abookwormspov's review
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: Murder, Violence, and Child death
Minor: Cannibalism
nutm3g's review
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: Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit
blissofalife's review
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, Blood, Body horror, Cannibalism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Vomit
100acrewoodlibrary's review
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 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.
Spoiler
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Cannibalism
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