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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
This is a weird book to review. It feels like I've loved The Nevernight Chronicles forever, even though I think I read the first one in 2018. I've forgotten a lot. It will forever haunt me that I did not reread the first two books before starting this one. Jay does a decent job of trying to recap us, but I really had to rack my brain for some of the stuff I'd forgotten.
The book did a decent job of finishing off the plot in my opinion. My opinion could definitely be unreliable though because there were some hazy parts of my memory. It was very interesting seeing more of Tric. I didn't realize that he was going to be around for so much of the novel. I'm not sure I was really down for the inevitable, though again, considering the history between the three of them, I can hardly be surprised.
Jay brings his trademark sarcasm, wit, and vulgarity to the book, so if you still love The Nevernight Chronicles, you'll love this. It was well executed and fun, if heart-wrenching to read. Jay doesn't pull punches will killing people you love. I have to say, that no matter the book's faults, I did enjoy my time reading it. For that reason alone, I'm giving it 5*.
The book did a decent job of finishing off the plot in my opinion. My opinion could definitely be unreliable though because there were some hazy parts of my memory. It was very interesting seeing more of Tric. I didn't realize that he was going to be around for so much of the novel. I'm not sure I was really down for the inevitable
Spoiler
love triangle between the three of themJay brings his trademark sarcasm, wit, and vulgarity to the book, so if you still love The Nevernight Chronicles, you'll love this. It was well executed and fun, if heart-wrenching to read. Jay doesn't pull punches will killing people you love. I have to say, that no matter the book's faults, I did enjoy my time reading it. For that reason alone, I'm giving it 5*.
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A good wrap up of the series but I found the final few chapters to be disappointingly anticlimactic. I also noted that all three books in this series seem to follow three different plots and it felt like the author kind of just pushed them all together in this final book. Because of this it felt like the pacing and cohesiveness of the series was off. Overall a funny book that kept me interested pretty much the whole time.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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:
Yes
surprising ending but I have to say I like how it ended... atypical, though nice. Whole series was really good and I like how it was written :) job well done, Mr. Kristoff!
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
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:
Complicated
So you're telling me, that this is like some super, super re-write of the origin of the deities for the Sun, Moon, Storms, Waves, Flames, Earth, and Night? In this moment I think this is kind of impressive. In the long run of the story, I think I feel like this was just unnecessary and pointless. This was a pretty fun conclusion though. Better than the previous books style-wise and story-wise. It's not life-changing, by far, but it's enough to be an entertaining read.
It took nigh on ten years for Mia to exact her revenge on the man who destroyed her family and irrevocably changed her life: Consul Julius Scaeva, and his associate Cardinal Duomo. She's given a chance to build a new family when she extricates her newly-discovered surviving brother Jonnen, who has been raised and groomed by Scaeva to be his heir to the Itreyan Republic. But after escaping the coliseum and meeting up with Ash and Tric, she's horrified to discover that Scaeva no only survived her assassination attempt and is taking advantage of emergency powers to establish himself as a stronger single ruler of the Republic, but he's also her father and he's holding Mercurio captive! The journey to the Quiet Mountain reveals secrets and truths about her darkin heritage, and the forced acceptance that the gods do exist and they're all gunning for her to prevent her from freeing the Dark Mother from her prison.
Niah, goddess of the night and murders, also has dominion over the dead. She resurrects Tric to guide and direct Mia to free her from her prison and resurrect her son, the Moon. Seeing as how Ash murdered Tric and Mia is falling deeper in love with Ash, this could turn out to be a tense and awkward alliance.
One extra book is still not enough time to let me forgive Ash for everything she did in book 1. Justify it all you want, that the Red Church is corrupt and Ash did it for the love of her father and for actual justice, nope I'm still not over her killing Tric! She's smart and fierce, but even still I've been distrusting her since book 1! Is that a sign of great writing, that her betrayal cut so deep I'm suspicious of everything that she's doing?
In book 1, this affection was more like a tease. Mia was starting to get used to physical intimacy and affection, especially with other members of her peer group, so I can only see these physical touches and Aalea's training in seduction and people skills as practice and letting off steam. Book 2, suddenly it's a stroke of "I think I love her because murder and pretty and basically love and hate are passion so it's kinda the same". I feel for Ash, I do, but not enough to justify her relationship with Mia.
Jonnen is a little annoyance because he's young and in denial. But also, being friendly with Mia? Also something that seemed to flipped on a switch.
All of this side-action and stories about the other characters? Love it. It's even better than the gladiators' stories from book 2. We get some Mercurio, we get some from the Ministry!
The best character, however, might be Aelius. The dead ghost, apparently the first Lord of Blades and founder of the Church, and most impressively the son of Cleo, the first recorded darkin and first Chosen of the Mother to rebirth the Moon! He's smart, he talks in contemporary vernacular, and he's not to be fucked with Drusilla! What a great guy.
The fight scenes descriptions were probably better in book 2, because it was all about the physical fights in the gladiatior pits. In this book, there's still gore but it's the combo darkin skills plus physical fighting that dominates everything. Truenight is coming, and the Dark Mother grows.
Now, if we consider the hilarious fact that this book when, then I guess I can allow for some plotholes to fall through because
But I liked how the author does go back and critique himself: the pretentious and liberal use of "O" in book 1, the suddenly weirdly explicit gore and sex, and the "fucking about" that was completely skipped in book 2.
Now to take an overall look at the story line...okay truth, it reads like the teenage confused child of [b:The Broken Earth Trilogy|38496769|The Broken Earth Trilogy (The Broken Earth #1-3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1530531199l/38496769._SX50_.jpg|60137524] and [b:The Inheritance Trilogy|21481566|The Inheritance Trilogy (Inheritance, #1-3.5)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395099350l/21481566._SX50_.jpg|40807844] with the militaristic power structure of [b:An Ember in the Ashes|27774758|An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)|Sabaa Tahir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519425615l/27774758._SY75_.jpg|39113604] and a killer cult like [b:Red Sister|25895524|Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)|Mark Lawrence|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627762558l/25895524._SY75_.jpg|45777900]. No one knows what a Moon is, and the gods have a messed up family-dynamic and they're getting humans to fix it for them, and the Itreyan public (like An Ember in the Ashes) is so clearly based on Ancient Rome. Legionnaires, centurions, gladitii, and murder school, and a weird calling from a higher power to do better but in the end love wins.
The core of the gods' conflict is loneliness and abandonment. Superstitious worshippers carrying out the interpreted goals of the conquering villains. The goal of the heroine is to restore balance by resurrecting a deity and taking down those who've wronged her in a trail of blood and stubborn will.
It took nigh on ten years for Mia to exact her revenge on the man who destroyed her family and irrevocably changed her life: Consul Julius Scaeva, and his associate Cardinal Duomo. She's given a chance to build a new family when she extricates her newly-discovered surviving brother Jonnen, who has been raised and groomed by Scaeva to be his heir to the Itreyan Republic. But after escaping the coliseum and meeting up with Ash and Tric, she's horrified to discover that Scaeva no only survived her assassination attempt and is taking advantage of emergency powers to establish himself as a stronger single ruler of the Republic, but he's also her father and he's holding Mercurio captive! The journey to the Quiet Mountain reveals secrets and truths about her darkin heritage, and the forced acceptance that the gods do exist and they're all gunning for her to prevent her from freeing the Dark Mother from her prison.
Niah, goddess of the night and murders, also has dominion over the dead. She resurrects Tric to guide and direct Mia to free her from her prison and resurrect her son, the Moon. Seeing as how Ash murdered Tric and Mia is falling deeper in love with Ash, this could turn out to be a tense and awkward alliance.
One extra book is still not enough time to let me forgive Ash for everything she did in book 1. Justify it all you want, that the Red Church is corrupt and Ash did it for the love of her father and for actual justice, nope I'm still not over her killing Tric! She's smart and fierce, but even still I've been distrusting her since book 1! Is that a sign of great writing, that her betrayal cut so deep I'm suspicious of everything that she's doing?
In book 1, this affection was more like a tease. Mia was starting to get used to physical intimacy and affection, especially with other members of her peer group, so I can only see these physical touches and Aalea's training in seduction and people skills as practice and letting off steam. Book 2, suddenly it's a stroke of "I think I love her because murder and pretty and basically love and hate are passion so it's kinda the same". I feel for Ash, I do, but not enough to justify her relationship with Mia.
Jonnen is a little annoyance because he's young and in denial. But also, being friendly with Mia? Also something that seemed to flipped on a switch.
Spoiler
He basically hates her up until the storm, and then afterwards mention of him is kind of pushed to the background as Mia is focusing on other things. When they have to separate to fulfill several objectives, Jonnen is suddenly just a little bit clingy. So, what does that mean? Does that mean that during the time he was in the background, he suddenly gained empathy? In Jonnen's POV as well, he mentions how he still hated her during the storm, so when exactly did he start realizing he likes and gets along with his sister?All of this side-action and stories about the other characters? Love it. It's even better than the gladiators' stories from book 2. We get some Mercurio, we get some from the Ministry!
Spoiler
I don't know if I feel worse about learning that Solis has been cheating, that even though he's blind he actually has a magical tool that grants him sight that makes him even deadlier than before, or that Mouser likes women's underwear and has multiple wives and an exorbitant amount of children. I always thought Mouser was the friendliest of the Ministry! And now, I concede it's probably been Aalea.The best character, however, might be Aelius. The dead ghost, apparently the first Lord of Blades and founder of the Church, and most impressively the son of Cleo, the first recorded darkin and first Chosen of the Mother to rebirth the Moon! He's smart, he talks in contemporary vernacular, and he's not to be fucked with Drusilla! What a great guy.
The fight scenes descriptions were probably better in book 2, because it was all about the physical fights in the gladiatior pits. In this book, there's still gore but it's the combo darkin skills plus physical fighting that dominates everything. Truenight is coming, and the Dark Mother grows.
Now, if we consider the hilarious fact that this book when
Spoiler
quite metaSpoiler
the story is supposedly written by Mercurio, and so as a biography of course he wouldn't notice when Jonnen starts to like his sister or anything else. In fact, perhaps this is why we get more POVs at the end? Maybe those parts weren't in fact included in the biography?But I liked how the author does go back and critique himself: the pretentious and liberal use of "O" in book 1, the suddenly weirdly explicit gore and sex, and the "fucking about" that was completely skipped in book 2.
Now to take an overall look at the story line...okay truth, it reads like the teenage confused child of [b:The Broken Earth Trilogy|38496769|The Broken Earth Trilogy (The Broken Earth #1-3)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1530531199l/38496769._SX50_.jpg|60137524] and [b:The Inheritance Trilogy|21481566|The Inheritance Trilogy (Inheritance, #1-3.5)|N.K. Jemisin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1395099350l/21481566._SX50_.jpg|40807844] with the militaristic power structure of [b:An Ember in the Ashes|27774758|An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)|Sabaa Tahir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1519425615l/27774758._SY75_.jpg|39113604] and a killer cult like [b:Red Sister|25895524|Red Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #1)|Mark Lawrence|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1627762558l/25895524._SY75_.jpg|45777900]. No one knows what a Moon is, and the gods have a messed up family-dynamic and they're getting humans to fix it for them, and the Itreyan public (like An Ember in the Ashes) is so clearly based on Ancient Rome. Legionnaires, centurions, gladitii, and murder school, and a weird calling from a higher power to do better but in the end love wins.
The core of the gods' conflict is loneliness and abandonment. Superstitious worshippers carrying out the interpreted goals of the conquering villains. The goal of the heroine is to restore balance by resurrecting a deity and taking down those who've wronged her in a trail of blood and stubborn will.