#a deadly education spoilers

[rotationalsymmetry]

Imagine being Orion in A Deadly Education.

People are mostly not that interesting to you. They don't like you so much as they like what you can do. Maybe at some point you tried to really connect with someone, and it didn't go that well, so you didn't keep trying. Fighting mals though? You're good at that. It makes sense to you, unlike most of the things people do. It's rewarding -- intrinsically rewarding -- and people seem to be happy that you're doing it? Because they don't like doing it but it benefits them. So, basically no downside.

And you go off to school and it's full of mals, and people think you're great because you fight the mals, and you ignore them as best you can when you're not fighting mals for them. (You're polite, your mother always wanted you to be polite and you don't want people to be mad at you. But you don't do anything beyond being polite.) And people seem to think you're doing a good thing. So. It's ok. It's good enough. The world makes sense, more or less. This is what you're for.

And one day you see a soul eater go under another student's door, and you destroy it like you always do. Except this person is mad at you. Which makes no sense. No one's ever been mad at you before, not for fighting mals. So apparently you did something wrong even though you only did what you always do which has always been right before. But you guess you should probably make it up to her? So when she says she needs to go to the shop at dinner you offer to go with her, why not?

Except somehow she's mad at you again. So you have to make it up to her even more now, you guess?

(You don't like it when people are mad at you, but you know what to do when people are mad at you. You Make It Up To Them, usually by doing whatever they tell you to or fighting a mal or both, and then they stop being mad at you. You prefer to understand why they are mad at you, but most of the time it makes no sense, and you know what to do when it makes no sense to you why someone is mad at you.)

So you guard her door while she fixes it. Which takes her a weirdly long time. You've just taken down several mimics, you're bursting with mana, you'd give her some if she asked. Mana has never been a scarce resource for you; on some level it hasn't really occurred to you that it could be a scarce resource for anyone else. People aren't that interesting to you, you don't think about them much, except when someone tells you to, like your mother making you do flash cards of other kids' names. But she doesn't ask, and she doesn't cheat either, she does things the long and hard way, which makes a third thing all coming from the same person that doesn't mesh with your pre-existing worldview. She's fascinating.

And then she pulls on your mana like it's nothing and she's even more fascinating. How did she do that? Is she a malificer? (Is that why she keeps being so mean to you, when nobody is ever mean to you?) What's going on?

And you've never voluntarily fought alongside anyone else before, but she's good to fight with. She's annoying, but she does also point out things you missed or didn't know.

And she stands up for you, in a way that nobody has ever stood up for you before. She's not nice. She's the opposite of nice. But it's starting to dawn on you that being nice is not the same as something else that seems like it should go with being nice. And if El is not nice to you but is that other thing, maybe some other people who are nice to you are...not that other thing to you?

It's a lot to think about.

Anyways. You like her. You're not very interested in people. But you are interested in El.

And then you have the best day of your life, when you've gotten to take on more mals and scarier mals than you've ever taken on before, and you did it and you were good at it, and you kind of didn't want to leave but you were supposed to leave because that was how the Mission worked, and then you were about to die because you missed the bell and the cleansing fires had started and there was nowhere to go, but at least you were going to die next to El.

But she didn't think she was going to die, and she cast a wall of mortal flame (who does that?) and it worked as a firebreak and you didn't die and no one had ever saved you before. That wasn't how the world worked. Who was this person who kept breaking the rules of how the world worked like they didn't even apply to her?

(And then you look around and she isn't there and you kissed her earlier when you thought you were both going to die, and she, uh, didn't react well and oh no, what if you've ruined everything what if you like her but she doesn't like you like that what if she won't want to be around you any more? What if the one interesting person in the entire world doesn't think you are interesting?) (it'd be ok, right? It was ok before.) (it wouldn't be ok. So maybe it wasn't ok before either.)

[herbofgraceandpeace]

Spoilers for A Deadly Education below:

(I haven’t discovered how to do the read more link on mobile yet, sorry for being a tech loser.)

So I really, really, REALLY enjoyed A Deadly Education! It was such a deeply, richly imagined world, and the exposition of it was done wonderfully through El’s grumpy, sarcastic inner dialogue. I don’t think you could actually justify it as complaining, but it sort of works as an explanation for her breaking the fourth wall.

The characters were so deliciously real and believable all around, not just El! Side note: I love, love, love books with many women characters; they are just like life, which ALSO HAS MANY WOMEN CHARACTERS. I don’t think it has to be just women authors who do this, but it’s telling that they’re usually the ones to do so. Anyway, the boys and girls of this book were such people very teenagers, and it heightened the drama naturally as a result! A lot of the book relies on hierarchies of the kind usually found in school stories, but that wasn’t just a cool gimmick or means to enliven the stakes. It meant that the morality of their actions was much more obvious and undeniably relevant, and that’s such a powerful truth about suffering on its own! It strips back the fripperies of life and requires us to make very real decisions about what our relationship to the people around us. What will we do to survive? Can we survive alone? And what counts as survival? If we sacrifice others to save ourselves, what will be left of us at the end?

I loved the way that El’s internal dilemma centers around her ability to harm others easily and her desire to not do so—and sometimes, painfully but so realistically, her battle with her desire to harm them in retaliation for how she’s been treated. One of my favorite parts of the book was El’s moment of decision on whether or not to fight the maw-mouth; it reminded me strongly of the moment from Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables when Valjean has to decide whether to turn up at the trial of the man who has been misidentified as Valjean himself. In both cases, the protagonist is forced to make an utterly self-sacrificing choice—to choose something which will most likely destroy their life completely in order to save someone in many respects undeserving. The freshmen El was attempting were young, innocent, and helpless, but they had done her no favors, and she knew she would gain little to no benefit from saving them. But she did it anyway!! Just as Valjean has to realize that he can’t keep his position as mayor and do good if it’s built on the unjust suffering of this man. (I’ve no idea if that connection makes sense to anyone but me, but I’m tired and can’t explain better.)

I couldn’t help contrasting this book with Spinning Silver since I just read it, and I have to say I was delighted by how much more open discussion of morality (see the paragraph above lol) there was in this book! Spinning Silver was so action-focused that I’ll have to look deeper to get at its themes, whereas El’s narration AND her character arc brought it all to the surface in A Deadly Education. Another of my favorite moments was El’s thoughts on her own anger with Magnus; there was lots of real, convicting truth there. You cannot fight the cycle of violence, of fear, of hatred with the very same weapons—you can only break it through choosing mercy and justice (paradoxically) and giving of yourself. Which brings me to the delightful Orion Lake! Ladies and gentlemen, a certified Boy. I’m not sure if he could be called a narrative foil to El (I’m so tired help), but it’s interesting to observe the difference in how they go about caring for others. El is jaded; she sees the brokenness of the world and all of its cruelty, and she chooses to help others (by denying herself at all times!) anyway. Orion sees much less of the evil in people and in the systems of the world—but! fascinatingly! he sees the evil in the scholomance system in a way that El doesn’t (or at least isn’t prepared to deal with yet). He can’t be bothered to think about the consequences of saving everyone, but he’s darned well willing to die doing it. I was amused and frustrated with El for not seeing him as a kindred spirit earlier on in the book because they both recognize the fundamental principle that might does not make right, that the strong should not prey on the weak. Yet while El refuses to acknowledge how deep her loyalty to this principle really is, Orion’s thoughtlessness means that he’s blind to the ways he himself is perpetuating the abuse of the weak through the enclave. Delightful stuff, and realistic character conflict born of different perspectives and experiences!

also, did I mention we get sisterhood?? I don’t care if they’re just friends, El and Aadyah and Liu are sisters now. To me.

Basically, it’s a great book, and I can’t wait to read the next ones

[pencil-for-a-dog]

THAT MOTHERF*CKER, HE THINKS I CAN BUY THE NEXT BOOK.

IF EL DOESN'T GET HIM I'LL KILL HIM BEFORE THISE SH*TS

[izzenithal]

this is their whole dynamic and i love them for it

[maelancoli]

i'm kind of late to this but i just finished reading the scholomance trilogy by naomi novik and i feel like it is such an underrated urban fantasy?? taking the chosen one trope and turning it on its head with a fmc who has been prophesied to bring death and destruction, who is imbued with terrible power, but cannot even properly use said power to solve any of her obstacles because it would obliterate them and her soul. it takes a tired trope and the idea of an 'overpowered mary sue' and throws it back in your face by showing how all the power and destiny in the world is useless against a system filled with corruption that has burdened you with an easy way out (evil/destructive magic) that you can't take so now you have to work twice as hard as everyone else just to do simple, constructive spells instead of flicking your wrist and being done with it.

[dawn-the-rithmatist]

OH GOD AND THE COMPARISON KEEPS GOING

A Deadly Education shows El slowly learning to trust people, that maybe she’s not alone in this, and the book ends with the first attempt to fix the school in so goddamn long, effectively reminding the Scholomance of the same exact thing- that there are other people here, and you may not get out of this problem alone, but you might get out of it together.

And then The Last Graduate shows us El, realizing how much easier things are with help, all of those old worries about mana and lunch tables burned with alliances and power sharers. And at the same time, in the first semester the Scholomance has the lowest mal attacks on records, the lowest student deaths on records, in a very long time. And it leans on El in the same way El is learning to lean on her friends.

And then in that one chapter, where she pieces together that the scholomance has been asking for help- that chapter ends with this:

They want to do better. They don’t know how. And they look to the first person who reached out a hand, who did not leave them alone with the shit, and say, “Please help me.”

Rereading The Last Graduate and I just. I just.

El and the Scholomance are the same.

Constantly misunderstood by those around them as something evil and horrible, due to the circumstances of their creation that they can’t control- mals for the scholomance, doom and murder affinity for El. They both, at their very cores, want to be better than that- are better than that- and want to be the lesser evil.

Both of them want to see everyone get out safe, whether they’re enclavers or loser indie kids. And sometimes that means doing something they don’t like. Lording power over everyone so they cooperate for obstacle course runs. Throwing mals at that one really strong student, so no one else has to get hit. A lesser evil- but they don’t want that, not really, because they don’t want to be evil at all.

They’re the same, HOW am I supposed to be NORMAL about this

[aridotdash]

I think too often we forget that besides being incredible powerful magically, El has to be fucking JACKED. Like, her primary form of mana building was exercising and she's had to do more crochet because exercise is too damn easy. Like, she's doing literally hundreds of push-ups just to get ANYTHING mana wise.

In conclusion, El can, should, and does bench-press Orion on a regular basis and you can't convince me otherwise.

[in-dire-read]

A Deadly Education (Book Review)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4.5 Stars)

Information

Author: Naomi Novik

Genre: Horror

Number of Pages: 313

Format: Hardcover

Series: The Scholomance #1

Summary

After Orion Lake saved her life for the second time, El decided he had to die. While everyone else adored him and his flashy combat magic, she wanted nothing to do with his heroics. She didn’t need help surviving the dangers of the Scholomance—if anything, she was the most dangerous thing in the school. Most students expected her to become the dark queen they feared, and the school itself seemed to push her toward that fate. But El was determined to make it out alive on her own terms—though she might make an exception for just one kill.

Thoughts

I loved watching Orion and El gradually find common ground throughout the story. Their relationship is built on an unexpected connection, which only deepens as they rely on each other to survive the dangers of the Scholomance. What made this dynamic even more compelling was Orion’s obliviousness to the feelings of everyone around him, except for El. His single-minded focus on protecting others made him miss the fact that the entire student body assumed they were romantically involved, which added a layer of humour and charm to their interactions. It was a refreshing contrast to typical relationships in fantasy settings and gave their bond a unique and relatable depth.

The monster battles and intricate world-building were equally captivating. The constant threat of supernatural creatures, especially the mals, kept the stakes high, and I loved the tension this brought to the story. The climax, when Orion and El joined forces to save the school from the graduation horde of mals, was especially exciting. Their teamwork highlighted their growing connection and the strength of their partnership. It was a thrilling moment that demonstrated both characters' growth and how far they had come together.

However, I found myself frustrated with El's internal scheming about how to leverage Orion’s friendship for her survival. While I understood that it was an important part of her character arc and the story’s themes, it felt like she was holding herself back emotionally for too long. I wish she had realized sooner that it’s okay to want a friend without calculating the benefits. This hesitation detracted slightly from her growth and made her seem unnecessarily closed off, especially given how much Orion had done for her.

The ending, too, left me a bit disappointed. Despite the clear mutual feelings between El and Orion, she still chose to push him away, claiming she couldn’t afford distractions. At this point in the story, it felt like an unnecessary step backward. Their bond had already evolved into something meaningful, and her refusal to acknowledge it fully felt frustrating. It was a moment where, instead of deepening their connection, El seemed to revert to her old fears, which felt out of place given everything they had been through together.

[celebibi]

sorta spoiler for scholomance but i finished the scholomance trilogy(?) today and ughhhh it nearly filled the void harry potter had given me. i loved it. where is scholomance tumblr i need it immediately i'm so conflicted by el x orion & el x liesel cuz orion is cute but i wasn't attached to him as much as the first two books. liesel and el surprised me, confused me (cuz el was literally like dreaming abt orion within hours), and made me so happy because yay casual bi/pan characters!

anyways i rly liked it

[geraniums-red]

Naomi Novik - A Deadly Education

Book 1 of the Scholomance trilogy

This book is about El, a pupil trying to survive her penultimate year at the Scholomance. Attending the Scholomance provides a better chance of survival than there is outside it, but it still contains plenty of maleficaria who would like to eat young wizards before they are strong enough to defend themselves. Unlike other more fortunate pupils, El doesn't come from the safety of an enclave with their political power and ready-made allies, and her magic is more practical for destruction than it is for survival, but, like everyone else, she doesn't want to die.

The first part of the book made me laugh when I read it the first time, and was even better on a re-read knowing how things will change over the course of the trilogy. The book hits a more serious note when we learn about El's childhood, and from then on it's less funny but more compelling as she manages to make friendships and alliances despite her abrasive personality and the power held by the enclaver pupils.

A book which I can enjoy both as a fantasy story full of unusual and memorable monsters and magic, and as a look at the way that unjust systems perpetuate themselves and the prices people are willing to pay for safety. Recommended, but ends on a revelation that doesn't get resolved until the 3rd book in the trilogy, which could be an issue if you don't like stopping on a cliffhanger.

[rotationalsymmetry]

I love how El could basically have been doing an Orion from day one, not necessarily saving people but at least demonstrating her power, and instead she spent the next few years telling herself she was just waiting for the right opportunity so that she didn't have to admit that her primary goal, her primary strategy for having a decent life and getting out of the school alive, was something she didn't even want.

She's got this incredible combo of everything external to her being stacked against her and a depth of self-destructiveness every bit as powerful as her magic. She's amazing. I love her.

[ao-ihinata]

I cannot get the image of Orion "golden retriever" Lake and Galadriel "black cat" Higgins out of my mind for days now.

one has a terrible owner who you never would have guess muzzles them and the other almost never let's you touch them but is shepherding you whenever you get up to go to another room

edit : I've changed my mind, Orion is a borzoi.

just look at him (I hope it's a him) lanky, prominent nose, the meme that somehow reminds me of him

[cogentranting]

Wait! Nobody move!

El Higgins -> The Albatross

[ravendruidreads]

A Deadly Education - Review

Author: Naomi Novik Saga: The Scholomance Date Read: February 26, 2024 - February 28, 2024 Format: Physical Pages: 319

Characters: 6/10 Atmosphere: 4/10 Writing: 3/10 Plot: 7/10 Intrigue: 5/10 Logic: 5/10 Enjoyment: 7/10 Rating: 5.2/10 (3 stars)

I got this book from a blind date with a book at Barnes & Noble. The premises were "a gorgeous book about monsters and monstrousness"; "dark, dangerous school of magic"; and "unwilling dark sorceress destined to rewrite the roles".

The review is hidden below due to spoilers.

I went into this book completely blind because I didn't read anything about it other than what the blind date cover mentioned, so I wasn't expecting it to be a young adult kind of book (I thought it would be something more like Fourth Wing), which is partially why I gave it such a low writing score.

The writing felt... weird? I don't mind stories told in first person but in this case, the narrator felt like it was talking directly to me, as in breaking the fourth wall, and that didn't feel much like telling a story. I would have enjoyed this type of writing more when I was younger, so I guess I can say that the author is doing a good job at reaching their target.

Another thing I didn't like about the writing was that the author broke the narrative multiple times to explain details that, in my opinion, were not necessary, making it hard to keep up with the story. A lot of those explanations were also very confusing, which is also why Atmosphere has such a low score. I had trouble visualizing because the descriptions were often confusing.

The characters are fine. They are what they are: common teenagers with relatable issues (like being an outcast). Orion is the typical teenage boy that has no clue how to talk to girls, so he accidentally starts dating El without even asking or telling her his feelings until the very end. Not gonna lie, that made me chuckle a little. They are kind of cute together and remind me when I was a teen (except I was the Orion in the situation-as in not knowing how to talk to boys).

The plot is what saved the book, in my opinion. I liked the idea that the school is always moving and trying to kill its students. It gave me a little big of Hogwarts vibes.

Something else that confused me at first was the fact that this is a fantasy book set in our world. I was taken aback when I first read the mention of New York and other cities because I wasn't expecting it to happen in our world. However, I did enjoy the diversity and the importance the author gave to languages. If it wasn't for the fact that the school is trying to kill its students on a daily(nay-hourly)-basis, I would have loved to attend it just for the language learning part.

All in all, it was a fun book to read and I'm excited to see what happens next. El's mom's letter brings in the perfect cliff hanger for book two.

Quotes that stayed:

I love having existential crises at bedtime, it's so restful.

I think that after a certain number of evil choices, it's reasonable shorthand to decide that someone's an evil person who oughtn't have the chance to make any more choices. And the more power someone has, the less slack they ought to be given.

[actuallyafandomess]

Me showing up 15 mins late with Starbucks: So anyone else notice the thematic parallels between The Golden Enclaves and her transformers works like Vitory Conditions?

[ah0yh0y]

guys im so confuses now  

Does Orion like killing Mals? Like at the end of it all?