Saltburn meets The Scholomance trilogy. I couldn't put this one down, no seriously, I finished it at 1 AM.

What did I like so much about this book? I loved how balanced it was. The characters all managed to have individual personalities, and while they always stayed true to those personalities, they still surprised me in different ways. On the topic of surprises, there were quite a few! There were a few major ones (one is evident from early on) and many more minor twists. What I loved about that was that most of them weren't ones I had anticipated; they kept me invested and made me want more. I also really liked that while the book had faeries, it wasn't just about faeries; there was a very human-centered plot that just happened to take place in a world where magic and faeries existed. I always appreciate when books have a message that extends past themselves, and the focus on themes of elitism, class, and privilege resonated with me.

What didn't I like? This book was almost perfect for me. There were a few minor nitpicky things. Without spoilers, I will say that some of the plot wrap-ups were just slightly too convenient for me. And I do mean very slightly. The book was closer to a 4.5 for me, but the writing is just so good that I cannot justify knocking this down to a 4 for such small issues.

I have seen people suggest this is more YA than an adult, and while I get that because, for most of the book, the characters are 17/18 ish, I also disagree. The political themes and the deliberate pacing felt fitting for an adult audience. While this wouldn't be an inappropriate read for a YA audience, I'm not sure it would necessarily hold appeal.

Who's this for? I chose this because it shared similar descriptors as Emily Wilde, and while I loved this book and Emily Wildes, they aren't good comparisons. Emily is more whimsical and has more romance; at the heart, this is more political and has very little romance. I'd recommend this to fans of dark academia fantasy who enjoy historical fiction or political themes and do not need a romance or spice.

Thank you to NetGalley, H.G. Parry, and the publishers for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

4.5 stars

This was my first book by H.G. Parry and it blew me away. It was such an intriguing and engaging story that gripped you from the beginning. It’s a dark academia, history, found family, and faeries. They get into so much mischief by trying to open a faerie door. I would highly recommend it!

This book felt more like a young adult read than I was anticipating, but I still really enjoyed it!

I liked the plot and the characterization was pretty good. H.G. Parry writes super well in my opinion, and I always have a blast with her books. This may be my least favorite from her, but that's because I so much enjoyed A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians.

Definitely an author I'm excited for!

I can count the times I've skipped ahead and read the last pages of a book on the fingers of one hand. It's usually a bad sign when I do, but every once in a while it's because I'm so wholly invested, so emotionally entangled, that I simply need to know for better or worse, so I can prepare myself.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door was one of these times. Exquisitely plotted and brilliantly executed. The old, glittering, exclusive world of Camford is such an excellent metaphor, and the book is full of so many familiar strokes placed in inventive ways. The judicious use of time gaps was really impressive with how well they served the story, and the tension played off the melancholy foreshadowing in such an amazing way.

Thank you to Netgalley and Redhook Books for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion!

In the midst of my missing Oxford due to my summer study abroad program from last year, "The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door" by H.G. Parry seemed like the perfect book for me. "The Scholar..." is very similar to books like "Harry Potter" and "A Discovery of Witches." We follow Clover Hill who steps into a prestigious magical university in order to find a cure for her older brother who suffers from a faerie curse. Unfortunately for Clover, the study of faerie magic has been banned ever since a faerie attack, the same faerie attack that has left her brother cursed.

That's the gist of it! I really enjoyed this book. It starts off when Clover's 12-ish I think and her brother leaves for war. From there, we follow her to Camford and to her befriendment of three gifted mages. What I enjoyed most was the descriptions of Camford and the library. I know Clover speaks pretty poorly of Oxford, but even just reading about the Bod being near a bridge to Camford was fun and reminded me a lot of how much magic I found in Oxford. Generally, I had a lot of fun reading this and binged it pretty quickly.

I would definitely recommend!

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry was Harry Potter meets A Discovery of Witches with its dark academia and magical world building.

I loved everything about this story. It was ultimately about a young girl from a poor family who desperately searches for a way to cure her brother of his faerie curse. She enrolls in a prestigious university of magic that she doesn't belong to and studies her way to learning the truth about the curse and magical world she becomes a part of. Aristocratic bloodlines and ancient magic flow through the pages of this story which was perfectly balanced with young adult desires of acceptance and belonging. The world building was sublime, it wasn't overly fantastical yet descriptive enough so that I could imagine it as a cross between Hogwarts and the magical Oxford world of All Souls by Deborah Harkness. I loved the characters and found them likeable and relatable in so many ways. The sacrifices they were willing to endure for their loved ones were admirable and their chemistry angsty and realistic. The pursuit of knowledge in the face of adversity is not something I have read much of in fiction, how often do characters resort to education to finding the answers they seek? The passion for learning and books glittered throughout the story and bibliophiles and witches and scholars everywhere will find a cozy comfort in this tale. The magic was fascinating and featured one of the most original explanations for magical blood that I have ever read. There was so much cinematic potential with this world and it was one of the best books I have read about faeries.

I resonated with the message about endings and beginnings and how traumatic and utterly bewildering transitional times can be. We often pine for the future and hope things will get better, but do we honour and respect the mystery of what's to come? Do we spend more time worrying about the past and its long forgotten memories or do we wield our magic in building a better tomorrow, a stronger world, one that actually learns from the past? These are the might questions asked in this story, and perhaps we don't have faerie doors in our world that can offer those insights, but we do have the ability to learn, educate, and start over.

With its arcane books and precarious doors, set amidst a magical post world war one Europe, and ancient universities, The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry is the door that when opened will introduce the reader to an enchanting world full of love, vengeance, promises made and promises broken.

I loved The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry. When I saw that they were coming out with a dark(ish) academia novel with faeries, I knew I couldn’t wait to read it. It did not disappoint my friends. H.G. Parry has built an atmospheric and intriguing world of scholarship and faerie lore. I am itching to return to this world even though the story wrapped up nicely. I would love if the author wrote from this world again/did a spin off. There are so many amazingly flawed characters in this story and I loved them all, even the ones I really shouldn’t have. The story is told through first person POV which worked so well with the storytelling. Our FMC is writing directly to the reader who is assumed to be from the fictional world. This lends a mysterious a foreboding tone because we are unfortunately not in the world HG Parry created. She hints at something catastrophic going wrong in her story but only she knows what it is. I was eager for every twist, turn, and betrayal in the story. At times toward the middle, the story was slow. That maybe be an issue for some, but not for me. The slow parts were necessary for our characters and their relationships. I had such a good time getting lost in this world. I am eager to read more of this author’s work! Highly recommend if you enjoyed the academia aspect in Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries!

I thought 'The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door' by H.G. Parry was an exceptional read, perfect for anyone who loves a research arc and the academic allure of dark academia. Set in the 1920s, the story follows Clover Hill, a thoughtful and introspective protagonist who solves her problems through rigorous scholarship. The narrative is rich with magical realism and fae myths, making you feel like you're learning the magic system alongside Clover. Her journey to help her brother, cursed by a faerie during WWI, leads her to Camford, a secret magical academy. There, she forms deep friendships with Alden, Hero, and Eddie, only to face a catastrophic event that forces them apart and later reunites them under dire circumstances. The writing is lush and evocative, making every scene come alive. The book's structure, divided into four distinct parts, keeps the story fresh and engaging, with incredible plot twists that kept me hooked. This beautifully crafted tale of friendship, magic, and self-discovery is a must-read for fans of 'Emily Wilde,' 5/5 stars.

This book is for anyone who loves a research arc. It’s the most academic “dark academia” book I’ve ever read. In fact, I’m not even sure it can be called “dark” academia as the only Gothic trappings are pre-war Victorian leftovers. For the most part, the book takes place in the glittering 20s, following bright young people trying to reassemble themselves and their world after WW1 left everything off kilter.

In any case, it was great to read a character like Clover, who solves her problems primarily with copious quantities of rigorous scholarship. You really feel like you’re learning the magic system along with her, painstakingly putting the pieces of the puzzle together as she does.

Clover is also a refreshingly different kind of female protagonist than I’m used to. There’s often this urge that all female characters must kick butt and take names loudly, charging off to fight at all times like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Clover is a much quieter character. She’s thoughtful and considered and introspective but makes mistakes. She hides things from the reader, only loosening up and revealing more as the book goes on. A great deal of the plot happens TO her as much as because of her.

But, honestly, all those things combined, I found it very realistic. Her character arc focuses a great deal on what we choose and what chooses us, as well as on the (lack of) difference between wanting to believe something and actually believing it.

I very much enjoyed it. We don’t all jump out of bed in the morning and plan to take the One Ring to Mordor. We’re not all enthusiastic to share our deepest thoughts with strangers. This was an engaging read with a fresh take on old fae myths. Overall, a great time.

Thank you so much to RedHook Books and NetGalley for giving me an ARC!

For those of you looking for something in a similar vein of Emily Wilde, or to tide yourself over until the third book comes out, H.G. Parry has you.

Beginning in 1921 and spanning a decade in the life of Clover Hill, the book has pretty much everything you could want in dark academia, but with a magical twist. In her teenage years, Hill's brother, Matthew, leaves to go fight in the Great War and comes back injured by a faerie curse unleashed on the battlefield, thus kicking off Clover's journey to help her brother and learn magic. Introduced to the magical school Camford by Sam, a soldier who fought beside Matthew, Clover is determined to help in any way she can.

Along the way she meets and makes friends with three descendants of the magical Families: Alden, a force of nature golden boy; Hero, a woman trying her best to carve her way in a world that seems determined to push her out; and Eddie, a quiet, gentle, gardener-type witch. Their friendship was one of the biggest aspects that worked for me because it was so reminiscent of all those friendships in boarding school books we've come to love. Clover finds herself growing close to one, sharing secrets with another.

But then an event happens that forces the friends to part ways, only to reconnect under dire circumstances.

I haven't had the pleasure of reading Parry's Shadow Histories or her other stand alone novels, but please believe they've been bumped up to the top of my list after this. The writing was beautiful, lush, evocative. Any scene Parry painted, I felt like I was right there along with the quartet sitting on the roof eating apples, or stowing away in a forgotten room trying to unlock a secret. And this is one of the few books I've read lately where I just GOT all the characters and why they did what they did.

I can't recommend this book highly enough, if you enjoyed Emily Wilde, The Secret History, The Magicians, The Wayward Children series, any of those, this book should be on your radar.

A fun and fantastic fantasy, perfect for fans of Regency fiction and fairy stories alike! Highly recommended! Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I've never read a book by this author before so I didn't know what to expect, but I really liked this book! It gripped me and did not let me put it down. I was fascinated by the main four core friends and their dynamic, even throughout the time skip. I also liked the plot line with the brother's curse. This kinda had dark academia vibes as well as a faerie world

Rounded up from 4.5 stars.

I was excited to read this from the moment I found out about it. This book includes so many of my favorite things - dark academia, fae, and found family - but what sets this book apart from others with those same aspects is the writing.

I could gush about the writing. I really enjoyed the narration style being told by the protagonist in the past tense as a coming of age tale. The atmosphere and world were built out so well through her eyes and inner thoughts. The foreshadowing was perfect. I really felt her transition from being an outsider in this new elite environment to finding friendship and purpose in her scholarship. Towards the end, you realize that the protagonist has left a large detail out of her tale and it was truly a shock to me.

I think the narration style really shined the most through the ending of this book. It felt like a moment of reflection, a nostalgic look back, and a breath of hope for the future. It was incredibly satisfying. I really feel like this has the makings of a classic, and it is probably my favorite book I have read this year.

The only thing that might have bumped this up to a 5 star for me would have been slightly more romance/betrayal or more emotional connection to Clover. 5 star books for me evoke strong emotion and our protagonist stays very level and rational through the story, even during moments of high action or climax. It doesn't detract from anything though in my opinion.

I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to read this early and I will be recommending it with enthusiasm to my customers and my followers on Instagram.

Recommend for readers who enjoyed Babel for the school setting, magic, and found family, not the colonizer/racism aspect. Also recommend for lovers of dark academia and magical fantasy.

Oh my gosh, this was so good - thank you so much for the opportunity to read this early!! If you like dark academia and Narnia, pick this up - I feel like it's a Babel/Narnia crossover, haha.

We follow a girl named Clover who grows up in a country village, and her brother is cursed by a faerie when he goes off to war. In an effort to cure him she works hard to be accepted to a magical university called Camford. She is originally isolated but makes a core group of friends and they spend a magical, golden summer together before disaster strikes.

The book was broken into 4 parts and they all felt quite distinct, but amazing. Clover was such a strong main character to follow, and everyone else was well fleshed out as well. The last 2 parts had some incredible plot twists that I didn't see coming, and I could not put this book down!

A secret magical school, mysterious dark faerie curse, flawed characters, and found family, I'm here for it!

The setting takes place during the 1920's right before and after WW1. Clover unexpectedly finds herself immersed in magic and attending the secret magic university, Camford, hoping to find a way to break the faerie curse slowly killing her brother. Not only does she face adversity for being from a non=magical family (and poor), but she is one of only five female students in the university.

Despite the slower pace of the novel, I was engaged from beginning to end. This is my second book by H.G. Parry, and will continue to read more books by her.
This reads more YA than Adult, which is not a deterrent for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Redhook Books for the ARC of The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry.

In odd, magical ways, it felt like this book was written for me. My brother, also named Matthew, was in an accident at age 21 that has permanently impacted his quality of life. About 3 months after his accident, I was the first in my family to start college, several states away -- it's been 18 years since then, and I've never moved back home. In odd parallels that mirrored Clover and Matthew's experiences to my own life I just feel such strong support and emotion toward this book.

I also LOVED The Magician's Daughter, and feel her work is only becoming stronger and stronger - and it was already fantastic.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door follows Clover, a normal young woman of the 1910s/20s who learns about the existence of magic after it has injured and altered her brother, Matthew, on the front lines of WW1. With this new knowledge, Clover teachers herself magic and receives entrance into Camford, the British school of magic. Once there, Clover must learn to balance her need for knowledge to help her brother with her desire to make friends, earn a PhD -- grow into her own person. It's hard to say too much more than that without giving up vital aspects of the plot - but I promise it is worth every page.

The book has four specific time periods, all within a decade or so of the end of WW1. The time periods, and the ways our characters have altered over time, are in line with their individual growth and within the plot. The narration is from Clover's POV, and partially written in the second person, directly to the reader. I feel like this enhanced my closeness with Clover as a character - and, again, from personal experience I just really understood her journey and her feelings, even if she is a fictional woman from over 100 years ago in a place where magic can exist.

I feel this may be Parry's best book to date, and I cannot wait to see what else she has in store.

There was a pretty good blend of paranormal and dark academia. I really vibes with the characters and the book itself

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door is about a young woman named Clover that's fighting to be more than just a farm girl. When she gets into Camford, a prestigious college to study magic, not only does she have the opportunity to prove herself but also save her brother from a faerie's curse. While at Camford, she meets three aristocratic students who have miraculously taken an interest in becoming her friends, Clover quickly finds herself wrapped up in century long secrets, illegal magic, and coming of age.

Dark academia, faeries and Europe in the 1920's...I l really liked this book. It had just the right amount of nostalgia and supernatural. I think the author did a really good job at creating well rounded characters. It was hard to love or hate them when they made questionable decisions because it was easy to understand where they were coming from. They were just simply realistic college age students. The ending was bitter sweet. All the characters did well adding to the story or furthering the plot, though Rose kind of just seemed thrown in there and didn't seem necessary. She didn't change the outcome of the story, it felt like of like a last minute plot twist for no reason.

H.G. Parry writes so beautifully that there's always a comfort in slipping into one of their new books. There was a lot of promise here, the strangeness of the fairies and the way the magic and nonmagical communities collided held a lot of promise. What I think ultimately didn't work for me was the book's structure. IT felt half dark academia and half thriller and in the end the two parts felt at odds with each other. Maybe if they'd been more intertwined, I would not have felt the switch, but it seemed that just when the magic and the character relationships got interesting, we jumped ahead and had a whole new story with none of what had been so entrancing in the first half. Meanwhile, the first half felt a little slow going. Still, despite that, I read this quickly and will likely keep reading whatever Parry writes next.

An incredible blend of Fantasy, Historical Fiction, and Dark Academia. I absolutely loved it. One of my favorite reads of the year.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.