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Rate: 5/5

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Medium: ebook

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Overview (No Spoilers): 

I’ve watched Nevernight special editions and advance review copies bring shocking prices over the years so upon finally picking up with this series I shouldn’t have been surprised at how much I enjoyed this brutal read.

Ingredient wise, Kristoff draws from a mix of familiar components from an orphan girl and rare magical powers to revenge driven motions, and an assassin school that have been trendy and often used liberally in recent fantasy literature. That said, Kristoff’s writing elevates these ingredients into a story I couldn’t put down. I would even find myself spending valuable sleeping time trapped in the “just one more chapter” cycle. And anyone who has had a 3 year old and a 1.5 year old knows just how valuable sleep is at this point in my life, so sacrificing sleep is a valid barometer to just how badly I wanted to stay a few more minutes in Mia’s world. 

My favorite part about this read is the protagonist, Mia. She is consumed and driven to seek vengeance for her family, though she is a good person at her core. Genuinely likable, Mia is uncompromising at the lines she refuses to cross, which is often at odds with what is required from her training. She is surrounded by a whole slew of intriguing characters who we very rarely see below the surface, though the lack of depth rarely detracts from the story itself. 

I’m always a fan of animal sidekicks, and while Mr. Kindly leaves many questions unanswered, his constant presence makes my heart happy. 

I loved the brutal world that Kristoff creates throughout Nevernight, from the many suns to the twisting rules of the school, not to mention the strange magical system that ranges from blood magic to the manipulation of shadows. I’m so curious how Kristoff will continue to expand upon this delightfully complex foundation in book two. 

Overall, Nevernight is not for the faint of heart as Kristoff weaves together many of the popular components of modern fantasy literature into a story that will keep the reader guessing right up until the very end. 

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Additional Insights (Spoilers Abound):

• Who is the narrator? I’m guessing the shadow cat, Mr. Kindly.
• What did Mercurio think when he found out Mia wasn’t there? What did he think when he had to go get Mia?
• Did the Red Church know it was Mia who had been the person behind the Truedark Massacre or the actions at the Philosopher’s Stone? 
• I’m guessing Scaeva’s son is Mia’s brother.
• How was Mia’s father captured in the middle of the war camp? Was it Cassius?
• Mia wasn’t born a darkin, so how are they created and what happens when one shadow ‘eats’ another. What does the book mean that Chronicler set her?
• Ugh. Marielle and Marius were so disturbing but still so curious. How did they find and develop their powers? Are there others like them?
• I’m so confused by Osrik and Ash’s betrayal. Even if they pulled this off, what were the guarantees they could walk away after? Was it worth it for the father to potentially sacrifice his own children? 
• I’m glad Hush was not behind Floodcaller and Carlotta’s murders.
• What would have happened had Carlotta’s book been found in Mia’s property? How did Hush end up with it? Why did Ash set up Mia?
• What happened to the Lovely after the Bookworm got Pip?
• The story seemed to grow more callous with the initiation drawing close. Where acolytes’ deaths were at one point a big deal, the narrator started to casually announce the passing of Mia’s classmates in almost a casual way.
• How will Jessamine and Mia’s mutual hatred evolve after the ending?
• Is Tric really dead? They never found a body.

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