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kokorobosoina's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
prophetofthepage's review against another edition
5.0
The dark, queer Howl's Moving Castle retelling of my dreams
sabbathnikole's review against another edition
3.0
This one blurred the lines in many places. Is the villain really a villain and if she is do we fall in love with her anyway? It’s different. There’s no hard magic system but there is wonder. It was pretty beautiful and unexpected.
sunsetmusic68's review against another edition
4.0
I think this book is a 3.5-4 because while I loved the writing, it was a little cringey at times
dreams_of_attolia's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
inkandmyths's review against another edition
4.0
4.50/5.00
Night Shine is a beautifully written and imagined book, both familiar and utterly unique, and it had me so easily enchanted from the start: the Howl's Moving Castle inspired and overall Ghibli-esque world full of sorcerers and spirits, demons and witches; how the world was so incredibly vivid and atmospheric, full of gorgeous palaces and mountains as houses, rain forests and mirror lakes.
Nothing, the protagonist, won my heart over easily, too. She’s stubborn and persistent, she’s kind, she doesn’t always know herself, she’s curious and brave and loyal. The other characters, especially Sky, Kirin and the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, were also brilliantly written, all with their own hopes and fears, their selfish desires and lionhearted love. The dynamic between them made this story so special, the love Nothing, Kirin and Sky have for each other.
Tessa Gratton’s beautifully lyrical prose cannot be forgotten, either: it flowed so easily, made whole worlds appear in front of my eyes, made me want to step into this story and never come back out. The names she chose for her characters alone (The Day the Sky Opened, The Sorceress Who Eats Girls, A Dance of Stars, just to name a few) made this world feel like such a beautiful, wondrous thing, and I truly think that I could read a hundred more books set in this world and never get bored of it.
And, of course, the way queer characters lived and loved in this story, filling every single page; I so desperately wish that every story could be like this, could so easily make me believe that there’s nothing more normal than loving who you love, despite their gender, and that gender can (but not must) be a flowing, changing and always beautiful thing.
Overall, I adored Tessa Gratton's Strange Grace, back when I read it upon its release in 2018, so I'm not surprised that her newest book, Night Shine, has become a new favourite book of mine, too. It was just so, so perfectly made for me, with the The Howl’s Moving Castle inspired world and a twist that only Tessa Gratton could manage. I was mesmerised by all of it, the lyrical prose and atmospheric writing, the world filled with wonder and magic, both beautiful and violent, the characters with their own hopes and desires; it would’ve been impossible not to love this book.
Night Shine is a beautifully written and imagined book, both familiar and utterly unique, and it had me so easily enchanted from the start: the Howl's Moving Castle inspired and overall Ghibli-esque world full of sorcerers and spirits, demons and witches; how the world was so incredibly vivid and atmospheric, full of gorgeous palaces and mountains as houses, rain forests and mirror lakes.
Nothing, the protagonist, won my heart over easily, too. She’s stubborn and persistent, she’s kind, she doesn’t always know herself, she’s curious and brave and loyal. The other characters, especially Sky, Kirin and the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, were also brilliantly written, all with their own hopes and fears, their selfish desires and lionhearted love. The dynamic between them made this story so special, the love Nothing, Kirin and Sky have for each other.
Tessa Gratton’s beautifully lyrical prose cannot be forgotten, either: it flowed so easily, made whole worlds appear in front of my eyes, made me want to step into this story and never come back out. The names she chose for her characters alone (The Day the Sky Opened, The Sorceress Who Eats Girls, A Dance of Stars, just to name a few) made this world feel like such a beautiful, wondrous thing, and I truly think that I could read a hundred more books set in this world and never get bored of it.
And, of course, the way queer characters lived and loved in this story, filling every single page; I so desperately wish that every story could be like this, could so easily make me believe that there’s nothing more normal than loving who you love, despite their gender, and that gender can (but not must) be a flowing, changing and always beautiful thing.
Overall, I adored Tessa Gratton's Strange Grace, back when I read it upon its release in 2018, so I'm not surprised that her newest book, Night Shine, has become a new favourite book of mine, too. It was just so, so perfectly made for me, with the The Howl’s Moving Castle inspired world and a twist that only Tessa Gratton could manage. I was mesmerised by all of it, the lyrical prose and atmospheric writing, the world filled with wonder and magic, both beautiful and violent, the characters with their own hopes and desires; it would’ve been impossible not to love this book.
onebookmore's review against another edition
4.0
Night Shine is an interesting fantasy story with an immersive setting, dynamic characters, and poignant messages. The world-building is incredible and lush, with a unique caste system and fascinating supernatural beings including witches, demons, goblins, and more. It is a captivating read, one that I was quickly caught up in. I also like the strong messages about being true to yourself, standing up for what you believe in, and fighting for those you love.
The characters are richly developed, especially Nothing, the protagonist. I loved her progression throughout the story. A girl who is usually ignored and invisible, she is the only one who realizes that the prince is not really the prince. She is a sharp, intelligent, and astute person who is vastly underestimated, as she proves time and again on her journey to rescue the prince.
Overall, this is a good read that I recommend to readers that enjoy YA fantasy. Thanks so much to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
The characters are richly developed, especially Nothing, the protagonist. I loved her progression throughout the story. A girl who is usually ignored and invisible, she is the only one who realizes that the prince is not really the prince. She is a sharp, intelligent, and astute person who is vastly underestimated, as she proves time and again on her journey to rescue the prince.
Overall, this is a good read that I recommend to readers that enjoy YA fantasy. Thanks so much to Netgalley for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.
tntknits's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
wilczynska's review against another edition
2.0
DNF. I tried hard with this book, because it has themes that I think are so important for young people, especially right now, as folx start to more strongly consider who they are and what that means within the larger landscape. It has strong, clear messages about not jumping to conclusions about who someone else is, understanding that no one has to be just one extreme or another but can embrace multiple identities at the same time, which can in fact make people stronger in who they are, rather than being less.
I give this book a low rating because of the extremely heavy burden of the descriptions. The first 80 pages involves a journey, but the travel experiences are less than secondary to the world-building and overly detailed descriptions of this fantasy realm, some of which never play any major part in the story itself. Later on, entire paragraphs are dedicated to descriptions of dresses (of frequently contrasting color combinations, fwiw) or multiple paragraphs describing rooms. All the description becomes overwhelming at times and detracts from the story. And since so much time was spent on the descriptions and world-building elements, the story became severely lacking and almost disjointed.
I read about 3/4 of the book and I just couldn't bring myself to read to the end because I ceased to care. It makes me very sad because I think this could be such a powerful book. I hope there are future books that have a similar philosophy toward not conforming to dichotomies and inhabiting the in-between spaces.
I give this book a low rating because of the extremely heavy burden of the descriptions. The first 80 pages involves a journey, but the travel experiences are less than secondary to the world-building and overly detailed descriptions of this fantasy realm, some of which never play any major part in the story itself. Later on, entire paragraphs are dedicated to descriptions of dresses (of frequently contrasting color combinations, fwiw) or multiple paragraphs describing rooms. All the description becomes overwhelming at times and detracts from the story. And since so much time was spent on the descriptions and world-building elements, the story became severely lacking and almost disjointed.
I read about 3/4 of the book and I just couldn't bring myself to read to the end because I ceased to care. It makes me very sad because I think this could be such a powerful book. I hope there are future books that have a similar philosophy toward not conforming to dichotomies and inhabiting the in-between spaces.
sleepylen_'s review against another edition
4.0
I– YOU ALL NEED TO READ THIS especially if you’re a fan of ghibli films!
I really want to write a full review of this one but just know– this cover doesn’t make it justice!
I really want to write a full review of this one but just know– this cover doesn’t make it justice!