Scan barcode
roxy_reads_romance's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Death
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Incest
fireinherveinzz's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
So so disappointed because I loved holly’s writing with the folk of the air series and this was just terrible . This was not Adult at all in the slightest. It was very YA minus the lack of sex scene / spicy moments. The plot was all over the place . Everything was super confusing and Charlie wasn’t really someone I could root for or even liked she didn’t have much of a relationship with any of the other characters . I didn’t buy Charlie and Vince’s romance at all .. not even at the end just no . Was groomed by an abusive older man and just wrote it off like oh he was a con man ? And even her mother brought this up and she’s like it’s fine ? No it was not . The magic system and world building made no sense at all , I got the side characters and back stories confused so much . I didn’t get the whole deal with Adam and Dolores at all . Also is Vince not Edmund then , a grandson / relative of Lionel salt or is he just what Remy/ shadow demon thing Red renamed himself I’m so so confused ? Also What the fuck did remy and adaline who WERE SIBLINGS HAVE AN AFFAIR including remy’s shadow red .. really holly incest .. love an incest plot twist NOT . the end was just ehh??? I will not be continuing this series at all . It’s too bad I liked her writing .
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Murder, and Gore
Moderate: Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I have been a Holly Black fan since I was seventeen and first picked up her Modern Fairy Tale series, and after reading all of the subsequent releases she’s become an auto buy author for me, I loved The Coldest Girl In Coldtown, The Darkest Part of The Forest, The Folk of The Air series and even the first book in the Curseworkers series (which I enjoyed but still need to read the rest of that series.)
Now, I absolutely loved her early style of writing which I found a lot darker and imbued with a grittier realism that we don’t see as much of in her work post The Cruel Prince. With the announcement of her first adult fantasy, I had high hopes that the grittier tone would make a reappearance in The Book of Night. And for the most part, I’d say it did!
The wickedly dark, urban fantasy tone that I’d come to know and love in Kaye and Roiben’s story is back. But instead of duplicitous fae, we get shadowy magicians, a murder mystery and a retired criminal and a high stakes heist that I was definitely invested in.
I loved Charlie our protagonist and resident underdog and she tries to unravel the mystery she’s unexpectedly connected to, magnificently unravelling one plot twist after another. I do warn that the mystery aspect is pretty intregal to the plot and so, despite being fantasy it does read more like a mystery that happens to have magic/ fantastical elements rather than a straight urban fantasy.
I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the plot but, if like me you’ve read and enjoyed The Modern Faerie Tales or The Curseworkers series—or are partial to urban fantasy with elements of dark realism and a ton of plot twists, then I definitely recommend checking this out. If you’re looking for the next Cruel Prince however, you may find yourself a little disappointed.
Personally I absolutely loved this and feel the only downside was the cliffhanger ending. I’m hoping this is the start of a series and not a standalone because I really need to know what happens next!
Now, I absolutely loved her early style of writing which I found a lot darker and imbued with a grittier realism that we don’t see as much of in her work post The Cruel Prince. With the announcement of her first adult fantasy, I had high hopes that the grittier tone would make a reappearance in The Book of Night. And for the most part, I’d say it did!
The wickedly dark, urban fantasy tone that I’d come to know and love in Kaye and Roiben’s story is back. But instead of duplicitous fae, we get shadowy magicians, a murder mystery and a retired criminal and a high stakes heist that I was definitely invested in.
I loved Charlie our protagonist and resident underdog and she tries to unravel the mystery she’s unexpectedly connected to, magnificently unravelling one plot twist after another. I do warn that the mystery aspect is pretty intregal to the plot and so, despite being fantasy it does read more like a mystery that happens to have magic/ fantastical elements rather than a straight urban fantasy.
I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling the plot but, if like me you’ve read and enjoyed The Modern Faerie Tales or The Curseworkers series—or are partial to urban fantasy with elements of dark realism and a ton of plot twists, then I definitely recommend checking this out. If you’re looking for the next Cruel Prince however, you may find yourself a little disappointed.
Personally I absolutely loved this and feel the only downside was the cliffhanger ending. I’m hoping this is the start of a series and not a standalone because I really need to know what happens next!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Addiction and Incest
howl's review against another edition
3.5
Kind of messy but from about 25% to 75% of the way through it was a quick and intriguing read. The prose and some of the plotting were oddly unpolished which made it seem like the author’s latest editor is less competent than the ones who worked on her recent YA books
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, and Gore
Minor: Incest and Panic attacks/disorders
uranaishi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Car accident, Death, Gun violence, Child abuse, Blood, Classism, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Gore, Death of parent, Incest, Medical content, and Adult/minor relationship
More...