The threat of graduation takes on significant weight as Naomi Novik's groundbreaking trilogy, a New York Times bestseller, continues with the stunning sequel to "A Deadly Education." "Knowledge grants protection." That is the official motto of Scholomance. I suppose we could say that it is true... The problem is that it is very difficult to learn here, so the protection we have is rather scarce. Our esteemed school does its best to devour its students, but now that I am in senior year and have made a few allies, it has suddenly developed a most particular craving for me. Even if I manage to survive the endless waves of evil with grueling class projects, I have no idea how my allies and I are going to make it out of the grade room alive. Unless, of course, I accept my prophesied fate at once and succumb to dark magic and destruction. Of course, that way it would be out in no time. Entering the path of knowledge, without a doubt. But I'm not going to give up: neither to evil nor to destiny, much less to Scholomance. I will leave this horrible place with my friends even if it is the last thing I do… With keen vision and biting humor, Novik reminds us that sometimes just rewriting the rules is not enough: every now and then, they have to be ripped apart.