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readwithria's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Book of Night was disappointing until the last fifty pages, but once it hit its stride I couldn’t put it down.
I really wasn’t vining with the writing style for the first 70-80% of this book, but the climactic scenes were quite a wild ride. With books this short I usually with there had been more, but with Book of Night I actually think it could have been shorter. The beginning really dragged, the main plot didn’t seem to start until about 50% of the way through the book, and the magic system doesn’t really get explored until even later. The concept is cool, but the execution was lacking.
I will likely read the sequel from the library, but this book won’t be getting added to my personal collection. 3 stars.
I really wasn’t vining with the writing style for the first 70-80% of this book, but the climactic scenes were quite a wild ride. With books this short I usually with there had been more, but with Book of Night I actually think it could have been shorter. The beginning really dragged, the main plot didn’t seem to start until about 50% of the way through the book, and the magic system doesn’t really get explored until even later. The concept is cool, but the execution was lacking.
I will likely read the sequel from the library, but this book won’t be getting added to my personal collection. 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Gun violence, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
kayladaila's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Self harm
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Violence
Minor: Abandonment, Car accident, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Incest, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Death of parent
bobbie_l's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
3.5 Stars
Shadows are power in Charlie Halls world. A place where a shadow can be altered, and used to hide the darkest parts of a person. But messing with a shadow comes at a cost. Charlie is a thief, who works part time at a bar and does odd con jobs for customers. But when a billionaire asks Charlie to find the Liber Noctem for him, its a job she cannot refuse (mainly because he’s blackmailing her). And so Charlie is thrown into the world of secrets, and shadows.
I think the concept of this book is super interesting. The magic system of shadows, that are fed with blood, and can be made more powerful dependent on a variety of measures is very clever. But its also quite a lot to try and understand. Sometimes it felt a little confusing to follow.
The main plotline of Charlie trying to find the Liber Noctem was very well done. There was a perfect mix of action, suspense and mystery. There were also side plots such a Charlies familial relationships and the relationship between Charlie and her boyfriend Vince.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but based on the slightly confusing magic system, and sometimes it feeling a little slow is the reason its only a 3.5 for me.
Shadows are power in Charlie Halls world. A place where a shadow can be altered, and used to hide the darkest parts of a person. But messing with a shadow comes at a cost. Charlie is a thief, who works part time at a bar and does odd con jobs for customers. But when a billionaire asks Charlie to find the Liber Noctem for him, its a job she cannot refuse (mainly because he’s blackmailing her). And so Charlie is thrown into the world of secrets, and shadows.
I think the concept of this book is super interesting. The magic system of shadows, that are fed with blood, and can be made more powerful dependent on a variety of measures is very clever. But its also quite a lot to try and understand. Sometimes it felt a little confusing to follow.
The main plotline of Charlie trying to find the Liber Noctem was very well done. There was a perfect mix of action, suspense and mystery. There were also side plots such a Charlies familial relationships and the relationship between Charlie and her boyfriend Vince.
Overall I enjoyed this book, but based on the slightly confusing magic system, and sometimes it feeling a little slow is the reason its only a 3.5 for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Gore, and Blood
Minor: Drug abuse
thoughtsontomes's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wasn't a huge fan of TCP, so I didn't go into this with any expectations but was hoping to like this more than her other work. I find that Holly Black's writing style doesn't really work for me. She has some cool worlds and magic systems, but under-develops them. Her writing style is lacking and leaves me wanting more. Side characters don't feel very fleshed out. And Charlie as a main character felt a little heavy handed with the morally grey thief thing which has become a little overdone these days. I did really enjoy Vince as a character though and would have almost preferred more from his POV. Some of the mystery elements were also compelling, even if I figured a few of them out beforehand. I'm also a bit annoyed that the ending makes this obvious that it's at least going to be a duology but was not marketed as such - which is kind of annoying when it's a cliffhanger ending.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Murder, Torture, Self harm, and Blood
Moderate: Drug abuse
Minor: Incest and Sexual assault
looseleafellie's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Holly Black’s adult fantasy debut follows Charlie Hall, an ex con artist trying to stay out of trouble. But when she witnesses a murder committed by a shadow, she’s thrown back into a world of magic and mayhem. If she can’t find the mysterious Book of Night in time, everyone she loves will be in danger …
This book started off a bit slow for me. Charlie’s backstory was fun to read, but the scenes in the present dragged at first. However, the second half of the book picked up, and the ending was a full-on rollercoaster!
The magic system was cool, even though I didn’t quite understand it. The idea of people being able to do magic using their shadows was really interesting. The story is also set in the area where I go to college, so it was cool seeing familiar places!
Overall, while this story didn’t grip me as much as I hoped, the twists at the end were awesome enough that I’m excited for the sequel! I’m hoping that with the setup done, a second book will be more fast-paced.
Thanks to Tor Books for the advance review copy!
CWs: blood/gore, body horror, self-harm for magic purposes, depression, panic attacks, captivity, child abuse, gun violence, drug use, loss of autonomy, and mentions of incest and cancer.
This book started off a bit slow for me. Charlie’s backstory was fun to read, but the scenes in the present dragged at first. However, the second half of the book picked up, and the ending was a full-on rollercoaster!
The magic system was cool, even though I didn’t quite understand it. The idea of people being able to do magic using their shadows was really interesting. The story is also set in the area where I go to college, so it was cool seeing familiar places!
Overall, while this story didn’t grip me as much as I hoped, the twists at the end were awesome enough that I’m excited for the sequel! I’m hoping that with the setup done, a second book will be more fast-paced.
Thanks to Tor Books for the advance review copy!
CWs: blood/gore, body horror, self-harm for magic purposes, depression, panic attacks, captivity, child abuse, gun violence, drug use, loss of autonomy, and mentions of incest and cancer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Incest and Cancer
sauvageloup's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
SO GOOD! Wish i hadn't tried to rush quite so much because of the event and savored it a bit more but still loved it
pros:
- the magic!!! i haven't read a book (that i remember) with shadow magic in it and i loved the whole thing. the alterationists, quickened shadows, the way the magic became known to the general public through the internet, etc. all of it :D
- Charlie. She's such a mess but she never really means badly by it and I loved how there's the reveal at the end how's she's been holding herself back because she's been afraid of what happens when she really tries. Her nickname of the Charlatan, her past with Rand, her really grey morality but still being loyal and good at heart, as well as her proud sexuality and her relationship with Vince - she doesn't realise how much she likes him and they've kept so many secrets, and yet they're both totally dedicated to the other and i loved that :)
- all the other characters!! Vince was amazing and I didn't guess at all that he was Edmund's shadow, which i should've really, but i'm so glad Charlie wasn't that fussed about it and i loved Posey, with her determination to be a gloamist. she was a mess too and making some questionable decisions, but she comes through for Charlie and i liked that she got some healing at the end too.
- the ending was bittersweet but in kind of a perfect way. I liked the possibility of Vince/Red getting his memory back and that Charlie wasn't gonna quit on him.
- Salt was such a good villain too, and Charlie's horror story past of meeting him first was so well done and creepy, because she was so young and relatively defenseless then, but still managed to keep her wits. she's such a survivor :)
- i definitely felt the similarity between BoN and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. There's no dark academia, but the main characters are both 'not on their first mistake, but maybe their last' (as Black put it), a bit older, survivors and smart but jaded and making bad mistakes. there were strong resonances in the magic too, even though it's entirely different, there's the same wild danger of it and not quite knowing how it actually works or how the magic arises/the shadow is quickened. And there was a similar complex, mystery-based plot where both had too many names and was a bit confusing. but i loved both books all the same, and that type of tired-but-fierce female MC who is holding onto life with her teeth is the best :))
cons:
- there's a lot of names. i definitely got lost. Malik and Mahir i muddled up, i forgot who Paul Ecco and Adam and a bunch of the others, as well as small clues like the magnet Charlie found. i did rush through a bit, but it was still pretty complicated
- i did also find that Charlie's chaos kind of spilled into the plot? so i got lost a bit about how much time this was all taking, and the clues/plots/twists and turns felt very haphazard, according to just when the thought showed up in Charlie's mind. it definitely felt organic, but maybe a bit too much so
- also i'm not quite sure what was hinted at with Vince and Adelaine? did she have a relationship with Red? or Vince? or did she hurt Red when Vince wasn't there? idk
But overall, adored it and can't wait for book 2 :D
pros:
- the magic!!! i haven't read a book (that i remember) with shadow magic in it and i loved the whole thing. the alterationists, quickened shadows, the way the magic became known to the general public through the internet, etc. all of it :D
- Charlie. She's such a mess but she never really means badly by it and I loved how there's the reveal at the end how's she's been holding herself back because she's been afraid of what happens when she really tries. Her nickname of the Charlatan, her past with Rand, her really grey morality but still being loyal and good at heart, as well as her proud sexuality and her relationship with Vince - she doesn't realise how much she likes him and they've kept so many secrets, and yet they're both totally dedicated to the other and i loved that :)
- all the other characters!! Vince was amazing
- Salt was such a good villain too, and Charlie's horror story past of meeting him first was so well done and creepy, because she was so young and relatively defenseless then, but still managed to keep her wits. she's such a survivor :)
- i definitely felt the similarity between BoN and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. There's no dark academia, but the main characters are both 'not on their first mistake, but maybe their last' (as Black put it), a bit older, survivors and smart but jaded and making bad mistakes. there were strong resonances in the magic too, even though it's entirely different, there's the same wild danger of it and not quite knowing how it actually works or how the magic arises/the shadow is quickened. And there was a similar complex, mystery-based plot where both had too many names and was a bit confusing. but i loved both books all the same, and that type of tired-but-fierce female MC who is holding onto life with her teeth is the best :))
cons:
- there's a lot of names. i definitely got lost. Malik and Mahir i muddled up, i forgot who Paul Ecco and Adam and a bunch of the others, as well as small clues like the magnet Charlie found. i did rush through a bit, but it was still pretty complicated
- i did also find that Charlie's chaos kind of spilled into the plot? so i got lost a bit about how much time this was all taking, and the clues/plots/twists and turns felt very haphazard, according to just when the thought showed up in Charlie's mind. it definitely felt organic, but maybe a bit too much so
But overall, adored it and can't wait for book 2 :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Body horror, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, and Cursing
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Incest, and Forced institutionalization
the self harm is only explicitly for finger pricks for blood, but there's a lot of bad, self-sabotaging decisionsemma_lasagna's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse
Moderate: Sexual content
kayteslibrary's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I first devoured Tithe back in either junior high or high school, and have ardently been Team Black ever since. I was utterly delighted to discover that she was releasing a novel for adults (not that my age stopped me from tearing through The Cruel Prince et al...) and really disappointed when I struggled to get invested in the story for probably the first half of the book--I'd classify it as "fine", but not at at all what I had come to expect/hope.
Once it clicked in, though, I was sold. Tonally, it lacks some of the macabre whimsy of Black's YA offerings but not the trifecta I've come to know and love: heroine with a traumatic background, (view spoiler), and a cast of characters you wouldn't ever want to hang out with but would be delighted to watch in a limited series (just saying).
An enjoyable, even if not amazing, read that left me curious to see if Black continues the storyline or universe in future books.
Once it clicked in, though, I was sold. Tonally, it lacks some of the macabre whimsy of Black's YA offerings but not the trifecta I've come to know and love: heroine with a traumatic background, (view spoiler), and a cast of characters you wouldn't ever want to hang out with but would be delighted to watch in a limited series (just saying).
An enjoyable, even if not amazing, read that left me curious to see if Black continues the storyline or universe in future books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Physical abuse and Drug abuse
deannareadsandsleeps's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Blood, Gore, and Drug abuse
melaniereadsbooks's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Books for an arc of this book.
Charlie Hall has lived her life making cons, but she's trying to ride the straight and narrow. When she sees a shadow tear another man apart, she gets dragged into her old life of gloamists and danger and stealing.
This was so highly anticipated for me because I absolutely love Holly Black! This was a great debut into adult writing and if you've read any reviews of this yet, you'll know everyone is wondering if there will be a sequel. If not--that was a bold ending!
The writing is really good and I seriously love Charlie. She is such a compelling main character and her motivations are so interesting to read about. I also really enjoyed Vince, though I wish he was in it a bit more--I feel like his character could have been developed better.
I think knowing if this is going to have a sequel or not would really affect my rating. Right now, I'm basing this assuming it is a standalone, and it left a little to be desired in the end. Hopefully there will be more Charlie to come!
Charlie Hall has lived her life making cons, but she's trying to ride the straight and narrow. When she sees a shadow tear another man apart, she gets dragged into her old life of gloamists and danger and stealing.
This was so highly anticipated for me because I absolutely love Holly Black! This was a great debut into adult writing and if you've read any reviews of this yet, you'll know everyone is wondering if there will be a sequel. If not--that was a bold ending!
The writing is really good and I seriously love Charlie. She is such a compelling main character and her motivations are so interesting to read about. I also really enjoyed Vince, though I wish he was in it a bit more--I feel like his character could have been developed better.
I think knowing if this is going to have a sequel or not would really affect my rating. Right now, I'm basing this assuming it is a standalone, and it left a little to be desired in the end. Hopefully there will be more Charlie to come!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Drug use, Gun violence, Gore, Sexual content, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Self harm