Reviews

The anticipated sequel to The Nightjar is an absolutely stunning contemporary fantasy, richly detailed,darkly sinister and magically addictive.

Set a year after the events in The Nightjar and still following Alice Wyndham, who- after discovering her ability to see people’s souls in the form of birds called Nightjars (and the existence of a magical world parallel to her own),has only three goals: to join house Mielikki,learn to master her magic and to find out who she really is.

But as Alice comes to terms with her inherited legacy,the Rookery begins to crumble around her.With so much at stake, it’s time to decide how far is she’s willing to go to save the city and people she loves.

I cannot tell you how excited I was to read this after finishing The Nightjar and I really didn’t think It could get any better- I mean what could top a magical death cult? But The Rookery manages to surpass the dark charm and inventive storytelling that made me love this series.

Alice is a charmingly flawed character (actually Hewitt writes flawed characters quite well) and the relationship between Alice and Crowley is quite slow to get going, however it does eventually pick up. The ending was great, truly a rollercoaster of revelations- some I hadn’t even seen coming.

As in The Nightjar, the world building was phenomenal and the use of finnish mythology/folklore in the world- building was a breath of fresh air as we usually only see a lot of Greek/Roman/Viking or British mythology in fantasy.

I would have to recommend to any fans of contemporary fantasy fiction,or alternative London settings.

A huge thank you to Pan Macmillan and Net Galley for the ARC.

senkahawke's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective 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

4.0

charvermont's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring mysterious fast-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

4.25

meaghanreadshfx's review against another edition

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5.0

While I'm sad that I didn't read the first book in the series, I'm happy that I stumbled upon this book and the Nightjar series. I had heard of Deborah Dewitt and the success of this series before but I didn't really know exactly what I was in for with this book. As someone that didn't really read the series, the time that was taken to really catch me up was really useful and I found that I really enjoyed it.I really enjoyed all the twists and turns and while an alternate London isn't really a new concept it is approached in a way that feels new. It's definitely a really great read.

bookishreadsandme's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I officially now have a new favourite series of books after finishing reading the last book, The Rookery.

The first book, The Nightjar which was the first book in the duology was unbelievably fantastic, I cannot recommend it enough. The Rookery was just as amazing!! It was exciting, thrilling, pulse racing and dazzling.

The writing is just perfection. I was completely sucked in from the start to the end. The characters were interesting, particularly Crowley and the main protagonist Alice. Alice was a very well developed character who at times was frustrating, making some very daft decisions, but it made her feel more real and flawed. She is definitely not the perfect heroine that you sometimes get a lot of in this genre. Alice had a dark side to her magical abilities that she had to battle to control.

The world building is explained vividly and felt very authentic. You feel like you are actually there living through these adventures with Alice. It has such dark academia vibe, and it reminded me of Harry Potter at times with the different houses with the members who all had specific gifts. The magic system works so well in this alternate London and it was just such a joy to read.

If you love atmospheric, immersive and quirky fantasy books then I urge you to read these books. You are missing out!

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