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4.07 AVERAGE
4.07 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.
Holly Black is brilliant. This book was fantastic and kept me anxious and guessing the whole way through. I found the ending very satisfying. Charlie's dynamic with Red is delightful and fascinating. I loved getting to see their relationship grow as Charlie came to terms with who and what Red really is. It was all just so so good. I basically didn't interact with anyone the entire time I was reading it because I could not put it down or look away. I really appreciated the attention the story pays to Charlie's relationship with her sister and mom. There was so much resentment there, so it was rewarding to see the family finally acknowledge and begin to heal from their past traumas.
Also, Adeline is the freaking worst and you cannot tell me she does not remind you of Rebekah from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. She's exactly who I picture, down to every mannerism.
My below synopsis has some spoilers from Book of Night, so please be wary if you haven't read it yet.
Charlie and Red take on their new role as the Hierophant on very rocky ground. Red has no memories of Charlie and his time as Vince and wants nothing to do with Charlie. Charlie is completely untrained to be killing blights and is finally realizing just how much trouble she's gotten herself into. Salt may be dead, but Adeline is relentless in her pursuit of Red. Posey is embracing her new reality with her awakened shadow (or, rather, Charlie's shadow) and Charlie's abusive ex-boyfriend is out of prison. The whole dynamic is stressful and Charlie is kind of folding into herself, breaking under the pressures. To add to it all, the cabal has a new head of the puppeteers, a creepy asshole who threatens Charlie and forces her to accept a new mission: find out who massacred a group of people at a church and make sure it doesn't hurt the reputation of the cabal, If she succeeds, he promises to get Red released from under the thumb of the cabal. If she fails, he promises to make her life worse than hell. In order to solve the mystery, Charlie needs to find herself again. She's full of fears, doubts, and mistrust as she and Red learn to work together and dance around the tension between them. They uncover dark secrets about cabal leadership and work to stop the next possible massacre while also being targeted by the murderer. In order to save herself and the people she loves, Charlie has to re-embrace her inner conwoman and learn that she doesn't have to do everything alone all the time. It goes against her every instinct; trusting others can be scary, but sometimes it is the only way to make it out alive.
Holly Black is brilliant. This book was fantastic and kept me anxious and guessing the whole way through. I found the ending very satisfying. Charlie's dynamic with Red is delightful and fascinating. I loved getting to see their relationship grow as Charlie came to terms with who and what Red really is. It was all just so so good. I basically didn't interact with anyone the entire time I was reading it because I could not put it down or look away. I really appreciated the attention the story pays to Charlie's relationship with her sister and mom. There was so much resentment there, so it was rewarding to see the family finally acknowledge and begin to heal from their past traumas.
Also, Adeline is the freaking worst and you cannot tell me she does not remind you of Rebekah from the Vampire Diaries/the Originals. She's exactly who I picture, down to every mannerism.
My below synopsis has some spoilers from Book of Night, so please be wary if you haven't read it yet.
Charlie and Red take on their new role as the Hierophant on very rocky ground. Red has no memories of Charlie and his time as Vince and wants nothing to do with Charlie. Charlie is completely untrained to be killing blights and is finally realizing just how much trouble she's gotten herself into. Salt may be dead, but Adeline is relentless in her pursuit of Red. Posey is embracing her new reality with her awakened shadow (or, rather, Charlie's shadow) and Charlie's abusive ex-boyfriend is out of prison. The whole dynamic is stressful and Charlie is kind of folding into herself, breaking under the pressures. To add to it all, the cabal has a new head of the puppeteers, a creepy asshole who threatens Charlie and forces her to accept a new mission: find out who massacred a group of people at a church and make sure it doesn't hurt the reputation of the cabal, If she succeeds, he promises to get Red released from under the thumb of the cabal. If she fails, he promises to make her life worse than hell. In order to solve the mystery, Charlie needs to find herself again. She's full of fears, doubts, and mistrust as she and Red learn to work together and dance around the tension between them. They uncover dark secrets about cabal leadership and work to stop the next possible massacre while also being targeted by the murderer. In order to save herself and the people she loves, Charlie has to re-embrace her inner conwoman and learn that she doesn't have to do everything alone all the time. It goes against her every instinct; trusting others can be scary, but sometimes it is the only way to make it out alive.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Classism
medium-paced
I will say upfront, I am a sucker for a FMC with backbone and spunk and I almost always fawn over the books I read that have these characters because unfortunately we don't see them often enough. And Charlie is the epitome of a character with spunk and a whole lot of fight. She will destroy everything around her with the same things you try to destroy her with. Blackmail, pfft hold my cup I'll do it for you. Charlie and Red are facing their new lives and trying to find balance with Red/notVince while solving murders being caused by the newest plight. All the while super secret society people are being shady and trying to threaten her and Red's dynamic. When a blast from the past appears Charlie knows something even more is amiss. I love this story, I love her personality, I love a character who couldn't see the good in anything because of their history realizing there actually is still some genuine people its just not who you expected it to come from. I'm thankful for Netgalley allowing me to ARC read this because I have been stalking this authors page waiting for this book to get released and I wasn't disappointed at all. Even the narrator did a fantastic job with displaying the emotions the characters felt internally and giving them life.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It's impossible to review this book without spoilers for Book of Night.
For those who thought the pacing of the first book was slower, I think you'll enjoy that this one moves a little more briskly. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the mystery of the shadows, and dives deeper into the worldbuilding established in the first book.
Like Book of Night, this has the feeling of Dark Academia without actually taking place on a college campus. The academic nature of inquiry around the magic system and the Pioneer Valley/Five Colleges setting fuels that.
I listened to the audiobook, which has three narrators which enhances the structural changes Holly Black made to this book from the first. I recommend the audio for pacing reasons for both books 1 and 2.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an ALC and Tor for an eARC. Thief of Night is out 9/23/25.
For those who thought the pacing of the first book was slower, I think you'll enjoy that this one moves a little more briskly. It provides a satisfying conclusion to the mystery of the shadows, and dives deeper into the worldbuilding established in the first book.
Like Book of Night, this has the feeling of Dark Academia without actually taking place on a college campus. The academic nature of inquiry around the magic system and the Pioneer Valley/Five Colleges setting fuels that.
I listened to the audiobook, which has three narrators which enhances the structural changes Holly Black made to this book from the first. I recommend the audio for pacing reasons for both books 1 and 2.
Thank you to MacMillan Audio for an ALC and Tor for an eARC. Thief of Night is out 9/23/25.
Jumped in without refreshing my memory on Book of Night (which I read back in 2022, so it had been a while) but I felt like I was dropped immediately back into the story. I loved so many aspects of this – just the right blend of bittersweet, all-consuming yearning for a situation that wasn't real, but felt real to you, and action that kept me turning the page (figuratively, this was an audiobook). I'm thinking I need a reread of the two books together because I don't feel ready to leave Charlie and Red behind.
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
I love Charlie and her dark-ass shadow hijinks. She’s got a shadow boyfriend and she’s fighting a shadowy mob boss and listen I don’t even remember how the last one ended but I don’t care, this book was great and I’ll read the next one too.
This one starts right where Book of Night leaves off. I can't give away too much since this is the sequel but Charlie and Vince still can't be together due to their circumstances, but they are still bound together in a way. There are still blights to fight and Charlie is always in trouble making deals with devils. She is still wanting to save Vince not matter the cost. Once I made it halfway I did not want to put it down but overall it was fine. I like more romance in my books which is not this one. I wanted a little more from the ending with Vince and Charlie's relationship, but I was surprised by the very last page. That was great!
-Vince had been the kind of person you were supposed to grow old and comfortable with. Red was a monster. You didn't grow old with a monster. You set the world on fire together and burned up in the blaze.
-Your ex-boyfriend is planning your murder with an accomplice, she admitted to herself. Really, you're the only person this could happen to twice.
-"The best thing about not being a child is that no one can make you do anything you don't want to do."
-Vince had been the kind of person you were supposed to grow old and comfortable with. Red was a monster. You didn't grow old with a monster. You set the world on fire together and burned up in the blaze.
-Your ex-boyfriend is planning your murder with an accomplice, she admitted to herself. Really, you're the only person this could happen to twice.
-"The best thing about not being a child is that no one can make you do anything you don't want to do."
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-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
Holly Black has done it again! Dark and deliciously atmospheric, the mystery infused follow-up to her adult urban fantasy debut was absolutely marvellous.
I’ve been anticipating this since I finished Book of Night back in 2022, so was a little nervous my expectations might be too high to deliver.
But my fears were for nothing, as Black skilfully ups the stakes, the tension and the twists to deliver a richly immersive and emotionally evocative read I never wanted to end.
Following on from the cliffhanger in Book of Night, we find Charlie still trying to process those heart-wrenching revelations and events. she uncovered. Alongside her newly formed connection to Red and her role within this magical, shadow-filled world. Though, surprisingly for me, we were not eased in gently. Our opening scene was instantaneous, bloody and nail bitingly brutal. I was completely hooked!
And I have to say, I loved our morally grey protagonist, Charlie, even more than I did in the first instalment. She’s still sharp-witted, sarcastic and prone to making questionable decisions. But she also allows herself to be less guarded (at least with Red, who she shares a more vulnerable, compassionate and tender side with.)
And as such, gives us a deeper more emotionally rich look into her past, as well as into the complex and complicated feelings that fuel Red (who I absolutely adored.) We also see more of Posey (Charlie’s sister), which I really enjoyed!
Despite his dangerously unpredictable demeanour, I do think Red had one of best emotional arcs. Battling his past, his struggles with self acceptance and his rather intense dynamics with Charlie (which were phenomenal!)
I don’t want to spoil anything so I’m gonna leave things there, but I do wish it was a little longer.
Overall, a satisfying conclusion to The Charlatan series that fans of Holly Black’s grittier works (or Ninth House) should consider checking out. But do check TWs.
Also, thanks to Del Rey for this incredible proof.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm
Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Simply put. I want another book. I want more of this.
I could not stop thinking about this book and its plot. I just love the idea of shadows being magic and how the cabal works like a hidden conspiracy. I really like Charlie because she is not a typical FMC. She is a con artist and wow does she have some bad luck but still is so resourceful and brave. Red’s journey is quite complicated, learning more about his traumatic past was well traumatic to me. I really think he needed to be more angry at Adeline. SHE NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON. So mad she just went away. I loved that grandma comes back :) that was cute. And I specially loved seeing Red getting to know Charlie all over again and fall for her again. I really liked the very last line when Charlie thinks she finally met her match. Ugh I need more stories from this book series please
I could not stop thinking about this book and its plot. I just love the idea of shadows being magic and how the cabal works like a hidden conspiracy. I really like Charlie because she is not a typical FMC. She is a con artist and wow does she have some bad luck but still is so resourceful and brave. Red’s journey is quite complicated, learning more about his traumatic past was well traumatic to me. I really think he needed to be more angry at Adeline. SHE NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT A LESSON. So mad she just went away. I loved that grandma comes back :) that was cute. And I specially loved seeing Red getting to know Charlie all over again and fall for her again. I really liked the very last line when Charlie thinks she finally met her match. Ugh I need more stories from this book series please
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I absolutely loved this book, just as much as the first one. Charlie Hall is definitely among my favourite female main characters. The world-building is fantastic, making it so easy to get lost in the story.