The Last Graduate - (The Scholomance) by Naomi Novik

About the Book

The specter of graduation looms large as Naomi Novik's ground-breaking New York Times bestselling series continues. In Widsom, Shelter. That's the official motto of the Scholomance. I suppose you could 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 ot 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 hom ework 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, Naomi Novik reminds us that sometimes it is not enough to rewrite the rules--sometimes, you need to toss out the entire rulebook.

Book Synopsis

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)

HUGO AWARD FINALIST - 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

Review Quotes

Praise for The Last Graduate

"[The Last Graduate] rips along like a force of nature. In the abstract, this is a story about relying on others--but in the concrete, it is about how to survive when the odds are against you. As she did with [A Deadly Education], Novik changes the game again with the very last line."--Locus

"Truly one of the best fantasy series out there right now, and it's not close."--Culturess

"[The Last Graduate] is as compulsive a read as [A Deadly Education]. As a warning, it ends on another killer cliffhanger."--BuzzFeed

"Naomi Novik's Scholomance series, about kids at a preposterously deadly magical school, stands out in a ridiculously crowded field. Its sheer viciousness, its grim humor, and its complicated interpersonal politics are an immediate draw."--Polygon

"Sardonic students, gruesome monsters, growing friendships, and a touch of romance create a highly readable story. Some questions remain to be answered in the trilogy's last volume. The end of this installment ensures that book three can't come fast enough."--Library Journal (starred review)

Praise for A Deadly Education

"Eyeball-meltingly brilliant--Novik is, quite simply, a genius."--Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of And I Darken

"Naomi Novik has written the wizard-school book that we all deserve! Constant peril, a fresh magic system, and a deeper discussion of how educational inequality currently functions than I ever expected to see in fantasy."--Hank Green, author of A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

"Novik skillfully combines sharp humor with layers of imagination to build a fantasy that delights on every level."--Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval series

"The Scholomance is the dark school of magic I've been waiting for."--Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

"A gorgeous book about monsters and monstrousness, chockablock with action, cleverness, and wit."--Holly Black, #1 New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Naomi Novik is the New York Times bestselling author of A Deadly Education, The Last Graduate, and The Golden Enclaves, the award-winning novels Uprooted and Spinning Silver, and the Temeraire series. She is a founder of the Organization for Transformative Works and the Archive of Our Own. She lives in New York City with her family and six computers.