Book Review: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Title: A Deadly Education
Author: Naomi Novik
Publisher: Del Ray
Publication Date: September 29, 2020
ISBN: 9780593128480

Synopsis:
I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life. Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. I don’t need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I’m probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I’ll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.

At least, that’s what the world expects. Most of the other students in here would be delighted if Orion killed me like one more evil thing that’s crawled out of the drains. Sometimes I think they want me to turn into the evil witch they assume I am. The school certainly does.

But the Scholomance isn’t getting what it wants from me. And neither is Orion Lake. I may not be anyone’s idea of the shining hero, but I’m going to make it out of this place alive, and I’m not going to slaughter thousands to do it, either. Although I’m giving serious consideration to just one.

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Reading A Deadly Education is a total 180 in the fantasy genre compared to some of the other series that have been cropping up lately. It’s dark, dryly funny, and shares the story of unlikely friendships in a magic school filled with evil demons ready to kill any unsuspecting victims. It’s a dark academia novel that’s accessible to a wide variety of readers, including fans of YA fiction, magic, and spells of every kind. There is good magic (fuelled by mana), and malevolent magic (wielded by maleficers), all cast by students who’s primary priority is to survive their years at a school that is run by nothing or no one but magic.

The story is fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously which makes this read particularly enjoyable. Though students die regularly and making it to graduation alive isn’t a given, the story is almost a satirical or ironic in its telling of Galadriel’s story. Think Wednesday vibes. Hard. In the same way that the show featuring Wednesday Addams is filled with subtle wit and dark humour, A Deadly Education follows El as she navigates assignments, fights off demons, and tries (and fails) to not be too annoyed by Orion Lake and his saviour complex, all without allies.

Told from El’s perspective, the reader gets an almost stream-of-conscious style of writing as she narrates her thoughts and learnings on everything from collection and use of magic, others’ use of dark magic, Orion’s inability to stop saving her, the functions of the many enclaves that are open to only the most worthy students after graduation, and so many other elements of her deadly world. Her tone is sarcastic, lonely, hurt, angry, and is often filled with dry wit as she remarks on the mundanity of death and murderous demons. The reader may judge her as unlikeable, as do many of her peers, but El is worth sticking around for.

Definitely a surprise of a novel, but one that really captured me in a unique way, which is hard to do in this genre. I’ve already got the next book on hold at the library!

Happy reading!