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The Golden Enclaves was such an amazing end to the Scholomance trilogy! There were a lot of twists and surprises as El goes on her journey to "balance" the looming enclave war! I would like to do a reread of this series knowing what I know now to see what I can catch! #booked2023 A Book described with "twist" and "balance" @cinfhen @alisiakae @BarbaraTheBibliophage

I could tell from the ending of the last book that this one would be different. One character missing, plus a change of setting, meant the story would have to go in a new direction. Due to those changes, I preferred the first two books. The twists are good, but the plot seems to drive the story, with little space for the characters to shine. I couldn‘t quite understand their decisions or their emotions on a deeper level. Not bad, but not great.

“Also I haven't lost an ounce of the passionate desire to beat him over the head with a large stick. And surely that was a sign of true love.”

First book of the year and I seem to be carrying on my Sci Fi and Fantasy fascination - escapism is working for me! This is Book 3 in The Scholomance series and is action packed with a lot of the drama now large scale and world changing. It was a great end to the series, but I do prefer Novik‘s first two books that were smaller scale and more intimate. Still that‘s nit picking - it had to go big!

How can a third book feel like a bridge book?

Golden Enclaves picks up moments after The Last Graduate and brings much of the same interesting world building that the previous two did, some characters you know and love fine back, but the much like the Temeraire series, I felt like El was pulled along with few choices to make it surprise us with. El's growth comes from outside revelations and direction, not internal wrangling. Still loved it!

I loved this series and the third installment did not disappoint. El has survived graduation day but unfinished business leads her to work with the Enclaves to save them from mysterious attacks. An intricately plotted story with exquisite world building and vivid characters, whose story arcs come to unexpected but deeply satisfying conclusions, The Scholomance series is officially a personal favorite. Loved it!

I love this series. A lot. And I highly recommend listening to it on audio.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Good end to the trilogy which does leave the door open for more adventures with El and friends.

In this one we learn more about magic, enclavers and how enclaves are built.

El fulfills the prophecy in a surprising way

This entire series was too intricately plotted for me. The strategy, the battles…all not my jam. I know this is a problem I have with the genre & not something that all Fantasy readers will balk at. Still. When Novik focuses on her characters, relationships, & even her creatures, I‘m all in. I started the book crying (a fun experience! 😅) & mostly maintained that level of emotion. But if I had to do it all over again, I don‘t know if I would.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Novik stuck the landing and even elevated the trilogy for me as a whole! It‘s so expertly and intricately plotted - I was shocked by a lot of the twists, but also felt like they made sense and were being set up since the first book. The ending had me on the edge of my seat with tears welling in my eyes. With incredible imagination, complex characters, sharp social commentary, and a fierce, golden heart at the core - it‘s pure magic.

I‘m bailing on this, at least for now. Somehow the MC is even more insufferable and it is now keeping my attention. I may come back to the series eventually.
#bookspinbingo

Happy Sunday morning! Forgot it was DLS this weekend, so getting extra reading in while the hubby is still in bed.

So excited to finally pick this one up!

#currentlyreading

At my favorite beach, on this gift of a day, deciding what to read.

I never expected to be back this late in the season (and without a jacket!)…but I‘ll take it.

"To speak the future is to shape the future."

I didn't like the book overall - it's not about the school anymore, and it's much less exciting than the previous Scholomance novels. But it has its moments.

So many loved this book, but I am not one of them. I thought the first two were imaginative and had great characters. This one dragged for me and I was not a fan of where the author went with the MC. Her actions were so out of character. I did like the ending but it was not strong enough to raise my rating to above 2⭐️.

#Scarathlon2022 @StayCurious #TeamMonsterMash

Finished this book while I was babysitting Poppy here, and WOW does it have some thoughts about capitalism, class, climate change, etc. Novik‘s plotting is as strong as ever (I feel quite clever for figuring out the main twist) and there are some really wonderful friendship moments. Some if her twists call back to the first book; it makes me want to reread the series already to see how it hangs together. Can‘t wait to see what she does next.

I am going slow (apparently my migraines hate school this year, which is helpful) but I am engrossed. So much so that even with a mild migraine last night I could not put this book down for two hours! I‘m going to have to be careful about when I pick it up next, because I think I‘m getting to the point where I won‘t be able to stop until the end.

#fantasy #queerbooks

A fantastic end to a really great series. This was full of surprises, made me very anxious at times, but ultimately ended in just the most perfect way. Novik amazes me with her ability to write such complex and fascinating worlds and fill them with imperfect characters you can‘t help but love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

#NSR22 #NoShameReadathon22
Set in a darkly magical world, full of monsterous terrors. People send their children to the hungry halls of the Scholomance only a fraction of them will return from. But some survivors are better than none. Naomi Novik kept me guessing at where this was all going from book to book and delivered a fantastic conclusion to this #Fantasy trilogy! I loved this engrossing juxtaposition of #Grimdark horror and grudging hope.

Loved this conclusion to the Scholomance trilogy! Seeing El‘s growth throughout the series has been wonderful, and I loved seeing her friendships deepen and her find her own way in the aftermath of the events of the previous book. There were some jaw-dropping revelations in this book—all so well done. I want to go back and re-read the whole trilogy now.

Have the day off today, starting out with a cup of chai and some book time. My spouse read this in the 48 hours after it came out! I‘m taking it slower but really enjoying it. Novik is so good at twists and satisfying endings; I have some guesses but I‘m also sure she is going to surprise me.

Just finished!! It's a great ending to the series, but I have so many spoilery thoughts! Reply with the spoiler button in the comments if you've read it too and want to chat!

#monster #ominousoctober #teamslaughter #scarathlon #witchathon #spookoween #pointsathon #bookspinbingo #bodycountbingo #autumnbingo2022 #octoberbookbingo

I liked this just as much as the first two books. It was full of surprises for me, which was fun!

I love El‘s personality, and especially related to her frustration with situations that seem to unnecessarily stack obstacles in her way. I feel that sister! The friendships formed through the trilogy continue to strengthen, even in the face of impending doom.

If snarky dark academia fantasy is a genre, this falls solidly into it. Love!

A little reading in paradise

Currently reading!

This serious, satisfying, and ambitious finale to the Scholomance trilogy follows the freshly graduated El as she keeps the enclaves she despises from falling apart under force from a mysterious threat. Novik weaves every thread from the first two books into a deft, surprising, and thrilling conclusion, with a valuable consideration of systemic injustice and moral absolutism to boot. Maybe not quite as fun but just as excellent as the first two!

I am currently in the middle of two books I'm really enjoying. But this came in the mail yesterday and I kind of want to drop everything and read it right now... lol nevermind the fact that i have to be teaching in 10 minutes!

Today at lunch, I finished the last of the multiple books I‘ve had going for the past couple weeks. I planned to come home tonight after a get-together with friends and dig into one of the four books in the pile above. But my reading plans have been delightfully hijacked because my friend lent me her brand-new copy of The Golden Enclaves, which she just finished on audio. 😁🎉💜 I‘m starting it right now!!

It‘s here! Happy Publication Day! I can‘t wait to dig into this later this week. 🙂 The cliffhanger in The Last Graduate was a doozy.

I am sad the spine isn‘t gold like the first two books. Strange design choice.

New book release day! I'm both excited to see how the series ends, and sad that it's going to be over.

OMG, I HAVE IT AND IM READING IT!!!!! 📚 My most anticipated book of the year! This trilogy is in my top 10 of all time bc my gosh it is AMAZEBALLS!