I can see why this has been so divisive. For me, though, this was an unexpected, fun romp that managed to be more successful than most commercial dark academy efforts. The characters were relatable, the larger point made well, (soft) magic system intruding just enough to convey themes and character work, and the prose work out-of-the-way.

Too much more of this would have probably felt too-much. The plot didn’t feel overstuffed, the character work is where it shined - making whether the reader “likes” that element of the fiction pivotal. Personally, I liked how all the characters were flawed and why they were that way. I didn’t care that the magic wasn’t explained in detail, and kind of hate hard magic systems (ala Mistborn, etc.).

I’m a bit surprised there aren’t more dark academy, magic school efforts out there, but there seems to be some difficulty getting them out there, at least that I’ve seen. This and something like Magic For Liars, feel like the best stand alone efforts in the intersection, though.