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Random House Worlds
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Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate. The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance is what you'll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it's all we dream about: the hideously slim chance we'll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls. And now the impossible dream has come true. I'm out, we're all out--and I didn't even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother's prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn't kill enclavers, I saved them. Me and Orion and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: We saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves everywhere. Ha, only joking! Actually, it's gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war. And the first thing I've got to do now, having miraculously gotten out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back inches.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member quondame
Oh, wow. The twists almost never stop coming in this almost relentlessly (there are a few stops for food, sleep, showers, and clean clothing) paced finale for the Scholomance series. Yes the revelations are a bit overload and the ending may not go as I think it should, still it is not at all
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disappointing even if we don't get to see El globe trotting from setting up one GE after another as the title seemed to indicate. Show Less
LibraryThing member Tom_Wright
The Scholomance series should be required reading at high schools world-wide, with good support groups to discuss it with the youth. Man, did I need this as a kid or what? It would have shaved years off of my progression into being a better person.
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
Its a nice conclusion to this series. At times, unexpected, but for the most part, it was predictable. We find more about the world of magic, why its so hard when the people without magic is around. We also find out about El's Dad's family. The solution is nice, although a bit too easy, I think its
I found the ending (and Orion's fate) to be bit Pollyannaish, but that okay. I'm glad I read it.
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because the author is spending the wrapping all the bits and pieces, rather than going deeper. I appreciate this, since I don't think I'd have enjoyed reading reading this volume if it didn't wrap up the story.I found the ending (and Orion's fate) to be bit Pollyannaish, but that okay. I'm glad I read it.
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LibraryThing member Tip44
EPIC ending to the series.
LibraryThing member MickyFine
The final book in the Scholomance trilogy. I'm not going to properly review this one as any summary will be chock full of spoilers for the first two books. Suffice to say the cliffhanger from the previous book is resolved and Novik ties up her story in way that should be satisfying for readers who
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have been following the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member Bodagirl
This was an excellent ending for the trilogy. Novik has elevated the magic school series by bringing the final book to the difficult and complicated political world outside the school. I also appreciated that there weren't any purely evil villains, more of a society built in wrong doing and that
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there wasn't a neat HEA. Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
Satisfying conclusion to the Scholomance series, reflecting Novik’s interest in (1) very powerful people who (2) choose to exercise that power in ways that empower others despite the difficulty of that choice, which includes the desire of many people to be governed, along with (3) building
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things. El wants to rescue Orion, but needs to find the power to do so. Unfortunately, it turns out that Orion’s mother is not a worthwhile ally. Meanwhile, enclaves around the world are being attacked and destroyed, though not by El, and she’s the only one they can get to come kill maw-mouths. As one would expect, the plots converge. Also El is maybe poly, though that is a bit less clear. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolesrandomlife
This was an excellent way to wrap up a very enjoyable trilogy! I had no idea where the story would go after the events of the previous book and was eager to see the fate of some of the characters. At the start of the book, El is in a bad place since she is so worried about Orion. El and some of her
I feel like I have been on quite the journey with El, Orion, and the rest of the gang. The characters have all grown a lot over the course of the story. I thought that this installment had all of the action and excitement that I have come to expect from the series. I once again listened to the audiobook and thought that Anisha Dadia did a wonderful job with the narration. I think that her voice is perfect for this group of characters and am certain that her narration added to my enjoyment of the story.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio.
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friends devise a plan to save their classmate and end up learning quite a few things that were quite surprising.I feel like I have been on quite the journey with El, Orion, and the rest of the gang. The characters have all grown a lot over the course of the story. I thought that this installment had all of the action and excitement that I have come to expect from the series. I once again listened to the audiobook and thought that Anisha Dadia did a wonderful job with the narration. I think that her voice is perfect for this group of characters and am certain that her narration added to my enjoyment of the story.
I received a review copy of this audiobook from Penguin Random House Audio.
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LibraryThing member bell7
El and her friends figured out a way to escape from the Scholomance and throw it into the void, but instead of coming with them, Orion Lake pushed her out and stayed behind with Patience the maw-mouth ready to eat him and leave him suspended in not-quite-death. Now she's determined to get him back,
Part of why I really enjoyed the first two books was the setting of the Scholomance, so having it be in a totally new setting - and actually, quite a lot of traveling - was an adjustment for me. We also don't get quite as much of El's funny snark, or perhaps it was more my mood and the fact that it took me longer than usual to read that meant I didn't love it as much as I'd expected to. Events begin directly after the end of The Last Graduate and take you all over the world with El and her friends figuring stuff out. In fact, a lot of the things that were first mentioned in the first book - El's prophecy, how enclaves are made, "stay away from Orion Lake" - are all finally explained as El discovers more about how things actually work and the kind of person she wants to be. It was a bit sprawling, but was brought together in a satisfying way in the end.
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but along her way in navigating her life in the real world, a magical enclave needs help and El reluctantly answers their call, all the while trying to avoid her prophesied destiny of becoming a destroyer.Part of why I really enjoyed the first two books was the setting of the Scholomance, so having it be in a totally new setting - and actually, quite a lot of traveling - was an adjustment for me. We also don't get quite as much of El's funny snark, or perhaps it was more my mood and the fact that it took me longer than usual to read that meant I didn't love it as much as I'd expected to. Events begin directly after the end of The Last Graduate and take you all over the world with El and her friends figuring stuff out. In fact, a lot of the things that were first mentioned in the first book - El's prophecy, how enclaves are made, "stay away from Orion Lake" - are all finally explained as El discovers more about how things actually work and the kind of person she wants to be. It was a bit sprawling, but was brought together in a satisfying way in the end.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is the third (and final) book in The Scholomance series. I borrowed this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: This was a well done conclusion to the series and I thought it was interesting how everything played out. This did feel very long to me when I read it and I had
This book starts out where the last left off. El and her classmates have escaped the Scholomance but Orion didn't make it out. El starts off on a mission to get back into the Scholomance to help him but then the enclaves start to fall. El is called upon to use her immense power to save them but, in the process of helping them, discovers the horror of what the enclaves are built upon and starts a mission to restructure magic society worldwide.
I enjoy the magic system and world here. Novik has put a lot of thought into this world and I love reading about unique magic systems. Unfortunately, I never really liked any of the characters in this series much and this book didn't change that for me. El makes some seriously questionable decisions that I just did not understand.
I also expected the plot to revolve a bit more around El's hugely immense power since that was such a focus for the series. I found the whole concept of Orion's birth confusing when you look at the rest of the magic system. I felt like there were some plot holes here for sure. I also wasn't a huge fan of how much of this book was El jetting from place to place across the world, I was exhausted just reading about it.
The book ends well and ties everything up with a nice, tidy bow while giving us an interesting vision of the characters' futures. This definitely wasn't my favorite Novik book, honestly she's been a bit hit or miss for me. I will be more careful and thoughtful about picking up books from her in the future.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this did an excellent job of wrapping up this series. I really loved the magic system here and enjoyed digging into the foundation of the enclaves. I am still not a huge fan of the characters, some of the plot points, and the way a lot of this is just El running back and forth. Novik has been a bit hit and miss for me. I loved "Uprooted" and the first couple "Temeraire" books but I am not a huge fan of other books she has written. I really loved the first book in this series but the second and third ones were just "good" not great. I would still recommend this series to those who enjoy YA fantasy with a heavy emphasis on creative magic systems.
Thoughts: This was a well done conclusion to the series and I thought it was interesting how everything played out. This did feel very long to me when I read it and I had
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trouble staying interested in the story. El kind of runs back and forth from place to place and feels sorry for herself a lot. I expected her power to play out in a more epic way than it actually did.This book starts out where the last left off. El and her classmates have escaped the Scholomance but Orion didn't make it out. El starts off on a mission to get back into the Scholomance to help him but then the enclaves start to fall. El is called upon to use her immense power to save them but, in the process of helping them, discovers the horror of what the enclaves are built upon and starts a mission to restructure magic society worldwide.
I enjoy the magic system and world here. Novik has put a lot of thought into this world and I love reading about unique magic systems. Unfortunately, I never really liked any of the characters in this series much and this book didn't change that for me. El makes some seriously questionable decisions that I just did not understand.
I also expected the plot to revolve a bit more around El's hugely immense power since that was such a focus for the series. I found the whole concept of Orion's birth confusing when you look at the rest of the magic system. I felt like there were some plot holes here for sure. I also wasn't a huge fan of how much of this book was El jetting from place to place across the world, I was exhausted just reading about it.
The book ends well and ties everything up with a nice, tidy bow while giving us an interesting vision of the characters' futures. This definitely wasn't my favorite Novik book, honestly she's been a bit hit or miss for me. I will be more careful and thoughtful about picking up books from her in the future.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this did an excellent job of wrapping up this series. I really loved the magic system here and enjoyed digging into the foundation of the enclaves. I am still not a huge fan of the characters, some of the plot points, and the way a lot of this is just El running back and forth. Novik has been a bit hit and miss for me. I loved "Uprooted" and the first couple "Temeraire" books but I am not a huge fan of other books she has written. I really loved the first book in this series but the second and third ones were just "good" not great. I would still recommend this series to those who enjoy YA fantasy with a heavy emphasis on creative magic systems.
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LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
After the cliffhanger of the second book, I expected to jump right in to see what happens next. But...I found the beginning a little slow, and while El is entitled to some whininess, I thought it went on a bit too long. Once the action picked up, it didn't slow down, but that came at a cost to
I also found the ending "mushy" as if Ms. Novik couldn't make up her mind. She's one of my favorite authors and writes fantasy that is not YA but has younger characters with dark overtones. The ending to the Golden Enclaves was unsatisfactory to me, with the idea that everyone together can save the one. A core theme of the books is sacrificing one for the good of many and the struggles therein, but it seemed more like the sacrifice of one WHO IS NOT A MAIN CHARACTER is not viable for what is ultimately a dark fantasy series. I don't want to give spoilers, but the ending was very YA-ish.
It's still a great series, and the lore was interesting. The reader learns much about magic in this last book, not just the mechanics but the overarching systems at play here. I give it 3 1/2 stars rounded up.
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character development. In some regards, I thought El reverted to her behavior during the first parts of the first book. She can also be impulsive and just a bit too self-righteous at times. While I didn't expect romance to be a main part of the story, I did think relationships have always been a substantial portion of the Scholomance books, not just El with Orion but with her various classmates too. Here she went a bit too far into "chosen one" territory for me.I also found the ending "mushy" as if Ms. Novik couldn't make up her mind. She's one of my favorite authors and writes fantasy that is not YA but has younger characters with dark overtones. The ending to the Golden Enclaves was unsatisfactory to me, with the idea that everyone together can save the one. A core theme of the books is sacrificing one for the good of many and the struggles therein, but it seemed more like the sacrifice of one WHO IS NOT A MAIN CHARACTER is not viable for what is ultimately a dark fantasy series. I don't want to give spoilers, but the ending was very YA-ish.
It's still a great series, and the lore was interesting. The reader learns much about magic in this last book, not just the mechanics but the overarching systems at play here. I give it 3 1/2 stars rounded up.
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LibraryThing member jennybeast
Ugh, I mean, how? How do you even try to wrap up and epic series like the Scholomance, especially with the doomed love story(ish), and the dread prophecy(ish) and a pragmatic German witch stepping in to boss everyone around (really did not see that coming) and mostly -- no one expected to survive
The audio book reader is totally excellent, again. Love her work.
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the last book, so where do they even start? And that's the point and the genius of this one -- lots of things you never saw coming. It continues epic. It answers questions I didn't think would be answered and goes places I never expected, and manages to continue the murky refusal to be flat good vs evil. Awesome, terrible in spots, sometimes repetitive, mostly just wonderful. And El. Carving her own path no matter what. The audio book reader is totally excellent, again. Love her work.
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LibraryThing member deslivres5
Satisfying conclusion to The Scholomance trilogy!
I love the world building giving us a glimpse of the world once outside the Scholomance.
But I got bogged down a bit by the twists and turns in the "chemistry" of the magic (enclaves, enclave creation, maw-mouths, mana, malia) which I thought I
I love the world building giving us a glimpse of the world once outside the Scholomance.
But I got bogged down a bit by the twists and turns in the "chemistry" of the magic (enclaves, enclave creation, maw-mouths, mana, malia) which I thought I
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understood before:-) Show Less
LibraryThing member Shrike58
In "The Last Graduate," Ms. Novik continued the work of dismantling any preconceptions one might have that this was going to be a routine fantasy. With the final book in the trilogy, that great work goes on, as we learn what the dark fortune that Galadriel Higgins received really meant, we learn
One thing that made the book for me, particularly as the capstone of the series, was that one is really not dealing with adolescents, but with the proverbial young adults; think child soldiers astounded to have survived their war, and who are going to get to have lives, and there will be payback for the powers that be that put them through hell. I wasn't that impressed with the opening book of this trilogy, and there are points I can nickle and dime about this one, but now that I've finished the trilogy I have no qualms in giving it top marks.
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the real nature of Orion Lake, and the bloody foundations of the enclaves that built the Scholomance are laid bare; good times! From there one builds up to an appropriately epic climax, as the psychic bills come due to wizarding society.One thing that made the book for me, particularly as the capstone of the series, was that one is really not dealing with adolescents, but with the proverbial young adults; think child soldiers astounded to have survived their war, and who are going to get to have lives, and there will be payback for the powers that be that put them through hell. I wasn't that impressed with the opening book of this trilogy, and there are points I can nickle and dime about this one, but now that I've finished the trilogy I have no qualms in giving it top marks.
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LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
Review to come
El’s plan pretty much worked but not everyone made it out. She is in despair that Orion didn’t make it out. We do find out why her mom sent her a note to warn her away from him. She does make it out with her book of Golden Stone sutras and finds out why she has them and the cost
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
El’s plan pretty much worked but not everyone made it out. She is in despair that Orion didn’t make it out. We do find out why her mom sent her a note to warn her away from him. She does make it out with her book of Golden Stone sutras and finds out why she has them and the cost
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that made it possible. But before she can spend too much time contemplating it Liesel finds her and brings her to the London enclave to help them with the aftermath of an attack. Quickly she goes to NY as it seems there is to be an enclave war and yet no one wants to use the Golden Stone sutras to make a new enclave, but it does happen and then El and her friends discover just how regular enclaves are made and how it impacts their world. By wanting the free the school of the monsters and to survive to graduate, El and her friends are changing the entire world that they live in. A good conclusion to the series. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member quickmind
I loved it. It was a wonderful conclusion to the series. El matured a lot through The Last Graduate, and that maturity helps in this story because it is not just about surviving school and having some vague idea about what to do next, but its about trying to change the whole system and having to
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come to terms with the world moving on faster than you can grieve. I liked that El stuck to her morals and values and didn't give in to the seemingly impossible demands of how the magical world and system has worked up until this point. The revelation that enclaves were built on malia was interesting, and it was even more interesting when I figured out what the actual enclave attacks were. I just had to wait a few chapters for El to figure that one out for herself. But the revelation about Orion was interesting and I'm also glad that El didn't give up on him either, like everyone expected her to do. Overall, this book is about challenging the status quo, but also being more content with less, that the cost of having more is that others have to suffer. If you have to sacrifice someone else to gain something for yourself, than you both lose. El is angry throughout this whole book, which is not really a big change for her, but as she learns more and more about the outside world, the more her rage grows. The stakes are much bigger here, because the fate of all the enclaves hangs in the balance. The whole system is challenged and could collapse. Because of these revelations and the huge consequences at stake, the book is darker, but El also grows and matures even more throughout it all. I loved it all, and I'm sad that its over, but it was a great journey. Show Less
LibraryThing member sedodge
Wow. Talk about tying up a trilogy in a nice package with a bow. I am so seldom happy with the way a series that I love ends. But this was tidy. It had me believing that it was going to be an absolute heart breaker up until the last 5 pages, and then still managed to flip the script, give us all
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the ending we wanted, and keep it tidy. I am so genuinely impressed by this entire story. it was so far outside the box that you normal see, and I just really can't say enough things about. Do i wish that i saw a little more of how the romance ended? OF COURSE! but i also love how open they left it. It was a really accepting and inclusive book that didn't force a young adult into an early relationship just for the sake of plot advancement and i really love that. I can't recomend this serious enough - truly! Show Less
LibraryThing member sarcher
Should have been two books. Introduces too many new locations and then tries to wrap it up too quickly. I'll admit, I didn't see the 'twist' coming which doesn't reflect well on my ability to read subtext.
LibraryThing member Stevil2001
I enjoyed this, but I do think the second book, with its emphasis on working together as a team to overcome a dangerous situation, remains my favorite. This takes El out of the world of the Scholomance, into the actual world where she has to deal with the consequences of her actions in book two,
Like the first, I feel like this one had to do a lot of explaining—now that we've left the environment of the first two books, there's a lot of exposition we need. So sometimes I got lost in the thaumababble about how enclaves work; it's definitely all thought through, but sometimes I felt like the book shows its work a bit too much, like reading a Brando Sando novel. There's also a lot of politics in this one. It's kind of the anti–Harry Potter; Rowling's books never really reckon with how Hogwarts fits into a lot of quite awful structures in the larger context of wizard society, but Novik does. I enjoyed it, and I see why the story had to engage with the broader world, but I did miss the clear focus of book two.
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what has happened to her boyfriend Orion, and the secrets that underpin her universe.Like the first, I feel like this one had to do a lot of explaining—now that we've left the environment of the first two books, there's a lot of exposition we need. So sometimes I got lost in the thaumababble about how enclaves work; it's definitely all thought through, but sometimes I felt like the book shows its work a bit too much, like reading a Brando Sando novel. There's also a lot of politics in this one. It's kind of the anti–Harry Potter; Rowling's books never really reckon with how Hogwarts fits into a lot of quite awful structures in the larger context of wizard society, but Novik does. I enjoyed it, and I see why the story had to engage with the broader world, but I did miss the clear focus of book two.
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LibraryThing member lauriebrown54
Starting just minutes after the end of Lesson Two, Lesson Three starts with Galadriel “El” Higgins having just gotten all grades of the students in the Scholomance out alive- all except one. The door way has closed, forever, with one person left behind- Orion Lake, her love. And, given the
I had problems with this volume. There isn’t the kind of character growth we saw in the first two books. As a narrator, El is still sarcastic and amusing, but she’s become someone who is never once tempted by taking the malia road for ease, and she keeps thinking how much better than other wizards she is because of this. Then she has sex with a girl she doesn’t even like, and never gives it a thought. The first time, she believes Orion is dead, but the second time they are just sort of bored and have the spare time. Now, I have no idea what the wizard world thinks about sex. It is stated that the girl and her partner have an open relationship, but I don’t think El and Orion have even had a chance to talk about it. Or I missed it when they did.
Then there is how disjointed the action is. When El gets Orion back, there is a (very) brief idle, and then there is non-stop running from one enclave to the other, killing mals, learning about how enclaves are formed, meeting Orion’s skeevy parents, making alliances that El really doesn’t like… it’s almost too much. Coming back to the book after a pause in reading, I frequently found myself having to go back a few pages to try and figure out where El was and what crisis she was currently taking charge of. The pacing is sort of “info dump- fast and sudden action- info dump- fast and sudden action” which I just found difficult to get into.
Was I disappointed? Yes. The first two volumes are definitely better. If Novik wrote a fourth novel to continue this story, would I read it? Definitely!
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circumstances, he has almost certainly been eaten by a maw-mouth. A death which is not actually death, but an eternity of conscious suffering. El feels she cannot leave her love to suffer like that; she- the only one who can kill a maw-mouth- must somehow return to the decaying Scholomance and kill the maw-mouth, freeing Orion to die completely. But she can’t do it alone. Re-enter her allies from the previous book, for a brief return to the Scholomance. Then the action moves to the existing Enclaves. Someone is attacking the enclaves, tearing them down, one after another. El has never even been in an Enclave, and has no idea how they are formed. The answer to that is pretty horrifying. But she has her precious book of sutras about creating Golden Enclaves, and figures she can put the world right, with her allies supplying the mana she needs. I had problems with this volume. There isn’t the kind of character growth we saw in the first two books. As a narrator, El is still sarcastic and amusing, but she’s become someone who is never once tempted by taking the malia road for ease, and she keeps thinking how much better than other wizards she is because of this. Then she has sex with a girl she doesn’t even like, and never gives it a thought. The first time, she believes Orion is dead, but the second time they are just sort of bored and have the spare time. Now, I have no idea what the wizard world thinks about sex. It is stated that the girl and her partner have an open relationship, but I don’t think El and Orion have even had a chance to talk about it. Or I missed it when they did.
Then there is how disjointed the action is. When El gets Orion back, there is a (very) brief idle, and then there is non-stop running from one enclave to the other, killing mals, learning about how enclaves are formed, meeting Orion’s skeevy parents, making alliances that El really doesn’t like… it’s almost too much. Coming back to the book after a pause in reading, I frequently found myself having to go back a few pages to try and figure out where El was and what crisis she was currently taking charge of. The pacing is sort of “info dump- fast and sudden action- info dump- fast and sudden action” which I just found difficult to get into.
Was I disappointed? Yes. The first two volumes are definitely better. If Novik wrote a fourth novel to continue this story, would I read it? Definitely!
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LibraryThing member lyrrael
I feel like five stars aren't enough. Holy cow.
LibraryThing member Herenya
The final instalment in the Scholomance trilogy picks up immediately where the previous book left off.
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others -- perhaps because El’s headspace is less entertaining, yet nevertheless I believe that it’s important that the story allows El to be traumatised and
So it was worth reading. Novik does an excellent job of weaving together the various elements that have been part of this trilogy in surprising (and horrifying!) yet fitting ways, and as I suspected, she also concludes everything more positively than The Last Graduate did. And once again, I appreciated all the friendship and teamwork.
I read this all in one afternoon. All of magic essentially involves sneaking something you want past reality while it’s distracted and looking the other way.
I didn’t enjoy it as much as the others -- perhaps because El’s headspace is less entertaining, yet nevertheless I believe that it’s important that the story allows El to be traumatised and
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grieving, and gives her space and safety to begin processing that. Moreover, it’s important to show that part of her journey in a way that’s realistic yet hopeful. So it was worth reading. Novik does an excellent job of weaving together the various elements that have been part of this trilogy in surprising (and horrifying!) yet fitting ways, and as I suspected, she also concludes everything more positively than The Last Graduate did. And once again, I appreciated all the friendship and teamwork.
I read this all in one afternoon. All of magic essentially involves sneaking something you want past reality while it’s distracted and looking the other way.
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LibraryThing member Narilka
The Golden Enclaves is the final book in The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik. Again, the story picks up immediately where the second book leaves off so we don't have to wait to see the outcome of that cliffhanger. Thankfully! I can only imagine how much the wait would've sucked for someone El's crazy plan to get everyone out of Scholomance was, for the most part, a success. Now El is forced to face what to do with the rest of her life and there's an Enclave war about to start.
This book has left me with mixed feelings. After the initial resolution of the cliffhanger, the pacing slows down significantly. We're back to many info dumps of background information needed to setup for the final third of the book. I'm glad we got to learn the truth of the world right along with El. It is an ugly truth, one that has stuck with me even a couple weeks after finishing as I consider the philosophical question it asks: Is it OK to sacrifice one person in a most horrible for the benefit of the many? I'm just glad El had an alternative for everyone. Even so, this ending has a feeling of tragedy to it though there is technically a HEA in there too. Perhaps I should round up to 4 stars for how this is making me think things through.
Over all I think El's final words sum things up well: "It was, actually, a bit nice."
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reading this series as it published. This book has left me with mixed feelings. After the initial resolution of the cliffhanger, the pacing slows down significantly. We're back to many info dumps of background information needed to setup for the final third of the book. I'm glad we got to learn the truth of the world right along with El. It is an ugly truth, one that has stuck with me even a couple weeks after finishing as I consider the philosophical question it asks: Is it OK to sacrifice one person in a most horrible for the benefit of the many? I'm just glad El had an alternative for everyone. Even so, this ending has a feeling of tragedy to it though there is technically a HEA in there too. Perhaps I should round up to 4 stars for how this is making me think things through.
Over all I think El's final words sum things up well: "It was, actually, a bit nice."
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LibraryThing member zjakkelien
This was really nice, especially towards the end. The beginning seemed like a bit too much filler, in the descriptions of the enclaves. I really didn't need to know all of that, and I had some trouble getting through it. But the story itself was great. I really liked how everything tied together.
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And I still really like El, and I love her friendships. Show Less
LibraryThing member kmartin802
In this finale to the Scholomance trilogy we learn what happens after El, Orion, and her colleagues manage to get everyone out of the Scholomance. Well, almost everyone, Orion stayed behind which makes El determined to find a way back in to get him.
There are some problems to overcome first.
El's plans for the escape from the Scholomance did manage to cut the number of mals in half but didn't do anything for the most awful of all the mals. The maw-mouth doesn't just kill wizards. It keeps them alive inside it in such a way that they can't die. And killing them has been a task that requires a large group of adult wizards working together. At least it did until El.
This was an excellent conclusion to a very good series. I loved the worldbuilding. I loved the way El grew through the trilogy. She had so many decisions to make.
There are some problems to overcome first.
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Something is killing enclaves, and the various enclaves are on the brink of war. Looking for help uncovers all sorts of secrets. Secrets that could bring the whole system of enclaves tumbling down. El's plans for the escape from the Scholomance did manage to cut the number of mals in half but didn't do anything for the most awful of all the mals. The maw-mouth doesn't just kill wizards. It keeps them alive inside it in such a way that they can't die. And killing them has been a task that requires a large group of adult wizards working together. At least it did until El.
This was an excellent conclusion to a very good series. I loved the worldbuilding. I loved the way El grew through the trilogy. She had so many decisions to make.
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Awards
Locus Award (Finalist — Fantasy Novel — 2023)
Dragon Award (Winner — 2023)
Lodestar Award (Nominee — 2023)
Los Angeles Public Library Best of the Year (Fiction — 2022)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2022)
Original publication date
2022-09-20
Local notes
Scholomance, 3
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Novik |
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