Scholomance #1 ended with a hell of a plot twist as the VERY LAST SENTENCE, and Novik keeps up the streak in this second book. And now I'm glad I'm at the front of my library's hold list, because I HAVE to know how this ends. And I am VERY glad, on checking, that this is a trilogy, and there's been no announcement of that changing, because I can not HANDLE Novik doing this to me again.

This book is all about managing survivor's guilt. The whole plot is really about making the world a better place for those who come after us. And a lot more directly than a generational thing. El and her classmates must find a way to make the Scholomance safe PERMANENTLY, or else their lowerclassmen, their siblings, and eventually their children will also be die in the droves they themselves have.

Add on to this the standard YA romance. Oddly, this book manages to put the romance both on the backburner, but make it a pretty central issue. El has received a VERY VAGUE warning about her beau, Orion, and so she puts a lot of her mental energy into forming an alliance with two girl friends. And all three of them get along so well! Nothing toxic, no love triangles, just friends working together to save thousands of magic youngsters.

Special mention goes to El's new familiar, a mouse named Precious. Sassy little thing, unerring judgement. I hope she keeps showing in book 3!

Advanced review copy provided by the publisher.

"The Last Graduate" is the second book in the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik.
I must admit that I started this book with very low expectations, due to the fact I didn't particularly like the first book, "A deadly education", and rated it 1 and a half/2 stars.
But this book exceeded my expectations so I gave it 3 stars.
In this second novel, we follow Galadriel, aka El, in her last year in Scholomance and into the preparations for graduation, which will not be as easy as everyone has thought.
I liked the writing style that has changed from the previous book, making this second one much more interesting and fast-paced. However, I wouldn't say that it is exactly a page-turner, in fact, I read it in 17 days, which is a lot for my standards.
I found the main character but in general, the characters, much more relatable and less annoying, which helped me dive into the book a lot faster.
There were some plot twists, some predictable from the beginning but others that shocked me.
I think I'll definitely read the next book if there will be one.

What a delightful ride! Readers who fell in love with A Deadly Education won't be able to put The Last Graduate down. Just as engaging and fascinating as the first in the series; Novik's world building and character development suck you in. She, of course, leaves us with another cliffhanger as we eagerly await the next in The Scholomance series

Alright, so I received a copy of The Last Graduate from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

And thank you.

But if you’re thinking “this book has been out for over a year, how and why did you get an arc book”. How? Because they still had it on netgalley. Why? Because I have constant 24 hours a day headaches and I thought this was the third book, the Golden Enclaves, and I wanted to read it as soon as possible.

So, that gives my thoughts away rather quickly, but let’s get into a little more detail about why I absolutely love these books and give this one 5 stars. El has to be one of my favorite angry characters. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good angry character who just burns the world to the ground, but I love how much El feels empathy with everyone around her. While people all around her instinctively fear her because of her ability to do great evil, and her anger and personality will turn them even more away, her actual personality is one that ultimately leads them all to look for what’s best for everyone instead of everyone looking out for themselves, and then their fellow enclave mates.

And while I wish she wasn’t tied to Orien; I understand why their love interests. Not only are their powers opposed to each other, but it’s also slowly revealed that their personalities are, well, as close as they can be without Orien being a malificier at least.

The school itself also gets more personality, which I love because it already had so much, to begin with, which… well, saying anything more would be a spoiler.

Which speaking of spoilers. That cliffhanger reminded me why I need the third book now!!!!

Thankfully it is coming out soonish.

But really, I’m finding myself becoming truly involved not just in magical systems and worlds when reading, but in characters, and the characters here on point. I loved not just El, but how every character played off of her, and how you could understand why they were acting the way they were.

This was a wonderful book, and I can’t gush about it enough. It’s one of those books in a trilogy that takes an already great premise and makes it even better. I truly am looking forward to the third book!

So I got the first on of these books in a book sub and loved it as El was so out spoken that I loved her. This books has middle book issues but still good as it was building up to the last book.

The ending of this book killed me and I did scream at it as I was fuming

The Last Graduate takes you back to the Scholomance and keeps you on the edge of your seat for another action packed novel. Just when El thought school couldn't get any more deadly, she enters her final year. El, Orion, and their friends must work harder than they ever have in order to escape during graduation - a ritual that leaves more dead than graduated. Things seem to be going worse than expected and it is left to El and her friends to fix things in a way that saves not only their own lives but the lives of the entire school.

I could not put this book down. I wish I could reread it again for the first time. The characters are witty, hilarious, and honest. Their final year is full of sweet moments and moments so gruesome, I'll be thinking of them for a long time. A perfect read for fantasy fans, leigh bardugo fans, and harry potter fans alike.

3.5/3.75 Stars

I was not aware this would be a trilogy and that ending left me reeling! Scholomance has excellent world-building and very well-thought-out lore. There were moments when it was overwhelming especially when we're already 75% into the story and we're still going a boat-load of info dump but it did make sense with the story and the world. El isn't your typical fan favorite YA heroine and for that, I appreciated her. I loved the twists and turns and relational developments El has made not just with Orion. I am torn about Orion and El's relationship. On the one hand, I am glad it didn't take center stage in her story, but I wish we could have seen more of its development happen on the page. I also wish there was more research done on the different cultures included in the story. I can see why readers might have issues with it. I thoroughly enjoyed the last quarter of the book. It was way more action-packed than the beginning of the story but it made up for it. And I am so invested in this story and where it is going. I can't wait for the last book and see how it all ends.

In this second book we follow El, Orion and their friends where we left off in the first book, that El gets a warning from her mom about Orion.
Everybody getting ready for Graduation, building mana, fighting monsters. In this second book we get to know a little bit more about the story and the characters, there was more drama between them that I did not care about to be honest. But also secrets were revealed about the school that changed everything about their world and their graduation, so there was some tension that made the story more interesting.

The first half of the book was a bit “meh”, some parts were pretty boring, there was just too much inner monologue, and felt like it was a lot of “telling and not showing”. Then the last 30% kicked off and became more exciting, so I enjoyed that part better.
I realized I do not really like the main character, El, she is a bit annoying, and I wasn’t a big fan of the teenage drama either.

I just wish there could be more info about the monsters and their background, I still feel like we dont know much about this world, why this all happened. Also, this second book also ended on a cliffhanger and by the end of the book we dont learn anything about El’s mom’s warning about Orion either, I guess everything will be in the third book…Which I don't like, because I do not want to read 3 books to get to know the whole story and the world… I am not even sure we will learn much more in the final book, and I am still thinking about it if I want to read it.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine/Del Ray and Netgalley for fulfilling my wish and letting me read an eARC of the Last Graduate! This book came out in September 2021, but my wish was fulfilled this summer, and I’m guessing that’s because book 3 comes out later this year. I enjoyed book 1 and so I was really excited about reading The Last Graduate, and I was not disappointed!
The Last Graduate 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: A budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking crossover series.
At the Scholomance, El, Orion, and the other students are faced with their final year—and the looming specter of graduation, a deadly ritual that leaves few students alive in its wake. El is determined that her chosen group will survive, but it is a prospect that is looking harder by the day as the savagery of the school ramps up. Until El realizes that sometimes winning the game means throwing out all the rules . . .
I loved reading El, Orion, and the rest of the gang’s foray into their final year at the Scholomance! So much happened and so many alliances were made and El and Orion made all the decisions- ones that impact more than just themselves- but it was so good. And I really liked how much El started to open herself up to others- I know growing up somewhere like the Scholomance, especially when you’re someone like El, would not be easy, but after making friends and finally finding a community of sorts in book 1, I loved how she was able to grow that and really become the glue that held her year together in book 2. Book 2 ends on a massive cliffhanger and now I’m eagerly awaiting book 3 (but I’m also glad I didn’t actually read this one until closer to when the last book comes out because OMG if I had had to wait a full year for answers rather than a couple of months, I would have been miserable!) If y’all haven’t picked up A Deadly Education or The Last Graduate yet, make sure y’all go out and grab them today!

Link to be added once my post goes live.

This was such an anticipated read for me. I loved every second and think Novik is such a masterful writer in how she tells her stories. Sucked in from the beginning!

I could not put this book down. This series has utterly enchanted me and I am desperate for more. Novik's writing is so rich and fluid I am fully immersed from the second I start reading. Can not recommend highly enough!

This is the perfect book to get lost in. It carries on right after the first book, A Deadly Education. The world building is divine. I can practically see and smell everything described in the book.

I love the characters. Throughout the book we're very much stuck in El's head. There is a lot of internal monologue and if you don't like her, you probably won't like the book. But I think she's so funny and witty. The friendship between El, Aadhya and Liu is so wholesome. I loved their scenes and conversations.

And Orion. I don't usually say stuff like this, but the romance between El and Orion was so nice! It's so different and refreshing and that ending made me want to scream.

I cannot wait for the last book! The cliffhanger will be the end of me.

In A Deadly Education, Naomi Novik really set herself up well for The Last Graduate. Though the plot may be slower, the stakes remain as high as ever. Novik's style in this series continues on its delightful, meandering way, playing upon both sarcasm and pity to create a dark, humorous, emotional novel. Throughout, the suspense is perfect - the plot may be somewhat slow, though the characters do develop terrifically - the stakes are quite high but it's not a thriller (thankfully not, in my opinion, too much suspense is hard to read). And the ending... a terrible bit of chicanery creates one of the best (worst?) cliffhangers I've ever read. Speaking of suspense!

Content warnings: the author continues to use bad language (continues on from the first, I mean) and there's SPOILER ALERT one sex scene - skip a bit when Orion + El get to the pavilion thing in the gym and read the ending of that chapter - lots of character development happens at the end of the scene SPOILER END.

Therefore I'd only recommend this to mature YA readers; mid-to-late teens and up.

A great read to add to this series! I didn’t want to put it down! What an interesting and captivating read!!

Wait, wait, wait. So there's more?! I don't believe in spoiler reviews but that ending...I need the next book immediately. For me this book was a bit more of a slow burn than the first but it was everything the series needed to bridge the gap between books. I loved how our characters developed and just again, that ending.

I’m glad I stuck with this series because I much preferred the Last Graduate to the first book (A Deadly Education).

The writing was better and more captivating. The characters really got to shine and had more depth, I enjoyed the interactions and the variety of personalities. The storylines unfolded well with many good moments and interesting directions. The whole book felt a lot more immersive and I can definitely see the hype afterwards.

My only criticism is the slight lengthiness of the book, certain passages did drag on a bit however, overall it was suspenseful and kept you interested throughout.

The Last Graduate is such an interesting take on a school for magic. I was immediately drawn into the worldbuilding and couldn't stop reading to find out what happened. I started the second book the moment I finished the second and now I have to wait what feels like forever for the third book.

At first, I was reluctant to read a book series about kids in a magical school, because figured it would just be a HP remake. Nothing could be further from the truth. This Scholomance series is so much more! It has wonderful world-building, fascinating characters, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

El tries to keep her enormous powers suppressed so she doesn’t have to dedicate so much extra work to rebuild her manna. This school year, as her class is set to graduate, she has finally made a few friends and is able to share their manna. Since the graduation is usually a very deadly event that few survive, El enlists her new friends to work together to help everyone survive. But talking the rest of school into being helped is not an easy task.

THE LAST GRADUATE by Naomi Novik is the second book in the Scholomance series and is just great! I’m anxiously awaiting the next book to be published. 5 huge stars!!! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for this book in exchange for my honest review.

The second installment of the Scholomance trilogy picks up right where A Deadly Education left off. I loved the first book, and the sequel did not disappoint! El may no longer be a loner, but her problems continue. Although many of the mals (dark spirits/monsters that attack wizards to get their mana, a kind of energy that’s the source of their magic) were destroyed during the events in book one, enough are left that life isn’t exactly safe. The school has also started putting El in extra-dangerous situations, she’s torn between wanting a relationship with Orion and resisting to protect them both, and on top of everything the deadly graduation ceremony is coming. El and her friends have got to figure out a strategy and alliances to increase their odds of surviving the mal-infested graduation hall, but the other students still aren’t keen on allying themselves with someone who has a dark prophecy hanging over her head and scary abilities to boot. I couldn’t put this one down – it’s a true page turner and kept me on the edge of my seat right through the end. And now I’m impatiently waiting for the release of book 3, The Golden Enclaves, on September 27th! If you like darker fantasy/magic set in the modern this one’s for you.
Likes: the world-building is detailed and unique. Novik takes every little horror of school and magnifies it with magic. Horrible dorm room? At least yours doesn’t have one “wall” that’s an opening into a never-ending void. Bad food? This cafeteria will literally kill you. Having trouble making friends? You probably don’t have to worry about a dark wizard killing you. The pacing is fantastic. El’s romance with Orion is sweet without being treacly. And El grows as a character without losing her characteristic cynical worldview and tart inner dialog, which I love.
Dislikes: not much. There’s a lot of explication about the Scholomance and the magical world, which is helpful if you haven’t read the first book in a while and a little repetitive if you have. And the ending is a cliffhanger!!! I don’t dislike it - I just hate having to wait.
FYI: violence, murder, sudden death. A few mild sexual situations.

I did a reread of this book since the 3rd books is coming out soon. I can't wait. This is such a cool world of monsters and a very unique magic systems. Both the 1st and 2nd have lots of suspense and action. I love the main character El and how we have seen her grow from the first book to the second and embrace her friends and start to trust others. The found family trope is always something I look forward to when I read a book and this story is perfect.

The second book didn't disappoint with its own adventures on how El the reluctant hero is going to save not just her class both the whole student body from the school. She had gone from no body to leader and she has to figure out the best way to navigate the politics of the school and the outside world. I did feel the middle lagged a little with all the runs through the gym practicing the escape ( and I did skim these chapters on my reread). There is a lot of set up for the next book which is a normal 2nd book issue. But that ending!!!! It was action packed edge of your seat fantastic. This book left me with a major book hangover and I can't wait to read the 3rd to see where this goes.

Highly recommended for anyone that likes dark academia, found family, unique magic systems.

As a side note, Net Galley let me borrower an E copy but I had previously borrowed an audio copy from my local library and the audio narrations is AMAZING. Anisha Dadia's voice brings the character of El to life.