Clover Hill has set herself an impossible task. Once she learned that only magic could heal her brother–wounded in a catastrophic battle at Amiens–she determined that nothing would stop her from learning the spell that would save his life. The world of H.G. Parry’s electric new novel, The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, is also struggling to heal from the devastation of World War I. Whatever happened at Amiens led the magicians of England, France, and Germany to close the doors to Faerie so that it could never happen again. Clover knows, however, that the only way to help her brother is to break those doors open again.

One thing I love about the stories Parry spins is that their settings, no matter how fantastic, always feel fully realized. The places Parry’s characters visit have the weight of lived history to them. Parry might have outdone herself with the wonder of Camford University. Camford is where the magical families of England send their children. Students are never told where the university actually is; they only know that it can be reached through a door at Oxford University. Because nearly all of the students are the children of the most elite Britons, Clover keenly feels the vast social gulf between them and herself. So when Alden Lennox-Fontaine spots her in the library reading Paracelsus, his friendship is a lifeline.

Clover herself tells us that she should have been more cautious around Alden. Saying more would spoil the book, so instead, I will say that I loved what Parry did with her characters. The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door kept surprising me, in all the best possible ways. From a charming magical English university story, the plot dips into international intrigue and rises to stakes that involve more than just Clover’s world. The character development in this book is among the best I’ve ever seen, with plenty of betrayals and redemptions to keep things lively.

On top of all this plot and characterization, Parry pulls off an imaginative and magical reinvention of British history. Just like our Britain after the end of World War I, Clover’s Britain is at a crossroads. On the one hand, the old guard struggle against every change to the social order like a Dutch boy at a dam. Women are grudgingly allowed into universities but are not allowed to actually take a degree and are definitely not permitted to vote. On the other, the massive loss of life during the war meant that it was impossible for everything to go back to way things had been before the war. Young people who might’ve gone into service sought out better paying jobs in cities. Plus, morale had been so damaged by the way the war had been fought by generals and politicians who came up in the previous century that they could never regain the automatic respect they once held; after all, how can you trust the leaders who led nearly an entire generation of men to their deaths? Parry’s story questions privilege and gender and class and ladles in a good helping of magic to keep things entertaining.

As always with Parry’s novels, I highly recommend this one.

I was utterly bored by this unfortunately, I got 21% of the way through and it’s the main characters at a university studying.. that’s it, that’s the plot. No thanks

I wanted to like this, but I just can't get into the story. I loved the premise which is why I requested the ARC.

Unfortunately I feel zero emotional investment in the characters and will unfortunately be shelving this as DNF at 35%.

I’m sorry, but this put me to sleep. 35% in and it was a slog. Where’s the actual magic? We’re told constantly about how much Clover loves studying, but I have no idea what’s being studied. How does magic work? What exactly is involved in casting this spell? Why can’t we see Clover learning to cast with a partner, instead of only being told after she’s got the hang of it? Made the magic feel so humdrum.

Didn’t buy into the clique at all, though I did like how different all their motivations were.

3rd Parry book in a row that didn’t work for me, so we’ll call Declaration a fluke and I’ll stop ruining the mood for the real fans!

I was utterly delighted by this book! Clover is from a non magical family, but in an effort to save her brother from a faerie curse, she begins to learn magic, and then attend Camford, the magical university. There is an academia atmosphere, a group of friends figuring out their magical world together, strong themes of family and the struggles families face. There are likable characters (I have a huge soft spot for Eddie!), a compelling plot line, and a satisfying ending. If you love books with faerie magic, you'll love this one!

I received an arc via Netgalley, but all enthusiastic opinions are my own!

This book was truly captivating. In The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, we follow a young girl named Clover in her quest to pursue magic and help her family. She begins her journey as a student in a magical university, where she meets fellow students Alden, Hero, and Eddie. The four of them become inseparable and start working on a project together, and it is this project that the book focuses heavily on. There are a lot of mysteries that begin to unfold as you read. 
There is a more serious tone throughout the book, as it deals with some heavy subject matters (war and grief, mostly). I feel that the author did a great job of portraying these subjects in a sensitive and realistic way. 
If you love found family, faeries, magic, and mystery, you'll enjoy this book. Historical fiction and books with politics tend to not be my favorite, but this book has both and I still really enjoyed it. I had a great time and highly recommend. 
Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the ARC :)

I loved this historical fantasy set in England just after WWI, and I think it's Parry's best novel yet. Clover discovers the presence of magic in the world after her brother is almost killed by a fairy curse during the war. She becomes obsessed with studying magic and trying to find a way to lift the curse from her brother, eventually winning a scholarship to the mysterious and magical Camford college. Clover, a misfit amongst the privileged students from established magical Families, falls in with a group of those elites when they bond over an interest in forbidden Faerie magic. The first section of the book is almost dreamlike, in the way that college years can be when you're completely caught up in your friends and your studies. The four friends spend the summer together at one of the student's estate, and by the end of the summer, things have gone horribly wrong and the friends are no longer speaking to each other. The story then jumps forward in time eight years, and the rest of the book is much more action-packed and propulsive (I loved all parts of the book equally, but I understand some people's complaints that the beginning moves too slowly for them). If you liked Katherine Arden's "The Warm Hands of Ghosts," I think you will like this. Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for a digital review copy.

It's always a joy when a favorite author writes a new book. What's even better is when that book turns out to be utterly perfect. HG Parry writes exquisite historical fantasy. This one is a combo of magical academia and post-WWI literature with a touch of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas.

Clover Hill is a scholarship student at Camford (I am honestly obsessed with this little magical Oxbridge mashup). She's "adopted" into a friend group at her university that, like most friend groups at elite institutions as far as I can make out from all of the books I've read about them, lead her into a dangerous, almost cultish, area of research.

Let me note that this is written as a mock memoir. One of my literary pet peeves is when a book with this structure (or as a transcription or other "from my lips to your ears" conceit) is that we often never find out who the intended audience is. (More specifically I absolutely despise the "If I'd known then what I know now, I would have done everything differently" construction, which Parry deftly avoids while also upping the suspense by alluding to "regrets" or "as you know, this didn't end up the way we expected.") Here, the intended audience is revealed at the end, and it was so rewarding it brought tears to my eyes.

I loved the magical structure and the postwar setting, and the academic nostalgia worked perfectly. I also really liked how the whole "we need to keep magic a secret!" trope is introduced and tied into the post-WWI societal changes. And, while I figured out a lot of the ending, there were a few moments that really surprised me!

The first half of the book moves slowly as it sets up all of the pieces, and the second half is almost all action. And as always with HG Parry, the writing is just gorgeous!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The Great War has ended, but for Clover Hill a battle still remains. When her brother returns from war with a faerie curse, a hidden magical world is revealed. With no magic running through her veins, Clover studies hard and earns a scholarship spot at Camford, a hidden institution for higher magical learning.

While trying to keep her head down and work on finding a cure for her brother’s curse, Clover attracts the attention of three students from powerful magical Families. Together, the crew become inseparable and work together to negotiate with faeries. But something goes wrong with the spell, and years later there will be consequences.

This book is imaginative, magical, and unique. I enjoyed the way the characters developed throughout the stages of their lives, the descriptive scenery, and the world the author created. The inclusion of familiar landmarks and places intertwined with supernatural beings and magic will leave you wondering if there could be more than meets the eye in the world around us.

“... we’re all pretending, weren’t we?... the world had been irreparably broken, and we were all trampling barefoot through the shattered fragments as though nothing happened—as though we weren’t all broken too.”

I didn’t make any notes while reading this because I tucked into reading and let the world melt away. This book is magical, and not just because it focuses on magic. I love the friendships, the possibilities, the strength of Clover’s convictions, and I love how the impossible feels a little bit possible.

“You think I don’t know what it feels like when everything breaks?”

Parry a fantastic writer, and whenever I read one of her books, I’m whisked away into a historical fantasy that feels so cozy and right. I adore the depths of her imagination and cannot recommend this book enough.

Big thank you NetGalley and to the publisher for the chance to review this book pre-release. Dark academia and faeries? Be still my heart! Readers that liked Emily Wilde and Babel I believe will equally love this one. The pacing is similar, and I loved the heavy dark academia vibes. This is my first read from this author & I'll certainly be picking up previous works!

This was a phenomenally written book. Told as if the main character was writing a memoir/textbook, the story was interesting and very informative. We dealt with themes of grief., morality, and how are singular actions can affect the world as we know it. One decision can change the course of history, and in the same respective, and decision can be made that in counter productive to the first. Essentially, we are watching history play out, and repeat itself in opposing directions.

An amazing story. In depth, and the world we were given doesn't seem so far off from where we are now. This is a must read!

Big thanks to Redhook Books and NetGalley for an early e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review!

4.25/5

I’m a sucker for a magic school story. And since the fae are having a Moment, this lovely mash up of the two with a shining friendship group at its center and cunning faeries grinning with bloody teeth at all its edges feels like an excellent fall (or any time) read.

Clover is a good vehicle for the story, a victim of sexism (she is one of two women in her class at magic school) elitism, and economic discrimination, and she reacts to and has conversations with other characters that would be big revelations in other stories but here they are made to seem normal and healthy. But her narration can seem a bit stiff, tell-don’t-show sometimes. Sometimes it feels like scenes or entire chunks of time are summarized or quicken in order to shorten the length of the book overall.

Speaking of time, there is a time jump at around the 60% mark and I always find those a bit disorienting in books. It’s hard to do it seamlessly, and I think it chops up a rapidly building plot and conveniently hides some key events until they’re useful as a “plot twist” in the book’s final scenes. There are also some things a little too neatly tied up, some realizations that all conveniently happen at the same time to wrap up the story.

But overall I loved the banter between these friends, the wonder of magic that seeps in, the setting of a school trying to recover from war and the lengths characters will go to in order to protect their own. If you too are a sucker for a magic school story: this is a good one.

4.5 out of 5 stars rounded up! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door felt like a mashup of Babel and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Which is wonderful for me because I really enjoyed both of those books! The books follows Clover Hill, who sets off for a magical school called Camford in hopes of learning how to break a faerie curse that was cast on her brother Matthew. While at Camford she has to deal with being the only student not from one of the "Family's", aka she is neither rich nor aristocratic. During her first few days at Camford she join's Alden Lennox-Fontaine's friend group, and together they set out to learn more about the faerie doors, which have all been sealed since WWI.

The book is split into four parts. Parts one and two (in my opinion) are the best. Part three dragged a little bit towards the end. The overall ending of the story wasn't anything earth shattering; it was fairly predictable. These two reasons are why this didn't earn the full five stars.

However, I had a positive experience while reading this! I loved the tone and narration, and I thought the writing was pretty good. I also think the author did a good job writing characters that aren't necessarily loveable. Oh, and I also just love faeries. There was a good mix between research into faeries as well as face to face interactions/questionable bargains with faeries.

Loved the concept! Was not a fan of the execution. Pacing was too slow for me to really get into the story. Also not sure I enjoyed the character voice that the story was written in. Felt far too melancholic which did not mesh well with the slow pacing.

Well, I had goosebumps at the end. It is the kind of fae or faerie story I appreciate. We have a magical academy, found family, sacrifice, and love of friends and family.
I guess this is a stand-alone book, but I would love to see more in this world where magic now lives for anyone and everyone.
I enjoyed the camaraderie of Clover, Alden, Eddie, and Hero. Each had his or her special skill and distinct personality.
I enjoy Parry’s writing style very much.
This is another hit for her.
Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy.

Thank you to Redhook for the e-arc on Netgally! This book comes out on October 22nd.

This fae-centered fantasy novel reminds me of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries meets Babel, with just a dash of Divine Rivals.
We're in England in the 1920s, and our main character Clover lives on a farm with her family. Her brother has survived fighting The Great War, but he's not unscathed; he's been cursed by a faerie. (fairy??) Clover and her family learn that magic exists, practiced by elite, aristocratic families. Clover is determined to earn a spot at Camford, a magical university where few "common folk" are admitted, in order to find a cure for the curse that is eating away at her brother. At Camford, she bonds with three other students, all from the magical Families, and the four of them get into mischief in the pursuit of their magical studies.

I had a good time with this novel!! It's definitely not cozy fantasy, but the atmosphere that the author creates certainly feels cozy for most of the book. It's a mix of so many great things: historical fantasy, the 1920s, a magical school, light academia, friendship, a dash of romance, fae, magical government. The writing style was descriptive without being overly flowery--which suited me fine, because flowery writing tends to exhaust me. I think my problem with this book is that it's too long. I think that we could've spent less time building to the action at the end. So, the pacing wasn't perfect, which is why this didn't end up being a five star for me. But I really did have hopes for a five star at the beginning, which tells you how much I immediately vibed with it.

Camford is a secret magical academy attended by the distinguished, wealthy members of magical society - and Clover, an ordinary teenager who grew up working her family's sheep farm. While Clover may not be wealthy or generationally magical, she is clever, hard-working, and extremely determined to help her brother break a dark curse sustained on the battlefield during WW1.

H.G. Parry is a master craftswoman at building a magnificent world without forcing readers to suffer through the world building slug that often comes along with this experience. The story is rich with depictions of tricky dark faerie lore, a ward magically bound to the library (yes, please), and everything that is wonderful about dark academia. Many scenes hung heavy with a sense of foreboding and ill portent. The pacing perfectly suits a book that's meant to be savored, not inhaled in one sitting. As the story unfolds through Clover's eyes, the readers are treated to many twists and discoveries as we learn more about this magical world and all that it's capable of.

Look for elements of found family plus the dark faerie lore of Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries series by Heather Fawcett, and the magical school elements of A Discovery of Witches series by Deborah Harkness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Redhook Books for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication in exchange for my honest review.

Clover Hill did not know magic was real until her brother came back from the war injured by a faerie curse. The curse was taking over his body inch by inch, and when it reached his heart, he would succumb to it. But not if Clover can help it. For hundreds of years magic had been for the elite only, the rich and powerful Family, whose members attended Camford, a school of magic, to hone their power. Against all odds Clover is admitted to Camford on a full scholarship and it is there she meets Alden Lennox-Fontaine, the charming aristocrat who shares her love of magic, and her fascination with the fae. The two decide to open a faerie door, but it will not be easy for all the faerie doors had been closed after the event of the war. Will Clover and Alden break the laws of magic to save the ones they love, or to satisfy their own curiosity.
I absolutely loved The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, a gothic dark academia that is a combination between Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries and R.F. Kuang's Babel.

I loved H. G. Parry's atmospheric writing but found it difficult to get hooked to the story due to the slow pacing and simple characterization.