The Golden Enclaves by Naomi NovikMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
A pretty good conclusion to the series.
Biggest pro was the resolution of mysteries/open questions from the first two books. It wrapped everything up in a way that felt very satisfying.
Biggest con was … I think I felt less bought into the ethics of the story than I had for the previous two books?
The first two books often have a vibe of “you can either do the thing that’s easy and safe or you can do the thing that’s hard and scary but right, and being a good person is doing the right thing.” And I’m super on board with that.
Whereas if I had to sum up the moral message of the third book I might go with “there is no ethical consumption under late capitalism.” It turns out the world economy is built on systemic exploitation of the vulnerable, and everyone who participates in it is complicit, and the way to be a good person is to burn the system to the ground and replace it with one that’s less problematic even if it requires a substantial decrease in global standards of living.
And like I think that’s likely true in the Scholomance universe? But I think it’s a bad analogy for the real world. And I think it makes for less satisfying conflict: I’d much rather see El wrestling with her own worst impulses than El being self-righteous at anyone who isn’t
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