A Deadly Education, by Naomi Novik

In a very different kind of boarding school story, the Scholomance is as far from kindly Hogwarts as it is possible to be. Constantly under attack from dark magical creatures, its students have the best incentive to learn and pass assignments – it is literally do or die. Galadriel ‘EL’ Higgins has been so well brought up by her hippy mother that she wouldn’t dream of using her considerable powers for evil. This is despite the fact that she has the potential to be the strongest dark sorcerer ever known and that it would make her life considerably easier and more secure. In her penultimate year at the Scholomance, El’s spiky personality makes it difficult to make friends or allies, which limits her chances of surviving to graduate. But incurable hero lifesaver Orion Lake changes the odds considerably when he realises El won’t use him or lie to him and he won’t leave her alone. El is often her own worst enemy, but her moral code shines through as she struggles to do the right thing regardless of her own best interests. There are a lot of characters to keep track of and a lot of exposition used to explain how the Scholomance works, which makes the story slow going in parts. But El and Orion are well realised and relatable against a backdrop of class and privilege in the magical world. There is a nice cliffhanger to whet the appetite for the sequel, which should be a bit zippier now that the scene has been set.