A Deadly Education

Ok, so the Scholomance :)
Something just does it for me, with this book. Even on second read, when I know about this world and I don't need all the exposition, I enjoyed every second of it. Following El around is a brilliant way to experience this story, and to explore this world. As grumpy and angsty as she can be, I adore her sass, and her humanity as she struggles to find her place in the world, and come into interaction with others. And for me, the worldbuilding really works. Since I like my fantasy worlds to be internally rich and consistant, I don't mind the exposition dumps, I actually crave them, especially from El's scathing point of view.
Naomi Novik as an author was definitely on my list of top discoveries for 2022, and she remains up there in 2023 as well. Delightful read, as usual!