The Last Graduate is packed with action and a steady pace in the increasingly interesting world of the Scholomance. Not as info-dumpy as the first in the series this sequel was easier to follow and kept my interest. The narrative is dark and brash, with an attitude that is quite to the point.

There was some heavy repetition in the fight scenes that did drag the pace down a bit here and there, but overall things moved pretty well. A lot of those pieces could likely have been edited out (or at least pared down), as they did feel somewhat excessive and unnecessary to understanding the plot. This is a very rare case where I would say that telling me what happened would likely have been more effective than showing.

The primary characters are interesting, though beyond the protagonist they really don't get a lot of importance in the plot. This story is primarily about the world and secondarily about El herself. I am liking her more and I find her increasingly accessible. She is a perfectly sarcastic character. I appreciated the growth she showed in this installment and thought her character arc was done quite well. I look forward to seeing how she rounds out.

Like the first installment, the final third is where I really took a liking to this book. Things which were already moving at a good pace took on an even faster clip and I started to get a bit more intrigued about how things were going to go. And...like it's predecessor, this one ended with a bang and a cliffhanger that have me ready to go for the next read. If you're considering the series, don't get too bogged down by the world building in the first book and hang on...it's a ride worth taking if you have the patience to let the ball get rolling.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *