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evbyrd's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
teklalind's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is the third book I've read by Novik and I still can't tell if I really enjoy her writing. Clearly, I do enough to keep trying her books! I have definitely seen her improve especially with character relationships and development that I'm happy to see after Uprooted. I do intend to read the rest of this series but I still struggle with her writing style as it just doesn't feel polished.
I enjoyed this book, but it lacks exposition or a coherent explanation of the world-building. What you learn is fascinating, I find the school's structure interesting. I found myself stumbling around trying to remember all of the names thrown at me, not just the characters but also of the various monsters because there are so many different types thrown in. Usually, an introduction includes a description of it but it's rushed in while the main character is fighting it. Maybe it's intended for the audience to think on their feet as much as the characters have to, but instead, I found myself just flailing and making all the monsters just blobs because I couldn't distinguish them from one another. I wish there had been an index in the back of the book with descriptions of the "mals" (the monsters) so I could keep track, let alone an index with the names of the characters thrown around with their rushed description.
It seemed like Novik was trying to create a diverse cast of characters except she threw them all to the side most of the time because most of the book was about El, the MC, and sometimes Orion Lake. A lot of the cast of characters could have been trimmed to give other important ones more time but Novik really tried to sell how diverse the school was and ended up just creating a massive hole in character development. Maybe that happens in the sequel!
Overall, I did enjoy the book though. I wouldn't compare it to Harry Potter at all but I realize people will always compare a magical school to HP despite the fact that magical schools in fantasy existed before HP and continue to after but I digress. It has a darker sense where Novik tries to pick apart the class differences between students but ignores the racial differences that could've been a major influence but the attempts she did make at critical thinking about race were not well received so maybe it's good she didn't try.
I enjoyed this book, but it lacks exposition or a coherent explanation of the world-building. What you learn is fascinating, I find the school's structure interesting. I found myself stumbling around trying to remember all of the names thrown at me, not just the characters but also of the various monsters because there are so many different types thrown in. Usually, an introduction includes a description of it but it's rushed in while the main character is fighting it. Maybe it's intended for the audience to think on their feet as much as the characters have to, but instead, I found myself just flailing and making all the monsters just blobs because I couldn't distinguish them from one another. I wish there had been an index in the back of the book with descriptions of the "mals" (the monsters) so I could keep track, let alone an index with the names of the characters thrown around with their rushed description.
It seemed like Novik was trying to create a diverse cast of characters except she threw them all to the side most of the time because most of the book was about El, the MC, and sometimes Orion Lake. A lot of the cast of characters could have been trimmed to give other important ones more time but Novik really tried to sell how diverse the school was and ended up just creating a massive hole in character development. Maybe that happens in the sequel!
Overall, I did enjoy the book though. I wouldn't compare it to Harry Potter at all but I realize people will always compare a magical school to HP despite the fact that magical schools in fantasy existed before HP and continue to after but I digress. It has a darker sense where Novik tries to pick apart the class differences between students but ignores the racial differences that could've been a major influence but the attempts she did make at critical thinking about race were not well received so maybe it's good she didn't try.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Blood, and Cannibalism
Briefly mentioned the sacrifice of animals. Another brief mention of a human sacrifice and cannibalism for magic. It is not described in detail and is not dwelled upon.abookwormspov's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Cannibalism
nutm3g's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A quick way to describe A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik would be to say it is like Harry Potter meets The Magicians meets Deadly Class. The students are all fighting to stay alive till graduation day (and especially make it through that day) whether it be from themselves, fellow students turned dark, the mal creeping in, and even the magic they are learning. There is a great sense of wrongness with how there are enclaves, and how the world and school itself was designed with them in mind at the sacrifice of those with the unfortunate luck of being born into nothing. The friendships are developed well, considering the Scholomance is not a place where trust is taken lightly.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS** It was very interesting how it starts off letting us know El is evil-inclined (regardless of if she wants to be) and with a foreboding prophecy about her supposed destruction, but as the story unfolds you begin to see that she is very much a hero and that her fate may be leaning more towards salvation for the disenfranchised magic-wielders.
**POSSIBLE SPOILERS** It was very interesting how it starts off letting us know El is evil-inclined (regardless of if she wants to be) and with a foreboding prophecy about her supposed destruction, but as the story unfolds you begin to see that she is very much a hero and that her fate may be leaning more towards salvation for the disenfranchised magic-wielders.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, and Cannibalism
blissofalife's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
No love triangle, no real angst, believable interactions, developed relationships, solid world building without info dumping! It was a fun read that seemed to straddle the line of Hunger Games and Hogwarts. I can’t wait to read the next one!
4.75 because some of the grammar read weird to me and was a tad distracting at times.
4.75 because some of the grammar read weird to me and was a tad distracting at times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
100acrewoodlibrary's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Cannibalism
litwtchreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adored the concept behind this book, the plot, description, and the main characters movement throughout the two weeks this book is set in.
I think I really liked that we were kind of thrown into the middle of the story, and that there were other characters around. I also liked that the "good" guy in the story was also the clueless hot boy himbo tbh and that the school essentially thrived on sacrifices but no one but the main character really acknowledged it. I think also the fact that the main character continually fought her own impulses and the push from the school to be evil and used that to her advantage and still kept quiet about it all was a pretty unique twist. She was supposed to be the main villain but actively chose not to be when she was given the choice with the many-mouths eater and other opportunities. Additionally, I loved the almost ethical discussion without it really being ethical of the ways magic is done - through sacrifice, but not always your own.
I really really really want to read a sequel from this book because Naomi Novik's world building skills and the depth of the characters even without a full backstory or details was super fascinating. I devoured this book in less than a day and it has still stuck with me weeks after I first read it.
I really really really want to read a sequel from this book because Naomi Novik's world building skills and the depth of the characters even without a full backstory or details was super fascinating. I devoured this book in less than a day and it has still stuck with me weeks after I first read it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Cannibalism