A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (Random House UK, Cornerstone)

What a dark enthralling tale. School for magic with no teachers, no curriculum, you can only graduate or die. So a student desperately needs partners, great strategy and big magic powers to survive.

Galadriel or El is not a charming character, she just wants to be left alone but as everybody needs to make an allies to survive in this school. She also holds immense dark powers which can easily kill people. Her allies are not friends in sense of the friendship definition...and the hero of the school Orion who saves everybody from different monsters, does not leave her alone. 

Fantastic read, can't wait for second book.

4/5