A Deadly Education

A Deadly Education is a fantasy novel from award-winning author Naomi Novik. It is the first novel in a planned trilogy and was published in September 2020. The novel falls within the Young Adult and fantasy genres. It features magic within a contemporary, urban setting.

A Deadly Education received mixed reviews, with some critics praising its nuance and more realistic approach to the dangers of a magical school and others describing it as forced and its main character as unlikeable. The novel was a finalist for the 2021 Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book. Universal Studios has optioned the trilogy for a potential film adaptation.

The novel received some criticism about its representations of race and ethnicity. Galadriel, the novel’s protagonist, is half Welsh and half Indian, but she is estranged from her Indian relatives. Some readers found this disappointing and uncomfortable. Others have pointed out that El’s infrequent and poor personal hygiene reinforces stereotypes about Indian people. In an earlier edition of the novel, Novik additionally wrote that dreadlocks—a traditionally Black hair style—were particularly susceptible to infestation by magical bugs. Following this criticism, Novik made a public apology and removed the passage from future editions.