3.5 Stars rounded up

THAT CLIFFHANGER-
WHAT. THE. F*CK.

I actually liked this book more than Deadly Education. This book (and series in general) has so much going for it due to the well written characters, interesting plot, and the great setting but the writing style takes away from all of that.

Long story short.... so much potential but so much meh. Its not a bad book by any means, it just isn't a great one in my opinion. I am looking forward to reading the next one because I want to know what happens next!

If you enjoyed reading the first book, you will enjoy reading this one!

Oooh, this book is going to drive people nuts, and I'm all for it. This sequel to A Deadly Education is much simpler than the first book — less to explain and set up, but also less focus on characters besides El, and more focus on her plans and her internal struggles. I'm surprised to see this one's actually longer than the first book, because it feels so much shorter and goes so much faster as the action and urgency wrap up. And then it ends on a monster of a note that people will see coming a long way off and stress over right up until it happens… the author is a monster, and again, I'm all for it.

I interviewed Novik (whose previous long-running series, the Temeraire novels, quite literally got me through the initial endless COVID quarantine) about this series, what inspired the Scholomance, how it all ties into Harry Potter, and what's coming next. That interview, along with an excerpt of the book, is available here: https://www.polygon.com/22697256/the-last-graduate-naomi-novik-scholomance-series

As far as sequels go, “The Last Graduate” is exactly what you want. Even though the third book has yet to be released, you can see the bridge Novik is building to the third. That may seem like I didn't love "The Last Graduate" but that would be untrue. It was a spectacular rollercoaster ride from beginning to end. It also seems to know its place as a sequel and gave me everything I wanted out of it. I was satisfied with how relationships moved forward; the advancement of El both in character development and the development of her powers. And yet, I still thirst for the next stage of the story.

What if the main purpose of attending school was to survive? The Last Graduate continues the story started in A Dead;y Education where the well-intentioned family of budding magic workers puts their children in the Scholomance, for their safety. But the Scholomance, when the school itself isn't attempting and succeeding too often, to kill as many students as possible, the vicious magical creatures who make their way into the "safe" school slaughter as many students as they can.

The students learn to survive, learn to be aware, learn to be wary, and make as many alliances as possible because students don't survive on their own. It's the senior year for El and Orion--can they survive one more year, and more importantly can they ensure everyone else survives?

I could not wait to jump back into the world of the Scholomance and this book delivered. I absolutely love the friendships in this story and it draws strength from both the sarcastic humor and El's relationships. El's relationship with Orion is especially captivating and I loved watching El struggle against her mother's advice (warning her away from him). The only complaint I have from this second installment is that it ended on a cliffhanger! It will be a long wait for book 3!

I absolutely loved the first book in Novik's Scholomance series, and I was so thrilled to read this one. It picks up right after the first one ends, and even though it had been a bit since I read the first one, I was able to jump right back in very easily because of Novik's writing. If you liked the first book, you'll thoroughly enjoy this one as well. Just when you think you know where it's going to go, you find out that you don't. Novik always has something up her sleeve!

Actual Rating: 3.5, rounded up to 4

A Deadly Education was one of my most surprising reads of 2020, so I was really looking forward to The Last Graduate.

As a series, the Scholomance is not what I usually go for when I read fantasy. It’s action packed and 80% of the book is world building that is often described in long winded and detailed paragraphs. These qualities usually turn me off of a book, but I found A Deadly Education, and now The Last Graduate, extremely engrossing and inventive. Naomi Novik has created such an intricate and fascinating world. Different monsters pop up in what feels like every chapter, and El and her friends are in constant motion, working to graduate from the Scholomance, a brutal and unforgiving school.

I am a character driven reader. The plot and world of the Scholomance take up most of the space in this story, but Novik always gives the perfect amount of development and interactions between El and her classmates that always makes me want to read on, even when the world building or an action scene is losing my interest.

My feelings about The Last Graduate are kind of complicated. I love the world, the magic, and the characters of this series, but the constant action and long chapters filled with detailed world building lose me at times. I left this novel knowing I enjoyed it very much, but the reading experience as a whole wasn't always perfect.

I’d definitely say that The Last Graduate is worth reading if you enjoyed A Deadly Education and I would recommend this to readers who love fantasy that centers world building and a complicated magic system. If you enjoy character driven novels, The Last Graduate has a lot to offer, but the characters are sometimes pushed aside in favor of the world, its magic, and its monsters.

I am looking forward to the last book in this trilogy. The way The Last Graduate ends left me wishing I already had the next book in hand!

Pardon me as I squee, because the new Scholomance novel is finally here! Noami Novik's second Scholomance novel, The Last Graduate, is a book that I have been counting down the days for. This is a dark world that immediately captivated me, and I am not ready to say goodbye anytime soon.

The Scholomance is a place where magical children are sent to be safe. Well, safer. The school is still dangerous as hell, but it has better odds than trying to make it out in the world on your own. As it turns out, there are lots of monsters that love to eat those with magic but no knowledge of how to defend themselves.

El is one such student, and she has made quite the impression in her time here. Mostly on Orion, one of the top students of her class. Yet the time draws nearer for their graduation, and there's no telling how many lives will be lost when that happens. Unless El and Orion have something to say on the matter.

“I couldn’t be his savior; I had enough to do saving myself.”

As a huge fan of the first novel in the Scholomance series, I was absolutely thrilled when I got my hands on the sequel: The Last Graduate. This world is exactly what I picture when I think of a dark magical academy, and with good reason.

First, let's discuss the world. I love the idea of the big bad monsters in the world being SO bad that the safest option is to lock up all the children and hope for the best. It's dark, yes, but also pretty fascinating. It makes for the perfect excuse to throw all of these characters together into such a deadly situation.

Speaking of the characters – yes, please! El changed so much throughout The Last Graduate. I'm so proud of her! I am also proud of many of the secondary characters; including the rest of her team and a few newer characters.

Then there's Orion. For a time there, I was really worried about him. I suppose, in a way, I still am worried about him. We learned a lot about his character in this book, and I feel like at least some of it will explain the cliffhanger that came with the conclusion of A Deadly Education.

That being said, if I thought the cliffhanger from A Deadly Education was bad, I was not emotionally or mentally prepared for the conclusion of The Last Graduate. It hit me SO HARD in all the feels. It was brilliant, intense, and horrifically evil on Novik's part. Now pardon me as I go and pretend that The Golden Enclaves releases soon (September 27, 2022, according to Goodreads, for those curious).

As the seniors prepare for graduation, they begin to seek alliances that can help them survive that dangerous day. Even El finds herself in a (small) alliance of three; but what a three they turn out to be! While the mals (malevolent beings) start to focus their negative attention on El, El focuses on how she can rid the school of mals. As in the first novel in this series, Orion Lake, enemy of mals, has an important role to play in El’s plans as well as her life. El’s calculated strategy slowly takes effect but before she gets the chance to take her final planned actions, the novel ends . . . on a major cliffhanger.

The Last Graduate is so much better than the previous novel in this series, A Deadly Education; it's more action-oriented with more attention paid to the panoply of other students. Looking forward to reading The Golden Enclave to find out what happens next. The blurb for that novel makes it sound most intriguing.

I have never been a particular fan of Novik's books, but this duology has softened me. The Last Graduate is a great sequel to its predecessor, and I was immersed into the storyline from the first page. That being said, I did find myself zoning out a bit here and there. I feel like some parts of the plot could have been accelerated for better flow, but it was still an enjoyable read regardless.

Stunning worldbuilding and complex characters. Readers of fantasy will love this book. For fans of Harry Potter and Cassandra Clare.

Thank you for the advanced copy of this book! I will be posting my review on social media, to include Instagram, Amazon, Goodreads, and Instagram!

I really enjoyed the first book of the Scholomance trilogy, and I was glad to receive a copy of The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik. There's a depth of worldbuilding here that many readers will enjoy. I sometimes just want to get to the action though. This book comes with a major cliffhanger, so now we just wait for Book Three.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

“In Wisdom, Shelter. That’s the official motto of the Scholomance. I suppose you could even argue that it’s true—only the wisdom is hard to come by, so the shelter’s rather scant.

Our beloved school does its best to devour all its students—but now that I’ve reached my senior year and have actually won myself a handful of allies, it’s suddenly developed a very particular craving for me. And even if I somehow make it through the endless waves of maleficaria that it keeps throwing at me in between grueling homework assignments, I haven’t any idea how my allies and I are going to make it through the graduation hall alive.

Unless, of course, I finally accept my foretold destiny of dark sorcery and destruction. That would certainly let me sail straight out of here. The course of wisdom, surely.

But I’m not giving in—not to the mals, not to fate, and especially not to the Scholomance. I’m going to get myself and my friends out of this hideous place for good—even if it’s the last thing I do.”

I read this as an arc on my kindle, but then the book came out with the audiobook, so I switched a little over halfway to the audiobook. I really enjoyed this book more than Deadly Education. I liked seeing how the classes where she has to save the freshman. I liked her teaming up with others for manna. I just liked seeing more of the magic and the mals in the school. I hated this kind of ended on a cliffhanger.

Love this series, but that ending?! I will definitely need to re-read before the third book comes out!

I loved this sequel to A Deadly Education! It was just as compelling as the first book and I loved the character and plot developments. As with the first book I didn't completely understand everything that was happening all the time but rather than turning me off the book it actually wasn't a problem for me. I was still very much enveloped in the story and its progressions. I especially liked learning more about the history of the school and how the school operates. It was so fascinating and I feel like there was so much groundwork laid for some crazy new developments in the next book. I can't say anything about the ending other than I am shocked and not OK. Needless to say I am eagerly awaiting the next book!

In a book where you love anti-heroes and sometimes nothing happens but the school still makes your skin crawl, The Last Graduate is an excellent sequel to the series. Just as El warms up to Orion, a cryptic note from her mother sets off her paranoia. What is teenage angst and romance on top of battling demons that are out to rip you to shreds? And the more El tries to not act like a hero the more compassion you see from her.

Novik is a master story teller and this series is unlike any she has written because it focuses on the gritty and the character development over theatrical events. It is also refreshing to see student from various cultures put their differences aside and work together to simply stay alive. Granted there are still small divides in class and how much mana and artifacts you come into the school with but finding a group means you stay alive. And you keep each other alive.

And I was so certain that this book would end on a soft note like the first one but no, that ending had me grasping my pearls.

4 stars for The Last Graduate.

Naomi Novik is continually knocking it out of the park. I love El and Orion. The world building is incredible. She truly can do no wrong in my book. Though I wouldn't be mad if she went back to fairytales 👀

This sequel takes off right where the first book left off and keeps going with the same intensity. El is still a fantastic strong lead and the school also plays its part well. This is a great book for anyone looking for murderous schools of magic!

I liked this book a lot more than I liked the first one, but I'm still not 100% in love with this series. There are still so many things I'm confused about and I hate the dynamic between El and Orion.
I did love learning more about the school though and how it is kind of alive? I'm not sure if the school is actually alive? I don't know, I still have so many questions and that cliffhanger ending left me in SHOCK and I desperately need book 3 yesterday.