A Deadly Education: A Novel (The Scholomance)
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the first book of the Scholomance trilogy, the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic.
FINALIST FOR THE LODESTAR AWARD • “The dark school of magic I’ve been waiting for.”—Katherine Arden, author of the Winternight Trilogy
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.
Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans.
I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.
At least, that’s what the world expects. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school certainly does.
But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.
Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.
With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a school bursting with magic like you’ve never seen before, and a heroine for the ages—a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come.
The magic of the Scholomance trilogy continues in The Last Graduate and The Golden Enclaves
“The can’t-miss fantasy of fall 2020, a brutal coming-of-power story steeped in the aesthetics of dark academia. . . . A Deadly Education will cement Naomi Novik’s place as one of the greatest and most versatile fantasy writers of our time.”—BookPage (starred review)
“A must-read . . . Novik puts a refreshingly dark, adult spin on the magical boarding school. . . . Readers will delight in the push-and-pull of El and Orion’s relationship, the fantastically detailed world, the clever magic system, and the matter-of-fact diversity of the student body.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
FINALIST FOR THE LODESTAR AWARD • “The dark school of magic I’ve been waiting for.”—Katherine Arden, author of the Winternight Trilogy
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.
Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I’m concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I’m not joining his pack of adoring fans.
I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.
At least, that’s what the world expects. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school certainly does.
But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either.
Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.
With flawless mastery, Naomi Novik creates a school bursting with magic like you’ve never seen before, and a heroine for the ages—a character so sharply realized and so richly nuanced that she will live on in hearts and minds for generations to come.
The magic of the Scholomance trilogy continues in The Last Graduate and The Golden Enclaves
“The can’t-miss fantasy of fall 2020, a brutal coming-of-power story steeped in the aesthetics of dark academia. . . . A Deadly Education will cement Naomi Novik’s place as one of the greatest and most versatile fantasy writers of our time.”—BookPage (starred review)
“A must-read . . . Novik puts a refreshingly dark, adult spin on the magical boarding school. . . . Readers will delight in the push-and-pull of El and Orion’s relationship, the fantastically detailed world, the clever magic system, and the matter-of-fact diversity of the student body.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
Dark Academia, at its best, A Deadly Education, gives readers a magical tale of Galadriel – El – as she focuses on surviving the dark magic in the school with her destructive power, wit, and spitfire spirit.
Something Different
Usually, when you think of a school of magic, your mind instantly goes to Hogwarts. That is not a bad thing, but I can personally say that is not the scholomance. The Scholomance is a magic school, but it is located in the void, surrounded by monsters that hunt out magic users for food. That is, of course, a simplistic summary of the book.
Now, once you are in school, there is no way out except graduation or death. Yes, you read that correctly. The school is in the void; no one knows if you can escape the void by walking through it, what with all the monsters within it.
There are no teachers, no headmasters, no adults, just students who form alliances rather than friendships in their quest to learn and survive the school.
Together, all of the above make A Deadly Education a unique and fun novel. It is magical, there are monsters at every turn, and it is unpredictable. You have no idea which direction this novel is going to go. However, that is what makes it incredible.
Novik’s talent for storytelling is incredible. Her pacing grounds the reader in the premise and world she is building up, making it engaging from beginning to end.
All Shall Love Galadriel & Despair
Novik also did an incredible job with her characterization. El is the wittiest character in the world. She is this sorceress who has a proclivity for destruction. Not because she wants it but because this is how she was born. Some people, like Orion, have a proclivity for combat magic, others for alchemy, and so on. Her magic manifested this way, creating this dark cloud around her that pushes people away. Even as a child, she did not understand why people instantly disliked her until she discovered her magic.
This has made her a sarcastic loner who now intentionally drives people away. El decided when she went to school that friends were not significant; alliances were. So as the story develops, so does El. El has always believed that she could do whatever she needed to do on her own. She decided that she did not need others to survive.
Boy, was she wrong.
Her journey in A Deadly Education is a personal one. However, she discovers that she can form bonds, friendships even and that she does not have to be a complete b*tch all the time. El is opening herself up; she is welcoming friendships; she is changing and growing without losing that spunk and attitude that make her so great.
Final Thoughts
A Deadly Education is a fantastic novel. With an unpredictable plot and unforgettable protagonist, this story will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
Dark Academia, at its best, A Deadly Education, gives readers a magical tale of Galadriel – El – as she focuses on surviving the dark magic in the school with her destructive power, wit, and spitfire spirit.
Something Different
Usually, when you think of a school of magic, your mind instantly goes to Hogwarts. That is not a bad thing, but I can personally say that is not the scholomance. The Scholomance is a magic school, but it is located in the void, surrounded by monsters that hunt out magic users for food. That is, of course, a simplistic summary of the book.
Now, once you are in school, there is no way out except graduation or death. Yes, you read that correctly. The school is in the void; no one knows if you can escape the void by walking through it, what with all the monsters within it.
There are no teachers, no headmasters, no adults, just students who form alliances rather than friendships in their quest to learn and survive the school.
Together, all of the above make A Deadly Education a unique and fun novel. It is magical, there are monsters at every turn, and it is unpredictable. You have no idea which direction this novel is going to go. However, that is what makes it incredible.
Novik’s talent for storytelling is incredible. Her pacing grounds the reader in the premise and world she is building up, making it engaging from beginning to end.
All Shall Love Galadriel & Despair
Novik also did an incredible job with her characterization. El is the wittiest character in the world. She is this sorceress who has a proclivity for destruction. Not because she wants it but because this is how she was born. Some people, like Orion, have a proclivity for combat magic, others for alchemy, and so on. Her magic manifested this way, creating this dark cloud around her that pushes people away. Even as a child, she did not understand why people instantly disliked her until she discovered her magic.
This has made her a sarcastic loner who now intentionally drives people away. El decided when she went to school that friends were not significant; alliances were. So as the story develops, so does El. El has always believed that she could do whatever she needed to do on her own. She decided that she did not need others to survive.
Boy, was she wrong.
Her journey in A Deadly Education is a personal one. However, she discovers that she can form bonds, friendships even and that she does not have to be a complete b*tch all the time. El is opening herself up; she is welcoming friendships; she is changing and growing without losing that spunk and attitude that make her so great.
Final Thoughts
A Deadly Education is a fantastic novel. With an unpredictable plot and unforgettable protagonist, this story will keep the reader engaged from beginning to end.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
I’m conflicted on this one. I want to say 3.75 stars. I found this story predictable and a bit pedantic. But the characters were fun and the premise is intriguing. I just don’t think it was for me.
I had been sitting on this book for a long time and finally decided to read it. I ended up doing the audiobook, and I think the narrator did very well.
This book is quite exposition heavy, but the exposition is in the main character's voice so you get a bit of flavor of their personality along with the info dumps. Sometimes it felt like the story would come to a halt for some fairly irrelevant exposition, while other times the story would plunge along and I felt like I didn't have context to fully understand what was happening. It's a bit of an exhausting story because the Scholomance is such an exhausting place to live. There are monsters, school rules, and complex social hierarchies that make every action and every conversation loaded with potential repercussions, and all of those things constantly need explaining.
All that being said, I did enjoy this book. The main character was a lot more likable than I expected from the blurb, and there were some interesting supporting characters as well. As a character driven reader, these characters worked for me and carried me through the book. I am not sure if I will pick up the rest of the series or not, though.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Murder, Child death, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent
I was a bit nervous going into this book as it had been very hyped but then I saw reviewers who were disappointed in the book and I was afraid I wouldn't like it. However, I really enjoyed it and it is probably on a list of top favorites.
the setting is a magical school but also survival as the young witches and wizards are very appealing tasty treats for magical monsters who do everything they can to break into the school to eat the students and you have to be constantly vigilant to survive. There are heavy themes of classism as those who are well off enough to be in enclaves are much more likely to be get into school which even though you might get eaten at school the chances are lower than if you aren't at school. Those who are in enclaves also have built in allies who can help support and protect them. El doesn't come from an enclave and she also isn't well liked. She is blunt and is focused on her goal of survival. I appreciate how much El struggles against her own Mal (dark magic) nature to defy prophecy and determine her own destiny.
the setting is a magical school but also survival as the young witches and wizards are very appealing tasty treats for magical monsters who do everything they can to break into the school to eat the students and you have to be constantly vigilant to survive. There are heavy themes of classism as those who are well off enough to be in enclaves are much more likely to be get into school which even though you might get eaten at school the chances are lower than if you aren't at school. Those who are in enclaves also have built in allies who can help support and protect them. El doesn't come from an enclave and she also isn't well liked. She is blunt and is focused on her goal of survival. I appreciate how much El struggles against her own Mal (dark magic) nature to defy prophecy and determine her own destiny.
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