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aroraback's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read this back to back with the second one, so they slightly blur together. I did really enjoy the series, and it reminds me a lot of how I’d felt reading when I was younger.
I liked the affection that was apparent through out the books, how the reader is lead to the prophecy, and that all the pieces seemed to come together.
On the other side, it often felt either rush or repetitive. And I strongly question why one of the smaller side characters was so prominent, and felt they could have been replaced by other larger side characters.
I liked the affection that was apparent through out the books, how the reader is lead to the prophecy, and that all the pieces seemed to come together.
On the other side, it often felt either rush or repetitive. And I strongly question why one of the smaller side characters was so prominent, and felt they could have been replaced by other larger side characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
pj99's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Violence and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Grief, and Death of parent
For those of whom grief is a very touchy triggernerdy_reader_9571's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
While I was glad that this third installment took place in locations other than the one that the previous two took place in, the story felt rushed and almost like two books compressed into one. There were a lot of events jam-packed into this one book with roughly the same amount of constant exposition and world-building as the first two installments in the series.
Overall, though, I enjoyed reading it, and I thought that everything within the story fit the lore of the first two books well and provided a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
Overall, though, I enjoyed reading it, and I thought that everything within the story fit the lore of the first two books well and provided a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Torture, Violence, and Murder
kelisabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
micallab's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
shiverowl's review against another edition
adventurous
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
ivi_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
A brilliant ending for this trilogy. Full of twists and turns that I did not see coming. We finally learn how the Scholomance came about.
The book explores themes such as balance, destiny, friendship and fairness
The book explores themes such as balance, destiny, friendship and fairness
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Classism
ladypalutena's review against another edition
dark
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
4.0
I was correct in my assessment of the first book: by blowing it up from a duology to a trilogy, I feel like there's a lot that could have been trimmed down. I don't think she could have ever put it back to a duology (unless you did two 500 page books), but the story here didn't end up being as satisfying as I wanted.
This is mainly for the following reason:After two books dealing with mals, and two books of El describing what it's like to take down a maw-mouth, it turns out that in order to create an Enclave, you have to sacrifice someone and turn them into a maw-mouth. So when you destroy a maw-mouth, you're destroying an Enclave somewhere else in the world.
The last hundred or so pages of this book, much like the last hundred or so pages of The Last Graduate, shoves everything in it. It's like the previous three hundred pages barely mattered: the entirety of the conflict happens in the final few pages.Like, I was expecting some sort of final battle between her and Maw-Mouth Orion, but what ends up happening is she simply holds his hands and tells him that he's already dead, then it takes literally hundreds of people to stop everything from collapsing in on himself and then somehow Orion still survives?
I did really enjoy this series. I enjoyed the magic system, I enjoyed Novik's writing, and I enjoyed the characters that weren't El (which makes me wish for some sort of spin-off for Aadhya or Liu).
Speaking of other characters, while El is busy mourning Orion's death (or at the very least, still planning on going back to the Scholomance to kill Patience and put Orion out of his misery),she ends up banging Liesel? This relationship seems to come out of nowhere to me - it's not even remotely hinted at in the last book, and then suddenly they're alone together and El thinks the only thing she can do to feel anything is to jump in bed together? It left a bad taste in my mouth. I guess technically, yes, she thinks Orion is dead so she's not cheating on him, but really? The kid hasn't even been dead for two weeks yet?
All together, I enjoyed the series, and I'd definitely read it again, and try to read it while knowing what I know now about the Enclaves and how everything ends up. It's just not the story I was expecting.
This is mainly for the following reason:
The last hundred or so pages of this book, much like the last hundred or so pages of The Last Graduate, shoves everything in it. It's like the previous three hundred pages barely mattered: the entirety of the conflict happens in the final few pages.
I did really enjoy this series. I enjoyed the magic system, I enjoyed Novik's writing, and I enjoyed the characters that weren't El (which makes me wish for some sort of spin-off for Aadhya or Liu).
Speaking of other characters, while El is busy mourning Orion's death (or at the very least, still planning on going back to the Scholomance to kill Patience and put Orion out of his misery),
All together, I enjoyed the series, and I'd definitely read it again, and try to read it while knowing what I know now about the Enclaves and how everything ends up. It's just not the story I was expecting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Violence, and War
illegalitch's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
This one got me. I teared up at a couple scenes. Getting an emotional reaction is one thing, but for that emotional to manifest physically with tears in my eyes... that another level. And the big secret! I was NOT expecting that. It's not very often a story can surprise me or leave me guessing. Half of the time, when they do, it's because the big surprise is just so far out there that it doesn't make sense. This book does not fall into that category. The big surprise flows so well with the story that I'm almost kicking myself for not seeing it in the earlier books! Which means this book (and series) is an automatic 5-star rating.
Well paced, especially for an anti-hero story written in First Person. I read the first book itself and listened to the second two audiobooks because I couldn't wait to finish the story, I had to know what was next. The narrator was perfect! Naomi Novik definitely earned a spot on my Favorite Authors list with this series and I cannot wait to read more of their work.
Well paced, especially for an anti-hero story written in First Person. I read the first book itself and listened to the second two audiobooks because I couldn't wait to finish the story, I had to know what was next. The narrator was perfect! Naomi Novik definitely earned a spot on my Favorite Authors list with this series and I cannot wait to read more of their work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Although the content may be upsetting for some, I feel it was presented well and not gratuitously.gabeagenda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Torture, and Violence