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lennie_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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: Death
takarakei's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
Minus 1/4 star for the very slow start, I honestly think they could have seriously condensed down the first ~150 pages to half of that. I literally read the first 25-30% and it was so slow that I put it down and didn't pick it back up for over another month.
But then I read the rest in like 2 days - and honestly as the rest of this story unfolds I was in awe at the intricacy of the storytelling. This third and final book is definitely the one where all the little pieces of the puzzle come together so masterfully to tie everything together. You know when you get to that point in a series where everything just starts clicking, and things are being revealed that are just blowing your mind? I was screaming and squealing and just having such a good time. I also just absolutely adore El - I think she is honestly one of my favorite main characters ever. I love this series so much!
I am kinda mad Ophelia is just like... still there??? but otherwise, I loved the ending.
3/5 🌶️
But then I read the rest in like 2 days - and honestly as the rest of this story unfolds I was in awe at the intricacy of the storytelling. This third and final book is definitely the one where all the little pieces of the puzzle come together so masterfully to tie everything together. You know when you get to that point in a series where everything just starts clicking, and things are being revealed that are just blowing your mind? I was screaming and squealing and just having such a good time. I also just absolutely adore El - I think she is honestly one of my favorite main characters ever. I love this series so much!
3/5 🌶️
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Classism, Child abuse, War, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Child death
Torture in the sense of how Maw Mouths *work* IYKYK Child abuse - Orion's parents are literally the worst!bzliz's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Started out slow but picked up about halfway through, once El had a clear mission/path to take. The tone remains dark throughout; even moments of hope are cast in shadow by the unfortunate tendency of humans (wizards, in this case) to be self serving above all else. This continues right up until the end but we are left on a somewhat hopeful note. It would have felt disingenuous to end on a perfect “and El saved everyone and so they lived happily ever after.”
A major reveal that builds throughout this installment of the Scholomance trilogy could perhaps have been gleaned by only the most eagle-eyed readers but I was absolutely shocked.Orion is part maw mouth and was made this way by his maleficer mother. There were several moments that felt like they were meant to be shocking reveals but that was the one that really got me.
Like the previous two books, I can’t say they rely heavily on character development. The plot itself is much more important and many characters rarely (if at all) share their knowledge freely, leaving El to puzzle out the truth of the matter in her own head. Her greatest achievement in terms of character development isgoing to confront her father’s family for their role in making her an outcast and instead of destroying them as she had dreamed for years, she is able to listen to her great grandmother and begin to understand the choice she’d made. Knowing that El sees them at least once more and has the potential to build a real relationship with them is a very satisfying end to the book.
A major reveal that builds throughout this installment of the Scholomance trilogy could perhaps have been gleaned by only the most eagle-eyed readers but I was absolutely shocked.
Like the previous two books, I can’t say they rely heavily on character development. The plot itself is much more important and many characters rarely (if at all) share their knowledge freely, leaving El to puzzle out the truth of the matter in her own head. Her greatest achievement in terms of character development is
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Murder, and Violence
abookwormspov's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Child death, War, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Sexual content, Murder, Torture, Domestic abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, and Body horror
wickedgrumpy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
It's been a while since I read book 2 in the series and I contemplated re-reading before picking this volume up because when I initially tried to read it I was overwhelmed. Book 2 leaves on a cliffhanger and book 3 starts right after and so you see the immediate events and it was a little difficult to jump right it.
I thought that the series was quite solid. Book 3 really tied it all together and bits that were resolved were introduced in book 1 so it was quite good closure to see actions that have consequences and a resolution all together.
Some of the reveals were also top notch, since there's (in hindsight) a lot of foreshadowing but to be able to put it all together wasn't something I managed. I don't know if it was because of the gap between the books and it would have been obvious if I read them in closer succession but I was satisfied with how it came together.
I thought that the series was quite solid. Book 3 really tied it all together and bits that were resolved were introduced in book 1 so it was quite good closure to see actions that have consequences and a resolution all together.
Some of the reveals were also top notch, since there's (in hindsight) a lot of foreshadowing but to be able to put it all together wasn't something I managed. I don't know if it was because of the gap between the books and it would have been obvious if I read them in closer succession but I was satisfied with how it came together.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Vomit, War, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, and Medical trauma
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
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Great ending to this series and just as good as the first two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Murder, Child death, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent and Child abuse
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
pages_with_panda's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
- 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
4.0
I really liked the entire series as a whole. The premise was interesting, El as a character who was the unwilling, snarky hero who still tried to do as little harm as she could, the overarching themes of classism and elitism...I think this book was a good ending for El's story, but I did think this book had a whole lot of things to get through in a very short amount of time.
My issue is with the pacing because we've spent two books, years setting up how to escape the Scholomancy, and then we're given half a book to explore the world outside and how to save it. There was a large amount of information given to us, new characters to meet with entirely new dynamics and politics from each enclave.
I did like the reveals though. The truth about the Enclaves, El's prophecy and her family, and how the book was ultimately about hope and wanting to do good for others without wanting a reward. I loved El's character for that. No matter how bad things got or how angry and hopeless she felt, she still didn't give in to that destructive power within her.
The pacing at the end was a little off too - It seems everything happens very, very quickly despite entire pages at the beginning where nothing happened, but even though I liked the happy-ish ending, I would've liked to see more of the aftermath and spent some more time with the characters.
Overall really good series. Might have teared up once or twice.
407 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief
My issue is with the pacing because we've spent two books, years setting up how to escape the Scholomancy, and then we're given half a book to explore the world outside and how to save it. There was a large amount of information given to us, new characters to meet with entirely new dynamics and politics from each enclave.
I did like the reveals though. The truth about the Enclaves, El's prophecy and her family, and how the book was ultimately about hope and wanting to do good for others without wanting a reward. I loved El's character for that. No matter how bad things got or how angry and hopeless she felt, she still didn't give in to that destructive power within her.
The pacing at the end was a little off too - It seems everything happens very, very quickly despite entire pages at the beginning where nothing happened, but even though I liked the happy-ish ending, I would've liked to see more of the aftermath and spent some more time with the characters.
Overall really good series. Might have teared up once or twice.
407 pages.
(⚠️Content Warnings;
Graphic: Death, Torture, Grief
Moderate: War, Child abuse, Child death
Minor: Sexual content, Death of parent )
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and War
Minor: Sexual content and Death of parent
flyintothestorm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.5
Me ha gustado, pero hubiese preferido un final distinto. Hay veces que la muerte de un personaje importante encaja más que que se salve.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, Torture, and Child death
Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual content
Minor: Dysphoria