The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik is an engaging but sometimes slow-moving sequel. El’s journey through the deadly Scholomance is filled with tension, witty narration, and high stakes, but the pacing drags at times. The ending, however, delivers a shocking cliffhanger that makes the next book a must-read.

While written for adults, The Last Graduate feels more like a young adult novel than I anticipated; it felt repetitive, and it felt like I was reading the same passages over and over to the point where I checked to see if something was wrong with my digital copy. Learning more about the Golden Stone Sutras and the discussion of setting up a new enclave was the most interesting part.

The second book in the series continued El and the other students in the Scholomance.

We learn more about the inner workings of the school and some of the characters are afforded more opportunity for growth. However, there was still plenty of the mean-girl type drama we saw in the first book.

I feel that we spend way too much time in El's head, and the plot was moved mostly through telling rather than showing. The action there was was weirdly boring, like an enemy would start an attack, El would remember some convoluted story or go off on some other tangent then 5 pages later we come back to the action.

The last part of the book was great, and the cliffhanger was so unexpected I will finish the series for sure! 3.5 stars

This book was fantastic. I look forward to sharing it with library patrons looking for reading materials like this.

I absolutely love this world. While I'd like to go to The Scholomance, I don't think I'd survive. Especially not without a friend like El to protect me. I loved that El was rough around the edges and a loner at first. Her character growth was fantastic, but I liked that she didn't change too much. She opens up to her friends and Orion a bit but still has the biting qualities to her that I liked to much in the first book.

I thought the magic system was also fantastic. The use of mana versus malia was so interesting to me as was the use of the crystals. I really enjoyed how the school itself functioned. I think I'd get more and more nervous every year as my floor got lower and lower to the bottom. It would also terrify me thinking that the school is basically alive and watching me. That seemed to work in El's favor, but I just know I'd make the school mad somehow and end up with a broom closet for a room.

The end killed me! No spoilers but it left me reeling!

2.75/5

I read the first book last year and absolutely hated it, but I thought I'd give the 2nd one a try since so many people love the story. Nope. Apparently this series is just not for me. I feel like this book could have been 200 pages shorter because the same things kept happening over and over. It was so slow. The same thing happened in the first book. I couldn't stand it. I will not be reading the last one. I hate the characters and couldn't care less about what happens.

Alright this book picked up for me and I'm glad I decided to continue the series! In the second book in this series, Eli is faced with graduation looming in the near future and a deadly ritual that the graduates must survive to make it to graduation. She discovers that this ritual is often deadly and wipes out the remaining potential graduates and she is determined to find a way for her group to survive.

This book I enjoyed much more because it had ACTION!! I felt like the plot really developed in this second book and the author incorporated a lot more of showing and action packed moments instead of just telling and describing the school and the history. THE ENDING HAD ME SO MAD LIKE WHAT THE HECK!!! I really enjoyed Eli a lot more in this book as I feel like her character really started to develop as she came more into her powers and strength. Again, the dialogue and discussion on inequality, class issues, and the privilege of certain classes/species was really well done in this book and gave it a deeper tone and theme. I really loved Eli's inner dialogue in this book specifically, reflecting her anger about the circumstances in which she was born and grew up in, but also her wit and sometimes hope about the future.

The ending was a huge cliffhanger and had me dying for me (thank god I didn't have to wait for the next book). Thanks to Del Rey for the free book!!

Dare I say that The Last Graduate is the strongest book in the Scholomance series? Naomi Novik blew me away with this one. This book is focused on El's final year in the Scholomance--and she is determined to keep her cohort alive during the ritual that often leaves little to no survivors.

The Last Graduate, like the first book, reads at a slower pace but I just couldn't stop reading it! El is such a fantastic main character--grumpy and seemingly unwilling to help others, but deep down cannot help herself but to try and be a hero.

Also the cliffhanger was BRUTAL. Novik really went there.

All in all, a fantastic piece of this series. I loved it.

A great book 2. Lots of action and suspense. Not too much romance, I'm not a fan of overly romantic YA fantasy. A great series overall

I don't know what I thought was going to happen in this sequel, but it was really slow. I read the first book a few months ago, so at first I thought it was me just not remembering details, but no - I feel like Novik has the characters jump around when "telling" what's happening. El gives a lot of details, but time and again I kept thinking, how did we get here? Did I miss a step? This was a lot of "telling not showing" which is frustrating at times. I finally got into the last few chapters when they were practicing for the Graduation run, and the run itself. I know I'll read the last book, thanks to that cliffhanger ending, but I hope it's more like the end of this book then the slog of the beginning.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

I loved how the MC evolved in this book. I found her tone of voice to be entertaining and loved how the author took her story. She was such a unique character and the male in the book was also a focal point I enjoyed while reading.. The plot and magical system was also something I was all in for and found myself hoping to learn more about it.

Rating: 4.5/5
e-ARC review - The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

It was never this hard to me to finish a book before. I was shaking at the end. I couldn't read anymore, I didn't want things to go wrong, but I couldn't stop. I had to keep reading. It was a very weird experience and when I finished the book, it felt like I ran a marathon, except I was lying on my bed reading. And as I finished the last chapter, I found myself standing there, staring at the void, as I also lived in a room in Schoolomance.
What am I supposed to do now?

I can't really think much about the rest of the book right now, I just have the last chapter burned into my mind forever. I remember it was the same thing as the first book, El's monologues are too long and exhausting, yada yada yada. But it's not a difficult book, even when nothing is really happening, you can read it just as quickly and enjoy it.
I just need to have a nice bath and then a lie down now (and anxiously wait for the last book).

A big thank you to the Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The first book in the series was okay, even if I didn't like the writing style of the author. The second instalment however didn't work for me at all. It was dragging, and there were scenes where I couldn't really follow what was happening.

A delightful tale of magic, that was filling a void that had been left open for a while. The story telling abilities of Novik are on absolute display throughout this book and series.

It's a 4.5 star in my system
"The Last Graduate," the second book in Naomi Novik's Scholomance series, is an enthralling continuation of El's journey through the deadly halls of the magical school. Picking up where "A Deadly Education" left off, this sequel dives deeper into the perilous world of the Scholomance, delivering high-stakes action, emotional growth, and surprising twists.

Novik excels in expanding the world-building, making the Scholomance even more vivid and treacherous. The magic system remains complex and fascinating, with new elements introduced that keep the reader engaged and intrigued. The school itself feels alive, with its constantly shifting rooms and lurking dangers adding an ever-present tension.

El's character development is a highlight of this book. Her growth from a solitary, cynical student to someone who begins to embrace her connections with others is portrayed with depth and nuance. Her relationship with Orion Lake evolves in unexpected ways, providing both tension and moments of genuine warmth. The supporting cast also gets more attention, adding layers to the story and enriching the narrative.

The pacing in "The Last Graduate" is excellent, with a perfect balance between intense action sequences and quieter, character-driven moments. The stakes are higher than ever, and the sense of urgency propels the plot forward, making it hard to put the book down. The climax is particularly gripping, setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated finale.

While the book is nearly flawless, some readers might find the ending to be a cliffhanger that leaves them anxious for the next installment. However, this speaks to Novik's ability to keep her audience invested and eager for more.

Overall, "The Last Graduate" is a stellar sequel that builds on the strengths of its predecessor while pushing the story and characters into exciting new territory. Fans of dark academia, complex magic systems, and character-driven narratives will find much to love in this riveting read.

I adore anything with magical schools and this was no exception! It's been a while since I read it so my review isn't going to help very much! I haven't been on my Netgalley in years.

I've heard so much about this book and have read Naomi's other books and liked them alot. I loved it so much. This series is amazing.

The Last Graduate is the second volume in the Scholomance series, and it's becoming a big "hate to love it" read for me. I am a big fan of Naomi Novik's range, so mild annoyances aside, this was a truly great book.

The story unsurprisingly suffers from the same slow pace and extensive internal monologue from the first volume, but makes it up by bringing back the compelling characters and highest possible stakes that kept me spellbound to the end of the book. It's a dark story, so don't expect a charming universe where everyone is happy and learning at a magic school. Oh no, the school is out to get everyone in it and our main characters are next. If you're into DARK dark academia, you reached the right place.

Warning - there's a big cliffhanger. Thankfully book 3, The Golden Enclaves is already available and I'll probably jump right back in to finally finish the story.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this book.

I barreled through the first one, immediately started on this one and couldn't put it down. Naomi Novik is fast becoming one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to see where this series goes- already starting the 3rd!

This one meandered a bit for me. The stakes were raised but so was El's power level, to the point that I never felt like anyone was in any danger. It's a bridge book, teeing up the finale well without much happening in this one. I kinda miss angry loser El.
The audiobook narrator is fantastic.