Book Review: The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

The Last Graduate
Author: Naomi Novik
Series: Scholomance (Book 2)
Publication: Del Rey (September 28, 2021)

Description: NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The specter of graduation looms large as Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling trilogy continues in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education.

“The climactic graduation-day battle will bring cheers, tears, and gasps as the second of the Scholomance trilogy closes with a breathtaking cliff-hanger.”—Booklist (starred review)

HUGO AWARD FINALIST • LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Polygon, Thrillist, She Reads

In Wisdom, Shelter. That’s the official motto of the Scholomance. I suppose you could even argue that it’s true—only the wisdom is hard to come by, so the shelter’s rather scant.

Our beloved school does its best to devour all its students—but now that I’ve reached my senior year and have actually won myself a handful of allies, it’s suddenly developed a very particular craving for me. And even if I somehow make it through the endless waves of maleficaria that it keeps throwing at me in between grueling homework assignments, I haven’t any idea how my allies and I are going to make it through the graduation hall alive.

Unless, of course, I finally accept my foretold destiny of dark sorcery and destruction. That would certainly let me sail straight out of here. The course of wisdom, surely.

But I’m not giving in—not to the mals, not to fate, and especially not to the Scholomance. I’m going to get myself and my friends out of this hideous place for good—even if it’s the last thing I do.

With keen insight and mordant humor, Novik reminds us that sometimes it is not enough to rewrite the rules—sometimes, you need to toss out the entire rulebook.

The magic of the Scholomance trilogy continues in The Golden Enclaves

My Thoughts: This middle book of the Scholomance trilogy concerns El's Senior year. She begins the year being the target of the Scholomance and honing her fighting skills. She has managed to make some friends and build some alliances but is separated from them for most of her classmates and when she is put in a seminar with assorted Freshman.

She is determined first to find a way to get her friends through to graduation and through the fight that is necessary if they are to leave the Scholomance behind. But gradually, she determines that she won't be satisfied until she gets all of the Seniors out alive. Since many of them don't trust her and even more don't know her, this is going to be a difficult task. Luckily, she is befriended by the class's valedictorian who has more than enough ideas of ways to make El's task possible even if she is a difficult person and not El's friend.

As the training goes on, El realizes that the only way she will be satisfied is if she manages to get all of the students out of the Scholomance - Freshman to Seniors. To do this she is going to have to depend on most of the other students to help and to put aside the rivalries and self-centered behavior that were the skills that got them out before.

This wouldn't seem like a good time to fall in love but El manages to fit it in. She and Orion Lake have been rivals since their first days in the Scholomance. He's the popular Enclaver who has become the school hero by saving countless lives including El's. He's also the only one other than El who is almost certain to be able to win their way out of the Scholomance. 

The worldbuilding in this story is fantastic. From a complex political system and magical system to a wide variety of evil creatures determined to eat the young wizards, the story is packed with intriguing ideas. It is also packed full of adventure. But even more it is packed with ethical dilemmas and the need to make the right choices. 

Fans of epic fantasy will enjoy this one - but read A DEADLY EDUCATION first. 

Favorite Quote:

"There's no such thing as normal people," I said, a desperate flailing. "There's just people, and some of them are miserable, and some of them are happy, and you've the same right to be happy as any of them -- no more and no less."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.