The Circles to me are Toxic Academic Settings pushed to Nightmarish Extremes. Your magic manifests and suddenly you're locked in a tower with other children to study, study, study to be a mage. You have to get a Good Grade at being a mage. Oh, but that's not what you want? You do not fit in? Too bad, because if you want to have a future, you can only be a Good Mage. A mage who follows all the rules and who can be productive and useful. Only the best survive! All those who died were weak! And you do not want to be weak, do you? You do not want to be like them, those stupid weak mages who can barely maintain a shield and who will fail their Harrowings. Right? Of course not. You must be a Good Mage. You must be The Best mage. You must succeed to survive.
