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The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik
I enjoyed it.
+ I loved the twist that the Scholomance hadn't been trying to kill El or force her to turn maleificer but that it was slowly leading her on a path of understanding so she could help it fulfill it's true purpose - to protect all magical children.
+ Continue to love El. She's great.
+ I also continue to love El's friendships with Aadhya and Liu and Chloe, and El/Orion were kind of surprisingly backgrounded but I enjoyed them too, and the other bonds El forged over the course of the book. I loved her (very grumpily) taking her freshman class under her wing and wish we'd seen more of it. I hope we see more of Sudarat.
+ I liked that the kids came up with this plan, the put it together, and then working as a whole they executed it perfectly. Even when things went a little wrong they stepped up to make sure it worked. A part of me was definitely expecting it to go off the rails in some way and that it didn't was a far bigger surprise. I love that everyone was saved.
+ Honestly this book was surprisingly very feel good and I loved that. Everyone working together and helping each other (even if they were forced into it) was surprisingly heart-warming.
+ I loved the maw-mouth scene. I loved El going into it and saving Tomas and everything about how it played out.
+ Was Orion's choice to stay behind a) selfless: to prevent Patience from escaping in those final seconds and save El, or b) selfish: because he wanted to kill Patience, wanted to stay to fight Mals for the rest of his life, more than he wanted to be with El in a mostly Mal-less world? I've read it a couple times and I'm leaning a lot towards the latter which is certainly a very interesting character choice! And yet it also makes complete sense.
+ I very much doubt Orion is truly dead and gone. Probably the main thrust of the next book is going to be El trying to get him back.
+ I loved El's secret hope of building enclaves around the world and I think this is actually exactly how her dark prophesied 'tearing down all the enclaves' will play out - she will tear down the system that gives them all the power by giving every single magical person an enclave to live in, and thus creating a fair system for everyone.
+ I loved El seeing her reflection in the faces of the fleeing students - the ocean-green light flickering around her, the mana shining out from beneath her skin and how some of it escaped around her eyes and fingernails and mouth. It was a great visual and makes me wish I could see it.
+ I really liked the scene in the gym when the Shanghai kids tried to kill her and how that whole scene played out.
+ I loved that it was El's spell, the only spell she created, that was used to collapse Scholomance.
+ The book doesn't actually address this but what about the incoming freshman class? Yes, probably anyone at a busy induction point would have seen the fleeing students and immediately pulled away/left but what about the kids who are loners? Did they end up in the destroyed Scholomance along with all the Mals and Orion?
+ I really hope El isn't pregnant.
+ I loved the twist that the Scholomance hadn't been trying to kill El or force her to turn maleificer but that it was slowly leading her on a path of understanding so she could help it fulfill it's true purpose - to protect all magical children.
+ Continue to love El. She's great.
+ I also continue to love El's friendships with Aadhya and Liu and Chloe, and El/Orion were kind of surprisingly backgrounded but I enjoyed them too, and the other bonds El forged over the course of the book. I loved her (very grumpily) taking her freshman class under her wing and wish we'd seen more of it. I hope we see more of Sudarat.
+ I liked that the kids came up with this plan, the put it together, and then working as a whole they executed it perfectly. Even when things went a little wrong they stepped up to make sure it worked. A part of me was definitely expecting it to go off the rails in some way and that it didn't was a far bigger surprise. I love that everyone was saved.
+ Honestly this book was surprisingly very feel good and I loved that. Everyone working together and helping each other (even if they were forced into it) was surprisingly heart-warming.
+ I loved the maw-mouth scene. I loved El going into it and saving Tomas and everything about how it played out.
+ Was Orion's choice to stay behind a) selfless: to prevent Patience from escaping in those final seconds and save El, or b) selfish: because he wanted to kill Patience, wanted to stay to fight Mals for the rest of his life, more than he wanted to be with El in a mostly Mal-less world? I've read it a couple times and I'm leaning a lot towards the latter which is certainly a very interesting character choice! And yet it also makes complete sense.
+ I very much doubt Orion is truly dead and gone. Probably the main thrust of the next book is going to be El trying to get him back.
+ I loved El's secret hope of building enclaves around the world and I think this is actually exactly how her dark prophesied 'tearing down all the enclaves' will play out - she will tear down the system that gives them all the power by giving every single magical person an enclave to live in, and thus creating a fair system for everyone.
+ I loved El seeing her reflection in the faces of the fleeing students - the ocean-green light flickering around her, the mana shining out from beneath her skin and how some of it escaped around her eyes and fingernails and mouth. It was a great visual and makes me wish I could see it.
+ I really liked the scene in the gym when the Shanghai kids tried to kill her and how that whole scene played out.
+ I loved that it was El's spell, the only spell she created, that was used to collapse Scholomance.
+ The book doesn't actually address this but what about the incoming freshman class? Yes, probably anyone at a busy induction point would have seen the fleeing students and immediately pulled away/left but what about the kids who are loners? Did they end up in the destroyed Scholomance along with all the Mals and Orion?
+ I really hope El isn't pregnant.