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theinquisitxor 's review for:
A Deadly Education
by Naomi Novik
3.75/5 stars
Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is one of my favorite books of all time. And while I knew this was going to be different, it feels almost like a completely different author wrote A Deadly Education vs Uprooted or Spinning Silver .
It's an entertaining book, and I like what Novik is doing with the typical 'magic school' tropes here. One one hand, the school is Chaos incarnate. It's not your well guided, disciplined magic school taught by seasoned professors. The school is full of monsters trying to kill the students. And the average school day is more like a constant struggle to survive than anything else. Not even graduating seniors have it easier, they are almost more likely to die trying to escape from the school than to actually graduate.
El is such a good narrator. She's unreliable, funny, and you never know or expect what she will do next. I liked the 'chosen one' trope flipped-- El is prophesied to become a dark sorceress. But throughout the book she is stubbornly refusing to give into the prophecy, even though tapping into that dark magic would be easier for her. I think she's truly a great character, and her perspective was refreshing.
The format of this book is different. It is very heavy on exposition, details of world building, and descriptions of the going-ons at school. The dialogue is very minimal, sometimes non-existent for several pages. This wore on me a bit, and while I did like the thorough explanations of things, I just wanted some of the characters to talk!
When this book was released in 2020, I had heard some of the criticisms from readers regarding race that take place in this book. And while I am reading a later edition that has been revised and corrected, I read with the understanding that many found content to be lacking or incorrect. I have seen reviews that Novik handles things better in book 2, and addresses some of the issues she may have created in this book.
It took me a little while to feel immersed in this story and world, but once I did, I was hooked and did not want to put the book down. I truly believe this book (and series probably) is about the power of friendship, and always choosing good, even if it isn't the easiest option. I'm excited to see where the next book goes, especially after the last sentence of this book!
Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver is one of my favorite books of all time. And while I knew this was going to be different, it feels almost like a completely different author wrote A Deadly Education vs Uprooted or Spinning Silver .
It's an entertaining book, and I like what Novik is doing with the typical 'magic school' tropes here. One one hand, the school is Chaos incarnate. It's not your well guided, disciplined magic school taught by seasoned professors. The school is full of monsters trying to kill the students. And the average school day is more like a constant struggle to survive than anything else. Not even graduating seniors have it easier, they are almost more likely to die trying to escape from the school than to actually graduate.
El is such a good narrator. She's unreliable, funny, and you never know or expect what she will do next. I liked the 'chosen one' trope flipped-- El is prophesied to become a dark sorceress. But throughout the book she is stubbornly refusing to give into the prophecy, even though tapping into that dark magic would be easier for her. I think she's truly a great character, and her perspective was refreshing.
The format of this book is different. It is very heavy on exposition, details of world building, and descriptions of the going-ons at school. The dialogue is very minimal, sometimes non-existent for several pages. This wore on me a bit, and while I did like the thorough explanations of things, I just wanted some of the characters to talk!
When this book was released in 2020, I had heard some of the criticisms from readers regarding race that take place in this book. And while I am reading a later edition that has been revised and corrected, I read with the understanding that many found content to be lacking or incorrect. I have seen reviews that Novik handles things better in book 2, and addresses some of the issues she may have created in this book.
It took me a little while to feel immersed in this story and world, but once I did, I was hooked and did not want to put the book down. I truly believe this book (and series probably) is about the power of friendship, and always choosing good, even if it isn't the easiest option. I'm excited to see where the next book goes, especially after the last sentence of this book!