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relin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Child death, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: War, Eating disorder, and Suicide
kem's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
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
4.5
This book was a wonderful follow up but at times it seemed to rush. Orion was not as big a part of the action and we spent a bit too much time in El’s head. But! We really got to know the other characters from the first book and their histories and motivations.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
arwombat'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
4.75
I don't understand why it had to end on a cliffhanger, but I could definitely see the part about Orion dying/staying behind coming.
On reread, theories about The Golden Enclaves (also based on book summary).
1. El is pregnant, and her baby is either enormously powerful or completely powerless - balance principle.
2. El learns from her book a secret about enclave building (how they are powered by non-enclavers/ something immoral) that makes her hate them even more.
3. She obviously tries to save Orion, in doing so maybe destroys enclaves?
4. She figures out what killed the Bangkok enclave (if it wasn't the naga).
5. She figures out what her mom meant in the first book (obviously)
Am I obsessed? maybe. Do I care? no
Update: I'm actually impressed with how many of these I got right, although some of them were very self evident.
On reread, theories about The Golden Enclaves (also based on book summary).
1. El is pregnant, and her baby is either enormously powerful or completely powerless - balance principle.
2. El learns from her book a secret about enclave building (how they are powered by non-enclavers/ something immoral) that makes her hate them even more.
3. She obviously tries to save Orion, in doing so maybe destroys enclaves?
4. She figures out what killed the Bangkok enclave (if it wasn't the naga).
5. She figures out what her mom meant in the first book (obviously)
Am I obsessed? maybe. Do I care? no
Update: I'm actually impressed with how many of these I got right, although some of them were very self evident.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content
katemilty's review against another edition
funny
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
3.75
I'm in love with the Scholomance and with Galadriel, so imagine my delight when their relationship was the focus of this sequel.
However, I did not love the cliffhanger ending, and the author got a little more convoluted/less tidy with her twisty, bendy plot this time around. Naomi Novik is really good at this kind of thing (see Spinning Silver and a Deadly Education), so I'm holding out hope that The Last Graduate wasn't just needlessly convoluted and every loose end will get wrapped up in the 3rd Scholomance installment.
Some open questions:
- If Orion isn't dead, is he going to come back mutated by his power or something? How would he not be stuck in the void though???
- What the effff is El going to do for all of Book 3 if it's not "fight super villain Orion"?? (This plot seems super unpleasant to follow but my senses tell me that's where it's going???)
- RIP Scholomance. Is book 3 just going to be set in the outside world?? That just sounds honestly not as fun. I am sad the school part of the story is over :( The school year has just such a nice, natural tension arc to it.
- Are Aadhya and Lui just like out of the picture now that everyone is back on their respective continents? Will we ever see them again?
- Where is El going to get mana now that she's not working with Orion???? Is this going to be like a "magic is gone" trope bc she's cut off from everyone's power now that she's on the outside?
- And last but not least, is El going to be pregnant and produce some sort of like, magic-breaking power monster human??? That would be so lame.
Things I *am* looking forward to
- Gwen Higgins dialogue, yessssssss
- Honestly, that's about it unless there's also a happy ending for Orion in the works, which I somehow very much doubt. I just want our number 1 good boy to be happy and not turn into a monster. Is that so much to ask?
However, I did not love the cliffhanger ending, and the author got a little more convoluted/less tidy with her twisty, bendy plot this time around. Naomi Novik is really good at this kind of thing (see Spinning Silver and a Deadly Education), so I'm holding out hope that The Last Graduate wasn't just needlessly convoluted and every loose end will get wrapped up in the 3rd Scholomance installment.
- If Orion isn't dead, is he going to come back mutated by his power or something? How would he not be stuck in the void though???
- What the effff is El going to do for all of Book 3 if it's not "fight super villain Orion"?? (This plot seems super unpleasant to follow but my senses tell me that's where it's going???)
- RIP Scholomance. Is book 3 just going to be set in the outside world?? That just sounds honestly not as fun. I am sad the school part of the story is over :( The school year has just such a nice, natural tension arc to it.
- Are Aadhya and Lui just like out of the picture now that everyone is back on their respective continents? Will we ever see them again?
- Where is El going to get mana now that she's not working with Orion???? Is this going to be like a "magic is gone" trope bc she's cut off from everyone's power now that she's on the outside?
- And last but not least, is El going to be pregnant and produce some sort of like, magic-breaking power monster human??? That would be so lame.
Things I *am* looking forward to
- Gwen Higgins dialogue, yessssssss
- Honestly, that's about it unless there's also a happy ending for Orion in the works, which I somehow very much doubt. I just want our number 1 good boy to be happy and not turn into a monster. Is that so much to ask?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore
Moderate: Sexual content and Death
Minor: Child death
emmahe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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
4.25
I read both this and the first book back to back, this one thanks to getting a proof copy because I’m a bookseller, and FUCK ME I’m going to find Orion and kill him myself. I did have a little cry at the end when Sudarat went through the portal and then didn’t stop until I realised that something TRULY bad was going to happen because everything was going SUSPICIOUSLY WELL . Anyway this series has so far gotten me out of a terrible reading slump and owns my ass. Precious forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Sexual content
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore, and Murder
Minor: Pregnancy
isnotacrayon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Sexual content and Vomit
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