Don't Forget to Read a Book!

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Marina and Serhiy Dyachenko's Vita Nostra. This is part of a short excursion into Ukrainian SF and fantasy literature, for obvious reasons. The Short of It Plot: Sasha has no choice but to attend the Institute of Special Technologies, and the price of failure is far, far too high. Page Count: 416 Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Lots o fantasy babble, but that's the point. Review:  There is something refreshing about a "school of magic" book that is truly about the school. Learning magic should be hard: unlearning reality is a painful process. Vita Nostra  is about the process of learning magic and the cost that people pay for it. There are a handful of compelling characters, including Sasha, but most are flat. Starts slow and spends too much time on everything before the school itself, but once at the school everything picks up.  The Medium of It Spoiler Fre...