Bogormen

Title: The Golden Enclaves (The Scholomance #3)
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4/5
# pages: Audiobook ~15hrs
Date read: January, 2024

The one thing you never talk about while you're in the Scholomance is what you'll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it's all we dream about, the hideously slim chance we'll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

And now the impossible dream has come true. I'm out, we're all out--and I didn't even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother's prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn't kill enclavers, I saved them. Me, and Orion, and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: we saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves of the world.

Ha, only joking! Actually it's gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war on the horizon. And the first thing I've got to do now, having miraculously got out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.


The third and final book in the series. At first I was worried that it would also be the weakest of the lot, as it was no longer set at the Scholomance, which had been part of the charm of the first too. And too be honest, it did take a few chapters to get properly going, but once it did, I found that the progression of the plot really worked.

I still preferred the two first books, as I was completely fascinated by the Scholomance itself (plus, I've always enjoyed books where the main character had to study something or the other), but this tied up a lot of the loose ends in ways that I hadn't really seen coming, but which totally worked and made sense within its own universe.

Very enjoyable series - highly recommendable!

Title: A Deadly Education (The Scholomance #1)
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~11hrs
Date read: October, 2023

A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.

There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.

El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students.


I wasn't too impressed by the other book I've read by Naomi Novik ("Uprooted"), so I was a bit reluctant to start this series. However, it came strongly recommended by a friend whose taste in books I trust, so when I found it at the library, I decided to give it a shot.

I'm so glad I did! I listened to 11 hours in just a week and loved every minute of it. This is Harry Potter if Hogwarts was evil and out to get you! I will admit that the writing style takes some getting used to - there's a lot more telling than showing going on in the beginning, but for some reason it worked with the atmosphere of the book, and I was instantly drawn in.

I loved reading about El's growth and almost reluctant way of making friends, and was fascinated by the way magic works in this world - crocheting to gain manna seems like the perfect deal to me! (which I know means it wouldn't gain me much, but hey - a girl can dream, right? ;-) )

The end was a bit more sudden than I had expected, and I'm very intrigued to see what will happen next!

Title: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 437
Date read: January, 2016

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn't, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.


Unfortunately I was strangely unimpressed by this book. I'd approached it with very high expectations, and it just couldn't deliver.

I think my main issue with it was that I thought it was too long - or rather, tried too hard to put in too many details. It was nice and tightly written, but by the time they travel towards the Capitol, I was ready for it to be done. The bloodshed that followed seemed unnecessary and actually somewhat out of character for the rest of the book. And the ending managed to seem both contrived and fitting at the same time.

That said, I loved Agnieszka and her way of discovering / growing into her magic, and came to really like both the Dragon and Kasia. Had the entirety of the book been like the first half, I would likely have loved it and rated it much higher.

Title: Black Powder War
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy, Historical fiction
Rating: 3.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~13hrs
Date read: October, 2013

After their fateful adventure in China, Capt. Will Laurence of His Majesty's Aerial Corps and his extraordinary dragon, Temeraire, are waylaid by a mysterious envoy bearing urgent new orders from Britain. Three valuable dragon eggs have been purchased from the Ottoman Empire, and Laurence and Temeraire must detour to Istanbul to escort the precious cargo back to England. Time is of the essence if the eggs are to be borne home before hatching.

Yet disaster threatens the mission at every turn - thanks to the diabolical machinations of the Chinese dragon Lien, who blames Temeraire for her master's death and vows to ally herself with Napoleon and take vengeance. Then, faced with shattering betrayal in an unexpected place, Laurence, Temeraire, and their squad must launch a daring offensive. But what chance do they have against the massed forces of Bonaparte's implacable army?

Better than book 2, still not as good as book 1. I may read more of the series eventually, but it's not at the top of my list just now.

... The fact that those two sentences is all I can think of to say about it probably also indicates how little impression it made on me.

I did love Iskierka though :)

Title: His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire #1)
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5/5
# pages: Audiobook ~10hrs
Date read: September, 2013

Aerial combat brings a thrilling new dimension to the Napoleonic Wars as valiant warriors ride mighty fighting dragons, bred for size or speed. When HMS Reliant captures a French frigate and seizes the precious cargo, an unhatched dragon egg, fate sweeps Captain Will Laurence from his seafaring life into an uncertain future - and an unexpected kinship with a most extraordinary creature.

Thrust into the rarified world of the Aerial Corps as master of the dragon Temeraire, he will face a crash course in the daring tactics of airborne battle. For as France's own dragon-borne forces rally to breach British soil in Bonaparte's boldest gambit, Laurence and Temeraire must soar into their own baptism of fire.

"His Majesty's Dragon" is one of those books that I've had on my to-read list for AGES, but have never gotten around to. I think I first had it recommended to me in 2009 or 2010. I picked up the ebook version of it once or twice, but for some reason never got past the initial fight scene and had a COMPLETELY wrong impression of it.

Last week I finally decided to download the audio version of it. Several of my friends rave about it, so I figured it was about time... and I was hooked immediately! I loved the story, loved Laurence and - most importantly - loved Temeraire. The idea of combining the Napoleonic wars with dragons was pure genius and gave a fascinating setting to what could otherwise have been a rather run-of-the-mill fantasy story.

In style it reminded me of a mix between "Harper's Hall" by Anne McCaffrey and Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb - both among my favourite fantasy authors.

I've already uploaded the next book to my mp3-player.

Title: The Dinner Club
Author: Saskia Noort
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 1.5/5
# pages: 236
Date read: July 2011

When Evert dies in his burning villa, everything points to suicide. The other members of the "dinner club," a group of five women who meet regularly and whose husbands do business together, rally around to support Babette, his grieving widow. But events soon spiral out of control. Within weeks, a member of the club falls from the balcony of a hotel and dies. Something is poisoning their smug world of flashy SUVs, coffee mornings, and wine-filled evenings and bringing death in its wake.

I pretty much only finished this book because it was short and - despite a bad plot - an easy read. Not exactly sure how that works other than perhaps Saskia Noort is a good writer who's just not terribly good at thinking up plots?

It's a very dark book which isn't bad in and of itself, but when things keep going from bad to worse, people are mean to each other for no apparent reason, and no believable explanation is given for the ultimate outcome... well, it all combines to a book that really isn't worth reading.

I seldom give this low a rating to anything that I actually finished, but unfortunately it wasn't even Okay.

Title: Evermore
Author: Alyson Noël
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: 3/5
# pages: 301
Date read: October, 2009

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people's thoughts, and know a person's life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school - but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she's thinking - and he's the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn't know who he really is - or what he is.

I couldn't put the book down - and it made me feel absolutely soiled.

Let me see if I can try to explain it.

My first impression was that it was a run-of-the-mill Paranormal YA - albeit a tad more Twilight-wannabe'ish than average - right down to the references to Wuthering Heights. However, the romantic love interest did not work for me at all. Edward's so-called 'stalkerish' behaviour never bothered me, but I got seriously creepy vibes from Damen, and I desperately hoped I was wrong in assuming he was intended as Ever's soulmate. It worked for me with Edward and Bella - it really didn't here.

What bothered me was Damen's utter disregard for Ever's opinions, how he kept lying to her (even if he felt it was for her own good), and how he could manipulate with her feelings. To me it reminded me far too much of Hush, Hush - another book that made me feel dirty for reading, and I'd be reluctant to recommend either to teenage readers - something I never had a problem with in Twilight.

I was absolutely fascinated by the start though, and wish Alyson Noël had spent more time dwelling on Ever's psychic abilities. I'd also have liked to see more of her interaction with her aunt, Sabine. I did think the plot line concerning Riley was well done though.

The 3rd star is for capturing my attention even at 2am halfway through a 24-hour Read-a-thon ;-)