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scramuel058's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Abortion
zias's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
I would totally give this 5 stars if I were smarter enough to conceive some of the abstract concepts in this book. The first portion of the story was not as exhilarating but once Sasha got into her journey at the Institute, I truly felt like Sasha - the more she learned, the less she knew. This is one I could probably read again and again and always make new connections.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Body horror, and Vomit
Moderate: Death
meganpbell's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Dark academia—but make it Eastern European! Welcome to the Institute of Special Technologies…Now enrolling fans of mysterious schools, linguistic magic systems, dark and ambitious speculative fiction, and over-achieving female main characters. This is one of the few English translations of the work of award-winning Ukrainian masters of science fiction, Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, championed in the U.S. by The Magicians author Lev Grossman. If brutal academies and arcane systems of magic speak to you, this is required reading!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Ableism, Vomit, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
podanotherjessi's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a hard book to review because I liked almost everything in the book; it's genuinely hard to pinpoint anything specific about it I didn't like. And yet the overwhelming feeling I had while reading was just boredom. Everything - including the weirdness - was just so mundane, which I actually think is a strength of the writing, but it did make for a dull read to me.
The concepts in this book were amazing. It took so long to really get to them, and I understand why, but I loved them. The first 20% was my favorite part because the stakes really felt there for me, and I was enjoying the mystery of what was going on, but then that faded which is where the boredom set in. The last 20% was also incredible; the pace picks up and the stakes were there again, and I was genuinely engaged and excited.
I liked all of the side characters, and I almost wish the book had a wider focus to more encompass them more. The moments when Sasha interacts with Lisa or Yegor or Kostya or even her mother were some of the highlights of the book.When her mom first said she was going to visit the school was when the stakes came back for me.
Sasha herself held very little interest for me. She's just special but the book takes far too long to explain why, so I just kind of didn't care. I needed to know why she was trying harder than her classmates (or see more from her classmates to know that wasn't true, just her perception). Why was she excelling where everyone else wasn't?
And the writing was really amazing. I don't know how it is in the physical book, but in the audio there aren't really pauses between scenes for a lot of the book, which creates a really disjointed feeling that I loved. Scenes never really end or start but flow into each other. And beyond that, it's beautifully written.
So I think it's a fantastic book, but I don't think I'll ever read it again.
The concepts in this book were amazing. It took so long to really get to them, and I understand why, but I loved them. The first 20% was my favorite part because the stakes really felt there for me, and I was enjoying the mystery of what was going on, but then that faded which is where the boredom set in. The last 20% was also incredible; the pace picks up and the stakes were there again, and I was genuinely engaged and excited.
I liked all of the side characters, and I almost wish the book had a wider focus to more encompass them more. The moments when Sasha interacts with Lisa or Yegor or Kostya or even her mother were some of the highlights of the book.
Sasha herself held very little interest for me. She's just special but the book takes far too long to explain why, so I just kind of didn't care. I needed to know why she was trying harder than her classmates (or see more from her classmates to know that wasn't true, just her perception). Why was she excelling where everyone else wasn't?
And the writing was really amazing. I don't know how it is in the physical book, but in the audio there aren't really pauses between scenes for a lot of the book, which creates a really disjointed feeling that I loved. Scenes never really end or start but flow into each other. And beyond that, it's beautifully written.
So I think it's a fantastic book, but I don't think I'll ever read it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit and Body horror
applejacksbooks's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is deliciously weird. Like at no point did I know where this was going and I am very excited to read the second one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Body horror
pbeeandj's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The Magicians but make it Kafka
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt and Vomit
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Trafficking and Sexual assault
jilltow's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Minor: Ableism
couldbestephen's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
5.0
I'm struggling to write a cohesive review for this book that adequately contains the absolute love and admiration I have for it. I've never read a book that I loved so intensely that I know I'd never recommend to anyone. If the phrase "Franz Kafka meets Lev Grossman in this incredibly surrealist, mind-bending novel about a woman who attends the Russian Institute of Special Technologies to learn Speech" doesn't spark some sort of interest, then this isn't for you. To be honest, I don't think this book is for most people. But for the ones who make it through and <i> reverberate </i>, this will be amazing.
This story isn’t your classic magical school discovery story at all. It doesn't have a big bad. There is no Beast for the protagonist to defeat, there is no Voldemort lurking in every dark corner, and there is no governmental conspiracy for us to unravel. There is only education. The biggest hurdle Sasha, our main character, must overcome is her own mind. Alexandra is an incredibly powerful construct but is constantly kept in check by teachers who truly know more than her and only want to keep her alive as she grows into her power.
I can see how this could be a polarizing book. This isn't a flashy, magical adventure. I'm not even sure what we are reading is technically "magic." It's Language. It's Verbs, Pronouns, and Nouns. It's Creation. It's beautiful, it's bizarre, it's art. And it's not for a casual reader. Especially as you get near the end, the complexity and confusion is wild. The plot is slow and drags. I’m genuinely sorry for the people who thought they were getting into some HP story and were instead confronted with something that has the casual enjoyment factor of watching concrete dry. There’s also no denying that the uncomfortable tasks and lessons the students must endure can be over the top.
If you're looking for an easier read with a semi-similar vibe, I'd recommend A Deadly Education (Novik), An Unkindness of Magicians (Howard), and The Magicians Trilogy (Grossman). These are more classically paced magic novels that will engage a wider audience. I cannot stress enough how much of a slow burn novel this is that will fuck with your head. There is no "fun" here. But it is beautiful.
This story isn’t your classic magical school discovery story at all. It doesn't have a big bad. There is no Beast for the protagonist to defeat, there is no Voldemort lurking in every dark corner, and there is no governmental conspiracy for us to unravel. There is only education. The biggest hurdle Sasha, our main character, must overcome is her own mind. Alexandra is an incredibly powerful construct but is constantly kept in check by teachers who truly know more than her and only want to keep her alive as she grows into her power.
I can see how this could be a polarizing book. This isn't a flashy, magical adventure. I'm not even sure what we are reading is technically "magic." It's Language. It's Verbs, Pronouns, and Nouns. It's Creation. It's beautiful, it's bizarre, it's art. And it's not for a casual reader. Especially as you get near the end, the complexity and confusion is wild. The plot is slow and drags. I’m genuinely sorry for the people who thought they were getting into some HP story and were instead confronted with something that has the casual enjoyment factor of watching concrete dry. There’s also no denying that the uncomfortable tasks and lessons the students must endure can be over the top.
If you're looking for an easier read with a semi-similar vibe, I'd recommend A Deadly Education (Novik), An Unkindness of Magicians (Howard), and The Magicians Trilogy (Grossman). These are more classically paced magic novels that will engage a wider audience. I cannot stress enough how much of a slow burn novel this is that will fuck with your head. There is no "fun" here. But it is beautiful.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Misogyny
meagm's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
I don’t understand the hype on this book, it’s so slow and the pay off is anti-climatic. Maybe theres some build up lost in translation? The magic system/school is interesting but confusing to follow and after all those pages I still didn’t care about the main character enough at the “final battle” to be excited.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Blood and Vomit
aileron's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Ableism
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Rape, and Suicide attempt