Series: Scholomance Book 1
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 336 pages
First Published: 2020
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Rachael’s Review
At Scholomance, a cutthroat school of magic, students are expected to graduate or die. The main rule: don’t ever walk the hallways alone for monsters lurk everywhere. A standoffish loner, El doesn’t have the advantages of the bigger cliches, but she does have a powerful magic that tends toward destruction. When she befriends the popular hero of the school, El must balance her survival with the survival of the other students in one of the best dark magic books out there.
Of the fantasy books I read this month, A Deadly Education was by far my favorite. My husband told me I had to try the “Dirty Harry Potter” series he was reading, and I quickly fell in love with Novik’s fantasy series. With top-notch world-building and a great premise, A Deadly Education blends the perfect mix of teenage angst and romance to make it a perfect YA series to read. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book from my library.
Publisher’s Description
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.
Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans.
I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.
At least, that’s what the world expects me to do. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school itself certainly does.
But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.
Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.
About Naomi Novik
Naomi Novik is an American author whose works include His Majesty’s Dragon, Uprooted, Spinning Silver, and The Scholomance Series: A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate, and The Golden Enclaves. She currently lives in New York City. Visit the author’s website →