Reviews with content warning for Fire/Fire injury - A Deadly Education

A very charming story that was both witty and suspenseful, alternating between detailed world building, dry humor, and well-timed dramatic reveals. Magic weaves with science to create a very unique setting that acts as a character unto itself.

Naomi Novik's story makes poignant remarks on prevalent real-world topics such as classism and privilege, through the lense of a magical society controlled by a fortunate (and greedy) few. She delivers genuine complex emotion as her characters grapple with their anger, their uncertainty, and at the end of the day, their humanity.

4.5 stars because I'm not sure if the author hired a sensitivity consultant or not; there were a couple small moments I didn't feel great about. Additionally, I wasn't sold on the design of the school in this book. Not the literal design, but more the way it was designed and how it's been handled since.

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evbyrd's review against another edition

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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

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taroroot's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was an incredibly fun and fast read! once i got into the grove of the Scholomance fantasy setting, i flew through this book. i'm very fond of El and her friends. can't wait to read the next book!

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chezler24's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

What a wonderful dark academia. magical school series to find! I enjoyed every second of this book from learning about the Scholomance to figuring out the magical systems and discovering more about our enigma of a main character, Galadriel, or "El" for short. The attention to alchemy and the more physical aspect of magic (e.g., mana building and storing) in addition to the flashier spell casting helped flesh out this world in subtle ways that were seamlessly integrated so the descriptions felt natural. Also, the cliffhanger at the end of this book has me chomping at the bit to get ahold of the next book in the series!

(Many thanks to my friend for the recommendation and for lending me her copy.)

I also found this review which was an insightful read and touched on things I hadn't considered when reading:
https://nusantaranaga.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/the-intersectionality-of-magical-academia-a-review-of-naomi-noviks-a-deadly-education/

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