The Last Graduate: A Deep Dive into Scholomance's Deadly Senior Year
Naomi Novik's The Last Graduate is the second installment in the Scholomance trilogy, continuing the dark and thrilling journey of Galadriel "El" Higgins through the treacherous magical school. This book serves as a crucial bridge between the events of A Deadly Education and the upcoming final installment, delving deeper into the complexities of the Scholomance, its students, and the ever-present threat of the maleficaria.
Synopsis
In The Last Graduate, El navigates her senior year at the Scholomance, a school where magical aptitude is tested by deadly creatures and a high mortality rate. As graduation looms, El and her allies face the daunting task of surviving a ceremony known for its mass casualties. El grapples with her innate affinity for destruction while navigating the intricate social dynamics and political tensions within the school.
The overarching goal shifts from mere survival to addressing the root cause of the Scholomance's deadly nature. El realizes that the school itself needs to be fixed, prompting a daring plan: lure all the mals into the Scholomance and destroy the school, thus creating a safer world for young wizards everywhere.
The plan is executed, but as the students escape, Orion stays behind to confront a powerful maw-mouth, ensuring the creature doesn't escape with them.
Plot Summary
Senior Year Begins
The story picks up immediately after the induction of the freshmen. El, now a senior, disregards her mother's warning to avoid Orion Lake. Uncertainty lingers about whether their attempt to repair the mal-culling machinery in the Graduation Hall was successful.
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As classes begin, El finds herself the sole target of mal attacks. She suspects that the Scholomance is attempting to eliminate her because she has not embraced her destiny as a dark, destructive force, meant to balance Orion's heroic nature.
Enclave Politics and Alliances
El's ability to fend off a mal attack in full view of other students leads to her recognition as a "game changer" in the power dynamics among the enclaves. Tensions rise between the Shanghai and New York enclaves, fueled by an upcoming reallocation of Scholomance seats. The Shanghai enclave, once small, has risen to prominence due to a powerful artificer. The animosity between the two enclaves causes the Shanghai students to distrust El, viewing her as an ally of Orion and Chloe, who are both from New York.
Despite an invitation to join the New York enclave, El envisions a different future: traveling the world and helping to build smaller enclaves, decentralizing power and safety.
Preparing for Graduation
As the senior classes conclude, the students begin preparing for graduation. A training course with simulated mals is set up in the gym, but real mals still pose a threat. After a friend's near-death experience, El decides that she wants to protect more than just her alliance. Her friends support her, and others comply, recognizing that it gives them a better chance of survival. However, the Chinese-speaking students remain skeptical and refuse to participate.
Trust and Cooperation
An attack by the Shanghai enclave forces El to use a powerful spell to stop the fighting. She reiterates her goal of ensuring everyone's survival, which eventually gains the trust of the Chinese-speaking students. The training course becomes increasingly challenging, but the group continues to refine their strategy.
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Discovering the Scholomance's Intentions
El realizes that even if her class survives, the mal-culling mechanism will eventually fail, leading to more student deaths. The school reveals a path to the graduation hall, which is free of mals, rendering their training unnecessary. El begins to understand that the Scholomance may have its own agenda.
The school's original mission was to protect young wizards, but it has come to favor enclavers, and the mal-culling machinery has failed, resulting in a high student mortality rate. El believes that the Scholomance was pushing her to help it fulfill its original purpose.
The Plan to Destroy the Scholomance
El shares her realization with the others, and Liu proposes luring all the mals into the school and destroying it, making the world safer for all young wizards. The following months are spent perfecting this plan.
Graduation Day
On graduation day, El and Orion sleep together, and Orion expresses his desire to be with El, regardless of location. El shares her dream of building enclaves, and he agrees to join her.
The graduation ceremony begins, with students filing out, starting with the freshmen and ending with the seniors. A speaker system lures the mals into the school, and Orion uses his abilities to fight and create a barrier between the students and the mals.
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As the students escape, Orion stays behind to prevent a maw-mouth from escaping.
Key Themes and Concepts
Privilege and Power
The novel explores the themes of privilege and power, particularly in the context of the enclaves. Enclavers have an easier time surviving due to their access to resources and mana, while those without connections are often relegated to cannon fodder. El challenges this system, seeking to create a more equitable world for all wizards.
Altruism and Selflessness
Despite her initial isolation and the poor treatment she has received, El displays an altruistic spirit. She decides to save everyone, even those who have wronged her. This theme is further emphasized by El's mother, who instilled in her a sense of responsibility towards others.
The Nature of Good and Evil
The juxtaposition of El as a supposed maleficer and Orion as a benevolent hero challenges the traditional notions of good and evil. El resists her affinity for dark magic, striving to use her powers for good. This highlights the complexity of morality, even in a world filled with monsters and constant danger.
The Power of Belief
The Scholomance's structural integrity depends on the belief of the people inside it. This underscores the power of belief and how it can shape reality.
Character Development
Galadriel "El" Higgins
El undergoes significant character development in The Last Graduate. She transitions from a prickly loner to a leader who cares deeply about others. She learns to accept help from her friends and embraces her feelings for Orion.
Orion Lake
Orion remains the school's hero, but his relationship with El deepens. He expresses his desire to be with her, even if it means leaving the New York enclave.
Liu and Aadhya
El's friends, Liu and Aadhya, continue to support her and play important roles in the plan to destroy the Scholomance.
Writing Style and Pacing
Novik's writing style is engaging, with a blend of action, suspense, and humor. The novel is fast-paced, with something happening on every page. The intricate world-building and detailed descriptions of the Scholomance and its inhabitants create an immersive reading experience.
Criticisms
Some critics have noted that The Last Graduate feels like a transitional book, primarily serving to set up the events of the final installment. Others have criticized the cliffhanger ending.
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