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A review by sophiawolf
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
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? It's complicated
3.0
The Scholomance is a school for those with magic. Contrary to many wholesome depictions of magical schools, the Scholomance could possibly be one of the worst schools ever, given that there's the constant threat of death. El, the protagonist, is preparing for her graduation that is coming up after her next school year and which is perhaps the most dangerous event after years of enduring constant threats. With no allies, her task is quite daunting. That doesn't stop her from expressing herself, perhaps a little too frankly. All together, El's chances aren't large of making it out alive, even with her dark powers that could endanger others however. Still, El is determined to succeed.
I really liked the characters’ developments throughout the story, particularly El’s.
At first she appeared quite bitter and rude, arguably due to understandable reasons, but later on she kind of lost that. Even though she could technically still come across as rude, it wasn’t with bad intentions anymore and as a joke. Due to the threats and competition in the Scholomance, El often acted only for her own gain initially, but became more selfless the more allies and better relationships she had with her peers. I really like how El began to trust and rely on others.
Orion was pretty naive at first, but it was also understandable due to his sheltered life in the New York enclave. The other enclave students, particularly New York, were no better. However, he started to become more aware, especially due to El’s comments, of the issues the other students experienced and that the world wasn’t as simple as he thought. He didn’t let these bad news change his character and his inherent kindness though, so it was good to see him grow, but not turn into a completely different person.
Aadhya and Liu were great characters as well. It was interesting to read about them, especially when El got to know them better and more of their personality started to show.
The presentation of the enclave children was also well done. As they grew up in their sheltered enclaves, they never had to truly experience the fear of being devoured by the maleficaria. Because of that, it was understandable why they did not understand the privilege they had and also why El disliked it so much. Especially in a situation where less privileged students have to fear for their lives, the ignorance of the enclavers must’ve been frustrating.
The plot moved quickly which I loved. It made the book more addictive and fun to read. Even when I had some issues with the book throughout, it was still too much fun to really stop.
One of the biggest issues perhaps was the descriptions of the Scholomance for me. Some descriptions seemed a bit convoluted and not clear. However, the clearer Scholomance descriptions were interesting to read about due to the fascinating and sinister nature of the school.
While I was reading “A Deadly Education”, I was often debating on whether I should continue reading this trilogy and had actually already decided on “no”, however, about the last 20% convinced me to read the remaining books. Now I can’t wait to pick those up and see how El’s journey in the Scholomance and outside of it proceeds.
I really liked the characters’ developments throughout the story, particularly El’s.
At first she appeared quite bitter and rude, arguably due to understandable reasons, but later on she kind of lost that. Even though she could technically still come across as rude, it wasn’t with bad intentions anymore and as a joke. Due to the threats and competition in the Scholomance, El often acted only for her own gain initially, but became more selfless the more allies and better relationships she had with her peers. I really like how El began to trust and rely on others.
Orion was pretty naive at first, but it was also understandable due to his sheltered life in the New York enclave. The other enclave students, particularly New York, were no better. However, he started to become more aware, especially due to El’s comments, of the issues the other students experienced and that the world wasn’t as simple as he thought. He didn’t let these bad news change his character and his inherent kindness though, so it was good to see him grow, but not turn into a completely different person.
Aadhya and Liu were great characters as well. It was interesting to read about them, especially when El got to know them better and more of their personality started to show.
The presentation of the enclave children was also well done. As they grew up in their sheltered enclaves, they never had to truly experience the fear of being devoured by the maleficaria. Because of that, it was understandable why they did not understand the privilege they had and also why El disliked it so much. Especially in a situation where less privileged students have to fear for their lives, the ignorance of the enclavers must’ve been frustrating.
The plot moved quickly which I loved. It made the book more addictive and fun to read. Even when I had some issues with the book throughout, it was still too much fun to really stop.
One of the biggest issues perhaps was the descriptions of the Scholomance for me. Some descriptions seemed a bit convoluted and not clear. However, the clearer Scholomance descriptions were interesting to read about due to the fascinating and sinister nature of the school.
While I was reading “A Deadly Education”, I was often debating on whether I should continue reading this trilogy and had actually already decided on “no”, however, about the last 20% convinced me to read the remaining books. Now I can’t wait to pick those up and see how El’s journey in the Scholomance and outside of it proceeds.