Maxie Rosalee’s Reviews > A Deadly Education > Status Update

The world building in this book is legitimately fascinating to me, but the way it's presented to the reader is just...kind of a mess. I'll be reading and Novik will introduce some new concept or creature or aspect of magic society that'll have me like, "Oh, okay. I guess that's a thing." and it gives me whiplash.

Maw-mouths? Voids? Golden Enclaves? I wish this stuff had been woven in from the beginning.

"I know kickass martial arts and could kick Orion's ass...but I don't." "I'm an intimidating witch that scares people off...but I don't." "I know powerful spells to destroy my fellow students and this whole school...but I still get stabbed in the gut."

This seems to be a running theme with the main character.

40 pages in and little disappointed to say that the beginning is a bit rough for me. 50% of the first three chapters are dedicated to exposition and it's dragging for me. The main character is already falling into the trap of "the book is trying to convince me she's a badass but she gives off vibes of a petulant teenager instead." But the premise is interesting to me, so I will keep going!

A book I've been wanting to tackle for a while. Very interesting premise, and I've heard of a few of the author's other works.