A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 Read in November 2020

A new Naomi Novik trilogy that's been described as a dark Harry Potter? Yes, please! This is one of my most anticipated releases of 2020.

~*~*~*~
4.5 stars.
WOW! The worldbuilding and magic system are so creative. There's a fantastic mix of wicked darkness and high school cliquey drama here too. I love it!
I also love El. She's so sassy and snarky. It's great to see the struggle she has trying hard not to be the maleficer she is apparently destined to be especially when magic tends to go wrong for El.
"I've got a summoning spell that raises a dozen of them," I said. "It was used to burn the Library of Alexandria".
"Why would you ask for a spell like that!"
"What I asked for was a spell to light my room, you twat, that's what I got!"

She is also so fantastically blunt. "Reader, I ran the fuck away." I cackled so much at that line. Didn't I say El was great?
Her friendship with the clueless hero, Orion Lake, is fab too. I am very interested to see where it goes in future instalments especially after that intriguing final line.
I really liked the diverse cast of characters too but I understand there has been some controversy about it. Personally, I think it has been taken out of context but I get it may be hurtful for some. For me, the important thing is that Naomi Novik apologised and she has done revisions for future reprints.
I was enjoying this so much that before I even got halfway, I knew I had to vote for it in the Goodreads Choice Awards. I am just a bit sad that my copy doesn't have the lovely map of the Scholomance I've seen elsewhere. Also, a glossary would have been good.

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