Review of 'Rise of the School for Good and Evil'

The battle between Good and Evil begins.

Two brothers.

One Good.

One Evil.

Together they watch over the Endless Woods.

Together they choose the students for the School for Good and Evil.

Together they train them, teach them, prepare them for their fate.

Then, something happens.

Something unexpected.

Something powerful.

Something that will change everything and everyone.

Who will survive?

Who will rule the School?

The journey starts here. Every step is filled with magic, surprises, and daring deeds that test courage, loyalty, and who you really are. But they only lead you to the very beginning of the adventures that are THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL.

Review

Rise of the School for Good and Evil returns readers to the world of Endless Woods and the fairy tale realm with the beginnings of the School for Good and Evil.

Amazing

If you follow Cyn’s Workshop, you know I love the School for Good and Evil series. Love it. This is a series I walked into the bookstore not knowing anything of it, picked it up to have something to read while my mother browsed and left with it, absolutely in love. I pre-ordered every book after that.

So when I saw the announcement for this novel, I just about died of excitement. And when I got this book, I devoured it.

Rise of the School for Good and Evil lived up to every single one of my expectations. Chainani once again challenges what it means to be evil and what it means to be good. Maybe the brothers got it wrong; perhaps they got it mixed up. But what does it mean to be good or evil? Evil attacks, Good defends, that has always been the motto.

But what I thought was beautiful is that we got to see who Rafal and Rhian were before, who they were to each other. They loved each other like none other. They were each other’s happily ever after; that is what the Pen told them.

If you’ve read the series, which I highly recommend before picking up this novel, you see just what became of the brothers. You know what happens to them, what becomes of them, and it is mind-blowing to see how everything began here, how the Pen tests them, how it challenges their love for one another, how they fail, how they prevail, how they upend the definitions of what it means to be Good and Evil. Chainani challenges that with these fairytales by bringing in classic characters like Hook and Aladdin, highlighting the teaching methods, evolving the schools, warping their ideals, and turning them into what readers are more familiar with.

Final Thoughts

Rise of the School for Good and Evil was terrific. I loved seeing the dynamic between the brothers, where Rafal began, and how he ended up being the person he became. The added history of the Saders was equally impressive.

Again, Chainani created a fantastic story with fun characters and even better imagination. Reading this novel gave me goosebumps and makes me want to re-read the entire series from beginning to end.

• Writing Quality : 10/10
• Character Development : 10/10
• "Couldn't Put It Down"-ness : 10/10
• Intellectual Depth: 10/10
• Originality: 10/10
• Overall Rating: 5 out of 5.

Like this review?

Don’t forget to follow Cyn’s Workshop on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads | LinkedIn to stay tuned for future reviews.

About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, son and daughter and their two cats.