'Nevernight' by Jay Kristoff follows Mia, a fierce and complex protagonist seeking vengeance for her past. The book is dark, filled with violence and dark magic, reminiscent of a mix between 'Harry Potter' and 'Throne of Glass.' Mia's journey at the Red Church, a school for assassins, is dangerous and exciting, with elements of betrayal and heartbreak woven into the plot. The writing style is unique, with a mix of dark humor, vivid world-building, and a cast of flawed but captivating characters.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings for Nevernight include graphic violence, sexual content, themes of loss and trauma, and potential transphobia.
Has Romance?
There is a medium level of romance in the narrative, with significant LGBTQ+ elements introduced as the story progresses.
From The Publisher:
Nevernight is the first in an epic new fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author, Jay Kristoff.
In a land where three suns almost never set, a fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family.
Daughter of an executed traitor, Mia Corvere is barely able to escape her father's failed rebellion with her life. Alone and friendless, she hides in a city built from the bones of a dead god, hunted by the Senate and her father's former comrades. But her gift for speaking with the shadows leads her to the door of a retired killer, and a future she never imagined.
Now, a sixteen year old Mia is apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic - the Red Church. Treachery and trials await her with the Church's halls, and to fail is to die. But if she survives to initiation, Mia will be inducted among the chosen of the Lady of Blessed Murder, and one step closer to the only thing she desires.
Revenge.
Ratings (68)
Incredible (19) | |
Loved It (24) | |
Liked It (14) | |
It Was OK (5) | |
Did Not Like (5) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (181):
Read It (67) | |
Currently Reading (2) | |
Want To Read (81) | |
Did Not Finish (5) | |
Not Interested (26) |
3 comment(s)
The beginning was just a very explicit sex scene and that's not how I want to start a book.
When first delving into
Nevernight, readers may be a bit thrown by the almost identical, yet slightly differing POVs told in the first chapter. Thankfully, this only proved to intrigue me not dissuade me; and so, I continued on and urge you to do the same. In the end, you will not be sorry.
As of this writing, 268 Goodreaders have shelved the book 'Young Adult'. I suggest you to read the book first before sharing it with any YA in your life. While the main characters are teens, they are set on a path that leads them to be
"apprenticed to the deadliest flock of assassins in the entire Republic — the Red Church"; there is blood, death, sex and swearing. You've been warned.¹
A girl some called Pale Daughter. Or Kingmaker. Or Crow. But most often, nothing at all. A killer of killers ...
There are three suns in the skies above the Itreyan Republic, therefore its citizens experience truedark "for only a brief spell every two and a half years"; for the rest of the time they "endure the constant light of so-called nevernight". Mia Corvere, however, is very comfortable in the shadows - shadows that speak to her. She may only be sixteen and appear to be armed with nothing more than a pig-sticker² but those who stand in her way to the Church and her vengeance quickly learn different.
¹ You'll soon realize most chapters hold more in-depth description and/or discussion on subjects marked within.
² Much of Mia's beginning reminded me of Arya Stark's. The lives of both girls are forever changed by loss forced upon them by others - others who become the names on the girls' lists, the lists of those who must die so that they may avenge the death of their loved ones.
Moreover, there are parallels between the Red Church's apprenticeship program and Arya's experiences within
Game of Thrones 'Hall of Faces'. None of which should diminish your enjoyment, but rather may prove to enhance it, as was the case for me.
"Never flinch. Never fear. And never, ever forget."
Mia is certain of her path, certain of what she must and will do in order to see it come to fruition or so she thought. While in the Church's apprenticeship program she meets others much like herself set on their path. Some of those paths converge to forge bonds, others fuel fires. Through it all, as she learns the stories of the others, her life becomes clearer as well. What once was hidden is revealed yet more questions remain. Questions that will surely be answered in future installments ...
"Do you really know her at all?
Not yet, little mortal. Not yet by half.
But after all, this tale is only one of three.
Birth and life and death.
So take my hand now.
Close your eyes.
And walk with me.
O, gentlefriends, to say I'm anxiously and impatiently awaiting parts two ([b:Godsgrave|23264671|Godsgrave (The Nevernight Chronicle, #2)|Jay Kristoff|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1490195472s/23264671.jpg|42805837]) and three ([b:Untitled|23264672|Untitled (The Nevernight Chronicle, #3)|Jay Kristoff|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-a91bf249278a81aabab721ef782c4a74.png|42805838]) of Mia's story would be a wild understatement.
(✮✮✮✮½)
OMG, I'm finally finished with this book.
Brief summary: A girl's family is murdered, the girl decides to take revenge by becoming the best assassin she can be, shenanigans ensue. That's probably the best I can do without giving away too much of the plot.
Anyway, this book took me
fourtimes to read through. I shit you not, gentlefriends. Four. Times. I DNFed it three times before this because (one); the elaborately described metaphors that were almost invariably unnecessary to the plot; (two) the elaborately described footnotes that were almost invariably unnecessary to the plot; and (three), my lack of patience for the aforementioned metaphors and footnotes.
This past time, I got through it by rolling my eyes at the metaphors and taking the footnotes in stride, so to speak. Rather than see them as interrupting the story, which was how I felt the last time (and never got past Mia meeting Tric in the Wastes), I decided to see it as the narrator "taking the reader aside" for a minute or two. That's what the footnotes really are, anyway. Asides that serve as mostly info dumps. Do I feel like this information could've been imparted better? O yes, gentlefriends, I do. Do I feel like it served its purpose? I do.
I am going to have the description "not-cat" with its "not eyes" stuck in my head for a while.
After the plot finally gets going, the story picks up considerably. It flows better without all of the footnotes, for one thing. I did miss the footnotes when I was reading the Kindle edition, because it's damned hard to find the little asterisks or crosses or whatever the book uses to denote them while reading on a 6 inch screen.
This is not to say I didn't enjoy the footnotes eventually. If I hadn't, I probably would've just given up on this series entirely.
It redeemed itself and raised a few questions I want answered, as well as imparting a few emotional blows. It did rise to the level of a five star review, but I am unable to give it that rating due to my problems with the writing style.
Will I read Godsgrave and Darkdawn? Eventually, yes. This book took longer than it says for me to read since I also read the entirety of
The Fellowship of the Ring in the middle of it. Oy.
What can you read after
Nevernight?
About the Author:
JAY KRISTOFF is a #1 international, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction, including Empire of the Vampire. He is the winner of eight Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over half a million books in print and is published in over thirty five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6'7 and has approximately 11,500 days to live.
He does not believe in happy endings.
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