The Scholomance series is slated to be a trilogy, making this book the middle volume. In trilogies that’s the hardest one to pull off. The author has to build on the story setup from the entry book without recapping it too much, and go on to set up for the conclusion in the final volume. But the book also has to stand on its own. Novik succeeds with a story that continues the development of her characters as they move on to face challenges that take things to a new level. There are some good plot twists and surprises capped at the end by a real cliffhanger - just as the first volume did. If there is one drawback to the story, it’s the way the main character El spends a lot of time filling out events with extra details and observations that provide a lot of context, but at the cost of slowing the story down at times. But, this also sets the stage for revelations and insights as the story progresses - and puts a fair number of “Chekhov guns” on the wall. Quite a few of them are likely to go off in the final volume. This series is a hero’s journey - coming of age tale; we get to see El and the cast of females around her play out what is more often the kind of story reserved for male characters. The one primary male character, Orion Lake, gets fleshed out a bit more, but we also get to see how limited his life has been. He’s only starting to realize how much more there is to living towards the end of this book. In a way he demonstrates how narrow the classic ‘young hero’ can be as a clichéd stock archetype. A good read - which makes the wait for the final volume all that more irritating.

A magnificent and heroic triumph of magical human beings. You will want to be them, to know them and aspire to be as noble. El is my hero!!

Wow just about broke my heart and now I gotta wait for the next one 🥲

I eagerly anticipated this book. Unfortunately, a significant portion was descriptions of the same things from the first book—a total slog—but I hung in there. Then came the completely unsatisfactory ending that is unabashedly designed to get you to buy the next book. I give up…I’m not doing it.

Naomi Novik dances in the footsteps of JK Rowling but with the upgrade of a gorgeous sense todays diverse world. Page turning excitement, intricate world building ,and exuberant passion. I read the last page four times in a row. She writes with such confidence and joy . I savored every chapter and long for the next book already.

El rewrites the narrative for Graduation. Tremendous! Can’t wait for the next book. Who was the last graduate?

Every book by this author is incredible with this series being her best. I highly recommend it.

Just don’t invest time in this book, the utter waste of time,

I picked up the Temeraire series as a teenager and haven’t been disappointed with the authors since. The life she breathes into her series makes it hard to put down a book. The pacing is just want you want. Slow enough to get you sucked in the beginning and then by the end, you’re being reeled in, hook, line and sinker. Looking forward to the next book, no matter the wait.

From the prose to the character growth to the Diablo hue, everything is weaved together wonderfully