Galadriel, also known as Gal or El, is a wizard. She studies in a school called Schoolomance, the only deemed safe place for wizard kids to go to. But is it, though? A school which has mana-hungry (a term you’ll come to understand when you read the book), slimy monsters lurking in every nook and corner who feast upon kids; a school where there are no teachers and whose graduation ceremony involves torching the entire school and fighting said monsters. One would wonder about safety!

The first in a trilogy, A DEADLY EDUCATION sounds like a typical YA fantasy set at a magical school and told in the first person, but this is a unique and fascinating story. Told entirely from El's point of view, our protagonist (or is she?) divulges her chronicles at the Schoolomance with her new acquaintance Orion who might be the only good person in the entire school (or is he?), and her two friends Aadhya and Liu (or are they?). It is just too hard to tell after just one book and well worth the read to try to find out.

El doesn't have many friends, but she wouldn’t worry about it if it wasn’t necessary for survival. Not that she can’t protect herself, but she’s concerned others won’t be able to if she does. Her vulnerability along with her affinity for destruction can be the end of Schoolomance. The most annoying thing about campus novels is characters not having any school-related work to do and are there hovering just in the background. Novik will have you believe nothing comes without hard work and that school is school everywhere, even with magic and monsters. Most teens seem like their lives are at stake when they’re stressed but this is quite literally the situation at this school. Let your guard down for one second and your remains won’t even be found.

Supporting characters also have well-plotted backstories. Students come from all over the world and through them, various cultures are explored. These are not just over-the-top superficial reps for the sake of diversity but have concrete roles for the development of the plot. It indeed is a very fresh setting, with morally grey characters dumped in equally murky situations. Quirky El and her internal monologues are to die for and will frequently leave you bawling with laughter. A teen’s witty commentary on all the grim and dark things happening around her is wildly refreshing. Do not miss A DEADLY EDUCATION by Naomi Novik for all the blurbs and praises are true--you won’t be disappointed.

Book Summary