A Deadly Education: A Novel (The Scholomance Book 1) Kindle Edition

“I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.”That’s the first line of A Deadly Education, the first book in Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series, and like so many things in the series, it does a lot of things at once. It gives you a sense of the world we’re diving into (it’s obviously a dangerous place – lots of life-saving going on! – and also a place where apparently people are a big threat to each other), but also tells you a lot about our protagonist, El Higgins, an independent, surly, angsty student at the Scholomance who would just as soon kill someone as be helped by them. Although, honestly, with the Scholomance being the kind of place it is – a magical school where you graduate by surviving, and where graduation is a slaughterhouse full of monsters where you’re in a rush to get out, and who cares who else doesn’t make it? – well, maybe El should be getting some help.But that independence, stubbornness, and (quite frankly) bitchiness is part of what makes El such a great protagonist for the series, and gets at the heart of how A Deadly Education hooked me so effortlessly. The idea of a magic school full of monsters and threats, where students just have to survive…well, any time I’ve mentioned the series to anyone, they say “Oh, it’s like a blend of Hunger Games and Harry Potter.” And they’re not wrong…but it doesn’t capture the tone of A Deadly Education, as Novik approaches it all not with wonder at magic, not with horror at the cost of survival, but just with dry snark, casual apathy, and an inured sense of loss, because when this many people are dying, you can’t afford to be that kind and caring. And if you’re an outcast like El – already unpopular, plus there’s the fact that any time she learns a spell, it turns into a weapon of massive destruction and death – well, you know, screw these guys.And so, if you meet Orion Lake, who’s clearly the “hero”/”chosen one” of this story, and he wants to help everyone…well, screw him too.It’s that angsty teen surliness that makes A Deadly Education stand out from the pack of Hunger Games and Potter knockoffs. It’s snarky, and it’s funny, and it’s also rivetingly dangerous – from the walls of your dorms that open into the void to the little creatures that live in shower heads, Novik has created an absolute nightmare of a school, and manages it even better by fleshing out the unexpected details. Of course people wouldn’t shower without someone to watch their back; of course the first person to get food needs to watch out for the monsters lurking in the potatoes. And through it all, there’s Orion to save the day…but there’s also El, left out, grouchy, irritated, and just needing to survive – and doing her best to not become a villain of historic proportions.All of which makes A Deadly Education just a blast of a first book, and that’s before a dynamite climax that feels like a real game-changer for the world - and one heck of a last line. It all left me diving for the "next book" button, and let me tell you - the rest of the series more than delivers. What a treat.

Usually, the idea of mixing together the “magic school” trope with the “strong female protagonist” trope sees me respectfully moving onto another book. Not quite my cup of tea. But this book hooked me with a solid take and a hard attitude, combined with deep veins of creativity and imagination.This book is rich. A tad over-wrought in places, but primarily fun, edgy, rewarding, and well worth the time and attention.I especially enjoyed the idea of a self-running self-aware school, without staff or faculty whatsoever, full of students only, and absolutely over-run with beasties and baddies, and built halfway between the real world and “the void”.Look, it’s hard to explain this book’s appeal without spoiling it. If you like fantasy stories, strong on premise and peopled with great characters and great moments, this one is firing on all cylinders. Excellent writing from a rock-solid author. I think I’ll track down the next book in the series.

Excellent- I read it in one afternoon - and loved every minute- good characters great world building - an original take on a well travelled road

I am surprised how much I enjoyed this book. Naomi Novik keeps her reader guessing. The plot has a funky and fun vibe. El’s character development is refreshing to read.

A Deadly Education (The Scholomance Book 1) was just way too much fun. It was one of those books you just don’t want to put down because the world is just so engaging. Yes, there were elements that seemed derivative, except some ideas are universal and Novik adds her own unique twists, for example: moving staircases became so much more deadly and purposeful than some other famous moving staircases, as the school ratchets itself down, moving the students over the course of four years down to the graduation hall.There was great inner monologue that really added to the story, just fantastically well-done, believable, and relatable (if you’re an evil sorceress in the making or other potential evil human). So many relatable and likable characters. Enough information that you become invested in the characters and hope that they survive their deadly education.And there are some astonishingly well-incorporated life lessons. Trust me, I’ve just finished a couple of books where the themes were bludgeoned into the hapless reader over and over with no hint of subtlety or finesse. Novik does it right. The story is the lesson, with no bludgeons required. Just realistic situations and reactions. Kudos!I’d recently come off a semi-binge on Novik’s Temeraire series and have really been enjoying it, so I had to grab A Deadly Education when it came up recommended. (Wish I’d noticed it when it first came out.)If I were to meet you in an isle at the local bookstore, I’d steer you over to this book as a must-read. The only downside to A Deadly Education is that I hit the end full-stop, almost shattered. I’d assumed, for some reason, that the next book was already out and popped over to buy it, only to discover it was a preorder. (Instantly preordered.) Now, I shall have to practice waiting patiently for the next installment. Just to be clear; this is not a cliffhanger or a serial. This is a true series where minor and many major plot lines are wrapped up, but some are left to be answered in the next story.Highly recommended to fantasy lovers and those who love a good story.