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thecolouryes's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Torture, Murder, and War
athryn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
A great conclusion to a great trilogy. Maintains the same quality as the previous books, but changes things up with a view of the world outside the school. It managed to surprise me with a few swerves towards the ending. Sad to leave this world behind.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Sexual content
Minor: Grief
blissofalife's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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
5.0
Could hardly put it down! Unlike the previous two books in the series, the stakes remain per high for the entire book. It doesn’t really feel like there’s a climax so much as several climaxes as El grows and gains an understanding of the nature of the enclaves. Lots of time spent on explanations. Ties the whole series up very nicely, and doesn’t leave any loose ends. Naomi clearly did a very thorough mapping of the series before beginning!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Cursing
Moderate: War, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Classism, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Gore
jkneebone's review against another edition
challenging
dark
inspiring
medium-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? It's complicated
4.5
In this final book of The Scholomance, El & co have made it through graduation - and now have to face the problems that face their larger world: enclaves collapsing, power struggles, and the questionable motivations of those in power.
It is challenging to write a good series conclusion, let alone a conclusion in which your characters are outside of the very specific physical location-slash-minor character that has dominated the first two books, and I think Naomi Novik does a pretty freaking good job of it. While I did have a few gripes, it still kept me so enraptured and emotionally invested that, at various major reveal points, I had to put the book down and walk around to calm down.
My gripes were mainly with the pacing, and with how little of the side characters we get in the front half of this book. I totally understand El’s emotional and mental state after “graduating” - in fact I really liked that in this book, it was made more explicit just how traumatizing and prison-like the Scholomance was, as if only now being free of it can El let herself think about that - however I personally would have liked it if the plot had moved along a bit quicker. Similarly, although I find Liesel hilarious, I was really missing the crew from the first two books, especially Aadhya and Liu! Luckily that was rectified in the later half, but I still would have liked a bit more time with the side characters.We don’t even hear about Chloe after El leaves New York!
What makes me not care about that, though, and what makes this a 5-star series in my opinion, is the sheer level of planning that Novik has clearly put into this series from the very beginning, all of which pays off in The Golden Enclaves. The world building is tight; there were no plot holes. So many pieces of information that seemed insignificant or merely descriptive in books 1 and 2 suddenly make perfect sense. I literally had a “holy shit” moment while driving as a bunch of pieces fell into place, and a few chapters later my hunch was confirmed. Spoilers about foreshadowing:Seriously, think about it - one of the first things we find out about mals is just how bad maw-mouths are. I think El described within the first few chapters of book 1 what happened to her dad. From the beginning, we’ve understood that even in this world of monsters upon monsters, getting taken by a maw-mouth is THE WORST THING that can happen to you…so when we find out that enclaves create maw-mouths (and don’t forget that El’s disdain for enclaves is also established pretty fucking early) it is just as horrifying to the reader as it is to El. In literally chapter one of <I>A Deadly Education</i> El describes the year that only 12 maleficers graduated and quips that Orion was probably conceived around the same time. There’s the joke Aadhya makes also in book one about how Orion doesn’t recognize her without El, like his brain is saying “I’m being bad at being human” - which he is, obviously, and now we know why!
This whole series is just good. I’m thrilled that book 3 lived up to the first two; I was absolutely floored by all the clever foreshadowing and the way everything was clearly planned out. And most of all I adore the philosophical message - how El always tries to do the right thing, to choose the path of least harm, and how apt her observations are about her fellow wizards. So many times she forces herself to realize that even people she dislikes can be cared for by others, can have value; that even people who have benefitted off of pain and suffering in the past don’t deserve to have more suffering delivered unto them, especially if they didn’t know about it. I think El’s morals got (understandably) a bit more nuanced in this book, but I loved that at her heart she is still always her mother’s daughter, always trying to do good.
I loved this series SO MUCH. I’m torn between an immediate reread and lending the books to a friend right away so I have someone to discuss it with. This is why Naomi Novik is one of my all-time favorite authors.
It is challenging to write a good series conclusion, let alone a conclusion in which your characters are outside of the very specific physical location-slash-minor character that has dominated the first two books, and I think Naomi Novik does a pretty freaking good job of it. While I did have a few gripes, it still kept me so enraptured and emotionally invested that, at various major reveal points, I had to put the book down and walk around to calm down.
My gripes were mainly with the pacing, and with how little of the side characters we get in the front half of this book. I totally understand El’s emotional and mental state after “graduating” - in fact I really liked that in this book, it was made more explicit just how traumatizing and prison-like the Scholomance was, as if only now being free of it can El let herself think about that - however I personally would have liked it if the plot had moved along a bit quicker. Similarly, although I find Liesel hilarious, I was really missing the crew from the first two books, especially Aadhya and Liu! Luckily that was rectified in the later half, but I still would have liked a bit more time with the side characters.
What makes me not care about that, though, and what makes this a 5-star series in my opinion, is the sheer level of planning that Novik has clearly put into this series from the very beginning, all of which pays off in The Golden Enclaves. The world building is tight; there were no plot holes. So many pieces of information that seemed insignificant or merely descriptive in books 1 and 2 suddenly make perfect sense. I literally had a “holy shit” moment while driving as a bunch of pieces fell into place, and a few chapters later my hunch was confirmed. Spoilers about foreshadowing:
This whole series is just good. I’m thrilled that book 3 lived up to the first two; I was absolutely floored by all the clever foreshadowing and the way everything was clearly planned out. And most of all I adore the philosophical message - how El always tries to do the right thing, to choose the path of least harm, and how apt her observations are about her fellow wizards. So many times she forces herself to realize that even people she dislikes can be cared for by others, can have value; that even people who have benefitted off of pain and suffering in the past don’t deserve to have more suffering delivered unto them, especially if they didn’t know about it. I think El’s morals got (understandably) a bit more nuanced in this book, but I loved that at her heart she is still always her mother’s daughter, always trying to do good.
I loved this series SO MUCH. I’m torn between an immediate reread and lending the books to a friend right away so I have someone to discuss it with. This is why Naomi Novik is one of my all-time favorite authors.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content
icarusandthesun's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
i am utterly disappointed.
such a shattering cliffhanger in book two, and for what?
this book has 400 pages and i kid you not, around 300 were horribly uninteresting. the whole first half of the book was useless rambling - boring, uninspiring and devastatingly dry.
the twist and reveal and all that were fun and had potential, the delivery however was super unexciting and the wow-moment shadowed by the absolute nothingness the whole rest of the book was. great concept, such poor execution.
and don't even get me started on the ending.
the ending was the most frustrating thing ever. like yeah, we all love a happy ending, but just how did orion survive? and i'm not saying that out of spite or malice, i liked him as a character. i just think he seriously should've died, because that would've been the most realistic and sensible outcome.
also, watching all the conflict and problems get solved in a little godlike act 20 pages before the end made me want to claw my eyes out.
there were a couple of scenes and happenings that hooked me for a few pages, a chapter at best - for examplethe little liaison thing with liesel which surprised me BIG TIME, in a good way, but the rest was absolutely not it.
i loved book one and two, and the author's catchy and quick writing style didn't disappoint in this one either, but the story - tragic.
such a shattering cliffhanger in book two, and for what?
this book has 400 pages and i kid you not, around 300 were horribly uninteresting. the whole first half of the book was useless rambling - boring, uninspiring and devastatingly dry.
the twist and reveal and all that were fun and had potential, the delivery however was super unexciting and the wow-moment shadowed by the absolute nothingness the whole rest of the book was. great concept, such poor execution.
and don't even get me started on the ending.
the ending was the most frustrating thing ever. like yeah, we all love a happy ending, but
also, watching all the conflict and problems get solved in a little godlike act 20 pages before the end made me want to claw my eyes out.
there were a couple of scenes and happenings that hooked me for a few pages, a chapter at best - for example
i loved book one and two, and the author's catchy and quick writing style didn't disappoint in this one either, but the story - tragic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Murder, Child death, War, and Violence
Minor: Child death, Drug use, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
allyareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Grief, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, War, and Medical trauma
ireadinbed's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
I felt so many fucking feelings.
I cried like 40% of my reading time.
No joke this is a rough one but this series speaks to me on a deep level and this book is by FAR the best. And i say that having rated thd other 2 books 5⭐️ as well.
The character arcs. The deep messages about the radical nature of forgivness and the continuous work of a good life. The hope.
Chefs kiss. 5 stars. Hell 6 stars.
I cried like 40% of my reading time.
No joke this is a rough one but this series speaks to me on a deep level and this book is by FAR the best. And i say that having rated thd other 2 books 5⭐️ as well.
The character arcs. The deep messages about the radical nature of forgivness and the continuous work of a good life. The hope.
Chefs kiss. 5 stars. Hell 6 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Murder, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Xenophobia and Racism
emilymia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, and Body horror
Moderate: War
brianneh's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Child abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, War, and Classism
paper_elytra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
The conclusion of the Scholomance series. Compelling and powerful, El's furious railing against the inequalities of society and power is tempered with understanding and a willingness to take uncomfortable action. While moments of humour shine through, this installment has an emotional depth and complexity that shows how much the characters have grown.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror and Torture
Moderate: Violence, Death, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual content