Devi Nair
I was expecting dark academia meets sharp, witty mystery, with a side of absurdity. But honestly? WTF was this book? I was so confused by the internal logic of the McMasters Conservatory. The whole setup is that you get into this elite school only after you’ve creatively and successfully offed someone without getting caught. If you’re already a pro at getting away with murder, why on earth do you need a diploma for it? At that point, it’s pretty obvious you’ve already mastered the curriculum on your own.
The world-building leans heavily into this satirical, exaggerated tone, which I think is meant to be part of the charm. But instead of feeling clever, it felt oddly disconnected. I couldn’t latch onto the stakes or even the structure of the academy itself.I was looking for a "found family" of oddball assassins, but instead, I got a system that felt redundant and frustrating. The pacing dipped hard and early for me, and unlike my usual "invested enough to forgive it" attitude, I just couldn't find the heart in this one to keep going.
The biggest tragedy was the narration. I saw Neil Patrick Harris on the credits and was ready for that charm, but I pulled the plug at 20% before he even showed up. Simon Vance is a pro, but even his voice couldn't save a plot that felt like it was trying too hard to be clever while tripping over its own feet. It just wasn't the "warm, twisty read" I was hoping for.
Would I recommend it? We didn’t vibe. Like a blind date where we both pretended to get emergency calls. I really wanted to enjoy the "fiendishly funny" satire, but the confusing premise was a total dealbreaker for me.
I was expecting dark academia meets sharp, witty mystery, with a side of absurdity. But honestly? WTF was this book? I was so confused by the internal logic of the McMasters Conservatory. The whole setup is that you get into this elite school only after you’ve creatively and successfully offed someone without getting caught. If you’re already a pro at getting away with murder, why on earth do you need a diploma for it? At that point, it’s pretty obvious you’ve already mastered the curriculum on your own.
The world-building leans heavily into this satirical, exaggerated tone, which I think is meant to be part of the charm. But instead of feeling clever, it felt oddly disconnected. I couldn’t latch onto the stakes or even the structure of the academy itself.I was looking for a "found family" of oddball assassins, but instead, I got a system that felt redundant and frustrating. The pacing dipped hard and early for me, and unlike my usual "invested enough to forgive it" attitude, I just couldn't find the heart in this one to keep going.
The biggest tragedy was the narration. I saw Neil Patrick Harris on the credits and was ready for that charm, but I pulled the plug at 20% before he even showed up. Simon Vance is a pro, but even his voice couldn't save a plot that felt like it was trying too hard to be clever while tripping over its own feet. It just wasn't the "warm, twisty read" I was hoping for.
Would I recommend it? We didn’t vibe. Like a blind date where we both pretended to get emergency calls. I really wanted to enjoy the "fiendishly funny" satire, but the confusing premise was a total dealbreaker for me.