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A Deadly Education
(The Scholomance #1)
by
Lesson One of the Scholomance: Learning has never been this deadly.
A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.
There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for ...more
A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.
There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for ...more
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Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
September 29th 2020
by Del Rey Books
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Start your review of A Deadly Education (The Scholomance, #1)

Jul 30, 2020
Mary S. R.
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
comedy horror young adult fantasy fans
⇓ Edited to Add: On the Controversy ⇓
Since its release, this book has been accused of racism. I respect those who have been hurt and am sorry for their pain, but I want to say that—as a Middle Eastern who has also strived to be as aware of racism as possible—I personally did not find this book racist. Most of the accusations I’ve read have seemed insubstantial to me—if you view words out of context with the aim of finding something offensive, of course you will succeed.
The school giving El c ...more
Since its release, this book has been accused of racism. I respect those who have been hurt and am sorry for their pain, but I want to say that—as a Middle Eastern who has also strived to be as aware of racism as possible—I personally did not find this book racist. Most of the accusations I’ve read have seemed insubstantial to me—if you view words out of context with the aim of finding something offensive, of course you will succeed.
The school giving El c ...more

Harry Potter’s massive cultural impact means that we haven’t seen the last of magic schools set in Britain, and we probably won’t for a long while. In some ways, the fantasy genre’s response to Rowling’s work is tiresome. In others, it’s exciting—because a generation of readers and writers have grown up to bring their own perspective to the limits of Rowling’s work and push it beyond the limits of its author. However, if you’re looking for a transgressive magic academy book that interrogates the
...more

My favorite part about this book was the relationship between El and Orion. El’s prickly attitude towards Orion, who does nothing but nice things for her, totally amused me from beginning to end and I found their dynamic to be silly and endearing. The writing style very much rambles since it’s directly from El’s voice, and is therefore peppered with sarcasm and brooding petulance. This book would be better enjoyed by people who like reading dark academia YA stories (it definitely steers younger
...more

Jan 24, 2021
Hailey (Hailey in Bookland)
added it
DNF
I got 50 pgs in and just did not care for the writing style at all. It’s a lot of stream of consciousness kind of rambling that is just throwing buckets of info at you at once and just did not make me interested in the slightest. Probably could’ve given it more of a chance but the rest of the book seems to have the same style of writing and I’m just not interested enough to push through
I got 50 pgs in and just did not care for the writing style at all. It’s a lot of stream of consciousness kind of rambling that is just throwing buckets of info at you at once and just did not make me interested in the slightest. Probably could’ve given it more of a chance but the rest of the book seems to have the same style of writing and I’m just not interested enough to push through

Hogwarts meets Deadly Class’ world building with sassy, smart, humorous vibes, completely badass, snarky, grumpy, sarcastic queen as a heroine and a clueless hero walking between the lines of being irritating and hysterical.
I was waiting more bloodshed, bleak, horrifying, gory premise but instead of that I got dark comedy with creative ideas, deliciously absurd twists, extremely entertaining, addictive story with a sassiest and smartest ( of course she is half Indian, half Welsh) heroine called ...more
I was waiting more bloodshed, bleak, horrifying, gory premise but instead of that I got dark comedy with creative ideas, deliciously absurd twists, extremely entertaining, addictive story with a sassiest and smartest ( of course she is half Indian, half Welsh) heroine called ...more

I received this complimentary ARC from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

When I heard the pitch of “a twisted, super dark, super modern, female-led Harry Potter”, I audibly squealed in joy and thought that THIS would be my most anticipated and best read of the year. After all, this is the same author who wrote two of my favourite books, Uprooted and Spinning Silver…but that’s not what happened.
In fact, I found myself bored by a lot of the actual story. The world building was pheno ...more

When I heard the pitch of “a twisted, super dark, super modern, female-led Harry Potter”, I audibly squealed in joy and thought that THIS would be my most anticipated and best read of the year. After all, this is the same author who wrote two of my favourite books, Uprooted and Spinning Silver…but that’s not what happened.
In fact, I found myself bored by a lot of the actual story. The world building was pheno ...more

well, its official - third time is not the charm.
i assumed because this is NNs first try at the YA genre, her storytelling would feel more modern and less stuffy than her adult fairytale retellings. but nope. this is the exact same slogging narrative i have come to know and dislike. NNs style of 80% internal monologue/narration is just not for me. theres just a lot of info-dumping, tedious and repetitive descriptions, and too much telling/not enough showing for my liking.
i also had a massive p ...more
i assumed because this is NNs first try at the YA genre, her storytelling would feel more modern and less stuffy than her adult fairytale retellings. but nope. this is the exact same slogging narrative i have come to know and dislike. NNs style of 80% internal monologue/narration is just not for me. theres just a lot of info-dumping, tedious and repetitive descriptions, and too much telling/not enough showing for my liking.
i also had a massive p ...more
![Namera [The Literary Invertebrate]](https://images.gr-assets.com/users/1587154687p2/31792110.jpg)
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review - thank you!
EDIT: I do NOT believe this book is racist.
I'm suddenly noticing that a few people are levelling accusations of racism at this book. I don't believe these accusations are justified. IMO, all the complaints are attributable to the fact that a) El is very antisocial, meaning she struggles to connect/care about anybody, regardless of what race they are; and b) she grew up in Wales away from her Indian family. Of course she's not goin ...more
EDIT: I do NOT believe this book is racist.
I'm suddenly noticing that a few people are levelling accusations of racism at this book. I don't believe these accusations are justified. IMO, all the complaints are attributable to the fact that a) El is very antisocial, meaning she struggles to connect/care about anybody, regardless of what race they are; and b) she grew up in Wales away from her Indian family. Of course she's not goin ...more

This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦 Instagram 📷
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
I just went through some reviews before starting this reviews and I am seeing a lot of “I am a big Naomi Novik fan but this was not for me/ DNFed/ not as good as her other books”. Personally, I preferred this over Uprooted and Spinning Silver but I still am giving it 2.5 stars. The book has been the center of a recent drama while I was reading it this week and I will touch upon that in this review a bit.
My biggest problem with No ...more
Actual Rating: 2.5 stars
I just went through some reviews before starting this reviews and I am seeing a lot of “I am a big Naomi Novik fan but this was not for me/ DNFed/ not as good as her other books”. Personally, I preferred this over Uprooted and Spinning Silver but I still am giving it 2.5 stars. The book has been the center of a recent drama while I was reading it this week and I will touch upon that in this review a bit.
My biggest problem with No ...more


Just released my Top 10 Books from 2020 BookTube Video - now that you know this one made the list, click the link to find the rest!
Annnd here's my original reaction to this book!

Couldn't resist doing a Video Review for this dangerously good book!!
YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads ...more

“We’re not meant to all survive, anyway. The school has to be fed somehow.”Scholomance is an isolated magical boarding school in the Void that you enter at fourteen and - maybe, possibly, if you are *very* lucky - get to leave four years later. But before you sign up, keep in mind: “Most of the time less than a quarter of the class makes it all the way through graduation.” There are no teachers but the students still study hard - it’s the only thing to do when your choices are learn eno ...more

Final review, first posted on FantasyLiterature.com:
The Scholomance: It’s kind of like a semi-sentient Hogwarts with extra teeth (actually, more like a mouth bristling with razor-sharp fangs), no teachers, really brutal cliques, and an out-of-control infestation of all sorts of magical monsters (called maleficers or “mals”), large and small, that want nothing more than to eat the students. Many years ago a group of wizards banded together to build the Scholomance to give their children a better ...more
The Scholomance: It’s kind of like a semi-sentient Hogwarts with extra teeth (actually, more like a mouth bristling with razor-sharp fangs), no teachers, really brutal cliques, and an out-of-control infestation of all sorts of magical monsters (called maleficers or “mals”), large and small, that want nothing more than to eat the students. Many years ago a group of wizards banded together to build the Scholomance to give their children a better ...more

3.75 stars
Before I outline my thoughts on this book, if you’ve missed it, please read some reviews from BIPOC reviewers in response to some of the missteps about race in this book. I read reviews from both sides before deciding to proceed with reading it myself as planned. My review will not speak on any of the accusations against this book, as it is not my place to say whether something is harmful to a marginalized group that I am not a part of. Based on what I read from reviewers, the misstep ...more
Before I outline my thoughts on this book, if you’ve missed it, please read some reviews from BIPOC reviewers in response to some of the missteps about race in this book. I read reviews from both sides before deciding to proceed with reading it myself as planned. My review will not speak on any of the accusations against this book, as it is not my place to say whether something is harmful to a marginalized group that I am not a part of. Based on what I read from reviewers, the misstep ...more

Omg i had so much fun reading this! I mean, of course i did. it’s dark academia. I enjoyed this world so much. This book in particular did have a lot of world building but i didn’t mind because there were so many things i found cool. For Example the moving stairs you couldn’t be on after classes because you don’t know where you’ll end up or the fact that you can’t be in your room after curfew. Also, these kids were crazy as hell and literally was trying to kill the main character El.
I know a lo ...more
I know a lo ...more

Note: I received a free copy of A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik in exchange for my honest review.
I’m surprised by how much I liked this book. It has a very dark Hogwarts type feel, but with way more monsters and death. 🙃 I enjoyed the hate/love relationships between El and well... pretty much everyone. 😜 And sweet Orion is the golden retriever who you just have to love ❤️ I’ll be looking forward to reading that sequel! Update: I’m having dreams about this world and am still thinking about it.. ...more
I’m surprised by how much I liked this book. It has a very dark Hogwarts type feel, but with way more monsters and death. 🙃 I enjoyed the hate/love relationships between El and well... pretty much everyone. 😜 And sweet Orion is the golden retriever who you just have to love ❤️ I’ll be looking forward to reading that sequel! Update: I’m having dreams about this world and am still thinking about it.. ...more

EDIT 1: It seems that some people have gone out of their way (and, likely, minds!) to label this book a racist one. Well, I'd advise them to have their brains checked since they seem to be morons. There isn't anything even remotely racist in here. Races aren't even discussed.
The languages that are. Discussed. Are discussed in a general multicultural way. So no need to go crazy. Amen!
EDIT 2: It seems that NN was forced to apologise for the passage on dreadlocks that can get infested with magi ...more
The languages that are. Discussed. Are discussed in a general multicultural way. So no need to go crazy. Amen!
EDIT 2: It seems that NN was forced to apologise for the passage on dreadlocks that can get infested with magi ...more

dark academia + magic + monsters = a deadly education
Naomi Novik takes the overdone concept of a magic school and refreshes it with darkness, a diverse cast and unique world building. If you are looking for a book to serve all the Slytherin vibes- complete with an unlikeable mc and twisting political alliances- look no further.
The school in a deadly education is truly what the title suggests- deadly. When there are monsters lurking around every corner, you need to be 10 steps ahead at all time ...more
Naomi Novik takes the overdone concept of a magic school and refreshes it with darkness, a diverse cast and unique world building. If you are looking for a book to serve all the Slytherin vibes- complete with an unlikeable mc and twisting political alliances- look no further.
The school in a deadly education is truly what the title suggests- deadly. When there are monsters lurking around every corner, you need to be 10 steps ahead at all time ...more

never mind. i don't like anything about this book.
read Asma's review
----------------
i like a lot of things about this book, but my favorite thing is that the title sounds like if you ran "dark academia" through a thesaurus ...more
read Asma's review
----------------
i like a lot of things about this book, but my favorite thing is that the title sounds like if you ran "dark academia" through a thesaurus ...more

Yesterday, I started writing this book's review:
I enjoyed this book more than I expected. I have read Uprooted and loved it (back when it was still cool to like this book), I found Spinning Silver okay and dnf the first Temeraire book, in fact, it was my only dnf this year (I was so bored but I loved the dragon). So I thought maybe my taste changed across the years and Naomi’s books aren’t for me anymore. Glad I was wrong.
*throws it in the bin*
I originally gave this book 4 stars. I did not writ ...more
*throws it in the bin*
I originally gave this book 4 stars. I did not writ ...more

This is my kind of fantasy.
The Scholomance is a magical school infested with monsters (called mals) that all have rather creative ways of killing you. In order to graduate, seniors must fight their way through hordes of ravenous mals. It's not a pleasant reality, folks.
El Higgins, a relentlessly sarcastic, eternally grumpy junior, is trudging her way through her third year of the Scholomance. She's storing up mana, one type of magic source, through exercise and crocheting and punching Orion Lak ...more
The Scholomance is a magical school infested with monsters (called mals) that all have rather creative ways of killing you. In order to graduate, seniors must fight their way through hordes of ravenous mals. It's not a pleasant reality, folks.
El Higgins, a relentlessly sarcastic, eternally grumpy junior, is trudging her way through her third year of the Scholomance. She's storing up mana, one type of magic source, through exercise and crocheting and punching Orion Lak ...more

Well, one of my most highly anticipated 2020 releases is officially now my most disappointing read of the year so far *cue sad violin music*
This book had so much potential and yet it missed every mark for me.
The story itself could have been something really great but, for me, it was let down in all aspects by the writing and execution. The characters all fell flat and despite a large cast, the MC was the only character with any defining characteristics. The relationships were subpar and pretty ...more
This book had so much potential and yet it missed every mark for me.
The story itself could have been something really great but, for me, it was let down in all aspects by the writing and execution. The characters all fell flat and despite a large cast, the MC was the only character with any defining characteristics. The relationships were subpar and pretty ...more

UPDATE: $2.99 on kindle US today 2/28/21
I didn’t like it couldn’t get into what I’ve read so far. I am going to come back to it a little later to see if it was my mood 😘
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
I didn’t like it couldn’t get into what I’ve read so far. I am going to come back to it a little later to see if it was my mood 😘
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

May 07, 2020
Nenia ✨️ I yeet my books back and forth ✨️ Campbell
marked it as wishlist
My amazing friend Erika has informed me that this book is only $2.99 today! (2/28)
YAAAASS
-
This sounds like a cross between The Scholomance and Vita Nostra
Close up shot of me crying bc I still don't have a copy. NO JOKE, I HAVE NEVER WANTED A BOOK AS BADLY AS I WANT THIS.
My lazy ass even wrote into the publisher to beg for a copy and got a form letter rejection RIP hopes ;~;
...more
YAAAASS
-
This sounds like a cross between The Scholomance and Vita Nostra
Close up shot of me crying bc I still don't have a copy. NO JOKE, I HAVE NEVER WANTED A BOOK AS BADLY AS I WANT THIS.
My lazy ass even wrote into the publisher to beg for a copy and got a form letter rejection RIP hopes ;~;


Feb 08, 2020
NReads
marked it as to-read
Sabrina Spellman?

Usually when I rate a book 3 stars it's either because I liked it but didn't think it was anything special, or I'm super ambivalent about it. Neither of these are the case for A Deadly Education.
I adored and despised this book in equal measure.
I loved the character of El. She's snarky, defensive and downright hostile and I swear I've never related to a character more. The way she is just so done with The Scholomance and all of the obstacles it throws in her path were hilarious to read.
Orion is t ...more
I adored and despised this book in equal measure.
I loved the character of El. She's snarky, defensive and downright hostile and I swear I've never related to a character more. The way she is just so done with The Scholomance and all of the obstacles it throws in her path were hilarious to read.
Orion is t ...more

Yes, I am aware of the controversy surrounding parts of this book. Novik apologized with great feeling for her mistakes, so I decided to read this, and I am so, so happy I did. This female lead is one of my all-time favorites. Her grumpiness is everything.
THAT SAID...
The dreadlock paragraph is atrocious and definitely needed to be addressed and I'm glad it's being fixed in later editions.
As for the languages as magic and some of the other issues some readers had, I did read a lot of reviews af ...more
THAT SAID...
The dreadlock paragraph is atrocious and definitely needed to be addressed and I'm glad it's being fixed in later editions.
As for the languages as magic and some of the other issues some readers had, I did read a lot of reviews af ...more

18/25 (72%) 3.5 stars.

A witty, hard, amazingly sarcastic novel featuring a sassy, brilliant protagonist with one of the most entertaining voices in modern Fantasy. Naomi Novik's 'A Deadly Education' turns the whole genre conventions of magical school books upside down and is both original and blessed with a compelling protagonist.

First of all: if you're here because you think that 'scholomance' is a mixture of 'school' (as in magical school) and 'romance' (as ...more
"Reader, I ran the fuck away."

A witty, hard, amazingly sarcastic novel featuring a sassy, brilliant protagonist with one of the most entertaining voices in modern Fantasy. Naomi Novik's 'A Deadly Education' turns the whole genre conventions of magical school books upside down and is both original and blessed with a compelling protagonist.

First of all: if you're here because you think that 'scholomance' is a mixture of 'school' (as in magical school) and 'romance' (as ...more

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.
Set in a school that is quite literally a death trap, this book proved to be a super interesting concept where teenagers deal with not just your standard levels of social hierarchy, but the most intense kind, with monsters and magic thrown in the mix. Of course, our main character seems to be a siphon for destruction, and mere survival is a challenge of restraint for her. Add in the difficulties of friendships and schoolwork, a ...more
Set in a school that is quite literally a death trap, this book proved to be a super interesting concept where teenagers deal with not just your standard levels of social hierarchy, but the most intense kind, with monsters and magic thrown in the mix. Of course, our main character seems to be a siphon for destruction, and mere survival is a challenge of restraint for her. Add in the difficulties of friendships and schoolwork, a ...more
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Play Book Tag: A Deadly Education 3 1/2 stars (POLLS) | 3 | 14 | Mar 02, 2021 02:30PM | |
ARTBA 2021: A Deadly Education | 1 | 3 | Feb 18, 2021 12:14PM | |
SFF Hot from Prin...: January 2021 -- A Deadly Education (Spoilers Allowed) | 41 | 34 | Feb 04, 2021 08:00AM | |
Fantasy Buddy Reads: A Deadly Education [October 15, 2020] | 55 | 76 | Jan 28, 2021 06:55AM | |
SFF Hot from Prin...: January 2021 -- A Deadly Education (No Spoilers) | 16 | 23 | Jan 26, 2021 04:59AM | |
Books with Friends: BOTM DEC # 1 - A Deadly Education | 5 | 8 | Jan 13, 2021 10:35AM |
An avid reader of fantasy literature since age six, when she first made her way through The Lord of the Rings, Naomi Novik is also a history buff with a particular interest in the Napoleonic era and a fondness for the work of Patrick O’Brian and Jane Austen. She studied English literature at Brown University, and did graduate work in computer science at Columbia University before leaving to partic
...more
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“READER, I RAN the fuck away.”
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