The Last Graduate

Name: The Last Graduate
Author: Naomi Novik

by Naomi Novik

Fiction

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The specter of graduation looms large as Naomi Novik’s groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling trilogy continues in the stunning sequel to A Deadly Education. “The climactic graduation-day battle will bring cheers, tears, and gasps as the second of the Scholomance trilogy closes with a breathtaking cliff-hanger.”—Booklist (starred review) WINNER OF THE LODESTAR AWARD • HUGO AND LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Polygon, Thrillist, She Reads In Wisdom, Shelter. That’s the official motto of the Scholomance. I suppose you could even argue that it’s true—only the wisdom is hard to come by, so the shelter’s rather scant. Our beloved school does its best to devour all its students—but now that I’ve reached my senior year and have actually won myself a handful of allies, it’s suddenly developed a very particular craving for me. And even if I somehow make it through the endless waves of maleficaria that it keeps throwing at me in between grueling homework assignments, I haven’t any idea how my allies and I are going to make it through the graduation hall alive. Unless, of course, I finally accept my foretold destiny of dark sorcery and destruction. That would certainly let me sail straight out of here. The course of wisdom, surely. But I’m not giving in—not to the mals, not to fate, and especially not to the Scholomance. I’m going to get myself and my friends out of this hideous place for good—even if it’s the last thing I do. With keen insight and mordant humor, Novik reminds us that sometimes it is not enough to rewrite the rules—sometimes, you need to toss out the entire rulebook. The magic of the Scholomance trilogy continues in The Golden Enclaves

Echoes

Books with similar themes and ideas

Echoes summary

The Scholomance series, initiated with the foundational narrative of *A Deadly Education*, reaches a pivotal crescendo in *The Last Graduate*, a novel that masterfully amplifies the intricate themes woven into its predecessor and lays the groundwork for the breathtaking conclusion in *The Golden Enclaves*. Within the grim, magic-infused halls of the Scholomance, where survival is a daily, often bloody, battle against maleficaria and the brutal realities of a flawed educational system, El Higgins finds herself in her senior year. This isn't just a year of impending graduation; it's a year where the very foundations of her existence are challenged. The Specter of graduation, a once distant hope for escape, has transformed into an immediate, terrifying threat, as the school itself seems to develop a specific, insatiable craving for her. This escalating peril is not an isolated event but a direct consequence of the power El has incrementally built, the alliances she has tentatively forged, and her unwavering refusal to succumb to the dark magic that promises an easier path to survival.

The profound connection between *The Last Graduate* and its subsequent installment, *The Golden Enclaves*, is striking. Both novels delve deeply into the oppressive nature of institutional structures, even those ostensibly designed for protection, and the personal cost of navigating such environments. The Scholomance, with its draconian rules and constant threat of death, mirrors the enclaves themselves, those gilded cage-like communities that offer a semblance of safety but often at the expense of individual freedom and genuine belonging. Your exceptional rating for both *The Last Graduate* and *The Golden Enclaves* highlights a shared appreciation for the nuanced exploration of identity formation within these deeply entrenched systems. Novik expertly demonstrates how magical education, whether in the chaotic, monster-ridden Scholomance or within the more structured, yet equally perilous, enclaves, forces its students to confront a fundamental dichotomy: conformity versus individuality, power gained through sacrifice versus integrity maintained through defiance.