A review by ashlightgrayson
The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The second installment in the series consists of a lot less info dumping since most of the world building was done in the first book.  The pacing feels less clunky than the first book as a result, I think.  As graduation approaches, the established system within the scholomance is challenged. I think the story took an interesting turn that I wasn't expecting by the end. I can't say more because spoilers, but I think a lot of readers will be intrigued by the ending.  There is a sense of mystery in the plot that isn't completely answered by the end. I'm looking forward to seeing how that is resolved in the next installment and how the dynamics of the enclaves are outside of the scholomance. 

In addition, the characters interact with each other more like friends than before. We get to know Liu and Aadhya better and get some glimpses into some of their other relationships which is interesting. More characters are also explored more thoroughly which adds an interesting dynamic to the ensemble of characters we already know. Galadriel and Orion's relationship becomes more established and reveals more about Orions' motivations and what attracts him to Galadriel. Through her relationships Galadriel seems much more comfortable and sympathetic compared to the first book. I think for readers who didn't like her very much in the first book it might be an opportunity to warm up to her. We also learn more about how Orion and El's magic is different than a lot of other student's magic. I felt like it helps clarify a lot about why Orion and El both function in the way that they do and why they understand each other so well.
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