Hello my dear readers, I am so sorry for the pause. Book Club picked A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik to read for our May 2021 book.
I love the concept and the
world the author has created. She has a great voice welcoming us into the
Scholomance with the students. The story itself is fascinating. Novik definitely
has a vision of her world, the powers, magic, limitations, creatures, actions
and reactions on every level, in mind as she’s writing and developing. I would
love to see her notes, dictionary, doodles and idea boards in her writing space.
I think the author has
created a world that has the feel of Harry Potter fan fiction. I haven’t done
any research to verify the validity of this statement, it’s just what I think
and what the feeling of the book/potential story line is.
Just to be honest, I will say, I was thrown when I started
the book because it felt like I was already in the story and should know the
terms specific to their world as well as events, expectations, etc. I had to
check to see if I accidently started on a book later in the series. I didn’t,
this is the first book in the series. As I have read on, I am left
wondering if it’s because we are dropped into the characters’ lives when
they are in their junior (prospectively) year in school? All things are leading
to their murderous senior year and graduation?
The author has a strong grasp on describing things in such a
way that you can feel it, see it, smell it, and imagine what it might sound
like. She engages all your senses which is a magical author who can do that. I
am definitely glad I can’t smell it and my kids will never have to experience
it. Some of the images she creates really enhance the magical atmosphere we are
in. For example, Galadreil having to read the spines of books so she can get
down an aisle of books that doesn’t want her to reach the end. You can feel the
almost time warp she is fighting as she simply is trying to get through an aisle
of books.
I admit, I found myself getting frustrated about ¾ through
the book. I am growing to know the characters, especially the main girl,
Galadreil. What is frustrating is that it feels like Novik wants the readers to
know and understand the mounting anxiety and angst of the characters, to feel
and realize their emotions, to reiterate how everything they feel now and how
they react now is due entirely to their future senior graduation. It’s getting
to be a little…. Redundant and it makes me want to ask the author if she should
have done a longer novel, to really enhance the characters and get through
their years in school or to say, “HEY, can we focus on the story now? There are
adventures to be had, mana to store, mals to kill, lets do this!” I don’t think
Novik wants to have a book with romance in it at this point, but I also can’t
tell if she knows that. It’s almost like there is so much hate trying to build
between Orion and Galadreil that they almost have to have a romance of some
kind. I kept falling out of the book and I hate that!
I do appreciate that Galadreil knows she is flawed by her
angry attitude. However, like I mentioned previously, it took a while to get
there. Once the admittance was out, it allowed me to want to read more about
her journey and future knowing she’s aware she has a problem, not more
likeable, but maybe redeemable. It allowed me to dive back into the story
and continue on.
I will say I was excited to read the novel, then felt a
little confused but pushed on. After a bit I got frustrated with the characters
but “just knew” the author would shift focus from our meeting of the characters
and getting to know them to the story arcs and we would continue to know the
characters through the story. It took longer than I wanted for this to happen.
Novik has such a strong grasp of the school, magic, creatures, and environment
everyone is living in, I wanted the same for the kids running around in it,
fighting to build mana and live. I wanted the story to move to the forefront.
The story ended well enough, everyone seemed to make it to
their next year of school with alliances and relationships building and
solidifying… I will most likely read the next book in the series but I won’t
rush out to get it. The author threw in a last minute cliffhanger to try and
rope you back in. I don’t know that it is enough, but it did spark some
curiosity about how she would get the story to incorporate it, especially with
how isolated the students are.
