The Last Graduate

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik is the propulsive, emotionally intense second novel in the Scholomance trilogy — the dark academia fantasy series that has captivated readers worldwide. El Higgins is still at the Scholomance, the school that exists to protect magical students from the monsters that want to devour them — and she is beginning to understand that survival requires more than individual talent. It requires something far more dangerous: caring about other people. Novik’s world-building is original and inventive, but it is her characters — especially El, one of the most compelling heroines in contemporary fantasy — who make these books extraordinary. The Scholomance trilogy is darker, smarter, and more morally serious than most fantasy fiction, asking real questions about power, community, and the costs of protecting those we love. Published by Del Rey.