadly Education, and the series as a whole. I adored El, her snark, and her heart. She wants people to leave her alone, and instead of yelling at them to “get off my lawn,” people won’t leave her be. And things keep getting more complicated. There is a boy who is confusing to her. People start gravitating towards her and maybe want to be friends. What is this friend nonsense? 

Novik did an excellent job in crafting the characters and the school. You want to know them; there is enough teenageness to believe they are young adults grappling with hormones and who they are. But enough realism that they understand that the school and the demon-like creatures will eat them. 

Pick up A Deadly Education and get sucked in.

eARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, from NetGalley.
The premise of the book was right up my alley. I love the idea of a magical school, and it was definitely different from other books also centering around a magical education.
However the story did feel slow at times. I had a hard time reading for a long consecutive time, and there was a lot of info-dumping on the magical system, which meant that it was hard to understand at times.
The main character is annoying in the beginning. I understand that she has endured much hardship which has made her cynical, but at times it is a bit too much. However towards the end of the book I definitely start liking her more. Especially when she finally allows herself to joke with her new friends. I will indeed continue the series, and I am looking forward to learn what happens at her graduation.

it was really hard to get into, i had a hard time understanding the plot of the book. maybe since it was digital, i will probably try another time with paperback since my friends love this one.

What a gem in the fantasy genre! El, our main character, is unlikeable but ultimately loveable as she strives to survive her magical boarding school set on destroying all of its students. In this novel, you'll find character growth, found family, and some really interesting world-building. I found this to be a great combination of dark, smart, and exciting. The mechanics of the school and learning were fascinating to me, and I loved watching El navigate life there.

I can’t wait to dive into this series and really enjoy it. I’ll come back and provide a proper review once I’ve read it fully.