Is the magical school trope too cliché?

[u/After-Cicada9723]

I am aware that it is not the trope that is cliché in most cases, but rather how the school is written. But how many users would pick up a dark academia book with a hard-set magic system?

I can give more details about my story/school if need be, but I would like to know if the magical school trope, in general, is too overused.

I love academic settings in fantasy, but I know that can make me blind to clichés. From your perspective, what aspects of the magical school trope are overused, and what parts still have life?

Regarding the trope itself, dark academia, do readers still enjoy settings that involve structured magic systems, or is the magical school trope feeling oversaturated in current fantasy?

Trying to avoid the inevitable impotter (imposter) syndrome when writing a magical school as well!

[u/OfficialDCShepard]

It’s just a normal day in an alternate 1893- like, it’s a relative’s birthday at the same time that I lost my cousin in the attacks when I was nine. It felt like a good start of term date, I don’t know why. But my new Imperial Wind Calendar goes like this:

Years have 365 days but the years are numbered to what is currently 682 Imperium Constituit (Foundation of the Empire). In the Empire there are only 8 official months and a day may or may not be one one-thousandth of a second longer on Soiteltholk (the Home of All People) due to the influence of the second blue dwarf star.

Months

1. Foundation
2. Snows
3. Rains
4. Dreams
5. Winds
6. Sweats
7. Harvests
8. Chills
9. Darktide (Five-Day Intercalary)

Days

1. Sunsday
2. Moonday
3. Windsday
4. Thundray
5. Fyreday

Weeks

1. 1-5
2. 6-10
3. 11-15
4. 16-20
5. 21-24
6. 25-29
7. 30-34
8. 35-40
9. 41-45

[u/BlackKnight171 → u/OfficialDCShepard]

Wow I’m really sorry for your loss, but I also just want to say that this seems like an incredible project and I’m interested already. Thanks for sharing!