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mel91's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? N/A
5.0
traeumenvonbuechern's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kbeddes's review against another edition
2.0
SUMMARY: An orphan girl named Nothing only wanted to be around her true friend, Prince Kirin but when he is kidnapped by the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, it is up to her and the prince’s bodyguard to save him. However, once they track him down to the sorceress’ stronghold in the Fifth Mountain, Nothing slowly starts to realize that she is much more powerful than anybody ever assumed.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: If you can get beyond the fact that Nothing is the main character’s name, you will find an interesting Asian-flavored fantasy quest story, the heart of which focuses on gender-fluidity, transgender identity, and personal identity. Nothing has spent her whole life focused on Kirin, so when she was separated from him, she was forced to come to terms with who and what she really is.
The story pulled me in toward the end, and I thought the gender-identity components were handled well, HOWEVER, the world-building. What the heck was happening? The magic system wasn't well developed., or explained. There were demons, and spirits, and witches, and sorcerers, and they just all coexisted without any sort of hierarchy? It had flavors of Asian culture and folk/fairytales but it was inconsistent. Was it old, was it more modern, idk? And the colors described were like a psychedelic acid trip. Towards the end, I was like, oh duh, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but set in Miyazaki's Spirited Away, if that makes sense.
PERSONAL REFLECTION: If you can get beyond the fact that Nothing is the main character’s name, you will find an interesting Asian-flavored fantasy quest story, the heart of which focuses on gender-fluidity, transgender identity, and personal identity. Nothing has spent her whole life focused on Kirin, so when she was separated from him, she was forced to come to terms with who and what she really is.
The story pulled me in toward the end, and I thought the gender-identity components were handled well, HOWEVER, the world-building. What the heck was happening? The magic system wasn't well developed., or explained. There were demons, and spirits, and witches, and sorcerers, and they just all coexisted without any sort of hierarchy? It had flavors of Asian culture and folk/fairytales but it was inconsistent. Was it old, was it more modern, idk? And the colors described were like a psychedelic acid trip. Towards the end, I was like, oh duh, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but set in Miyazaki's Spirited Away, if that makes sense.
suejiel's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
camipaz02's review against another edition
4.0
I got this arc from the author herself. So thank you so much, Tessa, for give us the chance to read your new book. English isn't my first language, so sorry if I can't write this review well.
This book is weird, but honestly is what I expected it to be, I think. Full of magic, and representation of non binary and queer characters.
Nothing just appeared in the castle. She doesn't have parents, only Kirin, the prince and he gave her the name of Nothing. When he was take away from the Sorceres Who Eat Girls, she and Sky will go in a mision to rescue him.
Is really hard try to explain this book, but the other one I read from Tessa was the same weird and fascinating kind of story. Is like a fairytale, a twisting and a little bit darker one. Full of demons, whitches, sorceress and promises.
I totally loved the things with de names, the importance of the names, just because someone gave it to you or because you chose the name. That was beautiful. And the differents names we can read in here, the meaning of them, so so so great.
Other thing I totally loved was the relationships between the characters. The way Sky and Nothing became friends or something more and complicated and beautiful was my favorite one. The relationship between Kirin and Nothing, so weird, so intense, so demanding sometimes, but still so pure. Same with Kirin and Sky, the love between them was wonderful and a little bit sad. The only relationship I wasn't really into was with the Sorceress. I'm not sure why, but it didn't work for me. I didn't hate it, or the character, but it didn't give me the feelings the others. And that was sad, because it was beautiful, and I loved the way Tessa wrote it and how it was growing little by little, but I couldn't feel it.
I really like the book, the characters and the world, but the story was a little bit of simple. It felt like nothing is happening, I spend the most part of the book waiting for the story to begin. I know it was most a story about characters and people who find them self. I know. But still I would love a little more. The world and the story have a lot more to give. I enjoyed reading the book, but it cost me a lot to find the willing to seat and read because because I wasn't thrilled to know what was going to happen now. My feelings while I was reading were always so calm and relax. I enjoyed the travel, yes, but when I wasn't reading I didn't think in the book.
The last thing I want to mention is about Kirin. I like the character, the dark parts of they and that they were the climax. This books hasn't have a villain as such and I like that. And I like the thing about that Kirin have to be pure, always is about women be pure. It proof that it was the same foolishness that with women, and I enjoy that. It silly, a detail, but I like it.
To finish, I enjoyed the book and the characters. It wasn't that exciting like I was hoping for, but it was good and weird in the most beautiful way. I love so much the way Tessa writes, and how she imagine the same stories we all know, but without the heteronormative restrictions of the society. It feels so liberating.
This book is weird, but honestly is what I expected it to be, I think. Full of magic, and representation of non binary and queer characters.
Nothing just appeared in the castle. She doesn't have parents, only Kirin, the prince and he gave her the name of Nothing. When he was take away from the Sorceres Who Eat Girls, she and Sky will go in a mision to rescue him.
Is really hard try to explain this book, but the other one I read from Tessa was the same weird and fascinating kind of story. Is like a fairytale, a twisting and a little bit darker one. Full of demons, whitches, sorceress and promises.
I totally loved the things with de names, the importance of the names, just because someone gave it to you or because you chose the name. That was beautiful. And the differents names we can read in here, the meaning of them, so so so great.
Other thing I totally loved was the relationships between the characters. The way Sky and Nothing became friends or something more and complicated and beautiful was my favorite one. The relationship between Kirin and Nothing, so weird, so intense, so demanding sometimes, but still so pure. Same with Kirin and Sky, the love between them was wonderful and a little bit sad. The only relationship I wasn't really into was with the Sorceress. I'm not sure why, but it didn't work for me. I didn't hate it, or the character, but it didn't give me the feelings the others. And that was sad, because it was beautiful, and I loved the way Tessa wrote it and how it was growing little by little, but I couldn't feel it.
I really like the book, the characters and the world, but the story was a little bit of simple. It felt like nothing is happening, I spend the most part of the book waiting for the story to begin. I know it was most a story about characters and people who find them self. I know. But still I would love a little more. The world and the story have a lot more to give. I enjoyed reading the book, but it cost me a lot to find the willing to seat and read because because I wasn't thrilled to know what was going to happen now. My feelings while I was reading were always so calm and relax. I enjoyed the travel, yes, but when I wasn't reading I didn't think in the book.
The last thing I want to mention is about Kirin. I like the character, the dark parts of they and that they were the climax. This books hasn't have a villain as such and I like that. And I like the thing about that Kirin have to be pure, always is about women be pure. It proof that it was the same foolishness that with women, and I enjoy that. It silly, a detail, but I like it.
To finish, I enjoyed the book and the characters. It wasn't that exciting like I was hoping for, but it was good and weird in the most beautiful way. I love so much the way Tessa writes, and how she imagine the same stories we all know, but without the heteronormative restrictions of the society. It feels so liberating.
thom_rea's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
willowtree's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
syllareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I'm gonna have to buy this book, huh.
Night Shine by Tessa Gratton is a beautiful book pulsating with life and love and finding oneself and one's own name in a way I have seldom seen before. Everything about this book is queer, dripping with queerness, gushing with it (also have not seen this that often and I love it! more! give me more!). The monstrous sorceress (ma'am, I am right here), Nothing's journey of self-discovery, The Prince Who Is Also A Maiden.....I loved everything in this book from start to finish.
It reads just like a fairy tale, every cadence meant to be savored by a storyteller, every word well-placed. The bare bones of every fairy tale, except it is not just a knight saving his princess, and it is not just a hero slaying a monster. There is love, romantic and platonic and every color in between, messy and real and beautifully painful, self-acceptance and self-fulfillment, adventure... I could go on, and on, but all I can say is: read this book. You won't regret it.
Night Shine by Tessa Gratton is a beautiful book pulsating with life and love and finding oneself and one's own name in a way I have seldom seen before. Everything about this book is queer, dripping with queerness, gushing with it (also have not seen this that often and I love it! more! give me more!). The monstrous sorceress (ma'am, I am right here), Nothing's journey of self-discovery, The Prince Who Is Also A Maiden.....I loved everything in this book from start to finish.
It reads just like a fairy tale, every cadence meant to be savored by a storyteller, every word well-placed. The bare bones of every fairy tale, except it is not just a knight saving his princess, and it is not just a hero slaying a monster. There is love, romantic and platonic and every color in between, messy and real and beautifully painful, self-acceptance and self-fulfillment, adventure... I could go on, and on, but all I can say is: read this book. You won't regret it.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence
howfardoesthisgo's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
pocketeditionlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
I was hoping for a fun adventure in a fantasy world featuring trans and lgbtqia+ characters. The world was super interesting (although I have more questions) and I really liked Nothing. Her desire to find herself and how that helps her understand Kirin is good, but it felt slow and lacked action.
This wasn't what I was expecting (which is not to say it was bad), but I think this story has a smaller audience than the book I thought I was going to read.
This wasn't what I was expecting (which is not to say it was bad), but I think this story has a smaller audience than the book I thought I was going to read.