If you were hooked by Violet Sorrengail fighting through the Parapet, the Gauntlet, and the constant culling at Basgiath, you’ll love the Scholomance’s lethal classrooms. Like Violet forging uneasy alliances in the Riders Quadrant, El Higgins has to partner up (often with the infuriatingly heroic Orion Lake) just to make it out alive. It’s the same relentless, high-stakes grind of exams-that-can-kill-you, tight-knit squads, and razor-edged banter—only the school itself wants you dead.

Loved Violet’s bond with Tairn (and the surprises that come with Andarna) transforming her from underdog to battlefield lynchpin? Laurence’s accidental pairing with the dragon Temeraire is that same heart-grabbing partnership—tactical aerial combat, witty back-and-forth, and a dragon whose counsel matters as much as his firepower. As Violet leans on Tairn’s strength and judgment, Laurence and Temeraire reshape military strategy together—and the emotional stakes are just as soaring.

If Violet and Xaden’s wary alliance—built on secrets, duty, and slow-burn trust—was your catnip, you’ll devour Lara and Aren. Like the riders’ clandestine agendas and the revelations simmering under Basgiath, this story weaves infiltration, political deceit, and shifting loyalties into a devastating attraction. Expect knife-edge tension, betrayals that sting like a signet gone wrong, and a payoff that feels as electric as Violet and Xaden finally choosing each other.

If the Parapet and Threshing had you white-knuckled—where one slip means a fall or a fatal pairing—you’ll feel right at home with Nona Grey’s training at the Convent of Sweet Mercy. Like Violet dodging classmates who’d happily see her fail, Nona faces lethal sparring, deadly lessons, and rivalries that end in blood. The friendships forged under pressure echo Violet’s squad bonds, and every advancement feels earned with grit, scars, and stubborn will.

Drawn to the Riders Quadrant’s rank ladders, brutal contests, and the whispers of revolt shadowing Violet and Xaden? Blackcliff Military Academy puts Elias Veturius through emperor-deciding Trials while Laia spies within the academy’s jaws. The relentless advancement, squad tensions, and moral lines crossed for survival mirror Basgiath’s harsh calculus—right down to the way rebellion threads through every choice the characters make.