A Deadly EducationA Deadly Education
Score Modern
What it's about
Everyone loves Orion Lake, the heroic golden boy of a deadly school for magic. Everyone, that is, except the narrator, El, a sharp-tongued loner who wants nothing to do with his flashy combat magic or his adoring fans, and who is determined to survive on her own terms.
Why it's worth reading
It opens Naomi Novik's Scholomance trilogy, whose later volumes were Goodreads Choice Awards finalists. It's dark, funny and original.
You'll love it if you liked
Spinning Silver
Uprooted
Ninth HouseGood to know
El's narration is full of long digressions about the school's rules; it pays off.
By the numbers
- Readers59 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller49 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #84 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #192 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #695 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1315 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark, Adventurous, Gripping
More by Naomi Novik
Spinning SilverUprooted
His Majesty's DragonIf you like this, read next
Parasite
A Sorceress Comes to Call
Scythe
The Truth
Skyward
Dark SlayerExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A Deadly Education worth reading?
Yes. It opens Naomi Novik's Scholomance trilogy, whose later volumes were Goodreads Choice Awards finalists. It ranks #1,315 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Deadly Education about?
Everyone loves Orion Lake, the heroic golden boy of a deadly school for magic. Everyone, that is, except the narrator, El, a sharp-tongued loner who wants nothing to do with his flashy combat magic or his adoring fans, and who is determined to survive on her own terms.
How long does it take to read A Deadly Education?
About 8 hours (320 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Deadly Education?
If you liked it, try Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, Uprooted by Naomi Novik or Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.