In this second book we follow El, Orion and their friends where we left off in the first book, that El gets a warning from her mom about Orion.
Everybody getting ready for Graduation, building mana, fighting monsters. In this second book we get to know a little bit more about the story and the characters, there was more drama between them that I did not care about to be honest. But also secrets were revealed about the school that changed everything about their world and their graduation, so there was some tension that made the story more interesting.

The first half of the book was a bit “meh”, some parts were pretty boring, there was just too much inner monologue, and felt like it was a lot of “telling and not showing”. Then the last 30% kicked off and became more exciting, so I enjoyed that part better.
I realized I do not really like the main character, El, she is a bit annoying, and I wasn’t a big fan of the teenage drama either.

I just wish there could be more info about the monsters and their background, I still feel like we dont know much about this world, why this all happened. Also, this second book also ended on a cliffhanger and by the end of the book we dont learn anything about El’s mom’s warning about Orion either, I guess everything will be in the third book…Which I don't like, because I do not want to read 3 books to get to know the whole story and the world… I am not even sure we will learn much more in the final book, and I am still thinking about it if I want to read it.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sharing this digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you so much to Random House Ballantine/Del Ray and Netgalley for fulfilling my wish and letting me read an eARC of the Last Graduate! This book came out in September 2021, but my wish was fulfilled this summer, and I’m guessing that’s because book 3 comes out later this year. I enjoyed book 1 and so I was really excited about reading The Last Graduate, and I was not disappointed!
The Last Graduate 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: A budding dark sorceress determined not to use her formidable powers uncovers yet more secrets about the workings of her world in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education, the start of Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking crossover series.
At the Scholomance, El, Orion, and the other students are faced with their final year—and the looming specter of graduation, a deadly ritual that leaves few students alive in its wake. El is determined that her chosen group will survive, but it is a prospect that is looking harder by the day as the savagery of the school ramps up. Until El realizes that sometimes winning the game means throwing out all the rules . . .
I loved reading El, Orion, and the rest of the gang’s foray into their final year at the Scholomance! So much happened and so many alliances were made and El and Orion made all the decisions- ones that impact more than just themselves- but it was so good. And I really liked how much El started to open herself up to others- I know growing up somewhere like the Scholomance, especially when you’re someone like El, would not be easy, but after making friends and finally finding a community of sorts in book 1, I loved how she was able to grow that and really become the glue that held her year together in book 2. Book 2 ends on a massive cliffhanger and now I’m eagerly awaiting book 3 (but I’m also glad I didn’t actually read this one until closer to when the last book comes out because OMG if I had had to wait a full year for answers rather than a couple of months, I would have been miserable!) If y’all haven’t picked up A Deadly Education or The Last Graduate yet, make sure y’all go out and grab them today!

Link to be added once my post goes live.

This was such an anticipated read for me. I loved every second and think Novik is such a masterful writer in how she tells her stories. Sucked in from the beginning!

I could not put this book down. This series has utterly enchanted me and I am desperate for more. Novik's writing is so rich and fluid I am fully immersed from the second I start reading. Can not recommend highly enough!

This is the perfect book to get lost in. It carries on right after the first book, A Deadly Education. The world building is divine. I can practically see and smell everything described in the book.

I love the characters. Throughout the book we're very much stuck in El's head. There is a lot of internal monologue and if you don't like her, you probably won't like the book. But I think she's so funny and witty. The friendship between El, Aadhya and Liu is so wholesome. I loved their scenes and conversations.

And Orion. I don't usually say stuff like this, but the romance between El and Orion was so nice! It's so different and refreshing and that ending made me want to scream.

I cannot wait for the last book! The cliffhanger will be the end of me.

In A Deadly Education, Naomi Novik really set herself up well for The Last Graduate. Though the plot may be slower, the stakes remain as high as ever. Novik's style in this series continues on its delightful, meandering way, playing upon both sarcasm and pity to create a dark, humorous, emotional novel. Throughout, the suspense is perfect - the plot may be somewhat slow, though the characters do develop terrifically - the stakes are quite high but it's not a thriller (thankfully not, in my opinion, too much suspense is hard to read). And the ending... a terrible bit of chicanery creates one of the best (worst?) cliffhangers I've ever read. Speaking of suspense!

Content warnings: the author continues to use bad language (continues on from the first, I mean) and there's SPOILER ALERT one sex scene - skip a bit when Orion + El get to the pavilion thing in the gym and read the ending of that chapter - lots of character development happens at the end of the scene SPOILER END.

Therefore I'd only recommend this to mature YA readers; mid-to-late teens and up.

A great read to add to this series! I didn’t want to put it down! What an interesting and captivating read!!

Wait, wait, wait. So there's more?! I don't believe in spoiler reviews but that ending...I need the next book immediately. For me this book was a bit more of a slow burn than the first but it was everything the series needed to bridge the gap between books. I loved how our characters developed and just again, that ending.

I’m glad I stuck with this series because I much preferred the Last Graduate to the first book (A Deadly Education).

The writing was better and more captivating. The characters really got to shine and had more depth, I enjoyed the interactions and the variety of personalities. The storylines unfolded well with many good moments and interesting directions. The whole book felt a lot more immersive and I can definitely see the hype afterwards.

My only criticism is the slight lengthiness of the book, certain passages did drag on a bit however, overall it was suspenseful and kept you interested throughout.

The Last Graduate is such an interesting take on a school for magic. I was immediately drawn into the worldbuilding and couldn't stop reading to find out what happened. I started the second book the moment I finished the second and now I have to wait what feels like forever for the third book.

At first, I was reluctant to read a book series about kids in a magical school, because figured it would just be a HP remake. Nothing could be further from the truth. This Scholomance series is so much more! It has wonderful world-building, fascinating characters, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

El tries to keep her enormous powers suppressed so she doesn’t have to dedicate so much extra work to rebuild her manna. This school year, as her class is set to graduate, she has finally made a few friends and is able to share their manna. Since the graduation is usually a very deadly event that few survive, El enlists her new friends to work together to help everyone survive. But talking the rest of school into being helped is not an easy task.

THE LAST GRADUATE by Naomi Novik is the second book in the Scholomance series and is just great! I’m anxiously awaiting the next book to be published. 5 huge stars!!! Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballentine for this book in exchange for my honest review.

Terrific Dark Academia read with compelling characters, intriguing setting, and a world that grips the reader. Loved the depth of character growth and the importance of friendships.

The second installment of the Scholomance trilogy picks up right where A Deadly Education left off. I loved the first book, and the sequel did not disappoint! El may no longer be a loner, but her problems continue. Although many of the mals (dark spirits/monsters that attack wizards to get their mana, a kind of energy that’s the source of their magic) were destroyed during the events in book one, enough are left that life isn’t exactly safe. The school has also started putting El in extra-dangerous situations, she’s torn between wanting a relationship with Orion and resisting to protect them both, and on top of everything the deadly graduation ceremony is coming. El and her friends have got to figure out a strategy and alliances to increase their odds of surviving the mal-infested graduation hall, but the other students still aren’t keen on allying themselves with someone who has a dark prophecy hanging over her head and scary abilities to boot. I couldn’t put this one down – it’s a true page turner and kept me on the edge of my seat right through the end. And now I’m impatiently waiting for the release of book 3, The Golden Enclaves, on September 27th! If you like darker fantasy/magic set in the modern this one’s for you.
Likes: the world-building is detailed and unique. Novik takes every little horror of school and magnifies it with magic. Horrible dorm room? At least yours doesn’t have one “wall” that’s an opening into a never-ending void. Bad food? This cafeteria will literally kill you. Having trouble making friends? You probably don’t have to worry about a dark wizard killing you. The pacing is fantastic. El’s romance with Orion is sweet without being treacly. And El grows as a character without losing her characteristic cynical worldview and tart inner dialog, which I love.
Dislikes: not much. There’s a lot of explication about the Scholomance and the magical world, which is helpful if you haven’t read the first book in a while and a little repetitive if you have. And the ending is a cliffhanger!!! I don’t dislike it - I just hate having to wait.
FYI: violence, murder, sudden death. A few mild sexual situations.

I did a reread of this book since the 3rd books is coming out soon. I can't wait. This is such a cool world of monsters and a very unique magic systems. Both the 1st and 2nd have lots of suspense and action. I love the main character El and how we have seen her grow from the first book to the second and embrace her friends and start to trust others. The found family trope is always something I look forward to when I read a book and this story is perfect.

The second book didn't disappoint with its own adventures on how El the reluctant hero is going to save not just her class both the whole student body from the school. She had gone from no body to leader and she has to figure out the best way to navigate the politics of the school and the outside world. I did feel the middle lagged a little with all the runs through the gym practicing the escape ( and I did skim these chapters on my reread). There is a lot of set up for the next book which is a normal 2nd book issue. But that ending!!!! It was action packed edge of your seat fantastic. This book left me with a major book hangover and I can't wait to read the 3rd to see where this goes.

Highly recommended for anyone that likes dark academia, found family, unique magic systems.

As a side note, Net Galley let me borrower an E copy but I had previously borrowed an audio copy from my local library and the audio narrations is AMAZING. Anisha Dadia's voice brings the character of El to life.

No spoiler review: You know a book is good when you’re done and immediately start social media stalking the author for clues on when the next book is being released. Naomi Novik did this with The Last Graduate and I have been counting the days until I have Book 3 in my hands.

From the first time I saw the cover of A Deadly Education I was intrigued, and even more so after reading the blurb. I started the first book after the second one was already out, and I'm glad I did.

The first book was good, but I saw a lot of potential not explored, and that's why having the opportunity of starting The Last Graduate soon after finishing A Deadly Education was so important. The first book is good, the second one is great.

The character development was a deciding factor for me while rating The Last Graduate, and I feel like The Golden Enclaves will follow the same pattern and be better than the last book in the trilogy, for the same reason.

The cliff hanger in the very end of The Last Graduate had me feeling breathless and in NEED of the last book, I'm really happy I won't have to wait very long for it.

꧁ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎꧂
The Last Graduate
By: Naomi Novik
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Immediate reaction: AHHHH!!!
The Cliff Hanger on this is going to stick with me for a while. The first half of the book was a little slow but the second half was packed with action and I loved all of the characters!
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The Scholomance is a school for magical children, but it isn’t perfect. There are Mals that attack anyone with magic, and the school can’t keep them all away from the students.
1 in 7 students will die over their 4 years. But those are better odds than being out in the world.
Galadriel has been a loner her entire time at the school. It has something to do with the fact that she is evil, and people can tell just by being close to her that she could murder them with just a thought. Until she met Orion.
If Orion and El team up can they help the entire school? How many other students will have to help to make their plans work?
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Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a copy.
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Rating: 4/5
Smut: 1/5
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Can we talk about that ending??? We need the next book NOW! Naomi Novik does it again with a spectacular story that draws you in from the very beginning.

I don't really understand the point of this book. There are a lot of info dumps that have zero impact on the story. We don't learn anything new, the characters don't grow, the status quo essentially remains the same.

what a fantastic second book for this series!!
I really enjoy the world-building in this series, its engaging and interestng. The concept of a sentient(ish) school that magic-users have to navigate, all while learning all their lessons, seems quite unique.
The people interactions feel true-to-life (if I was fighting for my life, I'd be trepidatious of forming actual friendships, rather than alliances.
The pace of this book is great, fast and lots of action. Lots of attention is given to small details (what kind of baddies do they need to pick out of their food?).
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book, maybe even more than the first. But now I need book three!!