A Deadly Education

It took me a bit to get into this, but then it was so propulsive! I had to figure out wtf a Scholomance was, but then I was all take me there yes please!

Took me a bit to get into it (I’m not huge into “school is trying to kill you”), but ended up really enjoying it. I read about 2/3 in one day.

I was really not sure I was going to like this… because it is SO exposition heavy for the first bit. But I ended up loving it!! Such a unique magic system and school, spooky but not terrifying, the characters were all so interesting. I was really rooting for El’s developing friendships and alliances. And the cliffhanger? Cannot wait to read the next one!

Story wise this was great!! The writing could’ve been a lot better…but the relationship between El and Orion was super cute!! Next book in the series…maybe??

An exercise in frustration. The author was so concerned with making it clear she’d thought of every little detail and nuance of the world she’s created, she seemingly forgot to tell a story—right up until it’s nearly too late.

The vast majority of A Deadly Education consists of clunky narration over-explaining every mundane facet of the deadly school in which the novel is set. Short breaks are taken for the narrator to complain about how unfair it is that everyone hates her even though all she’s only ever been is completely rude and unpleasant. Which is a shame, because the world is actually quite fun! But every character—and especially the writing—is almost universally anything but. There is just absolutely no room for anything subtle here. It all feels so graceless and abrasive.

A plot does finally start to kick in about two-thirds through—though the exposition dumps never do cease—and I found myself finally curious, if not enraptured. Things take a small and hopeful turn near the end, only for the novel to end on a twisty cliffhanger. I’ll say I’m tempted to hate-read the next in the trilogy, but for now I need a break.

Truly baffled by all the praise that was heaped upon this.

I'm just so frustrated because while I thought it was a fun read while I was going through it, I kept feeling like it dragged on and on and I was sure I'd drop the series when I was finished with this, however the final pages made me change my thoughts and now I want to continue urgently.

took me a little too long to finish this considering its length but whatever, i'm done enjoyed el's personality even though she was a little too stubborn at times but honestly, it only made me relate to her more LOL not sure i was a fan of explanations being inserted in there WHILE something important was happening (i feel like this would've done well with a glossary because there's just so much to explain lmao) but it was still a fun experience mainly, i'm just glad with how this ended. can't wait to read the next one.

Reallly fun world with a storyline that pulls you along. YA level of character development, kind of little delevopment for a lot them, but the story bops along we'll despite this. Main characters (El + friends) are fun. The magic system is interesting and a fun retriction.

3.5 🌟 This was more like reading a book with no real story? Quoting what Jess Owens (booktuber) said, it's very much an info dumping book. Maybe I'll reread it one day...

This book was interesting to say the least. I will say that I found it to be really … heavy. The world and the magic system are pretty complex and odd in this book, so it makes sense that so much time is spent of describing how it all works. But there is SOOOO much detail. It isn’t just the first couple chapters and then sprinkled in as needed. Nope, its constant and consistent the entire way through. For that reason alone, I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as a “fun” read. It was dark, moldy, and uncomfortable at times. So why did I still kind of like it? The characters. I loved the fact that the main character El is destined to be a villain, yet still tries to be good. I loved how sarcastic and rude she was to everyone even if she was saving them. I also loved Orion, the embodiment of a cinnamon roll, who has such a one-track mind of being a hero that he’ll save the one girl who doesn’t want him to multiple times. Their relationship (odd as it was) along with all the other cool side characters is the reason that I kept reading and why I will probably read the next one. While I wish the author understood that sometimes we as the reader don’t need to know every micro detail all the time, I do want to know what happens to everyone and if they graduate this deadly school.

A Deadly Education: 2/5 Um... alright. I had a lot of hope for A Deadly Education since it received a lot of hype and great reviews. I mean, what's not alluring about dark academia? Let it be known I REALLY wanted to like this book. The premise of this book is really good. It takes place in a dark academia setting in a school for gifted kids where they learn magic, but there are entities in the school that also try to kill you before graduation. The book follows a prickly protagonist named El who is witty, powerful, and kind of a loner. That's where the problems start. First off since this book follows El, who has no friends, it is told in first person and follows her stream of consciousness. It is known El does not have many friends, or any at all, so most of the book is long tangents with little dialogue. I would say 90% of this book is world-building and tangents that have nothing to do with anything. I really found myself at a crossroads between finding El cool and badass since she is super powerful and has great sass, but her poor-me mentality made her inner monologue seem very whiney and repetitive. She would think the same things over and over again and as a reader, I just felt like the whole story was going nowhere and every day was repeating with the same plot and same challenges. Furthermore, I would go as far as to say that the entire book has no real plot. Topics are mentioned and never brought up again which just seems sloppy. Maybe this whole book was just a setup for the next one? I honestly could not tell you. The only thing I liked was the relationship between Orion and El. They had some great moments but El eventually ruined them all by being rude which was not funny to read, just frustrating. I think the book would be at least 70% better if Orion was the main protagonist. Anyway, this was a huge disappointment and I also want to mention the controversy around this book is extremely warranted. The comment on dreadlocks was so insensitive and not even needed since it didn't add to the plot at all because there is no plot.

4.5 stars. Love the world building a lot. The main character's motivations were a little frustrating to follow at first, but got better toward the end. Really excited to see what happens in the next book

i understand nothing

The Scholomance is a school for those with magic. Contrary to many wholesome depictions of magical schools, the Scholomance could possibly be one of the worst schools ever, given that there's the constant threat of death. El, the protagonist, is preparing for her graduation that is coming up after her next school year and which is perhaps the most dangerous event after years of enduring constant threats. With no allies, her task is quite daunting. That doesn't stop her from expressing herself, perhaps a little too frankly. All together, El's chances aren't large of making it out alive, even with her dark powers that could endanger others however. Still, El is determined to succeed.

I really liked the characters’ developments throughout the story, particularly El’s.

At first she appeared quite bitter and rude, arguably due to understandable reasons, but later on she kind of lost that. Even though she could technically still come across as rude, it wasn’t with bad intentions anymore and as a joke. Due to the threats and competition in the Scholomance, El often acted only for her own gain initially, but became more selfless the more allies and better relationships she had with her peers. I really like how El began to trust and rely on others.

Orion was pretty naive at first, but it was also understandable due to his sheltered life in the New York enclave. The other enclave students, particularly New York, were no better. However, he started to become more aware, especially due to El’s comments, of the issues the other students experienced and that the world wasn’t as simple as he thought. He didn’t let these bad news change his character and his inherent kindness though, so it was good to see him grow, but not turn into a completely different person.

Aadhya and Liu were great characters as well. It was interesting to read about them, especially when El got to know them better and more of their personality started to show.

The presentation of the enclave children was also well done. As they grew up in their sheltered enclaves, they never had to truly experience the fear of being devoured by the maleficaria. Because of that, it was understandable why they did not understand the privilege they had and also why El disliked it so much. Especially in a situation where less privileged students have to fear for their lives, the ignorance of the enclavers must’ve been frustrating.

The plot moved quickly which I loved. It made the book more addictive and fun to read. Even when I had some issues with the book throughout, it was still too much fun to really stop.

One of the biggest issues perhaps was the descriptions of the Scholomance for me. Some descriptions seemed a bit convoluted and not clear. However, the clearer Scholomance descriptions were interesting to read about due to the fascinating and sinister nature of the school.

While I was reading “A Deadly Education”, I was often debating on whether I should continue reading this trilogy and had actually already decided on “no”, however, about the last 20% convinced me to read the remaining books. Now I can’t wait to pick those up and see how El’s journey in the Scholomance and outside of it proceeds.

it took me some time to get into this book, but once the threads started come together and the plot going, the book became a joy to read. the world building is unique and interesting but also fairly absurd, which i think the author uses quite well to commentate society in the end

I love Naomi Novik. That's all. Okay, not really. A Deadly Education is another great book by Novik. She is so good at getting into the heads of her protagonists and building worlds. The Scholomance feels like a real magical place, if that's a thing. I love how this book both stands alone and properly sets up the sequel to come. While this book has a YA vibe, with El being a junior in high school and with the coming of age storyline, it is definitely mature in the constant dangers everyone faces both magical and social. The tension rarely subsides. El is constantly having to consider every possible consequence to every action. It's exhausting. I wouldn't seriously consider handing this book to anyone under 15. But for anyone above that age who likes reading fantasy with dark magic, this is for you.

This book was really good I enjoyed the kind of dual personality of the mc , she and the mmc give of black cat and golden retriever vibes . The magic system was a bit hard to understand in the beginning but now I see how unique it really is. Overall this was a good book and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I loved this book with all my fantasy loving heart. It was everything I've ever wanted to read and I'm so happy to have watched everything in this story unfold through such a powerful female MC pov. I love El so much and I'm so excited to see what else happens in her story.

Banger. Cool world building + maps at the end.

What if Hogwarts had deadly monsters around every corner? Well, this is what it felt like and I honestly loved every second of it. It was kind of slow at times with very large paragraphs full of information being thrown at you, but it was a good read. I can't wait to read the next one.

Fell in love. It is one of those books where you come to an end and you‘re just incredibly sad.

The author has created an amazing world with so much detail. It is a lot of fun to read ( I really mean it - laughed out loud so many times) and I can‘t wait for the next one. So happy it is a trilogy.

if I had a nickel for every book I’ve read this week that was fantasy fiction dark academia about a school loosely set in the UK where the main character’s major was languages I would have 2 nickels

this book does raise the question of whether a book can be dark academia if it does not in fact contain any focus on academics. at first I did not like the book bc I don’t like mean narrators who are rude for no reason, but I kept going and came around a bit towards the end. I could see myself reading the second one if there is one

I enjoyed the story and the characters. I particularly loved the social commentary in here. At first I thought the protagonist was a bit too much to handle, trust issues, but she and the others grew on me. Though at times the dialogue made me feel like the book is better for teenagers, I enjoyed the story.

huh well that's illegal. since when has fantasy been this good at social commentary? i'd categorize this together with babel in a budding new subgenre of semi-anti-academy fantasy, but novik blunts the cutting commentary with a distinctly ya flavor. in the spirit of this pretty goth novel, i'd compare it to a skeleton; it's been a while since i read the lord of the flies, but i think novik borrows some strategies from it, stripping away the fleshy subtleties of adult society and making explicit all of the most problematic trends underlying this wonderful free market meritocracy we've made for ourselves. there's the (at least partially inadvertent) perpetuation of inequality by parents just trying to protect their children, the nonstop trading of informal but binding favors in a feverish orgy of networking, the suffocating social games played by people always looking to cut a small advantage for themselves. but the best part comes about two thirds of the way into the book, when novik pulls an extremely meta move and opens the floodgates of nuance; suddenly we take a step back from all the clean explicitness she built up before then and remind ourselves: half the problem comes from the stories we tell ourselves. change the stories and change the problem. the craft of the book itself is fairly standard Good Young Adult Fantasy. solid worldbuilding all around and generally compelling characters. i like el's blend of rfkuang-y anger and ya-sass a lot. full marks because the idea of the scholomance is so compelling and the social commentary is done so cleverly!